Summary of VA Benefits for
National Guard and Reserve
Members and Veterans
As a member of the National Guard
or Reserve you may qualify for
a wide range of benefits offered
by the Department of Veterans
Affairs (VA). VA is here to help
you and your family understand
the benefits for which you may
be eligible and how to apply for
them. VA benets include disability
compensation, pension, home loan
guaranty, education, health care,
insurance, vocational rehabilitation
and employment, and burial.
Active Guard Reserve (AGR) Program supports
and enhances the mobilization readiness of the
Reserve components. The AGR includes both
National Guard (Title 32) and Reserve members
(Title 10) who serve full-time. National Guard
members may establish eligibility for certain
VA benets by performing full-time duty under
either Title 32 or Title 10.
QUALIFYING SERVICE IN THE NATIONAL
GUARD AND RESERVE
Generally, all National Guard and Reserve members
discharged or released under conditions that are
not dishonorable are eligible for some VA benets.
The length of your service, service commitment
and/or your duty status may determine your
eligibility for specic benets.
Active Service. Eligibility requirements for several
VA benets include a certain length of active
service. Active service in the National Guard or
Reserve includes:
» Active duty (Title 10) - full-time duty in the
Armed Forces, such as unit deployment during
war, including travel to and from such duty,
except active duty for training, OR
» Full-time National Guard duty (Title 32) – duty
performed for which you are entitled to receive pay
from the Federal government, such as responding
to a national emergency or performing duties as an
Active Guard Reserve (AGR) member
A state or territory’s governor may activate
National Guard members for State Active Duty,
such as in response to a natural or man-made
disaster. State Active Duty is based on state law
and does not qualify as “active service” for VA
benets. Unlike full-time National Guard duty,
National Guard members on State Active Duty are
paid with state funds as opposed to Federal funds.
Access Your VA Benets
Go to eBenets at www.ebenets.va.gov,
your one-stop shop to learn about and apply
for your benets.
Traditional Service. Traditional National Guard
and Reserve members typically serve one weekend
per month and two weeks per year. Traditional
members may become eligible for some VA benets
by fullling a service commitment. Eligibility for
disability compensation requires that a disability
was the result of an injury or disease incurred or
aggravated in the line of duty during active duty or
active duty for training. For inactive duty training,
the disability must have resulted from injury, heart
attack, or stroke. Other benet programs require a
specied number of days of active service.
Technician Service. Military technicians are
civilian employees of the Department of the Army
or Department of the Air Force who are required
to maintain membership in the National Guard or
Reserve in order to retain employment. Similar to
traditional National Guard and Reserve members,
military technicians are normally in a military status
one weekend a month and two weeks a year,
and are eligible for some VA benets. They may
establish eligibility for additional benets based
on the length of Guard, Reserve, or active service.
VA BENEFITS
Disability Compensation. Disability
compensation is a monthly tax-free benet
paid to Veterans who are at least 10%
disabled because of injuries or diseases
that were incurred or aggravated during
active duty or active duty for training.
Pension. VA pension is a tax-free benet
paid to Veterans with limited income and
net worth who served during a wartime
period (see the FAQ section for a list of
wartime periods). Generally, you must have
90 days or 24 months of active service
(depending on when you served) to qualify.
Eligibility for VA Pension Benets
Age/Disability Requirements
Active Service Requirements
On/Before
September 7, 1980 (Enlisted) or
October 16, 1981 (Officer)
After
September 7, 1980 (Enlisted) or
October 16, 1981 (Officer)
» Age 65 or older, OR
» Permanently and totally disabled
(not due to own personal
misconduct), OR
» A patient in a nursing home
receiving skilled nursing care, OR
» Receiving Social Security Disability
Insurance, OR
» Receiving Supplemental Security
Income
» For at least 90 days with at least one
day during a wartime period, OR
» For at least 90 consecutive days or
more if the period began or ended
during a wartime period, OR
» For an aggregate of 90 days or more
during more than one wartime
period, OR
» During a wartime period, you were
discharged or released because of
a service-connected disability
» For at least 24 continuous months*,
or the full period you were called
or ordered, with at least one day
during a wartime period, OR
» During a wartime period, you were
discharged or released because of a
service-connected disability
*You are also eligible if you previously
completed 24 continuous months of
active service prior to the date above,
or received an early discharge under
Section 1171 of Title 10.
