MO and Retirement...

[WT]

From what I gather, the new pension plan now requires 25 years of service before being eligible for full pension.
Does this apply to MOs as well?  I reckon a lot of MOs join later than their combat arms counterparts due to the need to get a bachelors before entering med school, which would push the pension age quite far.  Could a new entering MO opt to be included in the 20 year pension plan?

 

[54/102 CEF]

You have to read the entry rules which are elsewhere on Army.Ca

What follows is me reading the tea leaves

As I understand it the only people who will get a pension are those who build up long long full time service

The average reservist will end up with an annual payment years into the future via deductions from their earnings that are scheduled to start April 07 - (havn't heard they are not)

The part time crowd will get an annual payment

The full time corwd - assuming they've saved enough RRSP can roll that and exisiting retirement gratuity into the Reg Force plance and get a monthly check after they hit certain gateways. Whatever is inthe retirement gratuity for the over 20 years crowd is going to be aplied to your pension package on the activation date of the 2007 pension

Bottom line - until you hit 55 most people will only see a deduction off their earnings slip

 

[WT]

54/102 CEF,
Thanks for the reply, however it seems maybe you didn't understand the point of my post the first time.  I am talking about an MO which enrolled under the MOTP program and thus has always been a full-time force member.  Would the requirement for full pension be 25 or 20 years given the conditions?

 

[Sawbones]

As it currently stands there would be no special exemption for MOs, the IE (intermediate engagement) would still be for 25 years. 

This would leave the typical MOTP trainee looking at about 16 more years of service after completing his obligatory service to become eligible for an immediate annuity.  Since most MOTP family doctor candidates join in 2nd year of medical school, which is typically about the 6th year of university, they would be about 25 when joining and 50 to complete the IE25.  This compare to those MOTPs who started in the 1980's who are now completing their IE20s at about age 45. 

DEOs (direct entry officers who are already trained physicians, typically 30 years or older) would now reach 55 years before finishing an IE25.

For those who took a speciality after obligatory service, they complete their second period of obligatory service for speciality residency about 3-4 years before the end of an IE20, which makes it easy to hang on to the end.  That would now be 8-9 years more service after obligatory service to the end of the IE25 and many specialists would find it hard to stay that long, as most will enter a second civilian career.

The IE25 would be a disincentive for some new MOs and a very strong disincentive for those considering doing a speciality after MOTP as compared to the old 20 year IE.

The CoC has been so told by serving MOs, however no word of any change for MOs terms of service so far. 

It should be remembered that the current pension is one of the strongest retention incentives for MOs, which allows them to avoid the difficulties many of their civilian physician colleagues have in saving for retirement, and allows some supplementary income while transitioning to a second career.

I believe the IE20 helps retain experienced career MOs longer even when civvy street is beckoning with better pay.  Hope that answers your question.

Sawbones