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New To The Navy?

Welcome Aboard!

As the proud spouse or family member of a U.S. Sailor, you are now part of the greater Navy Family. Take enormous pride in your Sailor and his or her service to our country.

As the wife or husband of a service member, you are eligible for many benefits, including health care, shopping privileges on base, and access to base facilities and programs. Once you arrive at a military installation, visit the Fleet & Family Support Center to find useful information on benefits and services. You will find it helpful to attend orientations for military spouses and to read all the information available to you. In the meantime, here is a quick checklist to get you started.

1. The Basics
• Ask your spouse to enroll you in the Defense Enrollment Eligibility Reporting System (DEERS).  All service members and their dependents must be enrolled in DEERS to receive medical benefits.  It is up to your spouse to enroll you.   Check the website for information http://www.tricare.osd.mil/deers/update-info.cfm To find the office nearest you, go to http://apps.mhf.dod.mil/pls/psgprod/f?p=MI:ENTRY:4162322623683468 .  Under “Select a program or service”, scroll down to ID/CAC Card Processing; then enter an installation.

• Register your car on base.  You can do this through the Security Office on base.  Check with them to see what documents you’ll need, but expect to bring your driver’s license, Department of Motor Vehicles registration, proof of car insurance and possibly proof of car inspection.

• Ask your spouse to list you as a beneficiary on his or her Serviceman’s Group Life Insurance (SGLI) policy.  This is the time for your service member to update his or her record of emergency data sheet (DD Form 93). (http://www.insurance.va.gov/sgliSite/SGLI/SGLI.htm)

• Determine whether you should change your state and federal income tax status to reflect your marital status.  Check with the legal office or the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program (VITA) on base to ensure you are doing what is right for your situation.

• Memorize your spouse’s Social Security number.  You will need it for all sorts of paperwork and forms.  Until you memorize the number, you can always get it from the ID card.

• Know your Sailor’s rate, rank, department or division, email, mailing address and full command name.  Make sure your whole family has this information. 

• Know who your Command Ombudsman is.  The Ombudsman is a spouse of a member of the command who voluntarily serves as the official liaison between the command and its families. Ombudsmen provide resource and referral assistance during times of emergency and rapid communication between the families and the command.  To find out who your Command’s Ombudsman is:
o Ask your spouse for the Ombudsman’s name and phone number
o Check your command website
o Go to www.ombudsmanregistry.org, scroll down and click on Contact Your Ombudsman

• Develop your own Family Emergency Plan. It is important to be prepared in advance of any disaster – either natural or manmade. Family Emergency Plan and Emergency Contact Card forms are available on the Naval Services FamilyLine website at www.NSFamilyLine.org under Get Our Publications .  To get complete details on military family preparation for various emergencies, read or download, ARE YOU READY?  Guidelines for Navy Family Preparedness.  Or order a free copy from Naval Services FamilyLine by calling toll free 1-877-673-7773 or emailing nsfamline@aol.com .    
                                                                              
• Once you have the basics taken care of, you will want to become familiar with all the other benefits and services you are eligible for as a military spouse. Sea Legs, an up-to-date guide on CD helps you become acquainted with life in the NAVY and the many benefits and resources available to you.  To order a free Sea Legs CD, call the Naval Services FamilyLine office toll free at 1-877-673-7773.  You may also view it online . Next are some of important resources you will want to know about. 

2. Health Benefits
TRICARE (www.tricare.osd.mil)
As active duty family members, you and your children will be eligible for health care.  You and your spouse should review the types of plans available and determine which meets your needs.  You must be enrolled in DEERS to receive health benefits.


Dental (www.ucci.com or 1-800-866-8499)
The TRICARE Dental Program is a voluntary, premium-based dental insurance plan administered by United concordia Companies, Inc. and available to active-duty family members.  You and your service member should discuss your family’s need to participate in this optional plan.


