This generation of veterans and servicemembers have access to the best benefits of any era in history. From the VA Home Loan program, to the GI Bill you can save you money, enhance your career opportunities and even change your life. Don’t miss out on any of the benefits you have earned.
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Oh, What a Difference a Day Makes You may have noticed that there’s a lot going on these days. Nations across the world are fighting against a pandemic, the likes of which we’ve not seen in a generation. We have doctors and nurses on the front lines, treating those who have contracted COVID-19. We have… Read more »
Less Obvious But Still Essential Overseas PCS Tips There is a lot of advice out there on what to pack and how to prepare for your Permanent Change of Station (PCS) overseas. Starting with deciding what to ship across the world and what to keep back, and ending with your final check list the night… Read more »
COVID-19 Mental Health and Resilience Resources The COVID-19 pandemic has led to an experience of unfamiliar stress for many people. The ever-evolving social distancing, quarantine, and personal protective equipment guidelines have added additional stressors to those we have already been dealing with. What is Resilience? Resilience is a tool that helps protect mental health and… Read more »
Aid for Homeless During COVID-19 The CARES Act allocated $17.2 billion for the Veterans Health Administration during this pandemic. The Department of Veteran Affairs (VA) will use $300 million to combat the increased risk of veterans experiencing homelessness from the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. According to the VA, veterans who are homeless or at… Read more »
DFAS myPay The United States Military works hard to ensure that the individuals that make up its branches are provided for in all areas of life such as housing, healthcare, and finances. The Defense Finance and Accounting Service (DFAS) is an agency of the United States Department of Defense (DOD), headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana. DFAS… Read more »
VA Loan Best Practices If you are an active service member, spouse, or dependent, the chances are great that you have heard of VA Loans. You may have even looked into them or read about them somewhere on the internet. A few weeks ago, we published an article explaining why you should consider using this… Read more »
Armed Forces Day is May 16th Armed Forces Day has been around since 1950. This year it falls on May 16th, the 3rd Saturday of May. Back in August of 1949, the Secretary of Defense announced the creation of an Armed Forces Day. This was to replace the separate branch-specific days they already had and… Read more »
Answering the call for our nation’s military, provides numerous benefits to the individuals who serve within its branches. In addition to serving the nation with selfless and honorable service, also comes valuable training, pay, retirement and healthcare benefits. However, a lot of military benefits can be overwhelming and sometimes overlooked, which leads to a service… Read more »
What is the COVID-19 Stop Movement Order? The original Stop Movement Order, suspending travel for all Department of Defense (DOD) persons and their families, put into effect in March, was recently extended until June 30th. The order applies to both active and non-active duty DOD persons who were scheduled or had planned to travel within… Read more »
With 325 active-duty member suicides in 2018 according to the Defense Department, the U.S. Military as a whole has made it their mission to make that number more manageable. Service member suicides have surpassed the national average year after year as reported by Military Times, making mental health and addiction support resources more necessary. With… Read more »
10 Best States for Veterans Deciding where you want to move is one of the many decisions made when planning your transition out of the military. After being told where to move from duty station to duty station, you now have the choice of where you want to move and there may be many places… Read more »
With COVID-19 affecting the globe, many find themselves in a desperate financial situation. For those currently in the Reserves or National Guard, or retired from either, it’s possible that you may have lost some of your income, especially if you are not currently on active duty and have a civilian job. You may even be… Read more »
Telemedicine for Military Communities In the midst of the coronavirus pandemic, telemedicine is increasingly important and in high demand. Many health programs are temporarily expanding these services, making it easier and safer for people to connect with their healthcare teams. What is Telemedicine? Telemedicine is the use of technology to communicate about health, often without… Read more »
Photo: Stadtbibliotheck in Stuttgart, Germany (image by Chelsea Bostelman) Did You Know About These Library Perks for the Military? Every April, libraries and library workers are celebrated during National Library Week. When is the last time you visited a library? For good reason, books come to mind for most people when thinking of libraries. But… Read more »
WWP Announces COVID-19 Relief Program On April 9th, The Wounded Warrior Project (WWP) announced that it was putting up $10 million to assist wounded warriors in need as the US battles against COVID-19. Many in the military community are facing dire financial strains due to losses of income and financial insecurity. The hope is that… Read more »
Two Republican lawmakers, Rep. Mac Thornberry (R-TX), ranking member of the House Armed Services Committee, and Rep. Trent Kelly (R-MS), ranking member of the Subcommittee on Military Personnel released their latest proposal on military family readiness on April 2, 2020. New Military Family Readiness Legislation Proposed Rep Thornberry stated that “Family readiness is a major… Read more »
