Recall to Active Duty

If you have been recalled to active duty from retirement, your retired pay is stopped, and you are placed on the payroll of an active duty Branch of Service. Please consider the following points regarding your pay.

Retired Pay Stops When You Are Recalled

When you are recalled to active duty, your retired pay stops the day before you resume active duty. This may have an impact on your financial situation, especially if you have allotments.

Re-establish Your Allotments

Allotments paid from your retired pay account are stopped while you are in a recalled (active duty) status. If you want your allotments to continue to be paid while you are on active duty, you must work with your Branch of Service or use myPay to have them deducted from your active duty pay.

For information about re-establishing allotments when you return to retirement, visit the Returning to Retirement page.
 

Changing Your Survivor Benefit Plan (SBP) Election After Recall

The SBP election that you made when you retired cannot be changed, unless your marital status or dependents changed while in a recalled status. You can only add a new spouse or dependent if you did not have a spouse or dependent when you retired. If you marry or gain a dependent, you must notify DFAS within one year, even though you are on active duty recall. You cannot change your SBP election at the time you revert back to the retired rolls, unless it is within that one-year window.
 

Related Links:

Returning to Retirement
Customer Service

Page updated April 1, 2015.