Retiree Support

The Retired Activities Office (RAO) was first established in November 1981 as mandated by the Secretary of the Navy and Chief of Naval Operations Directives and is one of four elements of the Navy’s Retired Activities Program.

The other three elements are the Secretary of the Navy’s Retiree Council, Retiree Seminars/Retiree Appreciation Days, and the Shift Colors and Semper Fidelis official retiree newsletters.

Location

 Purpose

The RAO supports and enriches the lives of military retired personnel, their families and eligible former spouses of military retirees. The RAO serves as a liaison between local military retirees, organizations and agencies working to ensure retirees receive their benefits and entitlements earned for their military service.

Those organizations and agencies include: Defense Finance Accounting Service (DFAS), Board for Correction of Naval Records (BCNR) and the Veterans Administration (VA). RAOs are primarily staffed by military retirees serving as volunteers. If you are interested in volunteering at a RAO, please contact the RAO nearest to you.

 Services Provided

• Entitlements
• Benefits
• Privileges
• Incapacitated/Dependent (Adult Child)
• Military Retiree Seminar
• Getting things in order checklist
• Preparing claims
  • Retired Serviceman’s Family Protection Plan (RSFPP)
  • Survivors Benefit Plan (SBP)
  • Death Benefits under the Civil
  • Service Retirement System
  • Unpaid compensation
• DFAS
  • Allotment changes
  • Certificate of Eligibility (COE)
  • Report of Existence (ROE)
  • MyPay enrollment
  • Change of address/direct deposit/beneficiary/state and federal tax withholdings
  • Veterans Administration (VA) enrollment
  • IRS report of military retired or annuity pay received (IRS form 1099R)
  • Form authorizing withholding’s of military retired or annuity pay received (IRS forms  W-4/W-4P)
  • Application for Correction of Military Record (Form DD-149)
  • Legal referrals
  • Wills, trust, and probate
  • Bankruptcy
  • Family Law
  • Uniformed Services Former Spouse Protection Act (USFSPA)
  • Former spouse percentage of retired pay as determined by the “Brown’s Formula”
  • Survivor Benefit Plan/Program (SBP) Counseling
  • Dependency Indemnity Compensation (DIC)
  • Retired Casualty Assistance Program (RCAP)
  • Agencies supporting and providing military benefits and entitlements
  • National Personnel Records Center (NPRC) to request active duty service and medical records

Referrals

• Navy and Marine Corps Relief Society (NMCRS)
• Medicare, Social Security, TRICARE, Elder Abuse
• Internal Revenue Service (IRS)
• Tax Preparation Assistance
• U.S. Immigration & Naturalization Service
• CALVETS (California VA benefits & entitlements)
• Navy Legal, Legal Aid Society Government Life Insurance
• Military Burial at Sea

Resources