CINCINNATI — As a military spouse, the thought of losing your partner can be daunting and overwhelming. However, Gail Joyce, chair of the Surviving Spouse Advisory Council for the Military Officers Association of America (MOAA), emphasizes the importance of being prepared for the unthinkable.
Through her work and personal experiences, Joyce has gained insights that she hopes to share with other military spouses.
"I talk to a lot of military chapters across the United States, and I have found that people think they are prepared, they think they're organized and they think they know what they need to do," Joyce said. "In reality, that just does not happen most of the time."
This disconnect between perceived preparedness and the reality of navigating the complexities that arise after a loved one's passing is a common theme Joyce has encountered.
One of the primary reasons she advocates for educational seminars like the one being organized by the Cincinnati MOAA chapter is to provide military spouses with the necessary information and resources to navigate this challenging journey.
"We try to give them the resources and the tools that they need so that then they can find the right way to do something or to get their questions answered," she said.
For military members receiving VA benefits, Joyce highlighted the problem of the final month's pay being taken away immediately upon the military member's passing.
"That last month's pay gets taken away immediately — I mean immediately — and if it does not, then the survivor is expected to pay that money back," she said.
This can be particularly challenging for families already dealing with the expenses associated with a funeral and other end-of-life arrangements. Joyce is currently working with Congress to address these issues, advocating for legislation that would provide surviving spouses with more time to pay back the final month's pay or, ideally, eliminate the requirement.
"We're trying to get a bill passed right now in Congress that will at least give the survivor time to pay back that money and maybe pay back at installments, instead of taking it away completely, or, better yet, just not taking it away at all," she said.
This is one of many things that military spouses may not be aware of when navigating life after loss.
Joyce shared the example of a friend whose husband's funeral at Arlington National Cemetery was not scheduled until December — several months after his passing in May.
"That was as soon as she could get it scheduled, and that is the common wait now to have someone buried in Arlington National Cemetery," she said.
The personal angst and lack of closure that can come with these long wait times are additional burdens surviving spouses must navigate.
To help military spouses better prepare for these challenges, Joyce and the Surviving Spouse Advisory Council have developed a new publication that guides them through the process of setting up a trust, writing a will, and other essential steps.
"It's a great publication," Joyce said. "It's something that we will be handing out at this seminar as well."
She is one of many speakers at the upcoming Military Retiree, Veteran, Spouse and Surviving Spouse seminar hosted by the Greater Cincinnati MOAA Chapter. Several topics are on the agenda, including Planning Ahead, Estate Planning, VA Benefits, Decedent Affairs, TRICARE, Long Term Care Planning, VA Aid and Attendance Pension and more.
The seminar is scheduled for Friday, Nov. 1 at 9:30 a.m. at the American Red Cross building on 2111 Dana Avenue, Cincinnati, OH. To register visit the Greater Cincinnati MOAA website.
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