2021-2022 United States Army Retirement Planning Guide
2021–2022UNITED STATES ARMYRETIREMENTPLANNING GUIDE
2021–2022UNITED STATES ARMYRETIREMENT PLANNING GUIDEAUTHORED BYArmy Retirement ServicesDeputy Chief of Staff, G-1Arlington, VA 22202-3531DISTRIBUTED BYAssociation of the United States ArmyFOR VIRTUAL COPIES CONTACT1SG Stephen CanonicoUnited States Army, RetiredAssistant Director, Retired Soldiers,Veterans, and DA Civilians AffairsAssociation of the United States ArmyPhone: 703-907-2408Email: scanonico@ausa.org
FOREWORDThe Association of the United States Army, as the professional voicefor America’s Soldiers of yesterday, today and tomorrow, wants tohelp you and your Family through the stressful and hectic periodof preparing for retirement. You owe it to yourself to be as wellprepared as possible to enjoy the retirement you have earned.Read this retirement planning guide cover-to-cover and keep ithandy as a ready reference.Online, add the Army Retirement Services site (https://soldierforlife.army.mil/retirement) and your local Retirement Services Officer’s(RSO) site (https://soldierforlife.army.mil/retirement/rso) to your“favorites” list. And, of course, work with your RSO—your experton all topics associated with military retirement. Keep in mind thatyou will have the support of an RSO throughout your retirementyears, no matter where you live.AUSA will continue to do our part in helping you plan for the “restof your life” by continuously updating and improving our supportto the Army and those who serve. It is one of the ways we help everySoldier and spouse understand important topics such as the valueof the Survivor Benefit Plan (SBP); the benefits offered by theDepartment of Veterans Affairs (VA); and the medical care that isavailable from TRICARE, the military world-class health caresystem.I would like to acknowledge Army Retirement Services for providingan insightful and informative guide for retiring Soldiers of allcomponents. We offer this guide to those who have devoted theirprofessional lives to ensuring our nation’s security. Thank you foryour service.“Once a Soldier, Always a Soldier a Soldier for Life!”Robert Brooks BrownGeneral, U.S. Army, RetiredPresident & CEOiii
TABLE OF CONTENTSForeword. iiChapter 1—Introduction1-1 Soldier for Life Mindset. 11-2 The Retired Soldier Mission. 11-3 Retirement is a Process. 2Chapter 2—How to Plan Your Retirement2-1 General. 32-2 Retirement Planning for Families. 62-3 When You Can Retire. 62-4 Retirement Planning Resources. 72-5 Change of Mission. 72-6 Transition Assistance Program. 82-7 Retirement Physical.102-8 Household Goods Transportation. 102-9 Retirement Recognition. 112-10 Terminal Leave & Transition Administrative Absence. 112-11 ETS Sponsorship Program. 12Chapter 3—Retired Pay and Benefits3-1 Retired Pay Plans. 133-2 Disability Retirement. 163-3 Combat-Related Special Compensation (CRSC).173-4 Concurrent Retirement and Disability Pay (CRDP).173-5 Taxes.183-6 Other Retired Pay Information.193-7 Thrift Savings Plan (TSP).193-8 Defense Enrollment Eligibility Reporting System (DEERS). 203-9 Military Identification and Privilege Cards. 203-10 MyArmyBenefits (MAB).213-11 Army Emergency Relief.21Chapter 4—Medical Care4-1 TRICARE Programs–Medical Care after Retirement. 234-2 TRICARE Select. 244-3 TRICARE Prime.254-4 TRICARE Plus.25iv
