MWRA RETIREMENT SYSTEM

Veteran Eligibility

Definition of Massachusetts Veteran
  • Notice of Potential Benefits Pursuant to Chapter 71 of the Acts of 1996
  • M.G.L. c. 4, sec. 7, cl. 43rd as amended by the Acts of 2004. Effective August 30, 2004

To be a "veteran" under Massachusetts law a person is required to have either:

  • 180 days of regular active duty service and a last discharge or release under haonorable conditions - OR-
  • 90 days of active duty service, one (1) day of which is during "wartime" per the chart below, and a last discharge or release undre honorable conditions.
WAR
"Wartime" Dates
World War I
6 Apr 1917 through 11 Nov 1918
World War II
16 Sept 1940 through 31 Dec 1946
Korea
25 Jun 1950 through 31 Jan 1955
Vietnam
5 Aug 1964 through 7 May 1975
Lebanon Campaign *
25 Aug 1982 through (to be determined later)
Grenada Campaign *
25 Oct 1983 through 15 Dec 1983
Panama Campaign *
20 Dec 1989 through 31 Jan 1990
Persian Gulf
2 Aug 1990 through (to be determined later)

* Naval and Marine DD214 must indicate Expeditionalry Medal. All DD214's must specify campaign: Lebanon, Granada, or Panama.

For Guard Members to qualify they must have 180 days and have been activated under Title 10 of the U.S. Code -OR-

Members who were activated under Title 10 or Title 32 of the U.S. Code or Massachusetts General Laws, chapter 33, sections 38, 40, and 41 must have 90 days, at least one of which was durging wartime, per the above chart. The Members' last discharge or release must be under honorable conditions.

Minimum Service Exception (for Death or Disability)
It is not necessary that an applicant have completed the minimum service for wartime or peacetime campaign if he/she served some time in the campaign and was awarded the Purple Heart, or suffered a service-connected disability, or died in the service under honorable conditions.

Training Duty Exception
Active service in the armed forces as used in this clause shall not include active duty for training in the Army or Air National Guard or active duty for training as a Reservist in the Armed Forces of the United States.

Do we have your military discharge documents on file? If not, please send a copy (not the original) to our offices as soon as possible. If you need to obtain a copy of your military discharge document, the following information may be of help:

Federal
 If you are a DAV, call 1-800-827-1000.
State
 If you entered military service as a citizen of Massachusetts, call (617) 727-2964.
Retirement System
 If the above options do not work, please call Brian Leahy at (617)-305-5596 or e-mail

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