Posted on Nov 22, 2017
Mark Overberg, Director of Army Retirement Services, here to talk about the new blended retirement system. What questions do you have?
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Mark enlisted as an All-Source Intelligence Analyst in 1985, he served two years in the 82nd Airborne Division. He then attended the Officer Candidate School and the Armor Officer Basic Course in 1988 before being assigned to the 1st Squadron, 1st Cavalry Regiment, 1st Armored Division in Germany. During his tour there, Overberg patrolled the East German and Czechoslovakian borders and served as a Cavalry Troop Executive Officer during Operation Desert Storm. After three years as a cavalry officer, the Army transferred him to the Ordnance Corps. His first logistics assignment was to the 194th Separate Armored Brigade, Ft. Knox, KY, where he deployed to South Florida for recovery operations after Hurricane Andrew in 1992 and to Haiti as the Logistics Support Team Commander for the multinational Caribbean Command Battalion during Operation Uphold Democracy in 1994. After a tour as a training advisor with the 218th Heavy Separate Brigade (South Carolina Army National Guard), Overberg attended the Command and General Staff Course, and then was assigned to Fort Bragg. While serving as the Support Operations Officer for the 530th Supply and Service Battalion (Airborne), he deployed to Uzbekistan in early November 2001. Overberg further deployed into Northern Afghanistan in January 2002 where he commanded Task Force MeS and supported the French and Jordanian Armed Forces and US Special Forces. In 2004, Overberg was assigned to the Army G-1 as the Executive Officer for the Director, Human Resources Policy and later as the Chief, Drug Testing Branch, Army Center for Substance Abuse Programs, where he was responsible for the Army’s military and civilian drug testing policy and programs. He retired on 1 November 2007. Overberg was awarded the Legion of Merit, the Bronze Star Medal (with oak leaf cluster), the Meritorious Service Medal (with three oak leaf clusters), the Army Commendation Medal (with four oak leaf clusters), the Army Achievement Medal (with five oak leaf clusters), the Valorous Unit Award, the Joint Meritorious Unit Award, the Army Staff Identification Badge, and American and German Parachutist Badges. In March 2010, after 2 ½ years as the Deputy Director, Personnel and Administrative Support Center, Office of Disaster Assistance, US Small Business Administration, Overberg became the Deputy Chief, Army Retirement Services within the Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff, G-1. In June 2016, Overberg was promoted to Director, Army Retirement Services. Working out of Arlington, VA, Overberg is responsible for all Army retirement services policy and oversight of the program’s delivery to Soldiers, Retired Soldiers, and surviving spouses of all three Army Components, as well as strategic level program communications. Overberg received a Bachelor of Science Degree in Industrial Management from the University of Akron and a Master of Business Administration degree from Webster University.
Edited >1 y ago
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Responses: 40
As I am Medically with 60% (E-7 W/ 23.5 yrs), how does this system calculate for Medicals when they are found unfit for duty (like me)
LTC Mark Overberg
SFC Douglas Duckett Your retired pay will be calculated two different ways: you'll receive the more favorable of the two. The first method is based on your years of service (23.5 yrs = 47% multiplier). The actual formula is years of service x 2.0% x the average of the 36 highest months of base pay. The second method is based on your disability percentage (60% in your case). The formula is the disability% x the average of the highest 36 months of base pay. In your case, the more favorable would be the disability percentage if under BRS.
You veteran instant verification of active service dates will not go back past 1985. Since I joined in 1973 and went active in 1974, I can't have my service verified instantly. Also, participating in your site is not important enough to me to send you a copy of one of my two DD214s
SGT (Join to see)
that was my biggest problem on Active Duty. I enlisted in 1974 but was continually called a liar because it wasn't reflected on my ERB, but I retained all original copies of orders from 1974-2015 when I was medically discharged for injuries.
LTC Mark Overberg; I believe I have a grasp on the new system versus the old system...in a macro sense. My question is regarding the impact this will have on retention. I know there had to have been studies done as this was being planned and proposed. What do these studies say the impact will be to long term retention in the military? Will we see a decline in retention of officers and enlisted who have 10-20 years of service? Previously, if you made it over "the hump," you'd stay until 20. Is there a "hump" with the new system? What is the incentive to stay to 20 beyond patriotism and duty?
COL (Join to see)
LTC Mark Overberg, thanks. That works for enlisted with a contract which forces them to make a decision. Not so for an officer who is in for 4(+) years. It's the + that causes the problem. You just stay in or you put in your paperwork, no contract to sign again for "X" years. Is officer retention going to change? If not, that's where I see the biggest problem
LTC Stephen B.
COL (Join to see) - Continuation Pay is for officers as well, and the Services are able to set different CP rates for specific MOS's, again in addition to any officer retention pays. RAND and IDA conducted a number of studies and made several recommendations that were taken into account as the policies were being written - this wasn't done in a vacuum. Whether or not the studies accurately predicted the future only time will tell.
LTC Stephen B.
COL (Join to see) - Also, CP can be paid anywhere from the 8th year to the 12th year of service, based on what each Service sees as it's tipping point, and timing also can be targeted to specific MOSs/skill sets. How adept the Services will be at utilizing the new authority will probably have the most impact on its effectiveness.
LTC Mark Overberg
COL (Join to see) When officers accept CP, they sign an agreement to serve for a set number of additional years - in 2018 that is 4 years. The Army G-1 is continuing to analyze data to determine the best CP rates for officers in order to achieve necessary retention while not duplicating bonuses paid for other reasons.
