From free health care to excellent retirement benefits, active duty military personnel have long enjoyed a host of benefits. These benefits, however, go beyond helping service members and extend to families and dependents as well. Spouses of active duty military personnel have access to a wide variety of services and benefits, so contact your family programs and services organization for up-to-date benefits information.
Housing
One key benefit that spouses and families of active duty service members receive comes in the form of housing assistance. Active duty service personnel can choose between government-provided housing or housing assistance programs, allowing each family to choose adequate, safe and affordable housing, according to MilitaryHomefront, the Department of Defense's website for military family program information. If families do not want to live on base housing, active duty personnel and their spouses can opt for housing allowances. These allowances provide service personnel with tax-free payments and assistance so the family can obtain housing in the private sector.
Spouse Employment
Active duty military spouses often face difficulty in locating employment. Because active duty service and the military lifestyle typically requires frequent relocation and deployments, spouses seeking employment have additional hurdles in finding jobs. The Department of Defense provides spouses employment assistance through services like the Employment Assistance Program and the Military Spouse Career Center. These programs offer services, such as job training, resume preparation, career seminars and job placement.
Death Benefits
If your active duty spouse dies while in combat, on training or as a result of injuries sustained during these periods, you get additional benefits. Upon the death of your spouse, you receive a lump sum, tax-free death gratuity, according to the Department of Defense. As of August 2010, the gratuity is $100,000 and is payable to you within 72-hours of your spouse's death. You also have the right to apply for and receive ongoing Dependency and Indemnity Compensation payments, known as DIC. DIC payments are ongoing monthly payments payed to you for life, provided you do not remarry before the age of 57.
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