VA = an organizational game designed to thwart your every effort to comply with their conflicting requirements. That about sums it up, I think.
Welder Dave, my wife has an early federal retirement from a DFAS closing. She then worked as a contractor and paid into social security. As soon as she turned 62 they reduced her retirement by about 25% even though she hasn't applied for social security yet. These are two separate programs that she has paid into. It's not fair.