Posted on Mar 17, 2022
Can I serve fifteen years in the Reserves after my active duty contract expires, and still retire at twenty years with a pension?
43.7K
220
105
80
80
0
I am serving a five year active duty contract, and want to know if I can do fifteen years reserves after my contract expires, and still retire at twenty years with a pension?
Pension
Retirement
Reserves
ETS/EAS
Career Counselor
Posted >1 y ago
Responses: 67
26
26
0
If you retire in the reserves all you need is 20 years total but you can't pull you pension or get your health insurance until age 60. Now if you do any active time while on reserves they will use a formula and cut your time off age 60 but health insurance doesn't start until age 60. I pulled my retirement at 58 and 7 months. Not sure how they calculate because I had more time on active but it is what it is.
(26)
(0)
SGT Robert Reid
Yep I did total of 24 with a deployment for OIF 2003-04 and 12 active years another almost two years for schooling as well. HRC let me know I would be eligible at 55.
(0)
(0)
SFC (Join to see)
You can retire after 15 years of service. I believe that was passed during the Obama area. I have Soldiers who retired after 15 years of military service, but they can not collect till after they reach age 60 years of age.
(0)
(0)
LTC Curtis Madsen
So the active time needed to be a specific order, doesn’t necessarily equate to time served overseas. I’ve got a friend that was credited for time supporting a mobilization station in addition to his deployment time. He began drawing his retirement at 56 vs 60.
(0)
(0)
SSG (Join to see)
LTC Curtis Madsen - They have some sort of formula that calculates, time served in like 3 month increments or something like that. I know I had a total of 20 months mobilize active duty time but only got 1 year 3 months, so I started pulling my retired pay at 58 years and 9 months. Now this time has to be after jan 2008, because I had another 23 months before that but it did not count. There are sites you can call and then send copies of your DD214 etc and they will tell you have much time you can take off. I worked with the SFC at Ft. Knox.
(0)
(0)
24
24
0
Ignoring the details it call comes down to your points. You get points for all sorts of duties. You get points for going to medical appointments, you get points for non duty on-line training (in 4 hour increments) you get points for funeral details ,you get points for coming in hand helping around the unit (change of command inventory).
GET THOSE POINTS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Turn in your DA1380's for payment.
GET THOSE POINTS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Turn in your DA1380's for payment.
(24)
(0)
MSG David Densmore
Check with your unit, and watch your records, some units aren’t good at adding points to your record when it’s not for pay.
(1)
(0)
CW2 (Join to see)
...and if there isn't money available for pay (we've had issues this year), still submit the DA 1380 for points only.
(2)
(0)
9
9
0
Giving the complications of switching from active duty to the reserves, why not just stay on active duty?
I went in at 17, did 24 years all active duty both as enlisted and as an officer and retired at the young age of 41, got full retirement immediately, and didn't have to worry about points, waiting until I was 60 to draw a pension.., etc etc.
Stay active if possible.
I went in at 17, did 24 years all active duty both as enlisted and as an officer and retired at the young age of 41, got full retirement immediately, and didn't have to worry about points, waiting until I was 60 to draw a pension.., etc etc.
Stay active if possible.
(9)
(0)
A1C Medrick "Rick" DeVaney
MAJ Allan Harrelson - ...
I Think I'd Wager A Good Sized Bet, Which States
"If I'm NOT The Oldest Individual Here, I'm IN The TOP FIVE "..
At 79 on 06/29/23 ~
Put THAT Into Your Computer & The Answer You'd Receive
Would Probably State:
"He's 6 Years OLDER Than Dirt".
I Think I'd Wager A Good Sized Bet, Which States
"If I'm NOT The Oldest Individual Here, I'm IN The TOP FIVE "..
At 79 on 06/29/23 ~
Put THAT Into Your Computer & The Answer You'd Receive
Would Probably State:
"He's 6 Years OLDER Than Dirt".
(1)
(0)
MAJ Allan Harrelson
You're not getting older my friend, you're getting better!
2-2-0!
Second Infantry Division, Second To None!
Hooah!
2-2-0!
Second Infantry Division, Second To None!
Hooah!
(1)
(0)
A1C Medrick "Rick" DeVaney
~~~ GREAT To Hear Your Enthusiasm For Your Unit.~~~
A Friend I've Known Since The 7th Grade,Thomas W. Croff,
Served In Vietnam, 101st Airborne, Combat Division, In The Early 70's.
Tom Did 2 Tours & Returned With A Purple With A Cluster.
And Presently On 100% Disability....
I Was Never Deployed In Any Combat Zones And Quite Frankly,
I Still Feel Guilty Because, While Others Were In The Ditches,
Fighting In Vietnam; I Was Sitting On My-az In The Airman's Club,
At Osan AFB, S. Korea, Sucking Up Some Suds...Or Taking Trips To Japan, Just or Fun.
A Friend I've Known Since The 7th Grade,Thomas W. Croff,
Served In Vietnam, 101st Airborne, Combat Division, In The Early 70's.
Tom Did 2 Tours & Returned With A Purple With A Cluster.
And Presently On 100% Disability....
I Was Never Deployed In Any Combat Zones And Quite Frankly,
I Still Feel Guilty Because, While Others Were In The Ditches,
Fighting In Vietnam; I Was Sitting On My-az In The Airman's Club,
At Osan AFB, S. Korea, Sucking Up Some Suds...Or Taking Trips To Japan, Just or Fun.
(0)
(0)
MAJ Allan Harrelson
I sucked up a lot of Jinro Soju, beer, wine.., during my 3 tours in Korea, and probably suffer some kind of ailment today from it!
Speaking of Korea, I will be heading back over there this fall to visit a friend of mine who, with his Korean wife, bought a club over there.
I was over there in 2002, but at that time wasn't allowed to go in further north than Camp Casey, due to tensions with N. Korea; I understand now military retirees are allowed free access all over the country.
FYI: These days, the towns and villages around US military installations have Thai, Russian, Filipino, Japanese.., residents, most who work in the bars and clubs.
As Michael McDonald sang "These are ever changing times..."
Speaking of Korea, I will be heading back over there this fall to visit a friend of mine who, with his Korean wife, bought a club over there.
I was over there in 2002, but at that time wasn't allowed to go in further north than Camp Casey, due to tensions with N. Korea; I understand now military retirees are allowed free access all over the country.
FYI: These days, the towns and villages around US military installations have Thai, Russian, Filipino, Japanese.., residents, most who work in the bars and clubs.
As Michael McDonald sang "These are ever changing times..."
(0)
(0)
Read This Next
Continue with Facebook 
Continue with Google