August 18, 2006, Newsletter Issue #27: All The Small Things

Tip of the Week

Single people new to military bases only have to worry about themselves, but a married person has too many numbers, names and dates to keep memorized. At your first military assignment, you'll be asked to provide information for your spouse and children, including dates of birth, social security numbers, school information, adoption papers if applicable, and much more.

When you report to your first assignment part of your "in-processing" will include registering you and your family for medical care and "TRICARE" medical/dental insurance, getting base decals for your vehicle so you can come and go on the military base, ID cards, the list goes on and on. Go prepared! Make a file complete with photocopies of your family's social security cards and birth certificates, driver's licenses, a cancelled check (you'll need the routing numbers for things like direct deposit of duty-related travel pay, etc) and be sure to include your passports.

Include any school information you have from previous college attendence. When you and your spouse sign up for college courses through the military base education office, you'll want to get credit for past coursework. All this sounds like a lot to do, but rest assured, you'll cover it all in the first months of your very first assignment in the military.

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