(VAntage Point)
Military OneSource is a website that provides various tools and resources for Veterans, service members, their families, military academy cadets and designated Department of Defense expeditionary civilians. The resources they provide are free and vetted by the Department of Defense. Their mission is to be a single place for service members to be able to find guidance or help with any issue they may have. Some of these resources include assistance with these categories:
- Confidential help
- The military life cycle
- Family and relationships
- Moving and housing
- Financial and legal issues
- Education and employment
- Health and wellness
- Recreation, travel, and shopping
- National Guard
- Service providers and leaders
- COVID-19
Each of these categories has their own page with links to available resources for them. They also provide information on service members who are new to the military, transitioning back from deployment, and the benefits available to Veterans, service members, eligible DOD employees and their families.
The confidential help that Military OneSource offers allows service members to seek the assistance they need while protecting their identity. They offer a 24 hour hotline that members can reach out to for language translation, non-medical counseling, tax consultation, financial counseling, health and wellness coaching and family life counseling. This hotline is for both personal and military assistance.
In addition to confidential help, Military OneSource provides articles, training, a digital library and links to the variety of resources they provide. Each type of resource they provide (i.e. military life cycle, moving and housing, etc.) has a phone number, as well as face to face and online chat for specialized consultation. Additionally, there is a TTY/TDD service for the hearing impaired. The page for each resource has a list of articles and links to the relevant resources available. You can find information about how to contact Military OneSource either confidentially or otherwise here.
The articles for each resource’s web page provides information about the benefits specifically available to them, answers to common issues and problems, resources for general assistance and relevant, helpful information. The web pages further categorizes the articles for subtopics, so everything is easily accessed and found.
Training resources
Military OneSource offers a variety of free training sources. They offer webinars, podcasts, videos, how-to articles and more. Some topics of training include personal finance, relocation courses, personal accountability, job hunting for spouses but also many other topics. The training they provide covers topics that help military members with issues they may have as a service member as well as outside of the military. To learn more about the resources available, you can visit their training resources page here.
The Military OneSource’s digital library provides eBooks, audiobooks, reference books and databases that cover every topic. Their digital library provides both resources for members but, also, is available for recreation as well, all for free. The library offers resources for children and teens, including learning tools, online tutors, recommendations for age specific readings, supplemental learning and studying materials for school. There is also access to Tutor.com, including 24/7 access for children and adults at all levels of education and studying needs. For adults, there is a list of resources for recreational learning, higher education and learning new skills for employment or in general. You can access the digital library here.
The resources available on Military OneSource extend beyond what has been mentioned. Through their directory, they provide information about the resources for what is available on any given military installation. Additionally, there is information about disaster relief, retirement programs, benefits and much more. Military OneSource is a comprehensive website for resources, aiming at being a single location for Veterans, service members and their families to find what resources are available to them. To learn what resources are available to you and your family, visit Military OneSource here.
*The sharing of any non-VA information does not constitute an endorsement of products and services on part of the VA.
Contributors
Writer: John Byrne
Editor: Kelly Dooley
Graphics: Sarah Kowalewski
