At the Democratic convention one of the speakers was the wife of a helicopter pilot that died in Iraq. She said her death benefit was only 12,000 and credited Hillary with getting the benefit raised later.
I retired in 1984 but I seem to remember being able to opt in for either $100,000 or $150,000 at a cost. Am I wrong or was that an option at the time and her husband likely just hadn't opted in for the addition benefit?

__________________
Old paratrooper in NC