Q. I am a federal employee with the Department of Defense Fire & Emergency Services, and I am also a member of the Air National Guard. Over the years, I have had several military deployments (Title 10 Active Duty) in which my time for pay has been coded KG (Military Furlough-Active Duty), and I have not paid/contributed into FERS. Although I have been a federal firefighter since 2005, I do have quite a bit of time that I did not pay into FERS, and I would like to know if I can retroactively pay/contribute into FERS so the time I…
Browsing: military service
Q. I am a retired civil servant receiving an annuity. I also receive survivor benefits from my late husband, also a civil servant. I am 72 and may marry a gentleman who is retired Navy and civil servant. Would either of us lose our benefits? He is the same age as I. A. No.
Q. I know a postmaster struggling with everyday work due to needing double knee replacing and double hip surgeries. He was told he has osteoarthritis. Now he is in constant pain. It is stopping him from walking and moving around. He needs a cane to walk. Would he qualify for disability retirement? Also, he doesn’t want to feel threatened because he is where physically, he can’t work. He is only 44 and is a 50 percent disabled combat veteran. Would he qualify? A. To find out if he would qualify, he’ll have to apply for disability retirement. His servicing personnel…
Q. I am a retired Navy veteran who recently became a federal employee. How does my military service count toward my federal service time, leave and retirement benefits? A. To learn what benefits you are entitled to as a retired member of the armed forces, go to www.opm.gov/StaffingPortal/vetguide.asp and scroll to Service Credit.
Q. I am going through the hiring process for a couple of federal law enforcement agencies. I am 41; however, I am a veteran’s preference eligible candidate and therefore eligible for an age waiver. As such, the agencies have advised me that hiring of eligible such candidates older than 37 has occurred and is occurring; however, no one can tell me how that affects the mandatory retirement of 57. I have 18 years of military service. roughly half active duty and half reserve time (I am a drilling reservist looking to retire out of the reserves at 20 years). What…
Q. I retired from the federal government under CSRS. I also paid back my military time. Since I retired, I have been working and paying Social Security. I have met my 40 quarters. When I turn 62, I was thinking of applying for Social Security. Will I receive Social Security, or will they offset my retirement? A. Because you are receiving an annuity from CSRS, a retirement system where you didn’t pay Social Security taxes, you’ll be subject to the windfall elimination provision. The WEP will reduce, but not eliminate, your Social Security benefit.
Q. I receive regular 20-year active-duty military retirement pay. If I accepted a temporary position (i.e. not to exceed one year), would my salary be offset by my retirement or would I be able to collect both? Also, when I was young, I worked for a federal government agency as a stay-in-schooler. I am trying to find out if my temporary federal government employment from 1985 through 1988 can be credited toward my service computation date once I find a permanent/career-status federal position. A. Taking a federal job of any sort will not affect your military retired pay. You’ll be…
Q. I have nine years of prior active-duty military service as a physician. If I took a physician’s job with the VA, could those nine years be counted toward my retirement? A. Only if you made a deposit to the retirement system to get credit for that time.
Q. I have completed 10 years of active-duty service and 11 years in the National Guard (I am still in the guard). I have been employed by the Department of Labor (GS12/FERS) for the last 10 years. I bought back my 10 years of active-duty service. My questions are: 1. Was I eligible to buy back my 10 years of active duty, seeing as how I can now retire from the guard? 2. If I am eligible, does that mean I have 20 years with the Department of Labor (10 active plus 10 in the department itself)? A. 1) Yes,…
Q. I have four years and 10 months of federal service and six years of active military duty. I am no longer in federal service. Can I buy my military time and qualify for a federal pension? A. No.