Military Buyback RI 20-97: How to Request Your Estimated Earnings from DFAS

What the RI 20-97 Does

OPM Form RI 20-97 — officially titled "Estimated Earnings During Military Service" — is the document that asks the military finance center to certify how much basic pay you earned during active duty. Without this certified number, your agency HR cannot calculate what you owe for the military service deposit.

You complete the top section (blocks 1 through 10), attach your DD-214, and submit the package to the finance center for your branch of service. The finance center verifies your service dates against their payroll records, fills in the estimated earnings, and returns the form to you. You then hand the completed RI 20-97 to your civilian agency HR specialist to begin the deposit calculation.

Filling Out Blocks 1 Through 10

Block 1–3: Your full legal name, date of birth, and Social Security number.

Block 4: Your branch of service. If you served in more than one branch, you need a separate RI 20-97 for each.

Block 5–6: Active-duty dates exactly as they appear on your DD-214. For Guard or Reserve members with multiple mobilizations, each Title 10 activation period should be listed.

Block 7: Your rank at separation.

Block 8: The retirement system you're currently covered under — FERS or CSRS.

Block 9–10: Your employing agency name and your signature with the date.

The most common rejection reason is a mismatch between the service dates on the RI 20-97 and the DD-214. Copy dates exactly — don't round or adjust them.

Where to Submit

The submission destination depends on your military branch. The fastest method for all branches is the AskDFAS secure online portal at dfas.mil/AskDFAS, where you can upload the RI 20-97 and DD-214 as scanned documents.

One important exception: DFAS does not process estimated earnings requests for the Coast Guard, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Corps, or the U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps. Those branches maintain their own finance centers with separate submission procedures.

Processing Time and What to Expect

Standard processing time for DFAS is 30 to 45 business days from receipt of a complete, legible submission. During high-volume periods — particularly in the spring when many federal employees begin retirement preparations — processing can stretch beyond 45 days.

DFAS does not send status updates or acknowledgment of receipt for paper submissions. If you submitted through AskDFAS online, you'll have a ticket number you can reference when calling 1-800-729-3277 (Option 4 for earnings-related inquiries).

If the DD-214 is illegible, incomplete, or shows a character of discharge that raises questions, DFAS will reject the request without sending notification. You won't know until weeks have passed and no response arrives. Submitting a clean, high-resolution copy upfront avoids this trap.

What Comes Back

The returned RI 20-97 shows your total estimated military basic pay for each period of active service. This is the number your agency HR uses to apply the deposit percentage — 3% for FERS, 7% for CSRS — and then layers on any applicable interest from your Interest Accrual Date.

The earnings statement is an estimate, not a final audit. Your agency HR specialist may adjust the calculation slightly based on OPM guidelines, particularly for service periods that span the rate-change years (1999 and 2000, when FERS was 3.25% and 3.40% respectively).

Timing This Within the Buyback Sequence

The RI 20-97 sits in the middle of the six-phase buyback process: you need the DD-214 before you can file it, and your agency HR needs the certified result before they can calculate your deposit. With DFAS taking 30 to 45 business days, this single step represents a significant chunk of the total timeline.

If you're within 12 months of retirement, submit the RI 20-97 the same week you receive your DD-214. Every day of delay here compresses the remaining timeline for agency calculation, payment processing, and the paid-in-full verification that must all complete before your separation date.

The Military Buyback Guide includes a pre-submission checklist for the RI 20-97 that covers the specific data fields DFAS validates, the branch-specific submission addresses, and the follow-up protocol if your request goes unanswered past 45 days.

See more United States guides →