The Retirement Services Office at Fort Novosel provides information on benefits and entitlements to active duty Soldiers and their families who are preparing for retirement. RSO provides counsel and support to active duty personnel, family members, retirees and their family members on the Survivor Benefit Plan Program. The Retirement Services Office publishes an annual retiree newsletter and works in conjunction with the retiree council to host the installation's annual Retiree Appreciation Day.

RSO newsletter

Once a Soldier, always a Soldier... a Soldier for Life! The Retirement Services Office's newsletter has a new digital-only edition. download the most recent issue of the retirement services newsletter here| view 2023 newsletter

ID Card Appointments

The id cards/deers section is an appointment based system.  Walk-ins are accepted on a first come, first served basis as manpower allows. Appointments can be scheduled 30 days prior to card expiration. Cards can be renewed 90 days prior to expiration. you can schedule an appointment by clicking here.

Sign-in for walk-ins stops at 3 p.m. Time is subject to change due to increased volume and may be restricted by priority. Note: Lost common access cards are required to provide a military police report to have CAC replaced.

Visit the directorate of human resources id cards/deers page for more information.

Pre-Retirement Services

  • Processing retirement applications.
  • Periodic pre-retirement and Survivor Benefit Plan group briefings for all retiring Soldiers; family members are highly encouraged to attend.
  • Counseling Soldiers and family members on retirement rights, benefits, and privileges.
  • One-on-one SBP counseling for all retiring Soldiers and their family members.
  • One-on-one pre-retirement briefings as needed.
  • Completion of DD Form 2656 (Data for Payment of Retired Personnel).
  • CSB/REDUX pay option election form.

Post-Retirement Services

  • Provide retired Soldiers and their families with information on benefits and entitlements including Veterans Affairs, TRICARE, dental, and Social Security and Medicare benefits.
  • Assist retired Soldiers apply for combat-related special compensation.
  • Provide information to retired Soldiers on concurrent retirement and disability payments.
  • Assist retired Soldiers and family members obtain copies of lost documents such as DD Form 214, retirement orders, medical records or replacement of lost awards.
  • Provide information and assistance to Soldiers, spouses and former spouses regarding the Uniformed Services Former Spouse’s Protection Act.
  • Assist survivors of retired Soldiers regarding their SBP options and other entitlements, including Department of Veterans Affairs, dependency and indemnity compensation.
  • Provide information and filing assistance for the annuities for certain military surviving spouses.

Other Retirement Services

  • Army Retirement Services
  • View retired pay account
  • View annuitant's pay account
  • Change allotments
  • Change beneficiary information
  • Change mailing address
  • Change bank information
  • Change tax filing and withholding status
  • Request copies of the 1099-R form for tax filing purposes
  • Request copies of the Retired Account Statement

Pre-Retirement and Survivor Benefit Plan Briefings

Detailed pre-retirement briefing slides for retiring Soldiers are normally emailed as an attachment along with the retirement orders issued by the fort novosel military personnel division. In instances where the orders are issued by a different organization, contact the Retirement Services Office and the briefing will be provided. Family members are also highly encouraged to review the briefing slides.

Topics covered within the pre-retirement briefing include:

  • Computing retired pay and cost-of-living adjustments
  • Survivor Benefit Plan
  • Medical benefits, including TRICARE, TRICARE-for-Life, dental, space-available care in military treatment facilities, supplemental health insurance, demonstration projects, and the Continued Health Care Benefit Program.
  • Veteran benefits
  • Retirement Services Program
  • New careers in education
  • Former spouse benefits, division of retired pay, SBP, and ID card eligibility
  • Servicemembers' Group Life Insurance and SGLI conversion to Veterans Group Life Insurance
  • Transition leave and permissive temporary duty
  • Travel authorizations and shipment of household goods
  • Space-available air travel
  • Social Security
  • Combat-related special compensation
  • Concurrent retirement and disability payments
  • Annuities for certain military surviving spouses
  • myPay system
  • Career status bonus
  • Army Knowledge Online
  • MyArmyBenefits

Survivor Benefit Plan Counseling

Survivor Benefit Plan counseling is conducted by appointment as requested.  You can make an appointments by calling (334) 255-9124. SBP information packets outlining the program and benefits and costs are furnished with the pre-retirement briefing prior to the start of transition leave or retirement date. Spouses must sign the SBP paperwork (DD Form 2656, Data for Payment of Retired Personnel) in the presence of a notary public if an election is made for less than the full amount of SBP or to decline it. The DD 2656 establishes the retiree's pay account with Defense Finance and Accounting Service.​​​​​​

Retirement Ceremonies

Retirement ceremonies are held quarterly on the second to last Friday of January and the last Friday of April, July and October.

Fort Novosel Retiree Council

The retiree council is made up of members who are military retirees or the widow or widower of a military retiree with representatives of all branches of the military. The council meets on the first Thursday of every month for the purpose of presenting the issues of local retirees to the installation command and annually to the Chief of Staff of the Army's retiree council. For more information or a copy of previous minutes, please contact the Retirement Services Office at (334) 255-9124.

Issues of an individual nature cannot be addressed by the council; however, items of a general nature of concern to all military retirees will be addressed.

Annual Retiree Appreciation Day

Watch this space for information about the 2023 Retiree Appreciation Day!