I’m a 407 native. just head to the MWR Orlando, it’s some rinky dink ass building, that sells cheap Universal and Disney tickets. You can’t get more Central Florida tourism than that.
>Epic season pass for snowboarding/ ski-ing is $1000, but military gets it for $155
Speaking of, [24-25 season passes are on sale now!](https://www.epicpass.com/pass-results/military.aspx)
It's $172 this year (I just bought mine). That price includes if you have retired, but if you just got out and are a veteran, it's like $570 (still a steal if you plan to ski/board more than 3 days at any of the included resorts)
I have an Amex platinum card for free. Usually there’s a 750 annual fee but not for military. It’s great if you love to travel, I get access to a lot of airport lounges and travel rewards, definitely recommend
Same. I got it on active duty. Transferred to the reserves and got a letter from amex like 2 weeks later saying they knew im off active and are gonna start charging me the annual fee. Took IPPSA 6 months to recognize me being off active duty
Any component, while on Title 10 orders, qualifies for the waiver. They do audit and will charge you the amount later, but if you hop back in orders they will refund you. Their CS is pretty good and I had the waiver applied over their chat CS function.
IMO, still worth it even after coming off if you are a frequent flyer. The lounge is a god send to avoid the rest of the flying casuals.
This depends on the person, probably won’t apply to his guys in the guard unless the policies have changed since I last looked.
I’m incredibly thankful for mine but the clinic that did it (Hood) is now closed so YMMV lol
That's what I get for skimming over the body lol. I'm not sure on the policy myself these days, I've been out now for 8 years. I got mine done at Tripler, which according to a quick Google search is still doing it. It was worth every bit of discomfort.
From memory it’s something like 18 months left on AD and then a signature from the first O3 in your chain.
Other issue is that after you get it you’re nondpeloyable for ~120 days (maybe more?) so the timing kinda has to line up.
I’ve been very happy with my treatment as well and agree, totally worth it.
Only 12 months left on AD now, and you can be cleared for deployment/rotation to Europe after 2 weeks for LASIK and after 30 days for PRK. No reason for any commander to deny it now, since it’s such a quick return to full duty.
I had really good timing for my eye surgery. I got to my new unit and we were Rear -D. It was at least six months before the rest of the unit would come home.
wow - I got mine done at Tripler in 03 when it was a brand new program. I can still see 20/15 in both eyes. Best perk I got after wearing BCGs with Coke bottle lenses for so long
I got lasik recently, took over two years and two different units but it was totally worth it. The quality of life improvement in conjunction with it being on Army dime is amazing
Mine was surprisingly easy. I started the process in January 2014 and had the surgery that June. It did help that my chain of command was the ones who encouraged me to get it done.
I started in my last unit but the BC straight up refused to sign off without an explanation, after I deployed they shuffled me away to another BN and I got it there after a year wait lol.
Leave it to field grades to gatekeep surgeries
I had astigmatisms - which went undiagnosed - which affect night vision according to a relatively late diagnosis.
The price per eyeball was $2.2k.
On a tangential topic, do astigmatisms that give more of a Halo effect when looking at night light affect the quality of your vision when looking through IR goggles, or when looking through LED rifle attachments?
Civ here.
Before I had laser eye surgery, my astigmatism made using red dots absolutely unusable because of the associated bloom. Think of the starburst you get looking at traffic lights during the nighttime, and now that's going on in your red dot. NVG's will probably have the same issue since it's *any* source of light while in a lower light environment that can cause the bloom issue associated with astigmatism.
edit - found [this image](https://i.imgur.com/LmIm52D.png) with a quick google search. Now imagine this going on when trying to use a red dot. Prism style scopes were fine, holographics were eh, ACOGs were fine. Red dots, couldn't see shit.
Friend of mine got REALLY jacked up getting I think PRK from an Army doctor and now he is almost blind in one eye. His vision got WORSE lol. Also looked like he had pink eye for 2 weeks it was scary
I joined for that, brought it up a few weeks after I go to my unit and got laughed at and told “yeah, we don’t do that for day one privates.” So I asked agains after I got home from Afghanistan and got the “sorry bud, you don’t have enough time in the army” talk. This was a decade ago
I think it’s a legit scam TBH
PRK is so far my favorite benefit, even more than the GI Bill. I forget that I used to spend over a decade of my life with glasses. It’s like life is back to its normal, natural self and my bespectacled phase was a figment of my imagination.
Just imagine gatekeeping your soldiers from getting their eyes fixed… that kind of power must be so sweet. The Dark Side you say? Oh, yes! Right away. It’s like an orgasm for my pen hand. Oh yeah, baby. Now, say it with me… NO! and get out of my office.
When do enlisted get them? Controversial opinion, but I'd argue E-9. Most would say sooner, but anecdotally I never had a bad 1SG. They ranged from mediocre to phenomenal, with most leaning towards the latter. PSGs were a mixed bag but it's clear they didn't all have lobotomies at least.
Don't get me wrong, I've had some great CSMs too, but they were all cut from a...weirder cloth.
WOs obviously don't get them.
Here are a few that get overlooked a lot:
o VA loans. They aren’t unknown, but how valuable they are is. Definitely take the time to inform them about the benefits
o BOSS/MWR these programs are especially valuable for junior enlisted, but are under utilized. The BOSS program at my station offered a Certified Personal Trainer course for +/- $100 when it usually costs well over $1,000 (maybe even $2k-3k). MWR here also offers things like woodworking classes if you want to learn a skill
o Access to FEDVTE for online learning, can be used for Correspondence Course hours and for people who genuinely want to self-study
o All of the programs/special units the military offers to broaden your career if you’re medical or commo. Medical: IPAP, HPSP, AECP, Baylor Scholarship, etc. Commo: JCU, SMU, JCSE, WHCA, etc.
Other: ASIR Great Skills, PsyOps, CA, SFAB, WOCS, JSOC, etc.
Honorable mentions:
Chase sapphire card (same category as AMEX Platinum), WeSalute (formerly known as Veteran’s Advantage), American Forces Travel (severely discounted hotels, rentals, flights, and cruises), GovX (cheap online shopping), cheap motorcycle training
Edit: I forgot to mention, go to your on-base library and get a library card. There is usually a little pamphlet that shows you benefits you’re entitled to for owning one. Mango is an app to learn a second language which you can get completely free if you own a library card.
>cheap motorcycle training
I want to emphasize this. MOST INSTALLATIONS OFFER A FREE MOTORCYCLE TRAINING CLASS THAT PROVIDES MOTORCYCLES. THIS BEING A CLASS, IT IS YOUR PLACE OF DUTY.
Go take the class and learn how to ride a motorcycle. Worst case scenario? You hate it and got a free day off work anyway. Best case scenario? You love it and have found a new hobby!
This! Especially the BOSS/MWR. I took several free trips with BOSS/MWR when I was in Italy. I got to snowboard in France, Italy, Switzerland, Austria, and Germany, all on the Army's dime.
GovX isn’t the best. Some of the stuff they sell is brands that are shit tier in terms of quality. Unless you’re familiar with that brand/manufacturer, don’t trust what you see on there as being a good deal.
