Before BRS, under the legacy retirement system, fewer than 20 percent of troops served long enough to receive military retired pay. Today, the majority of active duty service members participate in the Blended Retirement System and will receive a government retirement benefit if they serve at least two years, even if they don’t qualify for a full retirement.

The setup is called “blended” because it’s a blend of the long-standing annuity provision for those who retire from service, plus matching contributions to the Thrift Savings Plan and other features. The TSP, a retirement savings and investment plan for uniformed service members and federal government employees, is similar to 401k plans in the civilian sector.

And it’s working. Data shows that young troops are building their retirement savings. For BRS participants, as of May, the average balance in their Thrift Savings Plan retirement accounts was $11,657, about $2,000 higher than the previous year, according to the Federal Retirement Thrift Investment Board.

“Take that $11,000 and grow it over the next 40 years, and you’ve got roughly a quarter million dollars, with no additional contributions,” said JJ Montanaro, a certified financial planner with USAA’s Military Advocacy Group. “That compares favorably as a retirement nest egg for a large slice of the American population.”

The 200,000-plus service members who leave the military each year “will be leaving with the potential for a solid financial foundation,” he said.

Strong participation

As of May, more than 1.2 million service members within the active and reserve components, or about 56% of the force, are enrolled in the Blended Retirement System, said Jerilyn Busch, DoD’s director of military compensation. The percentage of participation is larger — 65% — for active duty members; more than 850,000 are enrolled in BRS, compared to about 450,000 reserve component members, or 44%, who participate.

Troops contributing at least 5% of basic pay to their TSP account and getting a DoD matching contribution:

Those who entered the military starting in 2018 were automatically enrolled, but service members who had fewer than 12 years of service as of Dec. 31, 2017, could opt in to the new system. Most of those who met the requirements remained under the legacy “High-36″ retirement system, in which retired pay equals 2.5% times the number of years of service multiplied by the average of the member’s highest 36 months of basic pay.

But whether they are covered by the Blended Retirement System or the legacy system, service members can contribute to a TSP account. Overall, 84% of the force is contributing to a Thrift Savings Plan account, Busch said, “so they’re setting themselves up for their future, and that was one of our main goals.”

Service members under the BRS pull up the overall participation rate in TSP, which was about 48% at the end of 2017, just before the BRS was implemented. Now, about 88% of BRS participants and 78% in the legacy system are contributing to their retirement savings, according to the Federal Retirement Thrift Investment Board.

Service members also seem to be bucking some national trends, defense officials said.

“While contributions to 401k programs decreased significantly in 2022 among the U.S. population in general, and withdrawals from 401k programs increased significantly among the U.S. population in general in 2022, service members under the BRS continued to contribute to TSP at high rates and withdrawal rates did not increase,” said Pentagon spokeswoman Nicole Schwegman.

BRS offers a combination of monthly retired pay for those who qualify, along with a Defense Department contribution to the service member’s Thrift Savings Plan. All covered members receive a government contribution that equals 1% of basic or inactive duty pay to their tax-advantaged retirement account after 60 days of service. After two years of service, and continuing through their 26th year, they can also receive up to an additional 4% matching contribution, for a total of 5%. So, if service members are contributing 5% of their basic pay each month, that’s 10% going into their retirement accounts.

Schwegman said BRS “has resulted in significantly increased retirement savings among service members of all ranks.”

Service members with TSP accounts:

Among other features are continuation pay, a mid-career cash payout — a retention incentive in return for additional service. That money can also be contributed to their TSP account, up to the amounts allowed by the Internal Revenue Service.

The BRS, coupled with the ongoing financial literacy training, could be “a model for how to incentivize better financial responsibility among young people,” said Andrew Corso, principal director in the Office of the Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Military Manpower and Personnel.

Corso previously administered military retirement and annuity programs for DoD and was the project manager for the implementation of the Blended Retirement System.

“Our E-1s, E-2s are putting away hundreds and thousands of dollars a year in retirement,” Corso said. “That’s a good news message.”

USAA’s Montanaro agrees.

“For me, the potential for the program to be impactful is all about the education ‘wrapper’ that surrounds BRS and the chance that good habits and decisions will flow from the DoD’s work,” he said.

Hanging up the uniform

To date, some 224,000 BRS participants have already separated from the military, according to the Federal Retirement Thrift Investment Board. They can leave that money in their TSP account or move it to another retirement account. But if the money is withdrawn from a retirement account before age 59½, there are generally significant tax penalties.

Before BRS, those 224,000 service members would have been among the more than 80 percent of service members who left the military without a retirement benefit from the government.

For those troops who serve until retirement eligibility, the monthly retired pay under the BRS is 20% less than it would have been under the legacy system. So, BRS offers a pension after 20 years of service that equals 2.0% of average basic pay during the member’s three highest-paid years, multiplied by the total number of years served.

Although service members can reduce their 5% BRS contribution, the vast majority are not making that conscious decision to leave money on the table. According to DoD, about 80% of active duty and 70% of reserve component service members in BRS are contributing at least 5% to their TSP. The percentage is highest in the Marine Corps, with 82.5% of active duty Marines contributing at least 5%.

In addition, 39 percent of active duty members in BRS are contributing more than 5% to their TSP. About one in four reserve component members in BRS are contributing more than the 5%.

Participation in the TSP isn’t limited to those enrolled in BRS, of course. Since October 2001, troops have been able to contribute to TSP plans, but DoD didn’t offer a matching contribution. As of May, 1.3 million troops in the legacy retirement system had TSP accounts, with an average balance of $39,252, according to the federal board.

Of those, 648,000 were non-BRS service members who have separated or retired from the military, but still have their TSP accounts. While they have accumulated money for their future, they did it on their own without DoD matching contributions.

Has BRS affected recruiting, retention?

fIt’s too early to tell whether BRS has had an effect on recruiting or retention, especially since the pandemic hit two years after the start of BRS, said those who attended the BRS symposium, which included service branch representatives, current and former DoD compensation experts and academics. The services are also dealing with a recruiting crisis.

Part of the symposium focused on whether the services could better use the BRS continuation pay tool, tailoring it to the needs of the services. The one-time payment is made between eight and 12 years of service, in exchange for a commitment to serve additional years. The services have flexibility in their programs. For 2023, Marine Corps continuation pay for active duty personnel in BRS was twice as high as the other services, at five times monthly basic pay, compared to 2.5 times monthly basic pay for the other branches.

“The data we need to make decisions about how to best tailor opportunities of BRS is likely to lag behind when we need to make those decisions,” said Col. Eric Reid, director of the Marine Corps Talent Management Strategy Group. He noted that the first service members who opted into the BRS will hit the 20-year service mark in three years.

David Chu, who served as undersecretary of defense for personnel and readiness from 2001 to 2009, cautioned against using BRS too much as a management tool. Most of the force is young, thinking about their current car payment, and BRS is about “the distant reward,” said Chu, now an adjunct staff member and former president of the Institute for Defense Analyses.

BRS is one of few examples where a public compensation benefit has actually been reduced, he said. While it took something away by reducing the retirement pay benefit after 20 years of service, it also provided something extra upfront for retirement savings, he said.

He noted that many felt the legacy retirement system was unfair, because the vast majority of troops left with no financial benefit.

“Where BRS was successful was in raising the issue of fairness and social justice as a motivation for change,” he said.

Military retirees living in Turkey have been put on notice that, beginning in fiscal 2024, they will not have access to U.S. military bases in that country — but they have just received a 3½ month reprieve from the original June 15 cutoff date.

The memo rescinding the Thursday deadline was issued June 13 by Air Force Col. Calvin B. Powell, commander of the 39th Air Base Wing at Incirlik Air Base. The restrictions are now scheduled to take effect Oct. 1. Powell’s original memo, dated May 27, gave retirees roughly two weeks’ notice.

“The United States’ bilateral agreements with Turkey do not permit U.S. Forces to extend [Status of Forces Agreement] privileges or access to installations, facilities and activities to retirees,” according to Powell’s June 13 memo.

Turkey isn’t the only country where changes are being considered. Officials at Aviano Air Base, Italy, are “looking into potential access changes,” said Air Force Capt. Mark Goss, a spokesman for U.S. Air Forces in Europe and Air Forces Africa. “At this time we cannot confirm if/when this change may take place” at Aviano, he said. “If there is a change in installation access policies, wing leadership will communicate this to those affected.”

Goss later provided updated information about changes at Aviano. As of Aug. 31, DoD civilian retiree ID cards will no longer be valid, regardless of the expiration date.

These retirees will now be required to get a Real ID or Real ID Act-compliant driver’s license from their state, and must register with the 31st Security Forces Squadron Visitor Control Center, using their Real ID and a Standard Form-50.

“Installation access for DoD civilian retirees will be at the discretion of the installation commander,” Goss said. “Retired uniformed service members will not lose base access on Aug. 31.

“Any changes will be in accordance with U.S. and Italian installation access policies,” he said. “The 31st Fighter Wing will continue to work with the host nation to ensure all those who served continue to have access to Aviano Air Base, Italy.”

Changes in the Philippines regarding access to military postal services had also been in the works last year, but were put on hold.

For retirees in Turkey, it means they are prohibited from shopping at commissaries and Army and Air Force Exchange Service locations, according to Powell’s memo. Retirees also will not be authorized to use military postal services beyond Oct. 1. It revokes access to the Defense Enrollment Eligibility Reporting System and ID card offices, the Tricare representative, legal offices, and every other service available on the installations and geographically separated units.

The new rules apply to Incirlik Air Base, Izmir Air Station and Ankara Air Station, as well as the 425th Air Base Squadron and 717th Air Base Squadron, two geographically separated units.

“This impacts a lot of retired U.S. Army and U.S. Air Force NCOs and their families,” said one retiree, who asked to remain anonymous. “Retirees have had access for years. Many living here depend on the APO lifeline for Tricare and VA medication refills.”

Express Scripts Pharmacy can only mail Tricare prescription medications to U.S.-based addresses, State Department Pouch Mail and APO/FPO/DPO addresses.

A big concern for him, he said, is voting. Retirees in Turkey and elsewhere rely on the APO mail system to vote in U.S. elections. The military postal service is more reliable for getting their ballots from local election officials in the U.S. and returning them in time to be counted.

In the summer of 2022, military retirees in the Philippines were told their military mail privileges would be cut off, but that decision was put on hold pending further review by defense officials.

According to Department of Defense actuarial tables, there were 121 military retirees living in Turkey as of September 2020. The new rules also affect their widows and dependents.

