From your first recruiter visit to the day you hold your discharge document — and everything in between. Every phase, every checklist, every benefit, every trap. Built for recruits, service members, veterans, and military families.
Everything from choosing a branch to outprocessing. Checklists, branch comparisons, deep dives, and financial planning for the entire active duty career.
The back half of the lifecycle that most guides ignore. VA disability claims, the DD-214 document itself, veteran reintegration, federal employment, and a complete resource directory.
Whether you're considering enlistment or holding your DD-214, there's a phase in this guide written specifically for where you are right now.
Comparing branches, understanding ASVAB, choosing your MOS, and knowing what to expect before you sign anything.
TSP strategy, promotion timelines, security clearance maintenance, deployment preparation, and financial planning.
PCS moves, EFMP, DEERS, Tricare, spouse employment, OPSEC, and childcare resources across all branches.
VA claims via BDD, DD-214 verification, VR&E vs. GI Bill strategy, federal hiring preference, and civilian reintegration.
Most military guides cover how to survive boot camp. This one covers the entire lifecycle.
Army max age 42, Navy 41, Air Force AFQT 31, MHS GENESIS explained, TCCC nuance by branch — every common mistake fixed.
Every phase has a trackable checklist with progress bars. Your progress saves automatically between visits via localStorage.
Search across all phases — ASVAB, BAH, VA claim, DD-214, TSP, OPSEC — and jump directly to the relevant section.
TSP allocation strategy with disclaimer, house hacking with VA loan, GI Bill transfer to dependents, LES monitoring traps, predatory debt avoidance.
BDD program timing, documenting conditions before ETS, rating thresholds, supplemental claims, HLR, BVA appeals, nexus letters — the complete picture.
Both volumes have full print stylesheets. Take a clean, formatted version to TAP class, a VSO appointment, or a recruiter meeting.
Click either volume to open it — navigation between phases is built into the guide.
Important: This guide is for general informational purposes only. Pay rates, enlistment age limits, ASVAB minimums, benefit caps, and regulatory policies change regularly. Always verify current information with your branch recruiter, installation finance office, the Department of Veterans Affairs (va.gov), and DFAS (dfas.mil). This guide does not constitute legal, financial, or medical advice.
Choose your volume based on where you are in the military lifecycle. Volume I covers everything from the first recruiter visit through separation planning. Volume II covers the back half — VA claims, DD-214, civilian life, and federal employment.