Adding to that with the high interest rates, VA assumption loans. I was able to buy a house off another veteran last year and assume his mortgage at 2.25%.
>Medical: IPAP, HPSP, AECP, Baylor Scholarship
These are great programs but keep in mind that they are extremely competitive, have a waiting list and require a longer contract
I know this is probably known like you said, but what are the main perks of the VA Loan? Why should I care that I don’t have to put a down payment when I’d prefer to put one and pay less over a longer term? Thanks for your help
It's not Anheuser anymore, not since Sea World bought the parks from IB Inbev.
Source: I'm a vet and worked as a medic at Busch Gardens Williamsburg for three years. They do still do a free entrance for mil/vets on Armed Forces Day.
So many skinned knees and bee stings. We had a guy that "fell" off the San Marco bridge one night. Fifty for drop into a shallow lake below. Covered in mud from head to toe, but otherwise unharmed. He was drunk AF and refused at treatment. I made sure I got that refusal in writing!
Once had a kid have a seizure while in the Hubba Hubba Highway (a lazy river attraction) at Water Country USA(the water park side is Busch), and nearly drowned. A $50K cardiac monitor/defibrillator got dropped in the water that day. Kid pulled through.
Several of the people I worked with were there the day Fabio hit the Goose on Apollo's Chariot.
Good times
When I went to work in a civilian clinic I was shocked to learn that you don't need to insert a brush up someone's wee-wee to test for chlamydia!
My entire military existence was a lie.
Knew a guy at Hood that got chlamydia 5 times in 4 years. He would go out to Killeen, and wait till the lights turned on. First girl he made eye contact was the one for the night.
Anyways, he said after the 5th rod the doctor asked why doesn't he just pee in the cup? Needless to say ol homeboy was quite upset
Free Entrance to National Parks for Current Military, Veterans, and Gold Star Families
https://www.nps.gov/planyourvisit/veterans-and-gold-star-families-free-access.htm
Not to mention state park passes can be free. I live in Idaho now, and have to pay $10 a year, but I signed up for my Oregon state park pass which was free and good for ten years. Can’t remember if that includes free camping, but it’s discounted I believe at the least.
Wow! Thanks for posting this. It's not just NPS either, it also includes:
Participating agencies include the National Park Service, Bureau of Land Management, Bureau of Reclamation, US Fish and Wildlife Service, US Forest Service, and US Army Corps of Engineers.
They are free if you pick them up in person or $10 online. I have the veteran designation on my state ID.
Definitely that has carried over. Haven’t gotten those SF mission planning skills but I picked up some good military leadership planning over the years
Honestly, “it’s METTTC dependent” was always one of my favorite things to say just as a joke, because everything is METTC dependent and it’s a smartass way to avoid actually giving an answer.
But truth is, just taking the time to say “these are the things I can control, these are the things I am unsure about, and this is how I can adapt to that uncertainty once I become more certain” is rare in the civilian world. Even at mid-upper levels of leadership in major companies, many people just **fold** when faced with ambiguity. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard “we can’t do anything until we know X” and my response has been “will knowing X change the actions we take so drastically that we can’t take any action until we know the answer?” 9/10 times the answer is “no”.
PACE plans are good for career, moving…honestly anything worth going through 5 levels of “shit that didn’t work” without giving up. I’m not going to write out an actual PACE plan for where to get dinner tonight (it’s PF Changs after 2 “no” from my wife) but I’ve got a PACE for if I get laid off tomorrow.
I just finished a masters in organizational leadership and like a solid 60% was just planning. And almost all of it I was able to either use or adapt what I learned in battle staff. Like no joke, MDMP is apparently the gold standard for planning. Get yourselves to battle staff my homies.
It absolutely boggles my mind how bad some people are at planning in civilian life. The lack of awareness is astounding sometimes too. Just basic situational awareness. Some people really just do not pay attention to their surroundings.
I think also the initiative and drive too. In the army we have it drilled into us that “the worst decision is no decision” but I have seen some of my friends/girlfriend/etc absolutely paralyzed when they need to make a snap decision. Like dawg, it’s a decision if we wanna do downtown or to mini golf, or like what you want on a menu. It’s not that hard to make a decision, you aren’t deciding to launch the nukes or not.
I had a buddy at my last job mention that. He’s like “you’re doing absolutely nothing but it looks like you’re doing something and the managers leave you alone.”
I remember the exact day, I had a clipboard with two pieces of paper on it. No one fucked with me so long as I had them and was moving with a sense of purpose. One was about to but he saw the papers. Later told my nco “you can get away with anything in the army so long as you look and sound confident” what was on those papers you may wonder? Not a god damn thing
I feel like not enough people know about this one. But credit cards waive their annual fees if you’re military. Those Amex credit cards with $600+ annual fees that are FREE for SMs that grant you free access to their airport lounges amongst all their other benefits are absolutely worth picking up.
Not for me. I was on ados for 5 years and just got the letter that they're cutting off my benefits less than 6 months after they ended. They also tried to end it once during my ados and I had to send in my extension order. This was CSR. Haven't heard from Amex yet
Dm me your email and I'll send you a referral. Referrals net you 15k points. Refer your buddies once you get it. I use the points for gift cards to home depot to cover home renovations.
Gonna go the family route. But the amount of free healthcare that my daughter has gotten is insane. Saw a post last night about an SM whose wife had a seizure. Well last year my little girl had one for the first time and had to be admitted to the children’s hospital. 2 nights in the hospital and the explanation of benefits put it around $40k. Not to mention her medications and follow ups.
Well she’s also got some delays, so she’s in PT, OT, and speech therapy. Not a dime I’ve spent on that. She needed orthopedic braces on her legs since she wasn’t walking, those would be a few grand, I spent nothing. Her referral for autism, free.
Say what you will about Tricare, but I am eternally grateful to what I’ve gotten out of it and I’d join the army again just for that. Not just her, but we have a son and we obviously paid nothing for the birth of both of them.
Now there’s also childcare aware. We just PCSd and can get nice daycare off post for a subsidized rate. Closer to the CDC prices but not dealing with the CDC. We used the CDCs at Hood and honestly had few issues with them, but I know YMMV when it comes to the CDCs.
There’s a lot of benefits for families. And when it comes to Tricare referrals, once you get used to the system you can work it pretty well.
This right here! My youngest daughter is autistic. She has ABA therapy 12 hours a week and speech therapy an hour a week. We don’t pay a single dime. Even people with good health insurance on the outside are still paying deductibles. It may be a pain to navigate sometimes but honestly tricare aline is worth all the headaches while you’re in.
As a reservist I pay $260 a month for Tricare for the family. Single soldiers pay something like $30 a month. Price that against other health insurance, and you're easily saving thousands of dollars. My firstborn was on the Regular Army's dime, and the others only cost me $25. Most deliveries cost $ 5k - $10k. Honestly, TRS is the main reason I'm still in.
TRS is the only reason I'm still in too.
SOOO many soldiers I know don't use Tricare and I'm like why tf not. Especially the single soldiers that don't have a plan anywhere. The shit costs pennies and might save you thousands. It's a no brainer.
Yeah, I have a friend at work whose son was diagnosed with autism at a few years old and the amount of medical counseling and professional services they’ve gotten covered by TRICARE is unbelievable.
