Question about getting credit for reserve time

[lamaupin]

Hello everyone,
I hope everyone is having a great day. I was wondering if I could get any advice on how to get my four years in medical school counted as reserve time (which is my understanding that it can). I know it can't get me past 20 years, but I would like to have credit for it when I eventually retire. Thank you in advance for all your help and advice.

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[armytrainingsir]

You do HPSP, then a specialty on the critical wartime shortage list and then, in 15+ years, if the same rules are still in place, you’ll get credit for medical school added to your record after doing four years in the reserves.

While I understand your interest, there’s absolutely no way to predict what the policy will be because it will be 15+ years from now when you’ll be trying to get that time added. So don’t worry about it.

 

[SirGecko]

Didn’t they decide that you can’t actually do this anymore? (Or am I misinterpreting the information in this article?) Navy doctors and dentists are told they owe 3 more years of service after military admits to another record-keeping error

For USUHS students you can get credit for 24 years once you hit 20 but I’m not aware of how one does that with HPSP anymore, maybe someone else is.

 

[MTGas2B]

Didn’t they decide that you can’t actually do this anymore? (Or am I misinterpreting the information in this article?) Navy doctors and dentists are told they owe 3 more years of service after military admits to another record-keeping error

For USUHS students you can get credit for 24 years once you hit 20 but I’m not aware of how one does that with HPSP anymore, maybe someone else is.

Navy decided that. Hopefully it’s changed. TBD.

Army and Air Force still providing the credit.

 

[usma05]

Navy decided that. Hopefully it’s changed. TBD.

Army and Air Force still providing the credit.

What MTGas2B said. Navy Reserve anesthesia consultant said they were actively trying to change this back last year when I chatted w/ ASA. Army/Air Force still do it.

 

[Correlate Clinically]

For the AF, it depends on your specialty. If you are on the crit wartime specialties list (which changes from time to time), my understanding is that a reservist can get credit for HPSP time. You can apply after each good year in the reserve to get one of your HPSP year counted. I don't think you have to wait until retirement.

My knowledge isn't direct, this is from discussions with reservists. Several specialties were removed from the critical list a few years ago, some people are still operating on old information and are surprised when they can't get their HPSP years counted.

USUHS time adds to your pension calculation after 20, both for AD and reserve retirements.

 

[armytrainingsir]

For the AF, it depends on your specialty. If you are on the crit wartime specialties list (which changes from time to time), my understanding is that a reservist can get credit for HPSP time. You can apply after each good year in the reserve to get one of your HPSP year counted. I don't think you have to wait until retirement.

My knowledge isn't direct, this is from discussions with reservists. Several specialties were removed from the critical list a few years ago, some people are still operating on old information and are surprised when they can't get their HPSP years counted.

USUHS time adds to your pension calculation after 20, both for AD and reserve retirements.

You are correct.

I sent an email to HRC in the summer of 2018 and had 3 more good years added Within 2 weeks.

I met a psychiatrist that did HPSP, 10 yr AD, and 6 years in the USAR. 20 yr letter and out in 2022.

Odd thing is the US code is pretty dang explicit that HPSP doesn’t count for squat for retirement, but DoD and services seem to have been getting away with ignoring that for 20 years. But ignoring laws you don’t like seems to be the way our country is heading these days.

 

[MTGas2B]

Things changed in 2000 NDAA

“Since participants in HPSP and FAP serve in a Reserve status during training, program time is not creditable towards Active Duty (Regular) retirement. However, the Fiscal Year 2000 National Defense Authorization Act authorized the granting of non-regular (Reserve) retirement credit to participants under certain circumstances.
This change was incorporated into U.S. Code Title 10, Chap 105, paragraph 2126(b), and has not changed since
its adoption in 2000. This paragraph details how each service secretary may authorize the granting of 50 retirement points (equivalent to one year) for each year of satisfactory service in the Selected Reserve for HPSP and FAP participants in Critical Wartime Specialties (CWS). This is to be done as the years in the Selected
Reserve are completed and counts only towards retirement credit- not longevity for pay purposes. To clarify this change to Title 10, in October 2000 the Assistant Secretary of Defense (Reserve Affairs) issued a directive memo stating that “…the number of years of retirement credit a member may be awarded… under this provision can equal the number of full academic years of program participation, up to a maximum of four years.””

 

[armytrainingsir]

Things changed in 2000 NDAA

“Since participants in HPSP and FAP serve in a Reserve status during training, program time is not creditable towards Active Duty (Regular) retirement. However, the Fiscal Year 2000 National Defense Authorization Act authorized the granting of non-regular (Reserve) retirement credit to participants under certain circumstances.
This change was incorporated into U.S. Code Title 10, Chap 105, paragraph 2126(b), and has not changed since
its adoption in 2000. This paragraph details how each service secretary may authorize the granting of 50 retirement points (equivalent to one year) for each year of satisfactory service in the Selected Reserve for HPSP and FAP participants in Critical Wartime Specialties (CWS). This is to be done as the years in the Selected
Reserve are completed and counts only towards retirement credit- not longevity for pay purposes. To clarify this change to Title 10, in October 2000 the Assistant Secretary of Defense (Reserve Affairs) issued a directive memo stating that “…the number of years of retirement credit a member may be awarded… under this provision can equal the number of full academic years of program participation, up to a maximum of four years.””

Thank you. I stand corrected on the current US code.