Retirement Services Office (RSO)

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Mission: Army Retirement Services, Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff, G-1, Headquarters, Department of the Army (HQDA), provides information on benefits and entitlements to active duty Soldiers and Families preparing for retirement and to Retired Soldiers and Families through Army installation Retirement Services Officers (RSO), the pilot Army Reserve RSO at Ft Snelling, MN, and ARNG State RSOs. In accordance with AR 600-8-7, Army Retirement Services develops Army policy and procedures for the Survivor Benefit Plan (SBP) program; publishes the HQDA bulletin for the Retired Soldier, Army Echoes; develops policy for the operation of the Army Retirement Services Program; and administers the Army Chief of Staff's (CSA) Retiree Council.

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MyArmyBenefits

MyArmyBenefits is the Official Army Benefits Website

Finding Your Benefits is as Easy as 1 - 2 - 3!Smart Card

  • Browse Over 150 Fact Sheets for Benefit Eligibility and Highlights
  • Calculate Estimates of Your Survivor and Survivor Education Benefits
  • Forecast Your Retirement Benefits

Plan for retirement by viewing personalized retirement reports, performing "what-if" exercises to see how your benefits might change, and reviewing related fact sheets. Click here for up-to-date information.

Click here for MyArmyBenefits videos covering a wide variety of important topics.

What’s New

  1. The Army will no longer mail the hardcopy edition of Echoes to Soldiers who retire after January 1, 2012. View ALARACT here.
  2. Pentagon Preretirement Planning Seminar (PPT - 3,297 Kb.) - This shortened preretirement briefing was recently updated and is given at the Pentagon. It serves as an introduction to, but not a substitute for the full-length preretirement briefings given by your Retirement Services Officer.
  3. Updated February 2011 Pre-Retirement Briefing - PPT 6,018 Kb. or PDF version 2,285 Kb
  4. **Transition to E-Echoes** We continue to seek ways to improve the way we communicate important messages with you. Thanks to your overwhelming feedback, we're in the process of updating and improving the registration process. Thank you for your patience...and more importantly...thank you for your service!

  5. President Obama signs into law a bill providing flags to relatives of fallen federal employees
    The Civilian Service Recognition Act is now officially a law. President Obama signed H.R. 2061 Tuesday, authorizing heads of agencies to present a U. S. flag to the next of kin of federal employees who are killed in the line of duty.
    Read more here

News You Can Use

2013 TRICARE Enrollment Fees

SOURCE: TRICARE –
The fiscal year 2013 TRICARE Prime enrollment fees for uniformed service retirees and their families go into effect Oct. 1, 2012. The Prime enrollment fees for 2013 are $269.28 for retirees, and $538.56 for retirees and their family members.

Survivors of active duty deceased sponsors and uniformed services medically retired service members and their dependents are exempt from annual fee increases. Their enrollment fee is frozen at the rate in effect when they were classified and enrolled in TRICARE Prime. Their fee remains frozen as long as there is no break in their TRICARE Prime enrollment.

National Park Service Offers Military, Families Free Annual Pass

Retiree specific: Are there any benefits for veterans?
There is not a pass specifically for veterans; however, many veterans qualify for one of the other discount passes offered as part of our pass program.

If you are 62 or older you qualify for a Senior Pass. You can buy a Senior Pass in person from a participating Federal recreation site or office or by mail.

If you have a permanent disability you may qualify for an Access Pass. This is a free lifetime pass that you may obtain in person from a participating Federal recreation site or office or by mail.

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WASHINGTON, June 27, 2012 - The National Park Service extends free annual park passes far beyond the droves of Pentagon employees who lined up to take advantage of the offer today.

Through its America the Beautiful series, the National Park Service grants complimentary access to more than 2,000 federal recreation sites, national parks and wildlife refuges to active duty service members and activated Guardsmen and reservists and their families, said Kathy Kupper, National Park Service spokeswoman.

"The park service is just so grateful for the service of the military, so we've been looking for a way to show our gratitude," Kupper said. "It's taken a couple of years to get all the details worked out, but we're honored that we can pay back a little bit."

Service members can get a pass, valued at $80, by showing their military identification card. Family members can obtain their own passes, even if the service member is deployed or if they are traveling separately, Kupper explained.

A pass covers entry and standard amenity fees for a driver and all passengers in a personal vehicle at per-vehicle fee areas, or up to four adults at sites that charge per person. Children age 15 or under are admitted free. Wounded warriors or any American citizen with a disability can get a free lifetime pass to all national parks.

A 25-year National Park Service employee, Kupper recalled the organization's decades-long military ties, specifically to the Army, which oversaw national parks between the 1876 establishment of Yellowstone, the first national park, and the 1916 stand-up of NPS.

