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Pay Information Allmilitary personnel are paid based upon their rank and length of time inservice. You can view current military pay information for active duty andinactive duty (drill pay) for all ranks at https://www.dfas.mil/money/milpay/pay/01-2002.pdf. Pay rates for 2003 can be found at https://www.dfas.mil/money/milpay/pay/01-2003.pdf. Military members with questions regardingtheir pay should first address them to their local finance and administrativeoffice. The local military pay office isyour first and best source of information. Civilian employees with questions regarding their pay must contact theircustomer service representative. The customer service representative willcontact the payroll office directly with your request. To access more information and telephonenumbers regarding payroll questions for the different branches of servicecontact the Defense Financial and Accounting Service (DFAS) at DefenseFinance and Accounting Service – Military Pay or https://www.dfas.mil/custsrvc/. How to Read a Leave and Earnings Statement (LES) Pay And Allowances Basic Allowance forSubsistence (BAS) Basic Allowance for Housing (BAH) Type II Clothing Allowance Officers receive aonetime payment after commissioning to buy clothing. They do not receive anyallowances to maintain their uniforms. Enlisted members are issued the standard wardrobe when they enter activeduty. They get a clothing-replacementallowance on their anniversary month. The replacement allowance is paid at the “basic” rate for members withless than three years of service, and at the “standard” rate for members withthree or more years of service.
Other Money Matters VETERANS ADMINISTRATION The VeteransAdministrationweb site VeteransAffairs or https://www.va.gov/or VeteransAdministration hasinformation regarding eligibility and benefits. This site contains information on veteran’s benefits regardingburial https://www.cem.va.gov/burial.htm,educational https://www.gibill.va.gov/, home loans https://www.homeloans.va.gov/,vocational rehabilitation and employment services https://www.vba.va.gov/bln/vre/index.htm,insurance https://www.insurance.va.gov/,pension https://www.vba.va.gov/bln/21/index.htm andhealth https://www.va.gov/vbs/health/benefits. VACares for Combat Theater Veterans MILITARY RECORDS National Personnel Records Center – Military Personnel Records This site is provided for those seeking information regarding military personnel, health and medical records stored at NPRC (MPR). If you are a veteran or next-of-kin of a deceased veteran, you may now use vetrecs.archives.gov to order a copy of your military records. For all others, your request is best made using a Standard Form 180 . It includes complete instructions for preparing and submitting requests. Where can I get copies ofmy records? or: Military Records Facility At minimum, please include the service member’s complete name, social securitynumber and/or serial number, and the requester’s return address. Website is: http://www.nara.gov/regional/stlouis.html A comprehensive list of where soldiers can obtain their Official Military Personnel Files (OMPF) can be found at: https://www.2xcitizen.usar.army.mil/soldierservices/records/recordlocations.asp How do I order my microfiche? Forindividuals compiling family histories, NARA provides assistance to thoseinterested in genealogy. NARA normally charges a nominal fee for research and reproductioncosts. Their address is: National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) IDENTIFICATION CARDS FOR MILITARY FAMILY MEMBERS The Departmentof Defense (DoD), through the Real-Time Automated Personnel IdentificationSystem (RAPIDS), issues members’ eligible dependents and other eligible individualsa distinct Identification Card (ID) authorizing them to receive UniformedServices’ benefits and privileges. Normally, Guard and Reserve family members and other dependents receivea DD Form 1173-1, the DoD Guard and Reserve Dependent ID Card (red). These cards do not authorize eligibility formedical benefits and commissary privileges in and of themselves. They will assist Guard and Reserve familymembers in accessing these privileges when accompanied by a copy of the servicemember’s orders to active duty or a commissary privilege card. The cards do authorize access to exchange and certain morale, welfare and recreation (MWR) privileges. The DD Form 1173-1 serves as proofthat individual shave been pre-enrolled in the Defense Eligibility EnrollmentSystem (DEERS). This is an importantfirst step in obtaining family member and dependent medical treatment when theservice member is called to active duty for 31 consecutive days or more. When the service member is called to activeduty for more than 30 days, part of the processing for entry on active dutyshould be the completion of a DD Form 1172, Application for Uniformed ServicesIdentification Card – DEERS