Serving in the military can bring financial challenges, especially for junior enlisted personnel. The usual cost of living issues can be complicated by changes in the federal tax code, tariffs that increase the price of necessities, permanent change of station moves, and other variables. Navigating the complexities of military life, coupled with the responsibilities of… Read more »
The Department of Defense’s upgrades to the military permanent change of station move system continue into 2025 with more bases added to the pilot program to put responsibility for moving household goods under a single contractor. According to multiple published reports, the Transportation Command’s 2025 Global Household Goods program has a goal of bringing “all… Read more »
The Senate approved a stopgap funding bill known as a continuing resolution (CR) early December 21, 2024, narrowly averting an end-of-year government shutdown that would have affected millions of federal employees, including service members. The CR was necessary because the House and Senate could not agree on the federal budget as a whole. This funding… Read more »
On December 23, 2025, President Joe Biden signed the 2025 National Defense Authorization Act or NDAA pay raise for Junior Troops into law. See all the details. Learn more.
The Army has made important changes to its Tuition Assistance and Credentialing Assistance programs. The initiative is meant to go beyond increasing financial aid and aims to ensure that assistance effectively helps soldiers achieve their goals while serving and beyond. Army Credentialing Assistance is described as a way for the military to help “pay for… Read more »
NASCAR now provides discounts to military members, first responders, and government employees. To make NASCAR races more affordable, NASCAR has created the Miltix program, which offers discounted tickets to eligible service members. Learn more.
The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) announced that, starting on 1 July 2025, over 3 million Veterans, service members and their spouses will have lower VA life insurance premiums. The premium reductions apply to those with Veterans’ Group Life Insurance (VGLI), Servicemembers’ Group Life Insurance (SGLI), and Family Servicemembers’ Group Life Insurance (FSGLI). The lower… Read more »
Explore the issue of food insecurity in the military and discover the factors affecting military families across the nation.
Update 12/26/2024: The President has signed the 2025 into law. As we have noted elsewhere, the House Armed Services Committee says the 2025 NDAA was passed in part thanks to a year-long effort by “the bipartisan Quality of Life panel, which focused on pay and compensation, housing, health care, childcare, and spousal support.” In a… Read more »
In 2024, there were growing reports of concern over food insecurity among military families, and in December of 2024, news stories like the one reported by Colorado Public Radio (CPR) raised additional concerns about the DoD’s ability to properly manage its troops. According to a CPR news story titled, Lima beans and toast: Fort Carson… Read more »