🎖️ CRSC / CRDP Calculator

Retired military + VA-rated? See what you'd actually take home each month under the default offset, with CRDP, and with CRSC — and which one to pick during open season.

Military retirement

Monthly retirement pay before VA offset (from your DFAS statement)

Best source: your DFAS Retiree Account Statement. Leave blank to use the rough calculator below.

Or estimate it (rough)

Years × 2.5% × base pay. Used only when the field above is empty. Pull your actual base pay from DFAS pay charts.

Years of serviceFinal pay gradeFor reference only — base pay isn't stored here.

Estimated base pay (monthly)

Multiplier

Both legacy systems use the 2.5%/year factor for this rough estimate. DFAS retirement types

Disability ratings

VA disability rating70%

0102030405060708090100

Combat-related rating (per DD 2860)50%

0102030405060708090100

Only the portion of your VA disability that's combat-related per DD 2860. Combat ≤ total VA rating.

Which should you choose?

⚖️ Either — CRSC for tax-free edge

Gross totals are equal. CRSC is tax-free, so it typically wins on after-tax math.

Heads up: this is gross math. Your actual federal bracket, state taxes, and Survivor Benefit Plan (SBP) deductions affect the bottom line. Talk to a DFAS counselor or accountant before switching.

Monthly take-home, three ways

1. Default offset (no CRSC/CRDP)

Always applies if you don't qualify or don't apply.

Military retirement (gross)	$0.00
− VA waiver (offset)	$0.00
+ VA disability (tax-free)	$1,808.45
Total monthly	$1,808.45

2. With CRDP

Eligible: 20+ years and VA ≥ 50%. Automatic — no application.

Military retirement (full, taxable)	$0.00
+ VA disability (tax-free)	$1,808.45
Total monthly	$1,808.45

3. With CRSC

Eligible: combat-related rating of 50%. Requires DD Form 2860 to your service branch.

Retirement after waiver (taxable)	$0.00
+ VA disability (tax-free)	$1,808.45
+ CRSC pay (tax-free, combat 50%)	$0.00
Total monthly	$1,808.45

Recommended monthly take-home

$1,808.45/mo

Annual

$21,701

vs. default offset

+$0.00/mo

What this is actually doing

What is the VA waiver?

Federal law says you can't be paid twice for the same service. So when you receive both military retirement pay and VA disability, your retirement pay gets reduced dollar-for-dollar by the VA amount. The reduction is called the VA waiver. Without CRSC or CRDP, you're not getting extra money from VA — you're swapping taxable retirement for tax-free VA.

CRDP eligibility cliff

CRDP (Concurrent Retirement & Disability Pay) restores the full waiver, so you get retirement and VA disability with no offset. To qualify you need exactly two things: (1) 20+ years of service for a regular retirement (Chapter 61 / medical retirements have separate rules) and (2) a VA rating of 50% or higher. No exceptions. CRDP is automatic — DFAS just starts paying it.

What counts as 'combat-related'?

CRSC covers disabilities tied to:

Armed conflict (direct combat)
Hazardous service (parachuting, demolition, etc.)
Instrumentality of war (military vehicle, weapon — even in training)
Simulated war (live-fire training, war games)

Authority: 10 USC § 1413a. Each disability has to be approved individually by your service branch — not the VA.

How to apply for CRSC

File DD Form 2860 with your service branch (Army HRC, Navy PERS, Air Force AFPC, Marine Corps M&RA, Coast Guard PSC). VA does not handle CRSC. Include documentation tying each disability to a combat-related event: DD 214 narrative, deployment records, line-of-duty determinations, after-action reports. Denials can be reconsidered — keep records.

Open season — your annual switch

Each year DFAS opens a window (typically January) where you can switch between CRSC and CRDP if you qualify for both. Your election sticks for the calendar year. If your VA rating changes mid-year, re-run the math before the next open season — the right answer can flip.

Tax angle (important)

CRDP is paid as military retirement — taxed at your federal income bracket and most states' income tax. CRSC is paid as tax-free compensation, same treatment as VA disability. Two veterans with identical gross totals can have very different take-home pay. When CRDP and CRSC are close, CRSC typically wins after taxes.

Estimate only. The VA disability portion uses the 2026 pay tables (2025-12-01 COLA). Retirement pay either comes from what you entered or a 2.5%/year rough calculator — neither is your real DFAS number, and base pay tables move every year. CRSC is computed as the lesser of (a) your VA waiver and (b) VA compensation at the combat-related rating, which matches the formula in 10 USC § 1413a but doesn't include every edge case (Chapter 61 medical retirements, multiple combat-related ratings combined separately, etc.). Confirm exact figures with DFAS or your service-branch CRSC office before electing.

Rates effective

2025-12-01

FY2026

CRDP cliff

20 yr / 50%

Both required — automatic when met

CRSC authority

10 USC § 1413a

DD Form 2860 to apply

Pair with

💰 Claim-Worth Estimator

Run the VA-disability side of the equation in isolation.

📅 Back-Pay Estimator

Retroactive months × monthly = back-pay check.

🎚️ What-If Simulator

Model a new claim and watch the combined rating + check change.

Display fields above (E-7, High-3) are stored for clarity but don't change the rough estimate beyond the 2.5%/year multiplier. Annual total assumes the rate above for 12 months in nominal dollars (no COLA projection). $47,263/yr is the VA 100% single-vet annualized figure.