Benefits for Military Families

Why get my family an ID card?

Spouses and eligible children should be enrolled in Defense Eligibility Enrollment Reporting System (DEERS) which:

• Speeds up authorization of Tricare during mobilization or periods of active duty of more than 30 days.
• Unlimited shopping at any U.S. Military PX/BX.
  No Taxes, Appliances, Liquor, Cigs
• Commissary privileges extended to 24 visits per year for drilling Guards members and families.
  Savings up to 25-30%, Coupons accepted, No Taxes, willing to serve
• Space Available travel- some restrictions Contact:
  105th AW, Stewart ANG Base,
  Newburgh, NY 12550
  (845)563-2062
• Use of military services such as guest housing and MWR discounts such as movie tickets, sporting events, outdoor rental equipment, etc. Armed Forces Recreations Centers worldwide (Shades of Green, Hale Koa, Dragon Hill Lodge, AFRC Europe - Garmisch & Chiemsee, Germany.
  Note: Use WWW to locate military installations when traveling.
• Use of many services offered by the Fleet and Family Support Center, Saratoga Springs, NY
  Note: Transition Assistance, Family and Financial Counseling, etc.

Who's eligible?

• Retirees, guardsmen, spouses (some former spouses)
• Unremarried widow or widower
• Children at age 10, under the age of 21(including adopted or stepchildren) (exceptions to 10 years)
• Children 21 to 23 if full-time college students
• Unmarried children incapable of self-support
• Elderly Parents - if you contribute 50% in the support of an elderly parent (deduction stated on tax returns)

Unit Administrators should be able to issue a Commissary Card and an ID card or direct you to a RAPID site near your Home of Record. Call for an appointment and any information and documents you need to bring.

Contact Mrs. Taylor Cross with questions/concerns @ (518) 786-4406 or taylor.i.cross.civ@mail.mil

For a list of all New York CAC/RAPIDS sites, visit http://www.dmdc.osd.mil/rsl

• U.S.Army Morale, Welfare & Recreation
• West Point, USMA
• West Point Community & Family Activities
• Fort Drum

• John Bone, MWR Program Manager
  3569 Galway Rd Ballston Spa, NY 12020
  (518) 885-5138 (Ext. 1)
  jbone_nsumwr@nycap.rr.com
• Watervliet Arsenal
  Family Morale & Recreation
  (518) 266-4829
• Fort Hamilton
  Army Community Services
  (718) 630-4754

Armed Forces Recreation Centers

Armed Forces Recreation Centers are centrally-managed resort hotels operated by the United States Army. These affordable Joint Services morale, welfare, and recreation facilities are located at ideal vacation destinations and offer a full range of resort opportunities for service members, their families, and other members of the total Defense Force. Armed Forces Recreation Center resort hotels are located at Honolulu, Hawaii (Hale Koa Hotel); Orlando, Florida, Shades of Green; Garmisch and Chiemsee, Germany (Armed Forces Recreation Center-Europe); and Seoul, Korea (Dragon Hill Lodge).

Armed Forces Recreation Centers are totally self-supporting using only nonappropriated fund revenues generated internally from operations.

For information regarding comissary rules and regulations please visit the Commissary Home page.

The following is a list and phone numbers of Commissaries and Exchanges in New York.

Services

• Veteran Administration (Federal)
• Division of Veterans Affairs (NYS)
• VISN 3 (NY/NJ) Veteran's Integrated Service Network facilities in New York City (Bronx, Brooklyn) and New Jersey (Northport, Castle Point, Montrose, East Orange, and Lyons).
• VISN 2 (Upstate NY) Information and links to Veteran's Integrated Service network facilities in upstate New York.
• Veteran's Information: NYS Department of Labor job search page.
• POW-MIA, Library of Congress Site for POW-MIA searches.
• Gulf War Illnesses (the VA Information Site) or, by telephone, 1-800-PGW-VETS
• Wounded Warrior Resource Center
• VA Home Loan Benefit Program. For more information call the VA at 1-800-827-1000

Veterans Service Organizations

• Veterans Service Organizations which are federally chartered and/or recognized or approved by the Secretary. These VA listings give POCs, Addresses and Phone Numbers.
• American Red Cross
• American G.I. Forum
• Rainbow Division Veterans' Association (RDVA)

TriCare -- health insurance

for the most up-to-date information, go to: TriCare at OSD
  (... and also see the Health Net links below for forms, etc.)

Service Group Life Insurance - SGLI

For the most up-to-date information, go to: http://www.insurance.va.gov/sglisite/SGLI/SGLI.htm

Veterans Group Life Insurance - VGLI

For the most up-to-date information, go to: http://www.insurance.va.gov/VGLI/VGLI.htm

REMINDER: Be sure to update your own and family members' eligibility information in the Defense Enrollment Eligibility Reporting System (DEERS). Sponsors and family members actually lose access to their TRICARE health care benefits when "loss of eligibility" appears in DEERS; they are unable to make appointments, get prescriptions filled, or have claims processed correctly. Action must be taken by the sponsor and his/her family members to update information in DEERS as well as in their military personnel records. Reserve Component sponsors should visit the nearest ID Card issuing facility and their unit personnel shop to ensure that their DEERS information is current and correct. For additional information about DEERS or to update an address in DEERS, visit https://www.dmdc.osd.mil/appj/dwp/index.jsp.

Health Net Federal Services:

https://www.hnfs.com/content/hnfs/home/tn/prov/benefits.html provides the very latest benefits information.

https://www.hnfs.com/content/hnfs/home/tn/common/app_help_pages/provider_directory.html/ lets you search for a health care provider in your area.

https://www.hnfs.com/content/hnfs/home/tn/bene/res.html lists Tricare Program materials and forms.

Other DOD Health Affairs useful sites:

provides information about DoD health programs.

North Atlantic Regional Medical Command offers some additional regional information

Keller Army Community Hospital, West Point

Guthrie Ambulatory Health Care Clinic, Fort Drum

United Concordia Dental Information

The Department of Defense Office of Financial Readiness offers Personal Financial Counselors (PFCs) to help you and your family manage finances, resolve financial problems and/or reach short, intermediate and/or longer-term goals, such as getting an education, buying a home and planning for retirement.

Support and Financial Counseling Services

• Confidential financial consultations for individuals and families
• Referrals to military and community resources
• Support for service and family members during all stages of the deployment cycle
• Help with credit management, budgeting
• Assistance with navigating benefits
• Advocacy information and support

Common Military Training and Workshops

Personal Financial Counselors

Services are no-cost, private and confidential

Find a PFC worldwide using the locator map at the Office of Financial Readiness site: https://finred.usalearning.gov/pfcMap