Browse All Benefits

COMPACT Act — Free Suicide Crisis Care, No VA Enrollment Required

Under the COMPACT Act, ANY eligible veteran — even those not enrolled in VA healthcare — can receive emergent suicide crisis care at ANY emergency department (VA or non-VA) at no cost. Covers up to 30 days of inpatient/crisis residential care + up to 90 days of outpatient follow-

VA Telehealth Eye Care — Remote Eye Exams Without Dilation

VA has rolled out remote tele-ophthalmology at many medical centers. A trained technician scans your eyes with a retinal camera; the images are read by a remote VA eye specialist. No dilation drops, no waiting weeks for a specialist appointment.

Semper Fi & America's Fund — Free Service Dogs + Wellness Program

Semper Fi & America's Fund (thefund.org) provides service dogs at no cost to combat-injured Marines AND other-branch combat-injured veterans dealing with PTSD, TBI, mobility limitations, or related conditions. Also runs an integrated wellness program covering nutrition, breathing

Virtual Hope Box — Free DoD Mental Health App

Virtual Hope Box is a free smartphone app developed by the Defense Health Agency for service members, veterans, and their families dealing with PTSD, suicidal ideation, or emotional crisis. Patient + therapist build a personalized "hope box" of coping resources (photos, audio, vi

VA Renovation Loan (Buy a Fixer-Upper with VA)

The VA does allow a fixer-upper purchase via either the VA Renovation Loan (single loan covering purchase + repairs up to ~$50K) or the VA Energy-Efficient Mortgage (up to $6K rolled into the loan for energy upgrades). Most lenders don't advertise either — you have to ask for a "

BAH — Basic Allowance for Housing (Tax-Free)

Basic Allowance for Housing is paid monthly to service members who don't live in government quarters, calibrated to the duty-station ZIP code, rank, and dependent status. BAH is NON-TAXABLE federal and state income — meaning it does not appear on your W-2 and is not counted as gr

VA Loan Funding Fee Waiver — 10%+ Disability Rating

Service members and veterans with a VA service-connected disability rating of 10% or higher are EXEMPT from the VA Loan Funding Fee — typically a 1.4–3.6% charge on the loan amount. On a $400,000 home, that's a $5,600 to $14,400 instant savings rolled OUT of the loan.

Suspend Car Insurance During Deployment — Storage Coverage Only

Most major car insurers (USAA, Geico, Progressive, State Farm) allow active-duty service members deploying for 60+ days to reduce coverage to "storage only" — typically comprehensive + minimal liability — while the vehicle sits parked. Premium drops 60–90%. Coverage stays in forc

Best Auto Insurance Carriers for Guard / Reserve Members

Guard / Reserve members have a hybrid civilian-military profile that most carriers underwrite poorly. USAA, Geico Military, Armed Forces Insurance (AFI), and MetLife Defense Services offer Reserve-aware rates that account for periodic activation, drill commutes, and reduced civil

SGLI — Servicemembers' Group Life Insurance ($500K Max)

All active-duty service members are automatically enrolled in SGLI at $500,000 coverage for ~$31/month (premium auto-deducted from base pay). Best-in-class term life rate available anywhere — comparable civilian term policies at $500K for a healthy 30-year-old run $25-$40/mo, BUT

TSGLI — Traumatic SGLI Schedule of Losses ($25K–$100K Payouts)

Traumatic SGLI is automatic coverage layered on top of SGLI for service members who suffer specific traumatic injuries — burns covering 20%+ of body, blindness, amputation, hospitalization 15+ consecutive days, paralysis. Payouts $25,000–$100,000 depending on the injury schedule,

State of Legal Residence (SLR) — Pick a No-Income-Tax State

Service members can maintain a single State of Legal Residence (SLR) regardless of where they're physically stationed. Pick a no-income-tax state (TX, FL, NV, WA, TN, NH, AK, SD, WY) and keep it for your entire career — your military pay is taxed only by your SLR, not by the stat

MSRRA — Military Spouses Residency Relief Act

Military spouses can claim the service member's State of Legal Residence as their own for state-tax purposes, even if they're physically living in another state due to PCS orders. Effectively extends the SLR no-income-tax play to the spouse's W-2 income.

CZTE — Combat Zone Tax Exclusion

Pay earned by enlisted, warrant officers, and (capped) commissioned officers in a designated combat zone is FEDERAL-INCOME-TAX-FREE. Includes base pay, hardship duty pay, hostile fire/imminent danger pay, and reenlistment bonuses signed while in-theater.

Military Vehicle Sales Tax — Pay HOR Rate, Not Duty-Station Rate

When buying a vehicle in your duty-station state, you can pay the lower sales-tax rate of your State of Legal Residence and register the vehicle there. SCRA + state-specific dealer paperwork covers this — most dealers have a "military out-of-state title" form ready.

IRS Section 121 — Military Capital Gains Exclusion Extension

The standard IRS Section 121 home-sale capital-gains exclusion ($250K single / $500K married) requires you to have lived in the home as your primary residence for 2 of the last 5 years. Service members on qualifying official extended duty can SUSPEND the 5-year clock for up to 10

USFSPA + SCRA — Spouse Lease Break Mechanics

Under SCRA, a service member can break a lease at any time during active-duty service for a PCS, deployment, or initial entry. The Uniformed Services Former Spouses Protection Act (USFSPA) and parallel SCRA provisions govern what happens to the spouse's lease rights during divorc

AFAS — Air Force Aid Society Emergency Grants

Air Force Aid Society provides emergency interest-free loans and outright grants to Air Force / Space Force active-duty, Guard/Reserve on Title-10, retirees, and their dependents for emergency needs: emergency travel, vehicle repair, basic living expenses during pay-disruption, a

USO — Free Airport Lounge Access for All Military

USO operates 200+ free lounges at major airports + military installations + downrange. Free WiFi, snacks, drinks, sleeping rooms, TV, family rooms, and (at hub airports) showers + private workstations. Open to active-duty, guard, reserve, retiree, dependent. Many service members

ASYMCA Military Spouse Writing Program — Free Creative Writing Cohort

The Armed Services YMCA runs an annual Military Spouse Writing Program — free, structured cohort of 6-12 months for military spouses to develop creative writing skills (essays, fiction, memoir, journalism). Cohort includes monthly virtual workshops, peer review, and publishing pa

Blue Star Families — Bilingual Talent Summer Program

Blue Star Families' Bilingual Talent Summer (formerly Verano Bilingüe) is a 5-year-old free program for bilingual military spouses focused on career networking, professional development, and employer connections specifically for Spanish-English bilingual talent. Annual cohort — r

DAV — Free Transportation to VA Medical Appointments

Disabled American Veterans operates a national fleet of free transportation vans to ferry veterans (any rating, even unrated) to VA medical appointments. Volunteer drivers — many of them vets themselves — handle pickup at home or pre-designated meeting points and return after the

Hire Heroes USA Volunteer Corps — Coach Other Vets, Build Your Own Network

After Hire Heroes USA helps a vet / spouse land a role, many return as volunteer coaches helping the next cohort transition. Volunteer Corps gives back time to the program AND builds a career-long professional network of vets across employers + industries — the strongest hidden b

Blue Star Families — Free Local Chapter Community Programs

Blue Star Families (BSF) operates ~40 local chapters across major military communities providing free in-person social events, professional-development workshops, mental-health connection groups, kids programs, and community service projects. New chapter launched 2026 in Hampton