10 Vital Things To Know About Military Retirement

During my husband's retirement ceremony back in 2004, I was surprised to hear so many soldiers saying they weren't ready personally or financially for retirement. I even heard one soldier say, “Retirement meant that his life was over”, his negative comments had an immediate effect on both his wife and children who went from smiles and laughter to fear and tears.

Retirement from the military is a time of celebration and great accomplishment, so I want to share with you 10 Things you should know about Military Retirement:

1: Retirement from the military is a fabulous accomplishment and one that should not be taken lightly, so take time with your family and friends and celebrate your accomplishments, you've earned it.

2: Planning for your retirement is not always easy; it takes teamwork, sacrifice, and ongoing two-way communication between the active duty soldier and military spouse. The journey can seem long because there are so many ends to tie up and sometimes a little rocky (especially if things aren't going quite as planned) so it’s important for a military couple to work as a team. Team members empower each other to remain optimistic and focused on the goal.

3: Military retirement benefits are worth your years of sacrifice, take time to learn about your retirement benefits: life insurance, dental, health care, identification cards, wills, power-of-attorney, disability, survivor benefits program for your military spouse, family life insurance program, etc. Ask questions, it's important for the soldier and military spouse to understand every aspect of what's going on because it impacts you as a military couple and your family if you have children under 18. Finally, take full advantage of your benefits; again, you've earned them.

4: Paying off debt, getting your credit reports in-order, and taking control of your money and finances now while on active duty is absolutely "critical". The lesser the debt, the more enjoyable your retirement will be for everyone.

5. Proper financial planning and lifestyle changes during active duty could position a soldier and his or her family to be full-time retirees. Contact your base family support center to get started and for referrals.

6: Military retirement affects the entire family, especially if you have teenagers. The transition from military life to civilian life is a very important time to keep the door of communication open for your kids to talk to you both about their feelings and fears. In most cases, military life is the only life they've known so listen to what the kids are and are not saying, assure them through your actions that you are there for them.

7: Retirement from the military is not the end of your life; it's the beginning of a new chapter in your life.

8: Retirement is the wrong time to loose contact with close military friends, stay in touch through email and telephone, if possible. My husband still from time to time mentors junior soldiers who seek him out for advice. The fact is retired soldiers possess a wealth of knowledge and expertise and some young junior soldier would love to hear what you have to say.