{"id":56496,"date":"2020-10-23T06:11:44","date_gmt":"2020-10-23T06:11:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.marriage.com\/advice\/?p=56496"},"modified":"2023-02-04T06:51:48","modified_gmt":"2023-02-04T06:51:48","slug":"military-spouse-benefits","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.marriage.com\/advice\/relationship\/military-spouse-benefits\/","title":{"rendered":"6 Awesome Military Spouse Benefits"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-56499\" src=\"https:\/\/image.marriage.com\/advice\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/awesome-military-spouse-benefits.jpg\" alt=\"Army Wife Hugging And Smiling Family Home Back Happiness Concept\" width=\"804\" height=\"350\"><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Being married to a spouse who works in the military is by no means easy. On the contrary,<\/span><b> this lifestyle comes with many challenges that one has to learn to overcome.<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Luckily, to try and compensate for some of these hardships, the government has made it so that military spouses can receive many benefits, from education to insurance, and up to employment.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In this article, you will have a look at 6 awesome military spouse benefits<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Making sure that you can access the benefits<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Before jumping into the six <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">military marriage benefits<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, it is important to mention the requirements for the military part.<\/span><\/p>\n<ul><li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> The <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">military benefits for spouses<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> don&rsquo;t depend solely on you being the spouse of an active service member. It&rsquo;s not enough to just be married\/engaged to them.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> To take advantage of the <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">military spouse benefits, <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">first of all, you will have to register yourself with the DEERS &ndash; Defense Enrollment Eligibility Reporting System &ndash; the personnel system of the military. Registration can be done by most of the service member&rsquo;s family.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Once you do so, you will receive an ID card specific to the military &ndash; your <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">army spouse benefits<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> will be awarded to you based on it.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> It is also worth mentioning that, in special circumstances, other family members can be provided with such an ID card as well.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul><p>Also watch:<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/4dsMZDnXOns\" width=\"560\" height=\"315\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Now, as promised, let&rsquo;s move on to the <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">military spouse benefits<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> themselves!<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"1-Education-made-free\"><\/span>1. Education made free<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-56501\" src=\"https:\/\/image.marriage.com\/advice\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/education-made-free.jpg\" alt=\"Mother And Daughter In Single Frame Mom Saying Goodbye To Her Daughter In Front Of School Gate\" width=\"804\" height=\"350\"><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you are looking to advance in your career and you want to get yourself a license, a certification, or an Associate&rsquo;s degree, then this <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">military spouse benefit<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> is perfect for you.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Military spouses can receive up to 4,000$ from the <\/b><a href=\"https:\/\/mycaa.militaryonesource.mil\/mycaa\/\" rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\"><b>MyCAA Scholarship<\/b><\/a><b> to pursue their education. <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Make sure to check if you can start and complete your studies in the given time frame (the military is on Title 10 of his or her military order).<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"2-The-transfer-of-the-GI-bill-benefits\"><\/span>2. The transfer of the GI bill benefits<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If your spouse has reached the needed time in his or her service, the <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.military.com\/paycheck-chronicles\/2017\/11\/14\/spouses-use-transferred-gi-bill-benefits\" rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">GI Bill benefits <\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">obtained, can be transferred partially or totally to the spouse or the children.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Children can use these benefits until they reach the age of 26.<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Additionally, they might qualify for extra benefits such as a housing allowance.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"3-Insurance\"><\/span>3. Insurance<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Military spouses get to enjoy many insurance benefits. They can obtain <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.marriage.com\/advice\/finance\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">life insurance<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> starting at 10,000$ and going as far as 100,000$ in coverage.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">To this, they also enjoy <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.marriage.com\/advice\/finance\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">healthcare benefits<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> that cover for their surgeries, scans, medicine that is received on base, and even births.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Military spouse benefit<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> for <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">car insurance<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> is also included. These discounts on car insurance start at 10% and can go as high as 60% when you qualify for all criteria.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"4-Housing\"><\/span>4. Housing<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Because being able to be together with the spouse working in the military is important for their well-being, free housing is available for the spouse on base.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If living on base is not wanted, then <\/span><b>spouses can also benefit from a monthly <\/b><a href=\"https:\/\/veteran.com\/bah-rates-state\/\" rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\"><b>Basic Allowance for Housing<\/b><\/a><b> (BAH) that can help pay for a house outside of the town.