Major life events trigger cascading actions across DEERS, TRICARE, SGLI, TSP, VA, and finance — with hard deadlines. Miss one step and you lose money, coverage, or legal protection.
Educational reference only — not legal, medical, or VA advice. Always work with an accredited VSO and verify deadlines against current DoDI / 32 CFR / 38 CFR.
Last updated May 1, 2026 · Marriage · Birth/Adoption · Divorce · Child aging out · PCS · Deployment · Separation/Retirement · Death
Bottom line up front
Every major military life event — marriage, birth/adoption, divorce, child aging out, PCS, deployment, separation/retirement, death of spouse or member — triggers cascading actions across multiple systems with hard deadlines. Miss one step and you lose coverage, money, or legal protection. The five most consequential deadline patterns: DEERS enrollment within 30 days (newborns get 60-day grace, but spouses must enroll inside 30 to keep TRICARE flowing); VA Form 21-686c within 1 year of marriage/birth/divorce to capture full retroactive dependent compensation (rated 30%+); SGLI/TSP beneficiary updates — have no statutory deadline but defaults rarely match your wishes, so update them at the moment of every life event; SBP / Former Spouse SBP within 1 year of divorce decree by deemed election under USFSPA; and CHCBP within 60 days of TRICARE eligibility loss as a 36-month bridge after divorce or separation. Use the interactive checklist below for the complete action list, deadline, office, and form for your specific event.
This checklist was built by Em, a retired U.S. Navy Commander (Medical Service Corps, 20+ years). Page 214 is free, privacy-first, and entirely client-side. Life-event rules cited here come from 10 U.S.C. Chapter 55 (TRICARE eligibility for dependents), 10 U.S.C. Chapter 73 (Survivor Benefit Plan including former-spouse deemed elections under USFSPA), 10 U.S.C. § 1408 (USFSPA — military divorce), 38 U.S.C. Chapter 13 (DIC), 38 U.S.C. § 1781 (CHAMPVA), 38 U.S.C. Chapter 35 (Survivors’ and Dependents’ Educational Assistance), 38 U.S.C. Chapter 19 (SGLI/FSGLI), and 5 U.S.C. § 8432 (TSP beneficiary rules). VA dependent additional compensation is set at 38 U.S.C. § 1115; the 1-year retroactive window for VA Form 21-686c is set by 38 C.F.R. § 3.401. CHCBP is established under 10 U.S.C. § 1078a; the 60-day enrollment window is set by DoD policy. DEERS enrollment requirements follow DoDI 1341.02. This is a guide, not personalized legal or financial advice — specific deadlines, eligibility, and benefit amounts depend on your individual circumstances, branch policy, and state law. Always work with your installation’s JAG legal assistance office (free), finance office, and command for service-specific guidance.
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