Is the IRR, for purposes of retirement, a reality (NG)? Are the last 3 years in that status really calculated for pay?

2018-04-10T13:12:21-04:00

I have 26 good years and am going into the IRR for the above reasons. The state's RPAM NCOIC told me that i'll receive 15 membership points for 15 years, to include the last 3 years of pay, until i'm able to request retirement. This all seems to good to be true as reads like a serious loop hole. I was told- "Soldiers who transfer to the Retired Reserve and remain until age 60 will have their highest 36 months of basic pay determined at age 60 – generally, the pay scales in effect when they were ages 57, 58, and 59."
So basically i'd receive an additional 225 pts (15yrs) and have O-3E for 2031-2033's pay scale calculated into my final computation for retirement annuity. Any thoughts or insights into this would be greatly appreciated.

Response by SFC Andrew Miller made Apr 10 at 2018 2:56 PM

2018-04-10T14:56:42-04:00

That is partially correct. You can either be IRR or Retired Reserve. You don't earn any points while in Retired Reserve status, but it does count towards longevity for pay. If you transfer to IRR you will earn the 15 points per year and if you chose, you could drill without pay or complete correspondence courses to earn enough points to have "Good" years for retirement.

Please see below (Taken from the NG/Reserve Retirement Guide):

POINTS

Every reservist earns points toward retirement. All points earned while on active duty, up to 365 per year (366 in a leap year), count toward retirement.

By law, members may receive credit for up to 60 inactive points for retirement years that ended before Sept. 23, 1996; up to 75 inactive points for retirement years ending on or after Sept. 23, 1996, and before Oct. 30, 2000; and up to 90 points for retirement years ending on or after Oct. 30, 2000, and before Oct. 27, 2007.

A provision of the 2008 Defense Authorization Act increased to 130 the number of inactive-duty points that reservists can apply to their retirement pay for the year of service that includes Oct. 30, 2007, and any subsequent year.

Points from these sources may be added to points earned from active duty and active duty for training in any given year to increase the total points applied toward retirement.

Leave-and-earnings statements, correspondence course information and other documents can prove service or work that counts for retirement points. Orders are not proof of points earned.

Each service notifies members annually of their total points. If your Reserve Personnel Center does not have your current address, you will not receive the statement.

Discrepancies can be resolved by providing documentation of your service record or personnel files. Individual service members have primary responsibility for their personnel records.

Accrual. Points can be accrued in the following ways:

♦ One point for each day served on active duty up to a maximum of 365 per year (366 in a leap year).

♦ Fifteen points for each year of membership in a reserve component.

♦ One point for each unit training assembly or drill. Reservists normally get four or five points for a reserve weekend, depending on when it starts (i.e., Friday night or Saturday morning). Two points are the maximum for any one calendar day.

♦ One point for each day in which a member is in a funeral honors duty status.

♦ One point for every three hours of nonresident instruction or correspondence courses documented as successfully completed.

Qualifying year. The day you enter reserve status is considered your anniversary date and retirement year. From that point, you must accrue a minimum of 50 retirement points in a retirement year to make that a “qualifying year” toward retirement.

As long as you do not have a break in service, this anniversary date will remain the same even if you go from active to inactive status and back. Once a break occurs, your anniversary date is the day you sign up again.

Once reservists reach 20 or more qualifying years, they have three options:

♦ Remain in the Ready Reserve. If qualified and able to stay in an active drill status, a reservist can continue to drill for pay and points. Accumulating more points will raise total retirement pay, increase the possibility for promotion and boost time in service for the purpose of longevity pay raises.

♦ Transfer to the Retired Reserve. By requesting transfer to the Retired Reserve, a member enters a status in which retirement points no longer can be accumulated. Time in the Retired Reserve counts toward longevity service for retired pay.

In the event of full mobilization, retired reservists can be recalled to active duty. Such a recall would allow reservists to accumulate more points for retirement. While in the Retired Reserve, members have the same rights and entitlements that they had as drilling reservists.

♦ Request discharge from the reserve components. By doing this, retired reservists are no longer subject to any kind of recall or mobilization. From time of discharge until they start collecting benefits at age 60, however, they cannot increase their benefits. At age 60, they will have access to base/post exchanges and unlimited commissary visits.

Nonqualifying year. A nonqualifying year (one in which a reservist does not earn at least 50 points) counts toward total time in service but not retirement. Points earned in a nonqualifying year also count toward the final total. Points cannot be carried from year to year to claim a qualifying year.

Status. You do not have to be in an active, drilling or paid status with a Reserve unit to earn points. Reservists in many categories can earn points and gain qualifying years toward retirement. These include: Participating Individual Ready Reserve, Individual Mobilization Augmentees, Navy Volunteer Training Units and Standby Reserve-Active Status List.

Response by COL Vincent Stoneking made Mar 10 at 2019 1:17 PM

2019-03-10T13:17:42-04:00

Danger, Will Robinson!!! Like everything Army, the devil is in the details...
As others have already noted, there is a significant difference between IRR (Individual Ready Reserve) and Retired Reserve.

First, the GOOD News, your High 36 base pay and YOS are calculated exactly as you stated. (though, as pointed out, no retirement points while in Retired Reserve).

Here's the tricky bit (and it may matter to you, and it may not, depending how long you've been a CPT and if you care about the possibility of retiring as a MAJ. If you do NOT acquire a "good year" in the IRR, you will be FORCED into the Retired Reserve. If this happens before you have achieved 3 years TIG, you will be retired at the next lower rank (You only need to hold the rank for 6 months if the retirement is max length of service, but otherwise it needs to be 36 months prior to transfer to the Retired Reserve to be considered permanent).

Yes, I know, everyone has been told that after you get your 20 year letter, "good years" no longer matter. I counter as follows:

AR 140-10 Para 6-1.d "Involuntary reassignment to the Retired Reserve is authorized for Soldiers who have received the NOE/Twenty Year Letter, failed thereafter to attain 50 retirement points in their anniversary year, and failed to respond to the options of discharge, retirement, or one-time waiver provided in the non-participation letter."

As for the lower rank, note:
DoD FMR 7000.14-R, Volume 7B, Paragraph 030401.A2.
(also, I forget the CURRENT rule [I think 8 years?] but the source above states that if you have less than 10 years commissioned service, you retire at your highest enlisted rank).

Be careful out there!!!