If a member of the retirement system enters the active service of the armed forces of the United States, the member's contributions to the retirement system are suspended during the period of the active service and until the member's return to the employ of a participating public employer, and any credit balance remaining in the member's deposit fund shall accumulate regular interest: Provided, That notwithstanding any provision in this article to the contrary, if an employee of a participating political subdivision serving on active duty in the military has accumulated credited service prior to the last entry into military service, in an amount that, added to the time in active military service while an employee equals nine or more years, and the member is unable to resume employment with a participating employer upon completion of duty due to death during or as a result of active service, all time spent in active military service, up to and including a total of five years, is considered to be credited service and death benefits are vested in the member: Provided, however, That the active service during the time the member is an employee must be as a result of an order or call to duty, and not as a result of volunteering for assignment or volunteering to extend the time in service beyond the time required by order or call.
W. Va. Code § 5-10-15