ALEXANDRIA — The U.S. Department of Justice has reached a settlement in a civil lawsuit against a Virginia county and state pension system regarding the employment rights of a Virginia National Guard soldier.

His rights were guaranteed under the Uniformed Services Employment and Re-employment Rights Act 1994, according to a Justice Department press release on Friday.

In its complaint, the federal government said Guard Major Mark Gunn had been a detective with the Prince George’s County Police Department for 14 years when, in January 2016, he was called to active duty. The Justice Department also alleged that when Gunn returned from active duty, the county refused to allow him to return to his detective job and assigned him to a patrol unit officer position.

Additionally, the complaint says the county denied Gunn benefits he would have accrued while on active duty, including a bonus. The county’s actions, according to the federal government, resulted in Gunn quitting his police job and returning to active duty with the Guard.

Gunn will receive credit from the Virginia Retirement System for the period between when he left the police department and when he began collecting retirement benefits, according to the press release. He will also receive the differential in benefits owed to him for that period, and the county will also pay Gunn $3,000 in damages.