Does National Guard Service Count Towards Federal Retirement

[Note from MOAA: The article below was first published in 2017. Click hither to read an update on reserve component duty status reform]

Serving in the Guard means you serve two bosses: the governor and the president. Keeping score of your earned benefits under the 2 bosses can exist confusing.

Federal authorisation over servicemembers falls nether Title ten of the U.S. Code. These laws utilize to active duty, reservists, and Guard members who are ordered to federal-level active duty for federal-level missions. Funding comes from the federal government. The president is the boss.

Federal authority over National Guard members falls under Title 32 of the U.South. Code. This is considered federal active duty for specific state missions and total-time Baby-sit positions. This type of country-level activation is guided by land laws and policies, but it is funded by the federal government subsequently approval from the president. This typically happens with large-scale, state-related missions: major natural disasters, for instance. The governor is the boss even though the country mission is sanctioned and funded by the federal government.

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The confusion sets in when you are not activated under Championship 10 or 32 merely y'all are called upwards for a state-level mission past the governor specifically under land potency and state funding. This is the situation when your governor utilizes the Baby-sit purely within the jurisdiction of a state-specific, state-managed mission, such as local command over a express civil disturbance. We'll telephone call this "state call back" for purposes of this article.

Active duty members of the National Baby-sit, whether activated nether Title 10 or 32 (in many cases for Championship 32) receive the aforementioned benefits and service credit equally federal agile duty servicemembers — technically, you are a federal employee, so to speak. You receive all the benefits associated with holding an active duty ID card: education, leave, base privileges, and health intendance for you lot and your family while activated.

For those on state call up, you receive pay, benefits, and retirement credit according to your land's employment laws, policies, and programs. Federal laws, policies, and money do not apply. You lot are a land employee.

To retire from the Guard with federal service benefits, you lot must earn a minimum of 20 "good years" of federal service credit. A "good year" is a minimum of 50 service points. Once you earn 20 creditable years of service, you tin can retire to the gray zone and await pay and benefits at age 60. If yous don't qualify for federal service retirement, yous must qualify for your state'south retirement program.

Eligibility for VA benefits requires federal active service, Title 10 or 32.

Know your duty condition, know the difference between your state and federal do good programs, keep your orders, and closely runway your service points.

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