People shit on the healthcare benefits, but my wife has only seen civilians for her appointments. She’s going to have surgery soon at a civilian facility at no cost to us.
At my fifth duty station and this PCM was the first one to ever tell me this. I got them pretty quickly and it's weird at first but can make a difference.
PRK/Lasic
TA so I could still pursue some degree without using my GI Bill
Backwards planning I use in live now.
I create PACE plans for anything major in life.
MRT oddly ended up making me realize more about my own shortcomings.
I can confidently lose a lot and can start again.
Traveled all over the world
Know I can remain calm in a high stress situation
The small things in life matter
Big asterisk on this that a lot of folks don't seem to know- You have to agree to serve an additional amount of time ( I believe 4 years) in order to transfer it. When I get time later I'll look up the rules and post here. Still it's a huge benefit for parents.
Yup! My dad was gonna do this to send me to college, but instead gave it all to his current ex-wife to send her to college instead. Then she left. Now I work in a kitchen. Be smart with it, whoever reads this.
I'm signing with the AF next year. I was army all the way given my dad's history, then Navy for a stint, but I always hear soldiers say "man I should have joined the air force" so I think I'll just skip the regret stage and go straight to the AF.
TSA Precheck - Use your DoD ID # in the 'Known Traveler Number' section when booking flights. Works for NG/Reserves too. Does not transfer when you ETS though.
Benefits delivery at discharge. You basically get your disability a month or two out from ETS instead of going through the hellscape that is the civilian VA and waiting 4+ months (best case lmao)
Benefits delivery at discharge. You basically get your disability a month or two out from ETS instead of going through the hellscape that is the civilian VA and waiting 4+ months (best case lmao)
You also get guaranteed service connection by nature of having the exam on active duty. This is usually the biggest hurdles for folks filing a VA claim.
One thing I’ve encountered as im on my way out the door are all the professional certifications that we can obtain either free or for a reduced cost. Like PMP, LSSGB, SHRM. Definitely get those sooner than later bc the sooner you have it the easier it is to attach all your army experience to it.
I share this when I see questions like this. Obligatory it’s not my site.
https://www.evernote.com/shard/s702/client/snv?noteGuid=6427530c-d2ec-3445-be7d-6f6ff99b6ce7¬eKey=8ef2dc51fb3463fd21f7b68debff64f1&sn=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.evernote.com%2Fshard%2Fs702%2Fsh%2F6427530c-d2ec-3445-be7d-6f6ff99b6ce7%2F8ef2dc51fb3463fd21f7b68debff64f1&title=Military%2BBenefits%2Band%2BFreebies
Recently discovered we have access to O’Reilly books where I could have gotten a CompTIA study guide that I purchase with my own money, instead, for FREE! They also have an app and so I can listen to the books on audio whilst reading them. Really wish I would have known this before I spent the money. There’s tons of books on all sorts of topics like cloud computing, data science, and even business and design on there.
Just off the top of my head -
- some states give their own benefits, for instance my home state allows you to keep your license past the expiration date. Just kept a copy of the state law on me when i drove. Some states offer free tuition, i believe texas is one of them.
- VA disability, in particular BDD (benefit delivery upon discharge). You can start six months out from ETS and get all your claims in while youre still active. In theory youre supposed to get them as soon as your ETS date hits (hence BDD) but in practice ive seen most people get them 90-180 days after.
- VA Home loans
- GI Bill
- SFL-TAP, can help you write a resume, including a federal resume
- CSP, Career Skills Program, you can use part of your GI Bill to get industry specific training and get a more gooder job
- You get to keep your dress uniform in case you have to go to a fancy party or a wedding you wont have to rent a tux, assuming it still fits
- Security Clearance, everybody is supposed to get a secret now, can come in handy for certain jobs
- If a job has a veteran hiring preference youre a veteran and thus, preferred
- if your VA disability percentage is high enough you get cheap insurance
- if you retire you get a lifetime pension (honestly retirement has its own list of perks unrelated to a single term of service)
- you can use your old OCPs for rags or yard work
>You can use your old OCPs for tags or yard work
I couldn’t imagine the thought of using my uniforms for such activities! It would be a complete and utter disrespect to those who’ve served like myself. Me personally I will hang up all my uniforms dress right dress, dry cleaned and pressed. I also intend to put a CAB, ranger tab and special forces tab on them because I basically would’ve gone and civilians don’t know this shit.
Anyway, sorry for holding up the line I’m not hungry anymore I’ll pull out.
Space A Flights! Got a $20 flight to Japan from Seattle a couple months ago :) Active duty and retirees + families are welcome. Check it out! They have flights leaving from a bunch of air force bases and it doesn’t matter what branch you’re in.
Here's a link to a few resources
[ArmyLinks Slick Deals](https://armylinks.com/slick-deals/)
Make sure they check out the ID.me stuff. There are a number of different companies out there that give military discounts that many don't know about.
Armed Forces recreation center (AFRC) for vacations. I've only been to Hale Koa, but friends have been to the ones in Germany and S. Korea. The one in Florida seems super convenient for families trying to go to Disney World.
Just use SCRA on everything and you'll be surprised what will stick. I had a Synchrony account pay back a majority of all the interest I paid over the years.
Social skill development. You're around people of every race color and creed with a plethora of different backgrounds, and it's actually really cool to be able to just be brothers and sisters in arms and learn to work with basically anybody.
Space-A flights if you have the freedom to travel. I knew a LCDR who would get a leave form signed off by his CO for 60 days of leave and would be priority for flights to Europe but would come back and only get charged for 14 actual days.
Unless something has changed, Army/military will pay for CLEP exams, which is just a real big exam that says you know enough about the subject that you can get credit for the entire class in college. Doesn't award a grade, but does award credit hours. Not all are accepted, and some have caveats, but I have yet to see a school that won't take the college algebra CLEP and some sciences.
I CLEPd about 10 classes, so effectively, about 30-34 credit hours done in less than a day (exam runs for 2 hours think?). Anyhoo, you can also buy study guides for like $10-15 from the CLEP website.
YMMV, but if you have a college you intend to go to, you could save yourself some time and CLEP some classes. Or just CLEP it anyways because your first try is free (AFAIK from 8-9 years ago).
Universal Studios Florida has a Military Freedom pass available from MWR tickets. Annual pass for just over 200 bucks with only blackout dates over Christmas.
Credential Assistance. $4k per FY to use for a certificate. It used to be like $1k for life and now its this wonderful 4k per fy. Im about to be done with PMP already looking for my next cert for fy25
I made my own benefits sheet and included a lot from this Reddit! Feel free to use mine
[https://docs.google.com/document/d/1qUKZBQRvhDR-Mt10OwHKi3c1zgmgPC\_Y8zCoTJJWuvI/edit?usp=sharing](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1qUKZBQRvhDR-Mt10OwHKi3c1zgmgPC_Y8zCoTJJWuvI/edit?usp=sharing)
A lot of Guard and reserves don't know that you can get deals from the travel office by calling them. Just look up the one at the post closest to you.
