What determines qualifying service for purposes of a reserve retirement?
Only uniformed service – active duty or in a Reserve status as a commissioned officer, warrant officer, flight officer, or enlisted person in any of the uniformed services – can be credited as qualifying service toward the minimum 20-year requirement. In general, this breaks does to a combination of active duty and reserve service during two periods: service before July 1, 1949, and service on and after that date. Nearly all military service (active duty and Reserve not on active duty) before July 1, 1949, counts as qualifying service. Since July 1, 1949, any year in which at least 50 (not more than 75 points per year can be earned for inactive duty training in any one retirement year) retirement points were earned is a year of qualifying service. Points are generally credited for: – Active duty and active duty for training – one point for each day, – Membership in an active status of a Reserve Component – 15 points for each year, – Authorized drills – one point per drill Satisfactory
