Those who served

Veterans & Military

Reference figures for service members, Veterans and their families: this year's military pay, VA disability compensation rates, the Post-9/11 GI Bill, the Medal of Honor, and how to find VA care. Every figure names its official source and date.

2026 military pay raise3.8%Effective January 1, 2026
VA compensation COLA2.8%Effective December 1, 2025
Medals of Honor awarded3,55565 recipients living
GI Bill cap, private schools$30,908.34Aug. 2026 to July 2027

Military pay

Pay tables ›

The 2026 monthly basic pay tables for enlisted members, warrant officers and commissioned officers, by pay grade and years of service.

VA disability rates

Compensation rates ›

Monthly VA disability compensation from 10% to 100%, for a Veteran alone and with a spouse, children or parents.

Post-9/11 GI Bill

GI Bill explained ›

Who qualifies, how much of the benefit each tier pays, the tuition cap, the housing allowance, transfer to family, and the Yellow Ribbon Program.

Medal of Honor

The Medal ›

What the Medal is, how it is awarded, and how many have been awarded since the Civil War.

Find VA care

Find a facility ›

How to find a VA medical center, clinic or Vet Center near you, using VA's own locator.

Official help

These links go to VA.gov and the Veterans Crisis Line, the official places to apply for benefits and care. This site does not take applications.

Latest news about Veterans ›

From the blog

Rebutting the Claim That America Created ISIS and Every Other EnemyAmerica made real mistakes in Iraq, but the claim that it manufactured ISIS and every other enemy erases the enemies' own ideas, choices and history.Six Arguments Against a Strong Navy, and Why Each One SinksCarriers are obsolete, sea power is a relic, allies can cover for us. Six objections stated at full strength and answered from the record of sea power.A Thought Experiment, the Nation That Disarmed to Prove It Meant PeaceA labelled satire about a country that disbands its army and sends a strongly worded letter, followed by the real record of the 1920s and 1930s.Textbook Cold War Tales the Soviet Archives Quietly OverturnedSeven common claims about the Cold War, from who started it to whether the spies mattered, tested against Venona and the documents opened after 1991.

Sources: Executive Order 14368, Schedule 8: Pay of the Uniformed Services (Federal Register, Dec. 23, 2025), Congressional Research Service, Defense Primer: Military Pay Raise (IF10260), VA.gov: Veterans disability compensation rates (effective Dec. 1, 2025), Federal Register, Veterans' Compensation Cost-of-Living Adjustment (Feb. 17, 2026), VA.gov: Post-9/11 GI Bill (Chapter 33), VA.gov: Post-9/11 GI Bill rates, VA.gov: Yellow Ribbon Program, VA.gov: Transfer your Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits, Congressional Medal of Honor Society: Statistics & FAQs, Congressional Medal of Honor Society: The Medal, Congressional Medal of Honor Society: Recipients. Updated November 8, 2026.