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I have an initial 3 years TIS active duty, 8 years reserve and another 3 return to active duty. So quick questions, can I retire in 5? Or do I have to finish out another 14 on active duty since it’s a different component?
Time in Service
Transition
Reserves
Staying Active
Posted 3 y ago
Responses: 31
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A lot of bits and pieces of info in here so let me put it all into one piece.
Only your active duty time counts towards calculating the 20 years retirement. Any days you spent in active status during your Reserves time counts toward your 20 years as well, that includes schools, AT, and deployments.
Your reserve time counts toward your pay. So you have six+ years towards retirement but 14 towards pay. Your retirement pay is based off the final 36 months of your pay, so you'll have a higher retirement at 20 years than someone else of the same rank at 20 years because you'll be getting paid at the 28 year rate.
You had one year to enroll in BRS when you returned to active duty, if you didn't then the opportunity is gone.
Only your active duty time counts towards calculating the 20 years retirement. Any days you spent in active status during your Reserves time counts toward your 20 years as well, that includes schools, AT, and deployments.
Your reserve time counts toward your pay. So you have six+ years towards retirement but 14 towards pay. Your retirement pay is based off the final 36 months of your pay, so you'll have a higher retirement at 20 years than someone else of the same rank at 20 years because you'll be getting paid at the 28 year rate.
You had one year to enroll in BRS when you returned to active duty, if you didn't then the opportunity is gone.
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MAJ Robert Philpot
1SG Steven Malkowski - I knew a guy who drilled for points only (DFPO) every year during a special summer camp we ran for troubled youth. He was a physician and LTC. This was in the Army National Guard
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SFC Mike Thompson
I spent 22 1/2 yrs in the TX Guard. I went on Title 10 several times. Total was about 6 1/2 yrs. Guard goes by points. I believe it is 48 point to have a good year. Includes AT. I was in Bosnia and Iraq plus time at the Border. As an E-7 my retirement pay was about half of an A D E-7 with same amount of time. You get 1 point per 4hrs or 2 points per weekend and 1 for 1 for Annual Training daily.
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SSG James Oscarson
1 point for 4 hours is 4 points per weekend and sometimes we attended a Friday night that was 4 hours an for 5 points that weekend. That also was five days of military pay. We worked two or two and half days and got 4 or 5 days pay. As for points, if you attended all drills it was 48 to 50 points, 15 days, 15 points for annual training and 15 points a year as a credit for being a member of the guard. Total of 98 points a year on average. A good year equaled 50 points. I retired an SSG with over 26 years credit. Pay is decent and helps with expenses.
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SFC (Join to see)
SSG James Oscarson points only apply for Reserve Retirement, points are not used in an Active Duty retirement
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MSG (Join to see) Do not ask a recruiter about various retirements available. I did once and was personally embarrassed at his lack of knowledge. Retirement is not a Recruiter’s mission!
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SFC (Join to see)
That’s unfortunate. We weren’t taught the computations but we were briefed on how it works. Your PAC section can do the computations though.
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COL (Join to see)
The best resource on retirement is another retired soldier or the Retirement center on post.
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Congratulations on serving this long. As someone, who served on Active Duty in the Active Component as well as a member of the National Guard and Army Reserve, I understand your challenge. But your question about retiring in 5 years is an 'it depends' answer. You can retire at 20 years of service but it will be a Reserve Component retirement with your pension paid at age 60, unless you served as a member of the Reserve Component under contingency operations orders, which would reduce your age requirement.
But, the second question 'or do I have to finish out another 14 years on active duty...?' implies that your plan is to obtain an Active Component retirement for 20 years of Active Federal Service. It is likely that you do not have to serve 'another 14 years' but it will be close to 14. You have 6 years of active duty (probably Active Component as well as Reserve Component on active duty) as well as time spent in an active status during your 8 years reserve time. For every day you were in the Reserves and attended NCOES in an active status as well as Annual Training, you get credit towards active duty service. Assuming you had 8 ATs, you have about 100 days of active duty credit for ATs. You may have another 90 days for NCOES, which would reduce your ability to achieve an active duty retirement to about 13.5 years instead of 14. Depending on your age and physical status, you may have a challenge reaching the years required for AC retirement.
FYI, I served 38 years in uniform and still only received an RC retirement because the Active Component will do their best to separate you from Active Duty before you reach 18 years and lock-in. Once you joined the RC, you became a member of the 'unwashed.' Good luck.
But, the second question 'or do I have to finish out another 14 years on active duty...?' implies that your plan is to obtain an Active Component retirement for 20 years of Active Federal Service. It is likely that you do not have to serve 'another 14 years' but it will be close to 14. You have 6 years of active duty (probably Active Component as well as Reserve Component on active duty) as well as time spent in an active status during your 8 years reserve time. For every day you were in the Reserves and attended NCOES in an active status as well as Annual Training, you get credit towards active duty service. Assuming you had 8 ATs, you have about 100 days of active duty credit for ATs. You may have another 90 days for NCOES, which would reduce your ability to achieve an active duty retirement to about 13.5 years instead of 14. Depending on your age and physical status, you may have a challenge reaching the years required for AC retirement.
FYI, I served 38 years in uniform and still only received an RC retirement because the Active Component will do their best to separate you from Active Duty before you reach 18 years and lock-in. Once you joined the RC, you became a member of the 'unwashed.' Good luck.
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