U.S. Army Retired Soldier Handbook - United States Army

1 ArmyRetired SoldierHandbook2021 army Retired Soldier Handbook Once a Soldier , Always a Soldier .. a Soldier for Life This Handbook was prepared by the army Retirement Services Office Deputy Chief of Staff, G-1 Headquarters, Department of the army This Handbook is for informational purposes only. It does not make or change policy or regulation. Contact your army Retirement Services Officer (RSO) for detailed or additional information. Front Cover Caption: 2nd Brigade army ROTC hosted a ranger challenge at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst on October 18-21, 2019. Photo by Lindsay Grant, army Cadet Command Public Affairs Office. December 2020 INDEX CHAPTER 1: GENERAL 1-1.

2 Purpose .. 1 1-2. Soldier for Life .. 1 1-3. army Retirement Services Program .. 1 1-4. Retirement Services Offices .. 1 1-5. army Echoes .. 1 Chief of Staff, army (CSA) Retired Soldier Council .. 2 1-7. Installation and Retiree Councils .. 2 1-8. army Retired Lapel Button .. 2 1-9. MyArmyBenefits (MAB) Program .. 2 1-10. The Department of Defense Self-Service Logon (DS LOGON) .. 3 1-11. army Community Services Program .. 3 1-12. Transition Assistance Program (TAP) .. 3 1-13. Installation Volunteer Coordinators .. 3 1-14. military Installation Privileges Stateside .. 3 1-15. military Installation Privileges Overseas .. 3 1-16. Locating Former and Retired Soldiers.

3 4 1-17. Legal Assistance .. 4 1-18. army Emergency Relief .. 4 1-19. Submission of Written Material for Review .. 5 1-20. Security Program .. 5 CHAPTER 2: RECORDS AND FILES 2-1. Overview .. 6 2-2. Lost Records and 6 2-3. Correction of military Records .. 6 2-4. How to Obtain Copies of Medical/Dental Records .. 6 2-5. Change of Address .. 7 2-6. military Identification and Privilege Cards .. 8 2-7. Defense Enrollment Eligibility Reporting System (DEERS) .. 9 CHAPTER 3: military STATUS 3-1. Composition of the Retired List .. 10 3-2. Temporary Disability Retired List (TDRL) .. 10 3-3. Permanent Disability Retirement List (PDRL) .. 11 3-4. Advancement on the Retired List.

4 12 3-5. Standards of 12 3-6. Obligations for military Service .. 12 3-7. Mobilization .. 12 3-8. military Titles and Signatures .. 13 3-9. Saluting While Retired .. 13 3-10. Wearing the Uniform .. 14 3-11. Decorations and Awards .. 15 CHAPTER 4: EMPLOYMENT RESTRICTIONS 4-1. Employment in DOD .. 16 4-2. Business Activities .. 16 4-3. Employment by Foreign Governments and Concerns .. 17 4-4. Representation of Interests Contrary to the United States .. 17 4-5. Political Activities .. 18 4-6. Conversion of Security Clearance .. 18 CHAPTER 5: military Retired PAY AND SPECIAL COMPENSATIONS 5-1. Overview .. 18 5-2. Procedure for Payment .. 18 5-3. Method of Payment.

5 18 5-4. Retired Pay Mailing Address .. 19 5-5. Increases in Retired Pay .. 19 5-6. Reports of Existence .. 19 5-7. Allotments from Retired Pay .. 20 5-8. Survivor Benefit Plan Deductions from the Retired Pay .. 20 5-9. Designation of Beneficiary for Final Pay (or Arrears of Pay) .. 20 5-10. Garnishment of Pay .. 21 5-11. Combat Related Special Compensation (CRSC) .. 21 5-12. Concurrent Retirement and Disability Pay (CRDP) .. 23 CHAPTER 6: TAXATION OF Retired PAY 6-1. General .. 25 6-2. Withholding Federal Taxes .. 25 6-3. Disability Retired Pay .. 25 6-4. Concurrent Retirement and Disability Pay (CRDP) .. 26 6-5. Combat Related Special Compensation (CRSC) .. 26 6-6.

