MILITARYCLAIMS.US · NAVIGATION GUIDES

Military Navigation Guides

Practical, nonpartisan navigation through military programs, benefits, forms, systems, records, decisions, and survivor pathways.

Honor service. Navigate the system. Preserve the record. MilitaryClaims.us is an independent educational resource and is not a government agency. Use each guide to identify the correct system, gatekeeper, form, evidence, deadline, decision path, and next level of review.

Start with your situation

Start Here & System Map — status, component, IDs, accounts, forms, deadlines, and who controls what.
Serving Now & Military Family — pay, housing, TRICARE, family, PCS, travel, education, deployment, Guard/Reserve, legal help, injury, and SGLI.
Problems, Claims & Corrections — pay errors, property claims, vehicle/federal claims, records corrections, discharge issues, disability challenges, IG channels, and appeals.
Separation & Retirement — TAP, medical exit, DD-214, SkillBridge, retirement, SBP, TSP, final move, and the first year after service.
Veteran Benefits & Post-Service Navigation — disability, decision review, health care, education, VR&E, home loans, pension, caregivers, insurance, employment, records, and debts.
Death, Family & Survivors — casualty assistance, final pay, insurance, SBP, DIC, pension, education, TRICARE, burial, DEERS, review, and estate/document audits.

What to look for in a guide

Start Here
Who this guide is for
Systems and portals
Gatekeepers
Forms
Evidence to preserve
Step-by-step pathway
Deadlines and effective dates
Decision
If delayed, denied, or incorrect
Appeal, review, or correction
What changed
Official sources
Related records and guides

Each topic focuses on the steps and records relevant to that situation. Check the linked official instructions for the form, filing channel, eligibility rules, and deadline that apply to you. Browse the six topic groups below for the full directory.

1. Start Here & System Map

Find the right system before filing: status, accounts, gatekeepers, forms, evidence, help, and privacy.

Start Here: Identify Your Status, Component, and Objective (MNG-001)
Status, component, duty category, life event, and desired outcome determine the correct pathway.
Build Your Military Life File (MNG-002)
Create a durable personal file before records disappear, accounts close, or responsibility shifts.
IDs, DEERS, CAC/USID, and Eligibility Records (MNG-003)
Understand identity, dependency, eligibility, and the records that unlock services.
Accounts & Portals (MNG-004)
Map the logins used for personnel, pay, health, benefits, claims, and records.
Who Controls What (MNG-005)
Identify the agency, command, personnel office, contractor, reviewer, and final decision-maker.
Forms, Deadlines & Evidence (MNG-006)
Use the current form, preserve proof of submission, and calendar every deadline.
Getting Help, Representation & Escalation (MNG-007)
Know when to use a counselor, legal assistance office, VSO, accredited representative, ombudsman, supervisor, or formal review.
Privacy, Records Sharing & Digital Security (MNG-008)
Protect personal, medical, financial, and service records while still creating a usable evidence file.

2. Serving Now & Military Family

Operational guides for pay, housing, health care, family, moves, travel, education, deployment, Guard/Reserve service, legal issues, injury, and insurance.

Pay, LES, Allowances & Entitlements (MNG-009)
Read pay statements, identify entitlements, and correct missing or incorrect payments.
Housing, BAH, BAS & Installation Support (MNG-010)
Navigate housing allowances, government quarters, subsistence, and installation resources.
TRICARE, Referrals, Authorizations & Claims (MNG-011)
Understand eligibility, plan rules, referrals, authorizations, claims, and appeal pathways.
Family, Dependents, DEERS & EFMP (MNG-012)
Keep family eligibility current and navigate dependency, special-needs, and enrollment systems.
PCS, Household Goods & Relocation (MNG-013)
Plan orders, moves, household-goods shipments, loss/damage claims, and reimbursement.
TDY, Official Travel & Reimbursement (MNG-014)
Document authorized travel, vouchers, per diem, advances, and disputed expenses.
Education, Tuition Assistance, Credentials & GI Bill Transfer (MNG-015)
Coordinate military education programs, credentialing, and transferable education benefits.
Deployment, Mobilization & Demobilization (MNG-016)
Preserve orders, entitlements, family plans, medical records, and return-to-duty documentation.
Guard & Reserve Status, Points & Benefits (MNG-017)
Track duty status, qualifying service, retirement points, mobilization effects, and benefit eligibility.
Military Legal Assistance & Administrative Proceedings (MNG-018)
Distinguish preventive legal help from command, investigative, disciplinary, and administrative processes.
Injury, Line of Duty, MEB & PEB (MNG-019)
Build the medical and duty-status record from injury through fitness and disability determinations.
SGLI, Beneficiaries & Emergency Planning (MNG-020)
Keep beneficiary elections, emergency contacts, powers, and family documents current.

