Other Benefits

Your paycheck is only part of your compensation. The rest shows up as money you never have to spend: tax-free shopping, free legal and financial professionals, and a 24/7 support program that works like a corporate employee assistance program built for military life. These systems are funded whether you use them or not. Use them.

The Exchange: tax-free retail that pays the base back

The Army & Air Force Exchange Service (AAFES), "the Exchange," has run military retail since 1895 and now ranks as the 52nd-largest retailer in the United States: over 5,500 department stores, convenience stores, gas stations, restaurants, and movie theaters across 50 states, four U.S. territories, and more than 30 countries. On Air Force and Space Force installations it's the BX (Base Exchange), the same system the Army calls a PX. Branch doesn't matter at the register: Navy (NEX), Marine Corps (MCX), and Coast Guard (CGX) exchanges are all open to you too.

The Exchange is a non-appropriated fund activity. It runs like a business, with only about 3% of its budget federally funded (a subsidy for overseas shipping). The payoff of that model: 100% of Exchange earnings support military communities, with roughly 70% of profits funding Morale, Welfare, and Recreation (MWR) programs worldwide.

Where the savings come from

Exchanges sit on federal property, so no state or local sales tax applies. That alone saves 5 to 10% on every purchase, and independent surveys put total average savings at about 24 to 30% versus civilian retailers. Stack on top of that:

• Regular sales, coupon acceptance (including manufacturer coupons), and price matching against local and national competitors at CONUS stores
• MILITARY STAR Card perks: 10% off your first day's purchases as a new cardholder, 2% rewards on all purchases, and fuel discounts at Exchange gas stations

Who shops, and how

Full in-store and online access covers active duty of all branches, Guard and Reserve (unlimited CONUS), military retirees, dependents, Medal of Honor recipients, 100% service-connected disabled veterans, and DoD civilian employees with a CAC (since May 2021).

Two expansions widened the doors further. Since January 1, 2020, the Purple Heart and Disabled Veterans Equal Access Act extended in-store privileges to about 4.1 million additional patrons: veterans with any service-connected disability rating (even 0%), Purple Heart recipients, former POWs, and primary family caregivers enrolled in VA programs. And since November 2017, every honorably discharged veteran, regardless of disability status, can shop online at ShopMyExchange.com after a one-time check at VetVerify.org with their DD-214, though online veteran shoppers can't buy uniforms, alcohol, or tobacco.

ShopMyExchange.com carries over 2 million items available 24/7, ships free to U.S. addresses on orders over $49 (or on any order with the MILITARY STAR Card), and delivers to APO/FPO addresses, which matters enormously when you're stationed overseas.

More than a store

A typical BX complex also houses food courts (Starbucks, Panda Express, Subway, and others), gas stations, barber shops and hair salons, dry cleaners who specialize in military uniforms, military clothing stores (uniforms, boots, insignia, tactical gear), optical shops, movie theaters showing first-run films, auto parts and services, and Class Six stores (alcohol; varies by installation).

The commissary: groceries at cost, plus 5%

The Defense Commissary Agency (DeCA), a joint-service "purple" agency established in 1990 and headquartered at Fort Gregg-Adams, Virginia, runs about 235 to 240 commissaries in 13 countries, serving roughly 8.3 million households. The pricing model is what separates it from any civilian grocery store: everything sells at cost plus a 5% surcharge. No profit markup, and no sales tax.

The at-cost model shows up in the numbers: 22.8% average savings in CONUS, 36.2% overseas (local prices run higher), about 25% globally, and up to 40% in the meat department. You can push further with twice-yearly Case Lot Sales (typically May and September, bulk savings up to 50%), the Your Everyday Savings (YES!) program (about 900 items at year-round reduced prices), commissary store brands (Freedom's Choice for food, HomeBase for non-food), digital coupons through the Commissary Rewards Card, and manufacturer coupons. Overseas stores even accept coupons up to six months past expiration.

About that surcharge: it appears on every receipt, calculated before coupons are deducted, and it is not a sales tax. It funds commissary construction, modernization, maintenance, and equipment. Expanded-eligibility patrons (veterans with service-connected disabilities, Purple Heart recipients, and similar) also pay card-processing fees of 1.43% for credit or signature debit and 0.36% for PIN debit; cash, check, EBT, and the MILITARY STAR Card carry no fee.

