Estate planning for service members: wills, POAs, and beneficiaries

Estate planning sounds like something for older, wealthier people - but a 22-year-old service member carries a $500,000 SGLI policy, deploys into harm's way, and has free legal help sitting on base. That combination makes the basics non-optional and unusually easy to get right. The uncomfortable truth is that the documents most people avoid - a will, powers of attorney, and above all current beneficiary designations - are exactly the ones that determine what happens to your family if the worst occurs. And the military hands you the tools to complete them for free.

The documents everyone in uniform needs

• A will: directs who gets your property and, critically, names a guardian for minor children.
• A durable power of attorney: lets someone handle your finances and affairs if you're deployed or incapacitated.
• A medical (healthcare) power of attorney and advance directive: names who makes medical decisions and states your wishes.
• Current beneficiary designations: on SGLI, the TSP, and any IRAs or bank accounts - these override your will.

Use the free legal office

Every installation has a legal assistance (JAG) office that prepares wills, powers of attorney, and advance directives for service members and families at no cost - and they do it constantly, so they know military situations cold. Before any deployment, a trip to legal to complete or refresh these documents is standard practice for a reason. There is no excuse of cost or complexity: the professional help is free, on base, and used to exactly your circumstances.

1. 1
   Complete the core documents at legal

   Will, durable POA, and medical POA/advance directive - free at the installation legal office, ideally before any deployment.

2. 2
   Set and verify every beneficiary

   SGLI (via SOES), TSP, IRAs, and bank accounts. Make sure each names exactly who you intend.

3. 3
   Store and share the documents

   Keep originals safe and make sure your spouse or a trusted agent knows where everything is and can access accounts.

4. 4
   Review after every life event

   Marriage, divorce, birth, or death should trigger an immediate beneficiary and document review - stale forms are the classic tragedy.

The pieces unique to military families

Beyond the universal documents, service members have military-specific considerations: the Survivor Benefit Plan decision at retirement (which insures your pension for a survivor), the death gratuity and SGLI that reach survivors within days, and DEERS enrollment that governs dependents' benefits. Families should also know where to find the DD-214, VA decision letters, and account information - the saddest estate outcomes are surviving spouses who couldn't locate documents or never knew a benefit existed. One organized folder, shared with your family, unlocks the entire support system when it's needed most.

The bottom line

Estate planning in uniform is non-optional and, thanks to free legal help, genuinely easy. Complete a will, durable power of attorney, and medical directive at the base legal office - especially before deployment - and treat your SGLI, TSP, and IRA beneficiary designations as the documents that actually control where your money goes. Review everything after every life event, store it where your family can find it, and make the SBP decision deliberately at retirement. For complex estates, a qualified attorney is worth it - but the basics protect your family for the price of an afternoon.