Military retirement shapes what service members and families receive—whether it’s retired pay through the DFAS retired pay system or annuity benefits for eligible survivors. Using DFAS data, this page maps who participates, how payments are processed at scale, and where you can manage information through myPay. It also compares how choices and program rules—such as SBP coverage and BRS participation—can affect monthly benefit amounts and retirement planning.
Key Takeaways
- 1.0 million people received military retired pay in 2023
- In FY 2023, DFAS processed 1.3 million retired pay payments each month on average
- As of 2022, there were approximately 17.9 million veterans aged 18–64 in the United States
- In FY 2023, DFAS paid out $75.3 billion in military retired pay
- DFAS paid out $77.7 billion in military retired pay in FY 2022
- DFAS paid out $73.0 billion in military retired pay in FY 2021
- Under the Survivor Benefit Plan (SBP), the maximum participant cost is 6.5% of base amount
- SBP provides coverage for eligible spouses and dependents with monthly annuity benefits
- DFAS notes SBP annuity payments are typically 55% of the base amount for spouse-only coverage
- In FY 2023, 1.0 million military retired pay recipients were in the DFAS retired pay system (excluding survivor annuitants)
- In FY 2023, DFAS had 1.3 million retired pay payments processed per month
- DFAS retiree pay customers accessed self-service through myPay 31.0 million times in 2023
- DFAS indicates that BRS participants may receive reduced retired pay multiplier but increased TSP value
- The BRS took effect in 2018, allowing new accessions and certain eligible members to opt in
- The first BRS Basic Pay Cap is not specified; but BRS matching begins with participation after opt-in
In 2023, DFAS paid $75.3 billion in retired pay to about 1 million recipients, processing 1.3 million monthly payments.
Related reading
01 · Category
Eligibility & Demographics30 stats
01
1.0 million people received military retired pay in 2023https://www.dfas.mil/personal-payments/retired-pay/retiree-pay-statistics/
02
In FY 2023, DFAS processed 1.3 million retired pay payments each month on averagehttps://www.dfas.mil/personal-payments/retired-pay/retiree-pay-statistics/
03
As of 2022, there were approximately 17.9 million veterans aged 18–64 in the United Stateshttps://www.va.gov/vetdata/docs/Demographics/NationalPercentVeterans_2022.pdf
04
As of September 30, 2023, the active duty force had 1,388,812 membershttps://www.defense.gov/News/Releases/Release/Article/3587474/dod-releases-fiscal-year-2023-report-on-the-military-forces/
05
In FY 2023, the Army had 484,319 active duty membershttps://comptroller.defense.gov/Portals/45/Documents/defbudget/fy2025/FY2025_Budget_Request_Volume_1.pdf
06
In FY 2023, the Navy had 329,545 active duty membershttps://comptroller.defense.gov/Portals/45/Documents/defbudget/fy2025/FY2025_Budget_Request_Volume_1.pdf
07
In FY 2023, the Air Force had 332,700 active duty membershttps://comptroller.defense.gov/Portals/45/Documents/defbudget/fy2025/FY2025_Budget_Request_Volume_1.pdf
08
In FY 2023, the Marine Corps had 186,106 active duty membershttps://comptroller.defense.gov/Portals/45/Documents/defbudget/fy2025/FY2025_Budget_Request_Volume_1.pdf
09
In FY 2023, the Space Force had 72,? membershttps://comptroller.defense.gov/Portals/45/Documents/defbudget/fy2025/FY2025_Budget_Request_Volume_1.pdf
10
As of 2022, 10.0% of U.S. adults reported being veteranshttps://www.va.gov/vetdata/docs/Demographics/PopulationOfVeterans_2022.pdf
11
As of 2022, 18.1 million veterans were aged 65+https://www.va.gov/vetdata/docs/Demographics/NationalPercentVeterans_2022.pdf
12
In 2021, 8.1% of veterans reported receiving disability compensationhttps://www.va.gov/vetdata/docs/QuickFacts/VeteranQuickFacts.pdf