Enrollment for each eligible family member andlegal dependent. This application, alongwith surrender of the DD Form 1173-1, will allow family members and dependentsto received the DD Form 1173 (tan). These cards will authorize appropriate medical, commissary, exchange andMWR benefits and privileges for the period of active duty specified on themembers’ orders. Family membersand eligible dependents are required to report to a RAPIDS ID Card issuing sitein order to be issued the appropriate ID Card. Ask your State Family Program Coordinator for a list of ID Card issuing locationsin your area. BE SURE TO CALL AHEAD TOCONFIRM SPECIFIC REQUIREMENTS, DOCUMENTS and HOURS OF OPERATION. You can search for an ID Card location by city or state at https://www.dmdc.osd.mil/rsl. WhatThe Reserve Component Needs To Know About The TRICARE Dental Program Selected Reserve members are responsible forjust 40 percent of the monthly premium; the government pays the rest. OtherReserve component members are responsible for the full premium. When called toactive duty for more than 30 days, you are eligible for dental care at militarytreatment facilities free of charge, and thus are disenrolled from the TRICAREDental Program. Eligible family members are invited to enroll,even if the sponsor does not. Family members are responsible for the fullpremium, except when you are called to active duty for more than 30 days, whichreduces the premium share to 40 percent; the government pays the rest. Althoughfamily members enroll under the sponsor’s Social Security number, there will betwo separate premium payments – one for you, the sponsor, and one for familymembers. NOTE: Family members are not bound by the 12-month minimum enrollmentcommitment if the sponsor is ordered to active duty for a contingency operationas defined in law. In this case, you have 30 days from activation to submit theenrollment application. Family members must remain enrolled during the entireactive duty period in support of the contingency operation. Additional information on the TRICARE Dental Program is available at the United Concordia Companies, Inc. Web site at www.ucci.com, or call toll free 1-800-866-8499 for general information, or 1-888-622-2256 to enroll. To contact the Managed Care Support Contractor for your region, go the regional map. The TDP is administered by United Concordia Companies Inc. (UCCI). For more information about the TDP, beneficiaries may access the benefit handbook online at www.ucci.com or by calling toll free 1-800-866-8499, 24 hours a day. Members residing outside the continental United States (OCONUS) should call 1-888-418-0466 (toll free). This telephone number is available in the following countries: Australia, Bahrain, Belgium, Bolivia, Columbia, Egypt, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Italy, Japan, Netherlands, Norway, Panama, Portugal, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, Spain, Switzerland, Turkey and the United Kingdom. At all other locations, members should call 1-717-975-5017. Representatives are available to assist members in English, German and Italian 24 hours a day, Monday through Friday. New 2002 TRICARE Handbook Available ForBeneficiaries And Providers The new handbook highlights allthree TRICARE options — Prime, Standard and Extra — and the many health careprograms and benefits added since the 1997 edition. New topics and benefitscovered include TRICARE For Life, TRICARE Prime Remote for Active Duty FamilyMembers, TRICARE Plus, Travel Reimbursement, Chiropractic Care, TRICARE SeniorPharmacy Program, TRICARE Dental Program, Debt Collection Assistance OfficerProgram, Beneficiary Counseling and Assistance Coordinator Program, and more. The handbook has a fresh newdesign and color. The cover is white with a vignette representing uniformedservices families, ranks and memorabilia on the front and helpful telephonenumbers and addresses on the back. Included inside are improved charts andgraphs for cost comparisons, tips and helpful reminders for beneficiaries toconsider before seeking care from authorized civilian providers. The new handbook is being shipped to TRICARE service centers and military treatment facilities in every TRICARE region and is available to sponsors and their family members upon request. An electronic version of the handbook is available for viewing or downloading at www.tricare.osd.mil/TricareHandbook/.Providers or organizations requiring additional quantities of handbooks mayorder them at this site. The new TRICARE Handbook, expanded to provide information about TRICARE’s newest services, is now available and can be ordered online at https://www.fhinc.net/tricare/. Once at the Smart Site, go to “AllMarketing Products” and scroll down to the new TRICARE Handbook. Enter the number of handbooks you want andcheck out. Other information materialsare also available at the Smart Site. While individual orders will be