Thoughts on IRR retirement?

[bricktamland]

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Has anyone on this forum had any experience with or know much about earning a retirement in the IRR (Individual Ready Reserve)? I’m leaning towards separating from the Navy at the 12-13 year mark, but I’m still interested in the retirement pension.

Here are some key points from the Navy website regarding IRR:
"Members of the IRR may receive retirement pay and benefits at age 60 if they accumulate 20 qualifying years of service. To obtain a qualifying year, members must earn a minimum of 50 points per year. Retirement points may be earned through:
• Membership/gratuity points (15 points per year, credited automatically)
• Completion of correspondence courses
• One point per day for each day of Active Duty For Training (ADT)"

My initial inclination, should I separate, is to wipe my hands and walk away from the Navy forever. I really want to move on with my life and don’t want to have any lingering thoughts of possibly getting "called up." On the other hand, I figure that the pension, starting at age 60, would still be worth at least $1 million. So, I'd like to get some more details and make an informed decision.

Here are my major questions:
1. What do you do for ADT? As a radiologist , I’d really prefer to be doing something in the realm of radiology. However, knowing the Navy, it wouldn’t shock me if an ADT assignment meant doing physicals or something else completely unrelated to my field.
2. How painful are the correspondence courses? Are they basically the same or similar to the online NKO courses we routinely do?
3. What's the likelihood of being “mobilized” in the IRR? I figure it's pretty low, but wonder if anyone else has a different opinion.
4. Any thoughts regarding the possibility of attrition? I would hate to make it all the way to 19 years and then get kicked out. This caveat from the website concerns me: “Officers are eligible for promotion while in an IRR status. It is important that Officers, particularly LCDRs, understand that they are subject to attrition from an active status when twice failed to select (FOS) for the next higher grade (see BUPERSINST 1001.39 Series for more information).”

Thanks for any insight.

 

[sonofva]

Has anyone on this forum had any experience with or know much about earning a retirement in the IRR (Individual Ready Reserve)? I’m leaning towards separating from the Navy at the 12-13 year mark, but I’m still interested in the retirement pension.

Here are some key points from the Navy website regarding IRR:
"Members of the IRR may receive retirement pay and benefits at age 60 if they accumulate 20 qualifying years of service. To obtain a qualifying year, members must earn a minimum of 50 points per year. Retirement points may be earned through:
• Membership/gratuity points (15 points per year, credited automatically)
• Completion of correspondence courses
• One point per day for each day of Active Duty For Training (ADT)"

My initial inclination, should I separate, is to wipe my hands and walk away from the Navy forever. I really want to move on with my life and don’t want to have any lingering thoughts of possibly getting "called up." On the other hand, I figure that the pension, starting at age 60, would still be worth at least $1 million. So, I'd like to get some more details and make an informed decision.

Here are my major questions:
1. What do you do for ADT? As a radiologist , I’d really prefer to be doing something in the realm of radiology. However, knowing the Navy, it wouldn’t shock me if an ADT assignment meant doing physicals or something else completely unrelated to my field.
2. How painful are the correspondence courses? Are they basically the same or similar to the online NKO courses we routinely do?
3. What's the likelihood of being “mobilized” in the IRR? I figure it's pretty low, but wonder if anyone else has a different opinion.
4. Any thoughts regarding the possibility of attrition? I would hate to make it all the way to 19 years and then get kicked out. This caveat from the website concerns me: “Officers are eligible for promotion while in an IRR status. It is important that Officers, particularly LCDRs, understand that they are subject to attrition from an active status when twice failed to select (FOS) for the next higher grade (see BUPERSINST 1001.39 Series for more information).”

Thanks for any insight.

also, how does IRR retirement work? like what percent of base pay? or does it not work like that...

 

[bricktamland]

I believe the amount of the retirement pension is calculated off your final rank combined with a point based system, wherein you need to earn a minimum of 50 points per year to have a "qualifying year," but you can earn up to a maximum of 365 points per year. I think the active duty years count as 365 point years.

 

[BigNavyPedsGuy]

I've been looking into this and my buddy who just separated said that they've really kind of cracked down/ratcheted up the requirements. They were having a bunch of enlisted guys do 4 years active duty and then 16 yrs of on-line courses and getting a pension.

He ended up talking to someone at PERS who was finally able to answer his questions. To qualify now, you either need to do non-paid drill or be on some kind of available-to-deply list.

Again, that's what he told me. The websites don't reflect that. Let me know if you find anything. I'm in a similar boat (separating with 7 years AD).

BTW I think HPSP years are like 60 points, so they count as qualifiable IRR years.

But it seems too good to be true, which usually means it is.

 

[edmadison]

BTW I think HPSP years are like 60 points, so they count as qualifiable IRR years.

But it seems too good to be true, which usually means it is.

I don't know if there has been a change, but I only got 15 points/year for my hpsp years

Ed

 

[backrow]

I don't know if there has been a change, but I only got 15 points/year for my hpsp years

Ed

Plus the days you were on orders. Doesn't quite meet the 50 pts needed for a "good" year. I also believe there is verbiage that prevents HPSP years counting towards retirement, but don't quote me on that part.

 

[pgg]

I also believe there is verbiage that prevents HPSP years counting towards retirement, but don't quote me on that part.

The attached memo addresses retirement credit for USUHS, but it includes the line

In this regard, 10 USC 21149(b) provides that the exclusions of 10 USC 2126 applicable to students in the Health Professions Scholarship Program are also applicable to USUHS medical students. These exclusions relate to (1) determination of the applicable rate of basic pay under 37 USC 205 (longevity), and (2) determination of eligiblity for retirement.

Which led me to 10 USC 2120-2129:

http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/10/2120 definitions
http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/10/2121 establishment
http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/10/2122 eligibility ...
http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/10/2123 members ... obligation
http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/10/2124 members ... numbers
http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/10/2125 members ... exclusion
http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/10/2126 members ... service credit
http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/10/2127 scholarships
http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/10/2128 accession bonuses

The difference between USUHS and HPSP is that since USUHS grads are on active duty through medical school, that time is counted toward calculating the retirement %. Retirement eligibility and active duty pay are the same as HPSP (ie, both groups are commissioned into the medical corps upon graduation and start off as O3 <2 years (or O3E <2).