Military Benefits

The House Appropriations Committee has approved an approximately $480 billion Defense Department/Department of Veterans Affairs spending package for fiscal year 2027. The bill includes what some sources call “record spending” to tackle multiple concerns, including keeping military pay commensurate with inflation. House Approves $480 Billion Spending Package for VA, Department of Defense The legislation includes… Read more »

According to TRICARE, if you were recently displaced from an overseas duty station or your home overseas, “you’re still covered by TRICARE.” Displacement counts as a qualifying life event, “which opens a 90-day window for you to update your TRICARE region or make enrollment changes,” according to TRICARE.mil.

The Department of Defense fails to provide accurate cost-of-living allowances or COLA for over a quarter million service members due to flawed data collection practices and inconsistent policies from base to base, according to a Government Accountability Office report released in April 2026. That report says DoD methods for calculating these payments rely on unreliable sampling and poor communication.

The Pentagon proposes increases to combat-related special pay for U.S. troops serving in qualifying areas. The proposal is included in the fiscal year 2027 budget and focuses on two types of special compensation: hostile fire pay and imminent danger pay.

Understand TRICARE coverage for durable medical equipment and find out what qualifies as medically necessary DME.

The White House has released its Fiscal Year 2027 budget proposal. It contains a plan to increase national defense spending to $1.5 trillion, a 44% surge that stands in contrast to a proposed $73 billion reduction in non-defense discretionary spending. Learn more.

The Pentagon has authorized hazardous duty / combat zone pay for United States troops in the Indian Ocean and at Diego Garcia. This hazardous duty pay update follows a March 20, 2026, missile attack when Iran targeted the area. The authorization affects thousands, including those permanently assigned to the Diego Garcia Naval Support Facility and… Read more »

The TRICARE Extended Care Health Option, known as ECHO, is a resource for Exceptional Family Member program families who require services beyond the scope of standard TRICARE coverage. TRICARE updated its guidance for this program in 2026, clarifying how families can access these benefits. >> Never miss benefits news and updates that are important to… Read more »

The Department of Defense has launched the Individual Longitudinal Exposure Record, designed to provide service members with direct access to their personal environmental and occupational toxic exposure history related to military service. This initiative is part of a larger federal effort to address military toxic exposures and give troops the documentation required to secure healthcare… Read more »

The ACLU has filed a lawsuit against the Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA) over book removals and curriculum changes in Department of Defense-run schools. The lawsuit, filed in April 2025 by the American Civil Liberties Union on behalf of 12 students and military families, challenged the removal of nearly 600 books from DoDEA libraries.