Home Loan Guaranty. VA’s Home Loan
Guaranty Program connects National Guard
and Reserve members with home loans
that have favorable terms. Private lenders
provide the loan, but VA guarantees a
portion of it, allowing lenders to provide
benets such as no down payment or
mortgage insurance premiums. To qualify
for VA’s home loan guaranty, you must
meet one of the following conditions:
» Served for 90 days or more on active duty
during a wartime period, OR
» Were discharged or released from active
duty for a service-connected disability, OR
» Have six years of service in the Selected
Reserve or National Guard, AND
› Were discharged honorably, OR
› Were placed on the retired list, OR
› Were transferred to the Standby Reserve
or an element of the Ready Reserve
other than the Selected Reserve after
honorable service, OR
› Continue to serve in the Selected Reserve
Education. VA provides valuable
education and training benets to National
Guard and Reserve members, including
nancial support for undergraduate and
graduate degrees, vocational and technical
training, licensing and certication tests,
apprenticeships, and on-the-job training.
You may be eligible for one or more of the
following programs if you meet certain
service requirements:
Eligibility for VA Education Benets
Program Service Requirements
Post-9/11 GI Bill
» You were honorably discharged from active duty for a service-connected disability after serving
at least 30 continuous days after September 10, 2001, OR
» You have at least 90 aggregate days of active service consisting of:
› Active duty (Title 10) supporting named contingency operations, OR
› Full-time National Guard duty (Title 32) for the purpose of organizing, administering,
recruiting, instructing, or training, OR
› Full-time National Guard duty (Title 32 under section 502(f)) when authorized by the
President or the Secretary of Defense for the purpose of responding to a national emergency
declared by the President and supported by Federal funds
Montgomery GI Bill-
Selected Reserve
(MGIB-SR)
You:
» Have a 6-year obligation to serve in the Selected Reserve, AND
» Completed your Initial Active Duty for Training (IADT), AND
» Served in a drilling unit and remain in good standing, AND
» Have a high school diploma or equivalency
Reserve Educational
Assistance Program
(REAP)
You:
» Are a member of a Reserve component, AND
» Served on active duty for at least 90 consecutive days after September 10, 2001
Health Care. VA health care benets may
include all the necessary inpatient hospital
care and outpatient services to promote,
preserve, or restore your health.
Eligibility for VA health care requires that
you served on active duty by a Federal
order and completed the full period for
which you were called or ordered. If you
served on active duty in a theater of
combat operations after November 11,
1998, you are eligible for free VA health
care benets for up to 5 years from the
date of discharge or release.
Additional factors determine health care
benet eligibility for non-combat Veterans,
or those with combat service prior to
November 11, 1998. Learn more at
www.va.gov/healthbenets.
Vet Centers. VA assists combat Veterans through
a nationwide network of community-based
Vet Centers. Counselors provide individual,
group, and family readjustment counseling
to help with the transition to civilian life, treat
post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and help
with any other issues related to military service.
Other services include: outreach, education,
medical referral, homeless Veteran services,
employment, and VA benefit referral.
Burial. VA oers burial and memorial
services to honor our Nation’s deceased
Veterans. For example:
» VA can furnish an inscribed headstone or
marker at any cemetery, or a medallion in
lieu of a headstone, or marker to ax to
one that is privately purchased
» VA can provide a burial and/or plot
allowance to partially reimburse the burial
and funeral costs of a Veteran
» VA can provide a Presidential Memorial
Certicate (PMC) for the next of kin and
loved ones of a deceased Veteran
» VA can provide an American ag to drape
the casket of a Veteran
» A Veteran and his or her dependents can
be buried in a VA national cemetery
Eligibility for burial benets requires that
you served on active duty, or that your
death was due to an injury or disease
that developed or was aggravated during
active duty, active duty for training, or
inactive duty for training.
Insurance. VA’s life insurance programs
provide nancial security and peace of
mind to you and your family, especially
considering the risks involved in military
service. Eligible Servicemembers and
Veterans pay relatively low monthly
premiums for coverage, which vary by
insurance program. You are automatically
insured under full-time Servicemembers’
Group Life Insurance (SGLI) as either a:
» Member of the Ready Reserve or National
Guard who is scheduled to perform at least
12 periods of inactive training per year, OR
» Servicemember who volunteers for a
mobilization category in the Individual
Ready Reserve (IRR)
Part-time coverage is also available to
National Guard and Reserve members
who do not meet the inactive training
requirement above, but do perform duty
at specic times.
You qualify for Veterans’ Group Life
Insurance (VGLI) if you are a:
» Servicemember separating, retiring, or
being released from assignment from
the Ready Reserve, or a National Guard
member who was covered by SGLI, OR
» Member of the National Guard or Reserve
covered by part-time SGLI who incurred or
aggravated a disability while performing
inactive duty or traveling to/from duty, OR
» Member of the Individual Ready Reserve or
Inactive National Guard
Additional VA Insurance benets include:
» Family Servicemembers’ Group Life
Insurance (FSGLI) is available to the spouses
and dependent children of members of
the Ready Reserve or National Guard of
a uniformed service covered by full-time
SGLI. FSGLI is a service members’ benet
and therefore is the only one allowed to
be beneciary. Coverage is terminated on
separate from service, divorce, death of the
service member or if the service member
elects to cancel the coverage
» SGLI Traumatic Injury Protection (TSGLI)
helps severely injured National Guard
and Reserve members and their families
with the financial burdens associated with
recovery by providing a one-time payment
to Servicemembers or Veterans who incur
traumatic injuries (on-duty or off-duty)
and suffer losses that qualify for payment
under TSGLI
» Service-Disabled Veterans’ Insurance
(S-DVI) provides life insurance coverage
to National Guard or Reserve members or
Veterans who incurred a service-connected
disability while in an active duty status.