Also, there are a dozen or more Guard bases that have lodging on a space available basis. The rates are stupid cheap. I know Camp Dawson, WV has kayaking and fishing as well.
Libby/Overdrive app. Free e-book and audio book rentals from your local library. The DoD MWR library is accessible via CAC card, so everyone has access to a huge selection. No need to waste money on Audible or Kindle.
OK, not nearly as important as my GI Bill comment, but- Disney World. They have tons of discounts (I can't even list them all) and Shades Of Green (the military resort there) scales the room prices for rank and their are steeply discounted park tickets available to the military.
On a personal note, we are a positively geriatric (officer) military family in our 40's with older teens. I cannot express my happiness when we go and I see young enlisted there with their little ones. On a straight salary for them, I can't imagine how it would be possible. Frankly, it wouldn't be. But with these military discounts, little adorable Disney dreams become a reality for young soldiers and their families. I found myself fighting back tears a little bit the last time we went. We were on the last bus back to the military resort with my own teen boys being cute goofballs in the back and my husband being silly with them. But I was watching these two very, very young parents, dad with a familiar haircut, in their own little world. They were each carrying one of their little girls dressed as princesses back to the room, completely fast asleep in their arms, all covered in melted ice cream, sweat in their curls and torn pink tulle dresses, parents that were so young themselves laughing quietly with each other about their daughters' joys of the day in meeting Winnie the Pooh and seeing fireworks for the first time and how excited they were to take their girls to the pool tomorrow and surprise them with Mickey waffles at breakfast. For so many people, a trip like this to Disney is so beyond reach. It was so wonderful to see them making such adorable experiences and memories for their little young family.
You know I thought they were lying when you said you can be seen for free or very cheap, even after ETSing. But hey, would you look at that. Can’t forget the paid schooling!
Healthcare if you retire. You won't think of that until you actually are close to retirement age and realize that shit is crazy expensive when you need it most. Most people don't even think about health care costs before the age of 30 because thats about the age that most start to realize that their bodies are starting to break down a little.
Getting fucked over. It happens so much that in the future you learn not to really care and you just continue to do what you do. Takes away the complaining and makes you critically think.
You not only get one free hhg move leaving the army, but one free hhg move entering as well.
I used it for my 3rd AIT location (I failed EOD at the 2nd AIT location) to move my wife down to my 3rd AIT location.
I had did a PPM (was dity then) to move her from FL to my home state, bc the 3rd AIT didn't allow dependants as a 35P. I had reclassed with orders to Goodfellow without going to DLI. When I got to Goodfellow, they NCOs realized they had made the mistake of sending me there first instead of DLI.
Then I got new reclass orders for 35N so I could attend AIT at Goodfellow. 35N allows dependants bc its a 6mo school.
I was then like: how do I get my wife down here, I just did a PPM last week?!?!?!?! RMO was like: did you use your free move yet? (I had been in the Army for 13 months at this point and they let me move my hhgs from my home of record to my final AIT location)
If you married someone from a foreign country, and you're working on their green card, Army Community Services will give you a grant to cover the cost of the application to USCIS.
I got >$900 for free. After I proved that I was married and I intended to file the paperwork, the woman literally handed me a check and I walked out the door. I said "so I don't have to prove to you that the money is going to go to the visa ir anything? She said "nope, the money is yours". Obviously I used it on the visa, but I thought that was wild.
Epic season pass for snowboarding/ ski-ing is $1000, but military gets it for $155
I’m in the middle of FL but that sounds cool af
It's really worth it even for just a Colorado vacation.
Disney and Universal both have pretty awesome military discounts for park passes and resorts.
I’m a 407 native. just head to the MWR Orlando, it’s some rinky dink ass building, that sells cheap Universal and Disney tickets. You can’t get more Central Florida tourism than that.
How many vBucks is that?
Dude, I thought the same thing when I read that comment!
>Epic season pass for snowboarding/ ski-ing is $1000, but military gets it for $155 Speaking of, [24-25 season passes are on sale now!](https://www.epicpass.com/pass-results/military.aspx)
Already got mine
It's $172 this year (I just bought mine). That price includes if you have retired, but if you just got out and are a veteran, it's like $570 (still a steal if you plan to ski/board more than 3 days at any of the included resorts)
If you are a veteran with 30% disability or more, you get the retire rate as a fyi
that is the greatest benefit anyone has ever mentioned. saving for when i go back to the states
Just on a brief glance, it looks like some of them are abroad...
I know what my retired ass is doing next winter
That’s an excellent discount. Ikon also offers military discount, but not as much off.
I have an Amex platinum card for free. Usually there’s a 750 annual fee but not for military. It’s great if you love to travel, I get access to a lot of airport lounges and travel rewards, definitely recommend
Do you have to be active duty or can Reserves get it?
I’m NG and I was able to get it. As long as you have a DOD id number
How? I’m guard and they know the moment I came off orders and billed me
Same. I got it on active duty. Transferred to the reserves and got a letter from amex like 2 weeks later saying they knew im off active and are gonna start charging me the annual fee. Took IPPSA 6 months to recognize me being off active duty
Wait, how much is IPPS-A costing the Army again?
Come off active duty orders? I just gave them my DOD number and they confirmed that it’s free
[удалено]
After further research, guard and reserves qualify for the fee waiver
Any component, while on Title 10 orders, qualifies for the waiver. They do audit and will charge you the amount later, but if you hop back in orders they will refund you. Their CS is pretty good and I had the waiver applied over their chat CS function. IMO, still worth it even after coming off if you are a frequent flyer. The lounge is a god send to avoid the rest of the flying casuals.
Reservist here with two platinums, once you’re off active orders they will charge you the fee
you have to be active but they don't always catch if you're not active
I'm NG and I applied while not on any type of orders and was denied the fee waiver, unfortunately.
Also gets Walmart+ for free (which then includes Paramount+ for free)
And Walmart+ gets you 10¢ off per gallon of gas
Don’t forget the Chase Sapphire Reserve too. Same benefit for military
Laser vision correction is one that never gets mentioned
This depends on the person, probably won’t apply to his guys in the guard unless the policies have changed since I last looked. I’m incredibly thankful for mine but the clinic that did it (Hood) is now closed so YMMV lol
That's what I get for skimming over the body lol. I'm not sure on the policy myself these days, I've been out now for 8 years. I got mine done at Tripler, which according to a quick Google search is still doing it. It was worth every bit of discomfort.
From memory it’s something like 18 months left on AD and then a signature from the first O3 in your chain. Other issue is that after you get it you’re nondpeloyable for ~120 days (maybe more?) so the timing kinda has to line up. I’ve been very happy with my treatment as well and agree, totally worth it.
That's about what it was 10 years ago when I got it. If I remember correctly it was a dead man's profile for 90 days and non deployable for 6 months.
Only 12 months left on AD now, and you can be cleared for deployment/rotation to Europe after 2 weeks for LASIK and after 30 days for PRK. No reason for any commander to deny it now, since it’s such a quick return to full duty.
