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HomeResourcesMilLife GuidesJoining the Military Community
MilLife Guides

Joining the Military Community

Overview

Now that you’ve got the basics of military life covered, it’s time to connect with your new military community. Unlock the discounts your military ID brings, participate in local events and know where to turn for solutions when you’re faced with new challenges.

Learn about all the privileges your military ID brings

Your military ID grants you reduced rates for exclusive recreation services that help you live military life to the fullest without emptying your wallet. Service members and their families get discounts on hotels, car rentals, theme park tickets and vacation packages. Plus, you can score savings on sporting events, brewery tours, movie tickets and more.

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Military ID Cards 101 — Eligibility and Access

Get the details on military ID cards, who is eligible and how to get one.

Benefits for Accessing Savings With Your Military ID
Information, Tickets and Travel Program
Space-A Travel
America the Beautiful Passes
Blue Star Museums Program

Connect with your local, morale, welfare and recreation office

The Defense Department and the military services’ morale, welfare and recreation programs provide services and activities for the military community during peacetime, readiness contingencies and deployments.

You can connect to all kinds of fun programs and activities as well as take advantage of its digital library containing lots of do-it-yourself manuals and helpful resources. Whether you’re looking to work on a small engine or learn about investing, you’ll find what you need to get started right here.

Benefits for Connecting With Morale, Welfare and Recreation
Morale, Welfare and Recreation Programs
Installation Libraries and DOD MWR Libraries
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Find Your local MWR office

Use MilitaryINSTALLATIONS to connect with your local MWR office.

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Check out your branch’s MWR programs:

Stretch your take-home pay with free financial guidance and other services

Financial security at home allows all service members to be more focused and mission-ready, which is why the military offers so many free resources and services to help you make the most of your monthly pay.

You can work to cut up your credit cards, afford that car you’ve long had your eye on — or even make a down payment on your first home.

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On Your Side: Military Financial Support

Service members and their families have access to substantial resources to save money and manage expenses. Learn more about different military pay and compensation benefits and ways to save and protect your family’s financial health.

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Basic Pay tables for Active Duty and Reserves

See the current pay table and learn about annual pay raises.

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Financial Counseling Options

The Defense Department offers a number of financial counseling options to help plan and control your financial future.

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Financial Counseling from Military OneSource

Learn about free financial counseling from Military OneSource. Financial counselors are available to meet in person, by phone or video.

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Find your Personal Financial Management Program

Use MilitaryINSTALLATIONS to find your local Personal Financial Management program.

Compensation Conversation

Did you know there’s more to your military compensation package than pay? There are hundreds of benefits you’ve earned through your service. Check out this video where Military OneSource breaks down the full scope of military compensation and helps service members and their families understand and maximize their benefits.

Find assistance when you need it most

Emergencies and challenges can appear without warning for anyone. The military community is especially well-equipped to help you handle anything life might throw at you.

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Military Relief Organizations and Emergency Financial Help

Each service branch has a relief organization to help service members weather financial emergencies.

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American Red Cross Support for Military Families

The Red Cross has been helping the military community for nearly 140 years. Learn all it has to offer.

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Free Legal Assistance

Service members have access to certain free legal benefits. Learn what is available.

Strengthen relationships and get parenting support

Military life carries its own unique challenges, and these can affect the quality of your relationships. Military OneSource provides support to help you strengthen all of your relationships.

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Parenting Support

This free program helps new and expectant military parents transition successfully into parenthood and provides a nurturing environment for their children.

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Building Healthy Relationships

Make your most important relationships even stronger with this free specialty consultation.

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Support for Families With Special Needs

Learn about top resources, services and programs for military families with special needs.

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Family Advocacy Program

FAP is a Defense Department program that addresses child abuse and neglect, domestic abuse and problematic sexual behavior in children and youth.

Career support for spouses

Frequent moves and other aspects of military life can make it challenging for spouses to pursue or maintain a career. The Defense Department has programs that help military spouses prepare for careers and connect with employers.

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SECO and MSEP 101: Made for Military Spouse Employment

The Spouse Education and Career Opportunities program and the Military Spouse Employment Partnership can get spouses career-ready and find a great job.

Get help with PCS moves and deployments

As a service member, you can expect PCS and deployments to be part of your military life. The Defense Department offers plenty of support for both.

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PCS Basics

Get a breakdown of what you need to know about PCS and learn about available relocation resources.

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Plan My Move

Create a custom checklist for your move, filled with information about the tasks you need to complete and how to complete them.

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MilitaryINSTALLATIONS

Get comprehensive information about military installations worldwide. Search for programs and services, access information on temporary housing, check-in procedures, schools, surrounding community, contact information and more.

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Plan My Deployment

Find task checklists, resources and articles to help you prepare for all phases of the deployment cycle.

Manage stress

Life is full of challenges. Military life is, too. You have many options — from wellness apps to health and wellness coaching — to help you manage stress. You can even vent to a licensed counselor whenever the stress of military life gets too much, without your commander, unit or family members knowing you reached out.

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Chill Drills

De-stress and relax with these audio mindfulness exercises developed specifically for the military community.

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Moodhacker

Track, understand and improve your mood with this resilience tool.

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Health and Wellness Coaching

Free health and wellness coaching from Military OneSource can help you reach your goals, whether it’s improving your fitness, eating better or managing stress and life transitions.

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CoachHub

Connect with a professional health and wellness coaching expert through your mobile device.

A range of support for your MilLife

In addition to the information and support offered through your command, you have access to a wide range of services through Military OneSource.

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Military OneSource

Military OneSource is your 24/7 connection to information, answers and support to help you reach your goals, overcome challenges and thrive.

How to Contact Military OneSource

You can call 800-342-9647 or chat with a Military OneSource consultant 24/7/365. You can also use our online request function to schedule an initial screening at a time that works for you. OCONUS/international? View calling options.

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I never realized that service members have such a fantastic resource [like Military OneSource] available to them. I will be sure to let all of my subordinate soldiers know about this invaluable resource and will definitely look into your other services.

— Anonymous

Related MilLife Guides

The Final Move Turn to Military OneSource for support, including financial counseling, moving assistance and details on survivor benefits.
Housing & Living Before you decide where to build your nest, it’s important to know about your resources so you can make the best choice.
Career Coaching The Spouse Education and Career Opportunities program provides free coaching services to all eligible military spouses.

Learn about military bases worldwide. Get installation overviews, check-in procedures, housing, neighborhood information, contacts for programs and services, photos and more.

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Release 5.24.24