<\/b><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"5-The-loan-express\"><\/span>5. The loan express<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Patriot Express is a loan program specially designed for veterans and their spouses who want to start or expand an already existing small business.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The loan is characterized by low-interest rates, varying between 2.25%-4.75% and a maximum loan amount that can reach 500,000$.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"6-Counseling-and-support\"><\/span>6. Counseling and support<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Being a military spouse can be difficult. Because of that, the MFLC (Military and Family Life Counseling Program) has made it their priority to offer military and military spouses on and off base counseling, without having any of it go on your record.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>The local Fleet &amp; Family Service Center can also help you find out more about available jobs or recreational activities for you and your family.<\/b><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"The-downsides-of-being-a-military-spouse\"><\/span>The downsides of being a military spouse<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-56502\" src=\"https:\/\/image.marriage.com\/advice\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/the-downsides-of-being-a-military-spouse.jpg\" alt=\"Military Man And Her Wife Looking Away Back Side Camera View\" width=\"804\" height=\"350\"><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Naturally, <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">military spouse benefits<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> are not the only part of the military life &ndash; but you probably already knew that.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">While the &lsquo;<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">military spouse benefit&rsquo;<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> part is really helpful for any type of family &ndash; and contains many more benefits than we mentioned &ndash; there are a couple of other things that will really test your patience as a military spouse.<\/span><\/p>\n<ul><li><b> Your spouse is honor-bound <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">&ndash; as you know, you will most likely <a href=\"https:\/\/www.marriage.com\/advice\/relationship\/how-to-find-time-for-yourself-after-marriage\/\">spend quite <\/a><\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.marriage.com\/advice\/relationship\/how-to-find-time-for-yourself-after-marriage\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">some time apart from your spouse<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. This is because the military requires them to dedicate themselves to their duty, no matter what. As such, you may have to deal with deployment, work shifts during unconventional hours, service on temporary stations, including training programs, and so on.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><b> You may miss some holidays together <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">&ndash; the family is extremely important to a service member mainly because he\/she won&rsquo;t be able to always be home for Christmas, for example, a case in which they&rsquo;ll rely on parents, and so on, to spend time with their spouse.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><b> You may have a hard time understanding his\/Her feelings <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">&ndash; if you&rsquo;re not connected to the military in any way, then you will surely feel like something&rsquo;s wrong when your spouse is stressed, anxious, and so on &ndash; when, in fact, it&rsquo;s because of their job. As mentioned above, family is extremely important to them &ndash; as such, the best thing you can do is to keep both their feelings and type of work in mind when thinking about them.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul><p><b>The bottom line<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">On top of all of the above, it is also worth mentioning that you will have to adhere to some military-specific protocols and traditions as well.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As silly as some of them may sound for you, it is essential to get accustomed to them, for the well-being of your spouse!<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">For example, if you visit them on base and watch a movie, the national anthem will play before the previews.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Then, any errands that you have to run at the commissary will be accompanied by a thorough check of your vehicle.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Also, <\/span><b>be aware that some of the things you may learn while together with your spouse must stay away from social media!<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Finally, being a military spouse is surely not easy, but these <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">military spouse benefit<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">s are meant to help make your life a bit more facile and secure.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false,"raw":""},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Being married to a spouse who works in the military is by no means easy. On the contrary, this lifestyle comes with many challenges that one has to learn to overcome. Luckily, to try and compensate for some of these hardships, the government has made it so that military spouses can receive many benefits, from education to insurance, and up to employment. In this article, you will have a look at 6 awesome military spouse benefits Making sure that you can access the benefits Before jumping into the six military marriage benefits, it is important to mention the requirements for <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":750,"featured_media":56499,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[2502],"tags":[2607],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.marriage.com\/advice\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/56496"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.marriage.com\/advice\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.marriage.com\/advice\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.marriage.com\/advice\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/750"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.marriage.com\/advice\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=56496"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/www.marriage.com\/advice\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/56496\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":56962,"href":"https:\/\/www.marriage.com\/advice\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/56496\/revisions\/56962"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.marriage.com\/advice\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/56499"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.marriage.com\/advice\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=56496"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.marriage.com\/advice\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=56496"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.marriage.com\/advice\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=56496"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}