May - July 2026
The Official Newsletter for Retired Soldiers, Surviving Spouses & Families
COVER STORY
Inspiring the Next Generation to Serve
One of the greatest privileges of being a Retired Soldier is the opportunity to continue serving long after taking off the uniform. Retirement from active service does not mean retirement from purpose. In fact, I have found some of my most meaningful moments as a retired ...
Forging the Future at USAREC
In October 2025, U.S. Army Recruiting Command (USAREC) began transforming to create efficiency for the U.S. Army while continuing to attract and recruit qualified applicants. USAREC’s new mandate is to manage the service’s entire Force Generation Pipeline – from first contact ...
MONEY MATTERS
When Life Changes, Share with DFAS
As a retiree, the sooner you alert the Defense Finance and Accounting Service (DFAS) to any life change that might affect your pay, the timelier and more accurate your pay will be. Keeping your account updated includes making sure your mailing address, email address, banking information ...
What are Social Security-related scams?
According to the Social Security Administration (SSA), criminals continue to impersonate SSA and other government agencies in an attempt to obtain personal information or money from individuals. Scammers might call, email, text, write, or message you on social media claiming to be from the SSA ...
Help Us Process Your SBP Payments Better
The Defense Finance and Accounting Service (DFAS) is always working to improve processes for our valued retirees. In this article, we're focusing on direct remittance for Survivor Benefit Plan (SBP) premiums. If you are a retiree who pays your premiums directly to DFAS, this article has ...
DFAS Improves Phone Menu
The Defense Finance and Accounting Service (DFAS) has simplified and enhanced their phone menu — DFAS411 (888) 332-7411.
Option 1 is for those calling to report a death of a Retired Soldier or check on an existing casualty claim.
Option 2 is for Retirees, Annuitants, and Former Spouses.
Using these available options helps keep the wait time lower for callers and gets you to the right person the first time without the need for any call transfers or unnecessary delays.
PLANNING
VA Speeds Survivor Benefits Delivery
The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs has announced a new regulation that will lead to faster decisions and quicker payments for certain types of survivors’ claims. Previously, VA was required to address claims for Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC) and Survivors Pension ...
Do you need to update your SBP election?
It’s important to know that if you elected SBP at retirement, you are responsible for updating your SBP election during retirement when certain life events occur ...
Gray Area Retiree Spotlight: Future Retiree myPay Account
If you have not yet established your myPay account with the Defense Finance and Accounting Service (DFAS), we urge you to do so as soon as possible. You will notice that you have a “Future Retiree” myPay account. Using this account and keeping your contact information updated helps you maintain communication and keep in contact with the Army, especially in terms of your pay.
Visit the dedicated Gray Area Retiree webpage at https://www.dfas.mil/RetiredMilitary/plan/Gray-Area-Retirees/.
COMMUNITY
US Army Reserve Celebrates 118 years
Since its establishment in 1908, the Army Reserve has answered the nation’s call when needed. With more than 1.3 million Citizen Soldiers, that legacy is not just history, it is the foundation of what the Army Reserve represents today: a capable, ready and indispensable force ...
Retired Soldier Council 2026 Meeting
Members of the Chief of Staff of the Army Retired Soldier Council (CSARSC) recently concluded a weeklong summit, April 20-24, 2026, at the Pentagon. The council is dedicated to identifying and addressing the primary issues impacting the global Retired Soldier community and their families ...
AER: Lifeline for Soldiers and Families
The 2026 Army Emergency Relief (AER) campaign kicked off Mar. 1, and runs through June 14, the Army’s 251st birthday. The campaign is a key initiative designed to provide financial support to Soldiers, Retired Soldiers, and their families, facing unexpected challenges. It serves two main ...
NEW 2026 Retired Soldier Guide Available
The 2026 Retired Soldier Handbook is now available at your local Retirement Services Office and on the Post Retirement page here on the SFL website.
The purpose of the U.S. Army Retired Soldier Handbook is to provide current and updated information for Retired Soldiers and their families, about the benefits and entitlements they’ve earned through their years of faithful service.
It is important that all Retired Soldiers maintain a working knowledge of their benefits and entitlements in order to take full advantage of them. In addition to the information presented here, Retired Soldiers should refer to Army Echoes which also highlights changes in benefits and entitlements. The current and previous editions of Army Echoes dating back to 2022 are available here on the SFL website.
AAFES: All In, Always
After 14 years as the Director/CEO of the Army & Air Force Exchange Service (AAFES), my family and I decided that June is the right time to begin our next journey into retirement ...
Battle Buddies for Life
At the Armed Forces Retirement Home (AFRH), new chapters are written in, often, unexpected ways. AFRH offers eligible couples the opportunity to continue life together in a supportive, secure community designed for enlisted veterans, non-commissioned officers, and limitedduty officers ...
Attend a 2026 Retiree Appreciation Day in Your Area!
IN EVERY ISSUE
Joe Answers Reader Questions
In this issue Joe provides answers on ID card renewals for children and MWR library access
Spouse Benefits After Retirement
Serving in the military is more than just a job, it’s a family commitment. After your service member retires, as a military spouse, you still have access to many of the benefits you enjoyed while your loved one served on active duty. To keep access to these benefits, make sure your information ...
A New Chapter for Army Echoes
As Army Echoes continues to modernize and expand digital accessibility, this May-July 2026 edition marks the final broad distribution of the printed and mailed newsletter. In order to ensure continued access to Army Echoes, we ask for you to verify/update your email address in your myPay account at the Defense Finance and Accounting Service (DFAS) by logging into myPay at: https://mypay.dfas.mil/ or by calling DFAS directly at (800) 321-1080.
NOTE: This is something ONLY YOU can do. We do not have access to your personal myPay account.
We highly encourage you to have an email address on file with your myPay account as this is where your Army Echoes notification will be going. Army Echoes can also be downloaded and printed from: https://soldierforlife.army.mil/Army-Retirement/Post-Retirement/Army-Echoes-Newsletter.
Step by step instructions:
- Log in: Go to myPay at https://mypay.dfas.mil/ and log in to your account.
- Find Settings: On the main page, find and click on Personal Settings in the top menu bar.
- Select Email Address: In the left-hand menu, select the Email Address link.
- Enter New Email: Enter your new personal email address in the fields provided, re-entering it for confirmation.
- Set as Primary (Optional): If this will be your main email, check the box to set it as primary.
- Submit: Click Accept/Submit or Next to save your changes.
- Verify: You’ll receive a verification link; click it to confirm your new email.
- Add to Safe Senders: Add dfas-smartdocs@mail.mil to your safe senders/contacts to ensure you get important
notifications.
