For members trasfering into Federal Service after seperation is there any advice that can be given?

PO2 Private RallyPoint Member — Fri, 28 Feb 2020 11:50:33 -0500

I am working with about 6 Sailors that are intending on separating and going into federal services after, being a more junior counselor I do not have that much experience with this. Is there any "best routes" or "best suggestions" that I could give these Sailors? Some of the jobs include the DIA, FBI, both Federal and Local Police Forces, and Homeland.

Response by Maj Kevin "Mac" McLaughlin made Feb 28 at 2020 12:22 PM

Maj Kevin "Mac" McLaughlin — Fri, 28 Feb 2020 12:22:07 -0500

For path I would recommend cyber. This is one of the fastest growing markets currently and they are here to stay for quite some time.

As for advice entering into federal service I have two things they should be prepared for:

1. If and when they get a tentative offer from a federal agency, they usually get one and only one chance to respond with a counter offer for a high salary step (for example, from GS-12 step 1 to as much as a 10). This is usually justified by their current pay, responsibilities, education, certifications, etc. They need to be prepared to respond accordingly and hopefully convince the hiring authority to bump it up a few steps. This could mean several thousands of dollars per year for their salary and I know several people who didn't know you could do this and missed their only chance. As a retied Major I came into the Civil Service the same time as another retired Major with a similar background. We were both offered step 1 offers to our GG level. I negotiated for more and he did not, which resulted in a step 8 for me (a difference of ~$15K/year). Also, within the first year we were both promoted to the next GG level. When they promote you into a new job at a higher GG level, the step they go with is based on what you made in the previous GG level and bumped up by two steps. That left him at step 1 for the new GG level, where mine translated to a step 4. Still a $10K/year difference.

2. Consolidate and save all deployment orders. For leave, new civilians are given 4 hours per pay period (which amounts to 16 days of leave per year). Once they reach 3 years of federal service they receive 6 hours per pay period (19.5 days of leave per year). At 15 years they get 8 hours (26 days). What some prior military members do not know is that their deployment time counts towards those years. In other words, during your military career, if you spent 2 years worth deployed, by turning in those orders or documents which verify the periods of the deployments, those two years are calculated into the term. When I entered the Civil Service, I had 2 years worth of deployments and after the first year I started earning those 6 hours. Had I stayed in another 6 years (I got out at 5) I would have been earning 8 hours.

Response by SSG Private RallyPoint Member made Feb 28 at 2020 1:43 PM

SSG Private RallyPoint Member — Fri, 28 Feb 2020 13:43:33 -0500

My uncle just retired from the Army and took a GS position. He had to get a waiver to take the job, otherwise he would have had to wait 6 months in order to take the job.

Response by Patricia Overmeyer made Feb 28 at 2020 5:23 PM

Patricia Overmeyer — Fri, 28 Feb 2020 17:23:56 -0500

PO3 (Anonymous): If they are able to get jobs in federal service, there is a "buy back" program in which they can buy back their military years and convert it to the federal retirement system (FERS). If they are not already retiring from the military, then this option is a sound plan. They do have to pay for the buy back, but it usually is not that expensive and the payments can be spread out. By adding their military years to the FERS, they can effectively get full retirement at an earlier age. I've had several of my clients do this. I just had one who now works for the VA after he left the military (he didn't retire) do this. He is in the process of buying back his military years (7 years) into the FERS system.
There is a hitch if there has been a divorce which has occurred previous to the federal service job. (Been there, litigated the issue a few times.) They will need to check their divorce paperwork, but many decrees will actually state that the service member cannot defeat the former spouse's share of military retirement. This will set up a lengthy court case because while there would have been no military retirement (if they aren't retiring from the military) if they buy those years into the FERS, the former spouse can claim the retirement share. However, there is a big issue in that the retirement was paid with separate money after the divorce so there has to be an offset for those payments.