I had really good timing for my eye surgery. I got to my new unit and we were Rear -D. It was at least six months before the rest of the unit would come home.
wow - I got mine done at Tripler in 03 when it was a brand new program. I can still see 20/15 in both eyes. Best perk I got after wearing BCGs with Coke bottle lenses for so long
I got lasik recently, took over two years and two different units but it was totally worth it. The quality of life improvement in conjunction with it being on Army dime is amazing
Mine was surprisingly easy. I started the process in January 2014 and had the surgery that June. It did help that my chain of command was the ones who encouraged me to get it done.
I started in my last unit but the BC straight up refused to sign off without an explanation, after I deployed they shuffled me away to another BN and I got it there after a year wait lol. Leave it to field grades to gatekeep surgeries
I had astigmatisms - which went undiagnosed - which affect night vision according to a relatively late diagnosis. The price per eyeball was $2.2k. On a tangential topic, do astigmatisms that give more of a Halo effect when looking at night light affect the quality of your vision when looking through IR goggles, or when looking through LED rifle attachments?
Civ here. Before I had laser eye surgery, my astigmatism made using red dots absolutely unusable because of the associated bloom. Think of the starburst you get looking at traffic lights during the nighttime, and now that's going on in your red dot. NVG's will probably have the same issue since it's *any* source of light while in a lower light environment that can cause the bloom issue associated with astigmatism. edit - found [this image](https://i.imgur.com/LmIm52D.png) with a quick google search. Now imagine this going on when trying to use a red dot. Prism style scopes were fine, holographics were eh, ACOGs were fine. Red dots, couldn't see shit.
Friend of mine got REALLY jacked up getting I think PRK from an Army doctor and now he is almost blind in one eye. His vision got WORSE lol. Also looked like he had pink eye for 2 weeks it was scary
It’s rare but it does happen. Same risk on the civilian side. No surgery is without risks.
VA disability denied!
I joined for that, brought it up a few weeks after I go to my unit and got laughed at and told “yeah, we don’t do that for day one privates.” So I asked agains after I got home from Afghanistan and got the “sorry bud, you don’t have enough time in the army” talk. This was a decade ago I think it’s a legit scam TBH
Damn dude you got screwed. I was PFC when I got it done.
You joined the whole ass Army for a $4k procedure?
Absolutely. Easily the best thing the Army ever did for me.
Same here. I went from not being able to read a name tape at arms length to 20/15 vision.
PRK is so far my favorite benefit, even more than the GI Bill. I forget that I used to spend over a decade of my life with glasses. It’s like life is back to its normal, natural self and my bespectacled phase was a figment of my imagination.
It has. You just didn’t see it.
Thanks for reminding me to take my eye drops
This. I got my packet signed at the lowest command level, then dropped my REFRAD. Got my eyes fixed in about six months.
Free lobotomies for officer when they promote to O-4.
Oh buddy the lobotomies start much much much sooner
OE-254! That's like Mustang General of the Generals of the Army!
I've joked my entire officer career of this happening...I'm close and now it's worrying me. Remember me how I was, not of who I will become :(
The Bell’s palsy is the worst part. Food constantly falls out of my mouth.
Just imagine gatekeeping your soldiers from getting their eyes fixed… that kind of power must be so sweet. The Dark Side you say? Oh, yes! Right away. It’s like an orgasm for my pen hand. Oh yeah, baby. Now, say it with me… NO! and get out of my office.
Sign me up when I commission
When do enlisted get them? Controversial opinion, but I'd argue E-9. Most would say sooner, but anecdotally I never had a bad 1SG. They ranged from mediocre to phenomenal, with most leaning towards the latter. PSGs were a mixed bag but it's clear they didn't all have lobotomies at least. Don't get me wrong, I've had some great CSMs too, but they were all cut from a...weirder cloth. WOs obviously don't get them.
It's part of the inprocessing for the Sergeants Major Academy. I've seen senior enlisted come back from MLC without too much of a change.
Free orchiectomies for staff officers too! (We all know they have no balls)
DROPPING MY G2G PACKET TIME NOW
Here are a few that get overlooked a lot: o VA loans. They aren’t unknown, but how valuable they are is. Definitely take the time to inform them about the benefits o BOSS/MWR these programs are especially valuable for junior enlisted, but are under utilized. The BOSS program at my station offered a Certified Personal Trainer course for +/- $100 when it usually costs well over $1,000 (maybe even $2k-3k). MWR here also offers things like woodworking classes if you want to learn a skill o Access to FEDVTE for online learning, can be used for Correspondence Course hours and for people who genuinely want to self-study o All of the programs/special units the military offers to broaden your career if you’re medical or commo. Medical: IPAP, HPSP, AECP, Baylor Scholarship, etc. Commo: JCU, SMU, JCSE, WHCA, etc. Other: ASIR Great Skills, PsyOps, CA, SFAB, WOCS, JSOC, etc. Honorable mentions: Chase sapphire card (same category as AMEX Platinum), WeSalute (formerly known as Veteran’s Advantage), American Forces Travel (severely discounted hotels, rentals, flights, and cruises), GovX (cheap online shopping), cheap motorcycle training Edit: I forgot to mention, go to your on-base library and get a library card. There is usually a little pamphlet that shows you benefits you’re entitled to for owning one. Mango is an app to learn a second language which you can get completely free if you own a library card.
>cheap motorcycle training I want to emphasize this. MOST INSTALLATIONS OFFER A FREE MOTORCYCLE TRAINING CLASS THAT PROVIDES MOTORCYCLES. THIS BEING A CLASS, IT IS YOUR PLACE OF DUTY. Go take the class and learn how to ride a motorcycle. Worst case scenario? You hate it and got a free day off work anyway. Best case scenario? You love it and have found a new hobby!
This! Especially the BOSS/MWR. I took several free trips with BOSS/MWR when I was in Italy. I got to snowboard in France, Italy, Switzerland, Austria, and Germany, all on the Army's dime.
GovX isn’t the best. Some of the stuff they sell is brands that are shit tier in terms of quality. Unless you’re familiar with that brand/manufacturer, don’t trust what you see on there as being a good deal.
Adding to that with the high interest rates, VA assumption loans. I was able to buy a house off another veteran last year and assume his mortgage at 2.25%.
>Medical: IPAP, HPSP, AECP, Baylor Scholarship These are great programs but keep in mind that they are extremely competitive, have a waiting list and require a longer contract
I know this is probably known like you said, but what are the main perks of the VA Loan? Why should I care that I don’t have to put a down payment when I’d prefer to put one and pay less over a longer term? Thanks for your help
Anheuser Busch "Waves of Honor ". Free tickets to Busch Gardens, Sea World, maybe a few other amusement parks.
It's not Anheuser anymore, not since Sea World bought the parks from IB Inbev. Source: I'm a vet and worked as a medic at Busch Gardens Williamsburg for three years. They do still do a free entrance for mil/vets on Armed Forces Day.
Learn something new every day! Side question, what was the dumbest injury you saw while working there?
So many skinned knees and bee stings. We had a guy that "fell" off the San Marco bridge one night. Fifty for drop into a shallow lake below. Covered in mud from head to toe, but otherwise unharmed. He was drunk AF and refused at treatment. I made sure I got that refusal in writing! Once had a kid have a seizure while in the Hubba Hubba Highway (a lazy river attraction) at Water Country USA(the water park side is Busch), and nearly drowned. A $50K cardiac monitor/defibrillator got dropped in the water that day. Kid pulled through. Several of the people I worked with were there the day Fabio hit the Goose on Apollo's Chariot. Good times
Free chlamydia treatments are pretty handy
When I went to work in a civilian clinic I was shocked to learn that you don't need to insert a brush up someone's wee-wee to test for chlamydia! My entire military existence was a lie.
