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Veterans Benefits as Federal Employees
Retirement
For non-retired military members, full credit for uniformed service (including active duty and active duty for training) performed under honorable conditions is given for retirement purposes. To receive credit for military service, generally, a Federally employed veteran must deposit 3% of your military base pay. Interest begins 2 years after a veteran is hired.
Credit for uniformed service is substantially limited for retired members. In order to receive credit for military service, an employee must waive military retired pay unless the retired pay is awarded based on a service-connected disability incurred in combat with an enemy of the United States or caused by an instrumentality of war and incurred in the line of duty during a period of war as defined by 38 U.S.C. 301, or awarded under 10 U.S.C. chapter 1223 (previously chapter 67). Also see the following note on credit for National Guard Service.
Note: Service in the National Guard, except when ordered to active duty in the service of the United States, is generally not creditable. However, you may receive credit for National Guard service, followed by Federal civilian reemployment that occurs after August 1, 1990, when the following conditions are met:
- The service must interrupt civilian service creditable under the Civil Service Retirement System (FERS) and be followed by reemployment in accordance with the appropriate chapter of the laws concerning veterans benefits; and
- It must be full-time (and not inactive duty), and performed by a member of the U.S. Army National Guard, or U.S. Air National Guard; and
- It must be under a specified law and you must be entitled to pay from the U.S. (or have waived pay from the U.S.) for the service.
The deposit for National Guard service that meets these criteria is limited to the amount that would have been deducted from your pay for retirement if you had remained in the civilian service.
If you are retired military, you can use your uniformed service towards civilian retirement by making a 7 percent deposit to the retirement fund and waiving your military retirement pay at your civilian retirement. If you want to keep your military retirement pay, you cannot use the military service towards civilian retirement.
Below are the offices that compute the estimated earnings:
Contact Information for Computation of Estimated Earnings
| Service | Address | Phone/Fax/Email |
|---|---|---|
| Army | DFAS-Indianapolis Center Army Military Pay Operations Attn: Verifications Section (Estimated Earnings) 8899 East 56th Street Indianapolis, IN 46249-0875 |
Phone: (317) 510-2813 Fax: (317) 275-0123 |
| Navy | DFAS-Cleveland Center Attn.: DFAS-CL/JFLA 1240 East 9th Street Cleveland, OH 44199-2005 |
Phone: 1-888-332-7411 Fax: (216) 522-5060 Email: CCL-CATCH-62 [at] DFAS.MIL (CCL-CATCH-62[at]DFAS[dot]MIL) |
| US Marine Corps | DFAS-Cleveland Center Attn: DFAS-CL/JFLA 1240 E. 9th Street Cleveland, OH 44199-2005 |
Phone: (216) 522-5640 Fax: (216) 522-5060 Email: CCL-CATCH-62 [at] DFAS.MIL (CCL-CATCH-62[at]DFAS[dot]MIL) |
| Air Force | DFAS-Denver Center Attn.: DFAS-DE/PMJO (Estimated Earnings) 6760 East Irvington Place Denver, CO 80279-3000 |
Phone: (303) 676-7408 Fax: (303) 676-4278 (Emergency requests only - deaths/short notice retirements) |
| National Ooceanic & Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) | NOAA Commissioned Personnel Center 1315 East-West Highway, Rm. 12100 Silver Spring, MD 20910-3282 |
N/A |
| Coast Guard Pay & Personnel Center | 444 Southeast Quincy Street Topeka, KS 66683-3591 |
Phone: (785) 339-2200 Fax: (785) 339-3784 |
| Public Health Service Division of Commissioned Personnel |
Compensation Branch Parklawn Building, Rm. 4-50 5600 Fisher's Lane Rockville, MD 20857 |
Phone: (301) 594-2963 Fax: (301) 443-0064 |
| Air National Guard | Please contact the ANG Unit you separated from. | N/A |
| Air Force Reserve | HQ ARPC Attn: HQ ARPC/DPSSV (Estimated Earnings) 6760 East Irvington Place Denver, CO 80280-4000 |
HQ ARPC/FMFQP: 1-800-525-0102, x. 6211/6727 |
For more DoD pay information, contact DFAS at www.dfas.mil.
Thrift Savings Plan
If you had a Thrift Savings Plan account while serving in the military, you may be able to merge most of your account balance after you establish a civilian account. Tax-exempt balances (contributions from combat zone pay) cannot be transferred to your civilian account. After you have served your new employee waiting period, you become eligible to receive Agency Automatic (1 percent) contributions and Agency Matching contributions (up to 5 percent).
Annual Leave
If you have separated from the military (but not retired), you receive full annual leave credit for service performed under honorable conditions. If you are retired military, you are generally not eligible for annual leave accrual credit. However, you may be eligible for higher annual leave accrual if appointed in a mission critical occupation.
Reduction-in-Force (RIF) Retention Standing
Employees are ranked on retention registers for competitive levels (groups of similar jobs) based on four factors: tenure, veterans' preference, length of service, and performance.