3. Problems, Claims & Corrections

Use the correct claim, correction, complaint, debt, records, or review lane when something is wrong.

Pay Errors, Debts, Waivers & Remission (MNG-021)
Trace the transaction, notice, debt basis, collection path, and available challenge.
Household Goods & Personal Property Claims (MNG-022)
Document loss or damage, notice, valuation, carrier responsibility, and claim deadlines.
Vehicle Accidents, Military Claims & Federal Claims (MNG-023)
Identify driver status, vehicle ownership, mission purpose, location, and the correct claim regime.
Correcting Military Personnel Records (MNG-024)
Build a correction packet from the original record, error, supporting evidence, and requested remedy.
Evaluations, Promotions & Adverse Administrative Records (MNG-025)
Preserve notices, rebuttals, evaluations, selection records, and administrative review rights.
Discharge Characterization & Upgrade Pathways (MNG-026)
Identify characterization, narrative reason, records, board jurisdiction, standards, and review route.
Awards, Decorations & Recognition Corrections (MNG-027)
Document the event, recommendation trail, orders, citations, and correction authority.
Medical & Disability Determination Challenges (MNG-028)
Separate treatment, fitness, service disability, VA disability, and review systems.
Security Clearance & Administrative Decisions (MNG-029)
Preserve notices, reasons, evidence, response rights, and applicable review procedures.
Complaints, Grievances & Inspector General Channels (MNG-030)
Choose the channel by subject, jurisdiction, confidentiality limits, and available remedy.
Obtaining Missing Military Records (MNG-031)
Identify custodian, record series, date range, identifiers, request method, and escalation route.
Appeals & Review: Choosing the Correct Lane (MNG-032)
Match the decision to the authorized reconsideration, appeal, correction, or judicial-review path.

4. Separation & Retirement

Work backward from the last day of service through TAP, medical, DD-214, SkillBridge, health coverage, retirement pay, SBP, TSP, final move, and first-year VA tasks.

Transition Timeline & TAP (MNG-033)
Work backward from the separation or retirement date and complete required transition milestones.
Final Medical, Dental, SHA & BDD (MNG-034)
Preserve the exit health record and coordinate time-sensitive pre-discharge disability procedures.
DD-214 Review & Separation Packet (MNG-035)
Verify service dates, character, awards, specialties, deployments, and separation data before the record becomes foundational.
SkillBridge, Career Skills & Employment Preparation (MNG-036)
Navigate eligibility, command approval, program routing, timing, and civilian-employment preparation.
Health Coverage After Separation (MNG-037)
Map TRICARE transition rules, retiree coverage, VA enrollment, and civilian coverage gaps.
Retirement Application & Timeline (MNG-038)
Track retirement request windows, orders, personnel actions, elections, and final processing.
Retired Pay, CRDP & CRSC (MNG-039)
Separate retired-pay computation, VA offsets, concurrent receipt, and combat-related compensation pathways.
Survivor Benefit Plan Election (MNG-040)
Understand the election window, beneficiary category, base amount, premiums, spouse concurrence rules, and later changes.
TSP & Financial Transition (MNG-041)
Preserve access and coordinate savings, debt, taxes, insurance, and income changes.
Final Move, Household & Address Changes (MNG-042)
Close out household-goods, address, beneficiary, banking, tax, and records-transfer tasks.
VA First-Year Checklist (MNG-043)
Coordinate enrollment, disability, education, health, insurance, and records during the first year after service.
Preserve Access Before Accounts Change (MNG-044)
Export records, replace military contact information, and preserve access before CAC/email/portal changes.