Ordering online: CLICK2GO

Commissary CLICK2GO (shop.commissaries.com or the mobile app) offers free curbside pickup at most locations: order 24/7 up to six days in advance, with a minimum three-hour lead time, no minimum purchase, and Rewards Card digital coupons applied automatically. Home delivery, branded CLICK2GO on the GO!, launches in early 2026 at 70 stateside commissaries with a 20-mile delivery radius, with plans to reach all 108 CONUS stores by summer 2026.

Three things first-time shoppers get wrong

Baggers work for tips only. They aren't paid employees; standard tipping runs $2 to $5 depending on order size and whether they load your vehicle.

No ID, no shopping. Guards check military identification at the door.

Prices move. Commissary prices adjust about every two weeks with supplier costs, unlike the stable pricing civilian stores use.

Guard and Reserve shop like Active Duty (in CONUS)

This gets its own heading because the misconception is so common. Since the 2004 National Defense Authorization Act, Guard and Reserve members have unlimited access to all CONUS commissaries and exchanges (plus exchange facilities in Guam and Puerto Rico), with no limits on visit frequency. For domestic shopping, that's identical to Active Duty.

Units far from installations aren't left out. The Exchange and DeCA bring mobile sales ("truckloads") to Guard and Reserve unit locations, and units with 150 or more members can request on-site commissary sales events, with the host commissary coordinating location, date, and product selection.

Overseas is the exception for everyone: access depends on the Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA) with each host country, and generally requires active duty orders.

Civilian discounts: verify once, then ask everywhere

Most retailers require proof of military status before applying a discount, and two verification services dominate:

• ID.me (id.me/individuals/group-discounts/military) builds a reusable "digital wallet" of your verified status accepted by hundreds of retailers. Verify with a .mil email address, a document upload (DD-214, military ID, VA card), or an existing USAA account; it uses bank-grade encryption and typically finishes within 60 seconds.
• SheerID (sheerid.com) verifies instantly against authoritative military databases, with document upload as the fallback.

One hard rule: never email or upload photocopies of an active duty or reservist military ID card through unsecured channels. Copying those cards violates federal law (Title 18, U.S. Code). Use the verification services instead.

What verification gets you: Lowe's offers 10% every day with no annual cap (plus free Silver MyLowe's status, via ID.me); Home Depot offers 10% with a $400 annual cap (via SheerID); Apple, Best Buy, and Samsung run 10 to 20% off select products; Nike (10%), Under Armour (20%), and Carhartt (25%) discount year-round. Restaurants are less predictable: free meals on Veterans Day are common, and many establishments carry unadvertised military discounts. Always ask.

Travel and recreation on a military budget

Three programs cover travel itself:

• Space-A (Space Available) travel: free or low-cost seats on military aircraft with surplus capacity, worldwide via Air Mobility Command. It rewards flexible travelers and punishes tight schedules, and it's deep enough to have its own section.
• American Forces Travel (americanforcestravel.com), the official DoD booking site partnered with Priceline: up to 60% off hotels and 35% off rental cars, with commissions supporting MWR.
• Armed Forces Vacation Club (afvclub.com): resort stays up to 60% off and cruise discounts up to 25%.

On the installation itself, MWR runs free or low-cost recreation: fitness centers (free for all eligible patrons), 60+ golf courses worldwide, bowling centers, auto hobby shops with tools provided for self-help maintenance, outdoor recreation offices renting equipment and running adventure trips, libraries with access to the DOD MWR Virtual Libraries and OverDrive/Libby apps, arts and crafts centers, and aero clubs for recreational aviation.

Every installation also has an Information, Tickets, Travel (ITT) office, the one-stop shop for discounted entertainment: certified travel agents with exclusive military offers, discounted theme park tickets (Disney, Universal, SeaWorld, Six Flags), concert and sporting event tickets, movie theater discounts, and vacation package planning. Some admission is simply free: SeaWorld's Waves of Honor covers active duty plus three dependents annually, LEGOLAND Florida admits active duty free with ID, and the America the Beautiful Pass gives free annual access to 2,000+ federal recreation sites, including all National Parks.

Phones, insurance, and buying a car

All major carriers also honor deployment protections under the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act (SCRA), including service suspension during overseas assignments.

