Q: Have there been any changes on National Guard/Reserves retirement age after serving on active Duty? I think there was a bill was passed for 90 days decrease of retirement age for 90 days served on active duty for Iraqi Freedom. Why didn’t Congress backdate this to the start of the conflict, so many of us served before the bill was passed?
–Juan, Harker Heights, Texas
A: You’re right. While active duty retirees begin collecting retired pay the month after they leave the service, Reservists and Guardsmen must wait until they’re age 60. With the government’s heavy reliance on part-time military service members to execute the wars overseas, the 2008 National Defense Authorization Act changed the rules. Basically, each cumulative period of 90 days served on active duty allows for retirement pay, to begin 90 days earlier than age 60. As you note, only service after January 28, 2008 qualifies.
Last year there was legislation in Congress intended to make any post 9/11/2001 service eligible, but it was not passed. Also, there is no requirement for the service to be in a combat zone or overseas, it just needs to be active duty. So, this was a step in the right direction, but there may be more to do. An important note is this law does not apply to health care benefits.
Consider exercising your rights and contact your congressman and senator. You never know what a grassroots movement may accomplish. Thank you for your service.
June,
You left out a critical point in your interpretation of NDAA: the 90 cumulative days have to be in one fiscal year to count.
Juan,
I’d recommend you contact the Air Reserve Personnel Center at 800–525-0102 or the Army or Navy equivalent for more complete information. Each service is interpreting the NDAA differently.
You’re right!! Great attention to detail on the 90 day rule. That’s why NCOs have always been such an important part of my life. Thanks and good catch!!
June:
A quick couple of updates.
The 2010 NDAA authorizes health care for those gray area retirees (reservists who are retired but not yet age 60). DOD is assessing the amount of premium that will be charged and say they will have something published by September 2010.
There is pending legislation to remove the fiscal year restriction on accumulation of time creditable for earlier retirement eligibility. Maybe it will be included in the 2011 NDAA.
Great advice about engaging our elected officials. August recess is almost upon us, and those lawmakers will be in our neighborhoods looking for our vote. Great opportunity to lock eyeballs with them and express our opinions.
Sgt Weismore
I,m sorry but i feel that any one. That was in combat should be in the window of pay befor age 60. After 9/11? I was sent my 20 year letter in Iraq and can not even get a stoploss payment because i had 1 year left on my contract. No one said do you want to go home and retire but now you want to take this from me as well. WOW THANK,S FOR YOUR SERVISE.
COMBAT WOUNDED PURPLEHEART WHAT,S NEXT
I am coming up on my 60th birthday next year (late January). Who do I need to contact about making sure that my address for Retirement pay is correct. I also just got divorced and want to make sure that she is not on any of my Deers paperwork. Can anyone point me in the right direction or provide any suggestions?
ATC Armand Rhoden USNR-Ret
I SPENT 20 YRS SERVICE IN USAR AND RETIRED IN2000. I VOLUNTEERED FOR 18 MO TO ACTIVE SERVICE OVER SEAS. BOTTOM LINE IS THAT THE CONGRESS, SENATE, AND PRESIDENT DOES NOT REALLY CARE ABOUT RESERVES NOR COMITTMENTS THEY GIVE. ITS ALL ABOUT MONEY AS USUAL, AND MANY OF THEM HAVE NO CLUE ANOUT MILITARY SERVICE BEACUSE THEY NEVER SERVED
god bless you for the time serverd
My time was up in 1998 in the National Guard, and I have not done any kind of paperwork for retirement or benefits, how do I get started?
Send a letter to your State National Guard HQ. Request a copy of your Annual Statement & NGB Form 22. Request the forms to receive retirement pay about 6 months before you turn age 60.
When can we ever expect retirement as active duty gets? When they receive it a month after or will we always have to wait till we are 60. There is a couple of people I know that never received a dime of retirement because they died before 60. It is a shame when you dedicate your service to your country and never get to enjoy any of the benefits. Grant you you can die anytime but if our retirement was like active duty then at least some of us could enjoy our retirement as active duty. Is there any legislation out there to be like active duty retirement? If so I hope it does pass and give all the reservist who have served their country honorably a just retirement as active duty has now.
That is Very True,my friend just died and rececived one check .
Why we have to wait age 60 to change ID cards ? Why we can’t just receive our blue ret. I D card so we can fly and see some of the world before we to old to TRAVEL ? THAT IS MEETING HALF WAY OF SOME PART OF LIFE .
ONCE OLD AND SICK WHERE CANN YOU GO ? JUST ASKING A QUESTION .RESERVES HOPEFUL SHOULD RECIEVE BLUE RET: ID AND CAN WAIT FOR 58 OR 60 FOR PAY
if they call us ‘HERO’ then they suppose to give us the check as soon as we retire from the service. the only thing they said ’ thank you for your service. they should give us a reward for serving our country’ after 20 years of service…even half retirement check from active duty service..at least we don’t have to wait until the age of 60.
JACK COOL
I served for 12 years in the KY National Guard and was very liucky that i didn’t have to be called up for active duty as we had no wars going on. I was called up for active duty in some diasters that happened. I went to the V A and asked if I could qualify for any medical help or any kind of retirement,and was told that i couldn’t qualify because i wasn’t on active duty. In private companies that have retirements, if you work for 10 years you come vested and can draw partial benefits for over ten years service. i wonder why it is different if you are in goverment service. Looks like this would be discrimination to me.
The flags were waving on veterans day and again on memorial day but after that veterans are all but forgotten. It is evident in the legislative mandates. It should not matter what component an individual served in. The fact of matter is that you served. I served in both active and reserve and retired at the ripe old age of 44 with 27 years of service. I too missed a lot of t-ball games and recitals. By the way my last three years of service were that of a mobilized reservist. I can not draw my pension until am 60 nor can I transfer the rest of my educational benefits to my daughter because I retired before a certain date as decided by congress. On the other hand, congress decided that it was a “greater priority” to provide educational benefits to individuals who entered the USA illegally. I am not anti-immigrant but, all veterans deserve better, including military families. We deserve to be treated with dignity and honor.