(a) Anything in this chapter to the contrary notwithstanding, an employer contribution shall be made to the account of any member who during a national emergency enters or in time of peace is drafted into the armed forces of the United States directly from state employment or from employment in a federal agency after having been transferred to such agency from state employment under Code Section 47-2-140. The contribution shall be made by the employer for the period during which the member served in the armed forces of the United States and in the same amount as would have been contributed by the employer had the member remained in employment under the retirement system without change in compensation during that period, provided that such contribution shall be made for not more than five years of such period. Such contribution shall be paid into the pension accumulation fund as provided in Code Section 47-2-55.

(b) The employer contribution made on the member's account shall entitle him to the accumulated pension credits for such period only if within one year of his discharge he returns to employment under the retirement system or with the federal agency to which he was transferred pursuant to Code Section 47-2-140. If the member fails to return to such federal or state employment within one year of his discharge, his benefits under the retirement system shall be limited to his accumulated contributions at the time of his original transfer from state employment or entry into the armed forces of the United States, in which case his accumulated contributions shall be refunded to him upon his written request, and no further employer contributions shall be made on his account after such one-year period.

(c) Nothing in this Code section shall be construed as meaning that any individual affected thereby is in service until such person returns to state employment.