The examples and perspective in this article deal primarily with the United States and do not represent a worldwide view of the subject.(February 2012) |
Military dependents are the spouse(s), children, and possibly other familial relationship categories of a sponsoring military member for purposes of pay as well as special benefits, privileges and rights. [1] This generic category is enumerated in great detail for U.S. military members. [1]
The term "military brat" is also commonly used in military culture to mean a military dependent who is either a child or a teenager. [2] [3] [4] The term is not an insult but carries connotations of respect and affection. Currently the U.S. Department of Defense estimates that there are approximately 15 million individuals in the United States who are current or former military brats. [2] [3] [4] It is also used in research studies. [2] [3] [4] It also refers to the subculture of American military brats. [2] [3] [4]
The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) automatically gives $100,000 to the next of kin of a service-member if he or she dies while on active duty. [5] If a service-member died of a disease, injury, or disability that was incurred or aggravated on duty or during training, then the surviving spouse and other dependents can apply for additional monetary benefits. If the service-member died after January 1, 1993, then his or her surviving dependents can receive a monthly Dependency and Indemnity Compensation based on the deceased service-member's rank in the United States military. The base monthly rate for a surviving spouse is $1,154 per month, with an additional $286 for each dependent child and/or elderly person. [5]
The Department of Veteran Affairs also offers a death pension for surviving spouses and other dependents of the deceased service-member. [5] To be eligible for the death pension, the surviving spouse cannot be remarried, and the children must be under 18 years of age unless they are in college, in which case they must be under 23 years of age. The death pension provides the surviving spouse with $7,933 annually with an additional $2,452 if he or she has one child. Each additional child or dependent receives an additional $2,020 each year. [5] Finally, the VA also provides up to $2,000 for the deceased service-member's burial if the service-member or the service-member's family does not use a national Veteran Affairs cemetery. If a service-member is buried in a national VA cemetery, all costs and materials are covered, including a headstone and United States flag [5]
The Department of Veteran Affairs offers educational assistance to surviving spouses or child dependents. In order to receive the educational assistance, the service-member must (1) have died due to a service-related disability, (2) be missing in action for more than 90 days, or (3) be hospitalized with debilitating injuries. [5] Surviving spouses cannot use the educational assistance if they remarry before the age of 57, and or if they do not use the assistance within 10 years of their date of eligibility. Children must use their educational assistance between the ages of 18 and 26. [5] The VA provides $936 per month to eligible dependents if they are enrolled in a full-time educational program. [5] Several collegiate institutions provide benefits for military dependents such as Colorado State University. An Active-Duty servicemember can transfer their Post-9/11 GI Benefits to their spouse or dependent children, the benefits may include tuition, housing, books and supplies, fees for national standardized tests and licensing and certifications. [6] Through the Military Tuition Adjustment Request, dependents can be granted in-state tuition status which can be financially beneficial. [7]
Spouses of veterans gain loan eligibility if: [5]
1. They are unmarried, and their deceased spouse died as a result of service-connected causes.
2. They remarry after the age of 57, and their deceased spouse died while on active duty.
3. They are the spouse of an active duty member who has been missing in action or a prisoner of war for at least 90 days.
The G.I. Bill, formally known as the Servicemen's Readjustment Act of 1944, was a law that provided a range of benefits for some of the returning World War II veterans. The original G.I. Bill expired in 1956, but the term "G.I. Bill" is still used to refer to programs created to assist American military veterans.
The United States Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is a Cabinet-level executive branch department of the federal government charged with providing lifelong healthcare services to eligible military veterans at the 170 VA medical centers and outpatient clinics located throughout the country. Non-healthcare benefits include disability compensation, vocational rehabilitation, education assistance, home loans, and life insurance. The VA also provides burial and memorial benefits to eligible veterans and family members at 135 national cemeteries.
According to the United States Government Accountability Office (GAO), there are 1,138 statutory provisions in which marital status is a factor in determining benefits, rights, and privileges. These rights were a key issue in the debate over federal recognition of same-sex marriage. Under the 1996 Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), the federal government was prohibited from recognizing same-sex couples who were lawfully married under the laws of their state. The conflict between this definition and the Due Process Clause of the Fifth Amendment to the Constitution led the U.S. Supreme Court to rule DOMA unconstitutional on June 26, 2013, in the case of United States v. Windsor. DOMA was finally repealed and replaced by the Respect for Marriage Act on December 13, 2022, which retains the same statutory provisions as DOMA and extends them to interracial and same-sex married couples.
The US Department of Veterans Affairs provides a wide variety of benefits, e.g., educational assistance, healthcare, assisted living, home loans, insurance, and burial and memorial services, for retired or separated United States armed forces personnel, their dependents, and survivors. The VA provides compensation to disabled veterans who suffer from a medical disorder or injury that was incurred in, or aggravated by, their military service, and which causes social and occupational impairment. Many U.S. states also offer disability benefits for veterans.
