LIFE IN THE MILITARY
Support & Assistance
Service members and their families have access to a wide range of support and assistance services to ensure their comfort, security and well-being.
Money Management Services
Depending on where you are stationed, you and your family may have access to professional advisors and educational classes that can help you manage money, eliminate debt and pursue other financial goals. These Financial Readiness Programs (FRP) are designed to set up service members for success by improving financial literacy, encouraging fiscal planning and raising consumer awareness.
In addition to these support services, banks and credit unions are also common amenities found on military installations.
Legal Assistance Offices
Like civilians, service members and their families may encounter situations where they find themselves seeking legal expertise, like reviewing contracts and leases, drafting wills and powers of attorney, and advising on family and domestic relations. Depending on your duty station, you may have access to legal-assistance offices that can help you address these situations and more. These amenities are led by military lawyers, known as judge advocates, who specialize in providing counsel based on military law outlined in the Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ).
Religious Services
At duty stations around the world, service members and their families can expect a welcoming environment that celebrates people from all faiths (including those who don’t practice religion). Chaplains like Capt. Anna Page and other religious operations personnel make it their mission to encourage personal fulfillment, offer spiritual community and provide confidential counsel to all those who seek it, 24/7.
ID Card Offices
Because military bases are secure government facilities, service members, their families and other visitors must have the proper credentials to gain access to them. Military members are required to obtain a Common Access Card (CAC) to enter and move about installations. Similarly, dependents and spouses of service members must have Uniformed Services ID (USID) cards to come and go. Some bases may also welcome guests who have no relation to anyone on base, however they are required to obtain visitor passes.
Because establishing your military identification is an important step to accessing benefits like health care and on-base amenities, most duty stations have ID Card Offices where you can apply for a card while receiving any assistance that you may need.