Leave accrual and USNA time for creditable service

[Friendly1120]

Starting my new job in a few months when I get off AD. However, the agency is waiting for my DD-214 to take into account creditable service. Naturally, I won't get that till I get out and I enter on duty a week and a half later to my new job. I understand that it will only state the years after commissioning and not include my USNA time on my DD-214. I have tried to get in touch with HR to ensure that I should have an additional 4 years for creditable service towards leave accrual, but I am not sure if they fully understand what I am trying to explain. If they don't take those four years into account prior to my entrance on duty, am I screwed? Based on the information below....

Thanks to @Writer_12_VA , buying back my time towards retirement should be easy and I believe I can negotiate that after I start etc. I don't particularly want to lose out of 4 years of leave accrual when it's available though.


OPM states the following....

The head of an agency, or his or her designee, must make the determination to approve an employee's qualifying prior work experience before the employee enters on duty - the determination cannot be made retroactively.

 

[SLHSD]

To answer your question about what document can you provide as your USNA time won't be on your DD214 it would be that the federal agency may accept a Statement of Service letter from the USNA registrar office or some HR offices may accept a USNA transcript. I would advise getting a Statement of Service letter from the USNA registrars office as usually that is an acceptable document since it will provide the info as to your dates of attendance,i.e. it would show the 4 years. A transcript may be needed also if your agency updates an education level as part of your personnel record so it's a good idea to also make sure you have a transcript sent to yourself also.

https://www.usna.edu/Registrar/Attendance.php
See the section USNA Alumni

Alumni who need verifications of enrollment or graduation may email requests to webregistrar@usna.edu. In the requests, please include the name used when you attended, alpha code, and class year. If you are submitting the request for the civilian retirement buy-back purposes, please also indicate if you need us to provide estimated earnings.


I also recommend that if you are making the request to buy back your active duty time for federal civilian service retirement purposes that you make a request to the Registrars office to get a letter that includes your estimated earnings from your midshipman time. It may make sense to do a request for 1 letter to be a verification of enrollment and graduation from USNA and 1 letter to also include your estimated earnings. You can just do one letter If it includes the estimated earnings but thats more info than needed just for leave purposes. You want to keep a copy of your estimated earnings letter as you would need that to be submitted for buying back your time. The registrars office just updated their website that requests are taking a few weeks so you can make the request to the Registrars office now and get what you need for the USNA time all while you complete your AD time and await being issued your DD214.

Buying back military service time for federal civilian retirement purposes (i.e. military service deposit) is something that doesn't require negotiations. But that won't be able to be completed until you onboard as a federal employee and you have your DD214.

The administrative time to get the paperwork done to actually get to the step of making your military service deposit can take weeks to months so once you have a DD214 you can initiate the first step to contact DFAS for your estimated earnings and then proceed to next steps. And again you would already have the estimated earnings letter to account for the USNA time so you are ahead of the game with that info.. https://www.dfas.mil/CivilianEmployees/militaryservice/militaryservicedeposits/

I hope this info is helpful and wish you the best in your transition.

 

[USNA75]

To answer your question about what document can you provide as your USNA time won't be on your DD214 it would be that the federal agency may accept a Statement of Service letter from the USNA registrar office or some HR offices may accept a USNA transcript. I would advise getting a Statement of Service letter from the USNA registrars office as usually that is an acceptable document since it will provide the info as to your dates of attendance,i.e. it would show the 4 years. A transcript may be needed also if your agency updates an education level as part of your personnel record so it's a good idea to also make sure you have a transcript sent to yourself also.

https://www.usna.edu/Registrar/Attendance.php
See the section USNA Alumni

Alumni who need verifications of enrollment or graduation may email requests to webregistrar@usna.edu. In the requests, please include the name used when you attended, alpha code, and class year. If you are submitting the request for the civilian retirement buy-back purposes, please also indicate if you need us to provide estimated earnings.


I also recommend that if you are making the request to buy back your active duty time for federal civilian service retirement purposes that you make a request to the Registrars office to get a letter that includes your estimated earnings from your midshipman time. It may make sense to do a request for 1 letter to be a verification of enrollment and graduation from USNA and 1 letter to also include your estimated earnings. You can just do one letter If it includes the estimated earnings but thats more info than needed just for leave purposes. You want to keep a copy of your estimated earnings letter as you would need that to be submitted for buying back your time. The registrars office just updated their website that requests are taking a few weeks so you can make the request to the Registrars office now and get what you need for the USNA time all while you complete your AD time and await being issued your DD214.

Buying back military service time for federal civilian retirement purposes (i.e. military service deposit) is something that doesn't require negotiations. But that won't be able to be completed until you onboard as a federal employee and you have your DD214.

The administrative time to get the paperwork done to actually get to the step of making your military service deposit can take weeks to months so once you have a DD214 you can initiate the first step to contact DFAS for your estimated earnings and then proceed to next steps. And again you would already have the estimated earnings letter to account for the USNA time so you are ahead of the game with that info.. https://www.dfas.mil/CivilianEmployees/militaryservice/militaryservicedeposits/

I hope this info is helpful and wish you the best in your transition.

I went through this process. It was “a process” but worth it to get four years of credit for federal service.

 

[ep125304]

Starting my new job in a few months when I get off AD. However, the agency is waiting for my DD-214 to take into account creditable service. Naturally, I won't get that till I get out and I enter on duty a week and a half later to my new job. I understand that it will only state the years after commissioning and not include my USNA time on my DD-214. I have tried to get in touch with HR to ensure that I should have an additional 4 years for creditable service towards leave accrual, but I am not sure if they fully understand what I am trying to explain. If they don't take those four years into account prior to my entrance on duty, am I screwed? Based on the information below....

Thanks to @Writer_12_VA , buying back my time towards retirement should be easy and I believe I can negotiate that after I start etc. I don't particularly want to lose out of 4 years of leave accrual when it's available though.


OPM states the following....

The head of an agency, or his or her designee, must make the determination to approve an employee's qualifying prior work experience before the employee enters on duty - the determination cannot be made retroactively.

Annual Leave for Federal Employees

An employee may use annual leave for vacations, rest and relaxation, and personal business or emergencies. An employee has a right to take annual leave, subject to the right of the supervisor to schedule the time at which annual leave may be taken.

www.opm.gov

If they have a hard time understanding, you can also try showing HR this Leave Accrual fact sheet from OPM that states in the asterisk academy time counting for leave accrual purposes (non-retired). It's easier if you Ctrl+F "academy"