If you passed away today: Considerations for Retired Soldiers

Photo By Elizabeth Caraway | There are several ways for Retired Soldiers to document their assets and leave them to others, such as a will and revocable living trust. Retired Soldiers may receive free legal advice from military legal assistance attorneys. In the hours after your death, will your spouse or children know what to do? Have you told them? Or better yet, have you left them final instructions to carry out your wishes? (U.S. Army photo by Elizabeth Caraway)  

UNITED STATES

01.17.2023

Story by Mark Overberg 

HQDA Retirement Services Office

Last year, I heard a sad story about a military retiree who passed away while living in Germany. Even sadder was that he had no family there. When his death was discovered by the German authorities, they searched for the next of kin or a friend who knew his final wishes. Finding none, they buried him in a local German cemetery.

About seven thousand Retired Soldiers pass away each year. Most leave a spouse or children who care for them, who will bury or cremate them, and who may receive the deceased’s effects and assets – if the Retired Soldier’s wishes are known.

There are several ways for Retired Soldiers to document their assets and leave them to others, such as a will and revocable living trust. Retired Soldiers may receive free legal advice from military legal assistance attorneys. You can find the closest judge advocate general office by using the MyArmyBenefits Resource Locator for your state at https://myarmybenefits.us.army.mil/Benefit-Library/Resource-Locator.

In the hours after your death, will your spouse or children know what to do? Have you told them? Or better yet, have you left them final instructions to carry out your wishes? One tool is the Retired Soldier Casualty Assistance Checklist: https://soldierforlife.army.mil/Documents/static/Post/Retired_Soldier_Casualty_Assistance_Checklist.pdf.

Have you been procrastinating about planning for your death? My dad did -- until he had a stroke. When he recovered, he created “The Book.” He showed each of his children, on their next visit, “where the Book lives” and what was in it. He’d included everything we needed to know down to which mortuary to call and their phone number; the cemetery plots he’d purchased for Mom and himself; the casket he wanted; and where all their assets were with account numbers.

When Dad passed 13 years after his stroke, I was driving to visit him. I arrived too late to say goodbye, but as I sat with him, I remembered his plan, his wishes. So I called my brother and told him to email me the first two pages of The Book – the instructions for what to do immediately upon his death. Ten minutes later, I had his wishes in hand, and knew what he wanted me to do. While I was very sad, I did not have the stress of trying to guess what he wanted or whom to talk to. The Book was his way of reminding us he still loved us, even in death.

Topics to address in your final instructions

• Getting a death certificate
• Burial or cremation plans and location
• Pre-need eligibility letter from the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) (https://www.va.gov/burials-memorials/pre-need-eligibility/)
• How to report a Retired Soldier’s death (https://www.dfas.mil/RetiredMilitary/survivors/Retiree-Death/)
• How to schedule a benefits brief with the VA before the funeral if needed [phone] (Benefits Hotline) or [phone] (main information line)
• Military funeral honors (https://www.militaryonesource.mil/leaders-service-providers/casualty-assistance/military-funeral-honors)
• Burial flag (VA) (https://www.va.gov/burials-memorials/)
• Headstone/grave marker or veteran’s medallion for a private headstone (VA)
• Application for burial expenses from the VA (https://www.va.gov/burials-memorials/veterans-burial-allowance/)
• Help with final expenses from Army Emergency Relief (https://www.armyemergencyrelief.org/assistance/)
• Filing claim for VGLI or VALife (https://www.va.gov/life-insurance/), or private life insurance
• Applying for Dependency & Indemnity Compensation from the VA (https://www.va.gov/disability/dependency-indemnity-compensation/)
• Applying for DOD Survivor Benefit Plan annuity (https://www.dfas.mil/RetiredMilitary/survivors/ApplySBP/)
• Applying for the arrears of retired pay (https://www.dfas.mil/RetiredMilitary/survivors/1174RetireeAOP/)
• Transferring Thrift Savings Plan (https://www.tsp.gov/publications/tspbk31.pdf)
• Social Security survivors benefits (https://www.ssa.gov/benefits/survivors/ifyou.html)
• Updating DEERS and ID Cards (https://idco.dmdc.osd.mil/idco/)
• State-specific veteran benefits (https://myarmybenefits.us.army.mil/Benefit-Library/State/Territory-Benefits)
• TRICARE plan updates (https://www.tricare.mil/LifeEvents/DeathinFamily)
• Federal Employees Dental and Vision Insurance Plan [phone] or https://www.benefeds.com/education-support/eligibility-military)

• Date Taken: 01.17.2023
• Date Posted: 01.17.2023 12:50
• Story ID: 436827
• Location: US