How will retirement work for an SM going from Guard, to Active Duty, back to Guard?

SSG Private RallyPoint Member — Mon, 06 Jun 2022 11:13:32 -0400

Looked through threads and have found information, but all of it a little outdated, and not specifically what I was looking for.
In summary, I am an E6 with 10 years total TIS. I started my career in the National Guard ( 4.5 years), was released and now on Active duty. Going forward, I am looking at possibly trying to drop into the Guard to finish out my career and start working on life after-service.

What I want to know, is how will retirement work in that situation?
Ex: I enlisted in 2012, but want to get out in 2032, finishing out in the Guard.
How will my original Guard time be calculated, as well as my active duty service time, as well as any potential remaining Guard time? I know I am not the first person to be in such a situation, but it is tough to find consistent information.

Thank you to anyone who takes time to read this and help answer. ?

Response by CPT Private RallyPoint Member made Jun 6 at 2022 12:02 PM

CPT Private RallyPoint Member — Mon, 06 Jun 2022 12:02:44 -0400

When you go to the Guard they will have to calculate your retirement points. You will be able to read this on your RPAM Statement. It will count up all of your point that you have accrued. In the Guard your retirement isn't triggered by points but by time. In the Regular Army it is triggered by having twenty years of points.

A Soldier in the National Guard must have completed 20 years of qualifying service to be eligible for retired pay at age 60. A qualifying year is a complete year in which a Soldier has earned a minimum of 50 retirement points.

A Soldier earns points for inactive duty for training (IDT), active duty for training (ADT), active duty, Reserve membership, and equivalent instruction, some examples are as follows:

-One point is earned for each day of active service (active duty and active duty for training).
-15 points for each year as a Soldier (based on a calendar year from the date the Soldier joins the Army (e.g., 31 March-30 March).
-One point for each unit training assembly.
-One point for every three hours of satisfactory completion of accredited correspondence courses.

When you retire from the Guard you will have more points than the average. Non-Regular Retired pay under the Reserve system is computed by totaling all points earned during a Soldier's career, dividing by 360 (one year) and then multiplying by 2.5 percent to determine the benefit multiplier. The multiplier is then applied to the Soldier's basic pay rate or "high-36" (36 months) average at the time the retirement request is made. For example, a Soldier who retires after 24 years of service (YOS) with a total of 3,600 points will receive 25 percent of their "high-36" average basic pay for retirement (3,600/360 x 2.5=25%).

Response by CPT Lawrence Cable made Jun 6 at 2022 12:11 PM

CPT Lawrence Cable — Mon, 06 Jun 2022 12:11:06 -0400

The issue isn't time, it's pay. You will get to retire after 20 "Good Years", which means any Reserve year where you have earned at least 50 point and any Active Duty years. Right now there is a early retirement program if you were deployed with the Guard or Reserve, but I wouldn't count on it continuing.
The way it works is that you will be notified when you have 20 good years, the infamous 20 year letter. At that point, you will want to request transfer to the retired reserve until 90 days before your 60th birthday. You then drop your retirement package. You want to stay retired reserve not only because there are still a few perks you pick up, but you will pick up those years as TIS when you retire.
That's the non-confusing part. You get credit for every active duty year you serve. Then Reserve/National Guard total IDT and Active Points are divided by 360 to give you your creditable years for pay. So if you do 14 years of NG/Reserve Time and average 110 points a year, you end up with about 4.27 years credited for pay, plus your active time. 6 years active and 4.27 years in the Guard will make your retirement either 10.27x2.5% or 2%, depending on which retirement system you are on. Depending on your TIS by the time you retire, if you retired as an E8 with 30 years, including retired reserve time, about $1707.00 using the numbers above. As Company Commander, I averaged considerably higher than 110 points a year.
You also pickup Tricare at age 60.

Response by CPT Private RallyPoint Member made Jun 6 at 2022 12:30 PM

CPT Private RallyPoint Member — Mon, 06 Jun 2022 12:30:31 -0400

I guess the two things you want to know are:
1) How much you get a month.
2) WHEN do you get it. Are you going to do 20 active years (in which you get it once you retire with those 20 active years), or do you have to wait till you're 60?

Lastly, I'm sure it's not an issue, and others defined a good year as 50 points, but that alone does not make a good year. One still has to attend Annual Training and not rack up enough unexcused abscesses. One can still get to 50 points and entirely miss Annual Training which could justify separation.

Finally......... POINTS POINTS POINTS.......... that's what drives the pay check calculation. Submit all those DA1380s for points at every opportunity. One can pick up 5-10 points easy without even trying. By the end of your career that can add up to an entire extra year of active duty time, and all you might have done is gone to Medical Exams on your own time during the week while not on orders or Battle Assembly.

Response by MAJ Private RallyPoint Member made Jun 6 at 2022 2:20 PM

MAJ Private RallyPoint Member — Mon, 06 Jun 2022 14:20:04 -0400

Soldiers must have 20 qualifying years of service.
In the Reserve/NG, a good/qualifying year is based on getting at least 50 points per your fiscal year. Reserve/NG cannot start receiving retirment pay until 60 years old (unless you have deployments to reduce the age/time requirement).
If you are retiring from the Guard, you fall under reserve/NG standards for receiving/collecting retirement. Your points will be totalled (from active and guard) and divided by 365 to determine years of service. And then calculated at 2.5% times your highest 36 months of basic pay.
https://militarypay.defense.gov/Pay/Retirement/

Retirement

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