Members of the United States Armed Forces have access to a multitude of benefits. The Veterans Benefits Administration provides VA benefits under the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, some of which include retirement benefits, disability compensation, educational assistance and health care. Whether you are Active Duty or a member of the reserve component, a service member may qualify for one or more of these VA benefits.

Retirement Benefits

One of the main attractions to a career in the military is the retirement benefits. A federal retirement in the military grants you access to retirement pay, base Commissaries, Base Exchange and retired health care plans such as Tricare Prime and Tricare for Life. Any service member may retire with federal retirement benefits after completing a minimum of 20 years of Total Active Federal Military Service (TAFMS), which is used to calculate how much qualifying active-duty time a service member has accrued. An active-duty pension begins immediately after a service member retires. There are several exceptions to the 20-year rule, of which includes disability retirements or service members who qualify for early retirement under the Temporary Early Retirement Authority (TERRA).

Members of the reserves and National Guard may also retire after 20 years of service. The reserve component uses a point system under the Reserve Retirement System to calculate their TAFMS time. However, a reserve pension does not typically begin until a retired service member turns 60, with the exception of prior active-duty military service.

Additionally, active-duty service members and members of the reserve component can contribute to their retirement without completing a 20-year service time commitment through the Blended Retirement System (BRS). The BRS was first introduced as a part of the National Defense Authorization Act of 2016 and combines the traditional military pension plan with a Thrift Savings Plan (TSP). TSP is a retirement savings plan for service members that allows them to make contributions throughout their service even if they decide not to serve for 20 years. If an individual chooses, a TSP can be rolled into another 401(k) after separating from the military. Alternatively, a service member may leave their funds in their TSP account until they are ready to retire. Service members enlisted in the armed forces after January 1, 2018, were automatically enrolled in the TSP program.

Education Benefits

In addition to retirement benefits, one of the main attractions to a career in the armed forces is VA education benefits. Some of the most notable VA education benefits are the Post-9/11 GI Bill, the Montgomery GI Bill Active Duty, the Montgomery GI Bill Selected Reserve and the Veteran Readiness and Employment (VR&E) program. Each of these education benefits offers its own unique coverage of tuition, fees, a book stipend, housing stipend, or a combination of one or more. Currently, the Post-9/11 GI Bill is the only education program that can be or dependent once certain qualifications by the service member have been met. Each education benefit has its own unique set of requirements based on a member’s service component.

VA education benefits are available to active-duty service members, the National Guard and the reserves with qualifying active-duty service time. In addition to VA education benefits, National Guard members may receive up to 100% state tuition assistance for attending specific schools within a state or may be eligible for additional state education benefits.

Disability Compensation

Many service members may obtain a service-related injury while serving on active duty. Disability compensation is a monthly, tax-free benefit that is paid to Veterans who receive at least a 10% disability rating due to injuries or diseases that were incurred or aggravated while serving on active duty or active-duty training. A service member may also receive disability compensation for post-service disabilities that appear later but result from their time in service.

Members of the National Guard and the reserves may also receive VA disability compensation so long as their service-connected disability was incurred while serving on federally qualifying active-duty orders. A Guardsman may be eligible to receive state disability compensation for injuries incurred while not serving on federal orders.

Healthcare

Active – duty service members, Guardsmen, reservists, retirees and their dependents – and in some cases former spouses – are eligible to enroll in a health care program called TRICARE provides access to both civilian healthcare networks and the Military Health System (MHS), which is comprised of Department of Defense military hospitals and clinics worldwide. The program provides coverage access through authorized civilian health network providers based on region and non-authorized providers, depending on which TRICARE health plan an eligible service member has. TRICARE also offers the TRICARE Overseas Program for active – duty service members and their eligible family members who are located in geographical areas outside of the U.S.

There are also additional VA healthcare benefits aside from TRICARE such as the Program of Comprehensive Assistance for Family Caregivers (PCAFC) and the Civilian Health and Medical Program of the Department of Veterans Affairs (CHAMPVA). TRICARE, PCAFC, CHAMPVA and other VA healthcare programs are available to eligible service members and their families in both the active duty and reserve components. 

Additional Benefits

The VA also offers additional benefits such as VA home loans and life insurance, as well as benefits specific to . All VA benefit programs have their own unique eligibility requirements for active-duty service members and members of the reserve component.

Members of the National Guard may be eligible to receive some or all VA benefits based on qualifying active-duty service. For VA benefits, federal active-duty service is determined by the length of full-time active-duty service on Title 10 or Title 32 orders (link to Military 101: Orders). It is important to note that a service member may not receive access to one or more VA benefits if they receive a from any branch of service.

For more information on benefits eligibility, visit the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs benefits webpage.