Which current RegAF personnel are only eligible for the High-3 retirement plan?

Which current RegAF personnel are only eligible for the High-3 retirement plan?

• A. Entered service before 8 September 1980
• B. Entered service on or after 8 September 1980 and before 31 July 1986
• C. Entered service after 31 July 1986
• D. All RegAF personnel

Answer: (B)

The question tests how retirement plans are tied to when someone first joined the Regular Air Force. The High-3 plan calculates your retirement using the average of your highest 36 months of base pay. A transition in the 1980s split who was eligible for what: those who entered before the window were on Final Pay, while those who entered after the later date moved to the High-3 path. The group that falls between the two dates—entering service on or after 8 September 1980 and before 31 July 1986—became eligible for the High-3 plan and did not have eligibility for the older Final Pay arrangement or the later changes that affected other cohorts. Therefore, this specific window contains the current RegAF personnel who are only eligible for the High-3 retirement plan.

The question tests how retirement plans are tied to when someone first joined the Regular Air Force. The High-3 plan calculates your retirement using the average of your highest 36 months of base pay. A transition in the 1980s split who was eligible for what: those who entered before the window were on Final Pay, while those who entered after the later date moved to the High-3 path. The group that falls between the two dates—entering service on or after 8 September 1980 and before 31 July 1986—became eligible for the High-3 plan and did not have eligibility for the older Final Pay arrangement or the later changes that affected other cohorts. Therefore, this specific window contains the current RegAF personnel who are only eligible for the High-3 retirement plan.