Several years ago, my family and I had an amazing vacation on the Hawaiian island of Oahu. We stayed at the Hale Koa, an Armed Forces Recreation Center (AFRC) located in the Waikiki Beach area of Honolulu.

The Hale Koa is one of four Armed Forces Recreation Centers around the world run by the Army. These resorts were built for the military and are exclusively for use by military members, retirees, Department of Defense civilians and authorized guests.

Hale Koa Hotel – An Affordable Resort in Paradise

The Hale Koa resort is located on 72 acres on Waikiki Beach in downtown Honolulu. It boasts a gorgeous beachfront location, so you can walk from your room to the sand in just a few minutes. If you get tired of the mesmerizing brilliant blue water, you can take your pick of four swimming pools. Hungry? There are eight eateries, ranging from fine dining to beach bars. You’ll also find an Exchange, a fitness center, walking and jogging trails, laundry facilities and parking.

A beachfront rental shop makes it easy to snag umbrellas, chairs, snorkel gear, kayaks and longboards – all at reasonable prices.

Hale Koa Eligibility

The Hale Koa is for military members and their families, so there are some eligibility restrictions regarding who can use the resort.

• Armed forces and their families, including active duty, Guard, reserves and cadets at the service academies. Use your Common Access Card as identification.
• Other uniformed services, including Public Health Service and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Commissioned Corps. Use DD Form 2, PHS 1866-1 or 1866-3 for identification.
• Military retirees, including gray area retirees of the Guard or reserves. Use DD Form 2, 1173 or 1173-1.
• Select separated service members, including those with a 100% disability rating (use DD Form 1173 or DD Form 2765), those who were involuntarily separated and are eligible for TAMP (use DD Form 2) and personnel separated under the Voluntary Separation Incentive and Special Separation Benefit (use DD Form 2).
• Former and/or surviving spouses and family members (use DD Form 1173 or 1173-1).
• Select DOD civilians, foreign military and others who are working on joint military projects or are otherwise authorized. Use DD Form 1173 or 2765.
• DOD civilians and family members, current and retired. Use DOD or CG ID card, retired identification card or a current leave and earnings statement along with photo ID.

Eligible members can also sponsor additional rooms for guests.

How Much Does It Cost?

Room rates at the Hale Koa range from $165-$399 per night (current rates valid till Sept. 30, 2023) and are based on two factors: the location of the room in the resort and the member’s rank or status.

As you might expect, the better the view, the more expensive the room. There are five room levels: standard, garden view, partial ocean view, ocean view and deluxe ocean front. My family and I stayed in a garden view room, and the views were beautiful.

The second pricing factor is the visitor’s rank or status. Pricing is based on the highest-ranking occupant of the room. There are four rate bands, Rate 1 through Rate IV, based on rank or other eligibility factors. Room rates are affordable, especially for the Waikiki area.

Here are the rate bands:

• Ratel I: E1–E-6
• Rate II: E-7–E-9, WO1–CW3, O1–O3, widows, veterans with a 100% disability rating
• Rate III: CW4–CW5, O4–O10, DOD civilians, veterans with a 0-99% service-connected disability rating, Purple Heart recipients, former prisoners of war, caregivers of disabled veterans
• Rate IV: Official travel – all grades TDY/PCS/TLA, eligible foreign military

You can book rooms up to a year in advance. The Hale Koa fills up fast, so book as soon as you know your travel plans — at least six months in advance to ensure you get your room choice. If the hotel is full during your vacation dates, don’t despair. The reservation staff can help, according to the website: “Check back periodically. We can also help connect you to nearby hotels with special rates available for our guests, based on their availability. Remember, even if you stay at a different property, the Hale Koa Hotel’s restaurants and events are still benefits available to you as an eligible guest.”

Rooms

The room we stayed in was on par with what you would expect for military lodging — not quite as fancy as what you might find in a high-priced resort. It was the perfect base of operations while we enjoyed all Hawaii has to offer.

The tower we stayed in was built in the 1970s. The rooms are somewhat smaller than you might find in a more recently built hotel (roughly 300 sq. feet), but space was adequate. Our room featured two queen-sized beds, a bedside table, a small table or desk area with two chairs, a very small closet area and a single sink.

All rooms have a coffee maker and mini fridge, but no microwave. In the Maile Tower, microwaves are available at one end of each hallway, where there is also an ice machine and a vending machine. The other end of the hallway features a washer and dryer. In the Ilima Tower, you’ll find a microwave on every floor from the fourth floor and above. WiFi is free.

Hale Koa Restaurants and Bars

As mentioned earlier, the Hale Koa features eight restaurants and bars. We enjoyed the breakfast buffet at Koko at Kalia. There were a variety of dishes and desserts, including an ice cream bar. The menu changes, so you should plan accordingly.

Bibas Courtyard Grill is only open for lunch and dinner service. We ate there once but were less impressed with the food. It was good, but not great. The Bar at Bibas also offers a take-out option, and they feature a happy hour. 

The Barefoot Bar is located next to the pool and the beach. It features live island music every night. The music, the view and the cold drinks created the perfect ambiance. The bar is open to the public, as it’s right next to the beach.

Activities

The Hale Koa offers a number of activities to connect you with the island spirit, including a luau with fire dancing, a garden tour every Thursday, hula dancing lessons, and magic and comedy shows.

The main pool includes water slides, splash pads, a kids’ play area, play pirate ship and other family-friendly features. Adults 18 years old and older can relax in the adult infinity pool. You can also rent a cabana, which includes two lounge chairs, two armchairs and a table.

Get Out and About

Waikiki is great. We loved the beach and were able to go snorkeling and kayaking right in front of the hotel. We saw a variety of fish and even several sea turtles. But Oahu has so much more to offer than just Waikiki Beach and Honolulu. We traveled to Hanauma Bay, Makapu’u Point Lookout, Waikiki Aquarium, the North Shore, the central part of Oahu near Schofield Barracks, Wheeler Airfield, and much more.

Other popular attractions include Pearl Harbor-Hickam, various hiking trails, botanical gardens and waterfalls. Hawaii Navy Family and Morale, Welfare and Recreation (MWR) runs a website called Great Life Hawaii, where you can learn more about travel and tour opportunities and discounts. 

Getting There

The Hale Koa doesn’t have an airport shuttle or a shuttle to Joint Base Pearl Habor-Hickam (JBPHH), so you will need to make your own travel arrangements to and from the resort. Options include taxi, ride share (Uber and Lyft) and the city bus service, or you can arrange an airport shuttle (approximately $30 per person). Plan for it to take 20-30 minutes to get to and from the airport.

The Internal Revenue Service released the 2023 Thrift Savings Plan contribution limits. The IRS calculates Thrift Savings Plan contribution limits annually based on the cost of living indexes.

The 2023 TSP contribution limits are set at $22,500 for elective deferrals, up from $20,500 in 2022.

The total maximum annual addition is $66,000 in 2023. If you’re over 50, you can make up to $7,500 in catch-up contributions, with a maximum yearly addition of $73,500. 

2023 Thrift Savings Plan Contribution Limits

The 2023 TSP contribution limit for employee deferrals is $22,500, a nearly 10% increase from the $20,500 limit in 2022. 

The IRS caps catch-up contributions at $7,500 in 2023, a $1,000 increase over the last three years. You can only make catch-up contributions if you’re at least 50 years old.

The IRS also issued a $5,000 increase in the 2023 total contribution limit, which includes employer contributions. If you’re under age 50, you and your employer can contribute $66,000 total to your TSP, 401k or other tax-advantaged retirement account. If you’re at least 50 years old, the total 2023 contribution limit is $73,500. 

Here’s a breakdown of the 2023 Thrift Savings Plan contribution limits.

Elective Deferral Limit: $22,500

The elective deferral limit is the maximum amount that employees can defer from their paychecks to a Roth or traditional TSP account. Roth and traditional accounts share the $22,500 limit, so you can’t contribute the maximum to each.

To max out your TSP, you’ll need to contribute $1,875 per month from your paycheck, which may be too aggressive, depending on your pay grade.

Catch-up Contribution Limit: $7,500

Members aged 50 and over can contribute an additional $7,500 per year to their elective deferral limit ($30,000) and annual addition limit ($73,500). You’ll have to divert $2,500 each month to your TSP to max out your elective deferral and catch-up contribution limit.

Annual Addition Limit: $66,000

The annual addition limit encompasses contributions from all sources except catch-up contributions. It applies to elective deferrals, deployment contributions that exceed the $22,500 elective deferral limit and employer contributions, including Department of Defense matches through the blended retirement system.

Explanation of Thrift Savings Plan Contribution Limits

The following chart displays the 2023 Thrift Savings Plan contribution limits according to the Internal Revenue Code.

The combined maximum you can contribute – including employer contributions, contributions from special pay and bonuses and contributions while deployed, is $66,000 ($73,500 if you’re eligible for catch-up contributions).

Current and Historic Thrift Savings Plan Contribution Limits

Types of Thrift Savings Plan Contributions

There are three types of TSP contributions:

1. Regular employee contributions (including automatic enrollment contributions)
2. Catch-up contributions (for participants age 50 or older)
3. Annual addition limit contributions

Regular Contributions (Elective Deferral Contributions)

Eligible TSP participants can begin making regular employee contributions at any time. These contributions — also known as elective-deferral contributions — come out of your basic pay.

Traditional contributions come out of your check before you pay taxes on them. You can pay taxes on Roth TSP contributions before you deposit them, allowing your money to grow tax-free over time.

Once you make your contribution election, it will remain in place until you elect to stop contributing, change your contribution amount, reach the contribution limit or take a Thrift Savings Plan financial hardship withdrawal.

Catch-Up Contributions

You can make catch-up contributions each calendar year if you’re at least 50 years old. They will automatically stop if you don’t elect to make a catch-up contribution each year.

You can make regular and catch-up contributions at the same time.

If you plan your contributions carefully, you can maximize both the $22,500 regular contribution and the $7,500 catch-up contribution during the last pay period of the year. This is much simpler than tracking when your regular TSP contributions will max out, stopping the regular contributions and then starting catch-up contributions.

In addition, if you are eligible to make catch-up contributions and you are deployed to a designated combat zone, you can only make Roth contributions from your tax-exempt pay.

Annual Addition Limit Contributions

Annual addition limit contributions include all contributions during the applicable calendar year: your elective deferrals as well as employer contributions.

The annual addition limit also applies to contributions above the annual elective deferral limit (contributions above $22,500 in 2023) made by service members who are deployed to a tax-exempt zone.

The Internal Revenue Code §415(c) states the annual addition limit is per employer. However, for 415(c) purposes, working for multiple federal agencies or services in the same year is the same as having one employer. This applies to members of the National Guard or reserves who also work for a federal agency.

Two Thrift Savings Plans – Uniformed Services and Federal Service

Remember, there are two separate Thrift Savings Plan accounts:

• One for military members
• One for federal government employees

Members can have both accounts if they serve in the National Guard or reserves while working in civil service. The two plans share the same annual contribution limits across both accounts. So, you must carefully calculate contributions to avoid over-contribution penalties.

Uniformed Services TSP Contributions

The Thrift Savings Plan is available to all military members, who can contribute any whole percentage of their basic pay, bonuses, special pay or incentive pay, as long as it doesn’t exceed the annual IRS limit on elective deferrals.

