Why Joining the Military Can Be a Great Decision: A List of Benefits for Enlisted Personnel
As it turns out, serving in the United States military comes with many benefits. While enlisted personnel can look forward to medical and dental benefits, they can also get college tuition taken care of, thanks to the Tuition Assistance Program.
For those thinking about serving in the United States armed forces, here are the benefits people obtain upon joining.
30-Days Paid Vacation and Free Airfare
As part of the armed forces, enlisted members are granted vacation benefits. Military personnel receive 30 days of paid vacation and can hop on military aircraft to visit other parts of the world at no additional cost, which is a huge perk.
Of course, the latter free-flying benefit is only if space is available!
Housing, Room, And Board
One of the great benefits of being in the military is that housing, room, and board are covered, including rationed meals in the form of a Basic Allowance for Housing and Basic Allowance for Subsistence.
Depending on rank and situation, such as family, housing can vary, with recruits initially living on base.
Enlistment Bonuses
While prospective military personnel can look forward to a steady paycheck upon enlisting into service, it is not the only payment they will receive. The first benefit comes in the form of an enlistment bonus.
If being recruited, ask the recruiting officer about this bonus, as the amount varies depending on the branch.
Specialty Job Training, Including College Credit
When enlisted into the military, people can look forward to specialty job training. Some of this training is high-tech and can even roll over into college credits. There are various jobs offered, and it depends on a person's motivation and abilities as to where they will be placed.
Once out of service, people tend to find civilian jobs revolving around their specialty.
Miltary-Only Resorts
One amazing benefit enlisted military members can take advantage of are the military-only resorts. Around the world, many world-class resorts offer special deals to service members and their families.
Some of the locations include the Hale Koa Hotel on Waikiki, resorts in Japan, and Shades of Green near Walt Disney World.
A Matched Retirement Plan
Upon joining the military, personnel is automatically covered by the Uniformed Services Blended Retirement System. This system sets aside 3%, a contribution that can be altered, of a service member's basic pay in a Thrift Savings Plan.
After two years in the military, the member's branch will match the contribution.
Health And Dental Insurance
Like other jobs, the military offers an insurance package called Tricare, as a benefit for its active service members. This package includes health and dental services for both military members and their families at any facility close to the base.
The benefit offers eligible members $50,000 to $400,000 in affordable life insurance.
The Army, Navy, And Marine College Funds
The military is very helpful in helping enlisted members pay for college. As part of a person's contract, if enlisted or planning to reenlist, they are eligible for an additional monthly fee to help their college experience in the form of the Army, Navy, and Marine college fund.
Also known as the "kicker," active-duty and Reserve service members are eligible for this benefit.
Advanced Enlistment Rank Opportunities
When a person first enlists in the military, they start as an E-1, the lowest pay grade out of nine. Knowing people offer various skills and have different qualifications, recruitment officers will bump those able people up to an E-2 or even an E-3.
This bump in rank will also bump new enlistees' pay.
Ability To Move Into An On-Base Community
A nice benefit that comes with being an enlisted member is the ability to move into an on-base community with their family. These communities offer a "civilian-like" lifestyle to help partners and children feel at home.
They tend to include gym facilities, schools, churches, banks, libraries, restaurants, and even some shopping options.
College Loan Repayment Program And Student Loan Deferment Program
While not all branches of the United States Military offer the College Loan Repayment Program And Student Loan Deferment Program, it is a nice benefit for those who are eligible.
Depending on conditions such as lender requirements and status, this benefit offers students up to $65,000 to help pay off existing student loan debt.
Health Care For The Reserve And Guard
While this isn't a benefit for people who first enlist in the military, it is something to look forward to. For those people on reserve or in the Guard, health care is still a major benefit.
This health care benefit goes towards the military member as well as their family.
Tuition Assistance
Being in the military doesn't mean college is off the table, and the military helps pay tuition fees. Congress authorized Tuition Assistance, so each branch of the armed forces pays up to 100% of tuition costs for active duty, reserve, and national guard personnel.
This benefit goes towards undergraduate, graduate, vocational, or technical school.
A Guaranteed Paycheck
One benefit new enlisted members can look forward to during their time in the military is a steady paycheck. Like a lot of jobs, service members are paid twice a month, with the sum dependent on rank.
If a service member is eligible, this paycheck consists of their base pay and special pay and allowances.
Life Insurance
As an enlisted member of the military, all personnel receives a life insurance policy. This insurance financially supports the member's family if they were to pass away.
At only $29 a month, taken out of their paycheck, military personnel is eligible for up to $400,000 in Service Group Life Insurance.
Relocation Expenses Are Paid For In Full
Military personnel travel a lot and are stationed at various places all over the world. As relocating at the drop of a hat can get pretty expensive, it should be nice to hear that the cost doesn't fall on the service member.
As a benefit, the United States military pays for all relocation costs for both the service member and their family.
VA Benefits
A newly enlisted military member might not get this benefit right off the bat, but it is something they get to look forward to -- VA benefits. To thank them for their service, military veterans get to take advantage of a slew of benefits.
These include VA loans, disability compensation, education assistance, and more.
Lifestyle Benefits
As an enlisted member of the military, service members will find themselves accommodated with many lifestyle benefits. In the United States, many companies offer discounts and special deals to both current and former service members.
While these benefits aren't technically coming from the Department of Defense, it is the communities way of thanking military personnel.
Promotional Opportunities
Compared to workers in the civilian world, military personnel have numerous promotional possibilities. Depending on traits such as experience, physical fitness, knowledge, performance, and the needs of the military, people are looking to benefit from promotions sooner rather than later.
In fact, newly enlisted members tend to be promoted three times within their first four years.
Special Pay
When they first enlist, a benefit offered to military personnel is something called special pay. This benefit provides extra money on top of a base salary for those working in various conditions.
Depending on the job and branch of service, the special pay can mean a person is working on a submarine or a hazardous situation.
