This generation of veterans and servicemembers has access to the best benefits of any era in history. From the VA Home Loan program to the GI Bill, you can save money, enhance your career opportunities, and even change your life. Don’t miss out on any of the military and veteran benefits you have earned.
There are multiple types of military retirement pay plans for those who serve long enough to qualify for military retirement or are given a disability retirement due to medical issues caused or aggravated by military service. Defense.gov says, “Members who accumulate 20 or more years of active service are eligible for retirement.” That applies to… Read more »
If you are a veteran with a service-connected medical issue, you can file a VA disability claim with the Department of Veterans Affairs. Doing so makes you eligible for consideration for a VA disability rating, and you may be entitled to monthly compensation for your service-connected medical issues.
Military Pay and Allowances Explained To understand military pay and allowances, you must first understand Basic Pay. Military members are offered Basic Pay for their time served, this is the salary for those in uniform. Most other payments above and beyond Basic Pay are either “special pay”, allowances, “incentive pay” or similar. Basic Pay does… Read more »
Have you filed a claim for VA benefits under the PACT Act? This legislation created new “presumptive conditions” for troops exposed to toxic operations such as burn pits, the use of Agent Orange, and duty-related radiation exposure. Under PACT Act guidelines, those submitting claims to the VA may get automatic approval for 24 newly added… Read more »
The Basic Needs Allowance is a taxable military benefit offered to low-income troops and their families who qualify. The allowance, offered for the first time at the start of 2023, is meant to address food insecurity issues within the ranks with a monthly allowance calculated on financial need (see below.) Each branch of the United… Read more »
In late March 2023, the Department of Defense announced a “new non-chargeable, paid bereavement leave benefit for service members who suffer the loss of their spouses or children.” Why a DoD Bereavement Leave Policy Was Created According to a DoD press release, the motivation for creating this type of leave included honoring the needs of… Read more »
An expanded DoD spouse tuition assistance program called MyCAA now accepts applications on a more limited basis due to funding issues. MyCAA is now operating under new rules and restrictions, including expanding eligibility for the program (spouses of E-6s and O-3s can now apply) and a cap on approved applications for those expanded categories. The… Read more »
Update: Some companies have returned to TRICARE in the wake of the original story below. In 2025, Kroger Pharmacies rejoined the TRICARE Pharmacy Program network, bringing back more than two thousand network pharmacies in the TRICARE system across 35 states. The re-expanded network comes after a conflict between Kroger and TRICARE. In late 2022, the… Read more »
On March 22, 2023, Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III announced plans for six new programs for military families addressing “essential needs” in career advancement, child care, parental leave, and education. The announcement came in the form of an official memorandum addressed to senior Pentagon leaders and includes directives in various areas including one… Read more »
The Department of Veterans Affairs offers a second chance to surviving family members of veterans who died from PACT Act illnesses. This opportunity to appeal a previously denied VA claim is offered to those denied by the VA in the past and may qualify for additional consideration under PACT Act guidelines. What is the PACT… Read more »