The number could be an undercount, the retiree stated, because it probably doesn’t count retirees who live in Turkey half the year.

Goss said the decision was a result of a “comprehensive review of the mission sets of the 39th Air Base Wing units in Turkiye, force protection conditions, resources and manning, and all relevant agreements, laws and regulations” to ensure compliance in international agreements with Turkey, and to ensure that their geographically separated units “remain effective in their mission.”

In effect, this allows base privileges for those from other countries, but not for military retirees, the retiree said.

“In Izmir, the U.S. air facility is about three miles from NATO Land Command headquarters,” the retiree said. “Its sole purpose is to support NATO. Now our allies can use the [exchange] and commissary, but long-serving American military retirees can’t. In Ankara, it is the same. While retirees in Incirlik have not had access for years because it is a Turkish-flagged air base, they have been able to visit Ankara or Izmir.”

Officials are not rescinding the retirees’ privileges per se, he said. “They’re just barring access to the buildings,” which has the same effect.

At Aviano Air Base, word has gotten out that changes in base access may be afoot, said the son of one military widow. His mother needs to be able to go the credit union and post office, he said.

“Her Social Security and survivor’s benefits come to her credit union [on Aviano], and they are getting more stringent about requiring account holders to come in person,” he said.

She’s elderly and in poor health, he said, and needs someone to drive her and help her about. But over the past year, she has also had more trouble in getting access for her sons to bring her on base, although they have U.S. passports.

Nearly half of those who responded said they don’t feel confident they’ll be able to maintain their standard of living in retirement, according to the report titled “The Hidden Financial Costs of Military Spouse Unemployment.” And their responses indicate spouses’ average total savings represent a “small fraction” of what they’ll need in retirement.

The survey and study were conducted by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation’s Hiring our Heroes and Syracuse University’s D’Aniello Institute for Veterans and Military Families (IVMF). The online survey was fielded from Feb. 16 to March 9.

The survey was open to civilian military spouses who have never served in the military themselves and who are married to an active duty, reserve or National Guard member; retiree or veteran. About 59% of the survey participants are married to enlisted personnel (42% in grades E-5 to E-7), and 39% are married to commissioned officers.

The vast majority — 80% — of the respondents are active duty spouses, and 90% said their spouse’s military service negatively affects their career. Of those surveyed, 16% are not in the labor force and aren’t actively seeking work. But among the group of spouses who are participating in the labor force, 68% are employed and 32% reported being unemployed — they’d actively sought work in the previous four weeks. For years, the unemployment rate for military spouses has hovered around 22%, although the numbers vary widely. Some polls have shown the pandemic has exacerbated the employment problems of military spouses.

And spouses report underemployment — 88% said the military lifestyle affects their ability to get a job at their experience and/or education level.

While many spouses are focused on the effects their employment situation and loss of income is having on their family now, they may not be thinking about the consequences down the road. The study’s researchers urge more study of the economic impact of military spouses’ total lost wages, including retirement savings, as a result of the constant military moving and other issues associated with the military lifestyle.

“Often when we’re talking about retirement in military families, we’re looking at it from the service member first and not talking about the military spouse’s retirement,” said Hisako Sonethavilay, senior adviser of research and innovation for Hiring Our Heroes.. “It was important for us to look at the spouse and how they’re doing as an individual.”

She said Hiring Our Heroes was approached by First Command Financial Services about doing the research, focusing on military spouses’ own retirement readiness, and how employment plays a key part in that. First Command funded this research.

“I think more people need to be talking about this, especially when talking about military spouses,” she said. “Military spouses may have never considered the role of retirement benefits when looking at a compensation package.” Spouses need to be armed with knowledge, to make decisions to get the most out of retirement plans they have access to, she said.

Spouses’ level of confidence about maintaining their standard of living in retirement shrinks if they’ve stopped working or have had multiple periods of unemployment, the researchers found, and military spouses can’t contribute to their retirement without adequate income.

“I definitely would like to have had my own opportunity to invest in a retirement plan,” one military spouse participant told researchers. “It wasn’t until the last five years that I realized that I don’t have something. … My husband isn’t worried because he said we have his pension/retirement. However, what happens if something happens to my husband?

“It’s very nerve-wracking.”

The report notes that the participants’ total savings represents a “small fraction” of what they’ll need in retirement: Employed active duty spouses have saved, on average, between $31,000 and $40,000. For unemployed spouses, it dropped to an average of $21,000 to $30,000.

Researchers didn’t collect information about the average amount of savings spouses of retirees had amassed going into retirement, and how their retirement savings had an impact on their standard of living as they actually moved into retirement. Fifteen percent of the respondents were identified as veteran/retiree spouses; 4% were Guard or reserve spouses.

The report cites one study by the TransAmerica Center for Retirement Studies in 2019 which found women need to save a median amount of $500,000 to feel financially secure in retirement. In the military spouse study, 92% of the participants were women. While the report doesn’t specify ages, the majority of the spouses likely have decades to go before reaching the usual retirement age, in their 60s. The report does note that 46% of the respondents have been married to their service member 11 years or more; and 54% married 10 years or less.

Employer retirement plans are key

Of the active duty spouse respondents, 82% have, or have had, access to employer-sponsored retirement benefits such as 401(k) plans at some point since they started working full time and were married to their service member, according to the researchers. Information was not available about how many of those active duty spouses actually contribute or have contributed to plans.

These plans allow employees to make contributions from their paychecks into investment accounts for retirement, which always belong to the employee. Many employers also match a portion of an employee’s contributions to the account, but those employer matching funds don’t always immediately belong to the employee. The employee is required to stay with the employer for a specific period of time before they become “vested,” or have 100% ownership of the matching funds.

One surprising finding was that access to employer-sponsored retirement benefits improves a military spouse’s outlook on retirement — if their benefits vest, Sonethavilay said. But spouses often can’t stay with one employer long enough to get “vested” in retirement benefits, because of military-related moves.

About 58% of those active duty spouses with access to these employer plans said they’re rarely or never vested in their employer’s contributions since marrying their service member and working full time.

That means lost retirement funds. That also negatively affects the spouses’ confidence in their ability to retire comfortably: More than half of spouses who aren’t confident in their ability to retire comfortably never or rarely get vested in their company matching contributions.

So, the researchers recommended finding ways to ensure spouses aren’t penalized when they have to quit a job because of a military-related move. One option is a federal retirement savings option for military spouses that provides easier management of benefits earned from multiple employers.

Another recommendation is to continue to find ways to create more career pathways for military spouses and to focus on workplace flexibility, to include remote and portable work opportunities. Defense and service officials have been pushing for these opportunities for decades.

Another surprising finding, Sonethavilay said, is that 40% of the survey participants with long-term investment accounts aren’t very, or at all, confident in managing their accounts.

Researchers recommended promoting available free financial education and financial planning services for military spouses to help them understand the importance of saving for retirement and creating a retirement savings plan.

Among other findings:

88% say the military lifestyle affects their ability to find jobs at their experience and/or education level. 37% of the spouses have a bachelor’s degree and 38% have a master’s, professional or doctorate degree.

68% of employed active duty spouses are saving on their own, separately from what they’re saving with their service member. The number drops to 31% for those participants who are currently unemployed.

Spouses reported the two most important benefits of having a long-term second income are the ability to retire comfortably (71%) and the ability to accumulate savings (60%). Next are the ability to afford the cost of everyday goods (49%); ability to buy a home (46%), and ability to send kids to college (42%).

Recruiting for the survey was conducted through social media and email; it’s not a scientific random sampling. Researchers noted that the survey results aren’t meant to represent the broader population of military spouses, and can’t be generalized to describe the experience of every military spouse. Since many of the participants are active duty spouses looking for professional career services, the survey sample overrepresents spouses of senior enlisted service members and officers.

The Syrian Foreign Ministry said in a statement that Damascus “denies it had kidnapped or is holding any American citizen on its territories.”

“The U.S. issued last week misleading and illogical statements by the American president and secretary of state that included baseless accusations against Syria that it had kidnapped or detained American citizens including former U.S. Marine Austin Tice,” the statement said.

Biden’s comments came in a statement released by the White House to mark the 10th anniversary of Tice’s abduction, which took place when he was in Syria covering its lengthy conflict. Biden’s remarks were the clearest indication so far that the U.S. is certain Tice is being held by the government of President Bashar Assad.

“We know with certainty that he has been held by the Government of Syria,” Biden said in his statement. “We have repeatedly asked the government of Syria to work with us so that we can bring Austin home.”

The U.S. government has pushed Syria to return every American, State Department Spokesman Ned Price told reporters on Tuesday. On Tice’s case specifically, he said, the Biden administration has “engaged extensively ― and that includes directly ― with Syrian officials and through third parties.”

“Syria has never acknowledged holding him,” Price said of Tice, adding that “we are not going to be deterred in our efforts. We are going to pursue every avenue for securing Austin’s safe return.”

The Syrian Foreign Ministry denied in its statement having any secret contacts with U.S. officials on the missing Americans, adding that “any official dialogue with the American government will only be public based on the respect of Syria’s sovereignty.”

In May, top Lebanese security official Maj. Gen. Abbas Ibrahim met with U.S. officials in Washington as part of mediation efforts between the U.S. and Syria for Tice’s release. Ibrahim, the chief of Lebanon’s General Security Directorate, has mediated complicated hostage releases in the past.

In May, Biden met Tice’s parents and reiterated his commitment to working toward “Austin’s long overdue return to his family.”

In the final months of the Trump administration, two U.S. officials — including the government’s top hostage negotiator, Roger Carstens, a former Army Special Forces officer — made a secret visit to Damascus to seek information on Tice and other Americans who have disappeared in Syria. It was the highest-level talks in years between the U.S. and Assad’s government, though Syrian officials offered no meaningful information on Tice.

Tice went missing shortly after his 31st birthday on Aug. 14, 2012, at a checkpoint in a contested area west of the capital of Damascus.

A video released a month later showed him blindfolded and held by armed men, saying, “Oh, Jesus.” He has not been heard from since.

Tice is one of two Americans who went missing in Syria. The other is Majd Kamalmaz, a psychologist from Virginia, who vanished in Syria in 2017.

Tice is from Houston and his work had been published by The Washington Post, McClatchy newspapers and other outlets. He went to Syria to cover the conflict that started in 2011. The war has left hundreds of thousands dead and displaced nearly half of the pre-conflict population of 23 million. More than 5 million of those are outside the country.

Mroue reported from Beirut.

