Anyone gone mil leave for 5 years?

[klhoard]

5 years away?

Albie,

You also need to figure out what you're going to miss in B-Fund and 401(k) contributions. . .

 

[furloughed dude]

I am not sure what matching 401k that FDX pays, but you can at least keep up tax deferred retirement with the Thrift Savings Plan.

 

[TnkrPlt]

Quite a few guys in my reserve unit have done this, most of them not even furloughed. They went back on the 3 year plan w/bonus, staying till retirememt TBD. The quality of life for a west coast junior AA pilot made it an easy choice for them.

Retirement Issues:
If your total points get to about 6500, you go into 'sanctuary.' Your unit then closely monitors your points to make sure you don't get to 7300. The reserves don't want to get stuck with the bill for your active duty retirement.
Now, if you return to active duty, Furloughed Dude is right. Only active duty days count towards active duty retirement. If you have 14 years on active duty, and 4 months of 'man-days' accumulated over the last couple years in the reserves, you need 5 years and 8 months of service after you return to active duty to get the retirememt. Points amassed through UTA, AFTP, etc won't count.
Or so I've heard from many who have just gone through this process . .

I'm not sure I would agree with Fast Cargo about going back so you can spend more time at home. The guys I know who went back are now at the whim of the active duty, and guess who is the first to go out for every 'bad deal' DO tour to the desert? It's the reserve returnee Maj/Lt Col. Be very sure about the job you are getting yourself into when you make this decision.
Now for the bonus . . it is rumored that beginning FY04, the shortest contract you can get is 5 years. I would think if you did this it would involve at least one PCS.
Hope all this helps, and good luck with your decision.
T

 

[PTWOB]

AGR

After I got furloughed, I did a lot of days with the guard and was deployed for several months. I finally landed an AGR tour that will take me to an active duty retirement. I currently have about 12.5 years of service and am pretty sure that I will not be recalled in the next 3-4 years (if ever). If I do get recalled after that, I plan on taking a 5 year military LOA to retire.
The above posts are accurate - currently they offer the bonus to ANG AGR personnel. Right now they offer 3-5 year bonuses. Who knows what the future will bring. I wouldn't count on the bonus being around forever. However, if the airlines start hiring again, the military will swing back to the other side of the sine wave -- so, who knows?!? I will say that the ops tempo is kind of high right now, so even though you may not have to move (in the ANG), you may see a lot of TDY.
I have a few friends that went back to active duty to do the same thing. If you just have a few years left, it may be a good option. You will, however, go where the AF needs you most. It may not be where you want to be.

Blue Skies...

 

[AF757Pilot]

Re: AGR

I have a few friends that went back to active duty to do the same thing. If you just have a few years left, it may be a good option. You will, however, go where the AF needs you most. It may not be where you want to be.

Blue Skies...

I understand this option to return to AF active duty is all dried up (except C-17 pilots).

AF

 

[Schwanker]

I'm doing it now and know several others who are doing the same. Yes you can take mil leave for five years and keep your seniority number. This is Federal Law. You also DO NOT lose any retirement benefits from the company as Federal Law protects your company retirement during military service. You will get credit towards years of service for your civilian retirement plan during this time (unless you're on a leave of absense vs. mil leave). To get an active duty retirement from active duty, your AFTPs and UTAs do not count towards credible service. You will total up all of your active duty time and active duty man-days to determine how many years, months, and days of service you have credit for. You must then complete 20 years of service from this point on (hope you follow that).

By the way, the recall process has not completely dried up, especially if you are current in your military aircraft. They will still entertain any recall package. Obviously some airframes have a much better chance than others.

Best of Luck.

 

[SpeedBird]

Albie:

You have a good memory of our conversation from over two years ago. I am still on my LOA and have about 20 months to go before I'm retirement eligible. For me the choice to take a mil leave has been a very good one. And while I'm "losing" money during the last two years of my leave (versus staying at JB) I should more than make that up over a 20-30 years retirement benefit which I plan on socking away after my return to civilian flying. It should easily be worth over $2 million pre-tax over that period of time. Besides for me the seniority number and stock options more than make up for any short-term losses right now.

