[Code of Federal Regulations]
[Title 5, Volume 2]
[Revised as of January 1, 2002]
From the U.S. Government Printing Office via GPO Access
[CITE: 5CFR831.301]

[Page 88-90]
 
                    TITLE 5--ADMINISTRATIVE PERSONNEL
 
          CHAPTER I--OFFICE OF PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT (Continued)
 
PART 831--RETIREMENT--Table of Contents
 
                      Subpart C--Credit for Service
 
Sec. 831.301  Military service.


    (a) Service of an individual who first became an employee or Member 
under the civil service retirement system before October 1, 1982. A 
period of honorable active service after December 31, 1956, in the Army, 
Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, or Coast Guard of the United States, or, 
after June 30, 1960, in the Regular Corps or Reserve Corps of the Public 
Health Service, or, after June 30, 1961, as a commissioned officer of 
the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (formerly Coast and 
Geodetic Survey and Environmental Science Services Administration), 
performed before the date of separation on which civil service annuity 
entitlement is based shall be included in the computation of the annuity 
provided--
    (1) The employee or Member has completed 5 years' (18 months' for 
survivors of employees or Members who die in service) civilian service;
    (2) The employee or Member is not receiving military retired pay 
awarded for reasons other than (i) service-connected disability incurred 
in combat with an enemy of the United States, (ii) service-connected 
disability caused

[[Page 89]]

by an instrumentality of war and incurred in line of duty during a 
period of war (as that term is used in chapter 11 of title 38, United 
States Code), or (iii) under chapter 67 of title 10, United States Code; 
and
    (3)(i) The employee, Member, or survivor is not entitled, or upon 
application would not be entitled, to monthly old-age or survivors 
benefits under Sec. 202 of the Social Security Act (41 U.S.C. 402) based 
on the individual's wages or self-employment income, or
    (ii) For an employee, Member, or survivor who is entitled, or upon 
application would be entitled, to monthly old-age or survivors benefits 
under section 202 of the Social Security Act (41 U.S.C. 402) based on 
the individual's wages or self-employment income, the employee, Member, 
or survivor has completed a deposit in accordance with subpart U of this 
part, or the annuity has been reduced under Sec. 831.303(d), for each 
full period of such military service performed after December 1956. If a 
deposit has not been completed or the annuity has not been reduced under 
Sec. 831.303(d), periods of military service performed after December 
31, 1956 (other than periods of military service covered by military 
leave with pay from a civilian position), are excluded from credit from 
and after the first day of the month in which the individual (or 
survivor) becomes entitled, or upon proper application would be 
entitled, to Social Security benefits under section 202. Military 
service performed prior to January 1957 is included in the computation 
of the annuity regardless of whether a deposit is made for service after 
December 31, 1956.
    (ii) For an employee, Member, or survivor who is entitled, or upon 
application would be entitled, to monthly old-age or survivors benefits 
under Sec. 202 of the Social Security Act (41 U.S.C. 402) based on the 
individual's wages or self-employment income, the employee, Member, or 
survivor has completed a deposit in accordance with subpart U of this 
part, for each full period of such military service performed after 
December 1956.

If a deposit has not been completed, periods of military service 
performed after December 31, 1956 (other than periods of military 
service covered by military leave with pay from a civilian position), 
are excluded from credit from and after the first day of the month in 
which the individual (or survivor) becomes entitled, or upon proper 
application would be entitled, to Social Security benefits under 
Sec. 202. Military service performed prior to January 1957 is included 
in the computation of the annuity regardless of whether a deposit is 
made for service after December 31, 1956.
    (b) Service of an individual who first becomes an employee or Member 
under the civil service retirement system on or after October 1, 1982. A 
period of honorable active service after December 31, 1956, in the Army, 
Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, or Coast Guard of the United States, or, 
after June 30, 1960, in the Regular Corps or Reserve Corps of the Public 
Health Service, or, after June 30, 1961, as a commissioned officer of 
the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (formerly Coast and 
Geodetic Survey and Environmental Science Services Administration), 
performed before the date of separation on which civil service annuity 
entitlement is based shall be included in the computation of the annuity 
provided--
    (1) The employee or Member has completed 5 years' (18 months' for 
survivors of employees or Members who die in service) civilian service;
    (2) The employee or Member is not receiving military retired pay 
awarded for reasons other than (i) service-connected disability incurred 
in combat with an enemy of the United States, (ii) service-connected 
disability caused by an instrumentality of war and incurred in line of 
duty during a period of war (as that term is used in chapter 11 of title 
38, United States Code), or (iii) under chapter 67 of title 10, United 
States Code; and
    (3) The employee, Member, or survivor has completed a deposit in an 
amount equal to 7 percent of his or her basic pay under section 204 of 
title 37, United States Code, (plus interest, if any) or the annuity has 
been reduced under Sec. 831.303(d), for each full period of such 
military service performed after December 1956. Military service 
performed prior to January 1957 is included in the computation of the 
annuity regardless of whether a deposit is