USAA is the military community's flagship financial services provider: auto, home, renters, and life insurance typically priced below competitors, plus banking, investment options, deployment discounts, vehicle storage savings, 24/7 claims service, an A++ financial strength rating, and member perks like 25% off rental cars from major agencies. Eligibility covers active duty, Guard and Reserve, veterans with honorable discharges, cadets and midshipmen, and family members.

Buying a car? Most major manufacturers offer military rebates typically running $500 to $1,000 (verified through ID.me or military documentation), and the TrueCar Military Program (military.truecar.com) adds upfront pricing plus up to $4,000 in post-sale benefits.

Free lawyers: the legal assistance office

Nearly every Air Force installation worldwide has a Legal Assistance Office run by the Judge Advocate General's (JAG) Corps: licensed attorneys, completely free, with full attorney-client privilege. The mission is readiness. Commanders need your personal legal affairs squared away, especially before deployment. And branch doesn't matter here either: an Airman can walk into an Army JAG office and be seen.

What they'll handle at no charge:

What they won't do: represent you in civilian or military court, handle private business matters or rental property you own, take employment cases, provide criminal defense (that's the Area Defense Counsel), draft separation agreements or divorce decrees, prepare real estate closing documents, or create living trusts. When they can't help, they'll refer you to the ABA Military Pro Bono Project for free representation or to local bar association referral services.

Component rules matter. Active duty members and immediate family (spouse, minor children) get full eligibility. Reservists get full services on Title 10 active duty; when subject to mobilization but not activated, they get deployment-related services (wills, powers of attorney, advance directives, SCRA/USERRA advice, notary); after an activation of 30+ days, eligibility continues for twice the length of the active duty served. Air National Guard members get full services on Title 10, Title 32, or full-time AGR status, and deployment-related services otherwise, with one catch worth remembering: SCRA protections apply only to Title 10 status, not Title 32.

Two ways to file taxes for free

VITA (Volunteer Income Tax Assistance) sites at military installations worldwide offer free preparation by IRS-trained volunteers who know military-specific issues like combat-zone benefits and multi-state filing.

MilTax, the DoD's free online software available through Military OneSource, covers your federal return plus up to three state returns, is designed for military scenarios (deployments, combat pay, multiple moves), carries a 100% accuracy guarantee, and puts tax consultants on call year-round. No income or rank restrictions. It's open to active duty, Guard and Reserve regardless of status, eligible family members, survivors, and veterans up to 365 days from separation.

Financial counseling is built into your career

Personal Financial Counselors (PFCs), contracted through the DoD Office of Financial Readiness, hold at minimum a bachelor's degree, two or more years of counseling experience, and a national certification: Accredited Financial Counselor (AFC), Certified Financial Planner (CFP), or Chartered Financial Consultant (ChFC). More than 300 PFCs serve at 270+ installations, and they're a "purple" resource open to every branch. Personal Financial Managers (PFMs), Air Force civilian employees at Military & Family Readiness Centers (M&FRCs), provide the ongoing installation-level version. Both are confidential and free.

They'll work with you one-on-one on budgeting, credit repair, and debt reduction; teach TSP and Blended Retirement System mechanics; guide home and car purchases; assist with retirement and estate planning; provide investment education (with no product recommendations); run group workshops and unit presentations; and handle pre-deployment financial planning.

The Thrift Savings Plan deserves its own sit-down with a counselor. It's your 401(k)-style retirement account, and under the Blended Retirement System the government matches your contributions up to 5% after two years of service. That's free money, but only if you contribute. Contribution strategy, traditional versus Roth, and fund selection are covered in depth in Retirement.

None of this is left to chance. The 2016 National Defense Authorization Act mandates 12 financial touchpoints across your career:

It starts immediately: Financial Readiness is a specific course during Week 3 of BMT (banking, budgeting, the Blended Retirement System, insurance, and protecting yourself from predatory businesses), and your first duty station requires training within 90 days covering spending plans, TSP enrollment, military pay and benefits, and credit management.

