Does the reserves count towards my 20?

2021-07-23T22:48:26-04:00

I have an initial 3 years TIS active duty, 8 years reserve and another 3 return to active duty. So quick questions, can I retire in 5? Or do I have to finish out another 14 on active duty since it’s a different component?

Response by CSM Charles Hayden made Jul 23 at 2021 10:53 PM

2021-07-23T22:53:25-04:00

MSG Private RallyPoint Member Do not ask a recruiter about various retirements available. I did once and was personally embarrassed at his lack of knowledge. Retirement is not a Recruiter’s mission!

Response by LTC Private RallyPoint Member made Jul 24 at 2021 12:21 AM

2021-07-24T00:21:46-04:00

If you had 14 good years in active duty, and the reserve component, it looks like 6 more years and you may have to go 7 to get your 20-year letter. Now that we have the Blended Retirement System, you need to check with your unit administrator or s12c if you are stuck with the new Blended Retirement System. We've had some drastic changes. I had one bad year switching over between the irr and the National Guard and the Army Reserve and I only had 11 months and 4 days credit for one year and I had to go 21 years to get 20 years, 11 months and 4 days.

Remember, it will be by points and it will be prorated.

Response by SFC Private RallyPoint Member made Jul 24 at 2021 2:20 AM

2021-07-24T02:20:19-04:00

My situation was similar to yours. And am a former Combat Engineer. ESSAYONS! If I'm not mistaken, you need to do 14 more years on active duty. HOWEVER, you will get paid for the extra eight years from the reserves for pay purposes. So when you retire at in 14 more years, you will be paid for 28 years but at 50%.

Response by SFC Private RallyPoint Member made Jul 24 at 2021 2:44 AM

2021-07-24T02:44:41-04:00

Don’t forget to add any deployment time you might of done during those 8 years. That should count towards the 20 active

Response by SFC Private RallyPoint Member made Jul 24 at 2021 3:00 AM

2021-07-24T03:00:46-04:00

A lot of bits and pieces of info in here so let me put it all into one piece.

Only your active duty time counts towards calculating the 20 years retirement. Any days you spent in active status during your Reserves time counts toward your 20 years as well, that includes schools, AT, and deployments.

Your reserve time counts toward your pay. So you have six+ years towards retirement but 14 towards pay. Your retirement pay is based off the final 36 months of your pay, so you'll have a higher retirement at 20 years than someone else of the same rank at 20 years because you'll be getting paid at the 28 year rate.

You had one year to enroll in BRS when you returned to active duty, if you didn't then the opportunity is gone.

Response by SSgt Jeanne Wallace made Jul 24 at 2021 4:00 AM

2021-07-24T04:00:09-04:00

I'd check your points..and make sure that you end up with good years on the reserve side...find out who does the retirements at Personnel and talk to them..get the regs chapter and verse hard copy so you can take it home for a reference..things change year to year so stay on top of it..good luck

Response by LTC Private RallyPoint Member made Jul 24 at 2021 6:45 AM

2021-07-24T06:45:00-04:00

You reserve time counts for a reserve retirement that pays at 60 years old. You need 20 "good years" and then they use your points to calculate your payment but it is a retirement.

Response by SSG Private RallyPoint Member made Jul 24 at 2021 9:19 AM

2021-07-24T09:19:13-04:00

I know a little about this. The time does count, but not as straight years. You will have to look at your points on your DD 249 (??? or something like that, depends on component I think). You get the same "points" in any of the components, BUT on active you get 1 point per day, where in the Reserves or guard, you get 2 per drill day, 50 just for being in per year and another 2 per day per AT orders, then if you do something like ADOS or deploy you go back down to 1 per day. If you go active those points will have to equal to 20 years to get the 20 year retirement.
So for example at my 12 year mark, I had 5 active and 7 Reserve/NG. They were going to count me at 7 if I went back to active.
You should expect to do another 10 at least. 12 is prob closer to likely.

Response by SFC Michael Hasbun made Jul 24 at 2021 9:38 AM

2021-07-24T09:38:53-04:00

Well no, of course not. At least not for Active TIS purposes. It will for pay though.
Why would you receive 365 days worth of credit when you were only in uniform for a small fraction of that?
I know it's "in fashion" to say "I have xyz years of service" and treat reserve years as if they were active duty years, but you need to do the math and divide the year by the actual amount of days in uniform that year to figure out how much time you actually had in service that year.

Average Example: would be 60 days a year (48 MUTA +12 ECT). This will, of course, be different for everyone based on Mobilizations, etc...

