Yes non WTU MEB soldiers can use it. As far as tricare, I am not sure if they are steering you the right way. They can use your retirement orders to get your paperwork done, and then it will be ready for your transition.
Grizz, we had a thread on ID about three weeks ago and what we came up with is everybody does it different. On Fort Drum, they would not give me my retiree card until my terminal leave ended and I was officially retired. Many others in the thread had the same problem. I guess it will just come down to the DEERS you work with. Seems like it would be common sense to get it done, but like everything else, they all read the regs different.
Hopefully SFAC can get us through this week. I made a tentative appt. at Luke AFB for after we move just in case though.
I'll ask SFAC about the Tricare too. Thank you so much for the help.