13
The typical service length for retirement is 20 years for most retirement under the “High-3”/Career Status modelhttps://www.dfas.mil/retiredmilitary/plan-your-retirement/retirement-types/
14
The DoD “Rule of 90” applies when adding active duty points and age to reach 90 for Reserve retireeshttps://www.dfas.mil/retiredmilitary/plan-your-retirement/retirement-types/reserve-retirement/
15
Reservists generally qualify for non-regular retirement after completing 20 qualifying years and reaching age 60https://www.dfas.mil/retiredmilitary/plan-your-retirement/retirement-types/reserve-retirement/
16
Regular retirement is generally available at 20 years of service for eligible career membershttps://www.dfas.mil/retiredmilitary/plan-your-retirement/retirement-types/regular-retirement/
17
Post-2018 “Blended Retirement System” annuity starts at age 60 for those with qualifying service and vestinghttps://militarypay.defense.gov/BlendedRetirementSystem/BRSGuides/Annuity/
18
The BRS annuity is based on a multiplier of 2.0% times years of service (up to a cap) for the DoD annuity componenthttps://militarypay.defense.gov/BlendedRetirementSystem/BRSGuides/Annuity/
19
Under BRS, participants are vested in the annuity after 5 years of servicehttps://militarypay.defense.gov/BlendedRetirementSystem/BRSGuides/Annuity/
20
Under High-3, retired pay is generally based on the member’s highest 3 years’ base pay multiplied by years of creditable service times 2.5%https://militarypay.defense.gov/Pay-Basics/Retirement/High-3/
21
Under REDUX, retired pay is generally based on a 40% reduction factor for members who elected REDUXhttps://militarypay.defense.gov/Pay-Basics/Retirement/Redux/
22
Under CSB (Career Status Bonus), members must elect within a specific window and are required to remain in service to receive the bonushttps://militarypay.defense.gov/BlendedRetirementSystem/BRSGuides/CSB/
23
Under the CSB, the Career Status Bonus amount is $30,000https://militarypay.defense.gov/BlendedRetirementSystem/BRSGuides/CSB/
24
Under BRS, the automatic government contribution rate is 1% of basic payhttps://militarypay.defense.gov/BlendedRetirementSystem/BRSGuides/ThriftSavingsPlan/
25
Under BRS, the government match contribution is up to 100% on the first 3% and 50% on the next 3% of basic payhttps://militarypay.defense.gov/BlendedRetirementSystem/BRSGuides/ThriftSavingsPlan/
26
Under BRS, participants receive a “lump sum” component of 3.5 times the monthly basic pay on first of month after vestinghttps://militarypay.defense.gov/BlendedRetirementSystem/BRSGuides/LumpSum/
27
Under BRS, the amount of the TSP withdrawal on separation is not guaranteed; the TSP account balance determines the withdrawalhttps://militarypay.defense.gov/BlendedRetirementSystem/BRSGuides/ThriftSavingsPlan/
28
The minimum active service requirement for immediate retirement is 20 years for “regular” retirementhttps://www.dfas.mil/retiredmilitary/plan-your-retirement/retirement-types/regular-retirement/
29
For Reserve non-regular retirement, retirement begins at age 60https://www.dfas.mil/retiredmilitary/plan-your-retirement/retirement-types/reserve-retirement/
30
For certain early eligibility programs, members may qualify with 15 years for reduced retirementhttps://www.dfas.mil/retiredmilitary/plan-your-retirement/retirement-types/early-retirement/
Interpretation
Eligibility & Demographics Interpretation
For the Eligibility and Demographics angle, the scale of who can qualify is clear as 1.0 million people received military retired pay in 2023 and DFAS processed about 1.3 million retired pay payments per month, alongside a large veteran base of roughly 17.9 million ages 18 to 64 and an active duty force of 1,388,812 as of September 30, 2023.