Sandoval died late Friday at a hospital in Shiprock, New Mexico, his wife, Malula told The Associated Press on Saturday. He was 98.

Hundreds of Navajos were recruited from the vast Navajo Nation to serve as Code Talkers with the U.S. Marine Corps. Only three are still alive today: Peter MacDonald, John Kinsel Sr. and Thomas H. Begay.

The Code Talkers took part in every assault the Marines conducted in the Pacific, sending thousands of messages without error on Japanese troop movements, battlefield tactics and other communications critical to the war’s ultimate outcome. The code, based on the then-unwritten Navajo language, confounded Japanese military cryptologists and is credited with helping the U.S. win the war.

Samuel Sandoval was on Okinawa when got word from another Navajo Code Talker that the Japanese had surrendered and relayed the message to higher-ups. He had a close call on the island, which brought back painful memories that he kept to himself, Malula Sandoval said.

The Navajo men are celebrated annually on Aug. 14. Samuel Sandoval was looking forward to that date and seeing a museum built near the Navajo Nation capital of Window Rock to honor the Code Talkers, she said.

“Sam always said, ‘I wanted my Navajo youngsters to learn, they need to know what we did and how this code was used and how it contributed to the world,’” she said Saturday. “That the Navajo language was powerful and always to continue carrying our legacy.”

Sandoval was born in Nageezi near Chaco Culture National Historical Park in northwestern New Mexico. He enlisted in the Marine Corps after attending a Methodist school where he was discouraged from speaking Navajo. He helped recruit other Navajos from the school to serve as Code Talkers, expanding on words and an alphabet that an original group of 29 Navajos created.

Sandoval served in five combat tours and was honorably discharged in 1946. The Code Talkers had orders not to discuss their roles — not during the war and not until their mission was declassified in 1968.

The roles later became an immense source of pride for Sandoval and his late brother, Merrill Sandoval, who also was a Code Talker. The two became talented speakers who always hailed their fellow Marines still in action as the heroes, not themselves, said Merrill Sandoval’s daughter, Jeannie Sandoval.

“We were kids, all growing up and we started to hear about the stories,” she said. “We were so proud of them, and there weren’t very many brothers together.”

Sandoval was curious, always reading the local newspapers, and attending community, veterans, Code Talker and legislative meetings. He enjoyed traveling and sharing what he learned, grounded in his Diné beliefs and the Navajo way of life, said one of his daughters, Karen John.

“It was engrained early in me, to be part of the community,” she said. “He was really involved in a lot, some of which I couldn’t comprehend as a kid.”

Samuel Sandoval often told his story, chronicled in a book and documentary of the same name — “Naz Bah Ei Bijei: Heart of a Warrier” — at the Cortez Cultural Center in Cortez, Colorado. He had a favorite folding chair there with vinyl padding and took coffee black, said executive director Rebecca Levy.

Levy said Sandoval’s talks drew dozens of people, some of whom had to be turned away because of space limitations.

“It was a great opportunity for people who understood how important the Navajo Code Talkers were to the outcome of the war, in our favor … to thank him in person,” Levy said.

Sandoval’s health had been declining in recent years, including a fall in which he fractured a hip, Malula Sandoval said. His last trip was to New Orleans in June where he received the American Spirit Award from the National World War II Museum, she said. MacDonald, Kinsel and Begay also were honored.

Sandoval and his wife met while he was running a substance abuse counseling clinic, and she was a secretary, she said. They were married 33 years. Sandoval raised 11 children from previous marriages and in blended families, John said.

Navajo President Jonathan Nez said Sandoval will be remembered as a loving and courageous person who defended his homeland using his sacred language.

“We are saddened by his passing, but his legacy will always live on in our hearts and minds,” Nez said in a statement.

Navajo Nation Council Speaker Seth Damon said Sandoval’s life was guided by character, courage, honor and integrity, and his impact will forever be remembered.

“May he rest among our most resilient warriors,” Damon said in a statement.

Funeral services are pending.

Military service members and veterans have seen major changes to their pay and benefits over the past several years.

For the most part, it’s good news.

Basic pay has been rising, and service members saw a 2.7% increase in 2022. Basic Allowance for Housing increased, on average, by 5.1% in 2022, up from 2021′s 2.9% increase. It was the largest BAH increase since before 2016.

The BAH increase reflects the skyrocketing costs of housing around the country. At the same time other increasing costs nationwide, including health care costs, have affected military families in other ways, with some increases in Tricare costs and pharmacy costs.

While the pandemic affected many services and programs offered to military families, it’s also brought home the need for using technology to amplify these services, such as more telehealth offered by the Military Health System.

Whether it’s health care, retirement benefits, commissaries and exchanges, family support, VA loans, GI bill education benefits or the plethora of other benefits, maximizing the options available to you is essential to making the most out of your military career. These are generous benefits. You’ve earned them. Getting smart about what has changed and what has not is worth your time.

Basic Pay — A big increase may be coming

Service members saw a significant pay increase in January, but the 2023 pay raise could be the largest in decades.

Basic pay is determined by rank and length of service, with automatic raises when troops meet certain time and promotion markers. In addition, each year Congress determines how much of a pay raise all troops should get.

The figure is tied by law to the anticipated increase in private sector pay, but lawmakers in the past have approved bigger raises to help with recruitment and retention or smaller raises to save money for other military priorities.

What’s the average military pay increase?

The annual military pay increase takes effect in January of each year. The White House issues its target for the hike each August, either going along with the projected rise in private sector wages, known as the Employment Cost Index, or offering justification for proposing a different rate.

Congress has the final say, however. In the past, lawmakers have overridden attempts by the White House to submit lower pay raises in an effort to save money for other priorities. The raise is usually applied across the board, although lawmakers made an exception at the height of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan to provide more money for some mid-career service members to help with retention.

The most junior enlisted service members make around $25,000 a year in basic pay (not including allowances, special pays and other benefits), while enlisted troops nearing retirement typically earn about $70,000 annually.

Officer pay is significantly higher: The most junior officers clear close to $40,000 a year while senior officers nearing 20 years of service can make in excess of $170,000. That means that even a small change in the anticipated pay raise calculations can make a big difference for military families.

For example, in past years (not in 2022) the Pentagon has backed plans for a pay raise 0.5 percent below the federal formula for the annual increases.

If that reduction were put in place for 2023, an E-4 with three years of service would see a difference of about $160 in take-home pay over the course of a year compared to the expected level of pay boost. For a senior enlisted or junior officer, the difference is closer to $340 over 12 months.

Outside advocates have said even though those gaps won’t cover a mortgage payment, they are the difference between being able to afford a monthly co-pay for prescriptions or having to go without. That makes even small increases or trims a major issue in the military community.

Since the start of the all-volunteer military force in 1973, Congress has authorized a pay raise of at least 1 percent for troops every year, even during budget cycles where other civilian wages held steady. Since 2018, those increases have been 2.5 percent or more.

The 2022 and 2023 troop pay raise

The 2.7 percent pay raise troops received in January 2022 was just slightly below the 3.0 percent raise they got in 2021. That increase matched the federal formula based on the annual Employment Cost Index calculation.

For junior enlisted troops, the raise means about $800 more in take-home pay this year. For senior enlisted and junior officers, it’s about $1,400 more. An O-4 with 12 years service will see about $2,600 more over 2021 pay levels.

Discussions on the fiscal 2023 pay raise have not yet begun on Capitol Hill, but are expected to commence in March. The ECI formula calls for a 4.6 percent pay raise in 2023, significantly above this year’s raise. If that figure is approved, it will be the largest pay boost for military members in 20 years.

Congress is expected to debate the pay raise level along with the rest of the defense budget over the next few months. Typically, the full budget plan is not approved until winter, even though the next fiscal year begins Oct. 1. However, during election years (like this one), Congress sometimes completes the work earlier to avoid post-election conflicts with outgoing members.

Basic Allowance for Housing climbs sharply

This year, the Basic Allowance for Housing saw the largest increase since before 2016. It increased, on average, by 5.1%.

That percentage is an average across the board, and Defense Department data showed that nearly half of the 300 military housing areas in the U.S. saw increases of more than the 5.1%.

Generally, rates for BAH are adjusted once a year, and take effect Jan. 1. But the surging housing costs in 2021 caused DoD to move quickly to ease the financial burden for service members, by authorizing a temporary BAH increase in 56 military housing areas. The service members were eligible from Oct. 1 through Dec. 31, 2021. Troops were required to apply for the extra money, and it’s retroactive. Those temporary increases ended when the new 2022 rates took effect. But troops can still apply for the past allowance to which they were entitled.

This tax-free benefit is set at a level intended to cover 95 percent of the anticipated housing costs for each assigned duty post in the U.S. Individual service members are now expected to pay the remaining 5 percent of housing costs with out-of-pocket cash.

Are off-base troops eligible for BAH?

Basic Allowance for Housing provides service members not living on base or in government-provided housing a cash supplement to be able to rent housing at local market rates. The amount paid to a service member depends on rank, whether or not they have dependents, and where they are based.

Who’s eligible for BAH?

Any active-duty service member stationed in the 50 U.S. states who is not provided with government-owned housing is eligible. Those living in privatized housing — owned and operated by civilian companies for the military — generally pay their BAH each month to the housing company. Those stationed in U.S. territories, possessions or overseas who are not provided government housing are eligible for an Overseas Housing Allowance, which is calculated under a separate formula.

BAH is non-taxable, and unlike the Overseas Housing Allowance, if a service member can find housing in the civilian community below the BAH rate for their assigned location, they are able to pocket the difference, because what service members actually spend is not used to calculate BAH. (In Overseas Housing Allowance, however, it’s “use it or lose it.” Service members lose whatever portion of OHA they do not spend.)

How BAH is calculated

DoD calculates median rental costs for 300 military housing areas, including Alaska and Hawaii. The calculations are based on the rental costs for a 1 or 2 bedroom apartment, a 2 or 3 bedroom townhome, and a 3 or 4 bedroom single family home, and then set against specific enlisted and officer ranks for a service member with dependents and service members without dependents.

Based on rank and the local real estate market, monthly BAH varies widely. For example, an E-1 without dependents at Twentynine Palms Marine Corps Base, Calif., receives $1,146 a month . An O4 with dependents stationed there gets $2,274. An O6 with dependents stationed at Fort Sill, Okla., gets $1,926 a month, according to DoD.

Check your rates For details of locations across the country, you can use the Defense Department’s official BAH calculator.

What if BAH for my area is cut while I live there?