COVID-19: What Veterans Need to Know As a veteran, you might be concerned about COVID-19 and what the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and its medical facilities are doing to protect and care for veterans during this pandemic. For up-to-date info on what organizations are doing to help during this unprecedented crisis, please visit –… Read more »
The New Veterans Benefits Banking Program Detailed As of December 20, 2019, the VA has a new program to help veterans receive better access to banking. Through the Veterans Benefits Banking Program (VBBP), the Department of Veterans Affairs and the Association of Military Banks of America (AMBA) are working to offer veterans and service members… Read more »
Organizations Supporting Military, Veterans and Their Families During The COVID-19 Pandemic During this time, many military families might be struggling either emotionally or financially. A spouse might have lost their job, they might need to spend more money on childcare, and regular resources could be limited. The good news is that there are different programs… Read more »
Military Family Support Organizations April is the Month of the Military Child. Our military children are resilient, understanding, and patient, as they have to be. They too go through deployments as well as PCS moves and anything else military life might bring them. It isn’t always easy but the good news is that there are… Read more »
Organizations That Provide Service Dogs Service members and veterans can come home from war needing to heal. There are many different ways to do this. One way to help with this is to offer these service members and veterans a service dog. This is a trained dog that works with those with a disability, such… Read more »
$1,500 For Childcare Costs From Army Emergency Relief Childcare costs can be a huge drain on your budget. In some cases, the cost of childcare can mean a spouse decides not to pursue their own career. Luckily, a new AER program can help with this. As of February 1, 2020, AER or Army Emergency Relief… Read more »
Although the military just received its 2020 military pay raise of 3.1%, it’s already time to look ahead to 2021. On February 10th, the US Department of Defense released a statement on the 2021 proposed military pay raise. President Donald J. Trump requested $705.4 billion to fund the Defense Department. The Department of Defense has asked… Read more »
Toyota Military Discount Toyota was formed in 1926 by Sakichi Toyoda to manufacture and sell the automatic looms which he had invented and perfected. Toyota Automobile was started in 1933 as a division of Toyoda Automatic Loom Works. The Toyota military discount is a rebate offer of $500. What Is the Toyota Military Discount? The… Read more »
Free Medical Marijuana Cards For Veterans? Since Medical Marijuana could be helpful to veterans with PTSD and chronic pain, two Florida legislators are pushing bills to give free medical cards to military veterans. With the high veteran suicide rate and so many veterans in need of pain management and relief, this could be a step… Read more »
Breast Cancer Screenings Will Use New Technology There is good news with regards to TRICARE and breast cancer screenings as the Department of Defense Department has added new technology for breast cancer screenings to its coverage. This was decided after female veterans in Congress pushed the Pentagon to make it available to active-duty service members,… Read more »
Changes to Army’s DLA Policy As of October 10, 2019, there has been a change in the way the Army handles DLA (Dislocation Allowance.) Dislocation Allowance is to partially reimburse a service member with or without dependents for the expenses incurred in relocating the member’s household during a PCS move. RELATED: PCS and Moving Discounts… Read more »
Open Enrollment Begins for TRICARE and FEDVIP TRICARE and FEDVIP open enrollment season has begun. This includes changing your TRICARE plan, getting or swapping dental plans and obtain vision coverage depending on your military status. During this open season, which lasts until December 9, 2019, is the only time you can make these changes unless… Read more »
Discounts For Military and Veterans For Black Friday & Thanksgiving Shopping Black Friday and Thanksgiving is around the corner. Did you know that you can find plenty of deals this time of year at your Commissary as well as the Exchange? Here is a break down of what you can find this year! Never miss… Read more »
Military Benefit Changes For 2020 Changes announced so far. Please keep checking back, as we will continue updating new changes to your military benefits for 2020. TRICARE Drug Costs To Increase By Over 40% Every year on January 1st, TRICARE has its regular cost increases. In 2020, we will see updates on prescription drug costs…. Read more »
On Friday, August 23rd, 2019, President Donald Trump signed two pieces of legislation that will help veterans and service members when it comes to bankruptcy. The first is the Honoring American Veterans in Extreme Need Act of 2019 or the HAVEN Act. This will prevent debt collectors from seizing veterans’ disability compensation if they declare… Read more »
You may have heard that TRICARE will give you a free breast pump when you have a baby. But, you might also have some questions about how this all works, what you need to do to get your pump, and any other details about the benefit. Here is what you need to know about getting… Read more »
