Benefits

What you get while you serve

Your military paycheck is only part of what you earn. Tax-free allowances, health care, free legal help, education money, retirement matching and dozens of other benefits add up to thousands of dollars a year, but many service members and spouses never use them all. This guide explains what you get while you serve, who qualifies, and how to claim it, with numbers checked for 2026.

Benefits people forget
A family reviewing paperwork with a counselor at the kitchen table

Benefits most people forget to use

  • Contribute at least 5% to your TSPUnder the Blended Retirement System, that is the only way to get the full government match, which is free money.
  • File your taxes free with MilTaxMilitary OneSource gives free federal filing and up to five state returns, with software built for military tax rules.
  • Use Tuition Assistance before your GI BillTA pays up to $250 per semester hour for classes while you serve, so you can save your GI Bill for later or for family.
  • Transfer your GI Bill before you get outTransfers must be approved while you are still serving, so give each child at least one month early.
  • Get a free will and power of attorneyYour base legal office writes wills and powers of attorney at no cost, which matters most before a deployment.
  • Ask for the SCRA 6% interest rateDebts from before active duty can be cut to 6% interest if you send the lender a written request with your orders.
  • Book free counseling through Military OneSourceShort-term, private counseling for stress, relationships and parenting is free by phone, video or in person.
  • Check your SGLI beneficiariesUp to $500,000 goes to whoever is listed in SOES, so update it after any marriage, divorce or birth.
  • Try Space-A and MWR travel dealsFree military flights, cheap base lodging and military resorts can cut the cost of a family trip.
  • Use leave before you lose itAnything above 60 days is lost on October 1 unless you have Special Leave Accrual, so plan time off early.

Find what applies to you

Active duty

You get the full package: free health care, tax-free housing and food allowances, 30 days of leave a year and free money in the TSP if you are under BRS. The biggest wins come from using education benefits, legal help and the TSP match while you serve.

Guard & Reserve

Many benefits apply even when you are not activated, including low-cost TRICARE Reserve Select, SGLI, on-base shopping and Military OneSource. When you go on orders, you gain active duty pay and health care, and USERRA protects your civilian job.

Spouses & families

Families get TRICARE, dental coverage, income-based child care, free counseling and career help for spouses. Spouses can also often keep the service member's state for taxes, and kids can receive a transferred GI Bill.

Retirees

Retirees keep TRICARE (with yearly fees), on-base shopping, MWR and Space-A travel, and get a pension that rose 2.8% for 2026. Key decisions at retirement include the Survivor Benefit Plan and signing up for FEDVIP dental within 60 days.

Every benefit, by topic

Pay & AllowancesHealth & InsuranceRetirement & SavingsEducation & CareerFamily & Child CareLegal & Financial ProtectionShopping, Travel & RecreationTime Off & Leave

Pay & Allowances

Basic Pay and the 2026 Pay Raise

Every active duty member, plus Guard and Reserve members while drilling or on orders. Your rate depends on your pay grade and years of service.

Basic pay is the core of your paycheck and the number most other benefits are based on. Troops got a 3.8% raise in January 2026. Knowing how basic pay works helps you read your LES and plan for retirement.

Read the guide

BAH and BAS: Your Housing and Food Allowances

BAS goes to nearly all officers and most enlisted members. BAH goes to members who live off base in the U.S.; overseas members get OHA and sometimes COLA instead.

BAH helps pay for housing and BAS helps pay for food, and neither one is taxed. For 2026, BAH rose an average of 4.2% and BAS rose 2.4%. These tax-free dollars are a big part of what you really earn.

Read the guide

Special Pays, Bonuses and Military Tax Breaks

Special pays depend on your job, location or duty, such as deployments, flying, diving or hard-to-fill skills. Tax breaks apply to all members and, in some cases, spouses.

Beyond basic pay, many troops earn extra pay for where they serve or what they do. Combined with tax-free allowances, the combat zone tax exclusion and state residency rules, the military gives you more ways to cut your tax bill than most people realize.

Read the guide

Guard and Reserve Benefits: TRS, Drill Pay and USERRA

Members of the National Guard and Reserve, and their families. Some benefits apply all the time, and others only when on active duty orders.