Service members are protected from falling rates under a rate protection policy that maintains their current rate for as long as they remain at their location, regardless of whether the official rates drop. However, they will receive the new, lower rate if they are demoted or if their dependency status changes, in which case they’d receive the current rate for their new status.

If rates rise in a location, all service members receive the higher rates regardless of when they arrived. Two rates are set for each location by a survey of rental costs: The with-dependents rate goes to personnel with at least one dependent, whether that be a spouse or a child, and does not increase for additional family members.

What if my spouse and I are both in the military?

If there are no children, both spouses get the without-dependents rate. If the couple has children, one spouse receives the with-dependent BAH rate, while the other gets the single-rate BAH.

More information on BAH is available here.

Military Retirement Pay — know your options

All service members entering the military are automatically enrolled in the Blended Retirement System, or BRS. Only those with service prior to 2018 remain in the legacy, all-or-nothing 20-year pension plan.

The BRS combines traditional monthly retirement checks of the legacy system with some new features that allow military members to take some government benefits with them even if they don’t serve up to the 20-year mark to qualify for a retirement pension. Historically, only 19% of active duty service members and 14% of Guard and reserve members in the legacy system served long enough to get retirement benefits.

In 2018, more than 400,000 eligible service members opted into the new BRS, out of the 1.6 million active duty and reserve troops who were eligible to make a choice between the legacy system and the new system.

Whether you opted in or are part of the new crop of service members automatically enrolled in the BRS, you need to pay attention to the key elements of the system, because it’s a critical part of your retirement planning and financial future.

How the Blended Retirement System works

Under the BRS, you’ll get the traditional monthly retirement pay for life if you serve for 20 years or more and earn a full retirement from the military, but it’s 20% less than what it is under the legacy system.

If you retire from active duty with 20 years of service under BRS, you’ll receive 40% of the average of your highest 36 months of active duty pay as your retirement pay, and that percentage increases by 2% for each additional year of service. The retirement pay has an annual cost of living adjustment. (The legacy benefit provided 50% of your highest 36 months of pay.)

How the DoD’s Thrift Savings Plan works

The Thrift Savings Plan, or TSP, is like a private-sector 401(k) retirement plan savings account. The TSP has been available to service members for years, but there was no government match until now. The money you contribute to your TSP is always yours. You own the DoD contributions after you serve at least two years.

Here’s how it works: After you have served for 60 days, a TSP account will be created, and automatic deductions of 3% of your basic pay start going to your TSP. (You can change that amount, but by law you will automatically be reenrolled at 3% each year.) DoD kicks in 1% automatically but will contribute up to an additional 4% of base pay to match your contributions.

So, if you put in 5% of your base pay to your TSP, DoD also puts in 5%. Making your 5% contribution to your TSP is key to getting the maximum benefit out of BRS.

While service members should contribute at least 5% of their basic pay to get the full DoD match — and not leave money on the table — everyone can contribute more, up to a limit of $20,500 in 2022. For those with civilian retirement accounts such as a 401(k) as well as a TSP, the contribution limits apply to the combined amounts.

What’s continuation pay and when is it paid?

The services will make a one-time payout of continuation pay when the service member reaches 12 years of service. To receive that continuation pay, which is similar to a retention bonus, you must commit to serve an additional four years.

In 2022, active duty members get 2.5 times their monthly basic pay as of the first day of their 12th year of service. Reserve and Guard members get 0.5 times their monthly pay — except for those in the Army Reserve and Guard, who get 4 times their monthly pay. It’s the prerogative of the services to adjust that multiplier to meet their needs, such as retention. Continuation pay is taxable, but you can also contribute all or part of it to your TSP. You can receive it in a lump sum or, to help reduce your taxes, you can opt to receive continuation pay in four equal installments over four years.

Lump sum retirement pay option

When you retire under BRS, you can request an up-front, lump-sum payment of part of the retirement pay you’d receive before you reach full Social Security retirement age, which for most people is age 67. You can opt to receive either 25% or 50% of its “discounted present value.” That means the amount is cut by a discount rate published yearly. For 2022, it’s a 6.54% reduction.

If you take the lump sum, the retirement checks are reduced by either 25% or 50%, depending on the percentage you received, until you reach age 67. At that point, your retirement check returns to its full amount. The lump sum is taxable; retirees can choose to receive the money in up to four installments over four years to reduce the tax burden.

Tip: To get the most out of your BRS benefit, make sure you’re contributing at least 5% to your Thrift Savings Plan account, to get the matching DoD contribution of up to 5%. Why turn down free money?

You can find more information at the Defense Department’s Blended Retirement System website.

Tricare changes: What you need to know

The Tricare health care program is one of the most important benefits for almost 9.6 million beneficiaries.

In 2022, Tricare beneficiaries added their health care costs to the list of costs that were increasing in the current economic environment. Generally speaking, if a Tricare beneficiary paid out-of-pocket for Tricare before, those costs went up. Active duty service members don’t have any out-of-pocket costs.

Pharmacy costs also increased for 2022, with co-payment increases ranging from $1 to $8. The increase doesn’t affect active-duty service members, who pay nothing for their covered medications through military pharmacies, retail network pharmacies and through the home delivery benefit. The military pharmacy is still the lowest cost option for all military beneficiaries, because there’s no cost for covered generic and brand-name drugs at these pharmacies.

There were also changes to the Tricare retail pharmacy network in December, 2021. CVS returned to the network. Walmart, Sam’s Club and some community pharmacies left the retail pharmacy network. CVS has nearly 10,000 pharmacy locations, including many inside Target stores. The Tricare retail pharmacy network has more than 59,000 pharmacies.

The Tricare health program has also temporarily expanded the telehealth program during the national health emergency declared because of the pandemic, to make it easier for military beneficiaries to get care. Tricare covers telehealth visits by telephone, and eliminates patient co-pays and cost shares for telehealth options.

For several years before the pandemic, Tricare has covered the use of secure video conferencing to provide medically necessary services, allowing patients to connect with a provider using a computer or smartphone. Tricare has also expanded the medical services eligible for telehealth.

Who’s eligible for Tricare?

Tricare offers 11 different options, with choices depending on the status of the military sponsor and the geographic location: Active-duty members; military retirees; National Guard and Reserve members; family members (spouses and children registered in the Defense Enrollment Eligibility Reporting System) and certain others, including some former military spouses and survivors, as well as Medal of Honor recipients and their immediate families.

Those entering the military on or after Jan. 1, or changing status (i.e., from active duty to retired) should make sure they and their eligible family members are enrolled in the Tricare program of their choice. Those who don’t enroll may only receive care at a military clinic or hospital on a space-available basis, and medical care by civilian providers wouldn’t be covered. The one-month open season begins on the Monday of the second full week in November and goes through the Monday of the second full week in December. During that time, you can enroll in a new Tricare Prime or Tricare Select plan; or change your enrollment. If you’re satisfied with your current Tricare health plan you don’t have to take action to stay enrolled.

The law overhauling Tricare included the strict limitation on switching between Tricare plans. Beneficiaries can’t switch between Tricare Prime and Tricare Select until the yearly open season starting each November, unless there’s some sort of qualifying life event, such as the birth of a baby, a move to a new duty station, marriage or retirement.

And for retirees, a new dental program, the Federal Employees Dental and Vision Insurance Program, or FEDVIP, has replaced the now-defunct Tricare Retiree Dental Program.

What are the Tricare options?

Tricare offers two core options: Tricare Prime and Tricare Select. Select replaced Tricare Standard and Tricare Extra in 2018. All active-duty members are required to enroll in Tricare Prime; they pay nothing out of pocket. Active-duty families can enroll in Tricare Prime without an enrollment fee. Prime beneficiaries are assigned a primary care manager, or PCM, at their local military treatment facility or, if one is not available, they can select a PCM within the Tricare Prime network. Specialty care is provided on referral by the PCM, either to specialists at a military facility or a civilian provider.

Tricare Select is similar to a traditional fee-for-service health plan. Patients can see any authorized provider they choose but must pay a deductible and co-pays for visits. Patients pay lower out-of-pocket costs when they receive care from a provider within the Tricare network.

All Tricare programs have a cap on how much a family pays out of pocket each fiscal year, depending on the sponsor’s status and the type of Tricare program used.

By law, Tricare beneficiaries fall into one of two categories:

• Group A: Sponsors who entered the military before Jan. 1, 2018, and their dependents; and
• Group B: Sponsors who entered the military on or after Jan 1, 2018, and their dependents.

Those in Group A and Group B have different enrollment fees and out-of-pocket costs.

What are the Tricare plans?

• Tricare Prime: Prime is similar to a health maintenance organization, which has lower out-of-pocket costs but requires enrollees to use network providers and coordinate care through a primary care manager — a doctor, nurse practitioner or medical team. It’s free to active-duty members. If you’re an active duty family enrolled in a Tricare Prime plan, you won’t have to pay enrollment fees, or co-payments unless you’re using the point-of-service option or filling a prescription outside of a military pharmacy. Retirees must pay an annual enrollment fee (Group A retirees pay $323 for an individual, $647 for a family in 2022). Co-payments for medical visits are lower than other programs.
• Tricare Prime Remote: Service members who live and work more than 50 miles or an hour’s drive from the nearest military treatment facility must enroll in Tricare Prime Remote. Family members are eligible if they live with an enrolled service member in a qualifying location, or they may use Tricare Select.
• Tricare Prime Overseas/Prime Remote Overseas: Tricare Prime Overseas is a managed-care option for active-duty members and their command-sponsored family members living in nonremote locations. They have assigned primary care managers at a military treatment facility who provide most care and referrals for and coordination of specialty care. Tricare Prime Remote Overseas is a managed care option in designated remote overseas locations, with most care from an assigned primary care manager in the local provider network, who provides referrals for specialty care. Activated National Guard and Reserve members and their families also may enroll in these options while the sponsor is on active duty; retirees and their families aren’t eligible.
• Tricare Select: This is a preferred provider plan — authorized doctors, hospitals and other providers are paid a Tricare-allowable charge for each service performed. Costs are higher for out-of-network providers, and certain procedures require pre-authorization. There is no enrollment fee for active-duty families. By law, Group A working age retirees (those who entered the military before Jan. 1, 2018), were required to start paying monthly enrollment fees in 2021. Copays vary by status and type of care: An in-network primary care outpatient visit costs Group A retirees and their families $32 in Tricare Select for example, while Group A active-duty family members pay $24 and others — Group B active duty family members those whose sponsor entered the network on or after Jan. 1, 2018, pay $16.
• Tricare Reserve Select: Qualified Selected Reserve members can buy Tricare coverage when they are in drilling status – not mobilized. The program offers coverage similar to Tricare Select.
• Tricare Retired Reserve: “Gray area” National Guard and Reserve retirees who have accumulated enough service to qualify for military retirement benefits but have not reached the age at which they can begin drawing those benefits (usually age 60) can purchase this insurance, which offers coverage similar to Tricare Select.
• Tricare for Life: This wraparound program is for retirees and family members who are eligible for Tricare and Medicare. The provider files the claims with Medicare; Medicare pays its portion and then sends the claim to the Tricare for Life claims processor. Enrollees must enroll in Medicare Part A (free for those who paid Medicare taxes while working) and Part B (monthly premium required) to receive Tricare for Life.
• Tricare Young Adult: Unmarried dependent children who do not have private health insurance through an employer may remain in Tricare until age 26 under a parent’s coverage via TYA Select or TYA Prime. Premiums are required for both.
• US Family Health Plan: Beneficiaries who live in one of six designated areas, can enroll in this as a Prime option. Those enrolled get all their care, including prescription drugs, from a primary care provider the beneficiary selects, from a network of private doctors affiliated with one of the not-for-profit health care systems in the plan. Beneficiaries don’t get care at military hospitals or clinics, or from Tricare network providers when enrolled in the U.S. Family Health Plan.