Response by MSG Private RallyPoint Member made Jul 24 at 2021 11:15 AM

2021-07-24T11:15:56-04:00

If you want an Active duty retirement, you have to do another 14 years.
If you want a reserve retirement, meaning retirement at 60 years old, then you can retire in 5 years (check with Army HR for details).
The Reserve retirement is by points which means 1 point for every day of active duty, a typical Reserve weekend is good for 4 points.
With 12 years Active and 8 years of Reserve, you would have approx 4884 points. A typical 20 year active duty career would give you 7300 points (365 days x 20 years).
A retired active duty 20 year MSG would make approx 2850 a month (50% of base scale) under the 2021 pay scale
A reserve 20 year MSG retirement with 4884 points would make a little less than 2000 a month.
Keep in mind that if you go Reserve retirement, your Tricare will not kick in until you turn 60
If you go the reserve retirement, confirm with HR that your points are verified. A lot of people retire from the Reserve only to find out when they apply for the retired pay that some or a lot of their points were never counted.
You can request your previous pay statements that can be used to verify your points.

Response by CPT Shonna Ingram made Jul 24 at 2021 3:31 PM

2021-07-24T15:31:54-04:00

From my understanding, only active duty time counts. ROTC time and adv. camp do not count towards officers' retirement time...but enlisted boot camp does count. So as far as Reserves, national guard, etc... only a deployment of 6 months or over actually counts towards retirement AND only your active duty counts as far as VA goes too.

Response by SSG Edward Tilton made Jul 25 at 2021 12:40 PM

2021-07-25T12:40:03-04:00

It counts when they are taking it from you. I was disability retired many years retroactive. They deducted every drill day, man day, TDY day and other excuse they could find. I wonder what they would have done if I were killed after my retirement

Response by COL Private RallyPoint Member made Jul 28 at 2021 3:07 PM

2021-07-28T15:07:42-04:00

Congratulations on serving this long. As someone, who served on Active Duty in the Active Component as well as a member of the National Guard and Army Reserve, I understand your challenge. But your question about retiring in 5 years is an 'it depends' answer. You can retire at 20 years of service but it will be a Reserve Component retirement with your pension paid at age 60, unless you served as a member of the Reserve Component under contingency operations orders, which would reduce your age requirement.

But, the second question 'or do I have to finish out another 14 years on active duty...?' implies that your plan is to obtain an Active Component retirement for 20 years of Active Federal Service. It is likely that you do not have to serve 'another 14 years' but it will be close to 14. You have 6 years of active duty (probably Active Component as well as Reserve Component on active duty) as well as time spent in an active status during your 8 years reserve time. For every day you were in the Reserves and attended NCOES in an active status as well as Annual Training, you get credit towards active duty service. Assuming you had 8 ATs, you have about 100 days of active duty credit for ATs. You may have another 90 days for NCOES, which would reduce your ability to achieve an active duty retirement to about 13.5 years instead of 14. Depending on your age and physical status, you may have a challenge reaching the years required for AC retirement.

FYI, I served 38 years in uniform and still only received an RC retirement because the Active Component will do their best to separate you from Active Duty before you reach 18 years and lock-in. Once you joined the RC, you became a member of the 'unwashed.' Good luck.

Response by TSgt Private RallyPoint Member made Aug 18 at 2021 6:06 PM

2021-08-18T18:06:32-04:00

Reserve and guard time does NOT act the same as active duty. Basically, you can get a total of 70ish points a good year for guard/reserve, compared to 365 points for a year active duty. Eight good years would equal about 560 points, or maybe about 1 year and 202 days of active duty time. Do not quote me, as I am not, nor ever was a personnel admin clerk. I just have dealt with the guards/reserves for a few years. Your best source of info would be get a hold of an admin section for your old reserve unit and see what they can tell you. Best of luck with your quest.

Response by SSG Robert Smith made Aug 18 at 2021 6:28 PM

2021-08-18T18:28:25-04:00

I'm not sure if this will apply to you but I spent 13 years on Active and 7 years on Guard status. So on active duty you get 365 points a year but a normal drilling guard member only gets like 75 points a year. In order for me to get the retirement pay when I retired I would have to do about 34 years total to get the pay after i got out. But since I decided to retire at just 20 years total I will get my retirement when I turn 60. I also was informed that I would get 15 points a year for being in the retired reserve. The points is supposed to go towards my retirement. So in essence you will get a retirement but you will just have to wait till your 60 to get it. That is if it's the same as reserve component. That's the way it was explained to me when I decided to go into the retired reserve. I hope this helps.

Response by MAJ Robert Philpot made Aug 19 at 2021 3:29 PM

2021-08-19T15:29:08-04:00

This is a great question! If you're in the reserves you can earn 1 point for every 4 hours of weekend drill time. (Usually 4 points/weekend). When you're on active duty or AT you get 1 point per day. You also get 15 points per year. If you have a blended history your active duty time is computed at 1 point per day (or 365/yr). You need at least 50 points during a year for it to count towards the required 20 years. Most reservists earn about 77 points per year. You can find your total career points by looking at your Retirement Point Accounting Statement (RPAS). You should check it periodically to make sure there are no errors. https://www.militarytimes.com/pay-benefits/military-retirement/2017/12/19/how-reservists-can-find-their-point-totals-for-brs-eligibility/

This all goes into a formula like this:
number of points / 360 * 2.5% = % of base pay for rank at retirement.