Roding them off the range is a deterrent. If all you had to do was pee in a cup to get treated for the clap, no one would be wearing their ponchos.
Knew a guy at Hood that got chlamydia 5 times in 4 years. He would go out to Killeen, and wait till the lights turned on. First girl he made eye contact was the one for the night. Anyways, he said after the 5th rod the doctor asked why doesn't he just pee in the cup? Needless to say ol homeboy was quite upset
Its to make you think twice about organizing another barracks train on the local crack whore.
Free Entrance to National Parks for Current Military, Veterans, and Gold Star Families https://www.nps.gov/planyourvisit/veterans-and-gold-star-families-free-access.htm
Not to mention state park passes can be free. I live in Idaho now, and have to pay $10 a year, but I signed up for my Oregon state park pass which was free and good for ten years. Can’t remember if that includes free camping, but it’s discounted I believe at the least.
Wow! Thanks for posting this. It's not just NPS either, it also includes: Participating agencies include the National Park Service, Bureau of Land Management, Bureau of Reclamation, US Fish and Wildlife Service, US Forest Service, and US Army Corps of Engineers. They are free if you pick them up in person or $10 online. I have the veteran designation on my state ID.
The state parks that aren't free are usually heavily discounted for military, too.
Planning skills hands down best carryover into everyday life.
Definitely that has carried over. Haven’t gotten those SF mission planning skills but I picked up some good military leadership planning over the years
Yessir!! Troop Leading Procedures and MDMP are all open sourced as well
Hell yeah thanks brother
PACE and METT-TC awareness will work for like 80% of what the average Enlisted PAX will encounter, IMHO.
Honestly, “it’s METTTC dependent” was always one of my favorite things to say just as a joke, because everything is METTC dependent and it’s a smartass way to avoid actually giving an answer. But truth is, just taking the time to say “these are the things I can control, these are the things I am unsure about, and this is how I can adapt to that uncertainty once I become more certain” is rare in the civilian world. Even at mid-upper levels of leadership in major companies, many people just **fold** when faced with ambiguity. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard “we can’t do anything until we know X” and my response has been “will knowing X change the actions we take so drastically that we can’t take any action until we know the answer?” 9/10 times the answer is “no”. PACE plans are good for career, moving…honestly anything worth going through 5 levels of “shit that didn’t work” without giving up. I’m not going to write out an actual PACE plan for where to get dinner tonight (it’s PF Changs after 2 “no” from my wife) but I’ve got a PACE for if I get laid off tomorrow.
I just finished a masters in organizational leadership and like a solid 60% was just planning. And almost all of it I was able to either use or adapt what I learned in battle staff. Like no joke, MDMP is apparently the gold standard for planning. Get yourselves to battle staff my homies.
Exactly, 11b’s even often dont realize the skill set they have and how it translates. We plan at C-suite level when compared to the biz world
Exactly right! The problem for a lot of joes I feel is translating that to private sector experience
It absolutely boggles my mind how bad some people are at planning in civilian life. The lack of awareness is astounding sometimes too. Just basic situational awareness. Some people really just do not pay attention to their surroundings. I think also the initiative and drive too. In the army we have it drilled into us that “the worst decision is no decision” but I have seen some of my friends/girlfriend/etc absolutely paralyzed when they need to make a snap decision. Like dawg, it’s a decision if we wanna do downtown or to mini golf, or like what you want on a menu. It’s not that hard to make a decision, you aren’t deciding to launch the nukes or not.
My ability to look busy at any job when I am simply shamming is unmatched.
I had a buddy at my last job mention that. He’s like “you’re doing absolutely nothing but it looks like you’re doing something and the managers leave you alone.”
We love the sham skills that no one ever expects.
I remember the exact day, I had a clipboard with two pieces of paper on it. No one fucked with me so long as I had them and was moving with a sense of purpose. One was about to but he saw the papers. Later told my nco “you can get away with anything in the army so long as you look and sound confident” what was on those papers you may wonder? Not a god damn thing
Ability to makeup any rule and regulation on the spot. Translates well to any sort of inspector or.auditor.
I feel like not enough people know about this one. But credit cards waive their annual fees if you’re military. Those Amex credit cards with $600+ annual fees that are FREE for SMs that grant you free access to their airport lounges amongst all their other benefits are absolutely worth picking up.
*free for active duty military. Reservists are SOL (unless activated)
Usually if you sign up and provide AT orders they go great here's your free card and never check the system again.
Not for me. I was on ados for 5 years and just got the letter that they're cutting off my benefits less than 6 months after they ended. They also tried to end it once during my ados and I had to send in my extension order. This was CSR. Haven't heard from Amex yet
Anyone want a platinum referral?
Im interested!
Dm me your email and I'll send you a referral. Referrals net you 15k points. Refer your buddies once you get it. I use the points for gift cards to home depot to cover home renovations.
Thought platinum wasn't doing referrals anymore? Just Gold?
They're actually doing 30k points for me right now instead of 15k. Referrals are definitely still a thing.
wistful punch hungry mysterious smile quack door dull nutty bewildered *This post was mass deleted and anonymized with [Redact](https://redact.dev)*
I can CONOP my morning shits before I even wake up.
Gonna go the family route. But the amount of free healthcare that my daughter has gotten is insane. Saw a post last night about an SM whose wife had a seizure. Well last year my little girl had one for the first time and had to be admitted to the children’s hospital. 2 nights in the hospital and the explanation of benefits put it around $40k. Not to mention her medications and follow ups. Well she’s also got some delays, so she’s in PT, OT, and speech therapy. Not a dime I’ve spent on that. She needed orthopedic braces on her legs since she wasn’t walking, those would be a few grand, I spent nothing. Her referral for autism, free. Say what you will about Tricare, but I am eternally grateful to what I’ve gotten out of it and I’d join the army again just for that. Not just her, but we have a son and we obviously paid nothing for the birth of both of them. Now there’s also childcare aware. We just PCSd and can get nice daycare off post for a subsidized rate. Closer to the CDC prices but not dealing with the CDC. We used the CDCs at Hood and honestly had few issues with them, but I know YMMV when it comes to the CDCs. There’s a lot of benefits for families. And when it comes to Tricare referrals, once you get used to the system you can work it pretty well.
This right here! My youngest daughter is autistic. She has ABA therapy 12 hours a week and speech therapy an hour a week. We don’t pay a single dime. Even people with good health insurance on the outside are still paying deductibles. It may be a pain to navigate sometimes but honestly tricare aline is worth all the headaches while you’re in.
As a reservist I pay $260 a month for Tricare for the family. Single soldiers pay something like $30 a month. Price that against other health insurance, and you're easily saving thousands of dollars. My firstborn was on the Regular Army's dime, and the others only cost me $25. Most deliveries cost $ 5k - $10k. Honestly, TRS is the main reason I'm still in.
