FOR CREDITING MILITARY SERVICE 

TOWARD BENEFITS UNDER 

THE RAILROAD RETIREMENT ACT 

____________________________________________________________ 

Certain military service (M/S) may be used in the same way as railroad service months 

to provide eligibility for, or to increase the amount of benefits payable to railroad 

employees and their survivors. Credit is given only for active duty service in the Armed 

Forces of the United States. 

FOR M/S TO BE CREDITABLE 

Before entering active duty, the employee must have performed some creditable 

railroad service in the same calendar year, or the year just prior to the year, that the 

term of M/S began. If a railroad employer has already reported a service month in 

which M/S also occurred, the compensation for the M/S is still credited, up to the 

maximum amount reportable, for that month. 

INVOLUNTARY M/S 

Credit is given for any month during which an employee was required (inducted, drafted, 

called up) to leave a railroad job to enter federal active duty M/S and for the months 

thereafter that the individual was required to remain in active duty. 

VOLUNTARY M/S 

Restrictions on M/S credits apply for employees who voluntarily left railroad work and 

enlisted, re-enlisted, or were commissioned to active duty. The active duty must begin 

during a time declared to be a war, a war service period, or a state of national 

emergency. The dates of the latest declared creditable periods are: 

• September 8, 1939, through June 14, 1948 (World War II war and post-war 

service period). 

• December 16, 1950, through September 14, 1978 (Korean Conflict, Vietnam Era 

and post-Vietnam war service period. 

• August 2, 1990, and continuing (Gulf Wars state of national emergency). 

Other Restrictions if Entry was Voluntary 

• M/S of an individual in active duty status December 31, 1946, is creditable 

through the end of that term of service. 

• Voluntary M/S entered January 1, 1947, through June 14, 1948, is 

creditable only through June 14, 1948, when the national emergency 

ended. 

Form G-177B (04-08) 
- 2 -

• Voluntary M/S entered June 15, 1948, through December 15, 1950, is 

creditable only IF, upon completing M/S, the employee returned to railroad 

service in the same year, or the next calendar year immediately following, 

without any nonrailroad employment between the M/S and the return to 

railroad service. 

• Voluntary M/S, including re-enlistment, which began after June 1973, is 

creditable only through September 14, 1978, when the national 

emergency ended. 

RESERVIST ACTIVE DUTY 

An individual's call from reserve status to active duty is considered involuntary entry, 

and it may be credited whenever the employee was required (called or recalled) to 

enter, and continue in, active federal duty. A call to active duty for training is included in 

this rule. 

Local or State National Guard duty activities and assembly for drills or reserve meetings 

are not creditable M/S. 

M/S THAT IS NOT CREDITABLE AS RAILROAD SERVICE 

An employee's active duty M/S that does not meet the requirements described above 

cannot be used for added railroad service, but the M/S earnings will be considered as 

wages under the Social Security Act, as allowed by law, in the calculation of RRB 

benefits. 

HOW TO RECEIVE M/S CREDIT 

The employee, or his survivors, must submit proof that the M/S meets the crediting 

requirements. Official military service documents may be submitted to an RRB office at 

any time. The RRB will record and store the vital information and, upon request, will 

advise the number of months of additional railroad service credit. 

Original documents will be returned promptly. Always include the railroad employee's 

name and social security number, a daytime telephone number, and return address with 

any material mailed to an RRB office. 

Form G-177B (04-08)