4-54-64-74-84-94-104-11Uniformed Services Family Health Plan (USFHP). 26TRICARE Retired Reserve (TRR). 26TRICARE Young Adult (TYA). 27TRICARE For Life (TFL). 27Temporary Disability Retired List (TDRL) orPermanent Disability Retired List (PDRL) Beneficiaries. 27TRICARE Pharmacy Benefits. 27Federal Employees Dental and Vision Insurance Program (FEDVIP). 27Chapter 5—Department of Veterans Affairs Benefits5-1 General. 295-2 VA Disability Compensation. 295-3 Benefits Delivery at Discharge and Fully Developed Claim Programs. 305-4 VA Home Loans. 305-5 GI Bill. 315-6 Converting SGLI to VGLI.315-7 VA Medical Care.315-8 VA Dental Care. 32Chapter 6—Survivor Benefit Plan6-1 General. 336-2 Survivor Benefit Plan (SBP). 336-3 Basic SBP Questions Answered. 346-4 SBP’s Perceived Negatives. 396-5 The Reserve Component Survivor Benefit Plan (RCSBP). 406-6 RCSBP Eligibility. 406-7 RCSBP Election Options. 406-8 RCSBP Election Categories.416-9 RCSBP Election Costs.41Chapter 7—Uniformed Services Former Spouses’ Protection Act7-1 General. 427-2 Background. 427-3 Division of Retired Pay. 427-4 Survivor Benefit Plan (SBP). 447-5 Military Identification and Privilege Cards. 45v
Chapter 8—Reserve Component Retirement System8-1 General. 468-2 Non-Regular Retired Pay Process. 468-3 Reduced Age Retirement.478-4 Retirement Points Accounting System (RPAS). 488-5 Qualifying Year. 488-6 Maximum Point Rule. 498-7 Computation of Non-Regular Retired Pay. 498-8 Cost-of-Living Adjustments to Retired Pay. 508-9 Notification of Eligibility (NOE) for Retired Pay (15 or 20-Year Letter). 508-10 Reserve Component Survivor Benefit Plan (RCSBP). 508-11 Your Responsibility.51Chapter 9—Communications, Systems & Installation Access9-1 Army Echoes.529-2 Personal/Family Information.539-3 Military Records.539-4 Department of Defense Self-Service Logon (DS LOGON).539-5 Mobilization/Retired Soldier Recall. 54vi
1CHAPTER 1INTRODUCTION—Getting your mind prepared1-1 SOLDIER FOR LIFE MINDSETWhat does it mean to be a “Soldier for Life?” A Soldier for Life issomeone who embraces a lifetime of service. Someone who tracestheir success as a civilian to the skills they developed in the Army.Someone who continues to identify with the Army after hangingup the uniform. Someone who becomes a passionate advocate forservice to the nation. Soldiers for Life continue to live the ArmyEthic and continue to serve the Army and their communities. ASoldier for Life bridges the gap between the Army and Americancivilians who don’t know what it means to be a Soldier or the valueof a veteran.Our Army has always been about people. Success has neverbeen defined by the newest rifle, helicopter, or tank. Historyhas demonstrated that the quality and lethality of our Soldiershas always made the difference in fighting and winning ournation’s wars.The readiness of our Army depends on meeting our recruiting goalsand attracting the best and the brightest Americans. Only 29% ofAmericans even qualify to join the Army. Retired Soldiers helpimplement the Army vision. They are the Army’s ambassadors intowns across the nation. Retired Soldiers dispel myths about Armyservice. They inspire young Americans to join the Army’s ranks.1-2 THE RETIRED SOLDIER MISSIONThe mission statement for Retired Soldiers is to “HIRE &INSPIRE.” This means: To help HIRE veterans. Every dollar the Army spends onunemployment compensation for a new veteran is a dollar theArmy can’t spend on Soldiers’ salaries or for their training orequipment. The same operational funds pay for both. The Armywants Retired Soldiers to look out for new veterans. This includeshelping them resettle and find employment.1
CHAPTER 1 Introduction To INSPIRE Americans. 50% of Americans say theyknow nothing about the military. This is sometimescalled the civil-military divide. Misunderstandingswiden the gap. Retired Soldiers should dispelmisunderstandings about the military and tell theirArmy stories. Continuing to live the Army Ethic andtelling your Army stories will inspire Americans tosupport their military. To INSPIRE America’s youth to join the military.Only 29% of young Americans are qualified to jointhe military. That percentage is expected to decline to19% by 2030. 