Retired Activities Office San Diego, Navy Region Southwest
Naval Base San Diego (formerly known as 32nd Street Naval Station)
3006 Corbina Alley, Ste. 1
San Diego, CA 92136-5190
619-556-8987/ DSN 526-8987
Email: NRSWRAO@navy.mil
The Retired Activities Office (RAO) was established in November 1981 under the Department of Navy Retired Activities Program mandated by the Secretary of the Navy as well as the Chief of Naval Operations Directives.
By tradition and law, retired personnel and their family members are entitled to certain rights, benefits, and privileges. The RAO Program provides a link between local retirees and the military communities as well as other government agencies that provide assistance to retirees and their families. The purpose of this assistance is to support and enrich the lives of retired military personnel and their families.
The services provided by RAO are varied and important to the retired community. All retirees and their families are encouraged to use these services to save time and money as well we provide peace of mind. The following are some of the major services provided:
Assistance in Preparing Claims
- Retired Serviceman’s Family Protection Plan (RSFPP)
- Survivor Benefit Plan (SBP)
- Claims for Unpaid Compensation
- Death benefits under the Civil Service Retirement System
- All types of Government Life Insurance (SGLI, VGLI, NSLI, etc.)
Referrals
- Navy and Marine Corps Relief Society for financial assistance
- Medicare, Social Security, CHAMPUS/TRICARE
- Other military services (Air Force, Army, Marine Corps and Coast Guard)
- Internal Revenue Service
- U.S. Immigration & Naturalization Service
- Legal Aid Society
Individual Briefings
- Survivor Benefit Plan (SBP)
- Dependency Indemnity Compensation
- Government Life Insurance
- Disability
- Federal and private sector employment opportunities
- Educational opportunities (GI Bill)
Assistance with Income Tax Preparation
- Federal
- California resident
Assistance in Planning for a Civilian Career
- Resume preparation
- Plan of action
- Strategies
- Job interview skills
Pre-legal Guidance
- Probate
- Retirees’ rights under the "Uniform Services Former Spouses Protection Act" (PL 97-252)
- Board of Correction of Naval Records
Responsibilities to Surviving Family Members
Almost daily, the RAO is visited by surviving family members unaware of documentation required to receive benefits offered by the Federal Government. The trauma of losing a mate, father or mother; conflicting and confusing advice by well-meaning friends and relatives; and/or the lack of immediate availability of the necessary documentation causes delay. This can result in additional stress and sometimes expense to the survivors.
Every military retiree should assemble a file TODAY with all the necessary information required to process benefits in event of death. The location of this file should be known by the entire family.
Once a year, after completing your income tax returns and when all financial information is fresh in your mind, prepare of a list of all your assets and important papers. Update your file every year after tax time.
Listed below is most of the information required:
- Military separation papers (DD-214) and/or retirement orders
- Dates of active military service
- VA disability determination of service connected causes
- Last "Statement of Retired/Retainer Pay" account (Form DFAS-c17220/148)
- VA Claim number ("C" number if one has been established) and letter from the VA stating degree of disability.
- Military identification cards (retiree’s and spouse’s)
- Military Service number
- Survivors Benefits Plan/Retried Serviceman’s Family Protection Plan enrollment forms
- All banks accounts (include account numbers, bank names and addresses, telephone numbers, and balances as of a certain date.)
- Commercial life insurance policies, medical policies, and other insurance policies
- All securities (stocks, bonds, mutual funds, money market funds, Treasury notes/bills, annuities, etc.) Also include your stockbroker’s name; the company’s name, address and phone number; and location of documents.
- Safe deposit box location (location of the keys, number of the box, bank name and address, and list of contents within the box)
- Credit card numbers (expiration dates, location, type, and name of the financial institutions)
- List of all real estate property (house, land, autos, household effects, etc.)
- Marriage certificate
- Birth certificates of family members (include adoption decrees and naturalization or citizenship papers)
- Society Security number
- Last tax returns (State and Federal)
- VA Life Insurance (NSLFI/USGLI) policy numbers
- Complete medical health record (If you do not have it, write to the National Personnel Records Center, Room 320, 9700 Page Blvd, St. Louis, MO 63132)
- Final divorce degree of both the retiree and spouse (if applicable). This is required only if the retired military pay is combined with Federal Civil Service retired pay.
- CSA number (if retired Federal Civil Service)