the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ, After sacrificing your time and risking your life for your country, the U.S. military makes sure to take good care of its veterans by ensuring they have access to the benefits they were promised upon enlisting. Not everyone is properly educated as to how to best leverage their newly accessible benefits and can lose out on hundreds or thousands of dollars’ worth of claimable perks.
One of the most important documents for securing these benefits is the DD-214, be sure to have this document as well as photocopies of this document on hand for whenever they may be needed. Obtaining the document can be done by individuals by contacting the military directly or by employing a service like DD214direct to go in person to where the military keeps the DD-214 forms and obtaining a copy. The DD-214 denotes your official separation from the U.S. military, it is essential in benefit application process as well as when it comes time to prove your service to employers after you’ve exited the military. It contains all relevant information with regards to the circumstances of your term of service.
Knowing exactly what benefits you’re entitled to can be difficult to fully understand, so here’s a quick rundown of some of the most used programs:
TRICARE
Tricare is the government’s health care program available to service members of the military. This health care program is fairly comprehensive and can extend to dependents in your family. Upon retiring you will automatically be enrolled for the standard Tricare package but if you desire more a larger than usual amount coverage you must apply for Tricare Prime upon retirement.
GI Bill
Upon retirement you will have 10-15 years to make use of the benefits you’ve earned via the GI Bill. This benefit is important for receiving financial aid for the purpose of achieving higher education for yourself or your dependents. These benefits go towards tuition as well as living expenses incurred while attending school.
The Survivor Benefit Plan
So long as you have someone eligible (a spouse or a child), you will automatically be enrolled in the Survivor Benefit Plan upon retirement, and at the highest level possible unless you specifically choose otherwise. This plan ensures that your benefits are transferred on to your dependents should you pass away.
Other Benefits
Other benefits include dental care, life insurance, and processes related to commissary and exchange services. These benefits and their full extent are fully explained in the Separation Counselling workshop that is compulsory for all active service members within 90 days of retirement. It is important that you pay attention during Separation Counselling because how to collect your benefits as well as actually benefit from them are explained in real and practical terms, and it is often the most up to date information on receiving benefits from the U.S. military.
In Conclusion
After serving your country, you are completely entitled benefits and it would be a poor choice not to take full advantage of all of the financial and other miscellaneous aid offered by the U.S. government upon retiring from the military. While navigating the Department of Veterans Affairs isn’t always described as the most pleasant of experiences, letting thousands of dollars in benefits go unclaimed is arguably a much more unpleasant experience to undergo.