3.  Financial

Leave and Earnings Statement (LES)
(www.dod.mil/dfas/militarypay/militaryemploymentverification/navy_reading_your_les.pdf  Click on "Understanding your LES Navy)      The LES is a comprehensive statement of leave and earnings which is unique to each sailor.  The guide link will help you  learn to read an understand your Sailor’s LES.
Defense Finance and Accounting Services (http://dod.mil/dfas/)   Information about military pay.  From this site you can link to MyPay (https:mypay.dfas.mil/mypay.aspx), which allows you to manage your pay, LES, W-2s, and more.  A login and PIN are required.

Personal Financial Management (https://www.nffsp.org/skins/nffsp/home.aspx)
Financial awareness and responsibility through a life-cycle approach is key to the personal readiness of Sailors and families. Learn about financial planning and strategies.  Check with your local Fleet & Family Support Center (FFSC) for financial management classes.

Navy Pay and Benefits Guide Provides additional information about benefits to Sailors and their families.  (http:www.npc.navy.mil/NR/rdonlyres/7487DB4A-3727-4A77-AF7E-B64F4D279694/0/NavyPayand BenefitsGuide.pdf)

Navy Marine Corps Relief Society (NMCRS) (www.nmcrs.org)
The NMCRS programs include grants and loans to families in need, education, food lockers, free layettes, Thrift Shops, and visiting nurses.  Visit the NMCRS website to learn more about these programs as well as the location of the NMCRS offices around the world.

4.  Housing
Housing (www.housing.navy.mil/)
The Housing website contains information on Navy quarters around the world.  Learn about waiting lists, view floor plans and photos, and search the site for other relocation topics.

5.  Moving
Moving and Relocation – Plan My Move http://apps.mhf.dod.mil/pls/psgprod  Moving is a way of life for Navy families.  This website contains important information to help make your move a smooth one.  Housing allowances vary by duty stations.  Please be aware of your service member’s pay and allowances BEFORE you sign a lease or purchase a home.


SmartWebMove   https://www.smartwebmove.navsup.navy.mil/swm/
This user-friendly program developed to help active duty personnel and their families plan and arrange household goods moves online, anytime.   You can access SMARTWebMove from home, work, on board ship-anywhere you have Internet connectivity.

6. Deployment
Deployment (www.cnic.navy.mil Click on What We Do then Fleet & Family Readiness)  If your spouse is in the Navy, chances are he/she will deploy at some point.  This website contains information on getting prepared, communicating with your spouse during deployment, personal and financial readiness, and strategies for helping children.  You will also learn about deployment support systems, the impact of deployment, and the emotional cycle you may experience.

Individual Augmentation (IA) (www.ia.navy.mil )  A Sailor who leaves their assigned unit/command to deploy individually or with a small group is know as an Individual Augmentee.  At this website, learn more about the IA program and resources available to families.  You may also obtain a free copy of Guidelines for Spouses of Individual Augmentees by calling the FamilyLine office at 1-877-673-7773 or emailing nsfamline@aol.com .

7.  Children
New Parent Support   The New Parent Support Home Visitation Program assists military families in ways that friends and family do when you're back home. This program offers expectant parents and parents of newborn and young children the opportunity to learn new skills as parents and to improve old ones in the privacy of your home.  Contact your local FFSC for details.

Children and Teens   The Navy’s Child and Youth programs are among the highest quality in the nation.  The programs serve eligible children ages 4 weeks to 18 years. Learn about the Navy’s Child Development Centers (CDC), youth and teen programs, after school and day camps, and much more. For details on programs offered in your area, contact your local FFSC.

Exceptional Family Member Program (EFMP)  The Navy's EFMP is designed to assist sailors by addressing the special needs of their exceptional family members (EFM) during the assignment process. Special needs include any special medical, dental, mental health, developmental or educational requirement, wheelchair accessibility, adaptive equipment or assistive technology devices and services.  Enrollment in the program is mandatory and ensures that members may be assigned to duty locations where individual special requirements can be met.

