February - April 2025
THE OFFICIAL NEWSLETTER FOR RETIRED SOLDIERS, SURVIVING SPOUSES & FAMILIES
COVER STORY
MONEY MATTERS
DFAS Tips for a Smoother Tax Season
Tax season is here again and it’s time to gather your paperwork. The IRS Form 1099-R is the retired pay and Survivor Benefit Plan (SBP) annuitant tax statement, like the W-2 provided to wage earners. The 1099-R documents the amount of your taxable retired or SBP annuity income and how much was...
Do you want to talk to a Retirement Services Officer (RSO)?
Whether you are a Soldier in the Regular Army, Army National Guard, or Army Reserve, you have an assigned RSO. Find yours on the Contact Your RSO page.
PLANNING
Download Health Records from Portal
On April 1, the TRICARE Online Patient Portal, (TOL PP) will no longer be available. The Department of Defense’s new electronic health record—Military Health System (MHS) GENESIS—has replaced the TOL PP, which will be decommissioned on April 1, 2025. If you want to keep a copy of your legacy...
When the SBP annuitant is a minor
The DOD Survivor Benefit Plan (SBP) provides an ongoing monthly annuity payment to military spouses or dependent children when a military member dies while on active duty, on inactive duty in the line of duty, or after retirement (if the military retiree chooses to purchase such coverage).
VA Expands Veterans Legacy Memorial
The Department of Veterans Affairs expanded the Veterans Legacy Memorial (VLM), found at vlm.cem.va.gov — the nation’s largest digital platform dedicated to the memory of veterans and service members — to allow veterans to tell their own story before they pass away. The new...
HOW TO REPORT THE DEATH OF A RETIRED SOLDIER
Contact the Department of the Army Casualty and Mortuary Affairs Operations Division anytime by calling (800) 626-3317. You will be immediately referred to a local Casualty Assistance Center, who will report the death to the Defense Finance and Accounting Service to stop retired pay and initiate the survivor benefits process. If you reside overseas and the toll free number is not available, call your Retirement Services Officer listed on page 15 for assistance. When reporting the death, please provide as much of the information below as you have:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
COMMUNITY
Smart Docs Increase to Two
Beginning in February, the Retired Military and Annuitant Pay (R&A) division of the Defense Finance and Accounting Service (DFAS), will send out...
How Benefits Change for RC Retirees
Reserve Soldiers are eligible for retirement pay after completing 20 or more years of qualifying service. However, unlike active-duty Soldiers...
REMINDER FOR ARMY NATIONAL GUARD AND RESERVE SOLDIERS:
If you haven't already, create a "Future Retiree" myPay account. Go to Army Gray Area Retirees for more details.