Eligible dependents must be registered

Beneficiaries must take action to enroll in a Tricare plan in order to be covered for civilian health care. Those who don’t enroll will only be able to get health care at a military clinic or hospital on a space available basis.

To be eligible for any of the Tricare plans, beneficiaries must first be enrolled in the Defense Enrollment Eligibility Reporting System. Active-duty members are automatically registered in DEERS when they join the military, but they must register eligible dependent family members. Service members should make sure the information is correct for their family members. Only military members can add or remove family members; this is done through the local ID card office.

Help for military spouses and children

Military families are a microcosm of society, with many of the same needs and issues as their civilian counterparts. But layer on the frequent moves, deployments and other unique aspects of military life, and problems can be intensified with issues such as spouse employment, child care and finances.

Bases worldwide offer families a wide variety of support services, from legal assistance and tax preparation, to child care, education and employment assistance, financial counseling, relocation assistance, youth programs, and deployment and mobilization support. The pandemic may have affected the availability of some services while at the same time, intensifying the need for these services.

Central points of contact start with the family centers on military installations or MilitaryOneSource.mil, which offers access to additional assistance by phone or chat, 24 hours a day.

Most of the information on Military OneSource is available to the public, but some extra services are available for free to service members and their immediate family members, survivors of deceased service members, and certain others. Retiring or separating service members (and their immediate family members) can also access these services for one year after they leave the service.

Among those services are nonmedical counseling — available in person, by phone, secure chat or secure video session — as well as financial counseling, including tax preparation and tax filing help. Spouse employment and education services; language translation services for documents, health and wellness coaching, child/youth behavioral counseling, and family life counseling are also available.

For decades, two of the biggest issues for military spouses have been finding employment and finding good quality, affordable child care. Here are some of the programs that address those needs:

Military spouse employment and education

Spouses can visit their installation’s family center for employment and education assistance. They can also visit the Spouse Education and Career Opportunities, or SECO, section at MilitaryOneSource.mil for information on scholarships and other education and employment needs. SECO offers a free, personalized benefit through certified career counselors to help spouses investigate career options, education options or entrepreneurial projects.

Through DoD’s My Career Advancement Account program, or MyCAA, spouses of certain junior service members can receive tuition assistance of up to $4,000, with an annual cap of $2,000, to pursue licenses, certifications or associate degrees needed for employment in any career field or occupation. This benefit is available to spouses of active duty members in paygrades E-1 to E-5, W-1 and W-2, and O-1 and O-2. Under a recent provision in law, military spouses remain eligible for this financial assistance if their military sponsor is promoted beyond the eligible ranks, as long as they have an approved education and training plan in place through the program. Spouses can also search job opportunities on the Military Spouse Employment Partnership site, where hundreds of businesses that have been vetted by the Defense Department are seeking to hire military spouses.

More than 500 employers are MSEP partners, and as the number has grown over the last 10 years, those employers have hired over more than 200,000 military spouses.

Many military spouses spend time and money getting new professional licenses when they move to a new state. It costs money for exams and other fees, as well as lost pay potential as they go through the process. To help with these costs, the law allows spouses to apply to their service branch for reimbursement up to $1,000, for relicensing and recertification costs each time they relocate with their service member. The Department of Labor has set up a website, based on DoD’s data about licensing, to help military spouses understand the laws of each state, and to find information about the appropriate licensing board in the states for each occupation.

What other options are available to military spouses?

The pandemic has shown the value of remote work in many professions, and remote work can be extremely beneficial for many spouses.

DoD recently started two pilot programs to help military spouses increase their professional knowledge and access to remote work opportunities. Spouses have access, at no cost, to Udemy, an online education platform. Another initiative is providing access to FlexJobs, an online providing vetted, remote job openings across the U.S.

For more information on these initiatives, spouses should visit the Spouse Education and Career Opportunities section of MilitaryOneSource.mil.

Officials are tracking usage of these programs to see whether they should continue.

Child care for military families

The Defense Department child care systems include more than 600 child development centers, school-age care facilities and a number of family child care homes at more than 230 locations worldwide. All are required to adhere to DoD regulations. These programs are nationally recognized for their quality, and programs meet strict standards for curriculum, safety and health. Fees are on a sliding scale based on total family income. Families can learn more about the child care options offered at or near their installation at the official DoD website MilitaryChildCare.com. The website gives parents more visibility over what child care slots are available at multiple installations in a given area, and allows them to register and apply for child care in advance. Families can submit unlimited requests for child care, and remain on waitlists for a preferred program even after being offered care by another program.

Any family child care provider on an installation who offers child care for other families’ children for 10 or more hours per week must be certified through installation officials. Families can get lists of certified family child care homes at their installation’s child development program office. They can also find certified family day care homes through the MilitaryChildCare.com DoD website.

Military families can also find high-quality, subsidized child care in their local civilian community if care is not available on base. Families must register at the MilitaryChildCare.com website for fee assistance through this program, operated through the nonprofit Child Care Aware of America. For more information, visit this site.

What else is the DoD doing to ease the child-care burden?

DoD and the services are looking at new ways to ease the child care shortage, such as streamlining the hiring process for child care workers. Congress has allowed a DoD pilot program that provides fee assistance for in-home child care, for example. It’s currently available in five regions, but is limited to 250 slots. MilitaryChildCare.com provides more information.

Working military families get higher priority in child care programs under a DoD policy implemented recently. The policy also allows officials to displace children who are already in a child development program, whose parents are in a lower priority category, if the military family is expected to be on a wait list for more than 45 days after the time they need care.

Military families also have another option to help them find hourly and on-demand child care. Through MilitaryOneSource, families will get a paid subscription to a service that lets them search for child care providers in the nationally recognized service. DoD doesn’t pay for the child care, but pays for the subscription to the service that provides connections to available child care providers.

Want to buy a home? The VA can help.

The Department of Veterans Affairs home loan program took shape near the end of World War II and has been used by millions of service members and veterans since then. It’s one of the most popular benefits for veterans. Lenders issued a record high 1.4 million VA-backed loans in 2021, with an average loan amount of $310,000. The total loan amount was more than $447 billion.

How does the VA home loan program work?

The VA doesn’t issue the loans, it backs the loans issued by financial institutions. The VA guarantees a percentage of an eligible beneficiaries’ home-purchase or home-refinance loan, allowing the lender to provide better, more affordable terms and often letting the borrower seal the deal without a big cash down payment.

Who’s eligible for a loan under the VA program?

Eligible service members and veterans can apply, via private-sector lenders, for home-purchase loans. As of 2020, there are no VA loan limits for veterans who have the full VA loan entitlement. For a VA-backed home loan, you’ll still need to meet your lender’s credit and income loan requirements in order to receive financing. These VA home purchase loans can be used to buy manufactured homes or homes under construction, in some cases, but not mobile homes.

The VA loan program also offers cashout refinance loans.

An Interest Rate Reduction Refinance Loan can reduce the rate on an existing VA-backed loan.

What are the fees under the VA home loan program?

VA loans come with funding fees that vary by loan type and veteran status. Veterans using the benefit for the first time on a no-down-payment purchase loan pay a 2.3 percent fee, for example, while a veteran making a second cash-out refinance loan would pay a 3.6 percent fee. A full fee table is available.

Veterans receiving VA disability compensation are exempt from fees. Other loans, including joint loans, construction loans and loans to cover costs of energy-efficient repairs, also can be backed by VA. Consult your lender for information.

What to keep in mind when enrolling

The key step for service members and veterans is to obtain a Certificate of Eligibility, either through the VA’s eBenefits site or via their lender, to be eligible for a VA-backed loan.

Those seeking to refinance existing loans should read lenders’ advertising material carefully: VA and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau issued a “warning order” against deceptive lending practices.

Among the red flags: Aggressive sales tactics, low interest rates with unspecified terms and promises that borrowers can skip a mortgage payment as part of the new loan — a practice prohibited by VA.

What’s the VA loan program deadline?

VA loan eligibility does not expire, though the entitlement can only be used for the borrower’s place of residence (not a rental property). It can be reinstated after the loan is paid off or under other circumstances — another veteran can assume the loan, for instance. Learn more Learn more from the VA here.

Which service members qualify for the VA loan program?

Service members whose time in uniform falls within these date ranges must have 90 days of active-duty service to qualify:

• Sept. 16, 1940-July 25, 1947
• June 27, 1950-Jan. 31, 1955
• Aug. 5, 1964-May 7, 1975 (Note: For those who served in the Republic of Vietnam, this era begins Feb. 28, 1961).
• For loan purposes, VA considers “Gulf War” service beginning Aug. 2, 1990, and continuing through the present day. Service members from that time period must have completed 24 months of continuous active-duty service to be eligible, or at least 90 days if they have the right discharge status.
• If your time in uniform doesn’t apply to the date ranges above and you were enlisted and separated on or before Sept. 7, 1980, or if you were an officer and separated on or before Oct. 16, 1981, you need 181 continuous active-duty days to qualify. If your service came after the above date ranges, you need 24 months of time in or less if you have certain discharges.
• Troops now on active duty become eligible after 90 days of service for as long as they remain on active duty. Reserve and National Guard members become eligible after six creditable years in service. Troops discharged for a service-connected disability are eligible regardless of service length.

