Military Guide

The Military Guide To Financial Independence

You are here: Home / Archives for Military and Veterans Benefits

Military and Veterans Benefits

2017 Military Pay Chart – 1.6% Pay Raise

Author: Last Updated: Leave a Comment

Advertiser Disclosure: Opinions, reviews, analyses & recommendations are the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed, endorsed or approved by any other entity. This site may be compensated through the advertiser Affiliate Program. For more information, please see our Advertising Policy.

Military members will receive a 1.6% Pay Raise in 2017. President Obama recently sent a letter to Congress echoing his support for the 1.6% military pay raise over the 2016 military pay. He states: This decision is consistent with my fiscal year 2017 Budget and it will not materially affect the Federal Government's ability to attract and retain … [Read more...] about 2017 Military Pay Chart – 1.6% Pay Raise

What Happens After Your VA Disability Claim Has Been Approved

Author: Last Updated: 35 Comments

Advertiser Disclosure: Opinions, reviews, analyses & recommendations are the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed, endorsed or approved by any other entity. This site may be compensated through the advertiser Affiliate Program. For more information, please see our Advertising Policy.

The Veterans Administration approved my "fully developed" disability claim-- in less than three months of processing. This post stands by itself, but I'm going to skip the beginning of the story. If you want to read the earlier posts in this series then you can click on these links to learn why you should file your VA disability claim, then what … [Read more...] about What Happens After Your VA Disability Claim Has Been Approved

2016 Master Sergeant Promotion List

Author: Last Updated: 1 Comment

Advertiser Disclosure: Opinions, reviews, analyses & recommendations are the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed, endorsed or approved by any other entity. This site may be compensated through the advertiser Affiliate Program. For more information, please see our Advertising Policy.

The Army has released the "unofficial" names of the Sergeant First Classes selected on the Master Sergeant Promotion List. Here is the full list of Regular Army Soldiers who were considered and selected for promotion to Master Sergeant. The official list will be released on May 10th. The soldiers who were recommended for promotion are shown … [Read more...] about 2016 Master Sergeant Promotion List

What The VA Really Does With Your Disability Claim

Author: Last Updated: 24 Comments

Advertiser Disclosure: Opinions, reviews, analyses & recommendations are the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed, endorsed or approved by any other entity. This site may be compensated through the advertiser Affiliate Program. For more information, please see our Advertising Policy.

This is the final part of a three-post series on why you want to file a VA disability claim (even if you think you're not disabled) and what goes on behind the scenes. The first post explained why you want to file your disability claim, not just how to file it.  The second post explained why you should prepare as much of your claim as possible … [Read more...] about What The VA Really Does With Your Disability Claim

What Happens When (Not Just How) You File Your VA Disability Claim

Author: Last Updated: 9 Comments

Advertiser Disclosure: Opinions, reviews, analyses & recommendations are the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed, endorsed or approved by any other entity. This site may be compensated through the advertiser Affiliate Program. For more information, please see our Advertising Policy.

Last week's post explained why you want to file your disability claim, not just how to file it. Now we'll get into why you should prepare as much of your claim as possible up front as a "fully developed" package. It's time (once again) to visit the Veteran Service Officer. Why you want a fully-developed claim The VA is required by law to research … [Read more...] about What Happens When (Not Just How) You File Your VA Disability Claim

Why You File Your Veterans Disability Claim (Not Just How)

Author: Last Updated: Leave a Comment

Advertiser Disclosure: Opinions, reviews, analyses & recommendations are the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed, endorsed or approved by any other entity. This site may be compensated through the advertiser Affiliate Program. For more information, please see our Advertising Policy.

"Learn From My Mistakes... Without Repeating Them!" There are roughly eighty-two gazillion websites which will tell you HOW to file your disability claim with the Veterans Administration. (I'll link to some of them.) This post explains WHY you want to file your claim (even when you feel 0% disabled), and why you want to do it as you're … [Read more...] about Why You File Your Veterans Disability Claim (Not Just How)

How NOT to do it: Applying for VA disability years after military separation

Author: Last Updated: 30 Comments

Advertiser Disclosure: Opinions, reviews, analyses & recommendations are the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed, endorsed or approved by any other entity. This site may be compensated through the advertiser Affiliate Program. For more information, please see our Advertising Policy.

[This post is brought to you by "Crew Dog" of OneSickVet.com. If you're interested in contributing at The-Military-Guide.com, please see our posting guidelines.] In a previous post on One Sick Vet, the blogger "Die Fledermaus" showed us a good example of how to prepare for a VA disability claim while still on active duty: going to the … [Read more...] about How NOT to do it: Applying for VA disability years after military separation

4 Lessons I Learned Filing For Disability Benefits

Author: Last Updated: 3 Comments

Advertiser Disclosure: Opinions, reviews, analyses & recommendations are the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed, endorsed or approved by any other entity. This site may be compensated through the advertiser Affiliate Program. For more information, please see our Advertising Policy.

  David McCauley is back with another great post!  You can see his other post, "Surviving An Involuntary Separation", in the Related Links section below.   If you're interested in contributing at The-Military-Guide.com, please see our posting guidelines.     The waiting game of collecting disability benefits and … [Read more...] about 4 Lessons I Learned Filing For Disability Benefits

Surviving An Involuntary Separation

Author: Last Updated: Leave a Comment

Advertiser Disclosure: Opinions, reviews, analyses & recommendations are the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed, endorsed or approved by any other entity. This site may be compensated through the advertiser Affiliate Program. For more information, please see our Advertising Policy.

[This post is brought to you by military veteran David McCauley. If you're interested in contributing at The-Military-Guide.com, please see our posting guidelines.] In the Fall of 2010, my Navy career was finally blooming. My promotion was in the pipeline, I had received new orders, and had managed to save up a modest nest egg. I enjoyed my job … [Read more...] about Surviving An Involuntary Separation

The 2016 Military Pay Chart

Author: Last Updated: 2 Comments

Advertiser Disclosure: Opinions, reviews, analyses & recommendations are the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed, endorsed or approved by any other entity. This site may be compensated through the advertiser Affiliate Program. For more information, please see our Advertising Policy.

1.3% Pay Raise Coming In 2016. The White House and Senate FY 2016 budget proposals provide a whopping 1.3% military pay raise above the 2015 military pay rates. While the House of Representatives has sweetened the pot and propose to increase military pay by 2.3%. Once Congress comes to an agreement and signed into law by the President, the 2016 … [Read more...] about The 2016 Military Pay Chart