The law which defines your's and your employer's rights is called USERRA. As others have mentioned you can take up to five years LOA and still not lose any senoirity or retirement-based benefits during your absence(known as an escalator effect). For example, if you have a 401K plan you can pay "extra" into it for up to five years after your return to make up for those years you were on leave. This would include any employer matching payments as well. The only thing you don't get is the lost time for growing & compounding those assets.

Like everything else timing is everything with regard to AGR slots. At present they are almost impossible to get. But a little persistence and luck could pay off if you're serously considering it. I feel really lucky with my current setup. I work for the AFMC flying test and test support missions out of Edwards AFB. I don't carry a mobility bag, and my infrequent TDY schedule consists mostly of two week trips to Hawaii or Puerto Rico supporting Navy test missions. Of course the vast majority of AGR positions are not like this at all and reflect the ops tempo of the larger Air Force missions worldwide.

Rumors here at Edwards is that the reserves will be taking on a larger role over the next two years flying multiple test support missions to include T-38, F-16, and perhaps F-15 chase, photo chase and TPS support requirements. Most of these new positions will be AGR, and paid for by AFMC. Tours normally run for four years and can be extended on a case-by-case basis. This is especially true if your four-year tour carries you into your sanctuary period. The reserves are still offering 3 yr (15K/yr), and 4/5 yr (25K/yr) bonuses. How long these remain is unknown, but it certainly sweetens to pot. If I hear anything concrete I'll be more than happy to let you know.

Hope this helps.

SB

 

[FastCargo]

Great Info...

Great info from everyone...

I've been considering the same idea. My question is if you go AGR vs active duty. Are the retirement rules the same in terms of points? I was under the impression that each 'good year' (a full year of UTAs and Annual tours) was a year toward retirement...but total points at the time of retirement determined the amount of pay you get when you retire out of the USAFR.

Also, when you retire out of the USAFR, you don't start collecting pay until 60 years old. Is that different if you are an AGR and hit 20 total calendar years? (say 14 active, 2 TR, 4 AGR in that order)

Again, great info!

FastCargo

 

[Falconjet]

Nothing to lose

I can't see any downside except for the quality of life issues that probably made you leave active duty in the first place. Monetarily its hard to justify not going back and getting the retirement if you can get an active duty gig. From the Pilot Benefit Book:

"Your period of absence for service in the U.S. armed services will be included in calculating your years of credited service if you return to work and have satisfied the requirements of the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act (USERRA). You must present to your Assitant Chief Pilot proof of your activation date and release from active duty date."

So you don't lose any A fund if you are young enough to get 5 good years before retirement from FedEx (no problem), but you will sacrifice some B fund and 401K input that apparently you can make up later if you want to. (the 401K anyway). It is such a good deal its amazing more people don't take advantage of it.

Your pay on active duty might be a little less, might be more with the bonus. You won't have to commute to one job while working part time at another. You gain seniority at FedEx while still being a BMOC at your active duty unit. Depending on the billet you might get to spend more time at home and work only one job.

Only downside I can see is getting deployed to a hot spot and having bad guys shoot at you. Paperwork and collateral duties might be a bummer as well, but can't be too bad.

On the medical side, if you lose it you lose it, but you might want to consider some loss of license insurance on your own if you jump because you won't have the company plan to use. Might want to check with ALPA to see if you could stay in their plan. Then again, you could consider the active duty mil retirement as your supplemental loss of license insurance, that is what I do.

Just some more deep thoughts from the back of the Boeing.

 

[PastV1]

From readings the post's here I think one had better do some serious research before bailing back to the Military.

#1 All you need is 7200 Active Duty points for an Active Duty retirement and recieve benefits at the time you retire. Once you get close to the 6500 mark you will get cut off at the knees unles on an AGR/AD type tour. You go into "Sanctuary" (sp) when you get approx 18 years of AD points. If you reach this pointt hey then have to put you on AD for the remaning 2 years. I personnaly know 2 people who have been cut off due to the closeness of the 18 yr/points thing. A unit does not want one of it's folks to reach sanctuary. Somehow it costs the Reserve/Guard your AD retirement.

#2 All you get by law is 7 years of mil leave per employer. i.e. you go on mil leave now for 5 years (still not at 20 years) Then you go back to being a traditional reservist. US gets attacked and you get activated for over 2 years. After 7 years total mil leave the company can fire you and you have no recourse.

Lots of things to think about other than "well by buddy said".


Do your homework first!

PastV1......