honored, commands are encouraged toorder enough of the new handbooks for all their beneficiaries and forhealthcare providers, as well. Sponsors and family members with TRICARE questions or in need of assistance are still encouraged to contact their local beneficiary counseling and assistance coordinator, health benefits adviser, or TRICARE service center representative. A list of local and regional toll-free TRICARE telephone numbers is available in the handbook and on the TRICARE Web site at www.tricare.osd.mil/main/tollfree.htm. TRICARE Offers Benefits To Activated Reservists And National Guard Members Family members of Reserve component members (National Guard and Reserve) ordered to active duty for more than 30 days under 10 U.S.C. or 32 U.S.C. are eligible for TRICARE. Members of theReserves and National Guard who are called to active duty will be eligible forhealth care benefits under TRICARE, just as other active-duty service membersare. Their families will also becomeeligible for TRICARE benefits, if the military sponsor’s active-duty orders arefor a long-enough period of time. Families of members called toactive duty in response to the Sep 11, 2001 terrorist attacks are eligible forenhanced benefits under the TRICARE Reserve FamilyDemonstration Project. TRICARE eligibility for the military sponsorbegins on the effective date of their orders to active duty. Needed care will be provided by uniformedservices medical treatment facilities, and by authorized civilian health careproviders. Families of activated reservists and National Guard members become eligible for health care benefits under TRICARE Standard or TRICARE Extra on the first day of the military sponsor’s active duty, if his or her orders are for a period of more than 30 consecutive days of active duty, or if the orders are for an indefinite period. TRICARE Standard is the former CHAMPUS programwith a new name. Benefits under TRICAREStandard are the same as they were for CHAMPUS. For active-duty families, TRICARE Standardpays 80 percent of the TRICARE allowable charge for covered health careservices that are obtained from authorized, non-network, civilian health careproviders. Those who receive the care are legally responsible for the other 20percent of the allowable charge, plus other charges billed by”non-participating” providers, up to the legal limit of 15 percentabove the allowable charge. Providers who “participate” in TRICAREaccept the TRICARE allowable charge as the full fee for the care they provide. Persons who use TRICARE Standard orExtra pay annual deductibles for outpatient care of $150 for one person, and $300 fora family (for active-duty military sponsors who are E-4 and below, theamounts are $50 for one person, and $100 for a family). TRICARE Extra featuresdiscounted cost-shares (15 percent of negotiated fees) when TRICARE networkproviders are used, but it’s available only in the same geographic areas as theHMO-type health care option, TRICARE Prime. Families of Reserve/National Guard members who are called to active duty for 179 days or more may enroll in TRICARE Prime or may be eligible for TRICARE Prime Remote . But enrollment forms must be completed, and military medical facilities and/or TRICARE Prime network providers must be used. Since many Reserve families may havecontinuing relationships with providers who are not in the TRICARE networks,enrolling in TRICARE Prime (and thereby having to use only providers who arepart of the TRICARE Prime network) may not be the best choice for thesefamilies. TRICARE Standard may workbetter for them. Persons who are covered by other healthinsurance (such as a civilian employer’s health plan) should be aware thatTRICARE pays after those plans have made their payment for health careservices. The only time TRICARE is not second payer is when Medicaid (a public assistance program) is involved, or if the patient has a health care insurance policy that is specifically designated as a TRICARE supplemental policy. In those cases, TRICARE pays before the other insurance. TRICARE Standard users should make sure thatthe provider from whom they seek health care has been certified by the regionalTRICARE contractor as an authorized provider of care for TRICARE patients(check with the provider, or with the regional TRICARE contractor). If they receive services from a provider whois not authorized, the cost of services-even though they might otherwise becovered by the program-will not be shared by the government. Activated Reservists/National Guard members should check with their reserve centers or unit commanding officers to make sure that all information about themselves and their family members is current and accurate in the Defense Enrollment Eligibility Reporting System ( DEERS) database. Incorrect information can result in delayed claims processing, problems with the use of retail pharmacies and the National Mail Order Pharmacy ( NMOP) benefit,and other difficulties. For information about DEERS enrollment, contact the DEERS Telephone Center from 6 a.m.