Does a 20-year retirement from the Marine Corps goes toward a Federal Job (example working with at the VA)?

Can you still pull your retirement check every month doing so? I am currently working at the United States Post Office. I was under the impression that you could through them, but now since being hired I am being told I would have give up my retirement check and buy back my 20 years (which they told me I would be crazy to do). Is being a Federal Employee different? I know if I hadn't retired from the Marines; I would have been benefictial. But I don't see why I'm "sort of" being punished for serving 20 years for my country. (My retirement check is only about $1800 a month with a 40% disability through the VA.) Also does disability count as something I would have to give up also for either a Federal Employee or working for the Post Office also? Thank you and Semper Fi!

Public Comments

1. If you buy your years, you can continue to collect your Corps retirement until you retire from civil service. At that point, you'd have to waive your Corps retired pay in order to have your FERS pension include those 20 years. Remember, FERS retirements are 1% per year (1.1% if you're 60) of your high three, while the Corps is 2.5% per year. It's usually not cost effective for a length-of-service retiree to waive his retired pay to count the years toward FERS retirement, unless he retired as a junior enlisted but had a fairly senior GS grade. Most length-of-service retirees who go GS simply call it a separate career and don't waive. You might want to game it out and buy the years during your first two years in civil service, and if it doesn't make sense you can get that money back when you retire from civil service. VA disability money is not forfeited. MSgt, USAF (Retired)
2. usajobs.gov Yes. I did not get a job with teh US Treasuery because I did not serve... (Disqualified at MEPS) Sir I thankyou for your service, Detacation, sacrifices you have made for my freedom.