The many benefits of joining the military for each service member are as

different as the service members themselves. Some join to learn a trade

or to get money for college, others somehow know they will mature in the
service and be better equipped for life after the service, some join to earn
their citizenship and still others join because they need the job.
While there may be some very intangible benefits from joining the
military, those who choose to wear the uniform of the United States
Military, sometimes called the cloth of their nation, can count on some
very clear benefits in exchange for placing their life in the service of their
country to do our nations bidding.
These benefits include:
Education: The Post 9/11 GI Bill is probably the best version of a GI
educational bill since the one the greatest generation used after World
War II! Under this program the honorably discharged veteran can attend
any state supported college or university free of charge because the
Veterans Administration will pay for all tuition and fees.
Additionally, the VA will also pay for $1000 in books per year and pay the
student-veteran a living allowance equal to the housing allowance for a
married E-5 living in that area. The amount varies depending on the area
so it is best to checkhttp://www.defensetravel.dod.mil/perdiem/bah.html
and enter the Zip code and list the rank as E-5 no matter what your rank
is because the VA only pays at the E-5 rate.
To qualify for the living allowance the veteran will need to be enrolled at a
greater than half time and cannot be a distance learning student (but
check on this when applying for benefits as the law could change!). The
VA will pay for 36 months of full time studies and if the enrollment is less
than full time then the benefits will extend for a longer time period.
There is also the opportunity to earn college credit while in the military
and this will not affect the GI Bill once the service member gets out. Each
branch of the military will pay the tuition for up to $4500 with a per hour
course fee of $250 per semester hour and virtually all of the colleges that
cater to the military community that is seeking an education, limits tuition
to $250 as the base often provides space and facilities for the college to
use when teaching military personnel after working hours.

Other ways to earn college credit are military training courses that have
been evaluated for college credit and the service member can also take
CLEP and DSST credit by examination tests for free at the base education
office.
Medical: The military service member has free medical and dental
coverage from the day they are sworn into the military. Spouses and
children are also covered for medical only but a dental insurance plan is
available at relatively low cost.
These medical and dental benefits end when the service member is
discharged unless they have reached a military retirement which then
entitles the service member and spouse to lifetime medical benefits
under the TRICARE program which has modest co-pays and deductibles.
Children are also covered under the TRICARE program until they reach 21
or 23 if they are enrolled in college full time.
Home Loan Guarantee: This special program entitles every honorably
discharged veteran a government guaranteed home loan which means
that a veteran can get into a home with no money down at a very
reasonable interest rate.
There are limits to the amount of the loan (currently $417,000) and there
are the normal income requirements but this program goes a long way to
help the veteran establish a home after serving their nation.
Active duty personnel are also eligible for this program and this affords
many active duty military personnel with the opportunity to own a home
and build equity prior to separation from the uniformed services.
Employment Preference: Every military service member who completes
their contract honorably is entitled to a hiring preference in the federal
government and can get 5 points added to their score (the feds use a 100
point evaluation score of the resume and application) and if the veteran is
disabled, 10 points are added to the score.
Technical and Leadership Experience: There are no laws or programs that
cover this aspect of the benefits but many employers look for these
abilities when hiring! The military spends huge amounts of money training
all of its members and almost everyone, if they stay in long enough gets
leadership experience.

This is a benefit that can last a lifetime and can take a military person to
levels of professional accomplishment that will amaze the veteran along
with family members.
Disability Benefits: Should the veteran become injured or disabled while
serving on active duty they will continue to draw full pay and allowances.
If the injuries are enough to cause some level of permanent disability the
Veterans Administration will provide a disability pension to the veteran for
the remainder of their life.
Life Insurance: The military provides very low cost life insurance for the
service member and the family members. The coverage has no warclause so if the service member is killed in combat the family will still
collect the insurance, the spouse will receive a monthly check until
remarriage and the children will also receive an allowance plus have their
college education provided by the Veterans Administration.
The subject of death can be depressing but it is good to know that a
veterans family will be taken care of and eligible for many benefits.
Income: The military service member also has a steady income and is
eligible for a housing and food allowance that is tax free. The housing
allowance can even be used to pay for a mortgage and the service
member can still deduct the mortgage interest on their taxes!
If the service member deploys for greater than 30 days they are eligible
for Family Separation Allowance of $250 per month and if the service
member deploys to a combat zone their pay will be tax free and they will
collect Combat Pay of $225 per month.
Other benefits: Many businesses offer discounts to military members.
These include Lowes, many hotel chains with Marriott being the best and
numerous other businesses including movie theaters.
It is always wise to ask and give those places the business as well as
spread the word so more military members can enjoy one of those
hidden benefits.
This covers all the major benefits but there is also the benefit that many
consider the best of all: The honor of serving your country. Putting country
before self and being part of something that is greater than any one

person invokes a special respect from many and a very unique respect
and bond among those who have served their nation in uniform.
It is difficult to describe and impossible to put into words. It is just
something that a veteran holds inside and gives them that special feeling
and confidence that grows with age. This, many believe, is the greatest
benefit of all.