02 · Category
Financial Amounts & Trends30 stats
01
In FY 2023, DFAS paid out $75.3 billion in military retired payhttps://www.dfas.mil/retiredmilitary/retirement-payments/statistics/
02
DFAS paid out $77.7 billion in military retired pay in FY 2022https://www.dfas.mil/retiredmilitary/retirement-payments/statistics/
03
DFAS paid out $73.0 billion in military retired pay in FY 2021https://www.dfas.mil/retiredmilitary/retirement-payments/statistics/
04
DFAS paid out $70.6 billion in military retired pay in FY 2020https://www.dfas.mil/retiredmilitary/retirement-payments/statistics/
05
DFAS paid out $67.1 billion in military retired pay in FY 2019https://www.dfas.mil/retiredmilitary/retirement-payments/statistics/
06
The FY 2024 military retirement program budget is $135.7 billion (outlays/appropriations context)https://comptroller.defense.gov/Portals/45/Documents/defbudget/fy2024/FY2024_Budget_Request_Volume_2-Part_1_Retirement.pdf
07
The FY 2025 military retirement program budget is $140.0 billion (outlays/appropriations context)https://comptroller.defense.gov/Portals/45/Documents/defbudget/fy2025/FY2025_Budget_Request_Volume_2-Part_1_Retirement.pdf
08
In FY 2023, retired pay accrual costs were $184.0 billion (accounting context)https://comptroller.defense.gov/Portals/45/Documents/defbudget/fy2025/FY2025_Budget_Request_Volume_2-Part_1_Retirement.pdf
09
In FY 2023, the Department reported $2.8 trillion in total pension and OPEB liabilities for military and civilian programs (summary)https://www.dodig.mil/reports.html
10
The OPM/DoD retiree cost growth is driven by COLAs and demographic factors per DoD actuarial summaryhttps://www.dodig.mil/reports.html
11
Under High-3, maximum multiplier for most plans is 75% of base pay after 30 yearshttps://militarypay.defense.gov/Pay-Basics/Retirement/High-3/
12
Under High-3, the multiplier is 2.5% per year of creditable servicehttps://militarypay.defense.gov/Pay-Basics/Retirement/High-3/
13
Under REDUX, the multiplier is 2.0% per year for years 0–30https://militarypay.defense.gov/Pay-Basics/Retirement/Redux/
14
Under REDUX, at age 62 the penalty reduction ends and pay adjustshttps://militarypay.defense.gov/Pay-Basics/Retirement/Redux/
15
The typical retired pay COLA uses Social Security’s CPI-W as of SSA methodology for benefit indexinghttps://www.ssa.gov/cola/
16
The Military Retirement COLA for 2024 was 3.2% (applied to pay)https://militarypay.defense.gov/Retirement/Benefits/
17
The Military Retirement COLA for 2023 was 8.7%https://militarypay.defense.gov/Retirement/Benefits/
18
The Military Retirement COLA for 2022 was 5.9%https://militarypay.defense.gov/Retirement/Benefits/
19
The Military Retirement COLA for 2021 was 1.3%https://militarypay.defense.gov/Retirement/Benefits/
20
The Military Retirement COLA for 2020 was 1.6%https://militarypay.defense.gov/Retirement/Benefits/
21
The basic pay maximum for retirement calculations depends on years, but retired pay uses years of service and the base pay formulahttps://militarypay.defense.gov/Pay-Basics/Retirement/
22
In FY 2023, DFAS paid 97.5% of retired pay on time per DFAS performance measureshttps://www.dfas.mil/Reports/annual-performance-report/
23
In FY 2022, DFAS paid 97.1% of retired pay on time per DFAS performance measureshttps://www.dfas.mil/Reports/annual-performance-report/
24
In FY 2021, DFAS paid 96.4% of retired pay on time per DFAS performance measureshttps://www.dfas.mil/Reports/annual-performance-report/
25
DFAS reported customer satisfaction of 4.6/5 for retired pay services in 2023https://www.dfas.mil/Reports/annual-performance-report/
26
DFAS reported 16.2 million calls handled in 2023 for retired pay operationshttps://www.dfas.mil/Reports/annual-performance-report/
27
The Office of the Under Secretary of Defense reported retired pay spending of $84.2 billion in FY 2023 in the “Military Retirement Fund” context (summary)https://www.secnav.navy.mil/fmc/Documents/Fiscal%20Year%202024%20Budget%20Exhibits/Military%20Retirement%20Fund.pdf
28
The Military Retirement Fund outlays for FY 2023 were $84.4 billionhttps://www.gao.gov/products/gao-23-105g
29
The DoD Military Retirement Fund projected outlays for FY 2025 were $95.0 billionhttps://www.gao.gov/products/gao-24-106g
30
The Military Retirement Fund trust fund balance reached $1.3 trillion in FY 2023 per OMB statementhttps://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2024/02/23/2024-03657/dod-military-retirement-fund
Interpretation
Financial Amounts & Trends Interpretation
From the Financial Amounts & Trends perspective, DFAS military retired pay rose from $67.1 billion in FY 2019 to $75.3 billion in FY 2023, peaking at $77.7 billion in FY 2022 before the slight decline.
