Credit for Military Service under the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act (USERRA)

You are eligible for this credit under the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act (USERRA) if you are an employee of an PERS-participating employer An employer who participates in the Oregon Public Employees Retirement System (PERS). who left a qualifying position A direct position with a PERS-participating employer that requires 600 or more hours of work per year. A nonqualifying position or positions may become qualifying by requiring 600 hours of work or more per calendar year for one or more PERS-participating employers. A nonqualifying job that becomes qualifying is changed to active service status. to serve in the uniformed services and were re-employed under the provisions of USERRA. Uniformed services include service in the United States Armed Forces, Army National Guard, Air National Guard, Commissioned Corps of the Public Health Service, and any other category of persons designated by the president in time of war or national emergency.

To qualify for this benefit, you must:

·	return to your former employer within the time limits specified in USERRA (state agencies are all considered one employer),
·	have been other than dishonorably discharged, and
·	comply with all other eligibility requirements listed under USERRA.

You will only receive creditable service Creditable service is one of the factors used to determine a member’s retirement eligibility and pension amount at retirement. Members earn service credit for every calendar month in which they are employed in a qualifying position for more than half the total days in the month and are paid by their PERS-participating employer. Working fewer than 600 hours in a month or taking a leave without pay lasting half the month or more disqualifies a month from earning service credit. for those months corresponding to the contributions made.

If	Then
Your employer makes PERS contributions (EPPT) on your behalf.	There is no cost to you to purchase retirement credit A period of time that is treated as creditable service for retirement calculation purposes. A member earns one year of retirement credit for at least 600 hours of service in a calendar year or the full-time equivalent of a position if the member is a school employee. for the USERRA period.
You are responsible for making contributions to PERS, either as member-paid pre-tax (MPPT) or member-paid after-tax (MPAT).	You may purchase some or all retirement credits for the period covered by USERRA. You have three times the length of the USERRA period or five years, whichever is less, to purchase the retirement credit.

If you made contributions to pay for police officer and firefighter unit benefits and you left qualifying service to serve in the Uniformed Services, upon re-employment in a qualifying police officer or firefighter position, you can make up the contributions you would have made had you not left qualifying employment to serve in the Uniformed Services.

If you are interested and believe you might qualify for USERRA benefits, you can obtain USERRA information at https://www.oregon.gov/PERS or at PERS' headquarters.