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Honoring American TroopsMedal of Honor Archive

Benefits

Medal of Honor Benefits and Privileges

The special pension, burial honors, travel, commissary and academy privileges that come with the Medal of Honor — and where to check current details.

Updated September 2026 · 5 min read

Recipients of the Medal of Honor are entitled to a set of benefits and courtesies established by federal law and military regulation. They are modest compared with the sacrifice they recognize — and several extend to recipients’ families.

Benefit amounts and rules change over time. Always confirm current details with the Department of Veterans Affairs or the recipient’s military service before relying on them.

Special monthly pension

Every living recipient is placed on the Medal of Honor Roll and paid a special pension by the Department of Veterans Affairs. The pension is paid in addition to any other military retired pay or VA compensation, and the amount is adjusted each year for the cost of living. When a medal is awarded years after the act, the recipient may also be eligible for a retroactive lump-sum payment.

Retired pay

Enlisted recipients who retire from the armed forces receive a 10% increase in their retired pay.

Travel, commissary and identification

  • A Department of Defense identification card, giving recipients and eligible dependents commissary and exchange privileges.
  • Space-available travel on military aircraft.
  • Invitations to presidential inaugurations and inaugural events.
  • In most states, special Medal of Honor license plates, often free of charge.

Benefits for children

Children of Medal of Honor recipients may be appointed to the U.S. Military, Naval, Air Force and Coast Guard academies without a congressional nomination and outside normal quota limits, provided they meet the admission requirements.

Burial honors

  • Eligibility for burial at Arlington National Cemetery and other national cemeteries.
  • A special government headstone or marker with the Medal of Honor inscription in gold leaf.
  • The Medal of Honor Flag, created by law in 2002, presented to recipients or their next of kin.

Our archive records 412 recipients buried at Arlington. Browse where recipients rest.

The Medal of Honor Society

Living recipients may join the Congressional Medal of Honor Society, chartered by Congress in 1958, which supports recipients and runs character-development programs for schools. Its members are the 65 people on our living recipients page.