We know the pandemic has been tough on many people, including our veterans. There have been programs in place specifically for members of the military past and present in the giant relief packages.

The reality is though that not everyone knows about all the benefits they’re entitled to or even how to access those benefits.

Here are articles and resources to help with these benefits and more.

MilitaryTimes.com wrote about DOD’s discount travel:

Are you having trouble getting access to the discounts on DoD’s American Forces Travel site?

An additional 16 million veterans are now eligible to use the Defense Department’s discount travel site, under an expansion announced July 16 by DoD and Priceline, which operates the platform at no cost to DoD.

Those eligible can find discounts of 40 to 60 percent off popular hotels, flights, car rentals, travel packages and cruise brands, according to DoD and Priceline officials. There are more than 1 million hotel deals at more than 71,000 destinations around the world, for example.

All honorably discharged veterans are eligible to use the leisure travel site, which was launched in 2019 for active-duty, Reserve and Guard members, retired, and their family members, and certain others.

Read more

Military benefits are also available for child care

The shortage of child care is a serious issue for many families. So the Defense Department is taking steps to increase the accessibility of affordable child care for military families, including changing access rules for child development centers, or CDCs, and piloting a fee assistance program for in-home child care.

In addition to installation CDCs and Family Child Care Providers, the military services will assist with the cost of community-based child care if you aren’t able to get a space through the on-base programs. Called the Fee Assistance program, it is administered by Child Care Aware of America.

Each branch of the military has a slightly different program. The application process may vary, but includes registration and verification of eligibility for assistance. Eligibility is branch-specific but is based on your distance from a military installation or the average waitlist for on-base child care. Eligibility also is based on the service member’s status and, if there is a second parent in the home, the second parent’s status in school, the workforce or looking for work.