Two of your three main pay components are not taxed — which is why your military pay is worth more than the same gross salary as a civilian.

Run your own numbers live on the dashboard's TSP projector — contribution %, expected return, and years to retirement.

• Ratings combine, they don't add — the "whole person" formula
• Example: 50% + 30% → 65% combined, rounded to the nearest 10%
• At 30% and above, dependents increase your monthly compensation
• 10%+ waives the VA home loan funding fee

Full 2026 rate tables — with and without dependents — are on the dashboard's Disability page.

• A separate, state-funded benefit for National Guard members
• Amounts, covered schools, and deadlines vary by state
• Often stacks on top of Federal TA to cover the remaining tuition
• Every state's program, amount, and application link is on the Education page

Post-9/11 housing pays the E-5-with-dependents BAH rate for your school's ZIP code — location matters.

• Buy as a primary residence and occupy it — plan on about 12 months
• PCS to a new duty station
• Rent out the first home — it can cash flow while you're gone
• Use your remaining entitlement to buy again at the new station
• Repeat. This is how service members quietly build a portfolio.