What’s new in the VA loan program?

The federal law for VA home loans changed in 2020 to make it easier for veterans to buy homes in areas with high real estate values, taking away the loan limit maximums previously required in certain areas of the country.

Some veterans have experienced difficulty in using their VA loan benefit, especially in competitive housing markets in 2021 where multiple bids are made on houses. VA officials have said that misperceptions still persist among sellers and selling agents that VA financing is less desirable than conventional loans. Some advocates have said requirements for the VA loan program are cumbersome and burdensome. VA officials say more industry education is needed.

Those in the industry have recommended that veterans question their realtors and their lenders about their experience and how often they’ve helped veterans use their VA loan benefit. The National Association of Realtors is working to improve perceptions of the VA loan and make it easier for realtors to navigate the VA loan process.

VA officials are working with advocates and Congress on potential changes to the program. Additional details of the home loan process are available here. For more eligibility details, visit VA’s eBenefits site or call 877-827-3702.

GI Bill and Tuition Assistance

In the past year, more students became eligible for VA’s Yellow Ribbon program and new tuition assistance caps were put in place for some service members.

Post-9/11 GI Bill

The Post-9/11 GI Bill is a benefit for the latest generation of service members and veterans, as well as their eligible dependents. It includes payment of tuition and fees, a monthly housing allowance, and a stipend for textbooks and supplies.

The amount of time you spend on active duty determines your benefit level. In general, the higher your benefit level, the less you have to pay out of pocket for school, maxing out at the 100% benefit level, which covers full in-state tuition at public universities.

Here’s what veterans who received an honorable discharge after Sept. 10, 2011, are eligible for based on the amount of time they’ve served:

• 100%: 36 months or more of active duty service, or at least 30 continuous days and discharged due to service-connected disability.
• 90%: At least 30 months, less than 36 months.
• 80%: At least 24 months, less than 30 months.
• 70%: At least 18 months, less than 24 months.
• 60%: At least 6 months, less than 18 months.
• 50%: At least 90 days, less than 6 months.
• No benefit: Less than 90 days.

If your service ended before Jan. 1, 2013, your Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits will expire 15 years after your last separation date from active service. If your service ended after that date, your benefit does not expire.

What does the Post-9/11 GI Bill cover?

You can use your benefits toward an education at a college, university, trade school, flight school or apprenticeship program.

While the benefit covers all in-state tuition and fees at public institutions, it may not have the same reach at a private or foreign school. The maximum tuition coverage for private nonprofit, private for-profit and foreign schools for the 2020-21 school year was $25,162.14. That figure is expected to increase again in August.

How does the Post-9/11 GI Bill housing stipend work?

The housing stipends GI Bill users receive depend on the level of benefits they’re eligible for, how many courses they take and where they go to class.

The rate is determined by DoD’s Basic Allowance for Housing scale and is paid at the same rate an active-duty E-5 with dependents would receive in a particular area. If you are pursuing a degree entirely online, you get half of the national BAH average.

However, Congress passed changes to the program at the start of the coronavirus pandemic to allow students forced online by campus closures and virus mitigation efforts to receive full housing benefits. Those protections are set to last through spring 2022.

The VA had historically based the housing allowance on the location of the main campus of a school, even if the student in question is taking classes at a different branch campus that could be many miles away. However, in 2019, the Forever GI Bill directed VA to instead base the housing allowance on the location where a student takes most of his or her classes.

Can Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits be transferred?

Service members may transfer their benefits to a dependent, provided they have already served in the military for at least six years and agree to serve four more after the transfer is approved by the DoD.

The transfer must happen while you are still in uniform. Veterans who have already separated from the military are not eligible to transfer their benefits. Children are only eligible to start using the transferred benefits after the service member doing the transfer has completed at least 10 years of service. Spouses can use the transferred benefits right away.

What’s new in the Post-9/11 GI Bill program?

A pending court case could allow veterans who are eligible for both the Post-9/11 GI Bill and the Montgomery GI Bill to use both benefits consecutively, essentially giving some veterans another 12 months of education benefits. The issue is under appeal and may not be settled in time for the start of the 2022-2023 academic year.

Active-duty troops who received a Purple Heart for combat injuries are now allowed to transfer their benefits to dependents regardless of how long they served or their ability to commit to more service.

Starting in August 2022, active duty service members are eligible for the VA Yellow Ribbon program, which allows private schools to match VA benefits with their own tuition assistance.

More Post-9/11 GI Bill information

You can find more details here on the GI Bill.

You can head here for a GI Bill Comparison Tool.

You can apply for the Post-9/11 GI Bill online or by visiting a local VA regional office. If you’ve already chosen a school or program, arrange a meeting with the institution’s VA certifying official, who can help you get started.

Tuition assistance for active-duty troops

Service members have more education benefits available to them than just the GI Bill.

While service members can begin to use their GI Bill benefits on active duty, they can often get help paying for college from their service branches — and save the GI Bill for later — by using tuition assistance.

Here’s how tuition assistance works, and what you’ll need to know to make the most of it:

What is military tuition assistance?

Tuition assistance is a federal benefit that covers the cost of tuition, up to particular limits, for active-duty service members, as well as some members of the National Guard and reserves. The funds are paid directly to schools by the service branches.

Who is eligible for military tuition assistance?

Each service has its own requirements.

• Air Force/Space Force: All Air Force and Space Force officers incur a service requirement if they use TA, but there is no service-length requirement to begin using the benefit.
• Navy: Enlisted sailors and officers, including Naval Reservists, must have a minimum of two years of military service before becoming eligible to use TA.
• Army: As of Aug. 5, 2018, there is no longer a one-year waiting period after completion of Advanced Individual Training, Basic Officer Leader Course or Warrant Officer Basic Course to receive TA. Active-duty officers incur a two-year service obligation.
• Marine Corps: After previously having to wait 18 to 24 months to use TA, Marines now have no minimum service-length requirements for the benefit. However, they must agree to at least two more years of active duty service to use the benefit.
• Coast Guard: Active-duty Coast Guard members must have been on long-term active-duty orders for more than 180 days to access TA. The Coast Guard also has unit-specific requirements and requires commanding officer approval.
• Guard/Reserve: Soldiers who are activated or on drill status are eligible under the same conditions as active-duty Army personnel. Air National Guardsmen and reservists of other branches are eligible for TA if they are activated, and the use of TA often comes with a service obligation for a certain amount of time once the last course is completed.

What are the limits?

The Defense Department caps tuition assistance at $250 per semester hour and $4,500 per fiscal year. The Coast Guard recently set its cap for fiscal 2022 at $3,750.

Generally, TA funds can be used to pursue a higher degree than what you have already earned, up to the master’s degree level. If you have a bachelor’s degree, you can use it to pursue a graduate degree — not an associate or second bachelor’s, though there are some exceptions. Some branches require you to create a degree plan or take a branch-specific course before your TA benefits are approved.

Military stores try to broaden their appeal

Two benefits that help those in the military community stretch their dollars are commissaries and exchanges.

Commissaries are on-base stores that sell discounted groceries to authorized customers.

Exchanges are on-base stores (with an online component) that sell a variety of items ranging from clothing and shoes to toys, furniture, home appliances and electronics. They have on-base gas stations and stores that sell alcoholic beverages.

Over the past few years, eligibility to shop at military commissaries and exchanges have expanded to include more people in the military community.

Who can shop at commissaries?

Eligibility: Active duty, Guard and Reserve members, military retirees, Medal of Honor recipients, and their authorized family members. These shoppers have IDs issued by DoD. In a recent change, commissary employees can also shop, but not their family members. DoD and Coast Guard civilian employees on service agreements overseas are among the authorized shoppers, too.

As of Jan. 1, 2020, the eligibility was expanded by law to all veterans with service-connected disabilities, Purple Heart recipients, former prisoners of war, and primary family caregivers of eligible veterans enrolled under the Department of Veterans Affairs Program of Comprehensive Assistance for Family Caregivers. Service connected disabled and other veterans who are eligible use their veterans health ID card, or VHIC, to gain access to the installation, and to shop. Spouses and other family members aren’t allowed to shop; however, they are allowed to come into the stores with the veteran. They just can’t buy anything. Family caregivers who qualify for the benefit will have access to a memo at VA.gov which will be used for entry, along with a driver’s license, passport or other authorized form of ID.

What’s new at commissaries?

The commissary agency finished rolling out its Click2Go program to all commissaries worldwide in the fall of 2021. Customers choose their items online, select a pickup time, and at the appointed time, head to the Click2Go parking spaces where commissary employees bring their groceries to their car and finish the transaction.

Commissary officials are also planning to test doorstep delivery this year.

Commissaries add a 5 percent surcharge at the cash register which is generally used to pay for construction and renovation of stores, and equipment purchases. Because commissaries receive taxpayer funding each year for most operating costs, they’re able to offer groceries at generally lower prices overall than civilian stores. The law requires that overall, average commissary savings must be consistent with the baseline savings of 23.7 percent, compared with civilian grocers outside the gate.

There are a variety of initiatives to improve convenience and savings for customers, such as the Your Everyday Savings (YES!) program. That program has dropped prices long term on hundreds of popular brand items ranging from certain brands of toilet tissue, baby food, Spam, yogurt, to cereal and other types of products.

Commissaries also sell their own private label brands.

Payment accepted: Cash, personal checks, travelers checks, money orders, debit cards, Military Star card, American Express, MasterCard, Visa, Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF), Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, Women, Infants and Children (WIC), American Red Cross Disbursing Orders, commissary gift cards, and coupons.

Sales restrictions: Most commissaries don’t sell beer or wine, although there’s a limited test selling the libations in 12 stores. Commissaries do sell tobacco in stores on Army and Air Force bases. DoD policy is that tobacco can’t be sold at a discount greater than 5 percent below the lowest competitor in the local area.

Some commissaries overseas have restrictions, such as ration controls in South Korea in order to control black marketing of U.S. goods.

Rules on who can use overseas commissaries are affected by status-of-forces agreements between host nations and the U.S. Situations vary by country, and individuals should check with the local U.S. military command or installation they plan to visit before they travel.

Locations and hours: Most commissaries have evening and weekend hours. To find a store, and get information such as hours and directions, visit www.commissaries.com and click on “Store Locator.”

Who can shop at military exchanges?

Exchanges are the military’s version of department stores, selling discounted brand-name goods from civilian companies, as well as their own private label items. There is no sales tax.

