Military Retiree Admin Guide: myPay, RAS, ID Card & More

Retiring from the military replaces a stack of active-duty admin tasks with a smaller, different stack — and missing any one of them can delay your first retired-pay deposit or leave you without a valid ID card. This guide covers the five pieces of paperwork and access every new retiree needs: myPay, the Retiree Account Statement, the retiree ID card, your Retirement Services Officer, and the honest limits on UCMJ jurisdiction and uniform wear after you leave active duty.

Retiree Admin ResourcesmyPay (DFAS) →Military Retirement Calculator →Find a RAPIDS ID Card Site →

Set Up myPay Before You Actually Need It

myPay, run by the Defense Finance and Accounting Service (DFAS), is the account that manages your retired pay, tax withholding, and pay statements for the rest of your life as a retiree — so confirm your login works before your separation date, not after. Your active-duty myPay account and login carry over, but the login ID and password should be updated and verified while you still have easy access to email and phone verification tied to your account, since account recovery after separation can take longer to process.

Once your first retired-pay deposit posts, myPay becomes the place to update direct deposit, adjust federal tax withholding, download your 1099-R each January for tax filing, and pull your Retiree Account Statement.

The Retiree Account Statement (RAS): Your New LES

The Retiree Account Statement is the retiree equivalent of the active-duty Leave and Earnings Statement — a two-page monthly summary of your gross retired pay, deductions (like SBP premiums or federal tax withholding), and net deposit. Unlike an LES, there's no leave balance to track, but the deduction codes serve the same purpose: they're your record of exactly what was subtracted from your gross pay and why.

One detail most new retirees don't learn until they need it: DFAS only keeps roughly 12 months of RAS statements available in myPay at a time. If you need a RAS from three years ago — for a loan application, a divorce proceeding, or a VA appeal — and you didn't save a copy when it was current, you may have to submit a separate request to DFAS to pull the archived record. Download and save each month's RAS as a PDF when it posts; it's a five-second habit that avoids a slow records request later.

Getting Your Retiree Military ID Card

A retiree ID card is your credential for base access, the commissary, the exchange, and Tricare enrollment, and it does not happen automatically — you apply for it through DD Form 1172-2, "Application for Identification Card/DEERS Enrollment," processed through the Real-Time Automated Personnel Identification System (RAPIDS). You can start the application online through the ID Card Office Online using a CAC or DS Logon, but final issuance still requires an in-person visit to a RAPIDS site with two forms of acceptable ID.

Retiree ID cards are generally reissued every four years, though a card issued to a retiree who has reached a certain age milestone can be marked "indefinite" (INDEF) and does not require renewal at all. Start the renewal process up to 90 days before expiration — RAPIDS sites, especially on larger installations, routinely book weeks or months out, and an expired card can interrupt Tricare claims processing and base access without warning.

Getting Your Retirement Records and Award Letter

Your DD Form 214 and retirement orders are the core records proving your service and retirement date, and both should be requested and saved before you lose easy access to your service branch's records office. If you need a copy later, the National Personnel Records Center (NPRC) processes requests through its eVetRecs system or by mailing Standard Form 180 — expect four to six weeks for a routine request, though the NPRC can expedite requests tied to a funeral, disaster, or other urgent need.

Separately, retiring service members with 20 or more years of service have traditionally received a DD Form 2542, Certificate of Appreciation, signed by the sitting President and presented at or near the retirement ceremony — the closest thing to an official "retirement award letter" most retirees get. That program runs at the discretion of the current administration, so confirm with your unit's protocol office whether it's active before assuming it will be part of your ceremony. Members with 30 or more years may also request a more personalized Presidential Letter of Appreciation. See our retirement ceremony guide for how these fit into the ceremony program.

Known Traveler Number: Retirees Don't Get Free TSA PreCheck

Military retirees are not automatically enrolled in TSA PreCheck the way active-duty members are. Active-duty service members and DoD civilians can use their DoD ID number directly as a Known Traveler Number, but that benefit ends when you retire — it does not carry over onto your retiree ID. Retirees generally need to apply and pay for TSA PreCheck like any civilian traveler, though veterans with a qualifying service-connected disability rating became eligible for free enrollment under a 2025 law, and many travel rewards credit cards offer a PreCheck or Global Entry application-fee credit that can cover the cost either way.

Your Retirement Services Officer (RSO)

Every branch maintains Retirement Services Officers at installations and through virtual/regional offices specifically to help retirees and their families navigate pay problems, SBP questions, ID card issues, and benefits changes after service. An RSO isn't a substitute for DFAS or the VA, but they are often the fastest path to getting a stuck issue escalated — they deal with these exact problems for a living and know which office to call. Search "[your branch] Retirement Services Officer" plus your state, or check your branch's retiree services page, to find the RSO covering your area.

UCMJ Jurisdiction Over Retirees: Real but Narrow

Military retirees remain technically subject to the Uniform Code of Military Justice, but the practical reach of that authority is much narrower than the phrase "still subject to UCMJ" suggests. Retired pay is treated as compensation for being part of a standby reserve force, subject to recall — that legal status is the basis for continued jurisdiction. In practice, courts-martial of retirees are rare and generally reserved for serious misconduct; the everyday version of "the UCMJ still applies to you" is mostly theoretical for the overwhelming majority of retirees who are never recalled and never investigated. It's worth knowing the jurisdiction exists, but it shouldn't be a source of ongoing anxiety about routine civilian conduct.

Wearing the Uniform After Retirement

Retirees can wear their uniform, but only on specific, limited occasions defined under 10 U.S.C. § 772 — not as everyday clothing and not for political events, private employment, or activities that could discredit the service. Authorized occasions generally include military funerals and memorial services, weddings, military balls and formal military ceremonies, patriotic parades where a military unit participates, and meetings of veteran or military associations. The uniform must reflect the retiree's actual retired grade and be maintained to the same standard expected of someone on active duty — a uniform worn out of regulation or in an unauthorized context can create real legal exposure, not just an awkward moment.

A Simple First-90-Days Checklist

None of this is complicated on its own — the failure mode is usually timing, not difficulty. Set up myPay and your ID card appointment before you actually need them, and the rest of the admin side of retirement stays manageable.

Have SBP-specific questions? See our guide on how to contact DFAS about SBP and find a retirement counselor.