Military Service

Georgia law contains several provisions for the establishment of up to 5 years of retirement credit for periods of active duty military service in the armed forces of the United States. If you have military service prior to 1955, please contact our office.

To determine the cost and your eligibility to purchase military service, submit a written request to our office, and include a legible copy of your DD 214. TRS will respond in writing to your request. Eligible military service includes:

National Emergency: Military service may be established during the following periods of national emergency:

• December 7, 1941 to December 31, 1946 – World War II
• June 27, 1950 to January 31, 1955 – Korean Conflict
• August 5, 1964 to May 7, 1975 – Vietnam Era
• November 14, 1979 – Present

If your current TRS membership date is before March 28, 1974, certain military service may be established outside the periods of national emergency by paying the employee contributions plus interest. To be eligible, your college training or teaching service must have been interrupted by the military service and you must have returned to public teaching within 5 years of your release.

Military Draft: Military service can be established for active military duty during a military draft period, if you were honorably discharged. The draft was in effect from September 16, 1940 thru March 31, 1947 and June 24, 1948 thru July 1, 1973.

Ordered Military: Military service can be established for ordered military duty for special events such as Operation Enduring Freedom, Desert Storm, etc. You must purchase the service within 5 years of the termination date of the ordered military duty.

Retired Military: If your current TRS membership date is on or after March 28, 1974, you cannot receive credit for military service if your service is, or will be, used for retirement benefits from another state or federal retirement program (excluding social security and U.S. Civil Service). Therefore, if you are retired from the military and receive a military pension based on this service, you cannot establish military service with TRS.

For a detailed explanation of all policies regarding the purchase of military service, please refer to the TRS Member’s Guide.