It is possible to drill for points only after you've retired. This will boost your retired pay a bit. There are a few other details worth learning.

If you're planning to one day collect a retirement check you should learn how the system works. Here is a good place to start:
https://the-military-guide.com/reserve-retirement-calculator/

There is another good document at https://soldierforlife.army.mil/Documents/Army%20Reserve%20Retirement%20Point%20Information%20Guide%2014%20May%202018.pdf

I hope this helps!

Retirement Guide: How reservists can find their point totals

National Guard and reserve members with fewer than 4,320 retirement points as of Dec. 31 can opt into the new Blended Retirement System.

Response by SPC John Vaudo made Aug 20 at 2021 12:36 AM

2021-08-20T00:36:35-04:00

OK let me break it down Medically retired in 2004 after being mobilized 3 years Active Navy, 7 years USNR transferred to ARNG did another 10 years off and on in the Guard with the last 9 months being mobilized. I am Retired I will not draw my pay until age 60 and will be approximately what my Drill pay was

Response by SSG Private RallyPoint Member made Aug 20 at 2021 9:14 AM

2021-08-20T09:14:01-04:00

Your active duty years should count towards your Reserve/Guard retirement years, it just gives you a lot more points and ups your pension (what pension there is; the Blended Retirement System is a different animal than the old system, so don't take peoples' word on this, check with an actual valid source). You'll still have to finish 20 years total.
However, if you want an active duty retirement, you'll have to finish 20 years active.

Response by LCDR Bruce Cooley made Aug 20 at 2021 6:04 PM

2021-08-20T18:04:36-04:00

If I remember it correctly, your weekend drill days count 1 for 1, and your yearly active duty the same....so those days do count.....just not the whole year as time in service. I could easily be wrong on this. Best thing to do is have your career counselor look at your record, and give you a more correct answer.

Response by MSgt George Fillgrove made Aug 21 at 2021 6:26 AM

2021-08-21T06:26:18-04:00

Depends on your status. Are you regular Army or do you have Reserve status? If regular, regrettably, the eight years only counts for pay purposes, and you have a ways to go for an active duty retirement. If you have Reserve status (ie. a Reservist on extended active duty), then yes, you can retire in five years. Remember, however, that will be a Reserve retirement -- based on points and satisfactory years of service. I was a Reserve Airman on Title 10 active duty and mobilized for Desert Storm. That's why I know the difference. National Guard members are traditionally on Title 32 active duty tours. For us, it's 20 years in either Title status to qualify for the active duty retirement. Otherwise, we're in the Reserve retirement system.

Response by PO1 Leona Weir made Aug 22 at 2021 8:47 AM

2021-08-22T08:47:09-04:00

I spent 8yrs 10months active, did 2yrs in the national guard, and finished my 20 in the reserves. I am a retired veteran, but I do not receive retirement pay until I reach 60 yrs of age.

Response by CDR Bob Lange made Aug 22 at 2021 11:54 PM

2021-08-22T23:54:38-04:00

The answer is a firm, "It depends." A reserve retirement is based on satisfactory anniversary years. Serve 20, and you get the benefits of retirement at 60. If you serve 20 active, including your 2 weeks per year with the Reserves, then all points you earned from drills, correspondence courses, etc. count for 1 day each. When I retired with 25 years active duty, my points from 8 years added a full year to my multiplier, paying me for 26 years of service.

Response by CW2 Private RallyPoint Member made Aug 23 at 2021 12:01 AM

2021-08-23T00:01:48-04:00

It will vary from Soldier to Soldier/case by case. See the following article and contact retirement services staff at the Readiness Division as they can assist by providing you with retirement class dates and the latest retirement handbook. I hope that helps! "Early Retirement From the National Guard and Reserves" https://www.thebalancecareers.com/early-retirement-for-national-guard-and-reserves-3353247

Can You Take Early Retirement From the Guard or Reserves?

Members of the Guard and Reserves with active duty credits may qualify for early retirement and start receiving retired pay as early as age 50.

