by Sheryl Garrett and Sue Hoppin

Foreword By Tanya BiankAuthor of Army Wives

A Family's Guide to the Military

FOR

DUMmIES‰

A Family's Guide to the Military

FOR

DUMmIES‰

by Sheryl Garrett and Sue Hoppin

Foreword By Tanya BiankAuthor of Army Wives

A Family's Guide to the Military

FOR

DUMmIES‰

A Family’s Guide to the Military For Dummies®

Published byWiley Publishing, Inc.111 River St.Hoboken, NJ 07030-5774www.wiley.com

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About the AuthorsSheryl Garrett, CFP and founder of The Garrett Planning Network, Inc., has

been dubbed “The All-American Planner,” possibly because of her zealous

mission to “help make competent, objective fi nancial advice accessible to all

people.” Sheryl’s fresh approach as a fi nancial advisor working with clients

on an hourly, as-needed, fee-only basis has evolved into an international

network of fi nancial advisors, the Garrett Planning Network.

As a consumer advocate, Sheryl has been honored to work with the House

Subcommittee on Financial Services regarding predatory lending regulation,

fi nancial literacy and Social Security reform. She also works as an expert

witness in lawsuits against fi nancial advisors who rendered inappropriate

fi nancial advice.

She has authored or served as a technical editor on over a dozen books and a

couple of monthly magazine columns. These books include Garrett’s Guide to Financial Planning (National Underwriter), Just Give Me the Answer$ (Dearborn

Trade), Money Without Matrimony (Dearborn Trade), Personal Finance Workbook For Dummies (Wiley), Investing in an Uncertain Economy For Dummies (Wiley), as

well as this book, A Family’s Guide to the Military For Dummies (Wiley).

As vocal advocate for fi nancial education, Sheryl has been frequently

interviewed on CNNfn, Bloomberg, ABC World News Now, Fox-TV; NPR’s

All Things Considered and Marketplace; and in Business Week, Newsweek, Time, Forbes, Kiplinger Personal Finance, Money, Smart Money, MarketWatch, U.S. News & World Report, the New York Times, USA Today and the Wall Street Journal. For four straight years Sheryl was recognized by Investment

Advisor magazine as “One of the Top 25 Most Infl uential People in Financial

Planning” and was honored by the National Association of Personal Financial

Advisors (NAPFA) honored Garrett with the prestigious Robert J. Underwood Distinguished Service Award for her contributions to the development of the

fi nancial planning profession.

Sue Hoppin is passionate about quality of life issues for military families

because she lives and understands the challenges of the military lifestyle.

Elements of her story are shared by any number of other military spouses.

She met her husband when he was attending the United States Air Force

Academy and fi nished school while he attended undergraduate pilot training.

The couple married shortly thereafter and a son followed. Their transient life-

style, deployment schedules and other demands kept Sue at home with their

son while her husband deployed around the world.

Although she holds multiple degrees, it wasn’t until recently that Sue was

able to enter the work force. Before then, she served the military commu-

nity as a volunteer. Her responsibilities ranged from squadron fundraiser

and spouse club membership chair to the presidency of both the Kadena

Offi cers’ Spouses’ Club and of the Ramstein Elementary School PTA. She

currently serves as the 2008–2009 President of the Air Force Offi cers Wives

Club at Bolling AFB. Sue was recognized for her volunteer efforts with awards

as Volunteer of the Year at McConnell AFB (1999) and as the 76th Airlift

Squadron Spouse of the Year (2002).

She joined the Benefi ts Information Department staff of Military Offi cers

Association of America in 2005 and quickly established herself as an expert in

military spouse issues. In 2006, Sue was selected to be MOAA’s fi rst assistant

director for spouse outreach. In 2007, Military Spouse Magazine named Sue on

their 2007 Who’s Who of Military Spouses list recognizing 12 spouses who have

made signifi cant contributions in the military community for all military spouses.

A tireless advocate for improving the lives of military spouses and families,

Sue is the consummate connector — bringing together government, corpo-

rate, and nonprofi t organizations to meet spouses where they live and work.

She is the driving force behind the annual Spouse Symposium held in Norfolk,

VA that brings key legislative, spouse, community, and DoD leaders together

in an interactive forum to achieve real change for military spouses.

