Question for our Military Contingent

Re: Benefits

If a person is full-time enlisted in the Army for 8 years, then he switches to the state national guard unit for part time work for 8 years, then goes full-time with that same guard unit for 8 more years, how are the benefits counted?

More specifically:

1. Would the person have separate retirement packages from the Army and National Guard or would the be rolled into the same package?

2. How do the years of part-time work factor into any retirement plan, if at all? I'd be much obliged for your wisdom on this.

 

What's the matter, your staff sergeant won't talk to you?

Try here: www.military.com/NewContent/1,13190,National_Guard,00.html

Or here: www.army.com/enlist/guard-benefits.html

 

Nah, nothing like that.

 

There are three ways to answer this question. I'll start with the active duty to traditional National Guard (not full-time Guardsmen) answer. The National Guard works on a points system; each soldier has to have a certain number of points -- accrued from attending MUTAs (Mandatory Unit Training Assemblies), annual trainings and mobilizations -- in order to have a "good year." You need 20 "good years" to retire and retirement pay that starts at 60 will vary based on points.

From active duty to full-time Guard, or Active Guard and Reserve (AGR, for short), operates exactly the same as the active component. Twenty years active federal military service will get you retirement that starts at 50 percent of base pay at 20 years, increasing by 2.5 percent each year up to 75 percent at 30 years.

From traditional National Guard to active duty (my situation) National Guard points and active duty days are compiled to make one continuous period that is deducted from the retirement year at the time of entry into active service. If you have four years active while in the Guard, then you only have to do 16 to retire. As far as pay is calculated, we'll use my situation. I've been in almost 13 years, but had only four active when I came onto active duty. Therefore, I get paid at 13 years of service, but had 16 years until retirement when I came onto active duty.

Clear as mud?

 

Very much. I will study this post for years. Thanks for the input. That's what I was looking for.

 

Is it a Leap Year?