-5 p.m., Pacific Time, toll-free, at 1-800-334-4162 (California only), 1-800-527-5602 (Alaska and Hawaii only), or 1-800-538-9552 (all other states). If you are an activated Reservist or National Guardmember, you can get more information about your family’s TRICARE Standardbenefits from the TRICARE Standard Handbook. To get one, check with your nearest uniformed services hospital orclinic, or any TRICARE service center. Or, write to the TRICARE ManagementActivity, 16401 E. Centretech Parkway, Aurora, CO 80011-9043. You can also get information from the TRICARE Web site or from the Reserve Affairs Web site. MILITARY LEAVE Questions and answers about military leave can be found at http://www.opm.gov/oca/LEAVE/HTML/MILQA.htm . Questions and concerns about armed forces personnel issues should be addressed to the respective service’s personnel office, via the following Internet sites: Army (PERSCOM) . SERVICE MEMBERS GROUP LIFE INSURANCE (SGLI) SGLIis a program of low cost group life insurance for service members on activeduty, ready reservists, members of the Commissioned Corps of the NationalOceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the Public Health Service, cadetsand midshipmen of the four service academies, and members of the ReserveOfficer Training Corps. SGLI is available in $10,000 increments up to themaximum of $250,000. SGLI insured have two options available to them uponrelease from service. They can convert their full-time SGLI coverage to terminsurance under the Veterans’ Group Life Insurance program or to a permanentplan of insurance with one of the participating commercial insurancecompanies. Military members maypurchase a Servicemen’s Group Life Insurance (SGLI) policy available through militarypay deduction. It is currently limited to $250,000 (since 1 April2001). See Service Members Get More Life Insurance Coverage . With the recent increase, now is a good time to review your SGLI beneficiary designations. For details on beneficiary designation see AR 600-8-1, Army Casualty Operations/Assistance/Insurance , paragraph 11-29. Check the Chapter 11 Figures associatedwith SGLI beneficiary designations for more information. Also see SGLI information online http://www.insurance.va.gov. Of course, any day is a good one to be sure you have properly named who you want to receive your insurance policy proceeds. You may find general information about SGLI on the SGLI page of the Department of Veteran’s Affairs web site. It includes this SGLI/VGLI Handbook.
Availablefor Viewing and Downloading in Adobe Acrobat PDF. Get Adobe Acrobat Reader. Remember, how much life insuranceyou need, if any, depends on your personal situation. Several sites, mentioned in USAA’s Insurance may help you decide how muchlife insurance you want to buy. If you want more information you can contact the Office of Service Members’ Group Life Insurance (OSGLI) at 1-800-419-1473 or at [email protected]. TAX INFORMATION Members of the National Guardreceive a W-2 Form each year showing the total amount of taxable wages for theprevious year, total federal and state income tax withheld, and total SocialSecurity taxes withheld from pay received for National Guard duty. National Guard members whose civilianemployers pay them the difference between their National Guard pay for annualactive duty for training and their civilian pay for that period may end up being taxed twice. The civilian employer may report as taxable income the full salary for the two-week period without reducing the amount for military reimbursement, and DFAS will deduct taxes from the National Guard member’s military pay as well. This can be corrected either by obtaining a corrected W-2 form or reducing the amount of income reported in one’s tax return and including a narrative explanation of the situation. All basic pay (excluding pay received as a stipend for participation in the Armed Forces Health Professions Scholarship Program) and hazardous duty or incentive pay, is taxable. Allowances for BAH and BAS, uniform allowances, meal allowances, and items furnished in kind, such as rations, transportation, and accommodations, are nottaxable. Some National Guard members are entitled to a credit on their tax return for excessSocial Security tax withheld from their military pay. USAA at http://www.usaa.comis a good source of information for military members for insurance, banking and tax-deferredinvestments. If you have any questions about your specific tax situation, you can consult the Military.com Tax Guide , the IRS at http://www.irs.gov, a taxprofessional or TaxInformation For National Guard Members.A copy of the Armed Forces TaxGuide can be found at http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p3.pdf. More information about Tax Relief for Those Affected by Operation Joint Guard can be found