Response by SFC Jeffrey Port made Aug 23 at 2021 9:55 AM

2021-08-23T09:55:44-04:00

Your points from active duty time and reserves count towards retirement for a 20 year letter reflecting that you have met 20 years of qualifying service. 50 points for that year to qualify as a "good" retirement year. Most reservists complete between 42-48 points per year, with addition of 15 membership points. For example, 45 points earned, plus 15 membership points equals 60 points that year. Make sure you first get the 20 year letter, certifying that your are eligible for retirement, don't assume that you qualify just because you came in service 20 years prior. Also make sure way ahead of time that you review your points each year and correct. It took me years to get my points corrected. If you retire with the reserves with 20 years at age 38, you cannot normally be eligible to receive your pay until 60 years of age. Exceptions are if you were recalled to duty after 2008? they ONLY count all orders OVER 90 DAYs ONLY to reduce your retirement age from 60 years. Orders below the 90 days are NOT counted to reduce your retirement age. IF you can get enough active duty time to qualify for 20 years federal service, you can collect after 20 years. For example, you stated you have 6 good years of active duty, you need 14 more active years to qualify. SFC Port

Response by MSG Private RallyPoint Member made Aug 23 at 2021 10:00 AM

2021-08-23T10:00:48-04:00

Complex question - and the most accurate answer will require a significant amount of additional information. I will be happy to help (spent time in NG, AC, USAR, and I recently retired as an AGR (USAR) Career Counselor) - so I dealt with these specific types of questions for the last 12 years of my career...and I know how to answer them from a regulatory perspective...not just opinion or experienced based. So - if you have not yet found an answer that you are happy with...let me know and I would be glad to help!

Response by Lt Col Private RallyPoint Member made Aug 24 at 2021 6:19 PM

2021-08-24T18:19:51-04:00

Ok, assuming you had 8 “good years” of reserve time (min 50 points per year), & adding in your active duty time, you have 14 years towards retirement. If you do the remaining 6, you’ll get a retirement but it will be a reserve retirement which pays out at age 60. To get an active duty retirement, you need to do 20 years of active time. In that instance, you have to do 14 years of active duty.

Response by 1SG James R. made Sep 7 at 2021 6:58 PM

2021-09-07T18:58:05-04:00

You need to identify whether you wish to retire from active duty or the reserves. You should calculate your retirement potential in both circumstances. In the reserves you retire immediately with all the same benefits of 20 years of active duty when you reach 7,200 retirement points. Points are accumulated at 1). 15 membership points per year of reserve duty, 2). 1 point per day of reserve pay, averaging 48 points per year, 3). 1 point per day of active duty, averaging 15 points per year. 4). Maximum points of 366 points per year during leap years and 365 for non-leap years. A year, by law, is 360 points thus when a reserve member achieves 7,200 points the member has earned 20 years of service.

Now to calculate the potential retirement. Use a future pay scale using your best guess of rank at retirement. You can use the current pay scale and adding 3% per year until the year you estimate you will accumulate 7,200 points or reach 20 years of reserve service or reach age 60 with at least 20 years of reserve service. Now multiple your reserve retirement points by 0.3023 and you will see your estimated monthly reserve retirement.

Here is an estimate for example. An E8 with 7,200 points and at least 20 years service beginning retirement pay in 2022 would be paid immediately, regardless of age, $3,194.85 per month for life. This same E8 with 5,500 points would be paid $2,440.51 per month beginning at age 60 until death.

Response by CWO3 Robert Fong made Sep 15 at 2021 12:55 PM

2021-09-15T12:55:00-04:00

MSG, It sure does, but not on a one for one basis. It goes by points. Roughly you get 25% of an AD year unless you have ACDUTRA, AD, TDY in which case each day is a one for one day. I had to have the Storekeeper take me through the mental gymnastics.

Response by MAJ Gregory Moon made Sep 20 at 2021 9:51 AM

2021-09-20T09:51:54-04:00

As SFC Boyd you don’t have enough info outline d to say yes or or no my gut tells me no. I have 32 years for my retirement. But I lost a couple of years due to not enough points for a good year. Ii did active then IRR and TPU reserve with some enlisted time between to commissioned stints.

Response by TSgt David Olson made Sep 20 at 2021 7:01 PM

2021-09-20T19:01:14-04:00

First, the only thing different in an AD 20 or a Reserve/Guard 20 is in the amount of pay. Obliviously the AD 20 will pay more. I retired from the Air Force reserve. During my time I had AD of about 8 years total, Army and Air Force. Were your 8 years in the reserve “ good years “. They can only be used toward a reserve retirement, assuming one weekend a month and 14 days” summer camp “. If you want a full 20 AD retirement you’ll need to do 14 more years, unless something’s changed since my retirement.

Response by SGT Charles Bartell made Sep 20 at 2021 9:40 PM

2021-09-20T21:40:43-04:00

Your reserve time counts straight for pay, But it does not count the same for retirement. They have a conversion of the reserve points retirement.

Response by LCDR Bruce Cooley made Nov 4 at 2021 6:15 PM

2021-11-04T18:15:30-04:00

Yes it does, but at a different rate. There is a calculator, I think it's on DFAS that can help you. Also, your career counselor should also have this information for you.