Credit for Military Service for Service in the United States Armed Forces

You are eligible for credit under this state law if you are an employee of a PERS-participating employer who leaves a qualifying position to enter or reenter the Armed Forces. The Armed Forces include service in the United States Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard.

You can receive credit for military service The performance of duty on a voluntary or involuntary basis in a uniformed service under competent authority, including active duty, active duty for training, initial active duty for training, inactive duty training, full-time National Guard duty, a period when an employee is absent from employment for the purpose of an examination to determine the employee's fitness to perform any of the previous types of duty, or a period of time an employee is absent from employment to perform funeral honors duty as authorized by 10 U.S.C. 12503 or 32 U.S.C. 115. under either the federal or state provisions but not both. If you are entitled to service credit under both provisions, you will receive credit under whichever provision provides the greater benefit.

To qualify for this credit, you must (1) return to your previous employer within one year of discharge and within five years after the date you entered or reentered active service and (2) have been other than dishonorably discharged.

You, or any person or organization on your behalf, can purchase this credit any time after your re-employment but before your retirement. The credit is based on contributions attributable to what your salary was at the time you entered or reentered active service. You can only purchase the credit with one lump-sum payment.