• Home
  • Military Discounts
    • Military & Veteran Discount List
    • Local Military & Veterans Discounts
    • Apple Military Discount
    • Veteran & Military Cell Phone Discounts
    • Gym and Health Club Discounts
    • Veterans Day Deals & Discounts
    • Veterans Day Free Meals
  • Benefits
    • 10 Veterans Benefits You May Not Know About
    • Top Military Spouse Benefits
    • Medal of Honor Benefits
    • Purple Heart Benefits
    • Veterans Health A to Z
  • Housing & Home Ownership
    • 2021 BAH Rates
    • BAH Calculator
    • VA Loan Limits by County
    • VA Home Loan Guide
    • 5 Benefits of a VA Loan
    • VA Home Loan Tools
  • Money & Finance
    • 2021 Defense Budget
    • 2021 Military Pay Charts
    • 2021 BAS Rates
    • 2021 Military Pay
    • COLA Watch 2022
    • Military Pay Calculator
    • Military Pay Dates
    • VA Disability Rates
  • Jobs
    • Veteran Friendly Employers
    • Military Spouse Employment Preference
    • Veterans Employment and Training Service (VETS)
    • Security Clearance Jobs After the Military
  • Education
    • Veteran Friendly Colleges
    • Online Colleges with Military Discounts
    • Veteran Friendly Colleges Guide
    • Military Spouse Career Advancement Accounts (MyCAA)
    • Monthly Housing Allowance (MHA) for the GI Bill
    • Forever GI Bill
    • School Search
  • Resources
    • How to Get a Veterans ID Card
    • Veterans ID on Driver’s License or ID Card by State
    • Military ID Cards
    • Military Calendar
    • State Veteran’s Benefits

Military Benefits

Military Benefits Information for US Military, Active Duty, Reserve, National Guard, Military Spouses and Military Family

You are here: Home / Blended Retirement System: Guard, Reserves

Blended Retirement System: Guard, Reserves

The Blended Retirement System, also known as BRS, takes the place of the “legacy” military retirement system effective January 1, 2018. As of that date, those who served after December 31, 2005 (but before 1 January 2018) have a choice to make: opt into BRS or remain in the legacy retirement system.

Those serving on active duty prior to December 31, 2005 do not have the option to switch to BRS, and those who go into active service after 1 January 2018 will be automatically enrolled in BRS and have no options under the legacy system.

The Department of Defense (DoD) states that the Blended Retirement System “retains the traditional defined benefit annuity, but adjusts the years of service multiplier from 2.5 percent to 2.0 percent for calculating monthly retired pay.”

The DoD says the legacy retirement system calculated the “defined annuity benefit” with this formula:

2.5% x years served x average of highest 36 months of basic pay.


U.S. Air Force illustration/Staff Sgt. Alexandre Montes.
USAF illustration/Staff Sgt. Alexandre Montes.

BRS For Guard/Reserve Members

Members of the National Guard or Reserves should know that the opt-in requirements are “much broader” according to the DoD than for active duty service members.

According to MilitaryPay.Defense.gov, “Eligibility to opt into BRS is based on retirement points. National Guard and Reserve members with fewer than 4,320 retirement points as of December 31, 2017, and who are in a pay status, will be eligible to opt into BRS, regardless of how many service or qualifying years they have accumulated.”

BRS does not change how retirement points are calculated for members of the Guard and Reserve. “Retirement eligibility and timing remains the same as it is under the legacy retirement system. National Guard or Reserve members with 20 or more qualifying years are eligible to receive their monthly retired pay starting at age 60 or earlier based on qualifying active service.”

Members of the Standby Reserve and the Individual Ready Reserve are technically eligible for BRS, but must be receiving pay in order to enroll.

Furthermore, Guard/Reserve members who make Thrift Savings Plan choices do not have to constantly update preferences when switching from activated to deactivated status. The choices you make carry over when activated or vice-versa.

Mandatory training on the Blended Retirement System is required for all in uniform identified as “eligible to opt-in”. See your unit orderly room, First Individual, or Base Finance Office for further information on how to receive training.


Related Articles
Blended Retirement System Blended Retirement System FAQ
Blended Retirement System: Guard, Reserves Which Retirement System Should I Choose?
Military Retirement Calculators Thrift Savings Plan

Popular Articles

New VA Loan Limit Rules

VA Disability Rates

2021 Military Pay

Military Pay Calculator

2021 BAH Rates

Connect With Us

  • facebook
  • instagram
  • pinterest
  • twitter
  • youtube
Military Benefits Logo

Company

  • About
  • Contact Us
  • Advertise
  • Add a Discount
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Use
  • Disclosure
  • Unsubscribe
  • Do Not Sell My Personal Information

Quick Links

  • Home
  • Military Discounts
  • Benefits
  • Housing & Ownership
  • Money & Finance
  • Employment
  • Education
  • Resources

Join Our Military Benefits Newsletter!

  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Connect With Us

  • facebook
  • instagram
  • pinterest
  • twitter
  • youtube
MilitaryBenefits.info Copyright © 2021

Disclaimer: This is a private website that is NOT affiliated with the U.S. government, U.S. Armed Forces or Department of Veteran Affairs. U.S. government agencies have not reviewed this information. This site contains information about GI Bill benefits, VA loans, news and services for military veterans and is not connected with any government agency. GI Bill® is a registered trademark of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). If you would like to find more information about benefits offered by Veteran Affairs, visit the official site for veterans benefits at Veterans Affairs. The appearance of U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) visual information does not imply or constitute DoD endorsement.

Advertiser Disclosure: Our website contains some affiliate marketing links, which means we may get paid commission on sales of those products or services.