April - June 2025
THE OFFICIAL NEWSLETTER FOR SOLDIERS WITH 17 OR MORE YEARS OF SERVICE
COVER STORY
Who ya gonna call? The ASC!
The Army Service Center (ASC) is here to answer numerous questions for our Army veteran and Retired Soldier community. Many of our customers seek help obtaining service records or with requesting changes to their records. This includes DD Forms 214 and 215, your Army Military Human Resource Record (AMHRR), and much more.
MONEY MATTERS
Health Insurance After Retirement
Some of the biggest adjustments Soldiers face as they retire are related to health insurance and medical care, but brushing up on your healthcare knowledge pre-transition can help smooth the way.
More G.I. Bill Benefits for Some
Some of the biggest adjustments Soldiers face as they retire are related to health insurance and medical care, but brushing up on your healthcare knowledge pre-transition can help smooth the way.
Review Allotments Before Retirement
Allotments are a convenient way to ensure your bills are paid. However, there are some allotments that cannot transfer from military pay to retired pay. Also, if the total amount of your allotments is too high when you retire, your retired pay may come up short.
PLANNING GUIDANCE
Keeping TRICARE After Retirement
When you retire from the active or reserve component, you'll experience a TRICARE Qualifying Life Event (QLE), which gives you 90 days to enroll in a TRICARE health plan. You will still have access to the same coverage but you need to choose your plan in retirement.
Financially Prepare for Retirement
When you are two to three years out from your planned retirement, gaining information that will give a precise picture of your future finances can be a slower process. However, by using available tools and information, you can start planning and adding details as they become available.
Reservists, Unlock Civilian Success
Navigating the transition from military service to civilian employment can be challenging, but with the right preparation and resources, Reserve Soldiers can find rewarding careers that leverage their unique skills and experiences.
Is SBP right for you & your family?
Are you researching whether you need the Survivor Benefit Plan (SBP) or the Reserve Component Survivor Benefit Plan (RCSBP)? Are you trying to figure out if you should get life insurance instead? Then keep reading…
A New SFL Website Just for You
If you visit the Soldier for Life website regularly for retirement planning or post-retirement information you may have noticed something has changed. It is new, different, and easier to navigate in the best ways!
Celebrating Our Military Children
For 39 years, the Department of Defense has recognized and celebrated military children during the month of April. Officially known as the Month of the Military Child, Defense officials seek to honor the more than 1.6 million military children who face frequent challenges and often make numerous sacrifices as a result of their parents' service to our nation.
POST RETIREMENT PERSPECTIVES
Twenty Years Will Fly By
Like most of today’s enlisted Soldiers, I joined the military straight out of high school in 1997. I was still quite young, but I knew I wasn’t ready to go to college – at least not yet. A coin toss decided my fate: heads Marine Corps, tails Army. And with tails, I was “rolling along.”
The Armed Forces Retirement Home
The Armed Forces Retirement Home (AFRH), an independent agency in the executive branch of the federal government, was created in 1991 to provide housing, direct care, and daily services for retired and former enlisted members of America’s armed forces.
Current Issue
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