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Apply for Military Service Credit

Restricted Prior | Time Only | Credit Purchase | USERRA

If you have performed active service in a branch of the U.S. military, you may be eligible to establish this service credit. It is not necessary to purchase this service; the time only credit may be established without financial outlay.

Have you…

  • Served in active military duty (not reserves)?
  • Worked for 5 years for a city that has adopted military service credit?
  • Been discharged under conditions that are not dishonorable?

If you answered yes to these questions, and if you are not receiving or expect to receive a military pension, you are eligible to establish your military time toward your TMRS retirement.

Restricted Prior Service Credit (RPSC)
Using Credit for Military Service

  • Fill out the Member Information and Member Certification sections completely.
  • Your correct, full mailing address is important, and your signature in longhand is required.
  • The social security number must be legible and match that on file for you.
  • Please attach a copy of your military discharge form DD214 (see Note 2) (indicating discharge status).
  • Have your employing city certify the bottom portion.
  • You must not have received credit for the same service in another statewide retirement system.
  • Mail or fax (not both) the form and DD214 (indicating discharge status) to TMRS.

 

Military Service Credit • Time Only

Apply for this credit by filling out (TMRS-34A) (pdf).

Note: You must NOT be eligible to receive a pension from the military to receive Military Service Credit (Time Only).

  • Fill out the Member Information and Member Certification sections completely.
  • Your correct, full mailing address is important, and your signature in longhand is required.
  • The social security number must be legible and match that on file for you.
  • Have your employing city certify the bottom portion.
  • Submit a copy of your DD214 (see Note 2) (indicating discharge status) with the form.
  • You must not have received credit for the same service in another statewide retirement system
  • Mail or fax (not both) the form and DD214 (indicating discharge status) to TMRS.

Military Service Credit Purchase

Sometimes, if eligible, members prefer to “purchase” their service credit to add money into their account. To be eligible, you must have been contributing to TMRS on 12-31-03. The cost to buy military service is $15 per month for a maximum of 60 months. If you wish to purchase service, fill out Application for Military Service Credit Purchase (TMRS-34) (pdf).

  • Fill out the Member Information and Member Certification sections completely.
  • Your correct, full mailing address is important, and your signature in longhand is required.
  • The social security number must be legible and match that on file for you.
  • Have your employing city certify the bottom portion.
  • Submit a copy of DD214 (see Note 2) (indicating discharge status) with the form.
  • You must not have received credit for the same service in another statewide retirement system.
  • Mail the form, payment (personal check made payable to TMRS), and DD214 (indicating discharge status) to TMRS.

Apply for Military Service Credit Under USERRA

USERRA Protection

If you served as an active member of the U.S. military while employed with a TMRS city, you are protected under USERRA (See Note 3), a federal law that allows employees who have left work to serve in the military to reinstate their city time as if they had never left. If you are called to active duty while employed with the city, USERRA allows you to claim your time credit, and you also have the right to purchase the service by making the contributions to your account that would have occurred during your military leave. The city sends in matching funds (at the current city rate) when the member submits payment (whether partial or whole payment).

How to Get Credit Under USERRA

  1. Determine if you qualify:
    • You were on military leave and returned to employment on or after December 12, 1994
    • You were released/discharged under honorable conditions
    • You were reemployed by the city within 90 days of your release/discharge
  2. If you qualify, fill out the USERRA Military Service Credit Application (TMRS-92). You will need to certify this form.
  3. Have your City Correspondent certify the bottom portion of the application. If you or your city representative need help with the details of this form, call TMRS.
  4. Send the form, any payment you wish to make, and a copy of your Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty (DD-214) to TMRS.

Payment of your missed retirement contributions is optional and any payment you make (for up to the Maximum Contribution amount) must be made during a limited time, which begins on the date of re-employment with the City and continues for up to three times the length of your immediate past period of service in the uniformed services, such payment period not to exceed five years.

What Happens Next?

Your account will be credited with the number of months of service credit equal to your military leave (not to exceed 60 months).

The city makes payments to TMRS. The city will match any contributions you make towards your USERRA.

After we receive payment, we will send you a confirmation letter. Your additional contributions will be reflected in your account records and Annual Statement.

Note 1

Restricted Prior Service is time credit for previous full-time, paid, public work anywhere in the U.S. (including military service). It may also be used for reinstating forfeited time from another TMRS city or participating Texas retirement system. Restricted Prior Service Credit has NO monetary value and is an optional provision that may be adopted by your city. There is no limit on Restricted Prior Service granted but Military Service Credit has a limit of 60 months. For more information, see “Apply for Public Service Credit.

Note 2

If your military discharge verification (DD214) has been lost, you may request a duplicate by writing to the:
National Personnel Records Center
Military Service Personnel Records
9700 Page Blvd.
St. Louis, MO 63132
Attn.: Chief, (insert branch of service) Reference Branch

Note 3

USERRA is a federal law, the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act, enacted to protect the retirement rights of employees who serve in the military during their city employment. USERRA credit applies to all TMRS cities.

USERRA prohibits an employer from denying any benefit of employment on the basis of an individual’s membership, application for membership, performance of service, application for service, or obligation for service in the uniformed services.