While you are on active duty, you and your family’s life insurance needs are met by Servicemembers’ Group Life Insurance (SGLI), one of your many veteran’s benefits. But once you separate or retire, you have the option to convert that policy to Veterans’ Group Life Insurance (VGLI). Learn how to manage this financial safety net while you serve, and whether you should convert SGLI to VGLI after you separate or retire from the military. Key Takeaways SGLI is automatic on active duty; after separation you have 485 days to convert to VGLI, with 120‑day free coverage. VGLI covers $10K–$500K but…
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Military pay is easy to spot on a leave and earnings statement. Other benefits are buried inside service portals, application windows and programs known mainly by acronyms. The Pentagon launched a yearlong compensation education campaign in June after acknowledging that many service members do not fully understand the pay, tax advantages, education programs and family support included with military service. That lack of awareness can leave money and assistance unused. The Defense Department does not publish a single ranking of its least-used benefits. The programs below were selected because they are relatively new, require an application or include deadlines that…
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A new partnership, coupled with millions of dollars in funding, aims to redevelop, preserve and restore the Alamo and the area surrounding it. The recently announced partnership between Alamo Trust, Inc. and USAA is described as a revitalization plan that will help continue to tell the story about the historic 1836 battlefield and surrounding downtown area in San Antonio, Texas. Alamo Trust supports the Alamo Plan, which originated in June 2023 at the encouragement of local and statewide officials and other stakeholders, and includes preserving the 300-year-old church and long barrack. USAA is sponsoring the revitalization of the Paseo del…
Headquarters Marine Corps released detailed implementation guidance this week for the Mexican Border Defense Medal, opening the award to Marines who have supported U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) operations along the border with Mexico since January 2025. MARADMIN 233/26, dated May 20, spells out eligibility rules, documentation requirements, and how the new medal interacts with the Armed Forces Service Medal that previously covered this service. The qualifying window remains open-ended until a termination date is announced. This builds directly on earlier recognition for the same type of mission. In 2019, the Defense Department authorized the Armed Forces Service Medal…
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Cpl. Patrick “Bob” Gallagher immigrated to the United States from Ireland in the 1960s, enlisting in the U.S. Marine Corps and was honored with the Navy Cross as a hero who saved American soldiers during the Vietnam War before he was killed in action. This Memorial Day, members of the Gallagher family who traveled from Ireland to San Diego are participating in a special ceremony hosted by the Mt. Soledad National Veterans Memorial. Gallagher will receive a tribute as part of the annual festivities, part of the memorial’s “250 Years of Valor” campaign coinciding with the nation’s 250th anniversary that…
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Every Memorial Day, millions of Americans pin small red poppies to their lapels without knowing the name of the woman who started it all. Moina Belle Michael, a Georgia schoolteacher, read a wartime poem two days before the end of World War I and launched a campaign that turned the red poppy into an enduring symbol of sacrifice. Her effort eventually reached more than 50 countries and raised billions of dollars for disabled veterans and their families. A Planter’s Daughter Who Became an Educator Michael was born on Aug. 15, 1869, near Good Hope in Walton County, Georgia. She was…
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The U.S. Marine Corps is preparing for the AV-8B Harrier II’s final official flight next month, marking the end of more than four decades of service for the iconic jump jet. According to a Marine Corps administrative message (MARADMIN) released in March, the service will hold an official “AV-8B Sundown Ceremony” at Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point, North Carolina, on June 3, 2026. The ceremony will mark the end of the Harrier’s planned operational service life as the Marine Corps completes its transition to the F-35B Lightning II. The Harrier’s final public events will run from June 1 through…
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