More than 20,000 transitioning servicemembers and veterans have claimed a free year of ChatGPT Plus over the past year, OpenAI said ahead of Veterans Day on 11 November 2026. The offer gives eligible US military personnel 12 months of the paid ChatGPT plan at no cost, verified through ID.me.

Who qualifies for the free year

The offer is for verified US service members who will leave active duty within the next 12 months, and for veterans and retirees who left active duty within the past 12 months. Eligible people verify their service through ID.me on OpenAI's claim page and then select the offer. The promotion is limited to one offer per person and applies to personal accounts.

OpenAI said the programme was shaped by veterans working at the company, who use the tools daily and understand the challenges of moving from military to civilian life. A year of Plus is worth 240 US dollars at the standard monthly price.

How veterans are using the tools

OpenAI highlighted several veterans who used the free year to plan their next steps. Air Force veteran Tilak Bhatnagar used ChatGPT to prepare for interviews, describe his military experience to civilian employers and weigh competing job offers before taking a role at a tech company. Air Force veteran Sadarian Bell used it to map out a career transition and turn nearly a decade of military healthcare experience into a civilian CV, practising interview answers aloud using voice mode.

Navy veteran Kelli Ramirez used ChatGPT while pursuing a long-held goal of becoming a published author, using it to organise ideas and work through the Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing process. She has since published two books.

Training sessions and November events

Beyond free access, OpenAI Academy and community partners have hosted more than a dozen training sessions for nearly 1,000 members of the military community, with seven more scheduled before the end of the year. Workshops have been run with Veterans Forge, AI Collective Hampton Roads and NPower, and OpenAI said its Academy recently completed a first six-event series with Veterans Forge.

Upcoming events include an NPower event in St. Louis on 12 November, a Nashville event with Veterans Forge and the Wounded Warrior Project on 14 November, a 30-minute virtual session on 17 November, and NPower events in Dallas on 19 November and San Antonio on 21 November. OpenAI said its goal is to help veterans and military families carry the skills they built in service into whatever work they choose next.