In the United States, a military brat is the child of a parent(s), adopted parent(s), or legal guardian(s) serving full-time in the United States Armed Forces, whether current or former. The term military brat can also refer to the subculture and lifestyle of such families.
A VA loan is a mortgage loan in the United States guaranteed by the United States Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). The program is for American veterans, military members currently serving in the U.S. military, reservists and select surviving spouses and can be used to purchase single-family homes, condominiums, multi-unit properties, manufactured homes and new construction. The VA does not originate loans, but sets the rules for who may qualify, issues minimum guidelines and requirements under which mortgages may be offered and financially guarantees loans that qualify under the program.
The Veterans Benefits Administration (VBA) is an agency of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. It is responsible for administering the department's programs that provide financial and other forms of assistance to veterans, their dependents, and survivors. Major benefits include Veterans' compensation, Veterans' pension, survivors' benefits, rehabilitation and employment assistance, education assistance, home loan guaranties, and life insurance coverage.
The DD Form 214, Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty, generally referred to as a "DD 214", is a document of the United States Department of Defense, issued upon a military service member's retirement, separation, or discharge from active duty in the Armed Forces of the United States.
Military deployment is the movement of armed forces and their logistical support infrastructure around the world.
The Disabled American Veterans (DAV) is an organization created in 1920 by World War I veterans for disabled military veterans of the United States Armed Forces that helps them and their families through various means. It was issued a federal charter by Congress in 1932. It currently has over 1 million members. As a 501(c)(4) social welfare organization, it is outside the purview of – and therefore not rated by – Charity Navigator. DAV's Employer Identification Number (EIN) is 31–0263158.
A veteran's pension or "wartime pension" is a pension for veterans of the United States Armed Forces, who served in the military but did not qualify for military retired pay from the Armed Forces. It was established by the United States Congress and given to veterans who meet the eligibility requirements. Along with payments, they are also given additional benefits depending on their eligibility and needs.
The Post-9/11 Veterans Educational Assistance Act of 2008 is Title V of the Supplemental Appropriations Act of 2008, Pub. L.Tooltip Public Law 110–252 (text)(PDF), H.R. 2642, an Act of Congress which became law on June 30, 2008. The act amended Part III of Title 38, United States Code to include a new Chapter 33, which expands the educational benefits for military veterans who have served since September 11, 2001. At various times the new education benefits have been referred to as the Post-9/11 GI Bill, the 21st Century G.I. Bill of Rights, or the Webb G.I. Bill, with many current references calling it simply the new G.I. Bill. President George W. Bush signed H.R. 2642 into law on June 30, 2008.
The Military Health System (MHS) is the internal health care system operated within the United States Department of Defense that provides health care to active duty, Reserve component and retired U.S. Military personnel and their dependents.
Disability benefits are a form of financial assistance or welfare designed to support individuals with disabilities, with them being unable to work due to a chronic illness, disease or injury. Disability benefits are typically provided through various sources, including government programs, group disability insurance provided by employers or associations or private insurance policies typically purchased through a licensed insurance agent or broker, or directly from an insurance company.
The Illinois Department of Veterans' Affairs (IDVA) is the department of the Illinois state government that assists veterans and their families in navigating the system of federal state and local resources and benefits, provides long-term health care for eligible veterans, and helps veterans address education, mental health, housing, employment, and other challenges.
In July 2008 the Post-9/11 GI Bill was signed into law, creating a new robust education benefits program rivaling the WWII Era GI Bill of Rights. The new Post 9/11 GI Bill, which went into effect on August 1, 2009, provides education benefits for service members who served on active duty for 90 or more days since September 10, 2001. These benefits are tiered based on the number of days served on active duty, creating a benefit package that gives current and previously activated National Guard and Reserve members the same benefits as active duty servicemembers.
The G.I. Bill Tuition Fairness Act of 2013 is a bill that would require colleges to charge veterans the in-state tuition rates regardless of whether they meet the residency requirement. The bill also makes several other changes related to veterans benefits, such as extending the time period during which veterans are eligible for job training. The bill passed the House of Representatives on February 4, 2014 during the 113th United States Congress.
The Transition Assistance Program (TAP) is a U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) led program that provides information and training to ensure service members transitioning from active-duty are prepared for their next step in life - whether pursuing additional education, finding a job in the public or private sector, or starting their own business.
Miramar National Cemetery is a federal military cemetery in the city of San Diego, California. It is located in the north west corner of the Marine Corps Air Station Miramar on the grounds of old Camp Kearny (1917) and Camp Elliott (1942).
DOD Tuition Assistance is a US Department of Defense (DOD) program that fund higher education programming for US military servicemembers who wish to attend college before their service obligation ends. Currently, DOD TA funds servicemember's college tuition and fees, not to exceed $250 per semester credit hour or $166 per quarter credit hour and not to exceed $4,500 per fiscal year, Oct. 1 through Sept. 30. In 2019, DOD spent more than $492 million on the program that year and about 220,000 troops used the benefits.