A Family's Guide to the Military For Dummies

Foreword xxi

Introduction 1

Part I: Reporting for Duty 7

Chapter 1: Living Life As a Military Family 9

Chapter 2: Figuring Out Customs and Courtesies 19

Chapter 3: Getting Around Military Bases 31

Chapter 4: Connecting with the Military Community 49

Part II: Understanding Your Financial Issues and Benefits 59

Chapter 5: Deciphering Military Compensation 61

Chapter 6: Taking Care of Yourself: Health and Dental Insurance 73

Chapter 7: Maximizing Military Benefits 87

Chapter 8: Starting Out on the Right Financial Foot 97

Chapter 9: Building onto Your Financial Foundation 113

Chapter 10: Housing Options for the Military Family 131

Chapter 11: Finding Employment and Educational Opportunities 149

Part III: Supporting the Military Family 165

Chapter 12: Raising a Family in the Military 167

Chapter 13: Maintaining Strong Military Couples 179

Chapter 14: Tapping into Community Support 191

Chapter 15: Dealing with the Disability or Death of a Family Member 205

Part IV: Mastering Deployments 217

Chapter 16: Prepping for Deployments 219

Chapter 17: Accessing Traditional Family Support 239

Chapter 18: Helping Children Cope with the Absence of a Parent 247

Chapter 19: Keeping Connected with Your Loved One 263

Part V: Transitioning Out of the Military 271

Chapter 20: Separating from Service 273

Chapter 21: Retiring from Service 283

Chapter 22: Exploring Subsequent Careers 293

Part VI: The Part of Tens 305

Chapter 23: Ten Best Benefits for Military Spouses 307

Chapter 24: Ten Biggest Financial Military Benefits 311

Chapter 25: Ten Worst Scams Against Servicemembers 317

Appendix: Military Acronyms 321

Index 341