In addition to her work at MOAA, she writes a monthly column for Military

Spouse Magazine and serves as a member of the Board of Advisors for the

Military Spouse and Family Legacy Association.

Sue holds a bachelor’s degree in international studies from the University of

Denver and a master’s degree in international relations from the University of

Oklahoma.

DedicationThis book is dedicated to all of our military families. Your support and devotion

are essential to the mission, and we all know too well the sacrifi ces you make.

Our heartfelt thanks to you and your military member for your service to our

nation.

Authors’ AcknowledgmentsFrom Sheryl: Because of the love and devotion of my family, staff , and col-

leagues in the Garrett Planning Network, I have the freedom and support to

carry out the mission of my life’s work, which involves helping to make com-

petent, objective personal fi nancial advice accessible to all people. But I have

a special place in my heart for military families and veterans. I am honored

to have been given the opportunity to do a little for those who do so much in

service to our country.

This project would not have been possible without the amazing talent and devo-

tion of my co-author, Sue Hoppin. She taught me a lot more than she meant to,

I’m sure. I wouldn’t have got to know Sue without the most perfect introduction

from the energizer bunny himself, Phil Dyer, CFP, RLP. This book required the

talents of a lot of people. Sue and I needed one another and both of us relied on

Phil as our Technical Reviewer extraordinaire. We also had great support from

the folks at Wiley, specifi cally Mike Baker and Jennifer Connolly. Thanks for your

faith in us and for recognizing the need for this book.

From Sue: Without the love and support of my husband Kevin and my son

Garrett, writing this book would not have been possible. Balancing work and

writing the book, I missed out on endless regattas, other school events, and

any number of social activities with them. I can’t even count the number of

times they had to endure frozen dinners or take-out meals, so I thank them

from the bottom of my heart for being such good sports. They both really

picked up the slack and encouraged me when sometimes it just seemed like

too much. Between them and our amazing support system of friends and

family, no one could ask for better cheerleaders.

Thanks to Phil Dyer, my colleague, friend, and mentor who introduced me

to Sheryl Garrett and started us down the path of writing this book together.

Thanks to Sheryl for being such a pleasure to work with and for taking a

chance on me. You both had more faith in me than I sometimes had in myself.

Many thanks to Mike Baker, Jennifer Connolly and the other folks at Wiley

Publishing who made this experience such a tremendous one. Thank you for

allowing me the opportunity to create a product to benefi t military spouses

and families.

There were some sections of this book that were diffi cult to write and

wouldn’t have resonated as well without the guidance of other people. Thank

you Phil for your expertise and DeDe for providing your insights.

A fi nal thanks to my friends and fellow military spouses: Tanya Biank, Babette

Maxwell, Nicole Alcorn, Krista Wells, and Robin Prior whose words of encour-

agement remind me daily about all that is best about the military spouse

community. When we get it right, we really get it right — I cannot imagine a

greater group of friends or role models.

Publisher’s Acknowledgments

We’re proud of this book; please send us your comments through our Dummies online registration

form located at www.dummies.com/register/.

Some of the people who helped bring this book to market include the following:

Acquisitions, Editorial, and Media

Development

Project Editor: Jennifer Connolly

Acquisitions Editor: Mike Baker

Copy Editor: Jennifer Connolly

Technical Editor: Phil Dyer

Senior Editorial Manager: Jennifer Ehrlich

Editorial Supervisor: Carmen Krikorian

Editorial Assistants: Erin Calligan Mooney, Joe

Niesen, Jennette ElNagger, and

David Lutton

Cartoons: Rich Tennant

(www.the5thwave.com)

Cover Photo Credit: Kriss Russell©

Composition Services

Project Coordinator: Katie Key

Layout and Graphics: Reuben W. Davis,

Christin Swinford, Christine Williams

Proofreaders: Melissa Bronnenberg,

Amanda Steiner, Evelyn W. Still

Indexer: Potomac Indexing, LLC

Publishing and Editorial for Consumer Dummies

Diane Graves Steele, Vice President and Publisher, Consumer Dummies

Joyce Pepple, Acquisitions Director, Consumer Dummies

Kristin A. Cocks, Product Development Director, Consumer Dummies

Michael Spring, Vice President and Publisher, Travel

Kelly Regan, Editorial Director, Travel

Publishing for Technology Dummies

Andy Cummings, Vice President and Publisher, Dummies Technology/General User

Composition Services

Gerry Fahey, Vice President of Production Services

Debbie Stailey, Director of Composition Services

Contents at a GlanceForeword ....................................................................xxiIntroduction ................................................................ 1