79% of Soldiers have a family memberwho served. To broaden our recruitment base, ourrecruiters need your help. Sign up for the PartnershipOutreach Program at https://armystrong.goarmy.com/a/cp.html. Talk about your service with teachers,coaches, and others who influence young people.1-3 RETIREMENT IS A PROCESSRetiring is more than just a formal ceremony at the endof your career. It’s everything you do in your last threeyears of service to prepare your family and yourself forthe next phase of your life. It’s more than a checklist oftasks. It’s a mental transformation from training anddeploying in order to fight and win our nation’s wars.You didn’t get to this point in your career withoutbeing a good planner and paying attention to details.You will need both of these skills to retire successfullybut make no mistake that life after you retire will bedifferent. To be sure, the grass on the other side of theretirement fence is green. You’ll find new and excitingchallenges. Embrace this new adventure in your life,and remember the following:A positive attitude is everything.Look back on your achievements and celebrate them!Only about 30% of officers and 10% of enlistedSoldiers retire from the Army. You will continue tosucceed after your retirement. There are now onemillion Retired Soldiers. You’re joining the Army’slargest demographic—it’s “fourth component.” As aSoldier for Life, your mission will change, but your2duty to the country will not. You’ll still be a Soldier,and the Army still needs you. The decisions you makeduring your transition will significantly affect yourretirement, but more than 30,000 walk this pathsuccessfully every year. Talk to your friends whopreceded you into retirement, and seek their advice.View your transition as an opportunity.Prepare early.Planning and executing your retirement on top of yourday job will be a challenge. It will be easier if you startgathering resources and developing your plan 36months before you want to retire. Attend both themandatory Transition Assistance Program ANDRetirement Planning Seminar at the 24-month markso you’ll know what you’re up against. Like combat,you should gather all available intelligence and performreconnaissance of your objective. Then make your plan.Skip these or make a hasty plan, and your chances ofsuccess diminish.Understand the impact of your retirementon others.If you have a family, remember that they aretransitioning too! Take your spouse to the retirementplanning seminar. Share information and decisions. Inmany families, the Soldier’s spouse manages the familyhealth care, budget, and other critical areas that willchange when you retire. Your retirement will alsoimpact your children. Involve them in the celebrationof your career accomplishments. They played their partand managed through your absences. Their lives willchange too.
2CHAPTER 2HOW TO PLAN YOUR RETIREMENT2-1 GENERALBelow is a timetable we recommend as your starting point forretiring from active duty. Traditional Reserve Component Soldiersare required to attend their component’s Retirement PlanningSeminar (usually a full Saturday) between 18 and 20 years ofservice. The Retirement Services Officer (RSO) or your militarypersonnel officer can provide a more detailed checklist thataddresses local requirements.36-24 Months Before RetirementAt this point, you may not be committed to retiring, or even havea retirement date in mind, but you should begin planning now.Take the advice of those who walked this path before you. It takesmore time than you know. Some things you’ll want to do now are: G ather and read resources such as this retirement planning guideand other pertinent Army regulations and installationprocedures that you must follow to retire. Determine the service providers who will assist you withretirement planning and processing such as the RetirementServices Office and the Transition Office. Estimate your monthly living expenses and build 3-6 months ofsavings to pay transition expenses and support your family if youhave an employment gap. Build a timeline to retirement by outlining the major decisionsyou need to make and exactly when you must make them to stayon course for your retirement date. For example, W here will you live? Do you need to move your household goods? W hat will you do after you retire? If that includes working,what do you want to do? What are you qualified to do?Do you need to develop new skills or document yourexisting skills through a certification, credentialing, orlicensing program? Are you interested in the Career SkillsProgram or an apprenticeship? Do you know what those areand how they will help you?3
