Can you retire from one branch of Military and join another?

For example, the new cutoff age to join the Army is 42, if someone joined the USAF at age 17, and retire at age 37, could they then enlist in the army? If so would they have to start over? OK, so If you retire from 2 seperate services, do you get double retirment? Do you get retirement from one branch while serving in another?

Public Comments

1. yes there's a guy in my husband's unit who is like 58. he was in the airforce for 20 years and then went into the army. they don't start at the same rank but they don't start at the bottom either.
2. If you did you would go to what they call Warrior Training. Its like army basic but not quite and then you will either go to your assignment and then to your school or straight to school. If there is no break and SRVC then you should keep the equivalent rank and if there is you will go in as an E-4 SPC.
3. after a while ya
4. Nope. While you could retire say from the Army, and because you had special skills, be allowed to go back on active duty with the Navy. You wouldn't be retired from the Army any longer. You would be active duty in the Navy then. You cannot collect military retirement and active duty pay at the same time. You could not retire from the army and collect an army pension, then enlist in the navy and serve another 20 years and retire from the navy and collect a pension from them too. The system doesn't work that way. And no, you wouldn't start over, you would be what ever rank you first retired as with minor adjustments. Case in Point:.MICHAEL J NOVOSEL There was an Army Air Corp pilot during WW ll, who became an Air Force pilot when the Air Force was started in 1948. He stayed on active duty in the air force for 20 years, rose to the rank of Lt.COL. But was told he had retire after 20 years ( in case you didn't know, most officers are forced to retire after 20 years ) So he retired and was an airline pilot ( this was around 1965) Well he heard the Army needed helicopter pilots and he was a rated helicopter pilot. So he made some phone calls and was offered a chance to be a army helicopter pilot for army special forces. He resigned his AF commission and became a Army warrant officer. He ended up staying on active duty in the Army untill he was forced to retire at age 68. He retired as a Lt. Col. even though he was a warrant officer 4 when he retired, because you retire on the highest rank held.
5. Simple answer is No, you can't be on active duty and recieve active duty retirement...just say it, doesnt that just seem illegal?