Welcome back after our introduction to the dual-military Family!

What follows are resources and definitions to help guide our future discussions.  The intent isn’t necessarily that you read this all at once (although you can if you want, I sure won’t stop you!), but do keep it on hand to refer back to when learning about various topics in this series. These topics will ebb and flow to various degrees over the following posts. Each topic applies a bit differently to each situation.  For example: Pregnant Soldiers who are Single, dual-career, dual-military, or have a stay-at-home-spouse will at have different experiences during their pregnancy, but all still must follow guidance under the same policies and regulations. So it is with other policies – they might determine a career move, or you might be leading a Soldier whose career will be determined by it. I’ll help smooth out this learning process for these different situations by posting the link to this post at the top of each subsequent post to make it easy to jump back to again. A significant part of overcoming any Family challenges is knowing what US law, policy, or other guidance either limits or authorizes you. This list should help broaden that understanding.   With that being said, let’s dive into the realm of the technical…

Resources & Definitions:

Army Publishing Directorate [APD]: this is the authoritative source for all Forms (including DA and DD forms) and Publications (including AR, ALARACT, ADP, ADRP, FM) utilized in the Army.  https://armypubs.army.mil/default.aspx

DEERS & RAPIDS:

DEERS: Defense Enrollment Eligibility Reporting System; the system that logs all dependents to a Sponsor (the Soldier) in order to authorize benefits, to include TRICARE medical care.

RAPIDS: Real-Time Automated Personnel Identification System. RAPIDS is the computer system used to access DEERS and produce CACs & dependent ID cards. Your local RAPIDS is probably at your Brigade S1 shop or Garrison office.

http://www.tricare.mil/DEERS

Department of Defense Financial Management Regulation (DoD 7000.14-R, aka DoDFMR) http://comptroller.defense.gov/fmr.aspx

This 7,000+ page book controls every financial transaction that you’ll encounter in the military. Best part? It is all available and searchable online.  For our purposes here, we’ll be focused on Volume 7a, “Military Pay Policy — Active Duty and Reserve Pay”. Volume 7a (warning: clicking this link will open a 970 page PDF): http://comptroller.defense.gov/Portals/45/documents/fmr/Volume_07a.pdf

FSA citation: Chapter 27, subsections 2701 & 270203.A.1 — A.3.

BAH citation: Chapter 34, subsection 340402

 

Dependent: Defined by DoDFMR, volume 7a as to include — among others, a spouse, unmarried child under 21 years of age, same under 23 years of age enrolled in school full-time, or a parent. Status as a dependent entitles that person to benefits under TRICARE, and other programs.

 

Deployable status: see AR 600-8-101 (dated 6 March 2018). Includes guidance for pregnancy, adoption, and failure to execute a Family Care Plan.

 
Exceptional Family Member Program [EFMP]: a program that is mandatory for Families with a dependent who has a medical or education need that requires specialized care.  Enrollment is mandatory, ensuring they will only be PCS’d to a duty station where services are available for that condition. Covered in AR 608-75 (dated 27 January 2017). US Army Medical Department EFMP: http://efmp.amedd.army.mil/

Family Separation Allowance [FSA]: As DoDFMR says, “FSA provides compensation for added expenses incurred because of an enforced family separation under one of the conditions in subparagraphs 270203.A.1 through 3. FSA is payable to qualified members serving inside or outside the United States.” Authorized when a couple is separated from each other, or when one of the dual-military is separated from a dependent. Only authorized for 31 days of separation of more.

Family Care Plan [FCP or Care Plan]: A packet – required for both single parents in the Army and dual-military couples with children – whose “sole purpose is to document for Army purposes the plan by which Soldiers provide for the care of their Family members when military duties prevent the Soldier from doing so” (AR 600-20, 5-5, dtd 6 Nov 2014 and AR 600-8-101, 1-11(7))). The Care Plan includes Short Term care plans (e.g. care needed during a field exercise) and Long Term care plans (e.g. care needed during a deployment). Soldiers have 30 days from the date of their counseling from their commander to complete the Care Plan.  Failure to have a valid and current FCP can result in the Soldier not being deployable and possibly being involuntarily separated out of Army (AR 600-20, 5-5e).

Family Readiness Group [FRG]: the FRG mission is to act as an extension of the unit in providing official, accurate command information; provide mutual support between the command and the FRG membership; advocate more efficient use of community resources; help Families solve problems at the lowest level. Reference the FRG Leader’s Handbook; AR 600-200; and AR 608-1, Appendix J.

G.I Bill (The Post-9/11 G.I. bill):

What is it? The G.I. Bill is a benefit that all Service Members are eligible to earn, as long as they meet the time and service type criteria.  In brief, it provides up to 36 months of education benefits, a monthly house allowance, and an annual books and supplies stipend.

When do I get it? Who else can use it?For ROTC and USMA graduates, and those in the Active Duty Service Loan Repayment program, you begin earning (or “accruing”) your GI Bill from the day that you finish serving your initial commitment. For ROTC, that’s probably 4 years (scholarship dependent), for USMA that’s 5 years.  After that, you start accruing your qualifying time to receive the GI Bill. After each qualifying period of time, you earn an increased percentage of the total possible GI Bill. After 3 years of qualifying service, you will have accrued the entire benefit. After 6 years in any component and then 90 days of qualifying service after that, a Service Member has the option to execute a transfer of education benefits to any of their dependents that are registered in DEERS.  Upon that successful transfer, the Soldier (Sponsor) owes 4 years of a Military Service Obligation in any component in an “active status” as defined by 38 USC 3301 (e.g. you cannot be in the IRR to serve to Military Service Obligation). Lastly, Service members whose last day on Active Duty is on or after 1 January 2013 no longer have a delimiting date to their GI Bill (it doesn’t expire).