When money goes wrong: the Air Force Aid Society

The Air Force Aid Society (AFAS), the official charity of the U.S. Air Force and U.S. Space Force since 1942, provided over $14 million in assistance to more than 15,000 Air Force and Space Force families in 2024. Two emergency tracks:

• Falcon Assistance (Quick Loans): up to $1,500 as a no-interest loan for short-term emergencies, repaid within 15 months via allotment
• Standard Assistance: no-interest loans or grants (based on circumstances) for emergencies including rent, utilities, food, vehicle repairs, medical expenses, and emergency travel

AFAS also funds education (the General Henry H. Arnold Education Grant, $500 to $4,000 needs-based for dependents and spouses; the $5,000 Merit & Grit Scholarship for academic achievement; spouse employment training) and community programs (Bundles for Babies, child care assistance, Pet PCS transportation, and the Car Care Because We Care maintenance program). Active duty Air Force and Space Force members and dependents are eligible; Guard and Reserve members qualify for Standard Assistance regardless of duty status; retirees are considered case by case. Apply at portal.afas.org or through your Airman & Family Readiness Center.

Component notes for financial services

Guard and Reserve members keep full PFC access regardless of activation status, and Military OneSource regardless of duty status; M&FRC services require active duty status. AFAS emergency assistance requires Title 10 activation of 15+ days, while AFAS education grants require Title 32 full-time active duty. Members at locations without an installation nearby get referred to DoD-certified PFCs, installation banks and credit unions, or the nearest full-service M&FRC.

Military OneSource: one phone number for almost everything

Military OneSource (800-342-9647, answered 24/7/365 by consultants with master's degrees) is the DoD-funded gateway serving roughly 4.7 to 5.2 million people in the military community. Think of it as an employee assistance program tailored to military life: completely free at every rank and income, available worldwide by phone, website (militaryonesource.mil, with secure live chat), video, and the My Military OneSource app (personalized resources, installation information, a benefits finder, and quick access to the Military Crisis Line). When you can't get to the M&FRC, or you need help at 2 AM, this is the resource.

Its best-known service is non-medical counseling: up to 12 free confidential sessions per issue, per family member, delivered face-to-face (within 30 miles of home, arranged within 72 hours), by phone, secure chat, or video. It covers the ordinary weight of military life: relationships, stress, adjustment, parent-child communication, grief, deployment concerns, relocation, anxiety, and self-esteem. It does not treat diagnosed mental health conditions, people currently prescribed psychoactive medications, substance abuse, domestic violence (referral only), court-ordered counseling, or fitness-for-duty evaluations. Nothing goes to your command, your family, other agencies, or your security clearance file; the only exceptions are legally mandated reports (domestic violence, child or elder abuse or neglect, threats of harm to self or others, and illegal activity). Family Support Resources covers the counseling program, MilTax, and the relocation tools in full.

The rest of the catalog is wide:

• Financial counseling: unlimited sessions with accredited counselors on budgeting, debt management, credit restoration, creditor negotiation, deployment finances, and security clearance implications
• Relocation: the Plan My Move PCS checklist generator and MilitaryINSTALLATIONS base guides
• Spouse careers (SECO): free career coaching for all military spouses, the MyCAA scholarship (up to $4,000 toward licenses, certifications, or associate degrees; current eligibility rules are in Family Support Resources), the Career Accelerator paid fellowship program, a free one-year FlexJobs membership for remote-work searches, and license reimbursement up to $1,000 per PCS move
• Specialty services: health and wellness coaching, fitness and nutrition guidance, adoption, special needs, elder care, and wounded warrior consultations, document translation in 150+ languages, and free MilLife Learning online courses

Who can use it (including you, right now)

Full services extend to active duty in every branch (Coast Guard included since 2024), Guard and Reserve regardless of activation status, immediate family members, wounded, ill, or injured members and their caregivers, and non-remarried surviving spouses and children. Retired and honorably discharged members and their families keep full access for 365 days after separation.

And before you ever enlist: ROTC students, delayed-entry members, and future recruits, plus parents and extended family, already qualify for partial services, including the online directories and tools, webinars, and the contact center. If you're in DEP with questions, you can call today.

Day one, then your first 90 days

Everything in this section switches on the day you enter active duty. Dependents follow as soon as they're enrolled in DEERS (Defense Enrollment Eligibility Reporting System) and have their ID cards. During BMT your access is limited by the training schedule, but the privilege exists from day one.

At your first duty station, the mandatory 90-day financial training window doubles as a natural checklist: visit the legal office for a will and powers of attorney, sit down with a PFC to set a budget and a TSP contribution, download the My Military OneSource app, locate the commissary, BX, and ITT office, and verify your status on ID.me. An hour or two of setup, years of savings.