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The Thrift Savings Plan, or TSP, is a government savings program that allows government employees, including military service workers, to build up money for retirement. As long as you keep the money inside your plan, you do not have to pay taxes on it. When you leave the military, if you wish, you can roll your TSP money into an Individual Retirement Account without paying any tax or penalties on the transfer.
The former spouse of a member of the military does not forfeit her portion of military retirement pay should he remarry – instead, the Uniformed Services Former Spouse Protection Act requires that, if she begins to receive benefits under the Survivor Benefit Plan upon her former spouse’s death, she will lose those benefits if she remarries before reaching his 55th birthday.
Enlisting in any branch of the U.S. military is a commitment the government expects you to fulfill through your full contract term. A time might come when you have to leave the military before your have completed your contract. Because the military takes enlistment seriously, it makes it difficult for you to leave early. Several methods exist by which you can get out of your contract with an honorable discharge.
A couple may engage in divorce proceedings to dissolve their marriage union. Most divorce proceedings follow the state regulations established in civil court proceedings. Yet a military divorce can differ from a civil divorce since the service member must follow both state and federal regulations regarding military laws. Also, certain states have clauses that differ from others regarding the filing of a divorce and seeking military benefits for nonmilitary spouses.
Individuals who serve in the military are eligible for various tax benefits in the form of deductions and exclusions from income tax. Although there aren't additional benefits that apply specifically to the spouse of those who serve in the military, she enjoys the same tax benefits when filing a joint return.
Designed for children and young teens, "Fantage" is an online virtual world where you play games and earn points and medals for your achievement. "Fantage" offers awards for many achievements, and one of these awards is the Veteran Medal. Medals in "Fantage" have levels that increase as your achievements improve during game play. The Veteran Medal is awarded for time spent playing the game.
The Survivor Benefit Plan Title 10 USC 1447-55 as of February 1, 2010 is commonly referred to as SBP, according to Cornell University Law School. Congress enacted SBP to provide a spouse or former spouse of a military retiree an annuity in the event of the death of the service member, according to Military.com. All branches of the military including active and reservist and the Coast Guard are eligible to participate in SBP. Generally, a final decree of divorce SBP may be reopened in one specific situation, according to Air Force Retirees Benefits.
Servicemembers have the challenging duty to suspend their own lives during deployment in defense of their country. Unfortunately, divorce and separation create additional difficulties for servicemembers facing custody issues. Because they relocate frequently and experience deployments, servicemembers must address child custody and visitation on an ongoing basis. Some basic questions pertaining to custody continually arise.
Veterans Affairs provides a wide range of benefits for retired and discharged members of the armed services. The goal of the program is to ensure that veterans of the military receive education, medical care or financial service that enhance their quality of life. World War II veterans are eligible for pension payments, home loans, benefits for their spouses or children, medical treatment, insurance and burial benefits. It is important to know what department in Veterans Affairs to contact to inquire about such aid.
Individuals reported AWOL are fugitives. AWOL stands for absent without leave and is a term used for those who desert their military obligations. The branch of military that the person deserts will file paperwork declaring them AWOL with all state and federal law enforcement agencies. So, if the person is identified by law enforcement, such as during a routine traffic stop, they may be arrested on the spot. You can report people who are AWOL to local law enforcement or call their specific branch of armed forces to report their whereabouts.
A number of states have adopted tax policies that provide favorable consideration to disabled veterans. These polices either reduce or eliminate taxes on the property, income and consumption activities of qualifying participants. The exemptions vary in size and scope and in some cases eligibility is tied to the amount of the disabled veteran's income or the value of his property.
Since 1905, medals have been used to commemorate the bravery of men and women serving in the armed forces. It can be argued that no generation of soldiers is more deserving of the honor of a medal than those who served in World War II. Veterans of this war are encouraged to wear their medals at military gatherings and during holidays such as Independence Day, Memorial Day and Veterans Day. Family members of deceased soldiers also cherish these medals, which can sometimes be lost or damaged and need replacing.
Finalizing a California divorce while one spouse serves in the military presents unique challenges compared to a civilian divorce. Roadblocks, designed to prevent a military member on active duty from being divorced without his knowledge, do exist. Under the Soldiers and Sailors Civil Relief Act, a divorce may be postponed for the entire time the soldier serves in the military. However, if both spouses agree to the divorce, this right can be waived, and a divorce can be granted as long as you or your spouse live or are stationed in California.
Divorce for members of the military is more complex than it is for civilians. The Uniformed Services Former Spouses' Protection Act (USFSPA) gives a former spouse of a military member a right to the military member's retirement pay. Work with a divorce attorney with experience in military divorces to ensure that your rights and the best interests of your child or children are protected.