CHAPTER 2 How to Plan Your Retirement Will your spouse work? Where are the jobprospects best for your spouse? Will you or your family members have specialmedical needs that will influence were youreside? Do you need or want to reside close toa military treatment facility or VA medicalfacility? Medical and dental care options forRetired Soldiers are very different than thoseprovided for Soldiers. Investigate this carefullyand early. Will you, your spouse, or your children attendcollege and will in-state tuition be a factor inthat decision? Did you transfer education benefits tofamily members? That incurs a 4-yearservice obligation.24-18 Months Before RetirementIf you are just starting to plan for your retirement, orhave not yet accomplished all of the items listed above,start with that list. Between 24 and 18 months fromretirement, some things you’ll want to do include: Schedule yourself (and your spouse if applicable)to attend the local retirement planning seminar. Schedule yourself (and your spouse if applicable)to attend the local Transition Assistance Program(TAP) and coordinate your attendance withyour unit. What are your remaining service obligations andwhen will they be completed? Are you scheduled to PCS in the next two years?You normally have to stay on station for one yearafter you PCS before you can retire. How much terminal leave do you want to take?Do you need to start building to that amount? Use the MyArmyBenefits calculators to estimateyour retired pay and Survivor Benefit Plan annuityand costs. Investigate converting your SGLI to VGLI orcivilian life insurance. Consider buying commercial life insurance beforeyou apply for VA disability compensation4IMPORTANT ARMY POLICY TO KNOW! If retiring from active duty, you MUST attendboth the TAP and the Army RetirementPlanning Seminar. If you are retiring from traditional ReserveComponent duty, you MUST attend the ArmyRetirement Planning Seminar18-12 Months Before RetirementIf you are just starting to plan for your retirement, orhave not yet accomplished all of the items listed above,start with that list. Between 18 and 12 months fromretirement, your action dates will become moredefinite. Some things you’ll want to do include: Decide on your retirement date. Prepare your request for retirement to submit itwhen you have 12 months left. Seek medical and dental care for any unresolvedconditions. Incorporate any documentation of medical carereceived during a deployment or from civilianproviders into your military medical records. Begin researching health care options. Start employment networking; investigate LinkedIn.Attend a job fair to see how it works—before you areready to start interviewing. Begin accumulating a wardrobe for post-retirementemployment if needed. Apply to colleges if you or family members willattend right after retirement. Use the Survivor Benefit Plan calculator onMyArmyBenefits to determine your annuity andpremium. Discuss this with your spouse, who mustconcur if you take less than the maximum.Consider life insurance in addition to SBP.12-6 Months Before RetirementIf you are just starting to plan for your retirement, orhave not yet accomplished all of the items listed above,start with those lists, but work on this listsimultaneously. Between 6 and 12 months fromretirement, you will be finalizing your plans andbeginning your search for a civilian job.
