The following is a question submitted by a reader to Federal Times columnist Reg Jones, a charter member of the senior executive service and the resident expert on federal employee retirement issues.
A Fed Times reader asks:
“I am buying back 17 years of military time. Am I eligible for retirement after 3 years of civilian service or do I have to do 5 years of civilian service to be vested and thus eligible for retirement?
I have got conflicting information.”
Reg’s response:
You have to be vested in the retirement system before you can retire. To meet that requirement, you have to have 5 years of federal civilian service.
Got a question for the Federal Times expert? Send inquiries to: fedexperts@federaltimes.com.
Reg Jones, a charter member of the senior executive service, is our resident expert on retirement and the federal government. From 1979 to '95, he served as an assistant director of the Office of Personnel Management handling recruiting and examining, white and blue collar pay, retirement, insurance and other issues. Opinions expressed are his own.
