Medical Retirement

TomTom84

PEB Forum Regular Member
Registered Member
If a service member with 15 years is medically retired are they entitled to monthly retirement pay from DOD? I was told by two of my shipmates and Department head that you do get a monthly pay at 37.3% from DOD is this true? Can someone provide me guidance or something in writing or military instruction that states this I will gladly appreciate it. Thanks!
 
https://www.dfas.mil/retiredmilitary/disability/disability.html

If you are found unfit to perform your duties because of a disability that may not be permanent, you may be placed on the Temporary Disability List (TDRL).

Your retired pay will be computed using one of two methods:

your disability percentage (using a minimum of 50 percent for payment purposes while on the TDRL), referred to as Method A,
or
your years of active service, referred to as Method B.
Your pay will be computed based on whichever is more beneficial for you.

——
if your disability is found to be permanent and is rated at 30 percent or greater, or you have 20 or more years of service, you will be placed on the Permanent Disability Retired List (PDRL).

Your retired pay will be computed using one of two methods.

Your disability percentage, referred to as Method A.
Your years of active service, referred to as Method B.
Your pay will be computed based on whichever method is more beneficial for you.
 
It depends on what your high 3 is. Mine for example is 6600

I get 3349 VA (100%)

And 1160 DOD


The rest (300ish) is taken out from dod survivor benefit plan
 
Do you only get VA & DoD payment if you're placed on PDRL or do those on TDRL get this benefit as well? I was in a bit over 13 years but have only received payment from VA and was told because I do not have 20 years of service, I'm not to receive payment from DoD (I'm TDRL).
 
You receive the highest of the two, not both regardless of P/TDRL.
 
Do you only get VA & DoD payment if you're placed on PDRL or do those on TDRL get this benefit as well? I was in a bit over 13 years but have only received payment from VA and was told because I do not have 20 years of service, I'm not to receive payment from DoD (I'm TDRL).
If you are on TDRL, your retired pay is computed as I showed above and is explained more in depth at https://www.dfas.mil/retiredmilitary/disability/disability.html

However, you must waive/lose retired pay dollar for dollar in the amount of VA compensation received since apparently you do not qualify for CRDP (e.g., 20 years AD). CRDP is the mechanism that allows concurrent receipt of retired pay and VA comp.

Another consideration: Combat Related Special Compensation (CRSC) replaces some or all of waived retired pay for those who qualify and are approved by their service. See
https://www.dfas.mil/retiredmilitary/disability/crsc.html
 
It depends on what your high 3 is. Mine for example is 6600

I get 3349 VA (100%)

And 1160 DOD


The rest (300ish) is taken out from dod survivor benefit plan
How many years of service do you have? Because I am only at 15 years. I am being told conflicting iinformation. Some people are saying yes you will get DOD retirement and your VA compensation due to being at 15 years. And other people are telling me that you will only get VA and nothing from DOD. So I am confused on what to believe and I cannot find an instruction anywhere.
 
I retired at O3E over 18.
 
The Army's TERA program is ending. See https://www.armytimes.com/news/your...s-over-the-army-is-ditching-early-retirement/

"Army Secretary Mark Esper has canceled temporary early retirement authority and moved the threshold back to the traditional 20 years.
“...the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2017 increased Army end strength and we have ceased the draw down,” Esper wrote in a Dec. 15 directive. “Therefore, I am terminating the use of TERA and ending the reduction in the minimum years of active commissioned service required for voluntary retirement.”

DFAS discusses types of retirement at: https://www.dfas.mil/retiredmilitary/plan/retirement-types.html

Reserve Retirement: http://militarypay.defense.gov/Pay/Retirement/reserve/

NG Early Retirement (discussion): https://the-military-guide.com/national-guard-retirement/


Ron
 
I retired at O3E over 18.[/QUOTE
I retired at O3E over 18.
DO you know the instruction or guidance for this? I am at 15 years and getting 100% from the VA but no one knows if I get reitrement from pay from DOD. Some are saying Yes I am supposed to because I will be PDRL I should be getting 37.5% retirement pay regardless of what I recieve from the VA. And other people are saying no its one or the other and you would have to choose the highest. Any help would be appreciated because Admin here never dealt with this issue.
 
It depends on what your high 3 is. Mine for example is 6600
I get 3349 VA (100%)
And 1160 DOD
The rest (300ish) is taken out from dod survivor benefit plan
Your signature includes: "10 NOV 2015 DA199-1 (reconsideration #2) arrives, 100% DOD PDRL"

Conjecture:
1. 6600 high 3 x 75% med ret (max)= $4950 DoD disability ret pay
2. Ret pay 4950 minus 3349 VA offset = $1601 residual retired pay
3. $1601 gross minus $300 SBP = $1301 before taxes
4. The net of $1160 might be the product of ~1301 minus "x" with x being taxes @ ~141

I put this together since some have inferred that you are receiving your retired pay via CRDP but since you have <20 years AD and are not a TERA retiree (to my knowledge), it seems that the retired pay you receive is the residual after the VA offset of $3349.

Your comments on this matter would likely assist other veterans.
 
Your signature includes: "10 NOV 2015 DA199-1 (reconsideration #2) arrives, 100% DOD PDRL"

Conjecture:
1. 6600 high 3 x 75% med ret (max)= $4950 DoD disability ret pay
2. Ret pay 4950 minus 3349 VA offset = $1601 residual retired pay
3. $1601 gross minus $300 SBP = $1301 before taxes
4. The net of $1160 might be the product of ~1301 minus "x" with x being taxes @ ~141

I put this together since some have inferred that you are receiving your retired pay via CRDP but since you have <20 years AD and are not a TERA retiree (to my knowledge), it seems that the retired pay you receive is the residual after the VA offset of $3349.

Your comments on this matter would likely assist other veterans.

The high 3 of 6600 isn’t exact, that’s what I calculated it should be (one year at O3E over 18 and 2 years O3E over 16). The year I retired 2016 was 4750 minus 300 SBP. So 4450 left (75% DOD) and that year 100% VA was
3277 (now up to 3349).

So basically if I got zero percent VA, I’d get the whole 4450 from DOD. But since I get 100% VA, I use the offset because. Va money isn’t taxed. So they split that 4450, VA pays 3349 (2018) and DOD pays the rest of the 4450. It changes every year due to the small raises to both.


The only reason I get two checks is because my DOD is higher than VA. If my high 3 minus SBP was less than 3349, I’d only be getting One check. I don’t qualify for CDRP because I’m under 20 and not TERA, I don’t get CRSC either.

Hope this clarifies.
 
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Re: "Hope this clarifies."

Thank you as that does clarify the situation. It is essentially how I outlined it (and the basis for certain calculations). The fact that some previously unknown (to me) factors existed does not change the concept. The DoD retired pay you receive is not due a a 15-year retirement, but the result of result of residual retired pay after the VA offset.

There is no 15 year retirement except those who applied for TERA and were approved. Temporary Early Retirement Authority (TERA) authorized members with over 15, but less than 20 years of total active duty service to apply for early retirement. The opportunity to retire under this TERA program ended earlier than first projected. TERA was not a right, but an opportunity that required an application and approval. It served as an effective tool for drawing down the Army's end strength.

Your clarification is quite helpful as some have confused the phased out TERA with your situation, plus a phantom non-TERA 15 year retirement.

Your reply is appreciated. Just a brief comment on military mustangs. I server with several during my 20+ years on AD and they were some of the best officers with whom I served.
 
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