• Roth TSP Contributions for TSP members 

Roth Thrift Savings Plan contributions are limited to the $22,500 elective deferral limit. All additional contributions toward the annual additions limit must go into a traditional TSP account, even if the contributions come from tax-exempt pay.

• Tax-free Combat-Zone Contributions 

Military members serving in tax-free combat zones can contribute up to $66,000. This total includes regular deferred contributions, tax-exempt combat zone contributions, special pay and bonuses.

TSP Federal Agency Contributions

Federal civil service members can also make traditional or Roth TSP contributions within the same contribution limit.

Matching TSP Contributions Chart

Military members only receive matching contributions in the blended retirement system (BRS), not the legacy high-3 pension plan. FERS employees are eligible for matching contributions from the government.

BRS participants receive an automatic 1% contribution from the federal government, then a 100% match for the first 3% they contribute, followed by an additional 0.5%  match for the next 2% they contribute. The total maximum agency contribution is 5%.

Participants can contribute as high of a percentage of their salary as they wish, as long as they don’t exceed total contribution limits, including the catch-up limits allowed for those age 50 and above.

Contribution Limits With Multiple Retirement Accounts

The TSP is similar to a 401(k) plan, and they share the same annual contribution limit per person. You cannot contribute more than $22,500 ($30,000 with catch-up contributions) across both accounts in any given calendar year.

The TSP system will not allow you to contribute too much to the TSP. If you do, the TSP will refund you the difference and reject future contributions through the end of the calendar year. But the TSP doesn’t have insight into your other retirement accounts.

If you have more than one retirement account, track your contributions carefully.

Military TSP and Federal TSP

National Guard and reserve service members who serve as federal technicians may have a military TSP account and a civil service TSP account.

Service members with two TSP accounts can contribute to both in the same tax year. However, these accounts share the same total contribution limit.

You can only exceed the annual employee deferral limit when you deploy to a tax-exempt combat zone. At this point, you can contribute up to the annual addition limit. ($66,000; or $73,500 with catch-up contributions).

TSP and 401k (or Similar Civilian Retirement Account)

TSP and 401k plans share the same annual limit, but they’re not connected. So, your TSP can’t track your 401k contributions or vice versa, making it possible to overcontribute. Track your contributions carefully if you contribute to both accounts to ensure you don’t accidentally incur a penalty.

Many veterans who served after Sept.11, 2001, are eligible for the Post-9/11 GI Bill.

In this podcast, we walk you through Post-9/11 qualification and explain what it covers, including how to determine the maximum tuition rates and your basic allowance for housing (BAH).

We also discuss how to use the Post-9/11 GI Bill. All you need to do is qualify for the benefit and be accepted to your school. Your school will do virtually everything else!

Our guest for this podcast is Anthony Tran, a U.S. Air Force veteran who successfully used the Post-9/11 GI Bill to complete three master’s degree programs. Anthony used the Post-9/11 GI Bill to make himself more marketable in the workforce by switching from the automotive industry to the aerospace industry. Today, he is a successful entrepreneur who runs the website and podcast Marketing Access Pass, where he provides internet marketing training and services to help other entrepreneurs successfully launch their own businesses.

How the Post-9/11 GI Bill Was Created

The Post-9/11 GI Bill is an improvement over previous versions of the GI Bill, which hadn’t kept pace with the rate of college tuition increases. Its creation helped veterans returning from Afghanistan and Iraq transition into the civilian sector without taking on student debt.

Why the Post-9/11 GI Bill Is Better than the Montgomery GI Bill (MGIB)

The Montgomery GI Bill – Active Duty provides tuition assistance to veterans and service members who buy into the program. Full-time students receive a flat rate of $2,150 per month, effective Oct. 1, 2021 (see current MGIB rates), which they must use to pay their tuition.

Benefits with the Montgomery GI Bill – Selected Reserve are lower. A full-time student receives $407 per month (effective Oct. 1, 2021).

The Post-9/11 GI Bill, on the other hand, is free to veterans who qualify. It covers up to the most expensive in-state tuition rate in the state where your school is located. The Department of Veterans Affairs pays the tuition directly to the school. Veterans also receive an annual book stipend and a monthly housing allowance equivalent to the “E-5 with dependents” basic allowance for housing rate.

The VA website lists maximum tuition and fee benefits for the Post-9/11 GI Bill.

To find BAH rates, use the “E-5 with Dependents” rate for the ZIP code of the school location. Here is a BAH calculator.

Most veterans will receive higher benefits through the Post-9/11 GI Bill is better than the MGIB. Our GI Bill Guide explains the details.

Using the Post-9/11 GI Bill

Using the Post-9/11 GI Bill is very easy. You need to qualify for the program, obtain a letter of verification from the VA and get accepted to your school. After that, the educational institution will take care of all the paperwork.

Qualifying for the Post-9/11 GI Bill:

Veterans must serve at least 90 days after Sept. 10, 2001, to qualify for the Post-9/11 GI Bill, according to the VA. They must serve 36 months to qualify for the full benefit unless they received a Purple Heart or are discharged due to service-connected disabilities.

Here is the tiered eligibility percentage, according to the VA:

Members of the National Guard and reserves qualify for the Post-9/11 GI Bill if they served “at least 90 aggregated days of active service after September 10, 2001,” according to the VA. Active service includes Title 10 (active duty) or Title 32 (National Guard duty), as well as time when a reservist is ordered to active duty for medical care or evaluation.

Eligibility Verification Process

The VA needs to verify your service dates and your discharge rating to determine if you are eligible to receive Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits. Apply online through the VA site, or call the VA at 888-442-4551 to request a paper application to submit by mail or in person. Approval takes an average of 30 days, according to the VA. Once the VA approves your application, you’ll receive a Certificate of Eligibility in the mail. 

Give this to the VA certifying official at your school, and the school will take care of all the admin work. You don’t have to worry about the tuition.

You should start receiving MHA the next month. You will need to verify your enrollment with the VA at the end of each month, which you can do by text or email.

How to Use the Post-9/11 GI Bill to Improve Your Career Opportunities

In the podcast, Tran discussed how he used the Post-9/11 GI Bill to move from the automotive industry into the aerospace industry. While there were some similarities between the two industries, he needed to make his resume more attractive when changing industries. Obtaining another master’s degree helped pave the way to a successful career change.

You can do the same thing. Education by itself isn’t a magic bullet that will get you hired immediately, but it does help make your total package more attractive.

If I asked you the answer to 30 + 20, you would quickly tell me 50. And you would be right in just about every instance. But for veterans with service-connected disability ratings, the math doesn’t always work out quite so easily. In fact, 30 + 20 might only equal 44, which rounds down to 40. Or it might equal 48.4, which rounds up to 50. Confused yet? Welcome to the world of VA Math!

The VA Service-Connected Disability rating system is complex, not least because of the way the VA calculates final service-connected disability ratings.

VA disability ratings determine compensation payments and access to other service-connected disability benefits. Learning to calculate your rating is important to make sure you’re receiving the right benefits. The difference can be worth hundreds to thousands of dollars a year in compensation payments and other benefits.

Let’s dive in.

What Do VA Disability Ratings Represent?

The first thing to understand is what your disability rating represents.

In short, the VA takes each individual injury or illness into consideration and gives it a numerical disability rating divisible by 10 (ex: 10%, 40%, etc.).

A good way to look at this is to consider how disabilities affect your ability to perform work and daily activities. To do this, the VA looks at how your disability affects your overall efficiency. Let’s say you are a normal 40-year-old retiree with no major service-connected injuries or illnesses. Your efficiency would be rated at 100%.

But, if you just retired from the military after 20 years of service and tweaked your knee while you were deployed, you may be eligible for benefits.

Let’s say you had an arthroscopic surgery for the injury, but still have some pain and stiffness in that knee. The VA could grant you a 10% service-connected disability rating. The VA determines this rating by looking at your efficiency, which it calls 90%.

In the previous example, it seems like you can just subtract the 10% from 100% and come up with 90%. But the VA does the math differently:

We’re going to come back to why we did the math this way.

How the VA Rates Multiple Disabilities

The aforementioned example with the veteran who had a knee injury covers the most basic situation – a single disability rating. Things get more interesting when you have more disability ratings. Let’s run through an example, building on the previous profile.

Let’s add a few conditions for this 40-year-old retiree.

Let’s say our retiree has the following service-connected disability ratings:

• 10% rating for his right knee (above example)
• 30% rating for a back injury
• 20% rating for right shoulder injury
• 10% for hearing loss.

Calculate Combined Disability Ratings using VA Math

The VA uses a descending efficiency scale for its calculations. The VA will give each injury or illness a numerical rating.

When it comes time to determine the overall rating, the VA will start with the highest rating, then work its way down. You will always begin with an efficiency rating of 100. Each new disability gives you a new baseline.

We start by racking and stacking the disabilities. In the example above, we have ratings of 30%, 20%, 10% and 10%. We start with the 30%, then factor in the 20%, the 10% then the final 10%.

Again, we aren’t subtracting here; we’re doing VA math.

You start with your efficiency rate of 100, multiply it by your disability rating, then subtract the result from your original rating.

In this case, you would multiply 30% times 100 and get 30. You subtract that from 100 and come up with 70.

Your new efficiency rating is 70, and your disability rating is 30.

This is the starting point for the next calculation. You repeat the process for the next rating. You take 20%, multiply it by 70, and come up with 14. You subtract 14 from 70, and you get 56.

Your new efficiency rating is 56, and your disability rating is 44. You repeat the process for each additional disability rating.

Caption: The VA rounds final ratings to the nearest 10 (ex: 56% disability would be 60%, 54% would be 50%). Approximately symbols (?) in the example above indicate rounding to the nearest whole number.

VA Combined Ratings Table

The math can be a bit confusing if you try to do it manually; that’s where this combined ratings table may be helpful.

Let’s try the same example with the table below.

We start with the 30% disability. Look at the combined ratings table and scroll down the left column until you find the number 30.

Then go to the right column until you find the 20. The 30 and 20 combine for 44. If those are your only two ratings, you would have a 44% VA service-connected disability rating, which would round down to 40%. But, we’re not done. We still have to add two 10% ratings.

Start on the left column again. This time, you will look for the 44 in the left column. Then find the intersection point with the 44 and 10. Your new rating is 50%.

Repeat this one more time, starting with 50, and meeting up with 10. Your new combined rating is 55%, which rounds up to 60%.

Table Instructions: List all disabilities in descending order. Start with the highest disability rating, find it in the left column, and find the intersecting point with the next highest disability rating. This is your combined rating for these two disabilities. If these are your only two disabilities, you can round to the nearest number divisible by 10 (all numbers 4.9 and lower are rounded down; 5 and higher are rounded up).

Repeat this process until you have run the numbers for all disability ratings.

(Article continues below table):

Source: 38 CFR 4.25 – Combined ratings table. Downloadable PDF: You can download this table here .

Online VA Disability Ratings Calculators: It’s great to know how to use the combined ratings table so you can verify your disability rating for yourself. But it’s also nice to be able to use a calculator that takes all these factors into consideration. There are several websites that have useful calculators.

