Survivors of retired military personnel should contact or visit the 1st Mission Support Group (1stMSG) Casualty Assistance Office at Langley Air Force Base or your neatest active military Casualty Assistance Office. The 1stMSG Casualty Assistance Office is located in a large two store building across the street from the B-52 monument just inside the La Salle entrance to Langley Air Force Base at 45 Nealy Ave., Wing C, Room 108A. The phone number is (757)764-5231. The office is opened Monday through Friday from 8:00am to 4:30pm. Personnel assigned to this office will be able to handle the required actions and complete the necessary reports for you. If you are for some reason unable to contact a military casualty assistance office, follow the suggestion below.

Survivors are advised that retired pay ceases upon the death of a retiree.

Surviving family members of retired Air Force personnel residing in the United States may report the death of a member, and receive personal assistance in applying for eligible benefits on their behalf by contacting: * The Casualty Assistance Representative (CAR) at the nearest Air Force Base Military Personnel Flight, Customer Service * Headquarters, Air Force Personnel Center toll-free at 1-877-353-6807. This system will connect your phone call directly to the CAR that will assist you. Voice mail is available after duty hours. Family members leaving a message will be called back the next duty day * DFAS-Cleveland using their toll-free number 1-800-269-5170 * The nearest US embassy or Consulate for overseas families NOTE: If telephone notification is impossible, you may send the information to HQ AFPC/DPFCS, 550 C Street West, Suite 14, Randolph AFB, TX 78150-4716. Enclose a copy of the death certificate and the information below. This information will be forwarded to the CAR nearest you for them to assist you. * Please have the following information available when making notification: * Retiree’s full name, grade, Social Security Number, date of retirement * Date and place (city and state) of death * Cause (layman’s terms) of death Name, relationship, phone number, and address of the NOK * Date and place of funeral, if known (General officers only)

Survivors must mail a copy of the death certificate back to DFAS along with the completed forms to apply for any arrears in retiree pay. The address for DFAS is;

Defense Finance and Accounting Service
US Military Annuitant Pay
P.O. Box 7130
London, KY 40743-7130.

Survivors should obtain at least 10 copies of the death certificate. A copy must be provided to DFAS, Social Security, Department of Veterans Affairs, and each insurance company.

Survivors may be required to provide a copy of the death certificate to change ownership of bank accounts, stocks, bonds, mutual funds, certificates of deposit, property titles, and registration of all vehicles. Appropriate changes should be made to all joint ownership's.

Survivors should gather together all important documents, such as: death certificates, marriage certificates, birth certificates, military discharge papers (DD Form 214), wills, insurance policies, deeds, mortgage papers, divorce papers, retired pay statements, Social Security/veterans administration data, adoption papers, vehicle/property titles, bonds/stock/money market certificates, income tax returns, etc. Make every effort to retain original documents (provide certified copies whenever possible).

NOTE: To obtain a copy of DD Form 214 or other military documents, send a letter requesting a copy of same to:

NPRC/NCPMF-C
9700 Page Avenue
St. Louis, MO 63132-5100
Phone number (314)801-0800

Be sure to include the retiree's full name, retired rank, SSN, and reason for request.

Survivors should also contact the Veterans Administration (VA) at 1-800-827-1000, or visit their web site www.va.gov, to find out if they are entitled to any benefits based on the death of a retiree. VA benefits may take 2 to 6 months, form date of application, to receive. For those in the Langley AFB area, the local VA office is located at 2019 Cunnigham Drive in Hampton and the phone number is 825-7893. The regional office is located in Roanoke, Virginia at:

210 Franklin RD SW
Roanoke, VA 24011
Phone number 1-(800)827-1000

Survivors should also contact the Social Security Administration at 1-800-772-1213, or visit their web site www.ssa.gov, to set up an appointment to apply for survivor benefits and partial burial expenses. For those in the Langley AFB area, appointments can be made at one of two local SSA offices. One is located at 11828 Fishing Point Drive in Newport News and the phone number is 873-3914, and the other is at 1026-B Settlers Landing Road in Hampton and the phone number is 728-0221.

