Military.com - Benefits

What You Need to Know About Tricare Open Enrollment

Tricare open enrollment, also known as Tricare open season, runs each year from mid-November through mid-December. For 2026, those dates are Nov. 9 to Dec. 8.

Other Than Honorable Discharge: Everything You Need to Know

In U.S. military service, an other than honorable (OTH) discharge represents the most severe form of administrative discharge, raising questions about a service member's conduct and performance in...

Honorable Discharge: Everything You Need to Know

Service members who leave the military with an honorable discharge are eligible for a variety of veterans benefits, as long as other eligibility requirements are met.

PACT Act: Presumptive Conditions

The Department of Veterans Affairs estimates that "potentially millions" more veterans or their survivors could be eligible to receive health care or financial compensation for toxic exposure-related.

RAPIDS Appointment Scheduler for Military IDs

RAPIDS, which stands for Real-time Automated Personnel Identification System, is a program within the Department of Defense that is managed by the Defense Manpower Data Center (DMDC).

2026 USAA Military Pay Deposit Dates

While everyone in the military knows that paydays are on the 1st and 15th of every month, the actual payday doesn't always land on those dates because of weekends and holidays.

10 Things to Know About VA Loans Before You Buy a Home

The VA home loan is one of the most valuable benefits available to service members, veterans and surviving spouses — and one of the least understood. Millions of eligible borrowers have never used it.

Combined Disability Ratings: The VA Math No One Explains

If you have multiple service-connected disabilities, you’ve probably done the mental math: A 50 percent rating plus a 30 percent rating should equal 80 percent. It does not.

CHAMPVA vs. Tricare: Which Covers Your Family and What the Difference Is

CHAMPVA and Tricare are both federal government health care programs tied to military service. They are run by different federal agencies, cover different groups of people and operate on different...

$4.8B Facilities Overhaul Is VA's Largest-Ever Infrastructure Investment

The Department of Veterans Affairs will spend $4.8 billion in the 2026 fiscal year to modernize, repair and upgrade health care facilities across the country, the largest single-year infrastructure...

Veterans’ Risk of Heart Attack, Stroke Fell by Up to 38% With COVID Vaccine

Research published in the journal JAMA Internal Medicine found that COVID-vaccinated veterans had nearly 24 percent fewer all-cause cardiac events — not just those linked to COVID infections.

Now Is the Best Time to Enroll in VA Health Care: Here’s Why

More than 125,000 veterans have enrolled in VA health care so far in 2026, the Department of Veterans Affairs announced in May.

Your VA Loan After a Divorce: What to Know Before You Sign Anything

Divorce does not automatically free up your VA loan entitlement, and if you do not handle this transition correctly, you could lose your zero-down buying power for years.

An Education Benefit for Veterans' Families Is Ending. Here’s What to Know

A change included in a 2022 federal spending law is about to affect military families receiving Survivors’ and Dependents' Educational Assistance, or Chapter 35, for high school-age dependents.

Your 2026 State Veteran Benefits

Everyone knows about the federal benefits available to veterans, but did you know many states also offer great benefits to their veterans?

How VA’s Telehealth Kidney Program Saves the Lives of Rural Veterans

Kidney disease is a leading cause of death in the United States, and it is getting worse. For veterans living in rural areas, a national shortage of nephrologists — along with the reality that the...

Does SGLI Cover Combat Death? What Veterans & Families Must Know

One of the most common questions military families have is whether Servicemembers’ Group Life Insurance (SGLI) covers combat deaths. The answer is yes.

PTSD VA Ratings: What You Need to Know

Veterans who experienced certain traumatic events during their service may be able to receive disability compensation in the form of non-taxed monthly payments, as well as free health care, including.

The VA Helped 37,000 Veterans Quit Tobacco With These Services

Veterans smoke at higher rates than the general population, and the reasons are not hard to understand. Military culture has a long history with tobacco.

VA Has Sped Up Claims Processing for GI Bill, Other Education Benefits

The Department of Veterans Affairs has processed more than 3 million enrollments in its Digital GI Bill system, a milestone the department reached in April.

Here Is What the VA Will Provide for a Veteran’s Burial

Myths and misconceptions surround the burial benefits offered by the Department of Veterans Affairs. Many people don’t know these benefits exist at all, while others assume that the VA will pay for...

