Title 5

SECTION 831.301

831.301 Military service.

§ 831.301 Military service.

(a) Service of an individual who first became an employee or Member under the civil service retirement system before October 1, 1982. A period of honorable active service after December 31, 1956, in the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, or Coast Guard of the United States, or, after June 30, 1960, in the Regular Corps or Reserve Corps of the Public Health Service, or, after June 30, 1961, as a commissioned officer of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (formerly Coast and Geodetic Survey and Environmental Science Services Administration), performed before the date of separation on which civil service annuity entitlement is based shall be included in the computation of the annuity provided -

(1) The employee or Member has completed 5 years' (18 months' for survivors of employees or Members who die in service) civilian service;

(2) The employee or Member is not receiving military retired pay awarded for reasons other than (i) service-connected disability incurred in combat with an enemy of the United States, (ii) service-connected disability caused by an instrumentality of war and incurred in line of duty during a period of war (as that term is used in chapter 11 of title 38, United States Code), or (iii) under chapter 67 of title 10, United States Code; and

(3)(i) The employee, Member, or survivor is not entitled, or upon application would not be entitled, to monthly old-age or survivors benefits under § 202 of the Social Security Act (41 U.S.C. 402) based on the individual's wages or self-employment income, or

(ii) For an employee, Member, or survivor who is entitled, or upon application would be entitled, to monthly old-age or survivors benefits under section 202 of the Social Security Act (41 U.S.C. 402) based on the individual's wages or self-employment income, the employee, Member, or survivor has completed a deposit in accordance with subpart U of this part, or the annuity has been reduced under § 831.303(d), for each full period of such military service performed after December 1956. If a deposit has not been completed or the annuity has not been reduced under § 831.303(d), periods of military service performed after December 31, 1956 (other than periods of military service covered by military leave with pay from a civilian position), are excluded from credit from and after the first day of the month in which the individual (or survivor) becomes entitled, or upon proper application would be entitled, to Social Security benefits under section 202. Military service performed prior to January 1957 is included in the computation of the annuity regardless of whether a deposit is made for service after December 31, 1956.

(ii) For an employee, Member, or survivor who is entitled, or upon application would be entitled, to monthly old-age or survivors benefits under § 202 of the Social Security Act (41 U.S.C. 402) based on the individual's wages or self-employment income, the employee, Member, or survivor has completed a deposit in accordance with subpart U of this part, for each full period of such military service performed after December 1956.

If a deposit has not been completed, periods of military service performed after December 31, 1956 (other than periods of military service covered by military leave with pay from a civilian position), are excluded from credit from and after the first day of the month in which the individual (or survivor) becomes entitled, or upon proper application would be entitled, to Social Security benefits under § 202. Military service performed prior to January 1957 is included in the computation of the annuity regardless of whether a deposit is made for service after December 31, 1956.

(b) Service of an individual who first becomes an employee or Member under the civil service retirement system on or after October 1, 1982. A period of honorable active service after December 31, 1956, in the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, or Coast Guard of the United States, or, after June 30, 1960, in the Regular Corps or Reserve Corps of the Public Health Service, or, after June 30, 1961, as a commissioned officer of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (formerly Coast and Geodetic Survey and Environmental Science Services Administration), performed before the date of separation on which civil service annuity entitlement is based shall be included in the computation of the annuity provided -

(1) The employee or Member has completed 5 years' (18 months' for survivors of employees or Members who die in service) civilian service;

(3) The employee, Member, or survivor has completed a deposit in an amount equal to 7 percent of his or her basic pay under section 204 of title 37, United States Code, (plus interest, if any) or the annuity has been reduced under § 831.303(d), for each full period of such military service performed after December 1956. Military service performed prior to January 1957 is included in the computation of the annuity regardless of whether a deposit is made for service after December 31. 1956.

(c) Military retirees and recipients of Veterans Administration benefits. An employee or Member applying for annuity, who otherwise meets all conditions for receiving credit for military service, but who is in receipt of retired or retainer pay which bars credit for military service, may elect to waive the retired or retainer pay and have the military service added to civilian service for annuity computation purposes. An applicant for disability retirement, who is receiving a Veterans Administration pension or compensation in lieu of military retired or retainer pay, may elect to waive the retired or retainer pay and renounce the Veterans Administration pension or compensation and have the military service added to civilian service for annuity computation purposes.

(d) Widow(er)s and former spouses entitled to annuity based on the service of employees or Members who die in service - (1) Military service is included unless the widow(er) or former spouse elects otherwise. Effective April 25, 1987, unless a widow(er) or former spouse of an employee or Member who dies - on or after that date - before being separated from service files a written election to the contrary, his or her annuity will include credit for periods of military service (subject to the provisions of paragraphs (a) and (b) of this section) that would ordinarily be excluded from the computation of the employee's or Member's annuity under 5 U.S.C. 8332(c)(2).

(2) Reduction by the amount of survivor benefits payable based on the military service. (i) In paragraph (d)(2)(ii) of this section, “survivor benefits under a retirement system for members of the uniformed services” means survivor benefits before any offsets for benefits payable from another Federal benefit system except for those payable under title II of the Social Security Act. The amount of the survivor benefit to be deducted will be the amount payable to the current or former spouse and attributable to the decedent's retired or retainer pay for the period of military service to be included in the CSRS survivor annuity. However, the survivor benefit will never be reduced below the amount payable based on the civilian service alone.

(ii) OPM will obtain information on the amount of any monthly survivor benefits payable to each applicant for CSRS current or former spouse annuity. OPM will reduce the CSRS survivor annuity by the monthly military survivor benefit on its commencing date. OPM will not make a subsequent adjustment unless it is necessary to increase or decrease the CSRS survivor benefit because of a change in the amount of military survivor benefits attributable to the period of service or a change in the period of military service to be included in the CSRS annuity when the survivor annuitant becomes eligible for benefits under title II of the Social Security Act.

(3) Widow(er)s or former spouses of employees or Members who die on or after April 25, 1987 - election not to be included. OPM will accept a written election from a widow(er) or former spouse who does not wish to be covered by § 831.301(d) provided it is postmarked within the period ending 30 calendar days after the date of the first regular monthly annuity payment.

(4) Widow(er)s or former spouses of employees or Members who die before April 25, 1987 - application to OPM for credit. Widow(er)s or former spouses of employees or Members who died before April 25, 1987, must apply to OPM in writing to have credit for military service included in the survivor annuity computation. If the survivor annuity is increased by including credit for the military service, the increase will be effective on the first of the month following the 60th calendar day after the date the written application for inclusion of the military service is received in OPM.

[48 FR 38784, Aug. 26, 1983, as amended at 51 FR 31931, Sept. 8, 1986; 52 FR 10026, Mar. 30, 1987; 53 FR 6555, Mar. 2, 1988; 66 FR 15608, Mar. 19, 2001]