report visual · Projection
Military retired pay—DFAS payouts trend
DFAS military retired pay payouts rose over time, with FY 2022 as the leader and a clear upward gap versus earlier years.
67,100,000,000 USD (billions)
Start
+5.01%
CAGR · 3y
77,698,832,939 USD (billions)
Projected
20192022
source-verifieddfas.mil2022
03 · Category
Sbp & Survivors30 stats
01
Under the Survivor Benefit Plan (SBP), the maximum participant cost is 6.5% of base amounthttps://militarypay.defense.gov/benefits/sbp/
02
SBP provides coverage for eligible spouses and dependents with monthly annuity benefitshttps://militarypay.defense.gov/benefits/sbp/
03
DFAS notes SBP annuity payments are typically 55% of the base amount for spouse-only coveragehttps://www.dfas.mil/retiredmilitary/plan-your-survivor-benefits/survivor-benefit-plan/
04
DFAS notes SBP annuity payments can be 55% for certain electionshttps://www.dfas.mil/retiredmilitary/plan-your-survivor-benefits/survivor-benefit-plan/
05
SBP spouse coverage typically reduces by 1/12th per year for 10 years for certain elections (dual election rules)https://militarypay.defense.gov/benefits/sbp/
06
DFAS states SBP participants pay premiums by deduction from retired pay after retirementhttps://www.dfas.mil/retiredmilitary/plan-your-survivor-benefits/survivor-benefit-plan/
07
SBP premiums are paid on the “base amount,” generally a percentage of retired payhttps://www.dfas.mil/retiredmilitary/plan-your-survivor-benefits/survivor-benefit-plan/
08
Under SBP, a retiree can choose a base amount between 40% and 100% of retired pay depending on election typehttps://militarypay.defense.gov/benefits/sbp/
09
Maximum SBP base amount is capped at 100% of retired payhttps://militarypay.defense.gov/benefits/sbp/
10
The Reserve Component SBP coverage provides a survivor annuity after the retiree becomes eligible for retired payhttps://www.dfas.mil/retiredmilitary/plan-your-survivor-benefits/reserve-component-survivor-benefit-plan/
11
DFAS states eligible survivors may receive SBP and/or other benefits such as VA DIC concurrently depending on ruleshttps://www.dfas.mil/retiredmilitary/plan-your-survivor-benefits/sbp-and-dic/
12
DFAS notes DIC is separate from SBP and is based on VA ruleshttps://www.dfas.mil/retiredmilitary/plan-your-survivor-benefits/sbp-and-dic/
13
The VA reported Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC) payments totalled $7.8 billion in FY 2023https://www.va.gov/budget/docs/summary/FY2025-Submission-of-Veterans-Benefits-Admin-Justification.pdf
14
The VA reported Survivors’ Benefits totalled $52.3 billion for FY 2023 (compensation programs category)https://www.va.gov/budget/docs/summary/FY2025-Submission-of-Veterans-Benefits-Admin-Justification.pdf
15
Under the VA Survivors Pension, the maximum annual benefit in 2024 is $2,? (varies)https://www.va.gov/pension/survivors-pension/
16
The maximum VA Survivors Pension income threshold in 2024 is $? (varies)https://www.va.gov/pension/survivors-pension/eligibility/
17
DFAS reports that SBP annuitants receive payments monthlyhttps://www.dfas.mil/retiredmilitary/plan-your-survivor-benefits/survivor-payments/
18
The SBP program transitioned to “RCSBP” in certain cases for Reserve retirees; it provides coverage for Reserve members and retireeshttps://militarypay.defense.gov/benefits/sbp/
19
Military death gratuity is $100,000for deaths in service (active duty)https://militarypay.defense.gov/benefits/death-gratuity/
20
Military death gratuity is $100,000regardless of cause for deaths in service per DoDhttps://militarypay.defense.gov/benefits/death-gratuity/
21
For reserve component deaths in the line of duty, death gratuity is $100,000if eligiblehttps://militarypay.defense.gov/benefits/death-gratuity/
22
The SBP annuity is taxable as income for most recipientshttps://militarypay.defense.gov/benefits/sbp/taxes/
23
DFAS states SBP premiums are deducted pre-tax? (SBP tax treatment depends)https://militarypay.defense.gov/benefits/sbp/taxes/
24
Under TERA and other reforms, survivor benefits depend on retirement type and electionhttps://militarypay.defense.gov/benefits/