According to an article by Military Times, 3 million more people will gain access to military shopping in 2020. These new customers will be able to shop at the Commissary and the Exchange. In addition, they will have access to some MWR programs. ** For latest updates, go here. When Will They Gain Access This… Read more »
With a new baby on the way, you are most likely looking for ways to save money. Here is a list of military discounts for new and pregnant moms. Military Discounts For Those Who Are Pregnant and New Mothers Operation Special Delivery Operation Special Delivery was founded by a doula, Patricia Newton, after September 11th,… Read more »
As a member of the military or a spouse of a member of the military, you are entitled to TRICARE, which is a benefit of serving. You might have TRICARE Prime, TRICARE Select or another TRICARE plan. One of the most common questions people have is what TRICARE is and what it actually covers. This… Read more »
Healthcare From Active Duty to National Guard There will be quite a few changes for those that make the decision to transition from active duty to National Guard. One of the biggest changes will be with healthcare when going from active duty to the National Guard or Reserves. As an active duty service member, you… Read more »
Verizon, VA Team Up To Help Veterans Verizon and the US Department of Veterans Affairs, the VA, have partnered to help veterans who are also Verizon customers have access to the VA’s telehealth app “VA Video Connect” that launched in 2017. This app will enable remote consultations with healthcare professionals and with the partnership, the… Read more »
Earlier this month, both the Army and the Air Force, started reimbursing military spouses for licensing and certifications fee. The Marine Corps just joined them, with the Navy hopefully doing the same sometime soon. Marine Corps Spouses Will Now Be Reimbursed For Licensing and Certification Fees Marine Corps spouses will now be able to apply… Read more »
New TRICARE Coverage for Babies TRICARE has added a new coverage for babies. They will now be covering some or all of the cost of breast milk for those in need of the milk for their new baby. Here is what you need to know: When Will TRICARE Cover the Breast Milk? TRICARE will cover… Read more »
COLA Changes For 2020 COLA stands for Cost of Living Adjustment and is a way to increase benefit amounts in order to keep up with inflation. COLA in 2020 went up 1.6% Because of federal law, the COLA changes to the VA’s compensation and pension rates are the same percentage increases that social security benefits… Read more »
Space-A can help you save a ton of money on plane tickets and is offered to many service members, retirees, and their dependents. The key to Space-A is knowing how to fly this way, having a lot of patience, and being able to be flexible. Here is what you should know about Space-A: What is… Read more »
As of March 1st of this year, the Army has suspended its utility billing program for privatized housing units. The program, that started in 2006, was designed to provide incentives to residents in privatized housing to decrease their energy use. The Army would calculate a baseline average usage for housing, and then either send a… Read more »
Here are the 2020 Reserve pay dates. These dates apply for pay for the following: Army Reserve Pay Dates Marine Corp Reserve Pay Dates Navy Reserve Pay Dates Air Force Reserve Pay Dates Coast Guard Reserve Pay Dates If you serve in the Reserves for the Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force, or the Coast… Read more »
TRICARE Prime vs Select Trying to decide between TRICARE Prime vs Select? This is a question a lot of military families face. There is always a lot of discussion each winter during the Tricare Open Season concerning the differences between TRICARE Prime vs Select. Here’s the breakdown. TRICARE Open Season “TRICARE Open Season is the… Read more »
2020 TRICARE Dental Changes Here are the TRICARE dental changes for 2020. The rates for vision and retiree dental insurance will be increasing in 2020. If you are enrolled in FEDVIP, which is vision insurance for military dependents, retirees, and their families and dental insurance for retirees and their families, you will have needed to… Read more »
What is SGLI coverage? SGLI stands for Servicemembers’ Group Life Insurance. SGLI provides low-cost term life insurance coverage to service members that are eligible. If the service member is eligible, they are automatically issued the maximum in SGLI coverage. They are automatically enrolled and will not have to apply. Service members can however decline the… Read more »
One of the updates from the 2019 National Defense Authorization Act is the ability for disabled veterans to be able to fly using Space-A. Here is some information about this change. Space-A Travel Now Available to Disabled Veterans The veterans will need to have a service-related disability, rated at 100%. These veterans will now be… Read more »
As a service member, you will receive different types of pays during the course of your military career. There is your base pay, BAH for your housing and BAS for food. There are also different special and incentive pays, over 60 of them which you may or may not qualify over the course of your… Read more »
As a service member, you will receive different types of pays during the course of your military career. There is your base pay, BAH for your housing and BAS for food. There are also different special and incentive pays, over 60 of them which you may or may not qualify over the course of your… Read more »
As a service member, you will receive different types of pays during the course of your military career. There is your base pay, BAH for your housing and BAS for food. There are also different special and incentive pays, over 60 of them which you may or may not qualify over the course of your… Read more »