How Bilateral Disabilities Affect Your Rating

There is one more issue we need to consider that can greatly impact your rating: the bilateral factor.

The VA combines the individual rates for bilateral injuries and adds 10% of the combined amount to the total percentage, according to the VA. It uses the new total as one rating when calculating the rest of your combined total.

Example Using the Bilateral Factor

Let’s stick with the example profile from above, but let’s add another knee disability, one on each leg. So, in total, we’re working with:

• 10% rating for right knee
• 10% for left knee
• 30% rating for a back injury
• 20% rating for right shoulder injury
• 10% for hearing loss.

The two knee injures would qualify for the bilateral factor.

The disability rating for each knee was 10%, but when combined, they equal 21%, according to the VA’s Combined Rating Table. Here is how it works:

Bilateral Factor Applied:

A 10% disability combined with another 10% disability = 19%,

Then you add 10% of 19, or 1.9%.

19% + 1.9% = 20.9%, which rounds up to 21%.

The combined rating for both knees is now 21%, and the VA will use 21% as the rating for those disabilities. It is possible to have more than two disabilities combined in the bilateral factor.

Now, using the combined rating table above, we’d start with the 21% rating and the 30% rating. This takes us to 45. Follow the left column down to 45 and find where it intersects with 20. You get 56.

Repeat the process for 56 and 10, and you get 60. The overall service-connected disability rating for this veteran is exactly 60%.

The previous example was 55%, rounded up to 60%, and this example was exactly 60% without rounding. As your disability percentage increases, it takes more disabilities with higher ratings to move the needle.

What Factors Does the VA Take Into Account for Disability?

To be eligible for VA disability benefits or compensation, you must:

• Have served on active duty, active duty for training or inactive duty training and have a current illness or injury that affects your mind or body.

Additionally, at least one of the following situations must be true:

• You got sick or injured while serving in the military and can link this condition to your illness or injury (called an inservice disability claim)
• You had an illness or injury before you joined the military—and serving made it worse (called a preservice disability claim)
• You have a disability related to your active-duty service that didn’t appear until after you separated from the military (called a post-service disability claim)
• You have one of the VA’s “presumed disabilities:”
  • Chronic (long-lasting) illness that appeared within one year of your discharge
  • Illness caused by contact with contaminants (toxic chemicals) or other hazardous materials
  • Illness caused by time spent as a prisoner of war (POW)

When deciding on a disability claim, the VA considers the above eligibility requirements, as well as how your condition affects your daily life, activities and employability.

How to Increase Your VA Disability Rating

If you feel your VA rating does not accurately reflect the impact your service-connected disability has on your life, you can try to get the VA to increase your disability rating.

One way to do this is to file an appeal.

If you’re still within a year of the VA’s decision on your initial claim, you can file a Notice of Disagreement to kick off the formal appeal process. You’ll use the Notice of Disagreement form to declare what you disagree with and indicate how you’d like your appeal to proceed.

If you are outside of the one-year period for a notice of disagreement, you can file a new claim for an increased rating. Be sure to include any new evidence, medical opinions or documentation showing that your condition has worsened or is worse than the VA previously rated it

If your condition has worsened to the point that you can not work, you can file for TDIU, or “total disability based on individual unemployability. When in doubt, you can always reach out to a Veterans Service Officer at a Veterans Service Organization. VSOs will help you with your claim free of charge.

My family and I just returned from a wonderful Walt Disney World vacation. This was the second time my family and I have been able to visit Disney World. Both times we stayed at Shades of Green, a military resort located adjacent to the Disney World property.

As you probably know, Disney World is very expensive. Thankfully, military members have access to some excellent discounts that can help them cut their costs by more than half.

I’ll walk you through the savings we got through the Disney World Military Park Hopper Discounts and how we saved a ton of money by staying at the Shades of Green Resort on Walt Disney World.

We have previously covered the Disney military discounts, so this article and podcast will focus on the Shades of Green Resort. Of course, we’ll also add some tips on visiting Disney World so you can maximize your savings and enjoyment.

Shades of Green – Military Resort at Walt Disney World

The Shades of Green resort is an Armed Forces Recreation Center resort located on the Walt Disney World grounds in Orlando, FL. While it’s not technically a Disney resort, it is located on Walt Disney World property and is conveniently located adjacent to the Polynesian Resort.

The Polynesian is two Monorail stops from the Magic Kingdom. You can walk to the Polynesian within 10 minutes, or you can take one of the free Shades of Green Resort shuttle buses to the Disney World Ticket and Transportation Center or to Disney Springs (formerly known as Downtown Disney).

Shuttle buses are also available for a nominal fee for some of the other major Orlando area attractions, such as Universal Studios and Sea World.

Shades of Green is one of four Armed Forces Recreation Centers worldwide run by the Army. AFRCs are resorts that were built for the military and are exclusively for use by military members, retirees, DoD civilians, and other authorized guests.

The Army Family and Morale, Welfare, and Recreation (MWR) Programs operate these resorts. These resorts were built with MWR funds and now operate on a self-sustaining basis.

Other AFRC resorts are Edelweiss Lodge & Resort in Garmisch, Germany, Dragon Hill Lodge in Seoul, Korea, and Hale Koa on Waikiki Beach in Honolulu, HI. The Navy runs The New Sanno Hotel in Tokyo, Japan, which is another premium military resort.

The Armed Forces Recreation Centers offer various amenities that vary by location. My family and I previously stayed at the Hale Koa, which was an amazing vacation. You can read our Hale Koa review and podcast here.

Hopefully, I’ll have the opportunity to travel to other locations in the future!

This Shades of Green review will cover eligibility requirements and pricing, then I’ll talk about our experiences, what to do while you’re there, and some tips to help you maximize your Disney World vacation.

Shades of Green Review – Affordable Luxury

Shades of Green is located on the Disney World Golf Course. Our hotel room was on the first floor, and looked out on the golf course.

Our back patio included a small table and two chairs, and there was an expansive lawn out back. My daughters loved waking up in the morning to see what surprises they might find.

Each day there was a gecko perched on one of the chairs. One morning there was a peacock outside our door, and another morning brought a flock of wild turkeys.

Shades of Green Eligibility

Shades of Green is a military resort. Thus, there are restrictions on who is eligible to book a room and when.

The good news, is visitors are able to sponsor non-military guests, and unlike many other military resorts, veterans who are not military retirees are eligible to stay at Shades of Green during January and September.

The following groups of individuals are authorized to stay at Shades of Green.

• Armed Forces and their Families – Members on Active Duty, Reserve and National Guard, Army, Navy, Air Force, Coast Guard and Cadets of Armed Forces Academies. (Use appropriate Military ID Card).
• Armed Forces Retirees and their Family Members – Retired from active duty, Reserves, and National Guard with or without pay (Use following forms of ID: DD Form 2, 1173 or 1173-1)
• Other Uniformed Services – Public Health Service and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Commissioned Corps. (Use one of the following forms of ID: DD Form 2, PHS 1866-1 or 1866-3)
• Others Separated from the Armed Forces and their Family Members
  • Honorably discharged veterans with 100 percent Service-connected disability. (Use DD Form 1173 or DD Form 2765)
  • Involuntarily separated service members under the Transition Assistance Management Program (Use DD Form 2)
  • Personnel separated under the Voluntary Separation Incentive (VSI) and Special Separation Benefit (SSB) programs for two years after separation (Use DD Form 2)
• Former and/or Surviving Spouses and Family Members – Unremarried surviving spouses of personnel who died while on active duty or while in retired status, or un-remarried former spouses who were married to military members for at least 20 years while the military member was on active duty. (Use DD Form 1173 or 1173-1)
• Other Supporters of the Department of Defense – Others supporting the DoD as civilians, contractors, or foreign military personnel stationed at a US military installation. See the Shades of Green Website for further details. (Use DD Form 1173 or 2765)
• U.S. Department of Defense Civilians and Family Members – Current and retired (APF and NAF) Department of Defense (DoD) and Coast Guard (CG) civilian employees. DOD or CG ID card, Retired ID card, or current Leave and Earnings Statement with photo ID required for check-in.
• *Non-Retired Military Veterans with an Honorable Discharge – Eligible to stay during January and September (see Shades of Green website for more details). Non-retired veterans fall under Category #3 room rates. (Use DD Form 214 – more info on getting a replacement DD Form 214).

*Non-retired military veterans: The Disney Armed Forces Salute discounts for Disney tickets are only available to current military members and retirees, so you may not be eligible to buy the discounted military Park Hopper passes through this method.

Shades of Green Pricing

Shades of Green prices are very affordable for the Orlando area. They are even more affordable when you consider the quality of the resort and the location.

Like most AFRC Resorts, the room prices are based on the location in the resort as well as your rank or status. Rooms that have a better view or that are closer to attractions, such as a pool, may cost more than a standard room. And, of course, suites are even more expensive.

This is also the case with the Hale Koa, which prices rooms based on the availability of an ocean view and other factors. Rooms are still very affordable, even with this variable pricing structure.

Shades of Green Pricing Categories

Eligible members are given a pricing category based on their eligibility. This is usually the member’s rank or pay grade, but it could be another eligibility factor.

I should note the pricing is based at your rank or grade at the time you check in, not when you make your reservations, which makes sense.

We made our reservations before I attended AF Officer Training School, but we had to pay the Category 2 rate (I was prior enlisted and would have fallen under the Category 1 rate). No complaints from me, though. The rooms and amenities were great, even at the Category 2 rates.

• Category 1: E-1 through E-6 and Cadets
• Category 2: E-7 through E-9, O-1 through O-3, WO-1 to CW-3, Widows, Medal of Honor Recipients, 100% Disabled Veterans, permanent and total, and Category 1 sponsored rooms; Non-retired veterans.
• Category 3: O-4 through O-10, CW-4 and CW-5, active and retired DoD Civilians, Foreign Military assigned to US Military installations, and DoD contractors assigned to US Military installations

Shades of Green Room Rates – FY 2023

Shades of Green Room Rates – FY 2024

Shades of Green – Room Quality

I was impressed with the quality of the rooms at Shades of Green. I expected the rooms to be similar to military billeting – clean and serviceable but nothing fancy.

The room we had at Shades of Green was actually quite large, with high-quality furnishings. There were two double beds and a couch that flipped into a bed.

This latter feature was nice, as it allowed each of our daughters to have their own place to sleep each night (I’m sure most parents can see the value in this!).

Each room has a refrigerator and coffee maker. There were an iron and ironing board in the closet, a safe, a hair dryer, and a small table with two chairs. The only thing I thought was lacking was a microwave.

Unfortunately, the standard rooms don’t have microwaves. That said, there is a common-use microwave in the laundry room on the 3rd floor. (The Shades of Green website states the suites have microwaves available).

To save time and money, we brought breakfast items to eat in the room before we hit the parks for the day. One year, we bought microwavable breakfast sandwiches, which we took up to the 3rd-floor laundry room to heat up for breakfast. On our most recent trip, we bought a lot of fruit and other foods and ate breakfast in our room.

This allowed us to save quite a bit of money during our stay, and we could get out of the room more quickly in the mornings as opposed to sitting down at a restaurant for breakfast.

Shades of Green Resort Features & Amenities

Shades of Green has just about everything you need for a full vacation, even if you don’t want to do the “Disney World” thing. There are several restaurants, a bar, a coffee shop, AAFES Exchange, and Discounted Ticket Sales.