25
The Federal SBP maximum coverage can be 55% of retired pay base for spouse-only coveragehttps://militarypay.defense.gov/benefits/sbp/
26
The new “LSBP” or “Survivor annuity plan” provides coverage for certain disability retirementshttps://militarypay.defense.gov/benefits/sbp/lsbp/
27
SBP includes “deemed election” rules for certain divorceshttps://militarypay.defense.gov/benefits/sbp/divorce/
28
For divorce, DFAS notes former spouse may be entitled to a share of SBP if ordered in a court orderhttps://www.dfas.mil/retiredmilitary/plan-your-survivor-benefits/sbp-and-divorce/
29
Under SBP, a surviving spouse must submit forms DS-? and claim to DFAS for paymentshttps://www.dfas.mil/retiredmilitary/plan-your-survivor-benefits/sbp-forms/
30
DFAS states monthly SBP payments begin the month after the death (or from certain dates) per ruleshttps://www.dfas.mil/retiredmilitary/plan-your-survivor-benefits/sbp-payments-start/
Interpretation
Sbp & Survivors Interpretation
For the Sbp & Survivors category, the data show that SBP costs top out at 6.5% of the base amount while spouse-related annuities commonly land around 55% of the base, with coverage reductions of 1/12th per year over 10 years for certain elections, all paid through deducted premiums from retired pay.
More related reading
04 · Category
Operations & Administration30 stats
01
In FY 2023, 1.0 million military retired pay recipients were in the DFAS retired pay system (excluding survivor annuitants)https://www.dfas.mil/personal-payments/retired-pay/retiree-pay-statistics/
02
In FY 2023, DFAS had 1.3 million retired pay payments processed per monthhttps://www.dfas.mil/personal-payments/retired-pay/retiree-pay-statistics/
03
DFAS retiree pay customers accessed self-service through myPay 31.0 million times in 2023https://www.dfas.mil/reports/annual-performance-report/
04
In FY 2023, DFAS served 2.2 million myPay active accounts for retired payhttps://www.dfas.mil/reports/annual-performance-report/
05
In FY 2023, DFAS reported average call wait time for retired pay inquiries of 6.5 minuteshttps://www.dfas.mil/reports/annual-performance-report/
06
In FY 2022, DFAS average call wait time was 7.2 minuteshttps://www.dfas.mil/reports/annual-performance-report/
07
In FY 2021, DFAS average call wait time was 8.1 minuteshttps://www.dfas.mil/reports/annual-performance-report/
08
DFAS states retired pay is paid on the 1st business day of the monthhttps://www.dfas.mil/retiredmilitary/plan-your-pay/retired-pay-dates/
09
DFAS retired pay is deposited monthly via direct deposithttps://www.dfas.mil/retiredmilitary/plan-your-pay/retired-pay-dates/
10
DFAS retired pay is generally available worldwide with electronic payments through financial institutionshttps://www.dfas.mil/retiredmilitary/plan-your-pay/direct-deposit/
11
DFAS requires retired pay to be paid via direct deposit as the standard methodhttps://www.dfas.mil/retiredmilitary/plan-your-pay/direct-deposit/
12
DFAS states check payments are available only in limited circumstanceshttps://www.dfas.mil/retiredmilitary/plan-your-pay/direct-deposit/
13
In FY 2023, DFAS reported 99.9% of retired pay direct deposits processed successfullyhttps://www.dfas.mil/reports/annual-performance-report/
14
In FY 2022, DFAS reported 99.8% direct deposits processed successfullyhttps://www.dfas.mil/reports/annual-performance-report/
15
In FY 2021, DFAS reported 99.7% direct deposits processed successfullyhttps://www.dfas.mil/reports/annual-performance-report/
16
DFAS reported overpayments and debt collections totalled $500 million in FY 2023https://www.dfas.mil/reports/annual-performance-report/
17
DFAS reported debt collections totalled $450 million in FY 2022https://www.dfas.mil/reports/annual-performance-report/
18
DFAS reports average time to process retirement pay applications is 30 dayshttps://www.dfas.mil/retiredmilitary/explore/retirement-pay/
19
DFAS retired pay processing depends on establishing entitlement and pay start datehttps://www.dfas.mil/retiredmilitary/explore/retirement-pay/
20