Who says this is how this works?

38 USC 3301 — defines active duty for GI Bill

38 USC  3319 — covers how to transfer the GI Bill

United States Code [USC]: Laws of the US government: http://uscode.house.gov/

Department of Defense Instruction (DoDI) 1341.13, dated 31 May 2013 http://www.esd.whs.mil/Portals/54/Documents/DD/issuances/dodi/134113p.pdf

Veteran Affairs website: https://benefits.va.gov/GIBILL/FGIBSummaries.asp ; https://www.benefits.va.gov/gibill/post911_gibill.asp

Transfer of Education benefits: https://www.benefits.va.gov/gibill/post911_transfer.asp

Forever GI Bill : https://benefits.va.gov/gibill/forevergibill.asp

 

Human Resources Command [HRC]: The Command that manages the careers of all US Army Reserve and Regular Army Soldiers.  You will be assigned a Branch Manager based on your rank and branch to help guide you through your career. At the Division–level and below, your Battalion S1 can also assist you and liaise with your Branch manager on your behalf, if needed.

 

Leave, due to Parenthood (non-chargeable): Whether due to Maternity, Parental, or Adoption, Soldiers are authorized non-chargeable leave IAW DoDI 1327.06 (dated 19 May 2016). http://www.esd.whs.mil/Directives/issuances/dodi/

Married Army Couples Program [MACP]: the program that a dual-Army couple must be enrolled in get “automatic consideration for future joint-domicile assignments” and declaring a preference for joint or separate deployment cycles. HRC’s MACP page: https://www.hrc.army.mil/content/Married%20Army%20Couples%20Program

Pregnancy: For limitations, profiles, and status as deployable, refer to AR 40-501 (dated 14 June 2017) and AR 600-8-101 (dated 6 March 2018). For requirements of commanders in counseling medically confirmed pregnant Soldiers, see AR 600-20, 5-5f (dated 6 November 2014).

Permanent Change of Station [PCS]: The assignment, detail, or transfer of a member or unit to a different duty station under competent orders which neither specify the duty as temporary, nor provide for further assignment to a new station, nor direct return to the old station. (DoDFMR, Definitions).  Used in slang as “PCS-ing” or “PCS’d”.

SGLI & DD93 – What’s the difference between the two?

SGLI: a program that provides low-cost term life insurance coverage to eligible Service members. If eligible, you are automatically issued the maximum SGLI coverage. Also refers to the documentation executed annually by a soldier to confirm amount of insurance and list of beneficiary by-name.  It is an insurance policy.

DD93 (Record of Emergency Data):  As the form states, “For military personnel, it is used to designate beneficiaries for certain benefits in the event of the Service member’s death. It is also a guide for disposition of that member’s pay and allowances if captured, missing or interned. It also shows names and addresses of the person(s) the Service member desires to be notified in case of emergency or death.” You’re listing the people, family or not, whom, in the event of your death in the military, the Casualty Assistance Officer will work with to help plan your funeral, receive the Death Gratuity, receive any Pay/Allowances that you hadn’t received because it was between paychecks.  Additionally, any remarks you include (such as location of your Will, or the like legal documents) can be used as guidance of your wishes. Some people include specific directions, for example, to reach an exceptionally rural home or the location of a specific safety deposit box. Think of it as a notification roster for the Army in the event of your death — who do you want to receive official news? In the event that the DD93 is out-of-date (over 12 months old), the Army will default to guide listed in AR 638-8, 4-2 (dated 23 June 2015) in order to identify your Next of Kin.  To keep this uncertainty from impacting your family, keep these documents updated annually (or when something changes) so your wishes and Family situation is appropriately considered.

Family SGLI:  This is an additional insurance policy that applies just to dependents. For non-dual-military Families, the dependents under the Sponsor are automatically covered under the maximum covered unless action is taken to reduce/cancel it.  However, dual-military couples must take deliberate action to enroll if they want coverage under this policy, and each spouse add the other for coverage. Just as with SGLI & DD93, listed above, this is now done through MilConnect.

MilConnet SGLI: https://milconnect.dmdc.osd.mil/milconnect/public/faq/Life_Insurance-SGLI

Veterans Affairs: https://www.benefits.va.gov/insurance/sgli.asp ; https://www.benefits.va.gov/insurance/fsgli.asp  ; https://www.benefits.va.gov/INSURANCE/docs/ProceduralGuide.pdf

DFAS info on FSGLI: https://www.dfas.mil/militarymembers/paydeductions/fsgli.html

State of Residence (as compared to Home of Record):  Your State of Residence is, for all intents and purposes, the State where your Driver’s License is registered and you are registered to vote, maybe even where you own property.  Your Home of Record (HoR) is the place you lived prior to joining the Army (AR 600-8-104, 5-2). While it is technically possible to change your Home of Record, the approval authority for anything but a genuine error is the Army Board for Corrections of Military Records, which is a board executed under the authority of the Secretary of the Army that takes 18-24 months to to come to fruition.  The Army uses HoR to determine travel entitlements upon separation from the Army. HoR is listed on your ORB.

Spouse: defined as “an individual who is legally married to the Service member” (DoDFMR 270202.A.3). Note: a spouse is a type of a Dependent. Also, “spouse” applies to both each Soldier and neither Soldier in the dual-military couple, as the official categorization will be situation dependent as to who is “the spouse” and who is “the Sponsor”.

Temporary Change of Station [TCS]: The official term used to describe the orders for a deployment. Usually refers to the published orders and not to the movement itself.

Uniform Code of Military Justice [UCMJ]: foundation of military law in the United States. The UCMJ applies to all members of the uniformed services of the United States. Resides in US law, in 10 USC Chapter 47 (Chapter 47 is the Uniform Code of Military Justice).