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1036 articles to help with your military transition
Expert guides covering VA disability claims, C&P exam preparation, military-to-civilian career transitions, retirement planning, state veteran benefits, and more. Written for active duty service members, reservists, and retirees navigating life after the military. Browse by category or search for topics specific to your transition.
The four essay questions on GS-05+ federal job postings, what each is really asking, the 200-word limit, and the AI-certification trap under 18 U.S.C. 1001 that can turn a job application into a federal crime.
The 2026 SES pay scale: $151,661 minimum to $228,000 maximum in certified agencies, $209,600 without certification. Why SES gets no locality pay, and how veterans reach it.
How to request your VA home loan COE three ways, what it proves, how entitlement restoration works after you have used the benefit once, and the mistakes that hold applications up.
Free federal and nonprofit entrepreneurship training for veterans: EBV, Boots to Business, VBOC, Bunker Labs, and more. Who qualifies and how to apply.
How the Navy DES works: MEB to PEB to disposition, the 30% rule, IDES vs legacy DES, TDRL vs PDRL, the appeal ladder, and the PLD off-ramp.
How Permanent Limited Duty (PLD) lets a sailor stay Navy after a PEB unfit finding: eligibility, the two-instruction billet nuance, the timeline, and how to request it.
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How SBP works, what it costs (6.5% of your base amount), the spouse-concurrence rule, and the one window to cancel after you retire.
Most out-processing forms can be fixed later. A few can't. Here's which separation decisions are truly irreversible versus which are just hard deadlines.
VET TEC 2.0 pays for veteran tech training in coding, data, and IT. 2026 eligibility, what it covers, how to apply, and how it now uses your GI Bill.
VET TEC 2.0, VR&E, and the Post-9/11 GI Bill compared for a coding bootcamp or tech career change. Which pays most and which protects your GI Bill.
How continuity of symptomatology under 38 CFR 3.303(b) can establish service connection without a paper trail of treatment, plus the Walker v. Shinseki limit every veteran needs to know.
Your last military paycheck isn't guaranteed to be fast. You usually get ~80% within days, the rest in 30-45 days, but an audit or any debt on your account can push it past 120 days. Plan accordingly.
The VA OIG flagged systemic cases of appeals closed administratively without notifying the veteran, meaning your clock may be running on an appeal you think is still alive. How to check your real appeal status in 10 minutes, the warning signs, and exactly what to do if yours was affected.
BAH rates change annually and can increase or decrease. Here's how DoD sets BAH rates, what the rate protection rules are, and how to plan for rate changes.
Some states make license transfers fast and nearly seamless for military spouses. Here's which states lead on military spouse licensing accommodations and why it matters for your PCS decisions.
Military life creates unique financial emergencies, PCS costs, deployment disruptions, gap periods at separation. Here's how to size and store your emergency fund for military-specific needs.
Going through MEB/PEB doesn't automatically give you your VA rating. Here's how military medical separation and VA disability claims interact, and how to protect your benefits.
When you leave the military for a civilian job, you'll likely encounter a 401(k). Here's how it compares to TSP on fees, investment options, matching, and flexibility.
VA loans have significant advantages, no down payment, no PMI, but they're not always the better choice. Here's how to compare VA and conventional loans for your specific situation.
Veterans start businesses at higher rates than civilians but face predictable pitfalls. Here are the most common veteran entrepreneur mistakes and how to avoid them before they cost you.