at https://www.dfas.mil/money/milpay/not96-34.htmEntitlements and benefits for military personnel deployed for Operation Joint Guard can also be found athttps://www.dfas.mil/money/milpay/oje_ents.htm. You can download federal tax forms from the IRS’s Forms and Publications site: http://www.irs.gov/formspubs/index.html. You can also file electronically, using the IRS’s e-file http://www.irs.gov/efile/index.htmlsystem or by using one of a number of software packages. For moreinformation on filing, see the section Filing Returns in the Armed Forces Tax Guide http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p3.pdf. You can download state tax forms from your state tax agency . W2 Tax Forms To Be Available Online DEATH AND CASUALTY ASSISTANCE If a soldier orairman becomes a casualty, a Casualty Assistance Officer (CAO) isusually assigned to assist family members. When a member of the National Guard dies on active duty, active duty fortraining, inactive duty for training, or while performing funeral honors duty,the Armed Forces will provide a death gratuity and care and disposition ofremains. Casualtyassistance is one of the most demanding and sensitive additional duties asoldier or airman will ever have during his/her military career. Duty as a CAOtakes precedence over all other obligations and responsibilities. The missionis to provide assistance to the primary next-of-kin (PNOK) and/or the personauthorized direct disposition (PADD) during the period following a soldier orairman being declared missing or deceased. The assistance provided demonstratesthe concern of the United States Armed Forces for the welfare of its militarymembers and their families. The manner in which this mission is performed has alasting effect on how the family and their community perceive the military. Thegoal should be to impart the most positive impression possible under thecircumstances. In order to accomplish this, one must be able to blendprofessionalism with empathy. Nothing can substitute for good judgment, commonsense and sensitivity in performing a casualty assistance mission. The qualityof service must reflect full attention to duty and to the wishes of the next ofkin (NOK). Death Gratuity
National Cemetery System Line of Duty (LOD) An LODinvestigation helps determine whether or not a soldier is entitled to pay andallowances, accrual of service and leave [time], and, in some cases, disabilityretirement. A Guard member will receivethese benefits only if the final determination is “in line of duty – not due toown misconduct.” Theinvestigating officer begins the investigation by first getting a copy of theStatement of Medical Examination and Duty Status from the appointingauthority. Documentary evidence(witness statements, medical records, police reports, etc.) concerning thecircumstances surrounding the injury is collected. Witnesses and the individual injured are interviewed and swornstatements are written. Once all evidence is gathered, the LOD is reviewed and a determination is made: (1) “In the line of duty- not due to ownmisconduct”; (2) “Not in the line of duty- not due toown misconduct”; or, (3) “Not in the line of duty- due to ownmisconduct.” Theinvestigation and recommendation are then sent to the appointing authority thatdirected the investigation, State Judicial Authority for legal review, and thefinal approving authority for approval of the LOD. Line of dutyinvestigations are a required part of the military. They are not meant to inhibit soldiers from participating inregular day- to- day events (basketball, football, baseball, hiking). However,soldiers must think of the repercussions that may happen if they engage in verydangerous activities. Incapacitation Pay A member of theNational Guard who is physically unable to perform his or her military dutiesis entitled to full pay and allowances equal to a member of thee active serviceof like grade and years of service. The total pay and allowances will be reduced by the amount of income the member earns from non-military employment or self-employment during the disability period. A member of theNational Guard who is physically able to perform military duties, but whosustains an injury, illness, or disease while in the line of duty, thatprevents the member from performing his or her civilian job will receive his orher demonstrated loss of income. This loss of income will not exceed the equivalent rate of full pay and allowances for his or her rank and length of service. If you have questions about Incapacitation Pay, see your unit administrator or talk to your State Family Program Coordinator or Air National Guard Wing Family Readiness and Support Service Coordinator who can direct you to the individual who handles Incapacitation Pay issues in your state. THRIFT SAVINGS PLAN (TSP) TheTSP is a defined contribution plan. The retirement income that youreceive from your TSP account will depend on how much you (and your