You can buy your Disney Park Hopper passes or other local attraction tickets here), an Alamo Rent-a-Car, tennis, golfing, two pools and a splash park, a playground, and more.

In short, you can go to Shades of Green any time of year and have a self-contained vacation, whether or not you decide to do Disney World. Shades of Green also features different specials throughout the month.

For example, we were at Shades of Green during September, and they were hosting a special Oktoberfest promotion, complete with a live band, a German buffet, and a beer and wine tent.

There is a cost associated with these promotions, of course. But it’s nice that Shades of Green makes entertainment easy for their guests.

Shades of Green – Restaurants and Bars

Shades of Green offers several places to eat during your stay. They have three main restaurant options for a meal, including Evergreens Sports Bar and Grill, Mangino’s Bistro (Italian Restaurant), the Garden Gallery, a coffee shop, and more.

Some of these restaurants on only open for certain meals, but there is enough coverage to get you through the day. Here is a brief overview of the dining options. See the Shades of Green website for full hours and menus.

Garden Gallery

• Open for breakfast and dinner, including an all-you-can-eat buffet. We didn’t dine here as a family, as the all-you-can-eat buffet was too much food too early in the day for us, and we ate elsewhere most evenings. So I can’t comment on the food.

Evergreens Sports Bar and Grill

• Located near one of the pools, Evergreens Sportsbar & Grill offers traditional pub foods, such as burgers, salad, wraps, pizza, wings, fries, and more. There is a full bar, an arcade with video games for kids, and they are open late.

Mangino’s Bistro

• Mangino’s Bistro is open for lunch and dinner and offers a limited to-go menu at Mangino’s, a sit-down family restaurant.

Express Café & Java Café

• The Express Café serves line-order foods for breakfast and lunch (sandwiches, coffee, wraps, and similar quick foods). They are near the shuttle buses, making it a convenient stop on your way to the local attractions. Only open for breakfast and lunch.
• Java Café serves Starbucks coffee and has a variety of pastries, juices, and quick foods. And a nice selection of ice cream for the afternoon through the evening. Open all day.

Shades of Green – Entertainment

There is actually quite a bit to do at Shades of Green, even if you don’t go to Disney World or any of the other Orlando area theme parks or attractions.

There are two pools, a splash park, a playground, a bar and grill, a spa, a yoga room, a fitness center, a Family Tech Center, two tennis courts, and more.

Shades of Green is also located adjacent to the Disney Golf Course, making it very easy to walk over to the clubhouse for a round of golf.

Shades of Green also has seasonal activities, such as the Oktoberfest mentioned above. You will need to check with the Shades of Green website for more specific information, as these events and costs vary.

Travel Tips for Shades of Green

Unfortunately, Orlando isn’t a frequent hub for Space-A flights. So you will most likely need to drive to Orlando or fly commercial. I’m going to go with the assumption you’ve already taken advantage of military travel discounts.

Also make sure you get TSA PreCheck if you are eligible (active military members, including Guard and Reserves, can get free TSA PreCheck). TSA PreCheck is a huge time-saver when flying!

Shades of Green Does Not Have an Airport Shuttle Bus

Shades of Green does not have an airport shuttle, so you need to make your way to Shades of Green on your own. Since Shades of Green isn’t a Disney World Resort, you won’t be eligible for the Disney Magical Express from the airport. So plan on renting a car, taking a local area shuttle, or hiring a ride share service such as Uber or Lyft.

Is a Rental Car Necessary?

This depends on your travel plans. As mentioned above, Shades of Green does have free shuttle buses to Disney World locations and inexpensive shuttles to other Orlando attractions. If you rent a car, decide whether you need it for the entire trip or just a few days.

We rented a car for the duration of our vacation, but on several days we used the Shades of Green shuttle or walked to the Polynesian to use the Disney Monorail.

We left our car parked for probably 3 out of 7 days. We felt the convenience of having our own ride was worth the added expense or renting a car for the week.

That said, you could easily get away without a rental car or by only renting a car for a few days. Shades of Green has an Alamo Rental Car on location, which would make it very easy to rent a car to and from the airport and use the Shades of Green shuttle service on the days in between. This is something we may do on our next trip to Shades of Green.

Maximizing Your Disney World Trip

There are entire websites dedicated to planning a Disney World vacation, so I won’t try to recreate one of those here (Check out MilitaryDisneyTips.com for some great tips for planning your vacation). But I will give you a few tips so you can plan accordingly.

Best Disney Vacation Advice Ever: Start. Planning. Early.

Seriously. My wife and I started planning almost a year out (OK, it was mostly my wife; she loves to plan – especially vacations). We booked our hotel about 10-12 months out and made our rough itinerary months in advance.

Traveling in a down time of the year is always a good idea if you are able to do so. Crowds are smaller and it’s easier to get on the rides you want.

We traveled in September, which is right after most children have returned to school for the fall. We actually took our children out of school for a week to do this family vacation.

We normally wouldn’t do that, but I was away from my family from April through the end of August on military training. So I basically missed the summer with my family. Our children are young enough that missing a week of school won’t hurt them academically as much as it might if they were older.

Fast Passes are essential. Fast Passes allow you to schedule when you want to ride certain rides. You can only book a few Fast Passes per day, but it’s definitely worth it. You can save hours of waiting in line if you book your Fast Passes strategically. It’s also good to get to the parks early and race to the ride you want to get on first. Here is a guide to help understand FastPasses. Book your rides 30 days out if staying at Shades of Green – they fill up quickly! (Note: Disney has paused the FastPass program during the pandemic; check with the Disney website for more information).

The Disney Phone App is Awesome. My wife created a Disney account to help plan and manage our stay. The Disney app allows you to manage your Fast Passes and dinner reservations and gives you an interactive map of the parks, showing approximate wait times for each attraction. We found the wait times to be very accurate. This app helps you adapt on the go and maximize your trip. More info here.

Bottom Line

Whether you’re planning a trip to Disney World, where you tackle the parks, or you’re just looking for a resort stay with great amenities, attractions, and restaurants, Shades of Green could be the home of your next vacation.

Disney World is expensive, but Shades of Green cuts costs tremendously for veterans and active duty military personnel and their guests.

Military discounts aren’t limited to AFRC resorts. Many businesses military discounts as a way of thanking you for your service. Check out all of the offers available to you, and enjoy your next Disney vacation at Shades of Green.

Note: Shades of Green did not compensate me in any way for this review. In fact, they didn’t even know I was there. But I would be happy to stay at any other AFRC resort to write an honest review. Wouldn’t that be nice?

FTC Disclosure: This article was sponsored by USAA. Although this post is sponsored, all opinions are my own.

Life insurance isn’t the most glamorous topic to discuss. It forces us to face the inevitable fact that life on earth is not forever. But life insurance is one of the most important parts of our financial toolbox. September is Life Insurance Awareness Month, and today, we are bringing you this guide to help you understand more about life insurance, including why you need it, ways to determine how much life insurance you need, basic types of life insurance, where you can buy life insurance, and much more.

This guide is based on a conversation I had with Sean Scaturro, the Advice Director for Life Insurance at USAA. Sean is a Certified Financial Planner and life insurance expert. He was kind enough to share his wisdom which you can hear on the accompanying podcast.

Rather than simply type out a transcript of our conversation, I thought it more valuable to create this written guide which gives us the opportunity to expand upon certain sections and provide links to additional resources where applicable. Both this written article and the podcast offer a lot of valuable resources to help you better understand life insurance and make sure you get the coverage you need.

Why You Need Life Insurance

The largest asset most people have is their ability to earn income. So it makes sense to protect your survivors with life insurance. At its core, life insurance provides people with money when they need it the most. Life insurance provides income replacement, the funds necessary to cover your final expenses, the ability to eliminate debts or other liabilities, and it allows you to continue your standard of living as well as can be expected under the circumstances.

In other words, life insurance gives you or your survivors the ability to continue living your life without having to worry about the financial aspects.

How Much Life Insurance Do You Need?

Most people need life insurance, but life insurance needs are different for each person. Some people recommend having 5-10 times annual income. But that may or may not be enough, depending on your net worth, outstanding liabilities, anticipated living expenses, and your survivors’ future needs.

Instead of looking for a one-size-fits-all approach for determining life insurance needs, USAA recommends estimating your life insurance needs using the acronym LIFE.

• Liabilities
• Income Replacement
• Final Expenses
• Education

This acronym gives you the tools to quickly come up with a rough idea of what your specific life insurance needs are based on actual numbers, not a random rule of thumb. Let’s dig a little deeper into each of these.

Liabilities

Liabilities should cover all of your outstanding liabilities. This should include enough money to pay off any outstanding loans, including your mortgage, cars, student loans, credit card debt, personal loans, or other consumer loans. Having the funds to become debt free gives the survivors a new lease on life and will help them move forward without having to worry about crushing debt at a time when they should be worry about putting their lives back together.

Income Replacement

Income Replacement – this should typically be enough to cover 5 or more years of income from the person you are covering with insurance. This will allow the survivors to continue their lifestyle without having to immediately worry about replacing the income of the deceased person. Keep in mind some people may contribute to the bottom line, even if they don’t earn a salary. For example, a stay at home spouse may take care of the house, children, and support the household in other ways. So you want to insure that person for their contributions. To put this another way: what additional expenses might you have if one of the partners passes away?

Final Expenses

Final Expenses can be financially devastating. Long-term care or prolonged medical care can easily wipe out an individual’s savings. Other final expenses could include funeral or burial expenses. So, it’s a good idea to take these potential costs into consideration when determining your life insurance needs.

Education

Education – Education needs will vary for each family. The first thing that comes to mind for many would be college expenses. But this can also include day care or preschool for young children, after school care, or private school if you were already sending your children to private school. Again, consider the needs that would arise if your were to have to do everything yourself.

You can read more about determining your life insurance needs.

Do You Need to Insure a Non-Working Spouse?

This is generally a good idea, as we hinted at above. My wife helps me with my small business, but she has a much greater contribution to running our household. So we have a life insurance policy on her. Should the worst happen, those funds could be used to help cover expenses that we may not otherwise have. Consider how your spouse contributes to your household and determine how your expenses may change if your spouse were to pass away.

Should You Insure Your Children?

Insuring children can be a controversial topic. But in general, it can be a good idea to insure your children. My personal life insurance policy has a rider that allows me to insure my children at a very low monthly cost (I believe it is only $2 per month on top of my current life insurance policy). This would provide enough money to cover some final expenses and a funeral. But more importantly, many of these policy riders allow the insurance policy to be converted once the child reaches a majority age. This ensures their long-term insurability.

I’m not a believer in buying a large life insurance policy for a child, especially when it is marketed as an investment. But there are good reasons to buy a small policy for the child. Buying life insurance for children is a topic we cover on more detail in the podcast and is worth looking into in more detail.

Types of Life Insurance

There are many types of life insurance available to military members, but for the purpose of this podcast and life insurance guide, we focused on the two most common types of life insurance:

Term Life Insurance (or temporary life insurance) and Whole Life Insurance (or permanent life insurance). This article discusses other types of life insurance in more detail.