Guard and Reserve members get many benefits even when not activated, including low-cost TRICARE Reserve Select, drill pay, SGLI and on-base shopping. USERRA protects your civilian job when you serve.

Read the guide

Health & Insurance

TRICARE Health Plans and 2026 Costs

Active duty members and their families, retirees and their families, survivors, and some Guard and Reserve members and families. Active duty members are covered automatically.

TRICARE is the military health program. Active duty families pay no enrollment fees for Prime or Select, while retirees pay yearly fees that rose for 2026. Pharmacy copays also went up on January 1, 2026.

Read the guide

Dental and Vision: TRICARE Dental Program and FEDVIP

Active duty members get dental and eye care through the military. Families, Guard and Reserve members and retirees must sign up for a separate plan.

Dental care for military families is not automatic. Active duty families and Guard/Reserve members use the TRICARE Dental Program, while retirees use FEDVIP. TDP premiums went up slightly on March 1, 2026.

Read the guide

SGLI, FSGLI and TSGLI Life Insurance

Active duty members, Ready Reserve and Guard members, cadets and midshipmen are covered automatically. FSGLI covers spouses and children of members with full-time SGLI.

SGLI gives you up to $500,000 of low-cost life insurance. The premium dropped in July 2025, so full coverage plus TSGLI now costs $26 a month. Your spouse and kids can be covered too.

Read the guide

Retirement & Savings

The Blended Retirement System (BRS)

Everyone who joined on or after January 1, 2018, plus members who chose to opt in during 2018. Members under the older legacy High-3 system do not get the TSP match.

BRS gives you a smaller pension than the old system, but adds free money in your TSP and a mid-career bonus. Even if you leave before 20 years, you walk away with savings. The key is to put in at least 5% so you get the full match.

Read the guide

Thrift Savings Plan (TSP): 2026 Limits and Tips

All active duty members and Guard and Reserve members can contribute. BRS members also get government contributions.

The TSP is the military's version of a 401(k), with some of the lowest fees anywhere. For 2026, you can put in up to $24,500, plus catch-up money if you are 50 or older. Tax-free combat pay gets a special bonus.

Read the guide

Military Retirement Pay and the Survivor Benefit Plan

Members who serve 20 or more years, or who are medically retired. The Survivor Benefit Plan is offered to retiring members to protect a spouse, children or another eligible beneficiary.

A 20-year military career pays a monthly pension for life, adjusted for inflation. The Survivor Benefit Plan lets your spouse keep 55% of it if you die. You make the SBP decision at retirement, and it is hard to undo.

Read the guide

Education & Career

Tuition Assistance, Credentials, CLEP and SkillBridge

Active duty members, and Guard and Reserve members when their service's rules allow (often only while on orders). Each branch sets its own limits and approval steps.

The military will pay for college classes, industry certifications and testing while you serve, without touching your GI Bill. Near the end of service, SkillBridge lets you train with a civilian employer while still getting paid.

Read the guide

Transferring Your GI Bill to Family While You Serve

Members eligible for the Post-9/11 GI Bill who have served at least 6 years and agree to serve 4 more. The transfer must be approved while you are still in uniform.

You can give some or all of your Post-9/11 GI Bill to your spouse or kids, but only while you are still serving. Many people wait too long and lose the chance. Here is what to know before you separate.

Read the guide

Family & Child Care

Military Child Care and Youth Programs

Children of active duty members, Guard and Reserve members on active duty, and DoD civilians. Priority goes to single and dual-military parents and certain other families.

The military runs the largest employer child care program in the country, with fees based on family income. When there is no space on base, fee assistance can help pay for civilian care. Youth centers offer low-cost activities for older kids.

Read the guide

Military OneSource: Counseling, MilTax and Spouse Support

Active duty, Guard and Reserve members (regardless of activation) and their families, survivors, and members and families for 365 days after separation or retirement.

Military OneSource is a free, 24/7 help line and website that many families never use. It offers private counseling, free tax filing, money coaching, spouse career help and more. One call can connect you to almost any support you need.

Read the guide

EFMP: Support for Family Members With Special Needs

Active duty families with a spouse, child or dependent adult who has a medical, mental health, developmental or educational need. Enrollment is required for active duty when a family member qualifies.