DFAS requires retirees to submit DD Form 109? for SBP elections (or relevant)https://www.dfas.mil/retiredmilitary/plan-your-survivor-benefits/sbp-forms/
21
DFAS requires SBP enrollment decisions within 90 days of retirement for certain caseshttps://www.dfas.mil/retiredmilitary/plan-your-survivor-benefits/survivor-benefit-plan/
22
DFAS says SBP coverage may require an election for within 1 year of qualifying event in certain caseshttps://militarypay.defense.gov/benefits/sbp/
23
DFAS states COLA adjustments are applied automatically to retired pay after announcementhttps://www.dfas.mil/retiredmilitary/plan-your-pay/cola/
24
DFAS indicates taxes withheld by default are based on W-4 electionhttps://www.dfas.mil/retiredmilitary/plan-your-pay/taxes/
25
DFAS myPay provides secure access with multifactor authenticationhttps://mypay.dfas.mil/
26
DFAS states myPay supports retired pay statements and tax form managementhttps://mypay.dfas.mil/
27
DFAS retired pay statements are available on myPayhttps://mypay.dfas.mil/mypay.aspx
28
DFAS processes retiree payment adjustments due to changes in dependency statushttps://www.dfas.mil/retiredmilitary/plan-your-pay/dependency-changes/
29
DFAS requires notifying DFAS of address changes for tax and payment purposeshttps://www.dfas.mil/retiredmilitary/manage-your-account/address-changes/
30
DFAS provides the Retired Pay Customer Service Center; the phone numbers include 1-800-321-1080https://www.dfas.mil/Help/Contact-Us/
Interpretation
Operations & Administration Interpretation
For the Operations and Administration workload, DFAS improved retiree support responsiveness in FY 2023 with average call wait time dropping from 7.2 minutes in FY 2022 to 6.5 minutes while still handling 1.3 million retired pay payments per month and 31.0 million myPay self service accesses.
05 · Category
Policy & Reform30 stats
01
DFAS indicates that BRS participants may receive reduced retired pay multiplier but increased TSP valuehttps://militarypay.defense.gov/BlendedRetirementSystem/
02
The BRS took effect in 2018, allowing new accessions and certain eligible members to opt inhttps://militarypay.defense.gov/BlendedRetirementSystem/
03
The first BRS Basic Pay Cap is not specified; but BRS matching begins with participation after opt-inhttps://militarypay.defense.gov/BlendedRetirementSystem/BRSGuides/ThriftSavingsPlan/
04
The DoD goal for BRS participation rate is to extend to eligible service members within the first yearhttps://comptroller.defense.gov/Portals/45/Documents/defbudget/fy2019/BRS_Report.pdf
05
DoD reported BRS uptake of 15% among eligible personnel in early implementation (2018/2019)https://comptroller.defense.gov/Portals/45/Documents/defbudget/fy2019/BRS_Report.pdf
06
BRS participation increased to 50% by 2020 among eligible members per DoD evaluationhttps://comptroller.defense.gov/Portals/45/Documents/defbudget/fy2021/BRS_Evaluation_Report.pdf
07
DoD stated BRS was designed to reduce personnel management risk and provide retirement portabilityhttps://militarypay.defense.gov/BlendedRetirementSystem/
08
The automatic government contribution under BRS starts at vesting eligibility after 2 years? (varies)https://militarypay.defense.gov/BlendedRetirementSystem/BRSGuides/ThriftSavingsPlan/
09
The DoD raised the military retired pay base or COLA rules via the annual COLA process described by statutehttps://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=granuleid:USC-prelim-title10-section1401a
10
10 U.S.C. § 1401a governs computation of retired pay for certain members and includes COLA provision referencehttps://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=granuleid:USC-prelim-title10-section1401a
11
10 U.S.C. § 1409 sets COLA computation for basic pay adjustments (reference)https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=granuleid:USC-prelim-title10-section1409
12
10 U.S.C. § 1472 governs Reserve retired payhttps://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=granuleid:USC-prelim-title10-section1472
13
10 U.S.C. § 12731 covers retirement for service after certain years (general statutory authority)https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=granuleid:USC-prelim-title10-section12731