Let’s break down the difference between Term Life and Whole Life Insurance, and discuss which may be the best option for your situation.

Term Life Insurance

Term life insurance is good for a set term, or period of time. For example, you could buy a 5, 10, 20, or 30-year life insurance policy. The premiums remain the same for the duration of the policy. While it may not seem as good of a deal to buy a temporary life insurance policy, it can actually be a better deal for many people because you can buy a greater amount of life insurance coverage for less than you could with a permanent policy. Buying a term life insurance policy allows you to cover your needs while they are the greatest.

• Pros: More coverage for lower premiums.
• Cons: No accrued cash value; policy has set expiration date.

Whole Life Insurance

Whole life policies are permanent – they last forever. These policies accrue cash value. However, the premiums are generally more expensive than term life insurance policies. If money is tight, you may find it better to buy a term life insurance policy to cover your needs while they are the greatest, in order to free up more money in your budget. Whole life insurance policies can have advantages, as their permanent nature makes them a good option for estate planning and other needs.

• Pros: Permanent cash value.
• Cons: Higher premiums.

Which is better, Term or Whole Life?

That’s actually a trick question. There isn’t a correct answer for everyone. There is only the correct answer for your situation. In general, you may wish to buy a term life insurance policy if you have a specific need that you will have for a set period of time (for example, a growing family, young children, a mortgage, etc).

You can read more on comparing term life and whole life insurance in this article.

Where to Buy a Military Life Insurance Policy

There are hundreds of life insurance providers in the US. We can’t list them all. But we can give you the necessary tools to make an informed decision. We will start with the military and veterans group life insurance programs backed by the government, SGLI and VGLI, then give you some general tips that will allow you to compare other life insurance policies so you can make an informed decision based on your needs.

Servicemembers’ Group Life Insurance (SGLI)

The Servicemembers’ Group Life Insurance (SGLI) is a low-cost group life insurance program for military servicemembers. This includes active duty, Guard, Reserves, members of the Commissioned Corps of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and Public Health Service. SGLI coverage is also available to cadets and midshipmen of the four service academies, and members of the Reserve Officer Training Corps.

Veterans’ Group Life Insurance (VGLI)

The Veterans Group Life Insurance (VGLI) policy is another group life insurance policy, meaning as a military veteran, it’s generally easy to qualify for a VGLI policy. And as a group life insurance policy, the rates will be based on your age. VGLI rates increase in five-year increments, so it’s important to review the premiums before signing up for this policy.

You may find it more affordable in the long run to purchase a term life or whole life insurance policy with fixed premiums, vs. relying on VGLI, which becomes more expensive as you age. On the flip side, VGLI may be more affordable if you have preexisting health conditions that could price you out of a commercial life insurance policy. It pays to shop around before buying the VGLI policy.

VGLI Premiums: As you can see, we listed the premiums as both a Benefit and a Disadvantage. That’s not a typo, as the cost of the premiums can work both ways, depending on your age, health, and other factors. You can see the rates on the VA website.

Buying a Life Insurance Policy from a Third Party

SGLI and VGLI are great options and will fit many needs. But you may find the need to obtain a life insurance policy through a commercial insurance provider, or through your employer.

Just keep in mind that a life insurance policy through your employer may not be portable if you change jobs or leave the organization. Some employers also tie the amount of life insurance as a multiple of your salary (for example, 2 times your annual salary). These policies may not cover your full needs and they are rarely portable. So buy the policy if it represents a good deal, but be prepared to buy additional coverage you can take with you.

There are benefits to having a life insurance policy that isn’t attached to the military or your employer, because your policy is portable and you won’t lose access to the coverage when your employment ends. You can usually obtain policies with larger payouts, which may better meet your needs. It’s a good idea to have another plan in place before you leave the job, that way you won’t be in a situation where you are not covered, or you find that life insurance becomes prohibitively expensive or not possible to obtain due to various reasons (age, change in health condition, etc.).

Life Insurance Premiums: In general, life insurance premiums are based on your age, health, type of life insurance (term, whole, etc.), lifestyle, and other factors. Premiums will likely vary from person to person, so it’s always a good idea to get multiple quotes before deciding on an insurance provider.

What Military Members Need to Look for When Buying a Life Insurance Policy

Military members often have different needs than those in the civilian sector. That’s why it’s a good idea to look into life insurance policies that are designed with military members in mind. The most important consideration is the war clause, as it is commonly referred to.

War Clause

Make sure the policy you buy does not have a War Clause that prohibits paying out if the policy holder dies in a war zone or through an act of war or terror. You won’t find these kinds of clauses in SGLI, VGLI, or similar government backed policies. You also won’t find these clauses in policies backed by USAA and many other organizations that serve the military community. But the may exist in other policies. So be sure you read the fine print before buying your policy. You don’t want your survivors to find out you aren’t covered when it’s already too late.

Company Strength

It’s also very important to consider the life insurance provider’s financial solvency before you buy your policy. There are many organizations that rate life insurance providers financials, including A.M. Best, Standard & Poor’s, Moody’s, and Fitch Ratings. Use any of these rating systems to get a good idea of the financial footing offered by the company you are considering buying a life insurance policy from. It’s not worth saving a couple dollars per month if the life insurance provider is on shaky financial ground.

Life Insurance Underwriting Process

You don’t always have to go through as detailed of an underwriting process if you are buying a group life insurance policy, as the same terms are generally given to everyone that falls into your same group. But you may have to do a more formal underwriting process if you are buying your own health insurance policy. This frequently involves the life insurance company sending a nurse or medical technician to your home to give a light physical, which usually includes drawing blood and taking a urine sample. They will also take your height and weight and you will be required to fill out a health questionnaire. The results of your tests and questionnaire will determine your risk category.

Your premiums are primarily determined by your health and age. However, other factors, such as occupation, tobacco use, lifestyle, or high-risk hobbies, may cause your premiums to increase.

Additional Life Insurance Benefits

Some life insurance providers may offer additional benefits or reasons to use their company over another. For example, you may find it easier to bundle the majority of your financial and insurance products through one company because it’s easier for bookkeeping, or because they offer you a discount.

As mentioned in the podcast, USAA offers a Military Protection Plus Benefit. This makes it easy for members to obtain a term life insurance policy after leaving the military without having to go through a medical exam. Listen to the podcast at 25:40 for more information. USAA also offers a $25,000 severe injury benefit at no additional cost. This covers injuries that occur during your military duties. This is similar to the TSGLI mentioned in the SGLI section above. Visit the USAA website for additional information on their life insurance policies.

When Should You Review Your Life Insurance Coverage?

There is never a bad time to review your personal finances. Most experts recommend doing a full financial review at least once a year. This should include all your financials, such as your investments and insurance policies (home, auto, life, etc.). When you do this is up to you, so long as you make sure you do it.

It’s also a good idea to review your life insurance policy any time you have a major life change. Some examples are included below:

• Change in military status / Changing jobs
• Marriage or divorce (review beneficiary)
• New child(ren)
• Buying a home
• Retirement
• Supporting a parent
• Starting a business
• Anytime your financial needs have a major change.

No Obligation Life Insurance Quotes:

Current military members can get a life insurance policy through the SGLI, and veterans can get life insurance through the VGLI. If you are a current or former military member, you may also be eligible for a life insurance policy through USAA. You can get a free life insurance quote by visiting the USAA website.

Today’s article and podcast discuss the importance of your discharge characterization, how it can impact your future, and how you can appeal your discharge characterization and possibly receive an upgrade. This is especially important for veterans who may have experienced Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) or Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) symptoms that impacted their discharge characterization, as new guidance from the DoD makes it easier for veterans to appeal a discharge where evidence of PTSD or TBI impacted the characterization.

Meet Our Expert – Ferah Ozbek

Our expert is Ferah Ozbek, a retired USAF Judge Advocate. Ferah has over 25 years of experience and insight as a former military attorney (retired colonel). This experience helps her develop the best strategies to represent her clients.

As a former Senior Legal Advisor and voting member to the Secretary of the Personnel Council’s Discharge Review Board, she reviewed hundreds of applications by service members and knows what the military looks at when deciding whether your discharge rating should be upgraded.

You can learn more about Ferah Ozbek and her work at her LinkedIn profile or her website, FerahOzbek.com. Ferah also runs the Military Law Matters Podcast, which covers legal topics pertaining to military members and veterans.

How Your Discharge Characterization Impacts Your Future

An honorable discharge can open many doors, including preference points for military service when applying for a federal position, access to certain military and veterans benefits, and more. Conversely, even a general discharge under honorable conditions may not be high enough to earn certain benefits.

How does your discharge negatively affect you?

• Unless you have an honorable discharge, you are ineligible for the Post 9-11 GI Bill education benefit – worth tens of thousands of dollars.
• Unless you have a discharge under honorable conditions, you are ineligible for VA compensation and a VA pension.
• Unless you have a discharge under honorable conditions, you may be disqualified from receiving VA medical care.

Mistakes Can Happen, and You Can Appeal Your Discharge

The military makes mistakes, and these mistakes have a huge impact on you and your family. The Department of Defense wants all veterans to know they can have their discharge and military records reviewed to correct any injustice.

Why? Because the Department of Defense wants to ensure that “all Veterans who have sacrificed so much in service to our great Nation receive all of the benefits” they deserve.

The DoD is Paying Special Attention to Discharges where PTSD or TBI Are Involved

Even if you already submitted an application to the Discharge Review Board (DRB) and your discharge was not upgraded, the services will review your case again, applying new guidance the Department of Defense issued in 2014 as it relates to Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).

The Department of Defense has stated that “liberal consideration will be given in petitions to changes in characterization of service”…when there is evidence of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder or related conditions such as Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI).

Your Right to Appeal Your Discharge Characterization

If you received a discharge characterization that is other than “Honorable,” you may request a military discharge upgrade. To do so, you must submit a DD Form 293 to the appropriate Discharge Review Board (DRB) and convince them that your discharge rating should be upgraded. But there is a catch – the DRB won’t automatically upgrade just any discharge request simply because you ask. You must convince the Discharge Review Board that your discharge was improper or inequitable. Let’s look at what this means and how you can apply to get your discharge upgraded.

Improper or Inequitable Discharge

An improper military discharge is one that was made in error or one that violates laws or military regulations. In some cases, this could be an administrative snafu or a misclassification. An inequitable military discharge is inconsistent with military traditions or policies.

Many circumstances could qualify for these two classifications, and it is recommended that you seek legal counsel to help you determine the best way to challenge your discharge rating.

Examples of Discharge Characterization Upgrades

Here are some real stories of military members whose discharges were upgraded through the Review Boards Process (Source: DoD Boards of Review Reading Rooms).