While serving in the military, you may keep your original state of residency or change it to your family's current location. The military considers your state of residency to be the place you are registered to vote, where you pay income taxes and where you legally qualify for in-state college tuition rates. You must file for divorce in your or your spouse's state of residency, according to the U.S. Army's Judge Advocate General's Corps.
If you're wondering how to get a copy of your military medical records you've come to the right place. Active duty military medical records are kept at the National Personnel Records Center in Washington, DC or the Department of Veterans Affairs Record Management Center in St. Louis, Missouri; but you don't have to travel to DC or Missouri to get them. Requests for active duty medical records can be made online, by mail, in person or by phone. Below you can find all of the information you need about obtaining your military sevice or medical records.
It is possible for patients to lose or misplace dental records. If this is the case, finding those dental records depends on contacting dentists and dental offices. Narrowing down the possible location of the records through contacting dental offices and dental care providers may make the search for missing records easier. Once it is determined that a particular dentist holds the records, it is common for the patient to pay for the copying or recreation of the records. Sometimes, the patient must file a release or transfer form before the dentist can release the missing records.
The divorce rate among military families is on the rise. Military spouses who are facing an imminent divorce have certain rights that arise under either state or federal law. Some states will order division of military retirement pay, and some spouses can continue to receive free medical care or other on-base benefits. A divorce attorney with military experience can help navigate these tricky questions.
Archives.org is the leading site providing veterans with military records. Through this website, members of the military can access their records online through their secure search engine database, or they can find ways to obtain their records through other means. In order to access records online, you must provide substantial proof of identity, which protects your information from falling into the wrong hands. For those who choose to work offline, this site provides methods for obtaining the information through the United States Postal Service. These records are free for veterans, next of kin and all authorized representatives.
Except on those rare occasions when a National Guard unit is called into national service, National Guard units are under the control of individual states. When individuals join the National Guard, they promise to remain for a specified number of years. However, many people move between states during their enlistment period and the National Guard has a relatively simple way for those individuals to finish their service obligation in their new state.
Divorce is a difficult situation to handle whether it is as a civilian or dealing with the military. A military divorce requires knowledge of certain rules and federal regulations not common in civilian divorces. Persons going through a military divorce should familiarize themselves with the current rules, some instated since the War on Terrorism, and have a lawyer who has experience with military divorces. As with any divorce the persons involved must have patience and follow the rules.
In efforts to further U.S. foreign policy, expand democracy and free markets and improve the lives of those in developing countries, the U.S. Agency for International Development spends 0.5 percent of the federal budget in its work around the globe. The procurement and acquisition of commodities and services is vital to USAID's work.
Section 395.10 of the California Military and Veterans Code (Section 395.10), which was passed as emergency legislation and signed into law by the Governor of California on October 9, 2007, permits persons married to military personnel to take unpaid time off from work when their spouses return home from deployment in an overseas combat zone.
The U.S. Coast Guard is an armed military organization. The mission of the Coast Guard is to protect and defend the maritime borders. The Coast Guard also participates in search and rescue missions. The Coast Guard has many installations, bases and units in the United States, including the Massachusetts Military Reservation in Cape Cod.
The state of Minnesota is known as the "Land of 10,000 Lakes." True to it's name the state is home to more than 11,000 lakes and 6,000 natural rivers. Most residents of the state regularly enjoy the various areas of wilderness and wetlands and as a result, all recreational traveling crafts need to be registered just like cars.
Qualified disabled veterans living in the state of Indiana are entitled to receive benefits ranging from employment assistance to license plates and tax deductions.
In order to ensure safety for all those aboard a boat, there are several requirements that must be fulfilled. Many of the specific requirements depend on the length and type of boat. These are simply the basics and it is a good idea to go beyond them and carry other equipment and devices such as a radio and first-aid kit.
Members of the New York State and Local Police and Fire Retirement System (PFRS) are comprised of police officers and firefighters. The Accidental Disability retirement benefit is one of several retirement benefits offered by PFRS.
Whether you're cruising the Pacific on a yacht, setting sail in San Diego Bay or slicing Lake Tahoe on your personal watercraft, you must follow California watercraft law. Check with the California Department of Boating and Waterways for comprehensive watercraft regulations.
President Richard Nixon signed the Federal Boat Safety Act of 1971 on Aug. 10, 1971. The act amended the Motorboat Act of 1940 and repealed most of the Federal Boating Act of 1958.
You are allowed to carry knives with blades smaller than 3 inches in the state of Illinois as long as you are not carrying them with the intent to commit a crime.