There are four exchange systems: The Navy Exchange Service Command, the Marine Corps Exchange system; Coast Guard Exchange system; and Army and Air Force Exchange Service, also known as The Exchange. Eligible exchange shoppers can shop online at www.shopmyexchange.com, www.mynavyexchange.com and www.shopcgx.com.

Stores support themselves almost completely through their sales income. All profits are used to fund military Morale, Welfare and Recreation programs, and to build or renovate stores.

Eligibility: Eligible shoppers include all ranks of active-duty, retired, National Guard and Reserve members and their families, Medal of Honor recipients, and their families, surviving spouses and former spouses. Those eligible can shop at any exchange, regardless of service affiliation.

In 2021, Defense officials expanded exchange shopping eligibility to Department of Defense and Coast Guard civilians, who are now able to shop in military exchanges in the U.S.

In 2020, the exchange benefit was authorized by law for all veterans with VA service-connected disability ratings; Purple Heart recipients; veterans who are former prisoners of war; and primary family caregivers of eligible veterans under the VA caregiver program.

All honorably discharged veterans can shop online at the exchanges. The Veterans Online Shopping Benefit does not grant on-installation access, unless the veteran falls into another category, such as having a VA service-connected disability rating.

Employees. Exchange employees are paid from exchange revenue, not taxpayer dollars. The exchanges also seek to hire military spouses, with hiring preference programs.

Overseas. Overseas stores offer many U.S. products that may be difficult to find otherwise. Commands often impose shopping restrictions to limit the sale of U.S. goods on the illegal market.

Payment. Stateside and overseas exchanges accept MasterCard, Visa, American Express and Discover credit cards. Exchanges also offer their own credit plan through the joint-exchange Military STAR Card.

For two weeks, their small town was taking heavy fire, Platt told Military Times.

“We were running low on food and water before we got out,” he said.

According to Project DYNAMO, the nonprofit group that carried out the rescue, Platt said “he and his wife had to shelter in place as ‘Russian forces looted their neighbors’ surrounding homes while their neighborhood was being mercilessly shelled by artillery with Russian tank battalions blocking their roads.’”

The nonprofit made an earlier attempt to rescue Platt and his wife, however, it was forced to pull back after facing heavy artillery fire.

“Having been on the receiving end of Russian artillery, it puts in painful perspective what the Platt family and their neighbors have been enduring over the last several weeks as Russian troops were literally in their backyard,” Bryan Stern, veteran and Project DYNAMO co-founder, said in a statement.

Platt served in the Army for 22 years and deployed with the 82nd Airborne Division during operations Just Cause, Desert Shield and Desert Storm.

After retiring, he and his wife moved to Ukraine.

“I’ve had my permanent residency for 14 years,” he said. “I went on a tour of Crimea and loved Ukraine ever since.”

The couple say they will remain nearby until the conflict ends.

“We are staying in Poland for now,” Platt said. “We want to be close so that we can return and start rebuilding once the war is over.”

Project DYNAMO, based in Tampa, Florida, has rescued more than 200 people from Ukraine since the Russian invasion began on Feb. 23, and it has no intention of slowing down. On its website, the group has a form that those seeking refuge from the hostilities in Ukraine can fill out.

The Academy honors 100 living Alabamians for their accomplishments and service to the state and nation. The ceremony included honorees for 2020 because that year’s ceremony was postponed because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The 2020 honorees are: Equal Justice Initiative founder Bryan Stevenson, former U.S. Congressman Jo Bonner, retired Maj. Gen. J. Gary Cooper, a decorated Vietnam veteran and the first Black officer in the Marine Corps to lead an infantry company into combat.

The 2021 honorees are U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, Huntsville attorney Julian Butler, retired judge John England Jr., former Lockheed Martin CEO Marillyn Hewson, Grammy-award-winning recording artist Lionel Richie, and UAB’s Senior Vice President of Medicine Dr. Selwyn Vickers.

As a result, the National Guard and other services have seen Marines fresh off a first enlistment as fertile recruiting ground, allowing the Guard to swell its ranks with already experienced troops.

The practice is so common the Army National Guard even has recruiters specifically trained and tasked to recruit prior service Marines.

But as the Corps looks to field an older more experienced force, it wants that to change.

“If we do our job right, they’ll never go to the Army or the National Guard to begin with,” Maj. Gen. Jason Bohm, the commander for Marine Corps Recruiting Command, told reporters on Monday.

On Nov. 3, Marine Corps Commandant Gen. David Berger released his talent management vision aimed at improving retention by treating Marines “like human beings instead of inventory.”

For those who left the Corps just to realize the grass is not always greener in the Army combat uniform, the Corps wants you back.

“Quite often, not to disparage any of the other services, but we do hear from (prior service Marines) saying ‘This isn’t quite what I expected, is there any chance I can come back?’” Bohm said.

There already are methods for prior service Marines to return to the Corps, but Bohm said it was not particularly easy.

The Corps will look to streamline that process and welcome the lost sheep back into the Marine Corps’ fold.

The Corps also will improve its efforts to inform Marines who are getting out on ways they can reenter the force if circumstances allow them to return or if they simply change their mind about getting out.

“We are certainly going to maintain contact with those people,” Bohm said.

At least for now the Army National Guard does not seem to expect much to change on its end.

“The Army National Guard Recruiting and Retention Force always seeks to recruit and retain the best available talent for the Guard,” Christina Mundy said on behalf of Army National Guard Recruiting and Retention in a Tuesday email.

Marine Corps Times has previously asked the National Guard for numbers on how many prior service Marines it enlists each year and has not heard back.

While the Marine Corps is looking to improve overall retention, the Corps is planning to downsize over the next few years and has completely eliminated certain military occupational specialties.

In 2021 the Corps had an authorized active-duty end strength of 181,200 Marines. By 2030 the Corps looks to shrink the active duty force to roughly 174,000 Marines, the smallest the Corps has been since 2002.

To slowly reduce numbers while improving retention the Marine Corps expects that it will reduce its recruitment goals.

As part of its redesign to faceoff against China the Marine Corps has eliminated its tank battalions, active duty law enforcement battalions and its bridging units.

Marines with military occupational specialties that were eliminated had been offered easy transfer into the Army, where tank battalions are still going strong.

Berger said the Corps needs an older and more mature force to handle the increased complexities of a potential war against a near-peer opponent.

On the future battlefield Marines will have more responsibilities pushed down to lower levels than ever before.

”The machine gunner who is also corpsman, a medic, also has to be able to talk to MQ-9 UAVs and bring in ordnance and understand the satellite connection that is required to do that,” Berger told reporters in early November.

The Corps is also leaning on updated science that shows people do not fully mature until they are in their early to mid-twenties and that peak physical performance does not happen until someone is in their late 20s.

“We based our force on an assumption that (18 to 20-year-olds) were indestructible supermen,” Berger said. “Turns out it’s not. We don’t peak physically or cognitively until our late 20s.”

“We can’t have a force full of 18 to 21-year-olds,” Berger said.

Because of COVID, labor shortages, supply chain issues and other factors, some establishments have had to close or limit their operations. And situations do change day to day, so above all, if you’re going to a restaurant for a discount, for example, call ahead to find out if they’re actually open, and whether they are participating in the discount program. Find out what you need to bring in terms of proof of military service. While most don’t specifically state their discount applies to Guard and Reserve, they probably do. Just check.

One thing of note this year: We’re eating out differently now, using third-party delivery services, etc. In perusing discount offers, we’ve noticed that some restaurants restrict the discount to dine-in or carryout, and don’t apply it to online orders or third-party deliverers, for example. So if you’re counting on that discount, make sure you clarify ahead of time.

The discounts come in various sizes and may have various exclusions. These are a few for starters, but we’re maintaining a running list and will update it at least several times over the next week. Check back for deals offered by restaurants, hotels, retail establishments and other businesses. Email Senior Reporter Karen Jowers at kjowers@militarytimes.com with your additions and suggestions.

If you don’t see a favorite establishment on the list, ask them if they offer a military discount. They may offer it, but may not have a sign in the store. Just remember that no civilian commercial establishment is required to offer a discount or deal.

Be aware that the free meal may be offered to you, but not to your other family members. That’s entirely up to the business owner, but it helps you to know that ahead of time so you’ll be prepared to pay before you enter an establishment with your family members.

Check out our “Before you go” section at the bottom of this article to save yourself some headaches.

Food and drink

Applebee’s: Offering a full-size entree from a special menu to active duty and other veterans, on Nov. 11, for dine-in only. In addition, veterans will receive a $5 card to redeem for dine-in, to go, or delivery within three weeks. Proof of service such as military ID, DD-214, or other documentation required.

Arizona Charlie’s Casinos, Las Vegas: PT’s Express at both Las Vegas locations will offer a 20-percent discount on all food and beverage orders and all their casino bars will offer draft beers for $2 for active and retired military with a military ID.

Bob Evans: Offering a free meal from a special menu of seven entrees, to active duty and other veterans, Nov. 11, dine-in only. Military ID or other proof of service required.

Buffalo Wild Wings: Offering a free order of 10 boneless wings and fries for active duty and other veterans on Nov. 11. Valid for dine-in or takeout only; online ordering excluded. Proof of service required.

California Pizza Kitchen: Free meal and beverage for active duty and other veterans at all participating locations nationwide on Nov. 11, from a select menu. That includes a choice of one of their California-inspired pizzas, pastas or full-size salads, when dining in. Proof of service such as military ID required. A “buy one-get one” card will be provided for a return visit from Nov. 12-20.

Caribou Coffee: Offering a free small cup of coffee on Nov. 11, to active duty members, other veterans and their spouses. The offer is available in-store at their 450 locations. Ask for the discount when ordering.

Chicken Salad Chick: Offering a free Chick Special and regular drink to active duty and other veterans, with identification, on Nov. 11. More than 200 locations in 17 states.

Denny’s: Offering a free “Build Your Own Grand Slam” to active duty and other veterans, from 5 a.m. to noon Nov. 11 at participating locations, dine in only. Valid military ID or DD 214 required.

Duffy’s Sports Grill: Offering a free meal, valued at up to $15, to active duty and other veterans from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Nov. 11, with proof of service. Year round, Duffy’s offers all active duty military 40 percent off food purchases every day. Duffy’s has 33 locations in Florida.

EG America Group convenience stores: Offering free coffee to active duty and other veterans on Nov. 11 at its 1,700 convenience stores — Cumberland Farms, Certified Oil, Fastrac, Kwik Shop, Loaf ‘N Jug, Minit Mart, Quik Stop, Tom Thumb and Turkey Hill.

