Posted on Mar 17, 2022
Can I serve fifteen years in the Reserves after my active duty contract expires, and still retire at twenty years with a pension?
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I am serving a five year active duty contract, and want to know if I can do fifteen years reserves after my contract expires, and still retire at twenty years with a pension?
Posted >1 y ago
Responses: 67
I spent many years at Westover AFB in Massachusetts. The reserves use the point system. Each each I checked my points. I accumulated my points fast because I was always on TDY. Some of my TDY's were 90 days long. I have a comfortable retirement, so play your cards right. Stay on active duty as long as you can so you can get your medical (Tricare) sooner.
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You can retire with a full active duty pension after serving 15 years in the Reserves if you get entered into and accepted into the AGR (Active Guard Reserve) program. If they still have it. You’re on Active Duty attached to Reserve Units.
Generally in Supply, Admin or Training positions.
Generally in Supply, Admin or Training positions.
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If you can, go the distance and do 20 the years, then you will get the full amount of pension based on the highest rank and time of service. If you decide to go the remainder service in the reserves, then you will definitely get a reduce amount of pay than the full service when you retire. If you think that you can get rank faster in the reserves, you will still get a reduction amount of pay when you retire. I would check with someone in your admin and do the math. The decision is yours to make. Good Luck
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Reserve retiree pay starts at age 60. Active duty retiree pay starts when you retire with 20+years of active duty. Reserve Tricare Medical insurance starts at age 60. Active duty retiree coverage starts when you retire
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Of course, but as its been pointed out it will be at a reduced amount. I retired with around 8 years of AD time. I was in the AF reserve when I retired with full benefits at 20. When I say full it includes every benefit a retired AD receives, except for the amount of the retirement check. I don’t remember the formula for computing reserve pay. It was confusing to me when I pulled the pin, and twenty years later there is no way I could tell you. I can tell you you will receive a direct deposit once a month. Also remember that your retirement pay is subject to Federal income tax withholding.
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Since the mandatory service obligation is 8 years, if you want to do that go into the Reserves immediately after your AD ends (see a recruiter before your ETS). Do remember this: once you hit that 20 years good service as a Reservist, your military pension is not paid to you at that time. It won't pay out until 1) you apply for retirement; and 2) until you turn 60 years old. Here's another important note: transferring from the Active Reserves to the Retired Reserve, makes your final pension higher because all the years between the date of transfer into the Retired Reserve & date you turn 60 goes to time-in-service. Myself I had 8 yrs 2 mons AD; 28 yrs as an Active (drilling) Reservist; then 4 years in the Retired Reserves. My retired pay was based on 40 yrs-9mons (to my 60th BD) with my final rank of SGM/E9. The longer you drill And make the required amount of retirement points in Your retirement year, the higher your military retired pay will be. Final & important note: everyone's Retirement Year is Not the same. A person who goes into the Reserves on say 1 Feb will have a retirement year of 1 February thru 31 January. Thus your drills, active duty days-- retirements points!-- Must accumulate between those days of the year. DO BE CAREFUL if your commanders in the Reserves want to perform MUTA 6 (Fri, Sat & Sun), or 8 (Th - Sun). Every Reservist needs to be acutely aware of their period years to preclude losing a good retirement year.
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Yes! your 5 active years = 5 years toward Reserve 20 year retirement at maximum points for pay. Also years later if you have the opportunity consider going back active or AGR. I did 27 years in USAR then 12 Active (8 years acrive credit while the USAR on various orders). Now after 39 years combined I will recieve an active retirement starting the day after I seperate which is 3 years prior to turning 60. With 25 yea rs credit for retirement pay.
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I didn’t see it anywhere in the comments, but are you on Blended Retirement System. If that is the case, you are essentially on a 401K so it won’t really make a difference like the rest of us that needed 20 years.
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The simplest answers is yes, but with qualifiers. With some exceptions for time credited for deployments after 2007, you will not be able to start drawing your pension or receive Tricare until you reach age 60. Also, active to reserve or guard service is not a one to one comparison. Reserve retirement is based on accumulated retirement points you receive for days you have served over the course of your reserve career. Again with few exceptions, reservist receive much less in retirement than their active counterparts wit the same number of years of service. Between the time you retire until you reach age 60, you will still have access to military bases and use of the PX and commissary. In this period between drilling retirement and age 60, military members are usually referred to as “gray reservist”, for the gray ID card one used to receive while in this status.
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