AFBA and 5Star Life Insurance Company Name Erica L. Jenkins Senior Vice President, General Counsel, and Corporate Secretary
Jenkins brings deep legal knowledge and expertise to position
ALEXANDRIA, VA – Armed Forces Benefit Association (AFBA), and its affiliate, 5Star Life Insurance Company (5Star Life), announced today the promotion of Erica L. Jenkins to Senior Vice President, General Counsel, and Corporate Secretary, effective March 14, 2025.
“In her new role, Erica will lead our legal and compliance teams, and I am confident that under her leadership, the teams will continue to positively impact the enterprise while upholding the highest standards of professionalism and service,” said General Larry O. Spencer, USAF (Ret.), President of AFBA and 5Star Life.
Erica joined 5Star Life in June of 2023 with more than 20 years of insurance industry experience. She began her legal career working for State Farm Insurance as a litigation attorney. She transferred her analytical and problem-solving skills to Nationwide as in-house counsel where she honed her regulatory and advisory skills and advised on regulatory, procedural, product and claims matters impacting the organization. Continuing the growth in her legal career, Erica transitioned to a role within the legal department of Erie Insurance where she advised on legal issues with organizational, litigation, compliance, internal audit, and regulatory impact, including advising her primary client, Erie Family Life, on various issues affecting their product development, contracting, litigation, claims, and other impactful legal matters.
“I am deeply honored to assume this new position with AFBA and 5Star Life,” stated Jenkins. “I look forward to supporting enterprise strategies and driving our mission forward.”
About AFBA
With the support of the General of the Army, Dwight D. Eisenhower, the Armed Forces Benefit Association (AFBA) was established in 1947 in the basement of the Pentagon to ease the strain on military members and their families who, at the time, could not purchase life insurance that would pay a death benefit if the member was killed in combat. Today, headquartered in Alexandria, VA, AFBA continues to honor its mission, in war and peace, promoting the welfare of its members by providing survivor and other benefits to those who serve this great nation, including members of the uniformed services, first responders, government employees, and their families. AFBA has 915,000 members with $57 billion of death benefits in force and has paid $2 billion of death benefits since inception. AFBA death benefits are primarily underwritten by its affiliate, 5Star Life Insurance Company (a Lincoln, Nebraska domiciled company).
About 5Star Life Insurance Company
5Star Life Insurance Company (5Star Life) is the primary underwriter of the Armed Forces Benefit Association (AFBA) member policies and is also a growing provider of group and worksite voluntary products. Its business model enables 5Star Life to serve the needs of a diverse clientele as an insurance advisor to individuals and organizations, and as a trusted partner to brokers. Headquartered in Alexandria, VA, 5Star Life is currently licensed in 49 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, and American Samoa.
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Underscores commitment to the National Guard, its members and history
ALEXANDRIA, VA. – On Friday, August 16, 2024, the Armed Forces Benefit Association (AFBA) was honored to present a check in support of the newly formed Center for the Study of the National Guard (CSNG), making AFBA the founding member for the Center and marking the beginning of a multiyear sponsorship.
“We are immensely proud to be the founding member of the Center for the Study of the National Guard. Our commitment to honoring and understanding the vital role of the National Guard in our nation’s history is unwavering. Together, we stand united in our dedication to preserving the legacy and the stories of these brave men and women who serve our country with distinction,” said General Larry O. Spencer, USAF (Ret.), President of AFBA.
National Guard’s history is scattered across the nation in armories, small museums, various state archives, and in the voices of Citizen Soldiers. Each component, the Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marines have a center for data collection, archival preservation, and research productivity. The National Guard does not. Through collaborative efforts, The University of Southern Mississippi, The National Guard Association of the United States, and the National Guard Bureau have established the Center for the Study of the National Guard to fill this void. CSNG’s key missions are to build and maintain a repository for National Guard documents, histories, oral histories, and other related materials and to serve as a research center and think tank to facilitate the study of the National Guard and its history. This center will provide access for researchers and the National Guard community to study the National Guard from one consolidated location. Finally, the Guard can have an intellectual home where its story can be told.
“Preserving and telling the story of the National Guard and its impact on the United States is our goal, and this partnership with the Armed Forces Benefit Association is a fundamental step forward toward that end. AFBA’s support of the Guard is of longstanding and is unwavering, and this support is further demonstrated through their partnership with the Center for the Study of the National Guard,” said Dr. Andrew Wiest Founding Co-Director of CSNG.
About Armed Forces Benefit Association
With the support of the General of the Army, Dwight D. Eisenhower, the Armed Forces Benefit Association (AFBA) was established in 1947 in the basement of the Pentagon to ease the strain on military members and their families who, at the time, could not purchase life insurance that would pay a death benefit if the member was killed in combat. Today, headquartered in Alexandria, VA, AFBA continues to honor its mission, in war and peace, promoting the welfare of its members by providing survivor and other benefits to those who serve this great nation, including members of the uniformed services, first responders, government employees, and their families. AFBA has more than 535,000 members with $40 billion of death benefits in force and has paid nearly $2 billion of death benefits since inception. AFBA death benefits are primarily underwritten by its affiliate, 5Star Life Insurance Company (a Lincoln, Nebraska domiciled company).
AFBA is not affiliated with any government agency.
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New look, same mission
Welcome to the new Armed Forces Benefit Association (AFBA) website! As you peruse through the site, you will notice many changes: new member-focused content, intuitive navigation, and an improved member support section. Our overarching goal was to improve the member experience.
Throughout this process, one thing has not changed: our mission. Our commitment to providing protection to those who go in harm’s way by offering life insurance member benefits and other benefits remains steadfast.
A patriotic legacy, a promising future
For more than 75 years, we have been singularly focused on our mission. In 1947, when we were founded in the basement of the Pentagon, who could have known that our association would grow to be 535,000 members strong and would go on to pay more than $2 billion in death claims in every military conflict since the Korean War to our modern day war on terrorism. I’m proud we have made a difference to thousands of families through the years.
While we have grown and evolved and will continue to do so as the definition of service life changes, we remain faithful to our legacy and deeply committed to our mission to ensure we’ll be there for all who answer the call to serve in the future.
To all of you who serve or have served our country, thank you.
General Larry Spencer, USAF (Ret.)
President, AFBA