The 2026 Military Survival Guide

Happy New Year! (Ok, belated.) It's no surprise - in 2026, the “hard parts” of military life still aren’t optional: PCS seasons, deployments, medical systems, travel, school transitions, etc.

What is optional? The last-minute document scramble.

This "survival" checklist is built for the average active duty family (mostly CONUS, sometimes OCONUS) and focuses on paperwork that’s genuinely more important in 2026 because of real, verifiable changes - or because these categories are where families lose the most time and money when something goes wrong.

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1 — REAL ID & TSA ConfirmIDs

REAL ID enforcement is already in effect, and TSA now has a new paid option - ConfirmID - for travelers who show up without acceptable ID. It’s $45 and verification is not guaranteed, which means “we’ll deal with it later” can quickly become “we missed the flight.”

File these together:

• REAL ID-compliant license (or your plan & appointment confirmation)

• Passport / passport card (if you use it)

• A photo of your military ID & dependent IDs (and a note of where the physical cards live)

• If you ever use ConfirmID: proof of payment/receipt (save it)

List & File note: This is a perfect “front pocket” option, or kept in a separate, secure location.

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2 — HCFSA Receipt System

FSAFEDS HCFSA is available for eligible military members and the 2026 annual maximum is $3,400. (My family decided to take advantage of this this year!) That can be real savings for out-of-pocket medical/dental/vision costs, but the savings only count if you can prove them. 

File these together:

• Enrollment confirmation & your annual election amount

• A “Receipts to Reimburse” section (paper and/or emailed invoices)

• Reimbursement confirmations/claim screenshots

• A running note of what you actually use it for (glasses, orthodontia, therapy, copays, etc.)

HCFSA is one of the most quietly valuable benefits but one of the easiest to waste if receipts aren’t captured in one place!

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3 — PCS-Proof Pack

On Jan. 23, 2026, DoW issued an implementation memo creating a Personal Property Activity (PPA) to centralize responsibility for household goods shipments, POV shipment, storage, and related functions. The goal is to fix longstanding PCS problems (great!) but transitions still mean you should protect yourself with clean documentation. 

What this means for your organization strategy: New oversight structures don’t automatically equal smooth moves; and when accountability and processes are shifting, your records are your leverage.

File these together (even if you’re not moving soon):

• Orders + amendments

• A basic household inventory (Photos count! Do “before” pictures room-by-room)

• All mover communications (dates, times, names, promises made)

• All receipts (packing supplies, lodging, storage, cleaning, etc.)

• Any claim paperwork and deadlines

Looking for even more PSC organizing tips? Check out our blog post here for 4 ways to protect yourself with organization during a PCS. The GHC may be old news, but the steps are always relevant.

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4 — DEERS/TRICARE Proof

When DEERS data is off, everything downstream is harder—TRICARE eligibility, enrollments, referrals, pharmacy, and claims. The fastest fixes happen when you can show exactly what you submitted and when. 

File these together:

• DEERS update confirmations (moves, marriage, new baby, etc.)

• The documents you used to update records (birth/marriage certificates, adoption paperwork)

• TRICARE enrollment confirmations and any referral/authorization paperwork

• Any dispute/claim reference numbers

This isn’t “extra.” It’s a life-saver when you receive a large bill for a standard doctor visit after Tricare mistakenly claims the "beneficiary doesn't exist." Ask me how I know. And bonus - all this information and more can be organized within the Identity or Medical tabs of our Daily Binders! 

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5 — CONUS & OCONUS-Ready Files

Roughly 200,000-350,000 military personnel and their families are OCONUS in a given year, on unaccompanied tours, or short-notice international movement at some point.

OCONUS situations often require “one more document” beyond what families expect (passports, screenings, special entries, sponsorship notes, etc.). The cleanest strategy is a single file that scales up only if you need it.

File these together:

• Passports (tourist, and any official/no-fee documentation if issued for your situation)

• Immunization records / shot history (especially for kids)

• Any overseas screening or medical clearance paperwork if applicable

• A “country notes” page if you’re stationed overseas (local requirements, emergency contacts, replacement steps)

List & File tip: Keep this section minimal and balanced until you actually get OCONUS orders, then expand it.

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6 — Legal & Adulting Files

Deployments, TDY, emergencies, and sudden relocations are exactly when you need legal documents most—and exactly when it’s hardest to produce them. Us encouraging these files is not new, and they're here again for good reason - EVERYONE NEEDS THEM.

File these together:

• Will

• Durable power of attorney

• Healthcare power of attorney / advance directive

• Life insurance documents

List & File products - both Daily Binders and servicemember Career Binders - include a tab dedicated to helping you track these and other important legal forms so you won't miss a beat.

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7 — School Records

It could be argued that the most common education stressor for military kids is the social start-over. And for parents, another may be the records, logistics, and bridging between previous and next school situations.

File these together (one per child):

• Report cards/transcripts + standardized tests

• IEP/504 documentation if applicable

• Immunization record + birth certificate copy

• Awards/certificates (helpful for programs, applications, and continuity)

This blog post explains in more detail the benefits of organizing your kids' school records, including the what and the how. Check it out!  

If this seems overwhelming, don't worry. You don’t need a perfect system, you just need a good one. Start where you are and build at the pace you're able to maintain consistently. This might look like picking ONE step from this checklist and building it today in under 10 minutes. Future-you will be ridiculously grateful.

And if you want more 5-minute checklists, guides, and practical organization help as policies shift, subscribe to the List & File newsletter in the footer of this page - more free checklists and resources are on the way, and we'd love for you to have them.