when can you get guard retirement checks
Guard Retirement Pay Eligibility. If you're an Army National Guard member, you must complete 20 years of qualified service to be eligible for retirement pay when you reach age 60. In the National Guard, a qualifying year for retirement purposes is one in which you earn at least 50 retirement points. National Guard members earn their retirement points mainly through their drill activities. However, though Guard members can earn up to 365 points in a year, they still must serve at least 20 years to qualify for retirement. National Guard Retirement Benefits. In some cases, National Guard members can qualify to begin receiving retirement pay before age 60 but no earlier than age 50. Also, retiree health benefits are a key part of the total National Guard retirement package. Unfortunately, even if you qualify to begin receiving your National Guard retirement pay before age 60, your retiree health benefits won't kick in until you're actually 60 years old. You can also calculate your estimated National Guard retirement pay at age 60 at the Army HRC website.