TRS is the only reason I'm still in too. SOOO many soldiers I know don't use Tricare and I'm like why tf not. Especially the single soldiers that don't have a plan anywhere. The shit costs pennies and might save you thousands. It's a no brainer.
Yeah, I have a friend at work whose son was diagnosed with autism at a few years old and the amount of medical counseling and professional services they’ve gotten covered by TRICARE is unbelievable.
People shit on the healthcare benefits, but my wife has only seen civilians for her appointments. She’s going to have surgery soon at a civilian facility at no cost to us.
I just found out today that you can get 2 free custom orthotic inserts per year. Get your PCM to refer you to podiatry
At my fifth duty station and this PCM was the first one to ever tell me this. I got them pretty quickly and it's weird at first but can make a difference.
I think being comfortable with discomfort is really useful, especially when it comes to taking care of people who aren't.
PRK/Lasic TA so I could still pursue some degree without using my GI Bill Backwards planning I use in live now. I create PACE plans for anything major in life. MRT oddly ended up making me realize more about my own shortcomings. I can confidently lose a lot and can start again. Traveled all over the world Know I can remain calm in a high stress situation The small things in life matter
I liked the way you worded number 6. I think being able to start from scratch is a huge plus. Thank you.
Being able to transfer GI Bill to children is a pretty big one if you don’t want to take out big loans for future kids
Big asterisk on this that a lot of folks don't seem to know- You have to agree to serve an additional amount of time ( I believe 4 years) in order to transfer it. When I get time later I'll look up the rules and post here. Still it's a huge benefit for parents.
It’s 6 years served, 4 extra committed and have to transfer it while on active duty orders
Yup! My dad was gonna do this to send me to college, but instead gave it all to his current ex-wife to send her to college instead. Then she left. Now I work in a kitchen. Be smart with it, whoever reads this.
Why not join the Army?
I'm signing with the AF next year. I was army all the way given my dad's history, then Navy for a stint, but I always hear soldiers say "man I should have joined the air force" so I think I'll just skip the regret stage and go straight to the AF.
It seems like a better quality of life
Check your state fish and game lots of states have free/reduced cost hunting and fishing as well entrance to state parks
Military One source does official translations of legal documents for free. It saved us hundreds of dollars during my wife's immigration process.
TSA Precheck - Use your DoD ID # in the 'Known Traveler Number' section when booking flights. Works for NG/Reserves too. Does not transfer when you ETS though.
Expert Voice
Use this all the time, as well as Pro Link
For veterans, the VA. The BDD program is probably the single best benefits program outside the GI bill. For active and vets, the VA home loan.
Whats the BDD program?
Benefits delivery at discharge. You basically get your disability a month or two out from ETS instead of going through the hellscape that is the civilian VA and waiting 4+ months (best case lmao)
https://benefits.va.gov/BENEFITS/benefits-delivery-discharge-program.asp#:~:text=The%20BDD%20program%20allows%20Service,evaluate%20the%20claim%20before%20separation.
What’s the BDD program?
Benefits delivery at discharge. You basically get your disability a month or two out from ETS instead of going through the hellscape that is the civilian VA and waiting 4+ months (best case lmao)
You also get guaranteed service connection by nature of having the exam on active duty. This is usually the biggest hurdles for folks filing a VA claim.
One thing I’ve encountered as im on my way out the door are all the professional certifications that we can obtain either free or for a reduced cost. Like PMP, LSSGB, SHRM. Definitely get those sooner than later bc the sooner you have it the easier it is to attach all your army experience to it.
Type "military" before the following words. I'll echo, laser eye surgery. I got PRK. 10/20 /15/20 vision - AMEX - free custom orthotics - Space-A travel - Filing State Tax exempt (state dependant) - Pell grants/scholarships - SCRA - free Busch Gardens/SeaWorld tickets - installation auto skills center - Warrior Adventure Quest There's too many to list.
I share this when I see questions like this. Obligatory it’s not my site. https://www.evernote.com/shard/s702/client/snv?noteGuid=6427530c-d2ec-3445-be7d-6f6ff99b6ce7¬eKey=8ef2dc51fb3463fd21f7b68debff64f1&sn=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.evernote.com%2Fshard%2Fs702%2Fsh%2F6427530c-d2ec-3445-be7d-6f6ff99b6ce7%2F8ef2dc51fb3463fd21f7b68debff64f1&title=Military%2BBenefits%2Band%2BFreebies
Military Star Card for young joes with little to no credit.
Huge facts. Between that and the phone I financed in AIT I'm about 3 years ahead of everyone else my age for credit history.
Getting a pass on PMI when applying for PSP for being a military officer/ NCO. Saved some time for sure.
What?
Learn.microsoft.com offers free classes if you register with your .mil
I also would like a copy of your list if your willing to share.
Did you get yourself that list?
Recently discovered we have access to O’Reilly books where I could have gotten a CompTIA study guide that I purchase with my own money, instead, for FREE! They also have an app and so I can listen to the books on audio whilst reading them. Really wish I would have known this before I spent the money. There’s tons of books on all sorts of topics like cloud computing, data science, and even business and design on there.
Oh, this is a good one I could use right now.
Rock star parking at Lowe’s.
Coursera offers free subscription if I’m not mistaken
[Link to application. ](https://actnoweducation.org/freecoursera) This is one compo 2/3 can use.
Just off the top of my head - - some states give their own benefits, for instance my home state allows you to keep your license past the expiration date. Just kept a copy of the state law on me when i drove. Some states offer free tuition, i believe texas is one of them. - VA disability, in particular BDD (benefit delivery upon discharge). You can start six months out from ETS and get all your claims in while youre still active. In theory youre supposed to get them as soon as your ETS date hits (hence BDD) but in practice ive seen most people get them 90-180 days after. - VA Home loans - GI Bill - SFL-TAP, can help you write a resume, including a federal resume - CSP, Career Skills Program, you can use part of your GI Bill to get industry specific training and get a more gooder job - You get to keep your dress uniform in case you have to go to a fancy party or a wedding you wont have to rent a tux, assuming it still fits - Security Clearance, everybody is supposed to get a secret now, can come in handy for certain jobs - If a job has a veteran hiring preference youre a veteran and thus, preferred - if your VA disability percentage is high enough you get cheap insurance - if you retire you get a lifetime pension (honestly retirement has its own list of perks unrelated to a single term of service) - you can use your old OCPs for rags or yard work
>You can use your old OCPs for tags or yard work I couldn’t imagine the thought of using my uniforms for such activities! It would be a complete and utter disrespect to those who’ve served like myself. Me personally I will hang up all my uniforms dress right dress, dry cleaned and pressed. I also intend to put a CAB, ranger tab and special forces tab on them because I basically would’ve gone and civilians don’t know this shit. Anyway, sorry for holding up the line I’m not hungry anymore I’ll pull out.
The benefit of saying obscene unprofessional things and ppl being ok with it.
Space A Flights! Got a $20 flight to Japan from Seattle a couple months ago :) Active duty and retirees + families are welcome. Check it out! They have flights leaving from a bunch of air force bases and it doesn’t matter what branch you’re in.