If the deceased retiree had insurance with the Navy Mutual Aid Association (NMAA), survivors should call NMAA at 1-800-628-6011 or visit the web site www.nmaa.org/aboutnmaa/contacts.html and click on claims@navymutual.org. NMAA assists survivors of deceased members in filing claims for all government benefits for which they may be entitled.

If the deceased retiree was a member of The Military Officers Association of America (MOAA), survivors should call MOAA at 1-800-234-6622 or visit the MOAA web site www.moaa.org/Spouse/Family. MOAA will assist survivors of deceased members in filing claims for all government benefits for which they may be entitled.

Survivors of a deceased widow who was receiving an annuity under the Survivor Benefit Plan (SBP), must notify DFAS at 1-800-321-1080 to stop the widow's SBP annuity payments. You may also send notification in writing to:

DFAS
US Military Annuitant Pay
P.O. Box 7131
London, KY 40742-7131

When reporting the death by telephone, please have available the social security numbers of both the deceased annuitant or VSI beneficiary and deceased member, the annuitant's or the beneficiary's date of death, and the name, address, and telephone number of the next of kin or other contact: also, indicate who will be sending a death certificate. The anniuty ceases the end of the month prior th the month of death. Therefore, any annuitant payments received the month of death and after must be returned to avoid indebtedness. Immediate notification will help to alleviate this problem. For payments sent to a bank by direct deposit, the DFAS will contact the bank directly to return the funds. Please ensure the annuitant's, or th VSI beneficiary's and the member's social security numbers are on all correspondence sent to this agency. Customer Service Representatives at DFAS, 1-800-321-1080 will help with any questions the caller may have.

Survivors must turn in a deceased retiree's military identification (ID) card to the nearest military personnel ID card issuing office to have the cards destruction recorded. Also, all dependent survivors must bring in their dependent ID cards, a copy of the retiree's death certificate, and marriage certificate, for reissue of ID cards and to update DEERS based of the death of a sponsor. Survivors must also apply for new base auto decals for their vehicles. Be sure to bring in proof of auto insurance and vehicle registration papers when applying for a new decal. The ID card and DEERS is taken care of by 1stMSG Customer Service in Wing B, Room 103 at Langley AFB. The auto decal issuing office (Pass & ID) is also at Langley AFB, located in Wing B, Room 102 of the 1stMSG building.

Survivors are advised that an American flag can be obtained from the Veterans Administration or the local post office to drape the casket of a veteran. You can also contact your nearest military facility for military funeral honors that will include flag presentation and taps presented by a military honor guard. The phone number for Langley AFB honor guard arrangements is 764-7181. There is also a web site for honor guard support www.militaryfuneralhonors.osd.mil.

When a retired member is buried in a national, state, or military cemetery, a headstone or marker may be erected, without cost to the family. A family member must apply for this service. Funeral directors will normally assist in this matter.

Burial in a National cemetery (including a gravestone, opening and closing of the grave, and perpetual care) is an entitlement for all retirees. Contact the director of the national cemetery where burial is desired. The funeral director will have a list of national cemeteries.

Survivors are advised to call the Department of Veteran Affairs (1-800-669-8477) to find out if the deceased retiree had a government insurance policy. Call 1-800-419-1473 to find out if the deceased had SGLI or VGLI VA insurance. Survivors should contact the local office of any commercial life insurance company with which the deceased retiree was insured. A copy of the death certificate will be needed to submit any clams.

Survivors are advised that both state and federal income tax returns must be submitted after the death of a retiree. The Internal Revenue Service at 1-800-829-1040 or your tax consultant can assist with this.

The will of the deceased must be probated by the probate court of the county in which the decease lived. The probate court clerk will assist you in filling out the necessary forms at a nominal fee (about $50.00). If the deceased did not have a will, all assets in his or her name may be frozen until cleared by the court.