• A soldier was discharged with an under other-than-honorable conditions discharge (UOTHC) for drug abuse. He was found guilty of using illegal drugs, being AWOL, and violating a lawful general regulation. But there was more to the story. The soldier was deployed to Iraq; he was involved in combat; an IED hit him. And, while the soldier was carefree and upbeat prior to his enlistment, after returning from Iraq, his whole demeanor changed. He became wild and unpredictable. After the soldier’s discharge, the VA diagnosed him with PTSD and TBI. Based upon his diagnosis, the DRB found a nexus between the soldier’s diagnosis and his misconduct. This soldier served his country twice in combat, and something happened to him. The DRB upgraded his discharge to an honorable discharge and changed the reason for discharge from misconduct to Secretarial Authority.
• A military member was discharged after he reported misconduct committed by a senior soldier. He was a victim of reprisal. The DRB upgraded the member’s UOTHC discharge as they concluded his command acted in an arbitrary and capricious fashion.
• An Airman’s command waited eight months to discharge her after her last incident of misconduct. The DRB upgraded this veteran’s discharge as they found the discharge to be arbitrary and capricious–waiting eight months to initiate discharge was unjust.
• A soldier’s Post-Service Conduct was so outstanding that the DRB upgraded his discharge to an honorable one even though he had a conviction.
• A military member was discharged for his sexual orientation. The DRB changed his reason for separation to Secretarial Authority.

Military Discharge Review Board (DRB)

Each service has a DRB that allows former military members to request a review that could change their characterization of service, the reason for discharge, and their re-enlistment code based upon mistakes made by the Service.

• Note: the Navy runs the Discharge Review Board for both the Navy and the US Marine Corps.

The DRB consists of a five-member board consisting of a legal advisor, medical advisor, personnel advisor, senior NCO, and a senior officer. They can review almost any discharge, except for a discharge or dismissal by sentence of a general court-martial. You can read more about the law governing Discharge Review Boards here: Title 10, United States Code, Section 1553.

When you fill out your DD Form 293 (discharge upgrade request form), you can present your case at the DRB in Washington D.C, in front of a traveling DRB or have a records review board without presenting your case in person. If you have the means, it is almost always recommended that you have legal representation present your case in person. Regardless of which method you choose, it’s important to understand there are no guarantees, and discharge upgrade request approvals are not common.

There is No Such Thing as an Automatic Upgrade to Honorable

Many people mistakenly believe they can get their discharge automatically upgraded to an Honorable Discharge after 6 months (or some other time period). Unfortunately, this is not the case. In the mid-late 1970s, the Army discharged many soldiers when they used a urinalysis to screen for drug use.

The courts later ruled that it was OK to discharge those soldiers on those grounds, but there was an administration snafu regarding the discharge classification. See the United States District Court for the District of Columbia in ”Giles v. Secretary of the Army” (Civil Action No. 77-0904) for more information. Many soldiers who were discharged under those rules prior to January 1, 1975, were able to get a military discharge upgrade on those grounds.

How to Request a Military Discharge Upgrade

To request a discharge upgrade, you must download DD Form 293 – Application for the Review of Discharge or Dismissal from the Armed Forces of the United States.

Ensure you have the most recent version of the form and follow the steps to complete the form as completely and accurately as possible. Instructions can be found on pages 3 and 4 of the form. Be sure to sign and date the form before submitting it.

Including supporting documentation, such as your DD 214, military records, and statements from former supervisors, first sergeants, commanders, and other veterans you served with, is a good idea.

Mail the completed DD Form 293 to the appropriate address listed on the DD Form 293 for each respective service.

What You Should Know About Requesting a Military Discharge Upgrade

Your personal statement and statements from those who served with you are invaluable. Do your best to obtain statements from your former supervisors, first sergeant, commander, or others in your chain of command regarding your duty performance and facts and circumstances that may support your case to upgrade your discharge characterization. In most situations, the Boards focus on your conduct during your period of military service. However, in rare circumstances, Boards may upgrade a discharge based on post-service conduct.

Discharge upgrades are possible. Legal counsel who is familiar with the discharge process can provide you valuable advice on the strategy to upgrade your discharge and whether your case may warrant an upgrade or change in the reason for discharge. If you want to consult with counsel, it is always best to consult with counsel with experience in these types of cases, as this is a very specialized area of military law.

You may also seek counsel or advice from a veterans organization for more information. Try your local VFW, American Legion, or similar organization as a starting point, and go from there.

Expect the application, review process, and decision to take several months from start to finish depending upon the number of cases pending with your service. Applicants who opt to present their case in person generally have a more favorable chance of an upgrade than those who do not appear in person, assuming there is a basis for an upgrade.

Upgrade Requests Must be Made Within 15 Years – But There is Hope

Veterans must request an upgrade within 15 years of separating from active duty. Otherwise, they must request a change to their military records by submitting an application to their service’s Board for Correction of Military Records using a DD Form 149, which is an entirely different process.

In this application, you would submit evidence to support that your discharge characterization or reason for discharge was in error or that there was an injustice based on the facts and circumstances of your case.

As discussed in the podcast, discharges due to PTSD and TBI-related reasons may have more leniency for the Discharge Review Boards and for the Board of Correction for Military Records. Again, this isn’t an automatic upgrade, but it can improve your odds of having your discharge upgraded.

TRICARE is the military medical care program. There are several different versions of TRICARE, which are made available to active duty, military retirees, members of the Reserve Component, and the family members of these respective groups. TRICARE has several different plans that cover the different groups of military members. You can learn more about these individual programs, including eligibility and coverage, in this TRICARE overview.

In today’s article podcast, we’re doing a roundtable discussion about TRICARE – the good, the bad, and areas where TRICARE can be improved. In this episode, we primarily focus on TRICARE Prime and TRICARE Reserve Select, as those are the plans we have direct experience with. We cover a lot of ground, including some areas where TRICARE shines, some of the issues we’ve experienced, and some of the areas where we would like to see improvements.

Overall, TRICARE is substantially more affordable and offers greater coverage than many other health care programs that can be purchased in the civilian market place. TRICARE is a great benefit, but it does have some downfalls. Join us, as we explore this topic and discuss the value of TRICARE, some issues we’ve had, and some ways to improve TRICARE.

No longer eligible for TRICARE? Learn about health care options available to you after leaving the military.

TRICARE Roundtable Discussion Panel Members

Our panel today features 3 TRICARE participants, one active duty retiree, one active duty spouse, and a member of the Reserve Component:

Ryan Guina, Air National Guard member, and TRICARE Reserve Select participant. Founder of this website, and host of The Military Wallet Podcast.

Doug Nordman, a retired Navy officer, and TRICARE Prime member. Doug is the founder of The Military Guide and the author of The Military Guide to Financial Independence and Retirement (a recommended book about building wealth while serving in the military).

Kate Horrell, spouse of an active duty Navy servicemember. Kate writes at KateHorrell.com, and Paycheck Chronicles @ Military.com.

TRICARE Roundtable Podcast Overview

In this podcast, we discussed several different aspects of TRICARE, including some of the areas where TRICARE shines, some of the issues we’ve had, and some of the areas we believe TRICARE can improve.

TRICARE Eligibility

All Military Members Are Covered. TRICARE is available to all active duty military members and their families, retirees and their families, and members of the Reserve Component (including retired Guard and Reserve members). Plan eligibility and pricing depends on which group you fall into. But coverage can be had for anyone who belongs to one of those groups.

The more popular TRICARE programs are:

• TRICARE Prime
• TRICARE Select
• TRICARE For Life
• TRICARE Reserve Select
• TRICARE Retired Reserve

Click on the above links to learn more about each plan, including eligibility, coverage, monthly premiums or out of pocket expenses (if any), and other details.

Where TRICARE Shines

In general, we all seem to agree that TRICARE does a very good job overall. There are areas for improvement, but that is to be expected with any large organization.

Personal Anecdotes About Positive TRICARE Experiences:

In the podcast, Doug shared his experience with a recent bout of appendicitis, in which he ended up in emergency surgery. Everything turned out well from a medical perspective. And in regard to TRICARE, Doug never saw a bill or had any issues. Score one for the system!

I had a similar experience when I had knee surgeries while I was on active duty. Our base had a clinic, but not a hospital. So I received an off-base referral. My base doctors and med techs handled the referrals and scheduling, and TRICARE took care of all the bills. I never had to worry about anything.

Kate mentioned her experiences with US Family Health Plan, a little-known TRICARE option available to TRICARE members in certain geographic areas. Kate and her family are able to receive medical care through Johns Hopkins, a top-tier medical facility on the East Coast.

Kate has also PCS’d several times, which presents issues. Each time you PCS, there can be a learning curve. Thankfully, Kate has found that TRICARE is forgiving when it comes to allowing retroactive claims when the individuals were being transitioned into a new TRICARE region, or for similar issues.

Difficulties with TRICARE

Any large organization will have issues, and TRICARE is no exception. While I’m sure there are some horror stories out there, most issues turn out to be major inconveniences or huge time sucks while correcting the issue.

Because of this, it’s extremely important to stay on top of things and work closely with your provider and billing to make sure everything is taken care of correctly. Mistakes can and do happen. If you experience any issues, you should seek out a TRICARE case manager, or TRICARE ombudsman to assist with your problem. When all else fails, you can file a grievance, which, as Doug mentions in the podcast, is like bringing a nuclear weapon to a gunfight. It gets customer service’s attention very quickly.

Doug mentioned several issues he has had:

• Billing – Doug had a billing issue that dragged on for 6-8 months until he filed a grievance with TRICARE (use this link to file). You can read about Doug’s experiences with TRICARE errors.
• TRICARE Regions – Doug also had issues when his daughter was covered by TRICARE, but attended college in a different region than he was in. You can read more about this experience here.

Kate’s Negative Experiences:

• TRICARE Regions & Billing Problems – Like Doug, Kate had a similar bad “out of region” billing experience with TRICARE. One of her family members had to receive an emergency treatment while they were PCS’ing, and were in a different TRICARE region. Unfortunately, the bill was never paid correctly, even though Kate explicitly informed the billing clerk she was in a different region. She wasn’t aware of this until she was closing on a mortgage two years later – and saw there was a pending collection affecting her credit score. (Here is how you can check your credit score for free and potentially catch similar credit errors).

My Negative Experiences:

• TRICARE Reserve Select to TRICARE Prime and Back. I was activated last year for two months of training. During that time I was automatically moved to TRICARE Prime and my TRICARE Reserve Select membership was paused. The TRS participation was scheduled to resume immediately upon the ending of my orders, but I had a last-minute change to my orders, and they ended a few days early. There was a problem with getting the new orders submitted, and it took TRICARE Reserve two months to get me back in the program. The good news is they agreed to make the coverage retroactive to the date my active duty orders ended. Thankfully, we didn’t need any health care during that time, as it would have needlessly complicated things, and it’s possible I may not have been able to receive care without having the coverage actively in place at the time.
• Availability of Car Providers and More Limited Network. I personally use TRICARE Reserve Select for my health care needs. But my wife chose to purchase health care for herself and our daughters on the Affordable Care Act (ACA) exchanges because those plans offered greater choice in for doctors and networks. This is much more expensive than using TRS for our entire family. But there is something to be said about being comfortable with your medical care provider. I also have to drive twice as far as I would have had I remained on one of the ACA plans. I save money, but my network of medical providers is more limited, and further from my home. It’s important to note that the TRICARE network will vary by location. You will most likely have greater availability when you are closer to a military installation.

Handling a TRICARE Problem

Doug, Kate, and I have all had different issues with TRICARE, and for the most part, we’ve been able to work through the issues before they became major problems. Remember that you are your own best advocate. And that means it’s important to stay informed about your benefits. This includes reading the website, downloading the benefits guides and reading through the fine print, following up with your care providers, and following up with the TRICARE customer service providers.

