Are military retirement benefits unfair? (veteran, how much, recruit, income)
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I worked with guys who put in 30 years and now have a 75K per year pension. The very next month after retiring their last command magically converts a billet that was military to a DOD Civ position at the GS-15 level. They do 10+ years as a GS-15 making close to 200k with their pension and then retire at 65 with 100K worth of pension payments and free medical. These same people complain about people scamming the government when they're clearly trying to take all they can from it.
Another disturbing trend that seems to be occurring these days, though thankfully not very often, is that some potential employers are making job offers to military retirees with the starting salaries reduced by the amount of their military pensions. Their logic seems to be that since you are making this pension salary anyway, you don't need the 'additional income' that the full authorized salary for the position would have been. I've seen more than one veteran on LinkedIn comment that this happened to them during job interviews (thankfully they promptly told the bewildered recruiter to go stuff it, and walked out of the interview).
It never ceases to amaze me the greed and arrogance that the hiring officials within these companies have. Disregarding for the time being that the much older worker is going to be behind his or her peers anyway starting a new career at age 40, where does the idea that the government salary should 'replace' the private companies salary? I wonder how the job interview would go if those veterans said "Sure, I'll take a 50% reduction in my salary from XYZ company since I'm already earning a pension. Is it OK if I only do 50% of the expected work? How about if I take two extra days off during the week?"
Another disturbing trend that seems to be occurring these days, though thankfully not very often, is that some potential employers are making job offers to military retirees with the starting salaries reduced by the amount of their military pensions.
It has been a long time practice which I was advised/warned of by several personnel officers over 20 years ago when I was retiring. It not only applies to retired military but to civilians. It's really a part of being able to negotiate with employers. There is no perfect solution or answer.
DoD positions was what was being discussed--a military billet being changed to a civilian billet--and it had been proposed as though it were a common occurrence.
My apologies. My misunderstanding of what was being discussed.
I don't think that's accurate, unless you mean something different than I do.
I do know retired CSMs, MSGs, COLs, and LTCs who are drawing their military retirement pay and are GS employees.
I'm not really sure why anyone thinks someone receiving retirement pay from one job should not be permitted to work a different job and get both paychecks. But what Congress did was to prevent the service years from one government job being counted twice toward retirement in the second job.
Congress created the Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS) in 1986, and it became effective on January 1, 1987. Since that time, new Federal civilian employees who have retirement coverage are covered by FERS.
You cannot receive credit for any military service in your FERS retirement computation, if you are receiving military retired pay, unless you were awarded the retired pay:
Due to a service-connected disability either incurred in combat with an enemy of the United States or caused by an instrumentality of war and incurred in the line of duty during a period of war, or
Under the provisions of Chapter 1223, Title 10, U.S.C. (pertaining to retirement from a reserve component of the Armed Forces).
However, you can elect to waive the retired pay and have the military service added to your civilian service in computing your FERS annuity. In addition to waiving your military retired pay you MUST pay a deposit for your post 1956 military deposit prior to separating from your agency in order for it to be creditable in your FERS retirement case.
basically I served .But going forward fair is hard the key word. its really promising a lot of people what we can not deleiver.often it turns out to be politically handled which means just kicking the can down the road until crisis occurs then much worse reforms.Its no different than I believe disable veterans should receive much more compensations that some who retired with 20 years and likely can continued forward with another career.one reason With cobstabt deployemnts I have second thoguhton all volunteer er military. I also see that combat MOS troops should be treated different as far as salary ;benefits and retirement as to years needed.
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