Benefits, Military

Military personnel receive a total financial compensation package that comprises both pay and benefits. Unlike pay, which comes in the form of direct monetary payments, benefits are typically provided either as in-kind goods and services (e.g., military housing, paid leave, meals, health care, and educational assistance for active-duty service members) or as deferred payments only available to veterans and retirees (e.g., retirement pay and disability pay). In addition, benefits may include other rewards and privileges whose monetary value is more difficult to calculate—for example, citizenship for soldiers who are not already citizens at the time of enlistment or military honors at funeral services. This entry examines the evolution of military benefits and then [Page 218]describes the types of benefits for active-duty and retired U.S. military ...