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Military Service Buy Back

If you’re currently a civilian employee who was previously enlisted in the military and were honorably discharged, you may be eligible to buy back your military service time to be added to your years of civil service with the government.

On This Page:

• What is Military Buy Back?
• How Do I Buy Back My Military Time?
• How Do I Pay For My Military Service Deposit?

What is Military Buy Back?

Military Buy Back, also known as a Military Service Deposit, is a benefit of Federal Civil Service that gives you the ability to receive retirement benefits based on your military service. As a general rule, your military service time is creditable for Federal Civil Service purposes if it was active service terminated under honorable conditions. To buy back military time, veterans must deposit money into a civilian annuity that covers their military service. The deposit is processed through DFAS or the veteran's agency's Personnel or Human Resources Office.

To learn how much it might cost or to buy back time visit, How Do I Buy Back My Military Time?

Things to keep in mind...
   

Waiving Military Retirement

Most military retirees are barred from receiving credit toward a civilian annuity unless they waive their military retired pay.
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).

How Do I Buy Back My Military Time?

Submitting your request is as simple as 1…2…3… just follow the steps below to initiate the military buy back process.

1. Complete and Submit Your RI 20-97

Complete a Request Estimated Earnings During Military Service Request (RI 20-97) and gather your DD 214:

Complete a Request Estimated Earnings During Military Service Request (RI20-97). Gather your completed RI 20-97 along with a copy of your Discharge Certificate(s) (DD 214) and submit to DFAS via AskDFAS.

• Estimated Earnings During Military Service Request (RI 20-97)
  You can complete the RI 20-97 in one of two ways. If you choose to utilize the SmartForm, you’ll receive step-by-step guidance to help complete your request. If you prefer, you can download and complete your request in a fillable PDF. Select your preferred method below:

 SmartForm: For step-by-step guidance to help complete your Estimated Earnings During Military Service request form, RI 20-97, click here.

 PDF: Download and complete your Estimated Earnings During Military Service request form RI 20-97 in PDF format. If you choose this option, please complete a separate PDF for each branch of service you served in.

*Please note: You may need to right click to download or save the documents to your computer before you are able to fill them out.*

• Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty (DD 214)
  Verification of your service is required to obtain your estimated earnings. Please read your DD214 to verify what documentation may be needed to support your request. If you do not have or unable to access your DD214, visit Acceptable Documents to discover additional documents that may be used to support your request. To obtain a copy of your DD214 online, visit Veterans' Service Records.

Submit Your RI 20-97 and DD 214:

Submit your completed RI 20-97 and DD 214 to our secure AskDFAS Military Buy Back module.



DISCLAIMER: DFAS does not process Military buy back request for Coast Guard, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, or Public Health service. For additional guidance or to find contact information for other agencies/services, please visit DFAS.mil - Customer Service.

2. Complete an Application to Make Your Deposit

After you receive your estimated military earnings computation from the military finance center via U.S. mail, please have your human resource office assist you in completing the appropriate application listed below.

• Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS) Employees:

  Application to Make Service Credit Payment, SF 3108

• Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS) Employees

 Application to Make Deposit or Redeposit, SF 2803

3. Submit Your Request

After receiving your certified Estimated Earnings During Military Service Request (RI 20-97), your deposit application (SF 2803 or SF 3108) and Discharge Certificate (DD 214) submit all three documents to our secure AskHR - Benefits Documents Submission module:

 

 

How Do I Pay For My Military Service Deposit?

Once you received your military service deposit amount due, you can make payments directly to your payroll office by payroll deduction, Pay.gov, check, or money order as directed in the military service deposit payment request letter. The deposit may be made in a single lump sum or installments. Your total deposit amount and remaining amount due will be reflected in block 20 of your Leave and Earnings Statement (LES). Each payment and a year-to-date total will be reflected in the deductions box of your LES.

Things to keep in mind...

• Filing the documents does NOT commit you to making the deposit payment.
• If you wish to pay the deposit, it must be paid prior to retiring from Federal Civil Service.
• If you are applying to buy back your military service time within three years of civilian service, no interest will be assessed. For federal employees with more than three years of civilian employment prior to applying to military buy back, there may be interest charges.
• Payments toward military buy back are non-refundable.

Payment Method:

Make an Online Payment via Pay.gov Pay.gov cannot be utilized until after receipt of notification from your payroll office indicating the amount due. Specific information from the notification letter (database and employee ID) is required to complete the form. To quickly and securely submit a payment online, please visit Pay.gov. Payment options include debit cards, checking/saving accounts and PayPal (linked to checking and saving accounts). Pay Now with Pay.gov

Alternative Payment Methods Payroll Deductions – You may elect to buy back via bi-weekly payroll deduction. If you choose this method, please see Military Service Deposit Paid in Full regarding a paid-in-full letter.    Check or Money Order – You can submit payment via check or money order as directed in the military service deposit payment request letter. Your deposit may be made in a single lump sum or installments.

Military Service Deposit Paid in Full:

In most instances, your payroll office will send you a Paid-in-Full letter after you have paid your Military Service Deposit in full, either by Pay.gov, check or money order. However, on some occasions you may need to request this letter. To request a Paid-in-Full letter, see below:

• Payroll Deductions - If your military service deposit is paid-in-full after May 2023, a Paid-in-Full Letter will be issued via MyPay. If your military service deposit is paid-in-full prior to May 2023, you must request a Paid-in-Full Letter through your human resource office (HRO) or customer service representative.
   
• Employees of DFAS, DISA, DCAA, DoDIG, DTIC, USAFMCOM, DAU or NDU – In order to request a Paid-in-Full Letter or have your Paid-in-Full Letter uploaded to your eOPF, please submit a request and/or your Paid-in-Full Letter to our secure AskHR - Military Buy Back Submission module: