Modernized retirement plan to take hold in '18 Published Jan. 15, 2016 By Betsy Ratashak-Vogel Travis Airman and Family Readiness Center TRAVIS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. -- The military retirement system received an overhaul as part of the National Defense Authorization Act of 2016. Service members who joined prior to Jan. 1, 2006, will be grandfathered into the current pension system and those who join after the Jan. 1, 2018, date will be enrolled in the new blended plan. Service members with entrance dates between Jan. 1, 2006, and Jan. 1, 2018, have a choice between the two retirement plans. Changes will take place on Jan. 1, 2018, giving service members an opportunity to make an informed decision. The Travis Airman and Family Readiness Center Personal Financial Readiness team is prepared to educate affected service members on their options. The decision of which retirement plan to select is heavily dependent on individual situations and there is no "one-option-fits-all" answer. Military Saves Week 2016 takes place February 22-27 and will have an emphasis on transition and retirement planning. Requests for guest speakers or individualized consultations can be made by contacting Betsy Ratashak-Vogel, A&FRC Personal Financial Readiness Consultant at 424-2486.