Veterans Burial Allowance

Department of Veterans Affairs' burial allowances are cash allowances paid to an eligible veteran's family to help defray burial and funeral costs.

Army Combat Medic Turned Lawyer Helps Veterans Fight for Benefits

Serving as a combat medic, which included two deployments to Afghanistan, Sean Wojciechowski served among some of the best soldiers the U.S. Army had to offer.

100,000 Veterans Have Enrolled in VA Health Care in 2026. Are You Missing Out?

If you are a veteran who has never enrolled in Department of Veterans Affairs health care, or who was turned away in the past, do you know whether you are eligible now?

VA’s Foreclosure Prevention Tool Is Back. Here’s How the Partial Claim Program Works

Under a 2025 law, the Department of Veterans Affairs can advance funds to cover a veteran’s missed VA loan payments and bring the loan current.

Israel Signals Türkiye as an Emerging Concern Amid Expanding Regional Tensions

Israel and Türkiye exchange escalating rhetoric after criticism of Israeli actions, raising concerns about shifting threat narratives and increasing regional tension despite no direct military...

These Changes to Tricare Plans Are Taking Place in 2026

Changes to Tricare in 2026 include a batch of reforms targeting access and cost plus a pilot program testing a new model in two cities.

This Is How Veterans Can Receive Benefits for Military Sexual Trauma-Related Conditions

Many victims of military sexual trauma live with the consequences for years or decades before learning that they may be eligible for VA disability compensation and free health care for conditions...

A VA Clinic Gave Veterans GLP-1s for Weight Loss. A Year Later, Everything Improved

Researchers tracked 201 veterans prescribed semaglutide, the drug sold under the brand names Ozempic and Wegovy. After one year, those veterans showed measurable improvements in health factors as...

The VA Is Giving Away $112 Million in Suicide Prevention Grants. Here’s Who Can Apply and Why It Matters

The Department of Veterans Affairs is giving away $112 million in grants to community organizations that provide suicide prevention services to veterans.

TSP and Allotments Let Service Members Save Money Automatically

The Military Saves campaign is a part of the Department of Defense (DoD) Financial Readiness Network designed " to motivate, support, and encourage the entire military community to save money, reduce.

Set Aside the Money From Your Tax Refund: Here's How

We've talked about how it isn't ideal to expect a big tax refund , but sometimes you can't control your life events and you do end up getting a lot of money back from your overpayment.

Military Members Have 2 Ways to Start Saving for Retirement

It's vitally important that you have retirement savings. Social Security doesn't provide enough income for most people to live comfortably, and more than 80% of service members leave the military...

The White House Can Send You Personalized Presidential Greetings for Major Life Events

After being on hiatus for the last four years, the White House has resumed the nearly 70 year old practice of sending special congratulatory or condolence letters to citizens.

Tricare Providers Have Gone More Than a Year Without Payment. Now Some Are Getting Clawback Letters.

When Humana Military switched its claims processor from Wisconsin Physicians Service to PGBA on Jan. 1, 2025, the transition was supposed to be seamless. It was not.

Every Benefit Available to Surviving Military Spouses in 2026

The Department of Veterans Affairs provides benefits to surviving military spouses to help them rebuild their lives. Here is what is available in 2026.

Tricare Pharmacy Copays Changed in 2026. Here’s What You’re Paying Now and How to Pay Less.

Changes affecting Tricare home delivery and retail pharmacy copays took effect Jan. 1. Here is what you’re paying now, what changed, and how to keep your costs as low as possible.

As VA Looks Ahead to Dementia Needs, Study Finds Immune Cells Attack Alzheimer’s Plaques in Brain

Engineered immune cells targeted and reduced the toxic protein plaques that drive Alzheimer’s disease in a recent study. Alzheimer's and related dementias represent a growing crisis within the...

VA Study: Ozempic, Other GLP-1 Drugs May Fight Addiction Across Every Major Substance

For the more than 48 million Americans with substance use disorders, including a disproportionate share of veterans, GLP-1 drugs are not yet an approved addiction treatment.