Part I: Reporting for Duty ............................................ 7Chapter 1: Living Life As a Military Family ..................................................................... 9

Chapter 2: Figuring Out Customs and Courtesies ....................................................... 19

Chapter 3: Getting Around Military Bases .................................................................... 31

Chapter 4: Connecting with the Military Community ................................................ 49

Part II: Understanding Your Financial Issues and Benefits .............................................................. 59Chapter 5: Deciphering Military Compensation .......................................................... 61

Chapter 6: Taking Care of Yourself: Health and Dental Insurance ............................ 73

Chapter 7: Maximizing Military Benefi ts ....................................................................... 87

Chapter 8: Starting Out on the Right Financial Foot ................................................... 97

Chapter 9: Building onto Your Financial Foundation ................................................ 113

Chapter 10: Housing Options for the Military Family ............................................... 131

Chapter 11: Finding Employment and Educational Opportunities .......................... 149

Part III: Supporting the Military Family .................... 165Chapter 12: Raising a Family in the Military .............................................................. 167

Chapter 13: Maintaining Strong Military Couples .................................................... 179

Chapter 14: Tapping into Community Support ......................................................... 191

Chapter 15: Dealing with the Disability or Death of a Family Member ................... 205

Part IV: Mastering Deployments ............................... 217Chapter 16: Prepping for Deployments ....................................................................... 219

Chapter 17: Accessing Traditional Family Support ................................................... 239

Chapter 18: Helping Children Cope with the Absence of a Parent .......................... 247

Chapter 19: Keeping Connected with Your Loved One ............................................ 263

Part V: Transitioning Out of the Military ................... 271Chapter 20: Separating from Service ........................................................................... 273

Chapter 21: Retiring from Service ............................................................................... 283

Chapter 22: Exploring Subsequent Careers ................................................................ 293

Part VI: The Part of Tens .......................................... 305Chapter 23: Ten Best Benefi ts for Military Spouses .................................................. 307

Chapter 24: Ten Biggest Financial Military Benefi ts ................................................ 311

Chapter 25: Ten Worst Scams Against Servicemembers .......................................... 317

Appendix: Military Acronyms ................................... 321

Index ...................................................................... 341

Table of ContentsForeword .....................................................................xxiIntroduction ................................................................. 1

About This Book .............................................................................................. 1

Conventions Used in this Book ...................................................................... 2

Foolish Assumptions ....................................................................................... 2

How This Book is Organized .......................................................................... 3

Part I: Reporting for Duty ...................................................................... 3

Part II: Understanding Your Financial Issues and Benefi ts ............... 3

Part III: Supporting the Military Family ............................................... 4

Part IV: Mastering Deployments .......................................................... 4

Part V: Transitioning Out of the Military ............................................ 4

Part VI: The Part of Tens ....................................................................... 4

Icons Used in This Book ................................................................................. 4

Where to Go from Here .................................................................................. 5

Part I: Reporting for Duty ............................................. 7

Chapter 1: Living Life As a Military Family . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9Getting a Grasp on the Military Culture ........................................................ 9

Believing in something bigger than yourself ................................... 10

Making lifelong connections ............................................................... 10

Being Flexible — the Key to a Happy Military Life .................................... 12

Adjusting to different directions ........................................................ 12

Adapting to a changing homelife ....................................................... 13

Keeping education and employment fl exible ................................... 13

Traveling the world . . . If you want to .............................................. 14

Overseas assignments ......................................................................... 14

Space-available travel .......................................................................... 14

Speaking in Code: Learning the Military Language ................................... 16

Embracing the Place Where Everybody Knows Your Name .................... 17

Choosing to Live on the Installation — Or Not .......................................... 17

Chapter 2: Figuring Out Customs and Courtesies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .19Separating Myths from Reality .................................................................... 19

Understanding Rank and Military Hierarchy ............................................. 20

Checking out the different ranks ....................................................... 21

Understanding that rank does have its place .................................. 24

Reveling in the privileges of rank ...................................................... 24

