Survivor Benefit Plan (SBP)

Military pay, including active duty pay and allowances and retired pay, stops upon a Soldier's death. The Survivor Benefit Plan (SBP) is a program through which the Department of Defense provides monthly, cost-of-living-adjusted income to eligible survivors of Soldiers who die on Active Duty in the line of duty, including Reserve Soldiers and National Guard Soldiers who die on Federal Active Duty in the line of duty and Retired Soldiers who choose to continue participating in the program after they retire.

Soldiers who retire due to a service-connected disability incurred while on active duty, whether Regular or Reserve, may participate in SBP.

Reserve and National Guard Soldiers may participate in the Reserve Component Survivor Benefit Plan (RCSBP) when they complete 20 years of qualifying service for non-regular retirement.

The following table illustrates which program applies to whom, depending on one's duty status and retirement eligibility:

Duty status and retirement eligibility
Soldier Status	Survivor Benefit Plan Eligible For
Regular Army on active duty	SBP. Benefits calculated as if retired with 100% disability. Death must be in the Line of Duty unless retirement-eligible. If retirement eligible and found not in the Line of Duty, benefits based on years of active service. SBP coverage provided at no cost and beneficiaries determined by law.
Regular Army retired	SBP, if they enroll upon retirement. Line of Duty determination not applicable. If coverage elected must choose SBP beneficiary category and pay part of the coverage cost.
Reserve and National Guard Soldiers in non-drilling status with less than 20 years of service who die in a non-duty status	No SBP or RCSBP.
Reserve and National Guard Soldiers on Inactive Duty for Training	RCSBP. Benefits calculated as if retired with 100% disability. Death must be in the Line of Duty. If retirement eligible and found not in the Line of Duty, benefits based on what retired pay would have been calculated as a non-regular retirement. Coverage provided at no cost if found in the LOD and beneficiaries determined by law.
Reserve and National Guard Soldiers on Federal Active Duty, regardless of years of service	SBP. Benefits calculated as if retired with 100% disability. Death must be in the Line of Duty. If retirement eligible and found not in the Line of Duty, benefits based on years of active service. SBP coverage provided at no cost and beneficiaries determined by law. If retirement eligibility based on 20 creditable years toward non-regular retirement and found not in the LOD, RCSBP coverage applied with beneficiaries determined by law.
Reserve and National Guard Soldiers in non-drilling status with at least 20 years of service	RCSBP. Only if they enrolled with Option B or Option C when they received 20-Year Letter; or received the 20 year letter, are within the 90 day period, but have not made an RCSBP election; or should have received a 20 year letter. Death does not need to be in the Line of Duty.
Reserve and National Guard Soldiers at age 60 who had enrolled in RCSBP with Options B or C	At age 60 RCSBP for non-regular Retired Soldiers becomes SBP. Line of Duty determination not applicable. Must pay RCSBP premiums at non-regular retirement.
Reserve and National Guard Soldiers at age 60 who had not enrolled in RCSBP (elected Option A)	SBP. Only if they enroll in SBP upon receipt of retired pay. Line of Duty determination not applicable. Must pay SBP premiums if SBP coverage elected.
Reserve and National Guard Soldiers over age 60 who had not enrolled in either RCSBP or SBP	No SBP or RCSBP. Retired pay stops at the death of the Soldier.

SBP premiums are deducted from retired pay and since April of 2018, DFAS will deduct SBP premiums from Combat-Related Special Compensation (CRSC) when retired pay is not sufficient to cover the full amount of the premiums. This deduction is due to a change in the law which requires DFAS to deduct SBP premiums from CRSC. Click here for more information.

The National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) of FY 2023 authorized a Survivor Benefit Plan (SBP) Open Season until January 1, 2024. The SBP Open Season allows Retired Soldiers in receipt of retired pay, eligible members or former members awaiting retired pay who were not enrolled in SBP or RCSBP as of December 22, 2022, to enroll. It also allows Retired Soldiers, eligible members or former members awaiting pay who were enrolled in SBP or RCSBP as of December 22, 2022, to permanently discontinue their SBP coverage. For more information please visit: https://soldierforlife.army.mil/Retirement/survivor-benefit-plan

Benefits Facts

TSGLI

Servicemembers’ Group Life Insurance Traumatic Injury Protection (TSGLI) provides a one-time, lump-sum, tax-free payment to Wounded Warriors who qualify.

Benefits Facts

G.I. Bill

The Montgomery GI Bill (MGIB) provides up to 36 months of education benefits to eligible Service members and Veterans for programs such as: college, business, technical, or vocational school; apprenticeship / on-the-job training; correspondence courses; remedial, deficiency, and refresher training (in some cases); and flight training. You usually have 10 years to use your MGIB benefits, but the time limit can be fewer or more years depending on the situation.

Benefits Facts

DTAP

The Department of Defense Transition Assistance Program (DoD-TAP) provides information, access to important documents, and training to ensure Service members separating from Active Duty are prepared for their next step in life - whether pursuing additional education, finding a job in the public or private sector, or starting their own business. This redesigned TAP is the result of an interagency collaboration to offer separating Service members and their Spouses better, more easily accessible resources and information to make their transitions more successful.

Benefits Facts

Dual TRICARE and VA

When leaving active duty, Service members may be entitled to or eligible for benefits offered by TRICARE and Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), depending on whether the Service member retires or separates.

Benefits Facts

CRDP

Concurrent Retirement and Disability Pay is the gradual restoration of the retired pay currently being offset by VA disability pay.

Benefits Facts

ACS

Army Community Service helps Soldiers and Families by providing vital services and information during war and peace.

Benefits Facts

CYS

The Army Child and Youth Services (CYS) provides affordable childcare programs for Army Families. Costs are typically based on Family income. Programs range from daycare facilities to sports and fitness programs.

Benefits Facts

Deployment Support

Mobilization, Deployment and Stability Support Operations' mission is to provide training, information and assistance to Soldiers, Civilians and their Families to maintain individual readiness throughout the entire deployment cycle. Deployment and Mobilization provides guidance, resources and training for all; Soldiers, Civilians and their Families; to include parents, Soldier and Family Readiness Group (SFRG) members, Rear Detachment cadre and ACS/Reserve staff throughout the Army Deployment and Mobilization cycle. Whether supporting deploying units by providing pre-deployment information and material to Soldiers, Civilians and their Families; to providing reintegration and RESET training as they reconstitute their Family unit, the Mobilization and Deployment Team is there to provide support.

Benefits Facts

TSP

Benefits Facts

SCRA

The Servicemember’s Civil Relief Act provides Soldiers important rights that cover issues such as rental agreements, eviction, credit card and mortgage interest rates, and more.

Featured: Reunion

The return home from combat can often leave servicemembers feeling out of place with the most important people in their lives - their families.

"In deployment, Soldiers grow accustomed to a new lifestyle and a new 'family' - those buddies that bond together to defend each other," said Maj. Ken Williams, 14th Military Police Brigade chaplain. "This lifestyle change is prolonged and becomes familiar, i.e., the new normal."

The families also change while the Soldier is deployed.

"The family is a system," Williams said. "When one family member is absent, the whole system changes. All members of the family adapt to a new 'normal' way of life."

When the servicemember returns, the family may feel uncomfortable with each other, and the servicemember may withdraw from the family.