As used in this article, the term:

(1) "Creditable service" means service with a public retirement system or fund used in the same manner as actual service in the computation of all rights and benefits.

(2) "Public retirement system or fund" means a public retirement system or fund created by this title.

(3) "Qualified returning veteran" or "returning veteran" means a member of a public retirement system or fund whose employment which qualified him or her for such membership was interrupted by a period of qualified service and who returns to such employment in a manner sufficient to protect his or her reemployment rights as prescribed by Public Law 103-353, the federal Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act.

(4) "Qualified service" means voluntary or involuntary service with one of the uniformed services, including active duty, active duty for training, initial active duty for training, inactive duty training, full-time National Guard duty, and any period during which a member is absent from employment for the purpose of an examination to determine his or her fitness to perform such duty.

(5) "Uniformed services" means the United States Army, Army Reserve, Army National Guard, Navy, Navy Reserve, Marine Corps, Air Force, Air Force Reserve, Air National Guard, Coast Guard, the commissioned corps of the Public Health Service, and any other category of persons designated by the President of the United States in time of war or emergency.