CHAPTER 2 How to Plan Your Retirement At the 12-month mark, submit your retirementrequest and leave plan. At the 12-month mark, complete the pre-separationtransition checklist (DD Form 2648) with thetransition office. Between 6 and 9 months, schedule your retirementphysical as close to the 6-month mark as possible,so you can use it in a claim for VA disabilitycompensation while you’re still on active duty. Submit your final request for transitionadministrative absence and terminal leave 60-90days before you plan to take it. That could be as farout as 6 or 7 months before retirement depending onhow much you take and when. Finish buying your job interviewing wardrobe. Start your active job search.6-1 Month BeforeIf you are just starting to plan for your retirement, orhave not yet accomplished all of the items listed above,start with those lists, but you have much to do andlittle time to do it. You must work on all listssimultaneously. Your focus should be almost all onyour retirement now.If you have been planning for some time now, thisis the execution phase. You’ll continue to work, butactions or decisions you postpone now may adverselyimpact your retirement or your benefits. If you aretaking a lot of terminal leave or transitionadministrative absence, remember to backwards planand do the following things earlier. Focus on job searching. Attend your retirement physical. If appropriate, submit VA Form 21-526, Applicationfor Compensation from Department of VeteransAffairs if you want to be considered for disabilitycompensation. Use the Benefits Delivery atDischarge (BDD) Program. Conduct house hunting if you’re moving. Update your wills and powers of attorney withthe Staff Judge Advocate. Contact the transportation office to scheduledelivery of your household goods. Prepare for and hand over job responsibilities. If you are under the Blended Retirement System(BRS) and want a lump sum of your retired pay atthe time of your retirement, submit your DD Form2656, Data for Payment of Retired Personnel (andSurvivor Benefit Plan (SBP) election) no less than90 days before retirement. If you’re not retiringunder BRS, submit the form at least 60 days out.A DD Form 2656-1 is needed if a former spouseSBP election is being made. Schedule your retirement ceremony or coordinate toparticipate in the local or installation groupceremony. Change your email address in any account thatcontains your DoD email address, especially yourmyPay account at DFAS.Retirement MonthIt’s crunch time. The days will fly. If you are taking alot of terminal leave or a transition administrativeabsence, remember to backwards plan and do thefollowing things earlier. Outprocess/pick up DD Form 214. Ship household goods. Attend retirement ceremony. If not done yet, make Survivor Benefit Plan election(by law, this must be done before you retire). If not done yet, update your wills and powerof attorney. Pick up your and your family’s medical/dentalrecords. If active duty, enroll in FEDVIP dental/visioncare insurance plans.0-6 Months AfterYou’ve made it, but you’re not quite done yet. There aresome critical tasks below. Turn in your CAC and obtain your retired ID cardand new dependent ID cards as soon as possible.This is critical because your benefits have changed. Within 120 days, sign up for the TRICARE planyou chose and initiate the allotment to pay thepremiums. This is not done automatically.5
CHAPTER 2 How to Plan Your Retirement Within 120 days, convert your SGLI to VGLI(VA sends application) if desired. Complete DD Form 2860, Application forCombat-Related Special Compensation (CRSC),if applicable, but only after the VA has givenyou a disability rating. Join a veteran or military service organizationlike the Association of the United States Army(https://www.ausa.org/) or the closest installationretiree council to continue to serve. Start working for the Department of Defense(No earlier than 180 days after your retirement datewithout a waiver if the position is GS-14 or above.)2-2 R ETIREMENT PLANNINGFOR FAMILIESIn most military households, the Soldier’s spousemanages critical functions that will change when theSoldier retires, including the family budget, healthcare, children’s schooling and daycare, and homemanagement. If your spouse is employed, yourretirement and possible family move may significantlyimpact your family’s monthly income.Talk to your spouse about your retirement early andoften. Take your spouse to all retirement planningseminars and the Transition Assistance Programclasses. He or she will hear things that you might missbecause you have a different perspective on retirement,household management, and future employment thanyour spouse.If you have children, talk to them about yourretirement as well. Unless you don’t move, they’ll haveto make new friends and attend a new school, but partof their identity is being the child of a Soldier. Theywill have questions and may have concerns about whatyour career change means to their futures.There are resources