Posted on Nov 6, 2019
PO3 Hospital Corpsman
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I did thirteen years active and I got forced out due to HYT. I have the chance to go Army as an officer. If I opt for retirement at my twenty what would my retirement be at age 60? How do I calculate the estimated monthly rate for a retired reservist with active duty service time? Also how does having VA disability impact retirement pay when I do retire? I appreciate any help anyone can give me.
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CPT Lawrence Cable
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OK, people seem to be dancing around what you want to know. Reserve pay is based on total years of service calculated as any active duty time, plus all your retirement points earned in the reserve divided by 360. You have to get 50 points for a good year, but membership points, AT and Drill Weekends alone should put you at 78 points. As an Officer, you will do more duty than the minimum. So with 13 years and 78 points per year, you would retire at 36.25% of your top three years. However, there is a bit of a catch since you have over 10 years enlisted. Officers have to serve at least 10 years as commissioned to retire as an Officer. So you would need to do over 23 years, or you retire at your top three enlisted years. Yes, it sucks, but that's the rules.
If the VA Disability rating isn't combat related, you have to offset that amount from your military retirement. Disability isn't taxed, so it's generally smarter to do it that way, but talk to your VA rep before pulling the trigger on that one.
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CPT Lawrence Cable
CPT Lawrence Cable
5 y
LTC Stephen B. - If you collect VA disability, you can either collect the disability or your drill pay, one or the other. Since Drill Pay is actually a days worth of pay for every Unit Training Assembly, so four days for the average drill weekend, it's normally smarter to forgo the disability pay for those days. So your disability check is two days light if you are drilling.
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CPT Lawrence Cable
CPT Lawrence Cable
5 y
LTC Stephen B. - VA disability and Drill pay is exactly the opposite from what I would recommend at retirement. At retirement, it amounts to a dollar for dollar offset and it's to your advantage to take the non taxed disability. If you are actively drilling, you just don't take your disability for those drill days since you are effectively getting paid double for those drill days.
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CPT Lawrence Cable
CPT Lawrence Cable
5 y
PO3 (Join to see) - I did kind of jump over the calculations a bit. 78 points a year accumulate to a total of 546 days. Divide that by 360=1.51, so we can use 1.5 years. Add that to the 13 years=14.5 years times 2.5% per year=36.25.
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MAJ Audiology
MAJ (Join to see)
5 y
Yes unless you waive it (which I would not do unless you have to waive it to actually get through MEPS for commissioning)LTC Stephen B.
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CAPT Kevin B.
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There are retirement calculators on the web. Just remember that your base pay will be that for your grade/years when you turn 60. If you are less than 50% disabled, you'll get the disability pay, but your retirement will be offset (reduced). Net gain is some tax savings. Also when you're done, make sure you transfer to the retired reserve. DO NOT resign. Retirement will be based on pay at that date, not 60. If you do go civil service, you don't have to worry about a retirement reduction with a reserve retirement as that is under a different US Code. I was able to do 10% TSP (add 5% matching) for 27 years. That worked out to be a tidy number. At 59 1/2, roll your TSP into commercial management to get another 2-3% earnings with the same risk. It's just a matter of creating your future every day. BTW lots of state and local governments have similar retirement plans to the TSP that they contribute to as well. If you don't go with the Feds, make sure you continue your SGLI. It's cheaper than other stuff. If you do go Fed, do the math and see if continuing SGLI, getting FEGLI, or both makes sense. I racked up a 15 year equivalent retirement based on over 30 so that's nothing to sneeze at. That would be 37% of the base. Do the same for some other career, that's another 30-40%. Do 401/TSP and that's another 20-25%. I suggest the goal is to quit at 60 and give yourself a pay raise for quitting. That's what I did.
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CW4 Craig Urban
CW4 Craig Urban
5 y
Right on the mark. As a CW4 who retired in 1992. 26 years of active duty. I get 45K in retirement. As a GS 12 18 years, I get 12000, My Social is about 21000. 78K. With cola for all next year.
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CW4 Craig Urban
CW4 Craig Urban
5 y
When I finally retired in 2012. I had 200000 from my TSP
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SSG Environmental Specialist
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The one thing some forget and overlook is at age 60 you become eligible for health insurance as well, with most corporations starting to delete health insurance from their retirement plans, that is something to consider.
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