Retirement vs. Chapter 61

[LinXa1903]

Good afternoon, can someone please explain to me - Barney-style - what the difference is between a regular, voluntary retirement and a Chapter 61 w/20 years. I have 19+ years in and am facing a MEB board soon. I can't voluntary retire because I have an ADSO incurred from transferring my Post 9-11 GI Bill to my daughter. I am just trying to see what my options are and what I have to lose if I am found unfit while going through the MEB/PEB process.

 

[Jason Perry]

Good afternoon, can someone please explain to me - Barney-style - what the difference is between a regular, voluntary retirement and a Chapter 61 w/20 years.

Not much, EXCEPT...your length of service retirement is going to be calculated at 2.5% times years of service times retired base pay- that equals 50%. With a medical retirement you can get up to 75% of your retired base pay, so the essential difference is that with more than 20yrs you can do much better with a medical retirement.

 

[LinXa1903]

Thank you for the quick reply. I've seen plenty of posts about retirement vs. medical retirement but none that really expalins the difference between the two. And I definitely don't expect to receive 75% but just out of curiosity, how does that happen?

Additionally, can I still get rated through the VA for other injuries/disabilities? Is it or does it offset my retirement? And does the VA rate me for the same thing that the Army is going to MEB me for?

Thanks!!!

 

[eagleone]

Thank you for the quick reply. I've seen plenty of posts about retirement vs. medical retirement but none that really expalins the difference between the two. And I definitely don't expect to receive 75% but just out of curiosity, how does that happen?

Additionally, can I still get rated through the VA for other injuries/disabilities? Is it or does it offset my retirement? And does the VA rate me for the same thing that the Army is going to MEB me for?

Thanks!!!

Take a look at your other post. I posted the other info that you asked about:

Disability retired pay is calculated on the basis of your actual "unfitting" disability rating (e.g., 30% disability rating) for any findings, or length of service rating (2.5% x years of service), whichever is higher. The disability rating percentage is capped at 75%. The VA rates for all service connected disabilities but the DoD disability retirement is only based on those injuries that the service finds "unfitting."

So if someone has ankle (10%), knee (10%), spine (10%) and shoulder (10%) issues, and if the service finds three of those findings as "unfitting," your combined service connected disability will be 27%. It will be rounded to nearest 10%, to make it 30%. This would qualify for a disability retirement. The VA total would be 34% and rounded down to 30%.

Does this help?