Your Valuable Benefits

Annually the military will send you a summary of military compensation. This four page document is designed to communicate to military members the value of military service by highlighting the benefits that are delivered to them without fee. Some of the biggest include:

• Health Care
• Low cost dental insurance
• Tax free housing and subsistence allowance
  
• 30-days paid leave each year, with up to 60 (or more) days carried over each year
• Access to commissary and base or post exchanges
• World class fitness centers

The document points out the tax savings that many military members receive. Many states that have income taxes, for example, do not tax military pay earned outside the state. For many military members, this benefit alone is worth thousands of dollars.

Military retirees will also receive many of these benefits after leaving the military. Health care, however, has been under attack for military members as Federal budget deficits have grown. Military retirees still enjoy excellent health care at reasonable costs, but all Americans need to pitch in to ensure that those who have paid the price for freedom are not forgotten.

I always save my annual benefits summary. It's a great reminder that the country does appreciate the sacrifices that military members make, and puts its money where its mouth is!