5. Veteran Benefits & Post-Service Navigation

Navigate VA and post-service systems by benefit, evidence, decision-maker, deadline, and review lane.

VA Disability Compensation (MNG-045)
Build a claim around current disability, in-service event or condition, nexus/evidence, and effective-date rules.
VA Decision Reviews & Board Appeals (MNG-046)
Choose among Supplemental Claim, Higher-Level Review, and Board review based on the decision and evidence posture.
VA Health Care Enrollment & Access (MNG-047)
Navigate enrollment, priority, appointments, community care, records, and treatment decisions.
GI Bill & Education Benefits (MNG-048)
Confirm eligibility, entitlement, school approval, payments, transfers, and remaining benefits.
Veteran Readiness & Employment (VR&E) (MNG-049)
Understand rehabilitation entitlement, evaluation, planning, services, and review rights.
VA Home Loan (MNG-050)
Navigate eligibility, Certificate of Eligibility, lender process, appraisal, funding fee, and post-closing issues.
Veterans Pension & Aid and Attendance (MNG-051)
Identify service, income/net-worth, disability/age, medical-expense, and dependent factors.
Family Caregiver Programs (MNG-052)
Document eligibility, care needs, program decisions, reassessments, and review options.
VA Life Insurance (MNG-053)
Identify the policy/program, beneficiary record, premium status, claim process, and review route.
Veteran Employment & Federal Preference (MNG-054)
Preserve service documentation and distinguish preference, special hiring authorities, and employment programs.
Post-Service Record Corrections (MNG-055)
Use correction boards, archives, service departments, and VA evidence channels without conflating their jurisdictions.
VA Debts, Overpayments & Financial Hardship (MNG-056)
Identify the debt, collection status, dispute, waiver, repayment, and hardship options.

6. Death, Family & Survivors

Coordinate death, casualty support, insurance, final pay, survivor benefits, healthcare, burial, identity records, claims, and estate documentation without conflating separate programs.

Immediate Steps After a Service Member or Veteran Dies (MNG-057)
Create a coordinated first-response checklist for notifications, records, benefits, insurance, pay, and burial.
Casualty Assistance & Survivor Support (MNG-058)
Understand the role of casualty assistance personnel and preserve every election, claim, and contact.
Final Pay & Arrears of Pay (MNG-059)
Identify unpaid military or retired pay, the designated beneficiary, required documents, and payment process.
SGLI & VGLI Claims (MNG-060)
Confirm coverage, beneficiary designation, claim documents, and insurer processing.
Survivor Benefit Plan Annuity (MNG-061)
Establish the election, eligible beneficiary, application, annuity account, and continuing certification requirements.
Dependency & Indemnity Compensation (DIC) (MNG-062)
Develop service-connection or qualifying-death evidence and preserve effective-date and dependency information.
Survivors Pension (MNG-063)
Evaluate wartime service, survivor status, income/net worth, and allowable medical expenses.
DEA Chapter 35 & Fry Scholarship (MNG-064)
Separate survivor/dependent education programs, eligibility, election issues, and school certification.
TRICARE for Survivors (MNG-065)
Maintain DEERS accuracy and identify survivor-specific coverage, enrollment, and timing rules.
Burial, National Cemetery & Military Honors (MNG-066)
Coordinate eligibility, burial allowance, cemetery, headstone/marker, flag, and honors requests.
Survivor IDs, DEERS & Dependency Status (MNG-067)
Preserve eligibility after death and correct identity or relationship records promptly.
Survivor Claims, Reviews & Representation (MNG-068)
Track each survivor claim separately and use the correct representative and review lane.
Estate, Beneficiary & Document Audit (MNG-069)
Reconcile wills, trusts, powers, insurance, beneficiary elections, titles, and military/VA records.
Annual Survivor Benefits Audit (MNG-070)
Recheck contact information, school status, remarriage/dependency effects, tax records, healthcare, and pending claims.