do you think military retirement pay is unfair? see optional details...?

Question

Regular military personnel get their pay begining the month after they retire. Reserves however; must wait until they reach age 60 and 1/2. I think its unfair since its the reserves doing most of the fighting and dying in most wars and engagements we have on foriegn soil.

Answer 1

I can take this question to heart since I came off active duty after 14 years and have been active (ADSW) in the National Guard for 3 of the last 6 years. When I reach 20 years next summer, I will have just under 18 years active and 2 as a drilling reservist. I will not be able to collect my retirement until age 60 or whatever congress decides.

Currently there is a bill on the floor to allow reservists to collect retirement at age 60 MINUS 1 year for every year of active duty. If that passes, I can start collecting at age 42. But that is only IF that bill passes. Doubtful but fingers crossed.

Short answer, I do believe that the Guard/Reserve retirement needs to be adjusted/pro-rated so that one that completes 20 years can start to collect retirement just like an active duty member. If I only do a weekend a month and two weeks in the summer for 20 years then my retirement should be an earned portion of that service.

Answer 2

The increased use of reservists is more recent, but I do agree that it needs some adjustment to take into fact that most will have done some level of active duty for extended periods of time. However, I do not believe that reservists, especially those that had limited (less than 10 years) or no active duty military time should be entitled to the same retirement plan that military members who were full time, active duty for 20+ years get. Also, keep in mind that if upon retiring from the military, the former active duty then takes any job with the government (including military contractors) they can not collect any retirement pay until they leave the new position. Many, many militay retirees go back to work as civilian contractors or employees of the government, with the time in the military counting towards the eventual retirement they will earn once they retire from the new, government position....generally around the more average retirement age of 65.

Answer 3

It's been that way for over six decades. Even though some 70% of all enlisted Navy men in World War Two were Naval Reservists. Even though over 50,000 National Guard and Air Guard personnel served in Vietnam. A good way of rectifying the disparity would be to reduce the "kick-in age" by two years for every year served in combat theaters. But, that's a matter for the Congress to deal with. Good luck with that.

Answer 4

But you have to take into account that reserve service isn't continual "full-time" like active duty. On another note (and because of some of the reasons you stated), there's a rumor that they are working on changing/ lowering the age at which reserve retirees will start getting paid at.