A Family’s Guide to the Military For Dummies xiiKeeping Up with Traditions and Ceremonies ........................................... 25

The salute ............................................................................................. 25

The National Anthem .......................................................................... 26

The Stars and Stripes .......................................................................... 26

Reveling in inter-service Rivalry ........................................................ 27

Ceremonies ........................................................................................... 27

Finding Your Place in the Grand Plan ......................................................... 28

Getting involved . . . or not ................................................................. 28

Making friends ...................................................................................... 29

Watching Your P’s and Q’s: Party Protocol ............................................... 29

Chapter 3: Getting Around Military Bases. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .31Defense Enrollment Eligibility Reporting System (DEERS) ...................... 31

Making sense of DEERS ....................................................................... 32

Registering in DEERS ........................................................................... 32

Verifying and updating information .................................................. 32

Making It Offi cial — Getting a Military ID Card .......................................... 34

Getting Your Rest .......................................................................................... 35

Shopping ........................................................................................................ 36

Commissary .......................................................................................... 36

Exchanges ............................................................................................. 37

Shoppettes ............................................................................................ 38

Class 6 ................................................................................................... 39

Eating on the Installations ........................................................................... 39

The dining hall...................................................................................... 39

The clubs ............................................................................................. 40

Having Fun with MWR ................................................................................... 41

Fitness and sports center ................................................................... 41

Skills development center .................................................................. 41

Everything else ..................................................................................... 42

Focusing on the Family ................................................................................. 42

Family support center ......................................................................... 43

Child development center .................................................................. 43

Youth and teen centers ....................................................................... 44

Picking up on Personal Services .................................................................. 44

Auto hobby shop ................................................................................. 44

Banking .................................................................................................. 45

Military treatment facility (MTF) ....................................................... 45

Getting the Support You Need ..................................................................... 46

Chapel.................................................................................................... 46

Clubs and groups ................................................................................. 47

Family Advocacy Programs ................................................................ 48

Chapter 4: Connecting with the Military Community . . . . . . . . . . . . . .49Connecting to the Unit .................................................................................. 49

Utilizing your sponsor ......................................................................... 50

Keeping contact info current.............................................................. 50

Staying in the loop ............................................................................... 51

xiii Table of Contents

Marking military family milestones ................................................... 51

Attending Hails and Farewells ............................................................ 52

Discovering other social activities .................................................... 52

Making merry with holiday parties ................................................... 53

Understanding the ins and outs of Dining In and Out ..................... 54

Marking Military Milestones ......................................................................... 55

Promotions ........................................................................................... 55

Change of command ........................................................................... 56

Retirement ceremonies ...................................................................... 56

Finding Support within the Installation ...................................................... 57

Part II: Understanding Your Financial Issues and Benefits .............................................................. 59

Chapter 5: Deciphering Military Compensation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .61Sifting through Sources of Pay ..................................................................... 61

Basic pay ............................................................................................... 62

Additional pays .................................................................................... 62

Allowances ............................................................................................ 64

Taking time off — Leave...................................................................... 66

Demystifying the pay statement .................................................................. 67

Explaining the LES ............................................................................... 67

Allotments ............................................................................................. 68

Making Sense Out of Taxes ........................................................................... 70

Understanding what compensation is taxable ................................. 71

Exploring ways to reduce your tax bite ............................................ 72

Chapter 6: Taking Care of Yourself: Health and Dental Insurance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .73

Exploring TRICARE ........................................................................................ 74

Breaking down the basic of TRICARE ................................................ 74

TRICARE Standard ............................................................................... 75

TRICARE Extra ...................................................................................... 76

TRICARE Prime ..................................................................................... 77

Prescription drug coverage ................................................................ 80

Summarizing healthcare options ....................................................... 80

Enrolling in TRICARE ........................................................................... 81

Sizing up TRICARE Health Benefi ts for the Guard and Reserve .............. 82

Checking the basics of your options ................................................. 82

TRICARE Reserve Select...................................................................... 83

Understanding Dental Benefi ts .................................................................... 84

Explaining Your Benefi ts .............................................................................. 85

Chapter 7: Maximizing Military Benefi ts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .87Tapping into the Family Support Center .................................................... 87

Accessing Military OneSource ..................................................................... 88