Types of Retirement
There are several types of retirement:
- Regular Retirement
- Reserve Retirement
- Temporary Disability Retirement List
- Permanent Disability Retirement List
- Temporary Early Retirement Authority
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Type of Retirement
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Basic Eligibility
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Determination Criteria
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Regular Retirement
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Completed 20 years of active service
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- Based on salary and service information submitted by member’s Branch of Service
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Reserve Retirement
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Reservist with 20 years of active service who has reached age 60
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- Based on salary and service information submitted by member’s Branch of Service
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Temporary Disability Retirement List (TDRL)
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Temporary disability rating, placed on retirement rolls by member's Branch of Service (max of 5 years)
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- Based on Disability Determination by Branch of Service
- Based on salary and service information submitted by member’s Branch of Service
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Permanent Disability Retirement List
(PDRL)
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Permanent disability rating, placed on the retirement rolls by member's Branch of Service
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- Based on Disability Determination by Branch of Service
- Based on salary and service information submitted by member’s Branch of Service
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1993-2001 Temporary Early Retirement Authority (TERA)
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At least 15, but less than 20 years of active service between 1993 and 2001. This program ended effective September 2002 and any future use must be approved by Congress
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- Based on number of soldiers needed to maintain force readiness
- Based on salary and service information submitted by member's Branch of Service
- Based on the legislation governing this special program
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2012-2025 Temporary Early Retirement Authority (TERA)
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At least 15, but less than 20 years of active service between 2012 and 2025. This program is expected to end Dec.31, 2025. Any future use will have to be approved by Congress
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- Based on number of soldiers needed to maintain force readiness
- Based on salary and service information submitted by member's Branch of Service
- Based on the legislation governing this special program
- Offered at the discretion of the service secretary
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Related Links:
Eligibility requirements
Veterans' Entitlements
In addition to the four standard types of retirement, if you sustained an injury in the course of your active service, even if you are not receiving a disability pension from DFAS, you may be eligible for a disability related entitlement through the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).
In order to be eligible for VA disability entitlements, you must receive a disability rating from the VA. This is different from the disability determination made by your Branch of Service and you must secure this rating through the VA.
Related Link:
VA Contact Information
Veteran's Affairs and Branch of Service Offset
If you receive disability payments from the VA, your military retirement pay from DFAS may be reduced by the amount of your VA disability compensation. We refer to this reduction as an offset.
Though DFAS and the VA communicate regarding joint ratings and offset levels, it is important to inform DFAS if you have a VA disability rating, if that rating changes, or if the amount of your VA benefit changes.
If you do not keep DFAS Retired and Annuitant (R&A) Pay informed, your account could go into an overpaid status, in which case you will incur a debt that will need to be repaid.
Contact DFAS R&A Pay
CRDP
If:
- You are receiving disability retirement pay through DFAS,
- You are receiving disability pay from the VA, and
- Your pay from DFAS is being offset for the amount you are receiving from the VA
You may be eligible for another form of retirement pay.
Concurrent Retirement and Disability Pay (CRDP) is a program designed by Congress to compensate service members for the VA/DFAS offset.
Read more about CRDP
CRSC
If you have a combat-related injury and are rated by the VA, you may be eligible for Combat Related Special Compensation (CRSC).
Read more about CRSC
Page updated May 16, 2017