Posted on Sep 19, 2021
SPC Maximilian Rodriguez
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I served in the military from 2009-2017. I just reenlisted. I will be heading to Navy RTC for the veteran orientation program next month. During my break in service, I worked for the United States Postal Service. Will this time count towards military retirement or time in service?
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SFC Keith Gardner
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The short answer is: No. If you get a federal civil service job after you hang up your uniform then both your military service and your USPS time will count towards your Federal Employee Retirement System (FERS) pension. Keep a copy of your final SF-50 from the USPS that shows your entry and departure dates and your DD 214 to document your military service dates. But you’ll need to be retirement eligible to get that pension. There’s a lot of different rules and eligibility requirements. OPM.gov is actually very informative. Good luck and thank you for serving.
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MSG John Duchesneau
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No. Although your military service can count towards retirement eligibility for civil service (i.e. civilian government employees) it doesn't work the other way around. Next time you have a break in service join the Active Reserve (Army Reserve or National Guard) so you can still get time in service credit for pay and earn points toward retirement.
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