• Armed forces personnel put their lives on the line every day.kampfschwimmer mit maschinenpistole image by Matthias Nordmeyer from Fotolia.com
  
  When men and women serve in the United States armed forces, not only are they making a sacrifice, but they are also asking sacrifice from their children as well. Absence of a parent for prolonged periods, frequent uprooting from their homes and the constant fear of the loss of a parent are part of the lives of children of service personnel. In recompense, children of armed forces personnel are entitled to certain benefits. The United States Department of Veterans Affairs lists these benefits.
  
  

Educational Benefits

• Under the post-9/11 GI Bill, educational benefits are available for veterans, their spouses and their children. The Post-9/11 GI bill provides payment of a percentage of the cost of tuition, a housing allowance equal to the housing allowance of an e-5 with a dependent, a monthly stipend for books and supplies, and a one-time payment of $500 for relocation expenses for individuals in highly rural regions.
  
  The educational benefits offered under the Post-9/11 GI Bill can, upon DOD and military services approval, be transferred to spouses and dependent children of members of the armed forces who served on or after August 1, 2009. Through a process known as a Transfer of Entitlement (TOE), eligible members of the Armed Forces may transfer the unused part of their benefits from the Post-9/11 GI Bill. In order to be approved for a TOE, veterans must become eligible for retirement during the period August 1, 2009, through August 1, 2013.
  
  In addition to accessing Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits through a TOE, children of veterans can access benefits through the Marine Gunnery Sergeant John David Fry Scholarship. Through this scholarship, children of parents who died in the line of duty on or after September 11, 2001, have access to Post-9/11 GI bill benefits.
  
  

Dependency and Indemnity Compensation

• Children of veterans of the armed forces may be awarded a monthly benefit if they meet certain requirements. This monthly benefit is known as Dependency and Indemnity Compensation and is paid to survivors of military personal who either: died while listed on active duty and while training (including both active-duty and non-active-duty training), died as a result of a service-related injury or illness, died as a result of a non-service-related injury or illness and was receiving, or was eligible to receive, VA benefits for a service-related disability that rendered the veteran totally disabled for at least 10 years prior to death or since release from active duty and at least five years prior to death, or at least one year prior to death, if the veteran was a POW who died after September 30, 1999.
  
  

Health Care Benefits

• Certain health care benefits are available for the children of veterans of the armed forces under the CHAMPVA (Civilian Health and Medical Program of the Veterans Administration) health benefit program. The requirements for CHAMPVA benefits as set forth by the Department of Veterans Affairs are as follows: must be the child of a veteran classified as permanently disabled as a result of a service related disability or completely disabled as a result of a service-related condition when he died, or the veteran died as a result of service related disability, or died while still listed as active duty and the children are not eligible for TRICARE (the program that supplies civilian health care to members of the Armed Forces).