specifically designed to supportmilitary spouses’ retirement planning includingMilSpouse Money Mission (https://www.milspousemoneymission.org/) and /mystep).62-3 WHEN YOU CAN RETIRERegular retirements. You can retire when yourActive, Active Duty for Training (ADT), ActiveDuty Operational Support (ADOS), Temporary Tourof Active Duty (TTAD), Full-Time National GuardDuty (FTNGD), and Active Guard/Reserve (AGR)service totals 20 years or more (Title 10 U.S. Code,§3926 [Officer], §1293 [Warrant Officer] and§3925 [Enlisted]). Officers may also use service as acontract surgeon or acting dental surgeon to qualifyfor retirement. If you are an officer, you may submityour request to retire no earlier than 12 months beforethe retirement date and no later than nine monthsbefore the requested retirement date or beginningdate of terminal leave, whichever is the earliest.If you are an enlisted Soldier, you must submit yourretirement application at least nine months before theretirement date.Non-regular retirements. Qualified U.S. ArmyReserve (USAR) and Army National Guard (ARNG)Soldiers with 20 or more years of creditable service,should submit their retired pay applications to theU.S. Army Human Resources Command no earlierthan nine months but not less than 90 days prior totheir age of eligibility, usually age 60, unless entitledto a reduced age retirement. Under the NationalDefense Authorization Act of 2008 (Sec 647, PublicLaw 110-181), Reserve Component Soldiers orderedto active duty under eligible authorities listed in (Title10 U.S. Code, §12731 paragraph (f) may qualify forreduced age retirement prior to age 60, however notless than 50.Service obligations. Before you apply for retirement,ensure you will complete all of your service obligationsbefore your requested date. These obligations couldarise from a promotion, a recent permanent changeof station, completion of military or civilian schooling,transferring education benefits to a family member, etc.In Lieu of PCS. If you want to retire in lieu ofexecuting a permanent change of station move, youonly have 30 days from the date of alert to requestretirement, and you must retire within six months ofthe alert.
CHAPTER 2 How to Plan Your Retirement2-4 R ETIREMENT PLANNINGRESOURCESThe Army has invested in many resources that willhelp you plan your military retirement. Below are themajor resources you should use to develop yourpersonal retirement plan.Retirement Services Officers (RSOs). RSOs areretirement specialists. They have been trained andcertified in the laws, policies, and procedures thatgovern military retirements, which are both many andconfusing. As early as 36 months before you pl
The readiness of our Army depends on meeting our recruiting goals and attracting the best and the brightest Americans. Only 29% of . Americans even qualify to join the Army. Retired Soldiers help . implement the Army vision. They are the Army's ambassadors in towns across the nation. Retired Soldiers dispel myths about Army service.
eric c. newman air force 2001-2009 george f. giehrl navy 1941-1945 f conrad f. wahl army 1952-1954 sidney albrecht . william c. westley jr. army 1954-1956 roland l. winters navy 1945-1946 michael a. skowronski army . joseph a. rajnisz army 1966-1971 james l. gsell army army army army army navy army navy air force army army
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Army Materiel Command (AMC) http://www.amc.army.mil/ AMCOM -Redstone Arsenal http://www.redstone.army.mil/ Association of the US Army (AUSA) http://www.ausa.org/ Army Center for Military History http://www.army.mil/cmh-pg/ Army Training Support Ctr http://www.atsc.army.mil/ CECOM http://www.monmouth.army.mil
applies to the Active Army, the Army National Guard/United States Army Reserve, and the Marine Corps/Marine Corps Reserve of the United States unless otherwise stated. The proponent of ATP 3-06/ MCTP 12-10B. is the United States Army Combined Arms Center. The preparing agency is the Combined Arms Doctrine Directorate, United States Army .
Readers should refer to Army Doctrine Reference Publication (ADRP) 6-22, Army Leadership, for detailed explanations of the Army leadership principles. The proponent of ADP 6-22 is the United States Army Combined Arms Center. The preparing agency is the Center for Army Leadership, U.S. Army
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4. Applicability. The ABMP Handbook version 2 is applicable to all Army installations and training sites including those of United States Army Reserve and United States Army National Guard. 5. The point of contact for this memorandum is Ms. Earlene Lavender, 703-695-6937, or earlene.y.lavender.civ@mail.mil. u ef1?,--Sergeant Major, U.S. Army
National Bank of the Republic of North Macedonia Statistics Department Skopje, 31 January 2023 Press Release Significant developments in interest rates of banks and savings houses1: . 12.2021 1.2022 2.2022 3.2022 4.2022 5.2022 6.2022 7.2022 8.2022 9.2022 10.2022 11.2022 12.2022 in % on annual level
