By Lt. Gen. Jon Stubbs, Director, Army National Guard     August 2026

To our Army National Guard Retired Soldiers and families:

Serving in the Army National Guard hasn’t just been a chapter in your life; it’s been a lifelong commitment to your community, your state, and your nation. Long after you hang up the uniform, the title "Soldier" will remain; you will always be a Soldier for Life, and a cherished part of our Guard family.

While this message applies to all U.S. Army Retired Soldiers and the families who support them, I want to speak directly to our Army National Guard "gray area" retirees.

For context, or for those who might not know the term, the "gray area" is that time between when you finish your 20 good years of service and when you reach the age eligibility to start receiving your retirement pay. It’s a time of transition, but it should never be a time when you lose touch with us.

Fixing and modernizing your retirement services

Taking care of over 330,000 actively serving Soldiers and keeping more than 89,000 Retired Reservists connected and up to date requires continuous and coordinated teamwork; this is a top priority for the Army Guard and me.

Our team is making every effort to improve how we serve you and your families. This means investing heavily in modernizing our retirement services, including updated training for our Retirement Services Officers (RSOs), who offer continuous support to Retired Soldiers and their families throughout every stage of retirement, and increased collaboration with Integrated Personnel and Pay System – Army (IPPS-A) personnel to ensure retirement points are accurate. It also includes new online tools and systems, such as our new retirement landing page on the Army National Guard Retirement Services website, https://www.nationalguard.mil/Resources/Retirement-Services/. Introduced in January 2026, this website is designed to keep Soldiers and RSOs continually up to date on all things related to retirement and retirement benefits.

We understand that for many, this can be a hectic and frustrating time, and we’ve heard those frustrations. We know there have been real issues with things like retirement point discrepancies and communication gaps, so we are actively working to fix these problems by implementing new policies, improving training for our retirement professionals, and establishing a strict oversight program to hold ourselves accountable. But all these improvements can only do so much. We also need your help to ensure success.

Keep your lifeline open

What's the bottom line? We need your help to stay in touch! Your most important mission in the gray area is to set up and verify your Defense Finance and Accounting Service (DFAS) Future Retiree account. Learn more about setting up this account at: https://www.dfas.mil/RetiredMilitary/plan/Gray-Area-Retirees/. Remember to also keep your contact information in IPPS-A current. When Soldiers fall off the radar, it can create serious delays when it’s time to get you paid.

Stay connected so we can get you the pay and benefits you’ve earned without any issues. Make sure you keep your email, phone number, and mailing address up to date.

Use your benefits, you earned them!

Now let’s talk about benefits. Even if you aren’t getting your retirement check just yet, you still have access to a lot of great benefits, such as commissary and exchange privileges, access to MWR facilities, and specific TRICARE health plans. Don’t leave these on the table. They are a small token of our nation’s gratitude for your years of sacrifice, so make sure you take advantage of them.

Plan 9 to 12 months out

If your service has taught you anything, it is that planning is important. When the time comes to draw your pay, preparation is everything. Please don’t wait until the month before your retirement pay eligibility date to start the paperwork. We highly recommend starting

the process nine to twelve months out. To help you plan, check out the retirement calculators on the MyArmyBenefits page: https://myarmybenefits.us.army.mil/NEW-Benefit-Calculators/Retirement-Calculator. They are easy to use, highly accurate, and will help you and your family make well-informed financial decisions before that first check arrives. From there, contact your local RSO, https://soldierforlife.army.mil/About-Us/Contact-Your-RSO to walk you through the process.

Be an Ambassador

Finally, even though your drill weekends and annual training are in the rearview mirror, we still need you.

You know firsthand the value of serving and the unbreakable bonds formed in the Army Guard. In today’s recruiting environment, your voice matters. Share your Army Guard story. Talk to the young folks in your hometowns who are looking for purpose and direction. Your personal experience means so much more than any recruitment ad ever could.

We also need your voice to advocate for the retired community. The Chief of Staff, Army Retired Soldier Council (CSARSC) and our broader retired community are vital partners. By advocating for dedicated funding and increased resources for RSOs nationwide, you help us better serve the force. Furthermore, your continued advocacy to ensure Soldiers receive their earned medical and retirement benefits on time is critical to preventing hardships for those who have sacrificed so much.

To all our retirees, surviving spouses, and families reading Army Echoes: thank you. Thank you for your unwavering support and your lifelong dedication to the Army National Guard and our great nation. You have passed the torch, but your legacy continues to light the way.

Lastly, I want to personally thank you and your families for your service and congratulate you all on your retirement. You’ve earned it. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out to your local RSO. They are uniquely qualified to answer and help you with all your retirement-related questions.

Ready For Combat! This We’ll Defend!