Browsing: military retirement

Q. I am a FERS employee and had 10 years of active-duty military time before becoming a federal employee. I bought this time back. Now I have 14 years as a federal employee and the 10 years of military time. My understanding is that under FERS, the military time is creditable service up front — i.e., I have 24 years of creditable service for retirement purposes. Is this correct? Based on what I have read, in six years I will have 30 years of service (10 military/20 FERS) and therefore will be eligible for my full retirement at my MRA…

Q. I have applied for a federal job. I served 25 years in the Army Reserve and am receiving VA disability due to Iraq injuries. If hired for the federal job, will I be able to receive a retirement based on the length of service in the new federal job? A. If you want to know if you will get credit for your active-duty service when you become a federal employee, the answer is no unless you make a deposit to the civilian retirement system and, when you retire from that job, waive your military retired pay.

Q. I am an Air National Guardsman with more than 30 years of service and a dual-status federal technician. I have bought back my military time, so with everything, I have almost 29 years’ federal civil service. I am 52, so I’m about four years away from my minimum retirement age. Due to some health issues, I’ve very recently been put in a “not eligible for worldwide service” category and will have to go to a medical evaluation board. If militarily retired, I know I will lose my technician position. How will these scenarios affect my retirements? A. To see…

Q: I retired Sept. 29, 2010, under discontinued service as a National Guard Technician and am eligible for an immediate annuity. My military service was from September 1977 through April 1984 (6 ½ years) and my tech service time was from Aug. 11, 1985, through Sept. 29, 2010 (just over 25 years). My military time has been bought back. I was born in 1959 and was 51 years old and 3 months when I retired. Will I get the FERS supplement? A: Yes, you’ll be eligible for the special retirement supplement when you reach your minimum retirement age, which is 56.…

Q: If I buy back my military time, can I collect both military retirement and Federal Employees Retirement System benefits? My situation is this: I am 58 years old, and I started a job with the federal government Sept. 26, 2010. My prior military service consists of nine years on active duty and 14 years in the reserves. I have submitted the forms to the Defense Finance and Accounting Service and have received my cost calculation to buy back my active-duty years. I am eligible to collect my military retirement when I turn 60. I plan to continue working for…

Q: I have 31 years in the Army, six years of which is active duty, and I’m still on reserve status. I’ve been working at a Veterans Affairs Department hospital for more than 20 years and plan to stay there until I have 30 years of service. I’m presently buying back the six years of active-duty time, and it is going to cost $12,000. First of all, is it worth it for me to buy back this time? I have heard when you retire from the federal government, you will only get either your federal retirement with your active-duty buyback…

Q: I just recently became employed as a GS. In reviewing my Notification of Personnel Action form (SF-50), I had a number of questions which I asked of our human resources personnel: The form indicated I have no veterans’ preference and no creditable years of military service, though I have almost 25 years of service. The response I received was that I would have to surrender my pay and purchase the years of military service if I want to have it credited for civilian service. I have no intention of doing this. I was referred to the Office of Personnel…

Q: Can an active-duty service member roll his retirement into government service and add those years together with existing military service years? This was possible 20 years ago or so, but I was wondering whether it still is an option. I’m a 27-year veteran about to retire, and I’d rather go straight into government service and forego my retirement check from the military, if that is possible. A: Nothing has changed. You can make a deposit to the civilian retirement system for any years of active-duty service and, if you are eligible for military retired pay, waive that pay when…

Q: I retired from the Navy after serving 20 years. I now work for the state of Georgia. Will my service in state government be the same as working for the federal government? Can I receive a pension from the state after 10 years (which will be 30 years of total service, in 2018)? A: No, it won’t be the same as working for the federal government. The two forms of employment aren’t interchangeable. You’ll have to check with your state to find out if any of your military service would be creditable and what the requirements are to retire…