Straightening out an OE pay issue.

[flrunninquik]

Since I'm in a student status and can't talk to PSD myself, any admin gurus that can aid me in an exact answer would be greatly appreciated.

I have 4 years and 0 days of active duty (and 4 inactive) enlisted service in the Marines. I then was direct commissioned into the Navy as an O2.

I've asked if they can straighten out my pay issue as I have been getting paid as an O2 with 0 years time in service for the last 7 months now. The DOD pay chart states that you need either 4 years and 1 day, or more than 1460 points to receive OE pay status. Looking at my active duty points, I have 1461 points. I have been trying to work through a middleman to correct this problem but it's hard since I can't ask PSD exact questions. When can the points be used to get OE pay. The only response I've gotten back from PSD through our liaison is that "You don't rate OE pay since you have 4 years and 0 days." I asked about the points, but no response.

Any insight is much appreciated, thanks!

 

[PerDiem]

Even if you didn't rate OE pay, shouldn't you at least be getting O-2 pay with 4 years? That time has to count for something.

 

[flrunninquik]

I should be getting at least O2 pay with 8 years (4 years active and 4 years inactive) it's just that it hasn't been fixed yet. I've turned in a DD-214 about 8 times now. After 6 times I was told it still wasn't in the system even though I could go on BUPERS online and pull it up and look at it. I know the 8 years time in service will eventually get fixed, I just can't get a solid answer on the OE pay yet. Again, any advice is greatly appreciated. I've read the DODFMR over and over and the sentences are unclear to me. I've also had people at work read it and it's unclear to them as well. Thanks in advance.

 

[wlawr005]

Just keep bothering PSD, and stand by for that sweet CHA-CHING called back pay brother.

 

[EM1]

years/days are for active

points are normally reserves.

Did you inctive drill while in the IRR?

Also, are you sure your IRR time counts towards the pay charts? Of everyone I know who has IRR breaks in service, none have IRR time appied to pay (especially not year for year, just as it does not count year for year towards retirement). edit:unless "good" years for reserve purposes.

You can contact DFAS directly through their website.

 

[OnTopTime]

Interesting problem. Anyone who does exactly 4 years and 0 days of continuous active service should automatically have exactly 1461 points, as the extra point is for the one February 29th during that 4 year stretch. It's funny that the rules would be written to exclude you (and everyone else in the same situation) under one set of criteria, and yet include you under the other.

Here's the applicable chapter from the DoD Financial Management Regulation: http://comptroller.defense.gov/fmr/07a/07a_01.pdf

It's confusing to me, but the example at the top of pg. 1-12 appears to be your exact situation, and clearly says that you are not entitled to OE pay. My guess is that the points criteria is used to determine eligibility for an officer who earned points as a warrant/enlisted while serving in a reserve status.

 

[flrunninquik]

Yes, it's confusing and seems to contradict itself. Here is the note from the DODFRM under the OE pay table:

2. Creditable service to be taken into account for purposes of this table is active service as an enlisted member or
as a warrant officer or as both an enlisted member and a warrant officer, in the case of a commissioned officer
on active duty who is paid from funds appropriated for active-duty personnel; or a commissioned officer on
active Guard and Reserve duty. Effective November 24, 2003, creditable service to be taken into account for
purposes of this table in the case of a commissioned officer is service as an enlisted member or as a warrant
officer, or as both an enlisted member and a warrant officer, for which more than 1,460 points have been
credited to the officer for the purposes of title 10, U.S.C. section 12732(a)(2).

So it looks like in 2003 that they let you use points to qualify, but it's all assumption on my part. Anyone who knows for sure, as always, answers are welcome.

 

[OnTopTime]

I think that the key is the reference to Title 10, U.S.C. section 12732(a)(2). That section deals with computing years of service for a reserve retirement. Presumably, your 1461 points are not and have never been considered in relation to Title 10, U.S.C. section 12732(a)(2). Therefore, the metric used to evaluate your eligibility for OE pay is years and days of active duty, which unfortunately leaves you one day short.

 

[FlyBoyd]

I have 4 years and 0 days of active duty (and 4 inactive) enlisted service in the Marines. I then was direct commissioned into the Navy as an O2.

