Officials offer guidance for active-duty retirement

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To help determine how to qualify for an active-duty retirement, Air Reserve Personnel Center officials stress that 7,200 active-duty points does not guarantee an active duty retirement.

"Earning an active-duty retirement is based on years of service, not points," said Gloria Goodgain, ARPC personnel programs deputy director. "To qualify for an active-duty retirement, an Airman must complete 20 years of total active federal military service."

This total is calculated in two ways depending on the length of tours.

For tours of 31 or more days, subtract the beginning date from the ending date and add one. Tours of less than 31 days are added together and divided by 30 which will total the number of years, months and days of active-duty time. If this number equals 20 or more years, the Airman is eligible for active-duty retirement.

Once active time is calculated, inactive duty time is computed for Airmen who are not on fulltime duty. The number of these days per year is limited to 60, 75 or 90 depending on the retirement and retention close-out date. The limit equals the maximum Reserve points allowed by law for that year. The total of active and Reserve days cannot exceed the number of calendar days in the year.

For individual assistance, Airmen can call the retirements and separations division at 800-525-0102.