SBP.  Pay heed. If you fail to ensure you are the deemed elected primary beneficiary of your spouse's military pension plan, and he or she dies, and you're not the named SBP beneficiary, you're out of luck. That means you get "zilch" and perhaps his/her new spouses gets YOUR portion of the pension divided by the Court.  Ouch! Make sure you consult with an attorney skilled in this area.