"For about 40 years, you had the U.S. Army, particularly the U.S. Cavalry, including Buffalo Soldiers, care for our first national parks," Kupper said. "Yellowstone, Yosemite, Sequoia and Kings Canyon all had roads set up, built, with trails established and wildlife protected ... by the U.S. Army."

Kupper added that even park ranger uniforms are inspired by the cavalry uniform, symbolizing the enduring bond.

"Many national parks were set aside for use strictly by military, whether for rest and relaxation trips ... or for training," the spokeswoman said, adding that through the years, the parks have been home to some of America's most iconic images of freedom.

"Our service members are fighting to protect our freedoms and a lot of them are manifested in these symbols like the Statue of Liberty, the Liberty Bell, Mount Rushmore -- all sites cared for by the Park Service," Kupper said. "These places inspire the military and remind them what they're fighting for so where better for them and their families to visit?"

AAFES says, "Thank you!" to Retirees

The Army & Air Force Exchange Service would like to thank the over twenty-five hundred retirees who participated in our recent survey that was solicited though Army Echoes and the Air Force Afterburner. As with most surveys of our customers, we were told both what we wanted to hear and also what we needed to hear.

We were delighted to hear that fifty-seven percent of our eligible retired patrons still choose to shop at the Exchange monthly or more frequently.

We also found that almost twenty-five percent of our retirees have discovered our online store, shopmyexchange.com, and shop there quarterly or more frequently. Many of the comments received regarding our online store will be used as we continually improve the online shopping experience.

Again, the Exchange would like to thank those who participated in the survey.

Commissary Fast Facts July Newsletter

Commissaries announce coupon policy changes

Family Fun Fitness Festival events a 'must visit' for savings in July

More patrons choose to use their commissary benefit


Click here for the complete newsletter.

VA Announces Changes to Emergency Care Payment Policy

WASHINGTON – The Department of Veterans Affairs announced today a change in regulations regarding payments for emergency care provided to eligible Veterans in non-VA facilities.

“This provision helps ensure eligible Veterans continue to get the emergency care they need when VA facilities are not available,” said Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric K. Shinseki.

The new regulation extends VA's authority to pay for emergency care provided to eligible Veterans at non-VA facilities until the Veterans can be safely transferred to a VA medical facility.

More than 100,000 Veterans are estimated to be affected by the new rules, at a cost of about $44 million annually.

VA operates 121 emergency departments across the country, which provide resuscitative therapy and stabilization in life-threatening situations. They operate 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

VA also has 46 urgent care units, which provide care for patients without scheduled appointments who need immediate medical or psychiatric attention.

For more information about emergency care in non-VA facilities, visit www.nonvacare.va.gov for more information

2012 Military Retiree Pay Dates

The following table reflects the DFAS schedule of retiree and annuitant pay dates through 2012. This information may help to avoid any confusion as to when you should expect to see the payment deposited to your account. Remember that payday is always on the first business day of the month.

Month of : Direct Deposit Date:
January 2012 Wednesday, February 1, 2012
February 2012 Thursday, March 1, 2012
March 2012 Friday, March 30, 2012
April 2012 Tuesday, May 1, 2012
May 2012 Friday, June 1, 2012
June 2012 Friday, June 29, 2012
July 2012 Wednesday, August 1, 2012
August 2012 Friday, August 31, 2012
September 2012 Monday, October 1, 2012
October 2012 Thursday, November 1, 2012
November 2012 Friday, November 30, 2012
December 2012 Monday, December 31, 2012

TRICARE Retired Reserve Sign-up Options Expanded

FALLS CHURCH, VA – Gray-area retirees from the National Guard and Reserves who want to purchase TRICARE health care coverage now have a new way to get a DoD Self-service Logon (DS Logon). Most will need a DS Logon to qualify for and purchase TRICARE Retired Reserve (TRR) health coverage.

Since Sept. 1, 2010, members of the Retired Reserve who aren't 60, the so-called "gray area" retirees, have been able to purchase TRR to provide health coverage for themselves and their eligible family members. To make purchasing TRR easier, gray area retirees can now get a DS Logon by contacting the Defense Enrollment Eligibility Reporting System/Defense Manpower Data Center Support Office (DSO) and remotely verify their identity.

Read more

Strengthening Our Military Families, Meeting America's Commitment

January 2011 - The President has made the care and support of military Families a top national security policy priority. He ordered the development of a coordinated Federal Government-wide approach to supporting military Families. The report detailing the Government's plan to Strengthen Our Military Families was signed by every Cabinet member and approved by the President. You can access the report here.