St. Clair County Employees Retirement System: Military Service Credit

The St. Clair County Employees Retirement System plan booklet (revised September 2024) sets two military service routes, Sections 4.4 and 4.5, each capped by a five-year limit on all military credit. Intervening service. A member who leaves county employment for the armed forces gets credit for active duty of 30 or more days if the member entered the service before June 1, 1980 or during a time of war or emergency on or after that date, is re-employed by the county within a year of the end of active duty, re-joins and repays any withdrawn contributions with compound interest, has at least 8 years of credited service, and pays 5% of the member's annual full-time rate of compensation at the time of payment for each period purchased. Earlier service, by purchase. A member with at least 8 years of credited service can buy non-intervening armed service on the same 5% terms, up to the smaller of two years and the difference between five years and any intervening credit already granted; the same pre-1980 or war or emergency rule applies. In both routes, service that is or can be used under another retirement system does not count, and military credit is not "actual years" for the health benefits article. The plan also honours IRC 414(u) for qualified military service.