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.

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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 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...
 
Decorative image of scale. Apply Early  - 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. 
 
 
Decorative image of a computer monitor. Online Military Buy Back Estimator Tool  - You can use the Military Service Earnings/Buy Back Estimator Tool to project your estimated earnings and the cost of buying back your military service time. This tool is for informational purposes only and provides you an unofficial estimate of what may be owed when buying back your military time. If you're ready to complete an official request, visit How Do I Buy Back My Military Time below


 
 
Decorative image of a caution sign. Waving Military Retirement  - Most military retirees cannot receive credit for federal civil service purposes unless they waive their military retired pay. Exceptions include:
 
  • 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?

For information about each request, select the most appropriate option below:

Collapse All Expand All
 
 

Employees of All Other Federal Agencies
Follow the steps below to initiate the military buy back process.

1. Complete Your RI 20-97 and Gather Supporting Documents

  • 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:

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

To open the SmartForm follow these steps:
  1. Right Click on the Icon or hyperlink
  2. Select “Save link as”
  3. A popup box will appear to allow you to save the form to your computer. Remember where you save the document.
  4. Open the location of the document on your computer (do not click the pop-up on the right side of your screen)
  5. Click on "Enable All Features"
Filable PDF:

Adobe Acrobat PDF Document Image 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.*

  • Gather Your Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty (DD 214) or Equivalent Documentation
    Verification of your service is required to obtain your estimated earnings. To learn about acceptable documents, visit Acceptable Documents. For your information to be considered, it must include the following pieces of information:
    • Your Rank
    • Type of Service (Title 10)
    • Character of Discharge
    • Lost Time
    • Beginning and End dates of service
    • Pay entry base date (pay date) or other means of establishing total longevity, i.e., DD214 must include both prior active and inactive time or include a DD215 that does.
 

NOTE: We cannot accept the DD214 (Member-1) version. Please verify your DD214 by looking in the bottom right-hand corner, prior to submitting. If you do not have or are unable to access the correct DD214, visit Acceptable Documents to discover additional documents that may be used to support your request. To obtain a copy of the appropriate DD214 online, visit Veterans' Service Records. *Failure to provide supporting documents may delay or prevent consideration of your request.

2. Submit Your RI 20-97 and Supporting Documents

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

AskDFAS submit button, click to submit.

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.

3. 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:

Adobe Acrobat PDF Document Image  Application to Make Service Credit Payment, SF 3108

  • Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS) Employees

Adobe Acrobat PDF Document Image Application to Make Deposit or Redeposit, SF 2803

4. Submit Your Request

DISCLAIMER: Do NOT submit your final packet to DFAS. DFAS does not process Military Buy Back requests for these agencies, and your packet will be returned unprocessed. Please contact your Agency’s Human Resource Office (HRO), Supervisor, or Customer Service Representative for submission instructions.

 
 

Employees of DAU, DCAA, DFAS, DISA, DoDIG, DTIC, NDU, or USAFMCOM
Follow the steps below to initiate the military buy back process.

1. Complete Your RI 20-97 and Gather Supporting Documents

  • 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:

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

To open the SmartForm follow these steps:
  1. Right Click on the Icon or hyperlink
  2. Select “Save link as”
  3. A popup box will appear to allow you to save the form to your computer. Remember where you save the document.
  4. Open the location of the document on your computer (do not click the pop-up on the right side of your screen)
  5. Click on "Enable All Features
Filable PDF:

Adobe Acrobat PDF Document Image 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.*

  • Gather Your Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty (DD 214) or Equivalent Documentation
    Verification of your service is required to obtain your estimated earnings. To learn about acceptable documents, visit Acceptable Documents. For your information to be considered, it must include the following pieces of information:
    • Your Rank
    • Type of Service (Title 10)
    • Character of Discharge
    • Lost Time
    • Beginning and End dates of service
    • Pay entry base date (pay date) or other means of establishing total longevity, i.e., DD214 must include both prior active and inactive time or include a DD215 that does.
 

NOTE: We cannot accept the DD214 (Member-1) version. Please verify your DD214 by looking in the bottom right-hand corner, prior to submitting. If you do not have or are unable to access the correct DD214, visit Acceptable Documents to discover additional documents that may be used to support your request. To obtain a copy of the appropriate DD214 online, visit Veterans' Service Records. *Failure to provide supporting documents may delay or prevent consideration of your request.

2. Submit Your RI 20-97 and Supporting Documents

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

AskDFAS submit button, click to submit.

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.

3. 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:

Adobe Acrobat PDF Document Image  Application to Make Service Credit Payment, SF 3108

  • Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS) Employees

Adobe Acrobat PDF Document Image Application to Make Deposit or Redeposit, SF 2803

4. 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), or equivalent documentation, submit all three documents to our secure AskHR - Benefits Documents Submission module:

AskHR submit button, click to submit.
 
 
Decorative information icon.The payroll office will calculate your military service deposit amount due and inform you of the amount you owe by mail to include instructions for making payments. Filing the documents does NOT commit you to making the deposit payment.

Decorative star divider.

 

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, installment payments, or in a single lump sum.

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 Methods:

  1. Payroll Deductions - You may elect to buy back via bi-weekly payroll deduction. 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. 
     
  2. 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.
     
  3. Pay.gov - This option is only available to employees of agencies with DFAS serviced payroll. In general, if you have a MyPay account, you can use this option. 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. Payment options include debit cards, checking/saving accounts and PayPal (linked to checking and saving accounts). To quickly and securely submit a payment online, visit Pay.gov here.

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

  • myPay - This option is only available to employees of agencies with DFAS serviced payroll. 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.
     
  • Payroll Deductions - You must request a Paid-in-Full Letter through your Human Resource Office (HRO) or Customer Service Representative.
     
  • Employees of DAU, DCAA, DFAS, DISA, DoDIG, DTIC, NDU, or USAFMCOM – 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:
AskHR submit button, click to submit.

 
 
Page Updated Oct. 9, 2024