Boat operators in Florida must obtain a Florida Boating Safety Education ID Card. Sometimes called a boater's license, the card shows that you completed the mandatory education required by the state of Florida. Once you obtain the card, it does not expire, and you do not have to renew it.
The General Counsel of the Department of Defense is the major legal officer of that department. The department is bound by the Privacy Act of 1974, as are all agencies of the federal government.
It is discouraging for former Naval personnel to obtain copies of their records only to discover there is an error. Veterans who discover an error on their Naval records can submit a request in writing to have the error changed. In the case of an incorrect birth date in a Naval record, the process takes little time and requires only a little additional documentation.
The United States Coast Guard possesses few regulations for anything that isn't floating in the water, such as boats and channel markers. The few references that do exist regarding the lighting of docks are stated negatively. In other words, the illumination guidelines dictate what dock lighting can't look like.
A divorce, known legally as a dissolution of marriage, is a legal civil action heard by a family law court when one spouse sues the other spouse for separation of marital property. In general, a divorce action begins with a complaint, and the parties must negotiate a settlement and/or distribution of all joint and individual assets. Military divorces differ somewhat from civilian divorces because the service member is subject to military laws.
Although military service is voluntary in the United States, there are those who decide that they are not suited to military life. Rather than fulfill the remainder of their enlistment contract, some choose to go AWOL.
People who participate in federal service in the Air National Guard or Army National Guard are covered by the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act. The act also includes anyone who performs duty in the uniformed services, and applies to any employer in the United States, even small businesses. Employers must also provide people entitled to the Act's rights with a notice of the benefits.
A stop-loss order is when the military keeps troops it needs when they would have otherwise been allowed to leave, according to the Georgia National Guard. It is authorized by federal law and overrides laws and policies that would otherwise allow soldiers, sailors and airmen to leave active duty.
Anchoring laws in Florida govern different boating or cruising communities. Specifically, a Florida municipality is allowed to implement local anchorage laws given that it can establish a mooring field with approval from the state. Further, regulations recently introduced allow cruising communities to address mooring-field problems. These new set of rules also permit removal of abandoned vessels. Anchoring laws in Florida also cover marine evacuations along with anchoring restrictions and live-aboard vessel classification.
Disability pay for veterans of the United States military is handled by the Department of Veterans Affairs. Several areas are covered, including pay for the veterans themselves and in some cases disabled children of veterans. To qualify for disability pay, the veteran must have separated from service with a discharge that was not dishonorable.
A draft record for a Vietnam conflict veteran, also known as a draft registration card, displays the registrant's name and other personal information. The National Archives says that draft registration cards may include "name, date of birth, home address, Selective Service registration number and may include additional information like a phone number or marital status." These registration cards are classified as protected information in the Privacy Act, so draft information is obtainable only by the registrant or a person who provides written permission from that registrant. Draft records are located at the National Archives of the United States government.
Oftentimes, spouses of military members have to pack up and move out of state or even out of the country, when the service member receives orders to report to a new duty station. In California, there are a number of laws specific to California that protect the rights of the spouses of military members who are stationed in or are legal residents of the state.
The National Guard is one of the primary defense forces in the United States. The powers of the National Guard vary; the President of the United States may deploy the National Guard internationally or guardsmen may be used domestically by the President or by a governor's orders.
Military bases are highly secure areas. The functions on bases reflect high standards for civilian life. Strict laws are enforced on bases to keep military personnel and visitors safe. The Pentagon revised several safety laws in 2010 to keep military bases safe from violence.
The Office of Federal Procurement Policy (OFPP) within the United States Office of Management and Budget is charged with promoting efficiency and economic growth, as well as preventing waste and fraud in acquisition processes. The OFPP ensures federal agencies use ethical practices.
Child custody issues for military families take on an interesting spin. While each state has specifics regarding child custody and visitation arrangements, the details are more complicated for a military family. Knowing how to manage some of these issues is key.
In 1789 when the United States Constitution was ratified, the federal government assumed responsibility for paying pensions to soldiers who had been seriously injured fighting the Revolutionary War. Since then, the United States has always tried to make provisions for its veterans.
The United States Government and the United States Military have a number of forms that they use in order to track its individual payroll process. The Military Pay Voucher is one of the many forms that the U.S. Military uses.
It is widely known that military veterans have benefits accessible to them in due recognition of service to the United States of America, which include retirement, disability and life insurance. However, the benefits extended to veteran widows are not as publicized and often go unclaimed by those who are eligible. The following is a list of veteran widow benefits for widows of veterans who served in World Wars I and II, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, the Persian Gulf War, Desert Storm and the War in Iraq.