In general, TRICARE customer service reps want to work with you to find a solution to the issue. So it’s important to treat any issues as though you are working toward a common goal, which is correcting the problem.

Persistence is important. Sometimes the first answer is always no. That doesn’t mean the final answer is no – just that there may be a process that needs to be followed before TRICARE will say yes. (This is the same at most insurance providers, by the way). Kate gave an example of how it can be difficult to get TRICARE to pay for specialized baby formula unless there is a documented need, and certain steps have been taken.

See our TRICARE Reference Guide for important numbers and contact information.

How to Improve TRICARE

TRICARE is a massive organization, so improvements aren’t always something that can happen at the drop of a hat. Their hands are also tied due to Congressional mandates, budgetary limits, and other factors. So our recommended improvements are focused on ease of use for participants, not asking for unreasonable or impossible solutions.

Kate’s Recommendations:

• In general, Kate is very happy with TRICARE and thinks they do a great job. To quote, Kate says, “TRICARE does a pretty amazing job, given what their mission is.” I’ll agree.
• That said, Kate’s primary wish is that TRICARE remains substantially the same. Her wish list is focused on preventing the erosion of benefits over time. Her concern is especially directed toward those who have been retired for some time and have counted on these benefits. As we all know, it’s not easy to come up with extra money when you are on a fixed income.

Doug’s Recommendations / Concerns:

• Financial Stability with TRICARE. Doug’s primary concern is how financially viable TRICARE Prime will be in the future, and whether it will be forced to move toward a system like TRICARE Select or Medicare, with increased premiums or increased co-pays based on a percentage of the expenses.
• Administrative Stability within TRICARE. Changes happen frequently, with regions and providers changing between service providers, prescription medicine fulfillment procedures changing, and similar issues. This can cause problems when the new providers change policies, the databases don’t communicate properly, and there are other unforeseen issues.
• Communication. Doug has had a few issues with his care providers changing without being notified, and he has been marked as inactive in the system because he rarely needs medical treatment. These issues can be prevented by simple emails or letters from TRICARE.

My Recommendations:

• Seamless Transitions from TRICARE Reserve Select to TRICARE Prime and Back. The temporary loss of TRICARE benefits during a transition from Reserve to Active Duty, and back to Reserves is a problem that can affect many members of the National Guard and Reserves. In theory, this is supposed to be a seamless transition. But in my case, I was without benefits for two months while my orders were being corrected and routed through the system. I would love to see this truly be a seamless transition as that would give Reserve Component members more confidence in their health care, and will prevent many future problems.
• Wider Network Access. TRICARE Reserve Select is a great deal for those who are eligible. But network access varies greatly by region. I would love to see wider acceptance of this plan, which would make it much easier for servicemembers to use. As it stands, we use a hybrid health care solution (I’m on TRS, while the rest of my family maintains separate health coverage).

Overall, I’m very happy with TRICARE. The price can’t be beaten, especially for those who use TRICARE Prime. Even TRICARE Reserve Select is a more affordable option than just about any health care plan you can find on the economy. I think Doug and Kate are in agreement on this and seem to be very happy with the overall quality and cost of their health care.

How Would You Improve TRICARE?

The Guard and Reserve retirement system differs greatly from the active duty retirement system. Instead of rewarding servicemembers with retirement pay based on the number of years served, Guard and Reserve members are awarded Points based on their service. The more Retirement Points one earns, the larger the retirement pay. Understanding the Guard and Reserve Point system is essential for understanding how and when one will be eligible to retire and how much one will earn in retirement.

We have an in-depth Guard and Reserve Retirement Points Guide that explains what Points are, how they are earned, how many Points you can earn in a given year, and other important information. I highly recommend reading the guide if you are in the Guard or Reserves. It will help you better understand the Points system and hopefully open some doors to earning more Points toward retirement.

In today’s article, we will cover how you can earn more Points to boost the value of your retirement.

Retiring Soon and Wanting to Earn More Retirement Points

We frequently receive reader questions, and the following is a recent example. I try to answer every question personally, but sometimes, it also makes sense to share the question and answer with a larger audience. Increasing the number of Retirement Points earned is something that applies to all members of the Reserve Component, so it makes sense to share this with everyone.

Here is the reader question (note: the specifics of this question apply to the Air Force Reserves, but the answer can be applied to members of the Guard or Reserves, and all service branches).

Hi Ryan,

Thank you for your informative article. I know that retirement pay is a hot topic these days. I’m getting ready to retire at the end of the year myself, and have a question, but something else I read in a comment sparked another one.

1) I do not see retirement points in the ECI column on my Point Credit Accounting and Reporting System (PCARS) for my 7-level upgrade training in my previous AFSC (3S0X1). I do see retirement points in the ECI column for my current AFSC. Does certain 7-level coursework count towards retirement points?

2) Do any correspondence courses taken on the Air Force IT e-learning site count for retirement points? I saw a comment you made to another individual that indicated that the Army e-learning courses counted for retirement – something like 1 point for every 3 hours, or something.

3) If these correspondence courses do count, how do I go about getting them added to my PCARS statement?

Thanks! I am a point hound. My goal was to retire with 4000, but I am coming up short by about 150. I have over 100 correspondence courses I had to take for my AFSC (3D0X1), and if I can translate them into points, I might make my goal!

Thanks, MP

How to Earn More Retirement Points Before Retiring

Hello MP,

Thanks for reaching out. This is a great question. I don’t have specific answers to all your questions, but I’ll do my best, then move on to other ways you can earn retirement Points before dropping your paperwork and applying for your Retirement Letter.

Again, these are the answers to the best of my knowledge. Please note that I don’t work in personnel, so please verify everything before filing your retirement papers. Remember, the best time to make corrections is before retiring!

1). Retirement Points 7-Level Training (Upgrade training, for other branches of the military):

I don’t know if every 5-level and 7-level course awards Points for completing the Career Development Course (CDC) end-of-course test or being awarded the rating. I recently cross-trained into a new career field and was awarded 12 Points upon passing the end-of-course CDC test. There was a statement at the front of the CDC course volumes that stated the course was worth 15 Points (I was awarded 12 Points instead of 15, so perhaps the number of Points changed from when I was issued the volumes). See if you can find a copy of your old CDC volumes and look inside the front cover to see if there are any Points awarded for completion of the end-of-course test.

You should also check with your Personnel or Education & Training section to verify this. They should be able to help you apply these Points if they should have been applied upon passing the CDC end-of-course test.

2). Earning Points for Correspondence Courses:

Some correspondence courses, but not all, count toward Retirement Points. Most military branches will award credit for certain Professional Military Education (PME) courses required for promotion or career advancement.

For example, the Air Force will give Point credit for members who complete Distance Learning versions of required PME courses such as Airman Leadership School, the NCO Academy, the SNCO Academy, and similar courses. (Again, one must be in Reserve status to earn Points for the correspondence courses – you cannot earn additional Points for taking correspondence courses while in active duty status).

I don’t have a full list of correspondence courses that earn Points credit – this would be behind the CAC card paywall, and honestly, I’m not sure where it would be located. I would speak with your Personnel or Education & Training sections to see if they have a list of approved courses for Point credit.

From what I have read and heard through the grapevine, there aren’t many correspondence courses that award credit. And if it’s like the other service branches, I expect the number of courses to decrease over time. For example:

• Army Correspondence Courses and Point Credit: The Army recently stopped accepting correspondence courses for Retirement Point credit: “Military correspondence non-residential distance learning retirement point credit (1 retirement point per every 3 hours) was removed as a form of retirement point credit effective 15 April 2016.” (source).
• Navy Correspondence Courses and Point Credit: The Navy has reduced the number of correspondence courses available for Point credit. They are also limiting correspondence courses to members with a CAC card – effectively making it impossible for many members of the IRR to complete correspondence courses for Point credit.
• US Marines Correspondence Course Point Credit: I haven’t heard of any changes to this program, but I will be happy to update this resource as new information becomes available. Marines can earn credit for taking courses through the Marine Corps Institute Distance Education Courses (MCI’s) as well as Marine Net Courses. Here is a USMC correspondence course reference.
• Air Force Correspondence Course Point Credit: I can’t find any publicly available information for which courses are accepted for credit.

3). Earning Point Credits for Correspondence Courses:

The best thing to do is to bring a copy of your transcript or certificate of completion to your Personnel or Education & Training section. They can point you in the right direction or help you apply the credit for approved courses. You should do this as quickly as possible for two reasons:

1. Some transcripts may take some time to process, both on the sending and receiving side.
2. Your branch of service may limit which courses are accepted for credit, or, like the Army, they may stop accepting correspondence courses for Point credit.

More Ways to Earn Retirement Points:

You’re very close to your 4,000-Point goal. But I wouldn’t let your goal of retiring at the end of the year stop you if you are set on retiring. 3,850 Points is still very good and is equivalent to over 10.5 years of active duty service (10 years is 3,600 Points). But there may be other ways to increase your Point total before your proposed retirement date.

Apply for orders (Active Duty, IMA, TDY, deployment, etc.)

Orders will earn you 1 Point per day served. Availability will depend on your career field, unit needs, and other factors. Bonus: deployment orders over 90 days can help Guard and Reserve members retire early.

Try to serve additional Drills or AT Days

Many units have additional service opportunities that you may qualify for. Ask around your unit to see if there are any duties you can fill. The number of Points you can earn through inactive duty cannot exceed 130 Points (see the section below for more info about limits on Points). This will include your Drill Days, AT Days, correspondence courses, Honor Guard for funerals, and other methods of earning Points while not on active duty status.

Serve in the Honor Guard for Military Funerals

Honor Guard members earn 1 Point each day they participate in Military Funeral Duties. This is typically unpaid duty (unless you are on active duty orders). But it can be a good way to serve and earn additional Points. It’s also one of the most humbling ways we can honor our military brethren one last time.

Take more correspondence courses (if available)

We have already covered this topic – but it’s worth addressing again. Some courses may be available. So do your research and make sure you understand what is required to earn Points. Keep in mind most correspondence courses do require a substantial amount of work in order to receive credit. So, this isn’t necessarily a quick way to earn a massive amount of Points.

Advanced method for earning more Points – Front-load your annual Drills and Training days

Some units may allow you to front-load your Drills to earn credits more rapidly. If you are retiring, check with your unit to see if you can serve a full year’s worth of drills and Inactive Duty Training (IDT) days in a couple of months time frame before applying for retirement or transferring to the IRR. This allows you to earn a full year’s worth of Points in a short time frame.

Again, not all units will do this, but it’s worth asking if you can spare the time away from your day job. (Bonus: you also get the 15 Annual Participation Points if you cross into a new service year). Some Reserve members use this strategy before transitioning into IRR or retirement status. This allows them to earn an additional Good Year of service and add Points to their total.

Stick around another year (or longer)

Crossing over your anniversary date earns you an additional 15 Annual Participation Points if you complete the entire year in the Reserve Component. By itself, 15 Points won’t be enough to earn a Good Year. But that won’t matter if you already have enough Good Years to qualify for retirement benefits.

You could also do what was mentioned above and stick around past your anniversary date, then try to front-load your Drills and AT days. You only need to earn an additional 35 Points above the 15 Participation Points to earn a Good Year. Just be sure to transfer into the IRR to complete the full year of service so you don’t miss out on the Good Year and/or the full 15 Annual Participation Points.