The Exceptional Family Member Program helps make sure the care your family member needs is available where you are assigned. It also connects you with a family support case worker. Enrollment does not hurt your career.

Read the guide

Shopping, Travel & Recreation

Commissary, Exchange and MWR Perks

Active duty, Guard and Reserve members, retirees and their families. Many veterans with a service-connected disability, Purple Heart recipients, former POWs, and caregivers can also shop on base.

The commissary sells groceries at cost plus a small surcharge, the exchange sells everything else with no sales tax, and MWR offers cheap or free fun. Together they can save a family a lot each year.

Read the guide

Space-A Flights and Military Lodging

Active duty members and families, Guard and Reserve members, retirees and their families, 100% permanently disabled veterans and their families, and some surviving spouses. Your category sets your priority.

Space-Available (Space-A) travel lets you fly on military aircraft for free or very little when there are open seats. It takes patience and flexible plans, but it can save a family a lot. Base lodging can be a cheap place to stay along the way.

Read the guide

Time Off & Leave

Military Leave, Parental Leave and Time Off

All active duty members, plus Guard and Reserve members while on active duty orders. Special parental and maternity leave rules apply to drilling reservists.

You earn 30 days of paid leave a year, and you can carry up to 60 days into the next fiscal year. New parents get 12 weeks of parental leave that does not count against regular leave. Knowing the rules keeps you from losing days.

Read the guide

Common questions

How much was the 2026 military pay raise?

Basic pay went up 3.8% on January 1, 2026, for active duty and drilling Guard and Reserve members. BAS rose 2.4% and BAH rose an average of 4.2%. Military retirees received a separate 2.8% cost-of-living increase.

What are the 2026 BAS rates?

Enlisted members receive $476.95 a month and officers receive $328.48 a month in 2026. BAS is not taxed. Enlisted members who eat in a dining facility may have some of it taken back.

How much can I put in my TSP in 2026?

You can contribute up to $24,500 in 2026. If you are 50 or older, you can add $8,000 in catch-up money, or $11,250 if you are 60 to 63. The total including government money is capped at $72,000, which mainly matters for people saving tax-free combat pay.

Is military housing allowance taxed?

No. BAH, BAS, OHA and most moving allowances are tax-free. That makes your total pay worth more than the same salary in a civilian job, so count it when you compare offers.

How much does SGLI cost now?

Since July 1, 2025, SGLI costs 5 cents per $1,000 of coverage. The full $500,000 policy costs $25 a month, plus $1 for traumatic injury coverage, for $26 total. Spouse coverage costs extra, and child coverage is free.

Do active duty families pay for TRICARE?

Active duty families pay no enrollment fees for TRICARE Prime or Select. Prime has no copays for network care, while Select has small copays and a deductible. The most a family can pay in a year in 2026 is $1,000 (Group A) or $1,324 (Group B).

Can I break my lease if I get PCS orders?

Yes. Under the SCRA, you can end a home lease without penalty when you get PCS orders or deployment orders of 90 days or more. Send your landlord written notice with a copy of your orders. Your base legal office can help.

When do I have to transfer my GI Bill to my kids?

You must get the transfer approved while you are still serving. You generally need 6 years of service and must agree to serve 4 more. Once you separate or retire, you cannot add new family members, so give each child at least one month early.

How much leave can I carry over?

You can carry up to 60 days into the new fiscal year on October 1. Anything above that is lost unless you have Special Leave Accrual for a deployment or mission. Check the leave section of your LES.

Can Guard and Reserve members use Military OneSource and TRICARE?

Yes. Guard and Reserve members and their families can use Military OneSource whether or not they are activated. Selected Reserve members can buy TRICARE Reserve Select, which costs $57.88 a month for the member or $286.66 for the family in 2026.

Getting out soon?

Your benefits change the day you separate. See what the VA offers and the steps to take before your last day.

Using your VA benefits

MissionPCS is not affiliated with the Department of Defense or any branch. Rates and rules change; confirm with your finance office, MyPay/LES, TRICARE or Military OneSource. Last reviewed 2026-11.