SPOUSEFAMILY CONSIDERATIONS TO WED OR NOT TO WED

SPOUSE/FAMILY CONSIDERATIONS TO WED…. OR NOT TO WED.

ADVANTAGES TO MARRIAGE/KIDS • Duhhh. . you love em! • Paid more • On-base housing nicer/preference • In some cases, allows you more flexibility for deployments (kids/pets) • Can be easier to get time off (unit dependent) • Someone to help PCS

DISADVANTAGES TO MARRIAGE/KIDS • Additional responsibility • Time • Money • Can be limited opportunities for civilian professional spouse • Dual military assignments challenge

BENEFITS • Military Spouse Career Advancement Account (My. CAA) • Up to $4 K scholarship for spouses of enlisted or Lts who are pursuing a license, certificate or Associates Degree • Family Service Members’ Group Life Insurance (FSGLI) (up to $100 K) • Patriot Express (small business loan up to $500 K at 2. 25 -4. 75%) • GI Bill (transfer) • Military Spouse Preference (MSP) (preferential employment in vacant Do. D civilian positions)

TIPS FOR NEW MILITARY SPOUSES TO ENSURE YOU RECEIVE YOUR BENEFITS • Obtain a copy of your marriage certificate and keep it with other important documents. You can get it from the city, town or county clerk's office where you were married. • Ask your spouse to enroll you in the Defense Enrollment Eligibility Reporting System, or DEERS. Be sure you're enrolled in DEERS as it's required to receive medical and other benefits. For contact information, visit TRICARE DEERS. • Get a military identification card from the ID card facility. You'll need it to receive military spouse benefits and gain access to installations, exchanges and commissaries. • Memorize your spouse's Social Security number. You'll need it for all sorts of paperwork and forms. • Learn to read your spouse's leave and earnings statement, or LES. Your spouse's LES will show you how much pay, allowances and leave time your spouse has. Visit Department of Defense Military Compensation or Defense Finance and Accounting Service to learn more. • Learn about the military's health benefits. Visit TRICARE to learn about the three options available for medical benefits, and ask your spouse for enrollment information. • Visit your installation's Military and Family Support Center. You'll get information about relocation, local job and volunteer opportunities, and much more. Be sure to ask about the new-spouse orientation program.

EXCEPTIONAL FAMILY MEMBER PROGRAM • Identifies family members with special medical and/or educational needs for reassignment purposes • • Pros Cons

MY EXPERIENCES • Spouse expectations (by others) • Joint Spouse Assignments • Responsibility for kids • School/Sports programs

LINKS • http: //www. militaryonesource. mil/education-and-employment/spouseeducation-and-career-opportunities • https: //msepjobs. militaryonesource. mil/msep/ • http: //www. militaryonesource. mil/family-andrelationships/marriage? content_id=282450 • (EFMP) http: //www. militaryonesource. mil/efmp/assignmentcoordination? content_id=266916