Reservist

ISS2 2016

Reservist Magazine is the award-winning official publication of the United States Coast Guard Reserve. Quarterly issues include news and feature articles about the men and women who comprise America's premier national maritime safety and security

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News From The Hill This is the first of a series of articles that will provide you information on updated legislation, discuss policy changes, and clarify issues. Are you aware that you may qualify for retired pay before the age of 60? Have you served 90 days or more on active duty in any fiscal year since January 28, 2008? If so, you may be eligible to receive your Reserve retirement pay before age 60. The 2008 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) included a provision to reduce the age at which a reservist may collect retired pay before age 60. The retirement age may be reduced by three months for every 90 cumulative days of qualifying active duty performed in a fiscal year after January 28, 2008. The 2015 NDAA amended this even further and reads "serves on such active duty or performs such active service in any fiscal year after January 28, 2008, or in any two consecutive fiscal years after September 30, 2014.'' This is great news. Now, for fiscal years 2015 and beyond, any short term qualifying active duty may be accumulated across two consecutive fiscal years to attribute to retired pay prior to age 60, eliminating that fiscal year barrier that may have hampered some of you earning reduced retirement age. Qualifying duty includes "Overseas Contingency Operations" (OCO) (10 United States Code (U.S.C.) §12302 or commonly referred to as "Title 10"), Active Duty for Operational Support (ADOS) (10 U.S.C. §12301(d)), and "med-hold" (10 U.S.C. §12301(h)) orders. Orders under 14 U.S.C. §712 authority in response to domestic incidents prior to December 31, 2011 do not qualify for Reserve Early Retirement. The Coast Guard successfully submitted a legislative change proposal to include active duty for domestic contingency response as qualifying duty for early retirement. The total cumulative days, including other qualifying active duty, must be in 90 day increments, and the domestic response duty must have been performed after December 31, 2011. The effective date does include response to SUPER STORM SANDY, but unfortunately does not include recall in response to the DEEPWATER HORIZON oil spill. A reservist still may not be ordered to nor have their current orders extended beyond the original end date solely for the purpose of qualifying the member for retired pay. Some of you may not realize that you might already be eligible. You will not, however, be allowed to collect retired pay for periods of time when you were or are in a status that entitles you to collect other forms of pay or credit toward retirement. In other words, if you are still on active duty, in a Selected Reserve (SELRES) drilling status, or in an Individual Ready Reserve (IRR) status, you will have to request transfer to a retired status in order to begin collecting retired pay. If you are already in a retired awaiting pay (RET-2) status and you were eligible for Reserve Early Retirement you may request back pay within prescribed limits. If you believe that you are entitled to Reserve Early Retirement, it is recommended that you request a statement of creditable service (SOCS) in accordance with the Personnel and Pay Procedures Manual, PPCINST M1000.2(series), no less than one year away from your planned retirement date. This will allow you time to receive the SOCS from the Pay and Personnel Center (PPC) and provide additional proof if you feel the computation is in error. To request a SOCS, or if you have a SOCS on file and wish to have it updated to determine your eligibility date to receive Reserve Early Retirement, submit a Trouble Ticket to PPC at http://www.uscg.mil/ppc/ccb/. Then, depending on your current status (SELRES/IRR/ISL/ASL/RET- 2) you will need to apply for retired pay to Commanding Officer (CG PPC-RAS) through the following processes: 1) SELRES/IRR/ISL retirement eligible members complete a Reserve Retirement Transfer request through their chain of command with a requested retirement date to Commander (CG PSC-RPM) at ARL- PF-CGPSC-RPM-1-Status@uscg.mil 100 days before the requested retirement date. 2) ASL members contact Commander (CG PSC-RPM-3) for assistance with completing the Reserve Retirement Transfer form at ARL-PF-CGPSC-RPM-3- Query@uscg.mil. 3) RET-2 members submit a Trouble Ticket to PPC at http://www.uscg.mil/ppc/ccb with a completed Reserve Retirement Transfer request requesting early retirement calculations. Those in a retired status who apply later than their eligibility date may receive pay retroactively to the date you were eligible, up to six years, as long as you were not in a pay status. When you begin collecting your Reserve Early Retired pay you are classified as a RET-1, "retired receiving pay." You will qualify for a blue retired ID card; however, you will not be entitled to medical benefits until you actually reach age 60, ReseRvist Magazine the MoRe you know 52 RESERVIST � Issue 2 • 2016

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