Veteran’s Creditable Service Purchase (Buyback) Form
You may be eligible to purchase up to four years of military service if you qualify as a veteran as defined in M.G.L. c. 32, Section 1. If you were honorably discharged from active duty and have either 180 days of regular active duty service and a last discharge or release under honorable conditions, or 90 days of active duty service, one day of which is during “wartime” per the chart below, and a last discharge or release under honorable conditions, you may be eligible to purchase service.
- World War II
Sept. 16, 1940 – July 25, 1947 (with WWII Victory Medal) - Korea June 25, 1950 – Jan. 31, 1955
- Korean Defense Service Medal July 6, 1954 (date to be determined)
- Korea-Vietnam (Interim) Feb. 1, 1955 – Aug. 4, 1964 (180 days)
- Vietnam Aug. 5, 1964 – May 7, 1975
- Lebanon Aug. 25, 1982 – (date to be determined)
- Grenada Oct. 25, 1983 – Dec. 15, 1983
- Panama Dec. 20, 1989 – Jan. 31, 1990
- Persian Gulf Aug. 2, 1990 – (date to be determined)
In addition, Veteran’s status includes those who, instead of performing “wartime service,” have been awarded one of the following campaign badges: Second Nicaraguan Campaign, Navy Occupation Service, Medal of Humane Action, Yangtze Service or Army of Occupation. If you served in wartime and were awarded a Purple Heart or service-connected disability, regardless of whether you completed the minimum length of active duty service required in the chart under the paragraph above, you qualify for veteran’s status.
Veterans who also have Active Reserve or Massachusetts National Guard Service may receive creditable service for such Guard/Reserve service on a ratio of five years of such service to equal one year of creditable service.
Exception: You should be aware that six months of active duty training in the Active Reserves or the National Guard does not qualify as active service toward the minimum period listed. Additionally, if your only active duty was active duty training, you are not eligible to purchase credit for your military service. The Board will provide the final determination for you.
Additional Resources
Veterans' Buyback Changes Effective 8/8/24
On August 8, 2024, Governor Healey signed Chapter 178 of the Acts of 2024, “An Act Honoring, Empowering, and Recognizing our Servicemembers and Veterans” (“the HERO Act”).
Timeframe Change to Within a Year of Vesting
The 180-day limitation that has existed since 1996 has been repealed by Section 52 of the HERO Act. Members will now be allowed to purchase their military service time at any time prior to or up to one year after they vest in the system. A member may purchase their time on day one of their membership service or defer the purchase to the day they reach one year after their vesting date, 11 years of creditable service. Retirement boards can require a lump sum payment or allow up to a five-year installment plan. The member must either complete the purchase or begin payments under an installment plan within one year of reaching vested status, or 11 years. If the Board offers a five-year installment plan to the member in year 10 of that member’s service, then the member would have more than 11 years to complete the purchase.
As in the past, members of the National Guard and Reserves are still able to purchase veterans’ creditable service at a 5-to-1 ratio.
National Guard and Reservists After Vesting
National Guard and Reservists who do not qualify as a veteran, per the definition on the veteran’s buyback form, within one year of vesting, or who have not reached the maximum of four years of eligible purchase time within one year of vesting, will have additional time to make the purchase. They will have five years from the date in which they qualify as a veteran, or the date that they qualify for the full four-year purchase, whichever date last occurs, to enter into a buyback agreement. The terms and process are then identical to the section above.
It will be incumbent on the veteran employee to track their military service time and earning of veteran status, not the retirement board. The retirement board would verify veteran status as it does currently and ensure the application is made timely.
One-Year Grace Period
Section 53 of the HERO Act provides a new one-year opportunity for members who have not purchased their military service for any reason. This section provides that retirement boards must provide notice of potential eligibility to all active retirement board members within 90 days of the effective date of the HERO Act, which means that notice must be sent by November 6, 2024. Active members will then have up to one year from the effective date of the HERO Act, August 8, 2025, to make the purchase of any creditable service or enter into an installment plan, if allowed by the retirement board. This new opportunity to purchase creditable service only applies to active members. Inactive and retired members cannot make a veterans’ buyback.
Existing Members
- A veteran who has already completed a military service purchase – no action is needed.
- A veteran who has NOT entered into an agreement, and has MORE THAN 11 YEARS of creditable service, has a one-time grace period until August 8, 2025, to enter into an agreement with the Board, which has the discretion to require a lump sum payment or an installment plan. August 8, 2025 reflects one year from the effective date of the HERO Act.
- A veteran who has NOT entered into an agreement, and has LESS THAN 11 YEARS of creditable service, has until the later of the two following events to enter into an agreement with the Board, which has the discretion to require a lump sum payment or an installment plan: completion of the 11th year of creditable service or August 8, 2025, which reflects one year after the effective date of the HERO Act.
- A veteran who HAS ENTERED INTO AN AGREEMENT, but HAS NOT COMPLETED THE PURCHASE, has until the later of the two following events to come to terms with the retirement board on the purchase: complete the 11th year of creditable service or August 8, 2025, which reflects one year after the effective date of the HERO Act. Depending on the Board’s terms and conditions, a lump-sum payment or the start of an installment plan will be required either by the end of the 11th year of creditable service or August 8, 2025, whichever is later.