Information and resources about military benefits, including medical care, space-available travel, military housing and barracks, morale, welfare, and recreation, commissary, and base exchange.
One of the provisions of the new Post-9/11 GI Bill is the ability of a military member to transfer some or all of their GI Bill education benefits to a spouse or child(ren). The law has left it up to the Department of Defense to establish eligibility criteria for transferring benefits, and DOD has now announced the policy.
The Thrift Savings Plan is a retirement savings program for military members and civilian federal employees. TSP is a tax-deferred fund, which means the money contributed to the account is deducted right away from the person’s taxable income, and the money in the fund isn’t taxed until it is withdrawn at retirement, usually after age 59 1/2, which is a significant tax reduction.
The Army plans to begin billing privatized housing residents on some Army installations for excessive utility use, beginning on September 1 (2006).
Do you qualify for Veteran Benefits? The answer may surprise you. It depends on which benefit, the time-period you served, the number of active duty days you served, and what kind of discharge you received.
The Department of Defense has enacted a traumatic injury protection insurance under the Servicemembers' Group Life Insurance, or SGLI program. On Dec. 1, (2005) all service members eligible for SGLI became insured for traumatic injury protection of up to $100,000 unless they declined SGLI coverage.
Effective in 2006, civilian and military employees are no longer subject to a percentage limit on the amount they may contribute to a regular Thrift Savings Plan account.
Commissary shoppers looking for a different kind of gift for friends or family at home or abroad can now shop online at the "Virtual Commissary." Virtual Commissary opens up a whole new world of Internet shopping for authorized users of the commissary benefit.
The Department of Defense has announced a significant increase in the death gratuity for the survivors of service members killed in action and the Servicemembers’ Group Life Insurance (SGLI) coverage for service members deployed to designated combat zones.
The $82 billion supplemental legislation signed into law by President Bush May 11 (2005) increases maximum SGLI coverage to $400,000 and provides payouts of up to $100,000 for servicemembers with traumatic injuries.
Currently, military members who live in "privatized" military housing do not have to pay for utilities. As a result, many military families are not motivated to conserve. This is about to change. In the near future, military members who live in "privatized" military housing will be held financially responsible for their utility use.
About 100 families have already moved into Potomac Place, the first Picerne Military Housing community to be built at Fort Meade. Going to privatized military communities allowed the Defense Department to rebuild its aging military housing and improve the quality of life for servicemembers and their families faster and at a lower cost to American taxpayers.
One of the entitlements most new military personnel want to learn about is LEAVE. Leave is paid vacation from duty for recreation and relief from the pressures of job-related duties. You may also take leave for personal reasons and emergency situations. A "pass" (called "liberty" in the Navy, Coast Guard, and Marine Corps) is time-off, not chargeable as leave.
Part 6 of What the Recruiter Never Told You, the ultimate guide for joining the United States Military. In part 6, all about the military's on-base family housing, payment of housing allowance (BAH), and dormitory (barracks) life.
Part 14 of What the Recruiter Never Told You, the ultimate guide to joining the United States Military. In part 14, all about military nonappropriate fund activities, otherwise known as Morale, Welfare and Recreation (MWR) activities.
Information about benefits for widows and surviving family members of active duty personnel who die while on active duty.
Part 7 of What the Recruiter Never Told You, the ultimate guide for joining the United States Military. In part 7, all about the U.S. Military chow halls (dining facilities), and the monthly food allowance called BAS (Basic Allowance for Subsistance). Also a little bit about MREs (Meals, Ready to Eat)
The College Loan Repayment Program is an enlistment incentive. Like other enlistment incentives authorized by Congress, each of the services are free to offer the program, or not, as they see fit, in order to meet their established recruiting goals. Under the program, the military will repay a portion of eligible college loans for non-prior service enlisted military members.
Part 13 of What the Recruiter Never Told You, the ultimate guide for joining the United States Military. In part 13, all about military commissaries and exchanges, where military members and their dependents do most of their shopping.
Part 8 of What the Recruiter Never Told You, the ultimate guide for joining the military. In part 8, all about education benefits offered by the U.S. Military, such as the Montgomery G.I. Bill, and Tuition Assistance, as well as an overview of attending college while in the military.
Part 4 of What the Recruiter Never Told You, the ultimate guide to joining the United States Military. In part 4, all about enlistment contracts and enlistment incentives such as enlistment bonuses, college fund, guaranteed duty assignment, buddy enlistment program, and more.
Family Servicemans Group Life Insurance (SGLI) (FSGLI) coverage provides life insurance coverage for the spouses and dependent children of all servicemembers (Active Duty and Ready Reserve) who have full-time SGLI coverage.
Military & Veteran Benefits offered from the Veteran's Administration, including medical, transition, home loans, education, and more.
Basic Information about Serviceman's Group Life Insurance (Active Duty) and Veterans Group Life Insurance (Retired and Separated).
Beginning in November 2001, members will be able to purchase SGLI for military family members.
Eligibility rules to qualify for Veterans Administration Home Loan Guarantees.
Excellent site for Veterans and Active Duty Military concerning VA home loans. Free Certificate of Eligibility form and DD-214 (Separation of Service) form.
