The Veterans Affairs office offers veterans a way to purchase a home with no money down through the VA Loan. This makes it easier to purchase a home while you are serving, or after you have left the service.
Healthcare
Military members are immediately eligible for full health care benefits for themselves and their immediate family members as soon as they enter the service, and if you stay through until retirement, you and your family can take these benefits with you when you leave the military. These health benefits extend to immediate family (e.g. spouses and children, and sometimes dependent parents). You may also be eligible for temporary military healthcare benefits after you leave the service.
The military has installations all around the world and pays for you and your family to get there and back. Your off duty time is yours and you are free to travel and see the world. The military gives you 30 days of paid leave per year, not including weekends and federal holidays.
The military provides advanced technical training in a variety of career fields and also offers opportunities for additional training when you are off-duty. Many military members are able to attend college courses that are often paid for by tuition assistance. You can use your training opportunities to advance within your career field, earn certifications or degrees, or prepare yourself to transition back into civilian life.
A new second lieutenant starts at over $36,000 a year plus full benefits, not including added monthly allowances of up to $3,000, depending on where he or she is stationed.
An enlisted person starts at around $20,000 a year plus full benefits, not including added monthly allowances of up to $1,500 depending on where he or she is stationed.
Enlistment and re-enlistment bonuses can be over $20,000. After serving only 3 years, some nuclear trained enlisted members in the Navy receive bonuses of $90,000 for re-enlisting. Student loans can be relieved by up to $65,000. The military is also one of the few places where you can get a full pension after serving 20 years or more.
Military retirement pay can reach 50-75% of the average of your final three years base salary (for the legacy High 3 retirement plan). In some instances, you can receive more than 75% of your base pay in retirement.
The new Blended Retirement System (the retirement plan for all members who join after January 2, 2018) offers a slightly different retirement multiplier with matching Thrift Savings Plan contributions of up to 5% of your base salary. The TSP is like a civilian 401k plan.