How do I get retirement credit for active duty service?

The following is a question submitted by a Federal Times readers about retirement and other issues facing the federal workforce. It is answered by Reg Jones, a charter member of the senior executive service and a Federal Times columnist since 1995.

Question: I am considering a job with the VA. I have 10 years of active duty military service and currently have been in the reserves for eight years. If I took a job with the VA, would buying back my active duty time keep me from collecting my army reserve pension later in life?

Reg’s Response: Making a deposit to get credit for your active duty service would have no affect on your entitlement to an army reserve pension.To find out how much you owe, ask you personnel office for a copy of RI-20-97, Estimated Earnings During Military Service. Fill out the form and send it to your military finance center with a copy of your DD Form 214, Report of Transfer or Discharge. When you get your estimated earnings statement, take it to your personnel office and ask them to determine the amount of deposit needed, including interest.

All deposits for post-1956 military service must be made to your agency, and they must be completed before you retire. Payments need not be in a lump sum but may be paid over time. Your payroll office can help you to set up a payment schedule.

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Reg Jones is the resident expert on retirement and the federal government at Federal Times. From 1979 until 1995, he served as an assistant director of the U.S. Office of Personnel Management handling recruiting and examining, white and blue collar pay, retirement, insurance and other issues. Opinions expressed are his own.

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