8.  Spouse Employment & Education


Family Employment Readiness Program (FERP)
Go to www.nffsp.org and click on Family Employment
This Navy program at the Fleet and Family Support Centers addresses the employment challenges of military families.  Workshops are offered on launching a job search, career planning, resume writing, interview techniques, Federal employment information, conducting self-assessments, goal setting, and vocational tests.

9.  Base Services

Fleet and Family Support Centers
www.nffsp.org
Fleet and Family Support Centers (FFSCs) are located at bases and stations around the world.  They provide Navy families with a variety of programs that assist them as they adapt to the special demands of the military lifestyle. These programs include:  New Parent Support, Family Advocacy Program, Life Skills Education, Relocation Assistance Program, Clinical Counseling Programs and more.

Legal (www.jag.navy.mil)
Naval Legal Service Offices is a customer-service organization providing legal services to active duty Navy, Marine Corps and Coast Guard service members and their dependents, reservists on active duty for 30 days or more, and to retirees as resources permit.

Chaplains (www.chaplaincare.navy.mil)
Pastoral counseling is provided to all who ask for assistance.  Chaplains work at base chapels and are qualified to help Navy families find solutions to personal, family, marital, and spiritual dilemmas.

Commissary (www.commissaries.com)
Sailors and families who shop the Navy commissaries save over 30% per year on the cost of their groceries.  Visit the commissary website and discover information on store locations, promotions and special savings, recipes, commissary employment opportunities, and more.  Please remember that the baggers work for tips!!

Navy Exchange (NEX) (www.navy-nex.com)
The prices at your Navy Exchange average 20% below the competition.  On the NEX website you can view the online catalogue, locate stores and mini-marts, learn about NEX employment opportunities, and more.

Morale, Welfare, and Recreation Division (MWR) (www.mwr.navy.mil)
The mission of the MWR Division programs is to provide active duty, reserve, retired Navy personnel and their families with sports and physical fitness activities, child and youth programs, and a variety of food and beverage services.  Visit the MWR website and learn about the wide range of programs that contribute to the retention; readiness; and mental, physical, and emotional well-being of our Sailors and their families.


10.  Be Aware of Resources
Official Navy Website (http://www.navy.mil/)

Navy Reserve Force (http://.navyreserve.navy.mil)
For complete information about the Navy Reserve Force, log onto their website. Click on CNRFC Families for family readiness information.

Command Ombudsman Program www.ombudsmanregistry.org
The Ombudsman is a spouse of a member of the command who voluntarily serves as the official liaison between the command and its families.  Ombudsmen provide resource and referral, assistance during times of emergencies, and rapid communication between the families and the command.  Contact your command’s ombudsman at the website above.

Naval Services FamilyLine (NSF) (www.NSFamilyline.org)
NSF was founded in 1965 by Navy spouses to provide education and resource assistance for Navy spouses to help them meet the challenge of the military lifestyle.  NSF’s volunteers publish and distribute free the Guideline Series – educational booklets on topics such as:  Social Customs and Traditions, Guidelines for CO, XO, CMC/COB, and CPO spouses, how to launch a club or family support group, and more.  To request one of the many publications or speak directly with a Navy spouse, call NSF toll-free at 1-877-673-7773 between 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. EST Monday through Friday, or e-mail NSF at nsfamline@aol.com.

COMPASS
Want to learn more about the Navy lifestyle from other spouses?  COMPASS is the program for you.  This 12-hour, 3 session course links spouses with resources.  Experienced, trained volunteer spouses offer valuable insights and knowledge to help make your journey as a Navy spouse successful.  COMPASS is free and babysitting is provided.  Learn about this program at www.gocompass.org 

Sea Legs
A must for the new spouse!  Sea Legs, a handbook written by Navy spouses, will help you become acquainted with life in the Navy and the many resources and benefits available to Navy family members.  Sea Legs is free and may be ordered in hard copy or on CD by calling Naval Services FamilyLine toll-free at 1-877-673-7773 or emailing nsfamline@aol.com .

Military OneSource (http://www.militaryonesource.com)
Military OneSource provides you with information and resources that can help improve many areas of your life, from personal to professional. This confidential service is available 24/7.