Know your rights

Reserve retirement is basically worthless. You don't get anything until you're 60, and the pay is barely anything.

Reserve retirement pay is based on a point system. Each point represents value toward retirement pay. You need 20 qualifying years (with at least 50 points each year). Pay begins at age 60, but active duty service can reduce this to as early as age 50. A typical 20-year reservist with good point accumulation can expect $1,000-$2,500/month.

If you're both in the military, they'll just send you wherever they want. You have no say in being stationed together.

The Married Army Couples Program (MACP) — and equivalent programs in other branches — requires the Army to make a reasonable effort to assign married military couples to the same installation or within commuting distance. You must enroll in MACP for the system to work.

The Army pays for your move. That's it. Don't expect anything else.

A PCS comes with multiple entitlements beyond just moving your stuff: DLA (Dislocation Allowance), TLE (Temporary Lodging Expense), MALT (mileage), per diem for travel days, house hunting PTDY, advance pay, and advance travel allowance. Most soldiers leave money on the table because they don't know what to claim.

If you self-refer to ASAP, your command will find out and you'll get chaptered. It goes on your record.

Self-referral to ASAP is confidential — your command is only told that you are enrolled, not why. Self-referral protects you from UCMJ action for substance use disclosed during treatment. Command referral (after a positive UA or incident) does not have the same protections. Self-referring early is almost always better.

Your commander can order you to answer questions about an incident. You have to cooperate.

Under Article 31 of the UCMJ, no person subject to the UCMJ may compel any person to make self-incriminating statements. If you are suspected of an offense, you must be informed of your Article 31 rights before questioning. This is the military equivalent of Miranda rights.

Once you're flagged, your career is over. You can't do anything while flagged.

A flag suspends favorable personnel actions (promotions, awards, schools) while an adverse action is pending. It is temporary and must be removed when the underlying action is resolved. A flag is not punishment — it's an administrative hold. You retain your rank, pay, and position while flagged.

You need a college degree and perfect PT score to even apply. Enlisted soldiers rarely get picked.

OCS requires a bachelor's degree but Green to Gold pays for your degree while you're still getting paid. Warrant Officer programs require specific MOS experience and don't require a degree. Each has different requirements and the selection rates for qualified applicants are higher than most people think.

SkillBridge is only for certain MOSs. Your command can just say no. Most people don't get approved.

SkillBridge is available to ALL service members within their last 180 days of service, regardless of MOS. While commander approval is required, DoD policy encourages approval and requires written justification for denial. The program allows you to work full-time with a civilian employer while still receiving military pay and benefits.

If you file a restricted report, nothing happens and nobody helps you. If you file unrestricted, everyone will know.

A restricted report gives you access to medical care, counseling, and a Sexual Assault Response Coordinator (SARC) without triggering an investigation or notifying your chain of command. An unrestricted report triggers an official investigation. You can convert a restricted report to unrestricted later, but not the reverse.

If you get injured, they'll medically retire you with full benefits. The Army takes care of its own.

Medical retirement (with ongoing pay and TRICARE) requires a disability rating of 30% or more. Below 30%, you get medical separation with a one-time severance payment. The difference in lifetime benefits is enormous — hundreds of thousands of dollars.

If you deploy with the Guard/Reserve, your civilian employer can find a reason to fire you when you get back.

USERRA (Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act) requires your employer to reemploy you in the same position (or equivalent) when you return from military service. They cannot fire you for up to one year after reemployment (for service over 180 days). Violations are enforced by the Department of Justice.

SCRA is just for deployments. It doesn't help you with regular duty station stuff.

The Servicemembers Civil Relief Act (SCRA) provides broad protections including: interest rate cap of 6% on pre-service debts, ability to terminate leases early due to PCS or deployment, protection from default judgments in civil court, and protection from eviction if rent is below a threshold.

You only get house hunting leave if your command feels like approving it.

You are authorized up to 10 days of permissive TDY for house hunting at your new duty station during a PCS. This is non-chargeable leave — it does not come out of your leave balance. The regulation authorizes it; your command should approve it as a matter of course.

SGLI is just life insurance. You don't need to worry about it unless you're deploying.

SGLI provides up to $400,000 in life insurance for about $25/month. TSGLI (Traumatic Injury Protection) is an additional rider that pays $25,000-$100,000 for qualifying traumatic injuries — loss of limb, sight, hearing, TBI, burns. TSGLI applies in garrison, not just combat.

Your first sergeant controls who gets promoted. If you're not on their good side, you're stuck.

Promotion to E-5 and E-6 in the Army is based on a point system — military education, civilian education, awards, APFT/ACFT score, and weapons qualification. Points are calculated objectively. Your first sergeant submits the promotion packet but cannot change your point total.

Nobody understands the LES. Just check that the total pay looks about right.

Your Leave and Earnings Statement is a detailed breakdown of everything you earn and everything that's deducted. If you don't review it monthly, you could be missing pay, overpaying taxes, or not getting allowances you're entitled to.

Your commander can deny terminal leave and make you work until your last day. Terminal leave isn't guaranteed.

While commanders have the authority to deny terminal leave for mission-essential reasons, they must allow you to sell back unused leave if they deny terminal leave. Most commands approve terminal leave because denying it creates a financial liability for the unit. You are entitled to use or be compensated for your earned leave.

You can transfer your GI Bill to your kids anytime. Just fill out the form when you're getting out.

You must have at least 6 years of service AND commit to 4 additional years to transfer Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits. The transfer must be approved while you are still serving. You cannot transfer after separation.

Once you get out, you lose all your medical benefits immediately. You're on your own.

You have 180 days of transitional healthcare coverage (Transitional Assistance Management Program / TAMP) after separation. After that, you may qualify for VA healthcare, TRICARE Reserve Select (if Guard/Reserve), or Continued Health Care Benefit Program (CHCBP) as a bridge.

TSP doesn't matter because you'll get a pension if you do 20 years. And the government match is only like 1%.

The government automatically contributes 1% of your base pay to TSP and matches your contributions up to an additional 4%, for a total of 5% free money. If you're not contributing at least 5%, you are literally refusing free compensation.

If you go to the IG, your chain of command will find out and it'll ruin your career. The IG just sends it back to your commander anyway.

You have the absolute right to file an IG complaint. It is a federal crime under 10 USC 1034 for anyone to restrict, punish, or retaliate against you for making a protected communication to an Inspector General.

If you fail tape, you're automatically flagged and they can chapter you out right away.

Failing the Army Body Composition Program (ABCP) results in enrollment in a weight control program, not immediate separation. You get time to meet standards, and the measurement process has specific rules that must be followed exactly — errors in measurement technique are one of the most common problems.

Married E-4s and below still have to live in the barracks. You don't rate BAH until E-5.

If you are married (with dependents), you are entitled to BAH at your duty station rate regardless of rank. The "live in the barracks until E-5/E-6" policy applies to single soldiers without dependents, and varies by installation.

Leave is a privilege, not a right. The first sergeant can deny your leave for any reason.

You earn 2.5 days of leave per month (30 days per year). Leave is an entitlement you earn, not a gift. While commanders have approval authority and can deny leave for mission requirements, they cannot create blanket "shadow policies" that prevent all leave.

You have to accept the Article 15. It's just how it works. Your commander already decided.

You have the absolute right to refuse an Article 15 (nonjudicial punishment) and demand a trial by court-martial instead. Your commander must inform you of this right in writing before proceeding.