Why I Built VetCalc

I am a senior NCO in the Air National Guard. I have spent the last decade-plus explaining military pay, BAH, BAS, the GI Bill, and VA benefits to service members, prospective recruits, and the families who depend on them. I have drawn the math out on whiteboards, pulled up DFAS pay tables on my laptop, and walked people through scenarios that change the trajectory of their families.

What I kept running into is that the official numbers are buried in PDFs nobody reads, BAH varies by ZIP code in a way nobody explains clearly, and the VA combined rating formula is intentionally counterintuitive. The calculators that did exist online were either out of date, built to capture emails for a law firm, or charging for what should be free.

VetCalc started as the tools I wished I could hand to a service member's family on the spot. Then I figured every veteran navigating a VA claim, every spouse weighing a PCS, and every retiree planning a pension probably needed the same thing. So here it is.

From East Tennessee to the Air Force

I grew up in East Tennessee. My father and I lived a five-minute bike ride from my grandparents' farm. My best friend lived on the other side of the road, and we'd meet halfway most summer mornings to fish, swim, help around the farm, or play computer games. Life was simple.

My grandfather watched Bloomberg TV and Fox Business most days. His father had been president of a small bank that was eventually acquired by Wachovia, and later by Wells Fargo during the 2008 financial crisis. I sat with him for hours, listening to him explain markets and tickers I barely understood at the time. That early exposure to numbers and money is part of why I care so much about getting them right today.

I struggled through middle school and high school — not with ability, but with engagement. After graduation I drifted through dead-end jobs and waited tables, trying to figure out who I was. My aunt, a retired Army Colonel, pushed me toward the Air Force instead of pursuing a path as a deputy at the local Sheriff's Office. It was the best decision I never knew I needed.

I enlisted in the Air Force in 2012. The military fit. It gave me the team-first mindset and competitive structure I had been missing, and I learned how to actually learn. I left active duty in 2016 and transitioned to the Air National Guard, where I still serve today.

Why Trust These Numbers

I am still in. I get paid using these tables. I file the same vouchers, watch the same BAS line item on my LES, and care about the same retirement projections you do. When DFAS or the VA publishes new figures, I usually see them on my own pay stub before I push them to the site.

That said, “I'm in the military” is not a substitute for verification. So VetCalc has guardrails:

• Single source of truth — Every public-facing rate comes from a tracked JSON file backed by official DFAS/VA/DoD sources. Sources are linked on every calculator page.
• Automated drift detection — A script scans every page on the site before each deploy and fails the build if a stale figure is detected. No exceptions.
• Smoke tests in CI — The audit-critical paths (BAH search, 70%+50% VA Math, BAS rate by branch) are tested on every change. If accuracy breaks, deploy is blocked.
• Public methodology — Read About the Data for exactly which formulas, citations, and update schedules are used.

What VetCalc Covers

• Military Pay Calculator — Total monthly compensation: Base Pay + BAH (338 locations) + BAS, with 2026 rates.
• Military Pay After Taxes — Net take-home with federal/state withholding, FICA, TSP, and SGLI deductions.
• VA Disability Rating Calculator — Combine multiple ratings using the official 38 CFR § 4.25 formula with a step-by-step breakdown.
• Military Retirement Calculator — Compare Final Pay, High-36, REDUX/CSB, and BRS with 30-year projections and TSP growth.
• VA Disability + Retirement Calculator — Concurrent receipt (CRDP) rules applied correctly so you see the real combined number.
• GI Bill Benefits Calculator — Post-9/11 or Montgomery, with MHA by school location and the 2026-2027 tuition cap baked in.
• Special Monthly Compensation, TDIU, VA Pension, and many more — the long-tail benefits people forget exist.

Why It Is Free, And Always Will Be

I am the only person building and maintaining VetCalc. There is no team, no investors, no board, no advertisers. Just me, late nights after my daughter goes to bed, and a lot of coffee.

I made everything free because I know what it is like to be a junior airman trying to figure out whether a duty station is affordable for your family, and the answer is buried in a 200-page PDF. The tools that did exist when I was looking were either ancient or trying to upsell me on something I didn't need. Service members deserve better than that.

The People Behind Me

None of this would be possible without my wife. She keeps things grounded, supports the late-night coding sessions, and gives me the space to build every single day. And our daughter is the reason I stop, rethink, and come back better. She's the reason this site exists at all.

Use These Tools, But Verify

VetCalc is not affiliated with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, the Department of Defense, or any government agency. The calculators provide estimates only. Official ratings, compensation amounts, and benefit determinations are made solely by the VA, DFAS, or your service finance office. For anything load-bearing — a claim, a retirement decision, a disability appeal — talk to a VA-accredited representative, a financial counselor at your installation, or your unit's finance office.

I want VetCalc to be the first stop, not the last word.

— Henry