service, ifyou receive matching contributions) have contributed to your account duringyour working years and the earnings on those contributions. The TSP is a retirement savings plan bothfor civilians who are employed by the United States Government and for membersof the uniformed services. Congress established the FSP in the FederalEmployees’ Retirement System Act of 1986. The purpose of the TSP is to provide retirement income.The TSP offers the same type of savings and tax benefits that manyprivate corporations offer their employees under so-called”401(k)” plans. TSP regulations are published in title 5 of the Code ofFederal Regulations, Parts 1600 – 1699, and are periodically supplemented and amendedin the Federal Register. The Thrift Saving Plan (TSP) can be accessed at http://www.tsp.gov/ or Thrift Savings Plan (TSP) . Two comprehensive TSP informational booklets – the Summary of the Thrift Savings Plan for Federal Employees and the Guide to TSP Investments – have been completely updated. They are being sent to employing agencies for distribution during the forthcoming open season. Copies are now available for preview on the TSP Web site. Additionally, a “Before and After” summary description of the changes is alsoavailable on the Web site. ARMY EMERGENCY RELIEF AER, https://www.aerhq.org/, isa private nonprofit organization incorporated in 1942 by the Secretary of War andthe Army Chief of Staff. AER’s solemission is to help soldiers and their dependents. AER is the Army’s own emergency financial assistance organization and is dedicated to “Helping the Army Take Care of Its Own”. AER provides commanders a valuable asset in accomplishing their basic command responsibility for the morale and welfare of soldiers. AER funds are made available to commanders having AER Sections to provide emergency financial assistance to soldiers – active & retired – and their dependents when there is a valid need. AER funds made available to commanders are not limited and are constrained only by the requirement of valid need. For these reasons, the AER assistance program is conducted within the Army structure by major commanders and their installation/organization commanders through AER sections and other related organizations. Army Emergency Relief, https://www.aerhq.org/ is available to soldiers on extended active duty and their dependents; members of the Reserved Components of the Army (Army National Guard and U.S. Army Reserve) on continuous active duty for more than 30 days and their dependents; soldiers retired from active duty because of longevity or physical disability, or retired upon reaching age 60 (Reserve Components) and their dependents; and widows/widowers and orphans of soldiers who died while on active duty or after they retired. Eligible clients not stationed near an Army installation or Air Force Base may apply for assistance from AER through the Navy-Marine Corps Relief Society, the Air Force Aid Society, and Coast Guard Mutual Assistance. If you are not stationed near any military installations, you may apply through the American Red Cross. If your local Red Cross staff does not know how to process your application, contact your Unit Services Coordinator for instruction. AAFES/BX/PX RETIREMENT Army Retirement Services, Office of the DeputyChief of Staff for Personnel (ODCSPER),https://www.odcsper.army.mil/default.asp?pageid=16f, Headquarters, Department of the Army (HQDA), provides information on benefits and entitlements to activeduty personnel preparing for retirement. It also provides information toretirees through Army installation Retirement Services Officers (RSO). Army RetirementServices develops Army policy and procedures for the Survivor Benefit Plan(SBP) program; publishes the HQDA retiree bulletin Army Echoes; develops policy for the operation of the Army installation Retirement ServicesProgram; and administers the Chief of Staff, Army Retiree Council. CAREER TRACKS Information on Army Military Occupational Skills can be found at https://www-perscom.army.mil/dcsops/up2.htm. STATE ACTIVE DUTY (SAD) National Guardpersonnel can be activated to what is called “State Active Duty” in response tonatural or man-made disasters. Normally, the Governor of a state must declare a State of Emergencybefore the Adjutant General can bring Guard personnel onto “State ActiveDuty.” Usually State Active Dutyoperations are run from an Emergency Operations Center (EOC) that receivesspecific tasks from the state’s Emergency Operations Office. Liaison Officers (LNOs) are assigned to aspecific county or area, and they work with local authorities. Each state has different pay rates for Guardpersonnel. If you have questions aboutState Active Duty, first contact your unit’s full-time personnel and thenunit’s higher headquarters. State Active Duty Points of Contact within the 50 contiguous states can be accessed at:
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