Military buyback and retirement timing

0

Q. I am 50 and have 8.5 years of active military service (covered on DD-214) and 179 days of consecutive active-duty time as a reservist (no DD-214). I have approximately 3.5 years of competitive, permanent career federal civil service time but am no longer a civil service employee (resignation, no negative reasons). I do not count the 179 days of active reserve duty in my retirement calculations.

I have not done the military buyback yet for my 8.5 years’ credited military service. If I land another permanent, career full-time federal civil service job and buy back my 8.5 years, would I then have 11.5 years’ combined federal retirement and thus  have only 8.5 years to go before qualifying for federal retirement/pension (although I would continue to work)?

A. If you land a permanent, career full-time federal job and make a deposit for your years of active-duty service, you’d be able to retire on an immediate annuity at age 60 with at least 20 years of service.

Share.

About Author

Reg Jones was head of retirement and insurance policy at the Office of Personnel Management. Email your retirement-related questions to fedexperts@federaltimes.com.

Leave A Reply