Federal Lawsuit Challenges VA’s New Rule on Medication-Based Disability Ratings

Amid Biggest US Military Buildup Since 2003, What Service Members and Families Need to Do Right Now

Marine Corps Scholarship Foundation Application Closes March 1: What Families Need to Know

VA Won’t Enforce New Rule on Disability Ratings, Secretary Says. Congress Members Want It Rescinded

Army’s First Campus-Style Dining Venue Ushers in ‘Freedom Dollars’

New VA Rule Ties Disability Ratings to Medicated Symptoms, Drawing Fire From Veterans Groups

VA Launches Plan to Expand Dental Care Access for Veterans

Burial With Your Spouse in a National Cemetery: Here's What to Know

Military Chiropractors Treat More Than Just Back Pain

From Lizard Venom to Ozempic: How VA Research Changed Medicine

Space Force Education Programs: What Guardians Need to Know

Veterans Can Now Get VA Auto Grants Every 10 Years. Here's What Changed

VA's AI Tools Lack Patient Safety Oversight, Watchdog Warns

How the Korean War’s MASH Units Changed Combat Medicine Forever

How the Physician Assistant Field Arose from Military Medicine

2026 Guide to Pay and Allowances for Military Service Members, Veterans and Retirees

The Vietnam Veterans Who Fought for Modern PTSD Treatments

The Cost of Skipping Sick Call: How Active-Duty Service Members Can Protect Future VA Claims

Tricare After Active Duty: What Actually Happens to Your Health Insurance

Here’s Why January Is the Best Time to File Your VA Disability Claim

EMDR: The PTSD Treatment Many Veterans Don't Know the VA Offers

Why the Winter Blues Make PTSD Symptoms Worse and What Veterans Can Do About It

Veterans Often Overlook These VA Disability Claims: Secondary Conditions Explained

When Does the VA Cover Care at Non-VA Facilities?

When Home Feels Half Empty: Military Families Navigate Holiday Deployments

What's Open at VA During the Holidays? Here's What Veterans Need to Know

Military Families Finally Get More Money During Deployments

VA Doctors Can Finally Look You in the Eye, Thanks to a New AI Tool

Congress Pushes VA to Expand Use of AI to Flag Suicide Risk

Why Veterans’ 2.8% Disability Pay Raise Feels Smaller Than It Should

What Every Veteran Needs to Know About Medicare by Age 65

These FEDVIP Beneficiaries Must Choose a New Plan Now

Start Preparing for the Next Government Shutdown Now, Before It’s Too Late

This Is Trump’s Plan to End the War in Ukraine

Medal of Honor Recipient Emilio De La Garza Honored With New Memorial in Chicago

Tricare Demo in Two Cities Lets Users See a Specialist Without a Referral

Costs for Tricare Are Going Up in 2026

Payment-Deferred Commissary Purchases on MILITARY STAR Cards Extended Through November

Manage Household Utility Costs at Your New Base by Avoiding These Pitfalls

Tricare and FEDVIP Open Seasons Are on Time Following Shutdown. Here’s What to Know

How the Government Shutdown Impacts Veterans and the VA

Beyond The Virtual Visit: The Growing Reach of VA Telehealth in 2025

All Services Now Issue Form DD214-1 to Departing Reservists

Tricare Premiums vs. Enrollment Fees: Here's Why the Difference Matters

Understanding Your Tricare Catastrophic Cap

How to Change Tricare Coverage After a Qualifying Life Event – and Which QLEs Count

The VA Is Retroactively Increasing GI Bill Benefits for a Million Veterans. Here's How to Claim Them

Enroll in DoD's New Health Care Flexible Spending Accounts Starting March 3

Your Military Pay Raise for 2025, Plus Veterans Pension and BAH Updates

How Navy SEAL-Doctor-Astronaut Jonny Kim Used 'Generous' Military Benefits to Help His Career Take Off

This Dental Nonprofit Will Fix Veterans’ Teeth for Free

The Next Deadline for Backdated PACT Act Payments Is Coming Soon. Here’s What You Need to Know

VA Fertility Benefits for Military Veterans

Fertility Benefits for Active-Duty Service Members

Military Child Care Fees

Camp Lejeune Water Contamination: VA Benefits for Veterans and Families

The Deadline Is Approaching for PACT Act Claims and Lawsuits over Camp Lejeune Water Contamination

Just What Is Open Season, and Why Should You Care?

VA Health Care Enrollment Process