Military retirement often marks the end of a long road.
As a military spouse, you've put in months of waiting on your service member to come home from long trainings or deployment, all while holding down your home and taking care of your family. You've battled career challenges for yourself, planning disasters, cross-country moves and everything Murphy's Law could throw at you.
But other than the long-sought break from the challenges of military life, what's in military retirement for you? Although your service member is who put on the uniform every day, military retirement isn't without perks for military spouses or ways that you can still benefit from the community.
And while all of the benefits available to you are by virtue of your spouse's service, it doesn't mean you shouldn't take full advantage of them.
Military Spouse Retirement Benefits
Health and dental care. After military retirement, you are eligible to continue using Tricare, the military's health care system. If you are near a base, you may even still be able to be seen in the military treatment facility or hospital if that is your wish. You can also sign-up for a dental plan for military retirees.
Commissary and shopping privileges. Now that you're not a part of the active-duty military anymore, you might find that your living expenses go up. But as the spouse of a military retiree, you still have access to the military commissary and exchange systems. Although just how much you save at those stores over civilian markets is an often-debated topic, everyone agrees there is some benefit to shopping at them.
Military lodging and recreation. As a military retiree, you still have access to the military lodging and recreation systems. Although there are some rules restricting who can stay in military lodges overseas, most allow military retirees. Maybe now is the time to take that girls' or guys' vacation you've been dreaming about for the last 10 years.
GI Bill and education benefits. If your service member transferred the Post-9/11 GI Bill to you while he or she was still on active duty, you can use it to go back to school. Through it, you will receive a monthly housing allowance, an annual books stipend and, depending on where you are going to school, all of your tuition costs and fees covered. The GI Bill must be transferred while the service member is on active duty for this to be available.
If you don't have the GI Bill and your service member has died, you might be eligible for Survivor and Dependents Educational Assistance.
Survivor Benefit Plan. If your service member chooses to set up the Survivor Benefit Plan, an insurance policy, at the time of his retirement, you will have access to that money after he or she dies. That plan can be complicated and confusing, so go here for the full explanation.
VA benefits after your service member's death. Although a service member's pension checks end with his or her death, you may have access to Dependency and Indemnity Compensation, and the Veteran's Death Pension.
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