When Do Benefits Start After Signing for the Navy?
For new Navy enlistees, military pay isn't enough to guarantee a living wage. Military benefits, like housing allowances and medical insurance, make up the difference. However, unlike pay, military benefits don't always start immediately. The new recruit may have paperwork to complete first, or DFAS, the military paymaster system, may take time to process.
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Commitment Stages
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Most recruits get a delayed-entry contract (DEP) before starting, which commits them to reporting for boot camp at MEPS (Military Entry Processing Station) up to a year in advance. No specific benefits come with this contract, but the recruiter usually provides assistance for young recruits to get into better physical and mental condition. When you arrive at MEPS to go to Great Lakes for boot camp, you will sign a second active-duty contract and take an oath. At this point, you are considered an active-duty sailor and you will start to draw a salary, out of which boot camp expenses such as grooming items and uniforms will be deducted.
Initial Benefits
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Just because you are being paid like a sailor does not mean you will immediately get benefits. Your first day at boot camp is spent completing paperwork. If you have dependents, you'll need to put them on your Page Two form to get medical coverage and dependent benefits. You and your dependents can't use the commissary or other military-provided establishments until you have a military identification card with your picture. It takes time for all this paperwork to be processed, but in most cases, new Navy recruits and their families will have full access to military benefits within two weeks of starting boot camp. If not, you should tell your drill sergeant about any issues; he should be able to straighten out any problems within a day or two.
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Full-Time Sailor Benefits
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Once you've graduated boot camp and are headed to A school or OTC, you and your family should have full access to all military benefits with only a few exceptions. Your pay at this point should include BAQ or BAH housing allotments as well as any professional adjustments. Because BAH usually gets delayed by DFAS processing, make sure you receive all your back BAH; it should start accumulating on the same day you begin receiving base pay and back pay should be caught up by the time you start A school. All family members ages 10 and over will need an identification card to access all benefits.
GI Bill
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The GI Bill is the only military benefit you will not have any access to upon completing boot camp. Because this is a benefit dependent upon your service, it is available only after you complete your initial military contract term. You will also have to wait for a full signing bonus, if you were given one. You will receive one-half your bonus upon completion of boot camp, with the rest coming in annual installments throughout your contract, paid through your check with taxes taken out. If you expect any other bonus as part of your military benefits package, ask the recruiter when it will be paid. Rules governing bonuses change frequently.
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References
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