AKO Email Transition: Accessing Army 365 in 2026

Complete guide to accessing Army 365 email in 2026, the transition from @mail.mil, and how retirees manage communication without AKO.

AKO Email Transition: Accessing Army 365 in 2026

## Quick answer The original @us.army.mil and @mail.mil email addresses are retired and no longer function as active inboxes. Today, all active Army personnel, National Guard, and Reserve soldiers use **Army 365 (Microsoft Outlook)** with the suffix **@army.mil**. To access your email, you must use a government-furnished computer or a personal device with a CAC reader via the [web-based portal](https://webmail.apps.mil).

*Disclaimer: AKO.org — Army Knowledge Online is an independent reference site and is not the official TRICARE or Department of Defense program. Visit official sites like TRICARE.mil or army.mil for official policy.*

In detail

The transition from the legacy Army Knowledge Online (AKO) portal and its associated email services was phased out over several years, culminating in the full adoption of the **Army 365** ecosystem.

### The Evolution of Army Email * **Legacy AKO (@us.army.mil):** Originally the primary communication hub for all Soldiers, retirees, and family members. This service was deactivated for email traffic years ago. * **DEERS/Enterprise Email (@mail.mil):** This was the interim solution managed by DISA. Most accounts migrated away from this suffix by 2022. * **Army 365 (@army.mil):** The current standard. It is a cloud-based Microsoft 365 environment that includes Outlook, Teams, and OneDrive, providing significantly more storage and security than previous iterations.

### How to Access Army 365 Email Today Accessing your email requires a Common Access Card (CAC) and a compatible browser (Edge or Chrome are recommended).

1. **URL:** Navigate to [https://webmail.apps.mil](https://webmail.apps.mil). 2. **Authentication:** Select your "Authentication" or "PVI" certificate when prompted by your browser. 3. **MFA:** While on a government network, your CAC is sufficient. For remote access on personal devices, the Army has implemented "Hypori Halo" or other Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) solutions for specific ranks and units to allow mobile access without a CAC reader.

### What happened to Retirees and Veterans? One of the most significant changes in the transition to Army 365 is the **removal of email services for retirees**. Unlike the legacy AKO system, which allowed retirees to keep an @us.army.mil address indefinitely, the Army 365 environment is restricted to active-status personnel (Active Duty, Guard, Reserve) and DA Civilians. Retirees are expected to use private email providers (Gmail, Outlook.com, etc.) for all correspondence and must update their contact information in **DS Logon** and **DEERS** to ensure they receive TRICARE and DFAS updates.

## Who this applies to * **Active Duty Soldiers:** Must use @army.mil for all official correspondence and must check it regularly for orders and administrative actions. * **National Guard & Reserve:** Transitioned to Army 365 to ensure "one Soldier, one email" parity across components. * **Retirees:** No longer eligible for government-hosted email. Action is required to update DEERS with a civilian email to maintain TRICARE West (TriWest) or East (Humana Military) communications. * **Army Civilians & Contractors:** Assigned @army.mil accounts based on their specific contract or billet requirement.

Common scenarios

**Scenario 1: The New Recruit** Private Miller arrives at his first duty station in April 2026. He is issued a CAC and told to check his email. He does not go to AKO; he logs into `webmail.apps.mil`. There is no cost to him for this account.

**Scenario 2: The Recent Retiree** SFC Jones retires in May 2026. On his final out-processing day, his Army 365 license is revoked. He must ensure his civilian email is registered in the **MilConnect** portal so he can receive enrollment information for his TRICARE Select or Prime premiums, which vary by plan year (check TRICARE.mil for 2026 rates).

**Scenario 3: The Guard Member on Personal Laptop** SGT Smith needs to check her @army.mil email from home. She purchases a $15 CAC reader, plugs it into her Mac, installs the root certificates from MilitaryCAC.com, and accesses the Apps.mil portal using her CAC.

## Related terms * **Army 365:** The Microsoft-based suite of tools replacing all previous AKO and Enterprise email functions. * **CAC (Common Access Card):** The physical smart card required for two-factor authentication to all Army email systems. * **DEERS:** The Defense Enrollment Eligibility Reporting System; the database that tracks your eligibility for benefits and your current contact email. * **DS Logon:** A secure identity username/password used by veterans and retirees to access VA and DoD sites without a CAC. * **PVI Certificate:** The "Personal Identity Verification" certificate on your CAC used specifically for email and web encryption.

## Sources * **Army.mil (Official Information):** [https://www.army.mil](https://www.army.mil) * **TRICARE (Beneficiary Impact):** [https://www.tricare.mil](https://www.tricare.mil) * **Defense Health Agency (DHA):** [https://health.mil](https://health.mil) * **CHESS (Army IT Procurement):** [https://chess.army.mil](https://chess.army.mil)