MILITARY TECHNICIANS: PROPOSALS TO IMPROVE THEIR RETIREMENT OPTIONS (CRS Report for Congress)
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| Release Date |
March 19, 2001 |
| Report Number |
RL30903 |
| Report Type |
Report |
| Authors |
Lawrence Kapp, Foreign Affairs, Defense, and Trade Division |
| Source Agency |
Congressional Research Service |
Summary:
Military technicians are federal civilian employees who provide support primarily to wartime
deployable units of the Selected Reserve. Unlike regular civilian employees, however, military
technicians are generally required to maintain membership in the Selected Reserve as a condition of
their employment. As members of the federal civil service, technicians can earn an entitlement to an
annuity under either the Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS) or under the Federal Employee
Retirement System (FERS) in the same manner as most other civil servants.
The civil service retirement options for military technicians are nearly identical to those available
to most other civil servants. However, there are certain categories of civil servants -- federal law
enforcement officers, firefighters, air traffic controllers and nuclear materials couriers -- who have
been granted more generous retirement options in recognition of the exceptionally rigorous demands
of their professions. Compared to most other federal employees, these "special category" federal
employees are allowed to retire voluntarily with a lower combination of age and years of service, and
their pensions are computed using a more generous formula. "Special category" employees are also
subject to mandatory retirement and usually contribute a higher percentage of their pay to CSRS or
FERS than do other federal employees.
Representatives of various military technician associations argue that the military technicians
should have the same retirement options as those enjoyed by the "special category" federal
employees. The work conditions of military technicians, they argue, are exceptionally demanding
and similar in rigor to those of law enforcement officers, firefighters, air traffic controllers, and
nuclear materials couriers. Opponents of this proposal argue that the civilian duties
performed by
military technicians are not as arduous as those performed by "special category" employees and are
commensurate with those performed by federal employees generally. While conceding that most
military technicians must meet strict physical fitness requirements in order to retain their reserve
membership and are occasionally deployed in the event of war or national emergency, opponents
argue that technicians are compensated for these military duties through the military
retirement
system. Therefore, opponents argue, military technicians do not deserve the more generous
retirement options enjoyed by "special category" federal civilian employees.
In the 106th Congress, two bills were introduced to improve the civil service retirement options
of military technicians. So far in the 107th Congress, one such bill has been introduced. This report
provides background information on the military technician program and the retirement options for
various categories of federal employees, including military technicians. It also compares the
retirement benefits available to military technicians with those available to other federal employees,
and presents arguments for and against modifying the retirement benefits for military technicians.
Finally, it outlines and analyzes several bills introduced during the 106th and 107th Congresses which
seek to provide military technicians with more generous retirement options.
