Posted on Sep 19, 2021
Will my time working for the USPS during my break in service count for time in service?
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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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Posted 4 y ago
Responses: 12
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I don't believe so, also if you retire from the service (20 years or more) that time won't count either toward returning to the Postal Service. Good luck brother Max, 20 Army and 18 USPS next month my friend.
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SSG Michael Noll
SFC Keith Gardner - Aware of combat time counting for accruing leave but, buy back 21 years of service? Will look into it, thanks brother Keith.
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SSgt Christophe Murphy
Not completely true. 20 yr retirees have the option of continuing their service and adding it to their military time or they can receive their military retirement and start fresh towards a new civilian pension. If you count your military time towards your gov pension there is a buy back fee to pay but it is an option. DOD Retirees don't generally take that option but it is still an option.
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LCDR (Join to see)
The option is there but the math seldom works to the benefit of a military retiree. Think 2.5 percent of pay for every year of active duty service (I was a pre-1980 veteran). I'm not sure about USPS, but the current system (FERS for civilians) is generally 1 percent of pay for each year (possibly 1.1 max unless you're a Congressional staffer, Law enforcement officer, or Air Traffic Controller). That means, civil service pay has to be at least 2.5 times the military pay.
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SSG Michael Noll
LCDR (Join to see) - Thanks brother David, I requested the MBB paper work yesterday to at least get a look at it. Buy back twenty plus interest after eighteen but, will look at it.
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Military retirement and service is different than Civil Service Retirement.
However your military time, you'll have an option to "buy in time" to put it towards your FERS. You can't collect both unless you've retired in both essentially 20 years military and 20 years USPS.
There are a lot of information out there about Military Retirement and FERS.
However your military time, you'll have an option to "buy in time" to put it towards your FERS. You can't collect both unless you've retired in both essentially 20 years military and 20 years USPS.
There are a lot of information out there about Military Retirement and FERS.
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TLDR: Not likely... it could count toward Federal Technician time for the Reserves / Guard, however, since that is also Federal Service.
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The time will count toward civilian civil service retirement not military time or service.
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Military time can count towards federal civilian time but it doesn't work the other way around.
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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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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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