...one February 29th during that 4 year stretch.

You could try to attack it from a different angle. Get in the weeds and calculate the 4 years yourself. Maybe they did miss a day/miscalculate. Get that extra day and then the pay will follow.

 

[EM1]

I think OnTopTime has it right.

He was never an active reservist, or as far as we know a drilling IRR reservist (never drilled for good retirement years). I think the instruction is specifically written to prevent what the OP did from counting as enough time for OE pay, especailly since the instruction shows an exact example of his situation.

The reason why they "count" reserve points while you are active is so they can use them later if you retire from the reserve component so they can determine your eligibility for combined active/reserve time.

 

[flrunninquik]

I've read the title 10, U.S.C. section 12732(a)(2) and it doesn't state that it is used only for reserve retirement. It is for retirement in general. The points are used to calculate whether or not you get a good retirement year. If you read section a 2, it says you get a point for each day of active service, a point for drill periods, or even membership points (15 a year) In that case, I have 1521 points, which are counted towards retirement. According to the Marine records, even though I did 4 years active, I have 5 good years towards retirement.

The real question is whether or not they use those active duty points to formulate if you are eligible for OE pay or not. According to the note on the pay tables, as of 2003, they do use them. I could be wrong though, hopefully a bored PSD member will stumble across this thread.

As always, thanks for the input.

 

[EM1]

A good year for retirement is a year in which 50 points are earned.

edit: here's a good explination on reserve points and retirement
http://www.armytimes.com/careers/retirement/online_hbgr06_retirement_basicplans8/

as shown, your IRR time counts towards total points for retirement later, but will not be combined as a qualifying year for retirement.

 

[OnTopTime]

I've read the title 10, U.S.C. section 12732(a)(2) and it doesn't state that it is used only for reserve retirement. It is for retirement in general.

No, it's not. Section 12732 is part of Chapter 1223, the title of which is "Retired Pay for Non-Regular Sevice," i.e. reserve retirement.

The points are used to calculate whether or not you get a good retirement year. If you read section a 2, it says you get a point for each day of active service, a point for drill periods, or even membership points (15 a year) In that case, I have 1521 points, which are counted towards retirement. According to the Marine records, even though I did 4 years active, I have 5 good years towards retirement.

"Points" and "good years" only have meaning in the context of reserve participation and retirement. You won't get any membership points for an "anniversary year" (another term that you need to know the meaning of) in which you already have 365 points (366 in a leap year). As EM1 says, a minimum of 50 points in a year (that's an anniversary year) will get you a "good year" for retirement- a reserve retirement. Depending on when your anniversary years start and when your four years of active duty started, it's very possible to have earned five "good years" for a reserve retirement even though you were only on active duty for four years, and were only earning fifteen points per anniversary year for the four years after that.

The real question is whether or not they use those active duty points to formulate if you are eligible for OE pay or not. According to the note on the pay tables, as of 2003, they do use them. I could be wrong though, hopefully a bored PSD member will stumble across this thread.

In your case, I don't think so, for the reason previously mentioned.

 

[flrunninquik]

Thanks for pointing those issues out. I guess if that's the case I'll be an O2 instead of an O2E. If I would have known this would be an issue in the past, I should have extended for an extra three months or so on the prior enlistment.

I guess what is going to end up killing me in the end is that I did 4 years active enlisted, and then received a direct commission, whereas most officers go to OCS and are active for another 3 months as an E-5 while earning their commission, and then are an O1E.

One positive view on this though, is that an O2 with 8 years service for pay makes about 600 more than an O1E with 8 years.

Thanks for all of the input and insight.

 

[Goob83]

WOW have not been here in awhile. Some great changes for sure. Looks like the numbers are getting tighter every month.

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you can text NAVY to 46800 your phone will ring and it connects to the LEADs office at CNRC you can ask them to give you a good OR number.
I tried a few other Iterations of the word US NAVY, NAVY NOW one went to NRD SAN FRAN the other went NRD SAN ANTONIO.

I tired other words to for the heck of it CHASE, MACYs CVS they all worked too pretty cool thing
it says GO800 is connecting your call when it rings after you text so I guess that is people do ing it.