Responsibilities and Restrictions After Military Retirement
After retirement, a service member still has responsibilities towards the military. Also, there are ethical and legal restrictions on military retirees who want to work in a civilian field. Explore the following areas for more information.
As retired military personnel, you have certain obligations and responsibilities. You are expected to do the following:
- Keep your ID card and your family members’ ID cards current.
- Register your family in the Defense Enrollment Eligibility Reporting System (DEERS). It is the retiree’s responsibility to register their dependents in DEERS. Without registration, family members will not be eligible for Tricare and other benefits.
- Make sure you promptly notify the Accounting and Finance Center, for your branch of the service, about changes in marital status, address changes, or any other change that could affect your Survivors’ Benefit Plan.
- Educate your loved ones about the location of all of your military records and about how to contact the nearest casualty assistance office in the event of your death.
- Only wear your uniform in compliance with official uniform directives.
- When working in a civilian field, avoid any conflicts of interest by complying with federal employment restrictions and following reporting requirements when a conflict of interest is identified.
- Before accepting any sort of employment from a foreign government, whether a temporary assignment or a permanent job, get approval.