Originally Posted by sailingfun

Many if not most pilots on long term Mil leave are there on a voluntary basis. They are staying on active duty in order to get their 20 years in for government retirement. At that point they can return to Delta and Delta is required to figure out a assumed earnings number for pay while they were gone and reimburse them all retirement money they missed at Delta and pay interest on that amount. Its a pretty good deal if you can work the timing. You come back to Delta perhaps now a Captain with a full military retirement and medical you are drawing on at the same time plus full reimbursement for any Delta retirement you missed. Delta has been very generous in not enforcing the 5 year rule on mil leave to allow this to happen. Other employers have enforced the rule.