A FERS military service deposit, often called a military buyback, is a question about credit for a particular period of service. Start with the agency record and the service dates. An online estimate cannot show whether your agency received a payment or credited the period correctly.
What does OPM say about a military deposit?
OPM's current FERS service-credit page says a deposit is required for creditable military service performed after 1956. It directs employees to make the payment through their employing agency before they stop working for the government and to seek help from their servicing personnel office. The page also distinguishes different service periods and CSRS components. A single percentage copied from another person's example is not an individual quote.
OPM's application tips identify military service records and an agency letter confirming a paid-in-full deposit among the documents that may be needed. Keep those records through your agency's established process. This website does not need a copy of your discharge papers or payment record.
Build a service-period worksheet
Use one row for each period you want your agency to review. Leave identifying numbers out of a general inquiry.
| Question for your agency | What to record privately |
|---|---|
| Which exact period is being reviewed? | Start and end dates from your own records. |
| Is the period creditable under my retirement coverage? | The agency's determination and the record it used. |
| What payment, interest or other condition applies? | The agency's written calculation and its effective date. |
| What deadline applies to my case? | The required completion date and the responsible office. |
| How will payment completion be confirmed? | Where the agency's paid-in-full confirmation is retained. |
| Does my retirement estimate include this period? | Which estimate version reflects the confirmed credit. |
Separate payment, credit and retirement timing
For example, an employee might have a payment receipt but still be looking at an older estimate that excludes the service. The useful next step is to ask the agency to reconcile those records. Entering extra years into a pension calculator would hide the unresolved question.
If you have military retired pay, a CSRS component, a break in service or service connected with a return to civilian employment, identify that issue before relying on a general example. Ask which rules apply and who can explain the choices. This checklist does not recommend waiving a benefit or making a payment.
Leave the conversation with a clear next action
Write down the office responsible, the question still open and the document you expect back. Recheck the estimate after the agency confirms the record. Keep any payment or personal-record exchange within the official process you have verified.
For the surrounding decisions, read about deferred versus postponed FERS retirement and preparing a federal benefits conversation. A service-credit review and an insurance discussion answer different questions; neither replaces your agency's retirement determination.
Browse federal benefits, retirement and insurance topics or read how we prepare and check our guides.
Sources
- OPM: FERS service credit, checked November 3, 2026
- OPM: Retirement application tips, checked November 3, 2026
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