[[Page 90]]

made for service after December 31, 1956.
    (c) Military retirees and recipients of Veterans Administration 
benefits. An employee or Member applying for annuity, who otherwise 
meets all conditions for receiving credit for military service, but who 
is in receipt of retired or retainer pay which bars credit for military 
service, may elect to waive the retired or retainer pay and have the 
military service added to civilian service for annuity computation 
purposes. An applicant for disability retirement, who is receiving a 
Veterans Administration pension or compensation in lieu of military 
retired or retainer pay, may elect to waive the retired or retainer pay 
and renounce the Veterans Administration pension or compensation and 
have the military service added to civilian service for annuity 
computation purposes.
    (d) Widow(er)s and former spouses entitled to annuity based on the 
service of employees or Members who die in service--(1) Military service 
is included unless the widow(er) or former spouse elects otherwise. 
Effective April 25, 1987, unless a widow(er) or former spouse of an 
employee or Member who dies--on or after that date--before being 
separated from service files a written election to the contrary, his or 
her annuity will include credit for periods of military service (subject 
to the provisions of paragraphs (a) and (b) of this section) that would 
ordinarily be excluded from the computation of the employee's or 
Member's annuity under 5 U.S.C. 8332(c)(2).
    (2) Reduction by the amount of survivor benefits payable based on 
the military service. (i) In paragraph (d)(2)(ii) of this section, 
``survivor benefits under a retirement system for members of the 
uniformed services'' means survivor benefits before any offsets for 
benefits payable from another Federal benefit system except for those 
payable under title II of the Social Security Act. The amount of the 
survivor benefit to be deducted will be the amount payable to the 
current or former spouse and attributable to the decedent's retired or 
retainer pay for the period of military service to be included in the 
CSRS survivor annuity. However, the survivor benefit will never be 
reduced below the amount payable based on the civilian service alone.
    (ii) OPM will obtain information on the amount of any monthly 
survivor benefits payable to each applicant for CSRS current or former 
spouse annuity. OPM will reduce the CSRS survivor annuity by the monthly 
military survivor benefit on its commencing date. OPM will not make a 
subsequent adjustment unless it is necessary to increase or decrease the 
CSRS survivor benefit because of a change in the amount of military 
survivor benefits attributable to the period of service or a change in 
the period of military service to be included in the CSRS annuity when 
the survivor annnuitant becomes eligible for benefits under title II of 
the Social Security Act.
    (3) Widow(er)s or former spouses of employees or Members who die on 
or after April 25, 1987--election not to be included. OPM will accept a 
written election from a widow(er) or former spouse who does not wish to 
be covered by Sec. 831.301(d) provided it is postmarked within the 
period ending 30 calendar days after the date of the first regular 
monthly annuity payment.
    (4) Widow(er)s or former spouses of employees or Members who die 
before April 25, 1987--application to OPM for credit. Widow(er)s or 
former spouses of employees or Members who died before April 25, 1987, 
must apply to OPM in writing to have credit for military service 
included in the survivor annuity computation. If the survivor annuity is 
increased by including credit for the military service, the increase 
will be effective on the first of the month following the 60th calendar 
day after the date the written application for inclusion of the military 
service is received in OPM.

[48 FR 38784, Aug. 26, 1983, as amended at 51 FR 31931, Sept. 8, 1986; 
52 FR 10026, Mar. 30, 1987; 53 FR 6555, Mar. 2, 1988; 66 FR 15608, Mar. 
19, 2001]