SGLI is a program of low-cost group life insurance for servicemembers on active duty, ready reservists, members of the National Guard, members of the Commissioned Corps of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the Public Health Service, cadets and midshipmen of the four service academies, and members of the Reserve Officer Training Corps. 

Effective March 1, 2023, the maximum SGLI benefit increased from $400,000 to $500,000 with automatic enrollment.  Sailors will need to opt out if they do not wish to participate.  Determination and payment of proceeds are made by the Office of Servicemembers’ Group Life Insurance under the jurisdiction of the Department of Veterans Administration.  Proceeds from SGLI to a beneficiary are exempt from taxation.  The insured member may designated as principal or contingent beneficiary any person, firm, corporation or legal entity, including their estate, individually or as a trustee.  If the member designated a trust, they need to indicate the name and date of the trust in the beneficiary block.  If the member designated a trust through a Will, they need to annotate "Last Will and Testament" in the beneficiary block.  If the member chose not to designate a specific beneficiary but preferred the proceeds be paid in the order of precedence, the member will select the "By Law" designation.  When the "By Law" designation is used, the proceeds are automatically paid in the following order of precedence:
If there is no spouse, then the child or children of the member in will receive the money in equal shares, with the share of any deceased child to be distributed among the descendants of that child. If there is no surviving spouse or children, it is payable to the parent or parents in equal shares.
The claim form required to apply for this benefit is  VA Form SGLV 8283, Claim for Death Benefits (Completed with CACO).  

For Active Duty deaths, Reservists on Orders or Reservist drilling at the time of Death, the assigned Casualty Assistance Calls Officer (CACO) will assist you in completing and submitting the claim form to Navy Casualty Office via their Regional Casualty Office servicing your area. For Reserve Component not on orders or not drilling at the time of Death or individuals in the 120-day separation from the Navy category, Please contact Navy Casualty Operations at 1-800-368-3202 for assistance.
 

ONLINE SURVIVOR BENEFITS REPORTS
 

Family members that have received log-in credentials to access their Online Survivor Benefits Reports (OSBR) can use this link https://myarmybenefits.us.army.mil/prebuilt/usn/Casualty/login.aspx to navigate to their customized benefits reports.