Are there any plans on the table to allow current system retirees contribute to the TSP program to bolster their long range retirement funds?
LTC Mark Overberg
Another good question, SSG Trevor S.. By law, all contributions to your TSP account have to be from your current military salary. Since you’re retired from the military, you could not contribute to a military TSP account, but you could become a DOD civilian employee and contribute to a civilian TSP account from your Federal civilian pay.
LTC Stephen B.
No plans on anyone's table at the moment to allow retirees to contribute retired pay to TSP. But you are still allowed to take advantage of 401Ks and IRAs.
No questions sir, just want to thank you for your service and your helping of fellow vets.
When a Soldier is reaching retirement, at the point his "Time in Service", is computed there should be some mandatory protocol established. It may not seem important when the soldiers leaves the Army but it does mean something later on. Everything is left up to the Retiree to do among clearing hand receipts, making all the mandatory classes, setting up VA appointments, getting finances in order and not missing one medical appointment which is punishable under the UCMJ. None of this is organized.
LTC Mark Overberg
SGT Frank Pritchett I’m not sure what you mean. AR 600-8-7 requires active duty to attend a preretirement brief at least 12 months before retiring and we recommend 24 month out. The reg requires Reserve Component Soldiers to receive the brief between 18 and 20 years of service. The brief is posted on our website at https://soldierforlife.army.mil/sites/all/themes/sfl_yellow/docs/static/Pre/DA_Pre-Retirement_Briefing_Slides_17_April_2017.pptx. Be sure to read the notes pages for details. And the installation RSO (for active duty) and the RD RSO (for USAR) and State RSO (for ARNG) are there to answer specific questions. I don’t represent the Transition Assistance Program, but Soldiers tell me that is well defined.
SGT (Join to see)
In accordance to AR 600-8-7 the Retirement Briefing is mandatory and I am aware of that but after the briefing their should time alloted to clear all hand receipts and prepare to exit active duty. When I retired I was worked all up to the point I left active duty and then harassed by the chain of command until I officially signed out of the unit. their needs to be a point where the Retiree can focus on leaving active duty.
LTC Mark Overberg
The Blended Retirement System (BRS) is the military’s new retired pay plan that was created by Congress in the National Defense Authorization Act of 2016. It goes into effect on January 1, 2018. You can learn a lot more about BRS at http://militarypay.defense.gov/BlendedRetirement/
Information on the U.S. Department of Defense Blended Retirement System.
PO1 Kevin Arnold
Can already retired military get into this? For I know that the GI Bill or education Bill was extended to be forever but for only those that have discharged just recently. Is it the same for the blended retirement?
LTC Stephen B.
PO1 Kevin Arnold - Yes it is the same - only those currently serving AND that have less than 12 years active duty or the equivalent number of points for 12 years AD, are eligible to opt in. Service members with more than 12 years are not even eligible for the BRS. However, all serving members are able to contribute a portion of the base pay into TSP, however those not in the BRS will not receive a matching contribution.
LTC Mark Overberg I read here that you held this role (Chief, Drug Testing Branch, Army Center for Substance Abuse Programs) -- which is really unique as I have never had the chance to talk with someone who was in a position like that. My question is, what were some of the most important improvements you feel like you helped lead while in this role?
LTC Mark Overberg
Well, that’s outside the scope of today’s discussion, CPT Aaron Kletzing, but we were able to improve the training course for installation level drug test coordinators and, at the request of commanders in the field, develop procedures for drug testing in deployed areas like Iraq and Afghanistan.
LTC Mark Overberg I don't have a question for you, but I wanted to say thanks for personally taking your time to come here and connect with all of the RallyPoint community on this important issue. Best wishes to you.
TSgt Jennifer Disch
Retirement benefits, pay and education benefits were an attractive package. How is the BRS give an incentive to continue to 20 years?
I'm an Army Reserve CW3 with almost 7K points. I'm not eligible for BRS. If I stay in my current unit until I make CW4, I will not supervise anyone eligible for BRS. Why did I have to take the mandatory training again?
1SG (Join to see)
Also stay un to get 7300 points. That is the minimum for a full federal retirement and stay away from the blended system
CW3 (Join to see)
1SG (Join to see) - I plan on it. If I make CW4, I'll be pinned in 2022. It's 2018. I can be well on my way to 7K by then, and I'll be 54. If I get one deployment out of the way, that's my 7300+.
Like any good Warrant Officer, I just get a little cranky on a mandatory waste of time. Sort of like when I was active duty, had just come to my duty station for my 2nd overseas tour, in Germany, with DLPT *in hand* for German (3/3), and was still made to take the HeadStart course.
Like any good Warrant Officer, I just get a little cranky on a mandatory waste of time. Sort of like when I was active duty, had just come to my duty station for my 2nd overseas tour, in Germany, with DLPT *in hand* for German (3/3), and was still made to take the HeadStart course.
LTC Mark Overberg
That’s a good question, CW3 (Join to see). The mandatory opt-in training is only for those Reserve Component members who have less than 4,320 retirement points on 31 DEC 2017. You should not have been required to take this course. The BRS Leader Course would have been a good one for your professional development. That course and all things BRS are listed at http://militarypay.defense.gov/BlendedRetirement/.
Information on the U.S. Department of Defense Blended Retirement System.
CW3 (Join to see)
LTC Mark Overberg - While my detachment is great, my battalion is not. They do things in a very cookie-cutter way, regardless of intent.
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