6 Former Spouse Deductions .. 26 6-7. VA Disability Compensation .. 26 6-8. State Taxation of Retired Pay .. 26 6-9. Additional 26 CHAPTER 7: MEDICAL CARE 7-1. military Treatment Facilities (MTFs) .. 27 7-2. TRICARE .. 28 7-3. TRICARE Overseas Program .. 29 7-4. TRICARE for Life .. 30 7-5. TRICARE Young Adult Program .. 30 TRICARE Retired Reserve .. 31 7-7. TRICARE Pharmacy .. 31 7-8. Federal Employee Dental and Vision Insurance Plan (FEDVIP) .. 32 7-9. Minimum Essential Coverage Under the Affordable Care ..34 7-10. Uniformed Services Family Health Plan (USFHP) .. 34 7-11. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Medical Care .. 34 7-12. My HealtheVet .. 37 7-13.

7 Medicare .. 38 7-14. Federal Long Term Care Insurance Program (FLTCIP) .. 39 CHAPTER 8: BURIAL AND military HONORS 8-1. Overview .. 41 8-2. VA Burial Benefits .. 41 8-3. Burial in Arlington National Cemetery .. 42 8-4. Burial in Other National Cemeteries .. 43 8-5. military Funeral Honors .. 43 8-6. Additional 44 CHAPTER 9: PREPARING SURVIVORS 9-1. Overview .. 45 9-2. Preparing a Will .. 45 9-3. Personal Affairs .. 45 9-4. army Financial Assistance to Survivors .. 45 9-5. Reporting a Retired Soldier 's Death to Non- army Agencies .. 46 9-6. Final Pay-Arrears in Pay .. 46 9-7. Survivor Benefit Plan .. 46 9-8. Annuities for Certain military Surviving Spouses.

8 50 9-9. Death Gratuity .. 51 9-10. Government Insurance .. 51 9-11. Dependency and Indemnity Compensation .. 52 9-12. Survivors Benefits Pension (Formerly Death Pension) .. 53 9-13. Loan Guarantee .. 53 9-14. Survivors and Dependents Educational Assistance Program .. 53 9-15. Social Security .. 53 9-16. Civil Service Survivor Annuities .. 53 9-17. Civil Service Preference .. 54 9-18. State Benefits .. 54 9-19. TRICARE Survivor Benefits .. 54 CHAPTER 10: RETIREMENT HOMES 10-1. The Armed Forces Retirement Home .. 55 10-2. AFRH-Washington .. 55 10-3. AFRH-Gulfport .. 55 10-4. Additional Information .. 55 10-5. State Veterans Homes .. 56 CHAPTER 11: UNIFORMED SERVICES FORMER SPOUSES PROTECTION ACT 11-1.

9 Overview .. 57 11-2. Effective Date .. 57 11-3. Disposable Retired Pay .. 57 11-4. Authority for Court to Treat Retired Pay as Property of the Member and Spouse .. 57 11-5. Court-Ordered SBP .. 58 11-6. Additional Information .. 58 CHAPTER 12: VETERANS AFFAIRS BENEFITS 12-1. Overview .. 59 12-2. VA Benefits Timetable .. 59 12-3. Additional Information .. 60 CHAPTER 13: SOCIAL SECURITY 13-1. Overview .. 61 13-2. Eligibility Requirements for Social Security Benefits .. 61 13-3. Types of Social Security Payments .. 61 13-4. Eligibility for More Than One Type of Benefit .. 62 13-5. Eligibility for a Pension From Work Not Covered by Social Security .. 62 13-6. Benefits Reduced For Those With Little Social Security Covered Employment.

10 63 13-7. Lump-Sum Death Payment .. 63 13-8. Additional Information .. 63 CHAPTER 14: REFERENCES AND TERMS 14-1. References .. 64 14-2. Terms .. 65 1 CHAPTER 1: GENERAL 1-1. Purpose. This Handbook outlines military status after retirement, discusses retirement benefits and privileges, and provides other information, which may be helpful to Retired Soldiers and their families. This Handbook should be shared with your family members. It has information about benefits they may be entitled to after your death. Many of the benefits listed are administered by government agencies other than the Department of the army . Eligibility for these benefits is determined by law, regulation or the responsible government agency.