Good advice is like paint,only works when applied.

Someone told me once, that I would have an easier life if I learned from other people's mistakes as if they were my own. I took this advice and ran with it. Learning from other people's mistakes can be a bit tricky. In one area I lived, the locals told me not to eat the fish from the bay. When asked why, most replied "I, uh, dunno. I guess my daddy always told me not to eat it." When the Fish and Game Warden was asked, he replied with "The fish are good, nothing wrong with them." I chose to fish with my fishing buddy and we ate what we caught. My hair didn't fall out, and the fish were surprisingly good. My point is, good advice always stands to criticism and usually wins.

Another piece of good advice I was given was to go talk to my legal office about the Soldiers and Sailors Relief Act of 1940 (SSRA). What could a law passed before my father was born do for me? I was quite surprised. The SSRA can be a military member's best friend. I will attempt to fillet the SSRA, now known as SCRA (get to that later) into bite size pieces that make sense. This in no way replaces sound legal advice from your local legal office. Consult with your legal office before making any decisions based on the information here.

SSRA is now SCRA or Servicemembers Civil Relief Act of 2003. President Bush signed the bill into law in December of 2003. It covers issues such as security deposits, rental agreements, eviction, prepaid contracts, credit card interest rates, mortgage interest rates, foreclosures, income tax payments, judicial proceedings, and more. The SCRA protects active duty, and reservists or National Guard called to active duty.

Some protections under the SCRA are not automatic. The credit card protection must be submitted to the credit card company in the form of a letter and included with a copy of your orders to prove active duty status. In most situations you must present how entering the service has had a material effect on the issue in question. This usually isn't a hard task since basic pay tends to be lower than the average person in the civilian sector (more on that in another post).

My favorite use of the SCRA is the credit card and mortgage protection. If you had credit card or mortgage debt, no matter how much, before you joined the service, you can get your interest rates down to 6% simple interest. If you don't know the benefit of simple interest over compounding interest, please go here. If you are active duty, and finding this out for the first time, and all of the above apply to you, you can get back all interest over 6% back from the day you entered active duty service. Insider tip, some major department stores will lower the rate to 0%. You can save thousands if you are on active duty for a long time, say 20 years.

Another favorite is State Taxation Clarification: a nonresident servicemember's military income and personal property are not subject to state taxation if the service member is present in the state only due to military orders. Your civilian spouse's income is subject to taxes, but the military member's income cannot be lumped in with the spouse's.

Lease contracts, housing and vehicle. If you are sent somewhere for a period over 90 days, you can legally break the lease without penalty. Usually must do so in writing. Also, if you enter a storage contract to store your items while you are serving on active duty, and you are materially effected by your service, they cannot foreclose or enforce the contract.

Those are the juiciest pieces of the SCRA, there is a ton more, most of it applies to Reserve and Guard members.

Do not take the SCRA as a get out of jail free card. Any of the protections can be waived by court order, usually if the court determines you were abusing the SCRA. There are several warnings in the SCRA about penalties and jail time for those found violating the SCRA.

Learn from others who have been there before you. Take advantage of the rights afforded to you. You still learn life as fast as the next guy, but you won't have as many bruises. Go talk to your legal office, they may be dry and stuffy but they are your friends.

MilitaryDad

MilitaryDad Reporting in, Sir.

I remember as a young boy growing up near several military installations, going to the different shows. I remember seeing the battleship, the air shows, and standing in awe of the tanks. I had my favorites: the hovercraft, the F-117, the Abrams tank, and all helicopters. They are all huge machines, back then they were unbelievably enormous.

My family was not a military family. My father showed up when he was drafted but due to a heart condition he was not fit for service. I had no desire to join the military growing up, just a desire to play with all of their cool equipment. In high school, I thought about JROTC, then realized I wanted no part of it. In childish manner, a group of friends and I used to make fun of the JROTC guys. There was no way I was going to join the military.

In school, some high school, but mostly college, there is almost a stigma of people who join the military. If you joined the military it must mean you are poor, uneducated, or an overzealous militant. I am unsure why this stigma exists, possibly due to the secretive nature of the military, the odd customs, and politics. Like so many other students, I fed into this stigma.

Then I found my soul mate. Actually I had been chasing her for a while, but that is another story. We got married and suddenly I found myself in a new position of responsibility. We had to move out on our own and make the world our oyster. I started looking at all of my options: continue college; get a full time job; or join the military. I chose the third choice after careful scrutiny. I haven't looked back, and wouldn't change anything.

While it is true, most folks do join for a reason other than pride and service to their country, while serving, most military members will tell you pride and service have gained ground in their reasons why they stay in the service. I know this sounds sappy and corny, but it is true.

I am now a father of one child and one on the way, still serving the country that I love and providing for my family at the same time. I joined for finacial stability and job security, and continue to stay for those as well in addition to pride for country, and self improvement. I also enjoy the jobs I have performed as part of my duties, and feel they have helped me become a better person.

MilitaryDad