Transfer into the IMA

The Individual Mobilization Augmentation (IMA) program is part of the Reserves. Members earn the normal 15 Annual Participation Points as a member of the IMA, but they don’t serve the standard weekend drill schedule. Instead, IMA members fill in to “augment” when and where they are needed.

The benefit of transferring into the IMA is being able to batch your service days and serve your entire year’s obligation into one or two periods instead of serving the traditional “one weekend a month, two weeks a year” schedule (this is very similar to the front-loading mentioned above). Another bonus is that many IMA members can pick up more duty days if they are willing to volunteer and put in the time. Third bonus: Some IMA duties are located in prime overseas duty locations – which makes this a fun way to travel on the government’s dime and mix business with pleasure.

Not all career fields or ranks are eligible for IMA duty, so check with your parent human resources agency for availability and more information. Here is an Army IMA Frequently Asked Question page for more general information about the program.

More Points = More Retirement Pay, But Don’t Stress Out About It

While it’s true that more Points = increased retirement pay, there is a point of diminishing returns. Earning more Points usually means an increased workload and increased time away from your family and your civilian job. These can negatively impact you if you don’t find the right balance.

Find your balance. I love serving in the Guard. But I also love my time with my family. Each volunteer assignment takes me away from them and away from my business. Most people have similar constraints on their time and energy.

Once you reach 20 Good Years of Service, you must balance continued service with the opportunity cost of Retiring Awaiting Pay. This is also true for those of us who haven’t reached 20 Good Years of Service.

Did I miss anything?

As you probably know, Retirement Points can be a complicated topic. Some rules apply to all servicemembers, then there are additional rules that may apply to members of certain branches, different programs for Guard members and Reserve members, etc.

I’ve done my best to cover everything, but I’m unfamiliar with every possible scenario. So please drop me a line or leave a comment below if I missed anything. I’ll be happy to update this article to reflect that information.

Many veterans don’t want to file a VA disability claim when they leave the military. There are many misconceptions about filing for VA disability compensation, what happens when the VA reviews your claim, and how it will affect veterans going forward.

In this article, we will discuss some myths surrounding VA benefits claims and why it’s a good idea to file a VA disability claim when you leave the military.

VA Disability Claim Myths

Here are some common reasons veterans don’t want to make a VA disability claim:

Myth: I don’t have a disability.

This is probably the most common reason veterans don’t file a disability claim. Unfortunately, there is a stigma around the term “disability.”

A better way to look at a VA disability claim is to say, “I have a medical condition that occurred during, or was caused by, my military service.”

Likewise, you can think about “disability compensation” as an insurance policy against those same medical conditions. An approved disability claim will give you access to VA medical care and a monthly disability compensation payment (for ratings 10% or higher).

Filing a VA disability claim isn’t milking the system – it is a way to insure your future self from potentially worse medical conditions, get the medical treatment you need, and receive monetary compensation from lost earnings potential.

Myth: Having a VA disability rating will affect my future employment options.

Many jobs require members to be in top physical condition (police, firefighters, first responders, federal agents, etc.). Some of these careers may even require the member to pass a physical fitness test or other medical screening. In almost all of these cases, the underlying medical condition and your health and fitness will determine your ability to qualify for the job.

The fact you have a VA disability rating generally won’t impact your ability to land the job. To counter this myth, a VA disability rating may actually give you additional Veterans Preference Points for federal employment (some states may have a similar program for state job applications).

Myth: I won’t be able to join the Guard or Reserves with a VA disability rating.

This may or may not be true. It is possible to join the Guard or Reserves if you have a VA disability rating, provided you are otherwise healthy enough to serve.

In many cases, it’s possible to transfer directly from active duty to the Guard or Reserves without undergoing additional medical screening.

If you have a break in service, you may need to go through MEPS again, and possibly even request a medical waiver to join. But just having a disability rating doesn’t always prevent you from serving again. Again, the underlying medical condition will determine your ability to serve, whether there is a VA disability rating or not.

Myth: Getting VA Disability benefits will take them from someone who deserves them.

This is a noble line of thinking, but it’s not true. There is no quota or maximum number of veterans who can receive VA disability benefits. The VA also places veterans into Priority Groups based on the severity of their disability ratings, economic need, and other factors.

The VA is there for all veterans, not just those with the “greatest” need. You owe it to yourself and your family to receive the care and benefits you have earned.

Myth: I’m already receiving military retirement pay. VA Disability compensation will only reduce my retirement pay.

This is another statement based on a partial truth, then slightly twisted. Retirees with a VA disability rating of 40% or lower will have their military retirement pay reduced by the amount of disability compensation they receive from the VA. However, VA disability compensation is tax-free. So the net gain works in the veteran’s favor.

Retirees with a VA disability rating of 50% or higher are eligible to receive Concurrent Retirement and Disability Payments (CRDP). CRDP awards veterans their full military retirement pay along with their full disability compensation payment.

Military retirees with a disability rating may affect their pay in other ways. The following article will give you more information regarding how VA disability compensation affects military retirement pay.

Myth: VA Disability Compensation benefits aren’t worth that much.

I wouldn’t say that. A 10% disability rating brings in $133.17 per month in disability compensation (FY16 rates). That may not seem like a huge amount on the surface. But this monthly payment is also indexed to inflation, meaning it can increase over time.

The higher your rating, the larger the monthly compensation payment. Veterans with a disability rating of 30% or greater can add dependents to their disability claim. This will increase the monthly payment for each qualified dependent. Finally, you may be able to file a new claim for an increased rating if your condition worsens.

It’s not just about the money. Having a disability rating may open the door to additional military or veterans benefits. These can often be more valuable than the monthly compensation that comes with a disability rating. For example, having a VA disability rating makes veterans eligible to avoid the VA Loan funding fee, which is a percentage of the loan amount, often amounting to several thousand dollars.

See the VA Disability Compensation Rates Table for More Information.

Myth: I’m not eligible for VA disability benefits.

There are several reasons why some veterans don’t believe they are eligible for disability benefits. Some common misconceptions include their discharge rating, length of service, not having served during a war, not being wounded in battle, or other concerns. We can address each of these topics:

• Discharge Status: Veterans benefits are generally open to veterans with a discharge rating under other-than-dishonorable conditions (in other words, everything except a dishonorable discharge). This means veterans may still be eligible for disability benefits even if they have a Bad Conduct Discharge (BCD) or an Other Than Honorable (OTH) discharge (learn more about discharge upgrades).
• Length of Service: Active duty veterans generally need active duty service beyond basic training to be eligible for disability benefits unless the illness or injury occurred during basic training. This generally covers most veterans who served on active duty. Members of the Guard or Reserves who were only activated for training purposes should contact the VA for a records review to determine eligibility.
• Period of Service: Veterans may be eligible for disability benefits regardless of their served period. Disability benefits are not limited to those who served in battle or during a time of war. (note: Some other VA benefits programs, such as the Veterans Pension Benefit, may require wartime service. Disability benefits do not.).
• I wasn’t wounded in battle: As noted above, no service during war is required to be eligible for disability compensation benefits.

Myth: My illness / injury isn’t bad. There is no need to file a disability claim.

Everything is fine—until it isn’t. Injuries and illnesses can get worse as we age. This is likely to be the healthiest period of your life. File a disability claim if you have an illness or injury that occurred while in the military. Even if the condition is minor, establishing a service connection is the first step in having your disability claim approved. The sooner you make your claim, the easier it is to establish a connection to your military service.

Myth: It’s too late to file a disability claim—I left active duty years ago!

There is no timeline to file a disability claim for a service-connected disability. However, it’s generally much easier to file a claim shortly after leaving the military. This is because you need to establish a connection to your illness or injury and your military service. This is generally easier when done shortly after leaving the military.

However, some illnesses and injuries don’t occur until years after leaving military service. This has received national attention recently as many veterans from the Korean and Vietnam War eras have been diagnosed with cancers and other medical conditions associated with Agent Orange exposure or related chemicals or exposure to contaminated water at Camp Lejeune.

Other exposure hazards include mustard gas, asbestos, ionizing radiation, Project 112/SHAD (chemical tests to defend against biological and chemical weapons threats), and Radiogenic Risk Activities. You can learn more about these chemical exposures.

In these cases, symptoms can take years or even decades to appear.

Remember, there is no time limit to file a claim! Here is an article from a veteran who filed VA disability claims several years after separating from active duty.

• How NOT to do it: Applying for VA disability years after military separation.

Myth: If I’m awarded a VA disability rating, I will have to use the VA medical system for health care.

The VA doesn’t require veterans to enroll in the VA health care system if they are eligible for health care. You also aren’t required to use the VA medical system if you do enroll. Many veterans choose to continue using their current healthcare plan. But it’s nice to know the benefit if there for you if you ever need it.

Myth: The VA is so backed up, they will never process my claim anyway.

VA disability claims can indeed take a long time to be processed. But that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t make a claim. Your claim will be processed more quickly if you double-check your claim for completion and accuracy before submitting it for review.

It’s also a good idea to seek the assistance of a veterans benefits counselor before filing your claim. Many organizations offer free benefits claims, counseling, and assistance. Take advantage of their expertise before filing – it will save you a lot of time and stress!

Myth: I’m not eligible for VA Disability Compensation because I’m already receiving Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) (or disability through another program).

You should verify this information before assuming you are ineligible to receive both forms of compensation. For example, it is possible to receive both VA disability compensation and Social Security Disability Benefits. There is even a program called Social Security Disability Benefits for Wounded Warriors. No rule states you cannot receive compensation from both sources. In fact, having a 100% Permanent and Total VA rating can make you eligible for expedited processing for your Social Security Disability claim.

Myth: My VA Disability rating is permanent.

This is a partial truth. Some disability ratings are permanent, while others are given a temporary rating. In some cases, the VA will send veterans a Notice of Reexamination Letter, which informs the veteran of their intent to reexamine the veteran to determine whether or not the veteran’s medical condition is the same. The reexamination can result in no change, an increased or decreased rating.

There are also several rules surrounding which disability ratings can be subjected to a reexamination and times when the VA cannot reexamine your disability (including how long you have held the rating, your age, and other factors).

I recommend reading this guide on reduced VA disability benefits for more information.

Myth: The increased amount of disability compensation awarded for having dependents legally belongs to them.

This is false. The disability compensation is awarded to the veteran, not the family member(s). It is intended for the veteran to use the additional money to support the family members, but it is not awarded directly to the family members. The increased compensation does not legally belong to the children, it legally belongs to the veteran.

That said, the family members must continue to be legal dependents for the veteran to continue receiving the increased disability compensation. In the case of a divorce or separation, the veteran must continue to support the dependents to continue being able to legally claim them as dependents on their VA disability claim. Any change of dependency status should be reported to the VA.

Summary – Always Verify with the VA or a Veterans Benefits Counselor

VA disability claims can be very complicated. But veterans have access to benefits counselors who will offer free claims assistance. Find a Veterans Service Organization (VSO) you trust and work with them on your claim. Your representative can help dispel any of the above myths, clear up any misconceptions, and answer your questions. they also have hands-on experience with the claims process. They can help you avoid problems that might add months or years to your claim.