Freddy’s Frozen Custard and Steakburgers: Offering a card for a free Freddy’s Original Double combo meal to active duty and other veterans, on Nov. 11. The card is valid through Nov. 30. More than 380 locations nationwide.

Golden Corral: Offering a free “thank you” meal from 5 p.m. to close, Nov. 11 to active duty and other veterans, dine-in only. Over the last 20 years, the restaurants have served more than 6 million free meals to veterans.

IHOP: Offering free red, white and blueberry pancakes to active duty and other veterans from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Nov. 11 at participating locations, dine-in only. Proof of service required.

Kolache Factory: Offering free kolache breakfast and a cup of coffee to active duty and other veterans from 6 a.m. to 2 p.m. Nov. 11. Military ID or DD 214 required.

Little Caesars: Offering a free Hot-N-Ready Lunch Combo at participating stores nationwide to active duty and other veterans from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. local time on Nov. 11. Offer features four slices of their Detroit-style deep-dish pizza and a 20-ounce Pepsi product.

Mission BBQ: Offering a free sandwich to active duty and other veterans on Nov. 11.

Pilot Company: Offering a $10 free meal credit to active duty and retired military on Nov. 11 at its more than 750 participating travel centers. The company is using ID.me to verify eligibility in the myRewards Plus app. Once verified, service members will automatically receive a year-round, 10-percent discount on food and beverages when using the app.

Red Lobster: Offering a free appetizer or dessert from a special menu to active duty and other veterans on Nov. 11. Military ID or other proof of service required.

Sheetz: Offering a free half turkey or ham sub and a regular size fountain drink to active duty and other veterans on Nov. 11. Military ID or other proof of service required. Also offering free car wash at stores that have car wash facilities.

Shoney’s: Offering a free “all you care to eat” breakfast bar from opening to 11 a.m., Nov. 11, to active duty and other veterans.

Texas Roadhouse: Restaurants will distribute meal vouchers in the parking lot between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. on Nov. 11. The vouchers are valid through May 30, 2022, and can be redeemed for one of 10 entrees, plus a choice of certain drinks. The event is drive-through only, but the vouchers can be redeemed when the restaurants open for dinner. Proof of service required, such as military ID or VA card, or discharge papers.

Veterans Canteen Service: Offering free coffee or fountain beverage to veterans only on Nov. 10, in-store only. Check with your local VA facility for access restrictions.

White Castle: Offering a free Combo Meal (#1- #6) or Breakfast Combo to active duty and other veterans who dine at a participating White Castle restaurant, on Nov. 11. Military ID or proof of service required.

Recreation and travel

AmericanForcesTravel.com: Defense Department site offering discounts year-round on airfare, hotels, car rentals, cruises and event tickets, for active duty, retirees, Guard and reserve, Coast Guard, veterans with service-connected disabilities, and other eligible MWR patrons.

Capital Wheel at National Harbor, Md.: This Ferris wheel is offering free rides to active and retired service members, and accompanying family members, from noon to 10 p.m. on Nov. 11 Service members must show military ID.

Central Station Hotel, Memphis, Tenn.: On Nov. 10 through Nov. 14, offering a 30-percent discount on rooms booked for a stay at the historic hotel through Feb. 28, 2022, for active duty and other veterans, police, fire and first responders. Select blackout dates apply. To get the discount, visit this link starting Nov. 10.

Mount Vernon: Offering free admission to all active duty and other veterans on Nov. 11.

National parks: All National Park Service sites that charge an entrance fee will offer free admission to all visitors on Nov. 11.

smarTours: Offering a $150 discount on any tour booked by Nov. 19 for active duty and other veterans, on any of the company’s more than 60 tours. When booking the tour, veterans should use the code VET150, and they’ll be asked for their applicable identification.

Vail Resorts: Offering the discounted Epic Military Pass for the 2021-2022 season. For active and retired military and their dependents, it’s $157; and for veterans and their dependents, it’s $467 Each pass includes holiday access and six discount tickets. Includes access to all 37 of their owned and operated resorts. Verification of eligibility required. Note: Website states pass prices will go up Nov. 21.

VetTix.org: Offers tickets year-round to all military and veterans, including immediate family of troops killed in action. Vet Tix secures tickets to sporting events, concerts, performing arts, educational and family activities across the nation. Tickets are free, with small delivery fee.

Retail

AllSeasonsUniforms.com: Offering a 10 percent discount year-round for active duty and other veterans, their spouses and dependent children. Applies to blank garments only, and doesn’t include discounts on shipping. Those seeking the discount must fill out a form, and a discount code will be emailed.

Army & Air Force Exchange Service: From Nov. 11 through Nov. 18, AAFES stores and ShopMyExchange.com will offer deals such as $400 off select 4K TVs, $100 off select computers, $800 off select appliances; and 35 percent savings on select toys. There are also savings on apparel for men, women and children, on name brands such as Under Armour, Columbia and The North Face. There will some deals exclusive to Veterans Day, such as 30 percent off Ray-Ban sunglasses, up to 25 percent off select skincare products, savings on select children’s Columbia jackets. There are also some one-day deals for Military Star Card holders.

Home Depot: Offering a 10 percent discount year-round to active duty and other veterans and their spouses. Available online, in the mobile app and in-store. Those eligible receive a maximum $400 maximum discount per year, which resets each calendar year. To enroll, visit homedepot.com/auth/view/signin or open the Home Depot mobile app. Log in to your existing personal account or create a new account. Go to the Military Discount page, select “Verify Military Status” and follow the on-screen instructions to complete your military verification. Once you’ve successfully completed each step, your personal account on HomeDepot.com will reflect your verified military status. Home Depot uses Sheer ID to verify status.

Lowe’s: Offering a 10 percent discount year-round to active duty members, veterans and their spouses on eligible items. Visit Lowes.com/military to enroll. Select Verify with ID.me and follow the on-screen instructions to complete military verification. After you’ve been verified, you’ll be asked to create a personal account on Lowes.com or log in to your existing personal account on Lowes.com and follow the on-screen instructions.

Office Depot: Offering a 25 percent discount off qualifying regular and sale-priced items in store for active duty and other veterans and their dependents Nov. 11 through Nov. 13. To get the discount, show military identification or a form of veteran identification at time of purchase. Applies to Office Depot and OfficeMax stores nationwide, but excludes these stores located on military installations. Some product exclusions apply.

Samsung.com: The online retailer offers year-round discounts of up to 30 percent to active duty, other veterans and their families, on phones, electronics, and more, year-round. This includes items such as Samsung’s new Galaxy Z Flip3, Galaxy Z Fold3, Galaxy Watch4 and Galaxy Buds2.

Staples: Offering 25 percent discount on all in-store purchases to active duty, other veterans and their immediate families at all U.S. locations through Nov. 13, with valid military identification. Some exclusions apply.

Target: Offering a 10 percent discount on all in-basket items, online and in-store, to active duty, other veterans and their families, now through Nov. 13. The discount can be used on two separate transactions. Some items are excluded, such as alcohol, mobile contracts, gift cards, clinic and pharmacy, dairy milk, and a variety of brands/items. Must be verified through Target.com/circle/military to get the discount.

The Vitamin Shoppe: Offering a 20 percent discount on all purchases to active duty and other veterans on Nov. 10 and 11. Available at all retail locations of The Vitamin Shoppe and Super Supplements, in-store only, with valid identification showing active duty or veteran status.

Xero Shoes: Offering a 15-percent discount to active duty and other veterans, first responders, nurses, and doctors. The website uses GovX ID to verify affiliation; go to Govx.com and search for Xero Shoes.

Services

Aspen Dental: Offering free dental care to veterans and their spouses/significant others on Saturday, Nov. 6. Veterans can call 844-277-3646 to find one of the nearly 600 Aspen Dental offices around the country, and to schedule an appointment. Advance appointments are required.

Great Clips: Offering a free haircut on Nov. 11, or a free haircut card for a future visit, for active duty and other veterans, at U.S. salons. Non-military customers who get a haircut that day will receive a free haircut card they can give to a veteran. The cards can be redeemed Nov. 12 through Dec. 10. This is the ninth year the salons have offered the free haircuts for veterans, and to date have offered more than 1.7 million free cuts.

Sheetz: Free car wash to active duty and other veterans on Nov. 11, at Sheetz stores that have a car wash. Military ID or other proof of service required.

SimpliSafe: Offering 50 percent off all home security systems through Nov. 11. Also, year-round, the company offers 15 percent off any SimpliSafe system, plus a free SimpliCam and a free month of SimpliSafe’s most comprehensive professional security monitoring to all USAA members.

Sport Clips: Some locations are offering free haircuts for active duty and other veterans on Nov. 11, with proof of service. Visit their website to find a participating location.

Tidal: This global streaming service offers a 40 percent discount to active duty and other veterans year-round. New customers who sign up receive a 30-day free trial, after which the 40 percent discounted military rate applies. The military premium rate is $5.99 a month. This applies to current Tidal customers, too, and those who want to apply the military discount can log in at my.Tidal.com, click on subscription, and scroll to select the military discount. Verification of service is done through Sheer ID. Tidal has also created two curated playlists for Veterans Day.

Tribute.co: Offering free video clips for active duty and other veterans. The platform allows users to record personalized video messages and compile them into one clip to send to family or friends. To access the free Tribute, use code MILITARYDIY at checkout.

ZIPS: Free car wash to active duty and other veterans on Nov. 11, at ZIPS Car Wash locations with wash code 1112.

Before you go

• Check the fine print, and call the participating organization to be sure the offer is available at the time you plan on arriving. That’s especially important during these days of COVID, when an establishment may have had to shut down in the last day or two because of various issues such as labor shortages.

• Let the host, cashier, attendant, reservation agent or other relevant employee know up front that you want the discount or deal.

• “Free” isn’t always completely free. A free meal doesn’t always come with a drink, for instance. Be prepared to pay for extras such as taxes, (and to tip). Most restaurants require patrons to dine in if they want the deal.

• Call ahead to local establishments to be sure they are aware of, and are participating in, national chain programs. Confirm availability and what type of ID is required.

• Not all offers apply to veterans of all stripes. Be sure you are eligible and you have the appropriate ID/paperwork.

• Not all discounts apply to the entire party. Be sure you’re clear whether family members or guests are covered in the discount.

• Always check with your local installation’s tickets and tours office before making plans for travel and visiting local attractions. They work with local and national companies to offer discounts on a variety of hotels and attractions, and many of these deals are available only through that installation office.

• It doesn’t hurt to ask a company whether they offer a military discount before you book a reservation or order from your waitress. But don’t act like you expect it.