Applications must be submitted within two
years from the date of notication of approval
for a new service-connected disability by the
VA. This is only for those Veterans discharged
on or after April 25, 1951
» Veterans Mortgage Life Insurance
(VMLI) provides mortgage life insurance
to severely disabled National Guard or
Reserve members or Veterans who incurred
a service-connected disability while in an
active duty status and received a Specially
Adapted Housing (SAH) grant from VA
Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment.
VA’s Vocational Rehabilitation and
Employment (VR&E) program provides
education and training services, including
vocational counseling and job-search
assistance, to National Guard and Reserve
members with service-connected disabilities.
You may be eligible for assistance in preparing
for, obtaining, and maintaining suitable
employment through VR&E if you are:
» A Veteran with a service-connected
disability rated at 20 percent or more, OR
» Hospitalized or receiving outpatient
medical care, services or treatment for
a service-connected disability pending
discharge from active duty, OR
» Severely ill or injured and have been referred
to a military Physical Evaluation Board or
are participating in the DoD/VA Integrated
Disability Evaluation System process, OR
» A Veteran with a service-connected
disability rated at least 10 percent, and
your Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor
determines you need rehabilitation
because of a serious employment handicap
You may also qualify for career counseling
if you recently separated from the military
or are using VA education benets.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I qualify for VA benets as a National Guard or Reserve member?
Yes, generally, all National Guard and Reserve members qualify for some VA benets. Dierent VA
benets may consider dierent factors to determine eligibility, such as length of service, type of service
(such as under Title 10 or Title 32), wartime service, and/or service-related disability.
What is the dierence between serving as a Traditional National Guard or Reserve member
and as an Active Guard Reserve member?
Traditional National Guard and Reserve members typically serve one weekend a month and two
weeks a year. Active Guard Reserve members are full-time members of a Reserve component for
which they are entitled to receive pay from the Federal government. As an AGR, you establish
eligibility for certain VA benets by your active service under either Title 10 or Title 32.
What qualies as a wartime period?
Under current law, VA recognizes the following wartime periods:
» World War I (April 6, 1917 – November 11, 1918)
» World War II (December 7, 1941 – December 31, 1946)
» Korean conict (June 27, 1950 – January 31, 1955)
» Vietnam era (February 28, 1961 – May 7, 1975 for Veterans who served in the Republic of Vietnam
during that period; otherwise August 5, 1964 – May 7, 1975)
» Gulf War (August 2, 1990 – through a future date to be set by law or Presidential Proclamation)
Where can I go to learn more about VA benets for National Guard and Reserve members?
Go to www.ebenefits.va.gov, your one-stop shop to learn about and apply for your VA benefits, or
www.benefits.va.gov/guardreserve, a website tailored to help National Guard and Reserve
members learn about your benefits.
VA adopted ve core values that dene “who we
are,” our culture, and how we care for Veterans,
their families, and other beneciaries. The values
are Integrity, Commitment, Advocacy, Respect,
and Excellence (I-CARE).
I CARE
DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS
Additional VA Benefits
Disabilities determined by VA to be related to
your military service can lead to monthly non-
taxable compensation, enrollment in the VA
health care system, a 10-point hiring preference
for federal employment, and other important
benefits. Ask your VA representative or Veterans
Service Organization (VSO) representative about
Disability Compensation, Pension, Health Care,
Caregiver Program, Vocational Rehabilitation and
Employment Services, Educational Assistance, Home
Loan Guaranty, Insurance, and/or Dependents’
and Survivors’ Benets. You can search for a VSO
representative online at www.ebenets.va.gov.
For More Information
For more information about National
Guard and Reserve benets, including
eligibility and how to apply, please:
» Find links to VA benets information and apply
at www.ebenets.va.gov
» Visit us at www.benets.va.gov/guardreserve
» Use IRIS, VA’s tool to nd information and ask
questions online at https://iris.custhelp.com
» Call us at 1-800-827-1000
» Visit the nearest VA regional oce
Thank you for your service.
Now let us serve you.
U.S. Department of Veterans Aairs
Veterans Benets Administration
Washington, DC 20420
T 800-827-1000
www.va.gov/benets
VA PAM 27-12-5
September 2012