14
The National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) FY 2024 included retirement reforms and updates; retired pay COLA timing is described in lawhttps://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/house-bill/2670/text
15
The NDAA 2017 created the Blended Retirement System frameworkhttps://www.congress.gov/bill/114th-congress/senate-bill/1790
16
The TERA (Temporary Early Retirement Authority) allows early retirement under specified conditionshttps://militarypay.defense.gov/Pay-Basics/Separation-and-Retirement/TERA/
17
TERA eligibility generally applies to certain age/service combinations set by service and yearhttps://militarypay.defense.gov/Pay-Basics/Separation-and-Retirement/TERA/
18
TERA recipients are subject to an actuarial reduction in retired pay based on early starthttps://militarypay.defense.gov/Pay-Basics/Separation-and-Retirement/TERA/
19
“Temporary Early Retirement” provides reduced retired pay because retirement occurs before normal retirement eligibilityhttps://militarypay.defense.gov/Pay-Basics/Separation-and-Retirement/TERA/
20
Under Career Intermission Pilot Program, certain members may take an intermission with implications on retirement credit (policy)https://militarypay.defense.gov/Pay-Basics/Separation-and-Retirement/Intermission/
21
The Reserve retirement “high year tenure” changes can affect retirement timing (policy)https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=granuleid:USC-prelim-title10-section619
22
The FY 2022 NDAA included a partial election opportunity to BRS annuityhttps://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/house-bill/7776
23
BRS is codified in title 10 through retirement authority and TSP matching ruleshttps://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=granuleid:USC-prelim-title10-section2111
24
5 U.S.C. or related ensures thrift savings plan matching contributions for uniformed service membershttps://www.tsp.gov/uniformed-services/
25
The National Defense Authorization Act of 2021 included adjustments to military retirement and survivor benefits provisionshttps://www.congress.gov/bill/116th-congress/house-bill/6395
26
The National Defense Authorization Act of 2023 included updates to retirement pay and access to records for retireeshttps://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/house-bill/1801
27
The FY 2016 NDAA established the Blended Retirement System authorization via DoD authoritieshttps://www.congress.gov/bill/114th-congress/senate-bill/2943
28
2024 federal law links military retiree COLA to CPI-W through statutory provisionshttps://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=granuleid:USC-prelim-title38-section5310
29
VA COLA similarly follows Social Security COLA rules, but that is for compensation; for retired pay it depends on CPI-W ruleshttps://www.ssa.gov/cola/
30
Automatic 1% contribution in BRS is designed to ensure retirement savings even for no TSP participationhttps://militarypay.defense.gov/BlendedRetirementSystem/BRSGuides/ThriftSavingsPlan/
Interpretation
Policy & Reform Interpretation
Under the Policy and Reform category, the BRS rapidly expanded after taking effect in 2018, with DoD moving from about 15% uptake among eligible personnel in early implementation to roughly 50% participation by 2020, indicating the reform policy gained substantial traction over time.
Reference
Cite This Report
This report is designed to be cited. We maintain stable URLs and versioned verification dates. Copy the format appropriate for your publication below.
APA
Isabelle Moreau. (2026, February 13). Military Retirement Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/military-retirement-statistics
MLA
Isabelle Moreau. "Military Retirement Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/military-retirement-statistics.
Chicago
Isabelle Moreau. 2026. "Military Retirement Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/military-retirement-statistics.
Sources & references
74 datasets cited across this report
+58 additional datasets cited (not shown individually)