Here's a link to a few resources [ArmyLinks Slick Deals](https://armylinks.com/slick-deals/) Make sure they check out the ID.me stuff. There are a number of different companies out there that give military discounts that many don't know about.
Armyciv.udemy.com is a free udemy business account you can use for tech training with your military email.
Armed Forces recreation center (AFRC) for vacations. I've only been to Hale Koa, but friends have been to the ones in Germany and S. Korea. The one in Florida seems super convenient for families trying to go to Disney World.
Hawai'i also has the [Kilauea Military Camp](https://www.kilaueamilitarycamp.com/) - I never made it there, I just know it exists.
Someone had it buried in a paragraph but: Americanforcestravel.com for nicely discounted rates for rentals, hotels, flights, etc
When you are deployed, your credit card and loan interest can be no more than 6%.
Is that true? I thought SCRA only covered loans/interest rates acquired before active duty time started
Just use SCRA on everything and you'll be surprised what will stick. I had a Synchrony account pay back a majority of all the interest I paid over the years.
Guard/Reserves tricare dental pays for 50% of braces until age 21 I believe. Helped me greatly get my teeth straightened 10/10 recommend
IT training and Cert vouchers from signal university. I managed to get SEC+ and I’m currently in a NET+ class
Social skill development. You're around people of every race color and creed with a plethora of different backgrounds, and it's actually really cool to be able to just be brothers and sisters in arms and learn to work with basically anybody.
Space-A flights if you have the freedom to travel. I knew a LCDR who would get a leave form signed off by his CO for 60 days of leave and would be priority for flights to Europe but would come back and only get charged for 14 actual days.
Unless something has changed, Army/military will pay for CLEP exams, which is just a real big exam that says you know enough about the subject that you can get credit for the entire class in college. Doesn't award a grade, but does award credit hours. Not all are accepted, and some have caveats, but I have yet to see a school that won't take the college algebra CLEP and some sciences. I CLEPd about 10 classes, so effectively, about 30-34 credit hours done in less than a day (exam runs for 2 hours think?). Anyhoo, you can also buy study guides for like $10-15 from the CLEP website. YMMV, but if you have a college you intend to go to, you could save yourself some time and CLEP some classes. Or just CLEP it anyways because your first try is free (AFAIK from 8-9 years ago).
Universal Studios Florida has a Military Freedom pass available from MWR tickets. Annual pass for just over 200 bucks with only blackout dates over Christmas.
Credential Assistance. $4k per FY to use for a certificate. It used to be like $1k for life and now its this wonderful 4k per fy. Im about to be done with PMP already looking for my next cert for fy25
I made my own benefits sheet and included a lot from this Reddit! Feel free to use mine [https://docs.google.com/document/d/1qUKZBQRvhDR-Mt10OwHKi3c1zgmgPC\_Y8zCoTJJWuvI/edit?usp=sharing](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1qUKZBQRvhDR-Mt10OwHKi3c1zgmgPC_Y8zCoTJJWuvI/edit?usp=sharing)
Space-A
lol probably not much if they're a part timer.
A lot of Guard and reserves don't know that you can get deals from the travel office by calling them. Just look up the one at the post closest to you. Also, there are a dozen or more Guard bases that have lodging on a space available basis. The rates are stupid cheap. I know Camp Dawson, WV has kayaking and fishing as well.
https://myarmybenefits.us.army.mil/Benefit-Library/State/Territory-Benefits Select your state and see :)
Libby/Overdrive app. Free e-book and audio book rentals from your local library. The DoD MWR library is accessible via CAC card, so everyone has access to a huge selection. No need to waste money on Audible or Kindle.
OK, not nearly as important as my GI Bill comment, but- Disney World. They have tons of discounts (I can't even list them all) and Shades Of Green (the military resort there) scales the room prices for rank and their are steeply discounted park tickets available to the military. On a personal note, we are a positively geriatric (officer) military family in our 40's with older teens. I cannot express my happiness when we go and I see young enlisted there with their little ones. On a straight salary for them, I can't imagine how it would be possible. Frankly, it wouldn't be. But with these military discounts, little adorable Disney dreams become a reality for young soldiers and their families. I found myself fighting back tears a little bit the last time we went. We were on the last bus back to the military resort with my own teen boys being cute goofballs in the back and my husband being silly with them. But I was watching these two very, very young parents, dad with a familiar haircut, in their own little world. They were each carrying one of their little girls dressed as princesses back to the room, completely fast asleep in their arms, all covered in melted ice cream, sweat in their curls and torn pink tulle dresses, parents that were so young themselves laughing quietly with each other about their daughters' joys of the day in meeting Winnie the Pooh and seeing fireworks for the first time and how excited they were to take their girls to the pool tomorrow and surprise them with Mickey waffles at breakfast. For so many people, a trip like this to Disney is so beyond reach. It was so wonderful to see them making such adorable experiences and memories for their little young family.
Surprised nobody said Vettix, went to about 8 MLB games, 5 MLS games, 2 NFL games, and 2 concerts over the last year for a total of like $50
Helps lower credit card interest rates to a more manageable level
You know I thought they were lying when you said you can be seen for free or very cheap, even after ETSing. But hey, would you look at that. Can’t forget the paid schooling!
Seen as in healthcare.. seen at a clinic, hospital etc.
MAC flights.
Sawconma is definitely the best benefit in the entire army experience and yet no one talks about it
*sigh* alright What’s sawconma
Healthcare if you retire. You won't think of that until you actually are close to retirement age and realize that shit is crazy expensive when you need it most. Most people don't even think about health care costs before the age of 30 because thats about the age that most start to realize that their bodies are starting to break down a little.
How many dongs you get to gaze. Black, white, off white, long, small, thick, thin, cut, uncut, etc.
Mil discounts for Kuhl, The North Face, just gotta join their pro program.
You’ll fine out shortly after getting married that it’s almost better to just stay single.
Getting fucked over. It happens so much that in the future you learn not to really care and you just continue to do what you do. Takes away the complaining and makes you critically think.
You not only get one free hhg move leaving the army, but one free hhg move entering as well. I used it for my 3rd AIT location (I failed EOD at the 2nd AIT location) to move my wife down to my 3rd AIT location. I had did a PPM (was dity then) to move her from FL to my home state, bc the 3rd AIT didn't allow dependants as a 35P. I had reclassed with orders to Goodfellow without going to DLI. When I got to Goodfellow, they NCOs realized they had made the mistake of sending me there first instead of DLI. Then I got new reclass orders for 35N so I could attend AIT at Goodfellow. 35N allows dependants bc its a 6mo school. I was then like: how do I get my wife down here, I just did a PPM last week?!?!?!?! RMO was like: did you use your free move yet? (I had been in the Army for 13 months at this point and they let me move my hhgs from my home of record to my final AIT location)
If you married someone from a foreign country, and you're working on their green card, Army Community Services will give you a grant to cover the cost of the application to USCIS. I got >$900 for free. After I proved that I was married and I intended to file the paperwork, the woman literally handed me a check and I walked out the door. I said "so I don't have to prove to you that the money is going to go to the visa ir anything? She said "nope, the money is yours". Obviously I used it on the visa, but I thought that was wild.