Physical Evaluation Board Forum

If you land a Federal job, you have the option of transferring your military service to your job in order to count as time toward retirement. This is great, but no one seemed to know that you actually have to buy that time back. It costs you initially to be able to put your military time toward your retirement, however a relatively small initial expense versus a better retirement is really something worth considering.

Ok this may sound strange but do they add the years of retirement to the front or back of the retirement point? What I mean is this....

Lets say I was in the military for 5 years and I buy back those 5 years and have a job at a federal level. Can I retire after 15 because 15 + 5 = 20 years or do I work a full 20 years and then at that point they add the 5 years to my retirement total so even though I only worked 20 years Ill be paid as if I worked 25?

I hope that made sense. =)

That's a good question, one I haven't even considered. I'd rather have the first option, but I'll be talking to a VA rep about this when I get my rating back from the PEB. If I can't find anything about that looking it up, I'll find out then. I'd rather work 15 and get paid for 20 rather than 20 and get paid for 25, personally.

It used to be 15+5 the time counts for retirement not seniority for lay off, this was at the VA about 20 years ago, I don't know if it has changed since.

Stu

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