Info on BAH (Basic Allowance for Housing)

[Whitty]

Just heard from our PAS that there's no such luck. Only way it would apply is if you were on active duty and working as like an AD Lt until you PCS.

[Ryder1587]

Well that sucks. Ill post what HQ says back too just for the hell of it.

[jjfly]

apparently guys at Laughlin have been told they will get it, finance just isn't sure what Ellsworth wants to see on the forms. The Columbus finance office says it's a myth and it's not true... ?

[Ryder1587]

Found out guys at Laughlin heard from HQ and said theyre getting the money. I'll be having yet another conversation with the finance guys at my base.

[aspec]

Page 728 also states it again:

"New accession – Academy or ROTC graduate remaining at the graduation/ commission location awaiting follow-on training and not assigned GOV’T QTRS"

"Pay graduation/commission location-based BAH through the day prior to departure en route to the training location. The Transit rate applies thereafter. See rule 7 above."

Rule 7:

"Start the Transit rate when the member is in a travel status between duty/training stations and start the new PDS-based BAH rate the day the member reports to the new PDS (including a training location for 20 or more weeks). For an RC member, pay BAH based on the primary residence location at the time called/ ordered to active duty for the accession training duration if the member maintains a residence and continues to be responsible for rent, or owns the residence."

I talked to finance today about it and they told me we cannot get paid for anything prior to our EAD date. Apparently a bunch of Lt's have brought this up and all have been denied thus far.

One could argue this only applies for AD Lt's who remain at the ROTC detachment to work until they report to their first PDS, but aren't those Lt's simply paid like any other active duty Lt? Or do they not get base pay and just BAH?

Anyways, if any of you have luck with this, let us know.

[AEWingsMN]

Here's my thought. I've read the rule very carefully, and it NEVER states the member has to be on Active Duty to get paid. In fact it almost intends to be just for this purpose, so the AF can't bend us over for 6 months like they have been. I understand the AF saving money and not paying us our base pay because we are not working, but they should provided the housing allowance. Which is exactly what the rule is saying. Supposedly there is a briefing about this tomorrow at my base. My thought is that some bases finances will stick up for the students and do what's right. Others will be chickenshit and not do it. It is a DOD rule. I went into this really critical about the rule and thought I had found ways out of them paying it, but the more i look, the more I see how clearly it states it, and the AF is just wrong for not having done anything about this. They were clearly not in knowledge of the rule or trying to avoid it all together. I do see this being a major financial snafu and I can see the AF realizing that and trying to work its way out of it, but if bonuses can be given to so many people/year, this is small beans. And in the grand scheme of things it's small beans to the AF, but not to those involved. My check would be almost 6,000. I had to pay rent for 6 months, most people couldn't even get jobs to pay their rent, AF owes according to the rules. Can't sue them, but can be a big media crisis when shit hits the fan.

Edited May 6, 2010 by AEWingsMN

[Guest AFENGR]

Here's my thought. I've read the rule very carefully, and it NEVER states the member has to be on Active Duty to get paid. In fact it almost intends to be just for this purpose, so the AF can't bend us over for 6 months like they have been. I understand the AF saving money and not paying us our base pay because we are not working, but they should provided the housing allowance. Which is exactly what the rule is saying. Supposedly there is a briefing about this tomorrow at my base. My thought is that some bases finances will stick up for the students and do what's right. Others will be chickenshit and not do it. It is a DOD rule. I went into this really critical about the rule and thought I had found ways out of them paying it, but the more i look, the more I see how clearly it states it, and the AF is just wrong for not having done anything about this. They were clearly not in knowledge of the rule or trying to avoid it all together. I do see this being a major financial snafu and I can see the AF realizing that and trying to work its way out of it, but if bonuses can be given to so many people/year, this is small beans. And in the grand scheme of things it's small beans to the AF, but not to those involved. My check would be almost 6,000. I had to pay rent for 6 months, most people couldn't even get jobs to pay their rent, AF owes according to the rules. Can't sue them, but can be a big media crisis when shit hits the fan.

I think it does clearly state the time period. Rule 7 says:

"Start the transit rate when the member is in a travel status between duty/training stations"

Which translates to the time you EAD, followed by tech school and/or to when you get to your PDS.

Then it goes on to say:

"Start the new PDS-based BAH rate the day the member reports to the new PDS"

Which is your RNLTD to your gaining station.

[runnerdm6]

I asked a finance LT at my base who has done some major detective work (calling headquarters, calling Laughlin, where this whole rumor started, etc.) on the matter- Bottom line, we're not going to get the money. It turns out there was a Captain at Laughlin spreading rumors that people got paid for this- that never happened and said Captain has been asked to quit spreading the rumor. I could use that money as much as the next guy, but it's not going to happen no matter how much I complain about it. Life goes on.

[magnetfreezer]

I asked a finance LT at my base who has done some major detective work (calling headquarters, calling Laughlin, where this whole rumor started, etc.) on the matter- Bottom line, we're not going to get the money. It turns out there was a Captain at Laughlin spreading rumors that people got paid for this- that never happened and said Captain has been asked to quit spreading the rumor. I could use that money as much as the next guy, but it's not going to happen no matter how much I complain about it. Life goes on.

Hmm.. reg interpretation and rumors... Paging Finance_Guy to the BAH thread.

[AEWingsMN]

And the meeting said exactly that, it would be between EAD and PDS... so ASBC enroute should receive it unless given gov't qrtrs... I also found a reg stating that temporary facilities are not gov't quarters, or something to that extent.

But it really seems too vague in how it's written. I think someone at the DOD level was trying to help but wrote it wrong. The biggest thing is at the start it says "you must receive basic pay to be elligible for housing allowances".

[aspec]

I think it does clearly state the time period. Rule 7 says:

"Start the transit rate when the member is in a travel status between duty/training stations"

Which translates to the time you EAD, followed by tech school and/or to when you get to your PDS.

Then it goes on to say:

"Start the new PDS-based BAH rate the day the member reports to the new PDS"

Which is your RNLTD to your gaining station.

Read Rule 9 on that page:

"New accession – Academy or ROTC graduate remaining at the graduation/ commission location awaiting follow-on training and not assigned GOV’T QTR"

"Pay graduation/commission location-based BAH through the day prior to departure en route to the training location. The Transit rate applies thereafter. See rule 7 above."

Then rule 7 applies. Either way, I doubt we'll get paid but I still have yet to see anything that says this does not apply or that we have to EAD first.

Edited May 6, 2010 by aspec

[B0neWs0]

this rumor has started around my detachment and now people are all excited. It doesn't make sense to me but it would be sweet if it was true. What is the latest word on this?

[FlyingBull]

As I said from the beginning, its bullshit. Just use some critical thinking skills and remember that if it sounds too good to be true, it pretty much is 99.99999% of the time.

[Finance_Guy]

"you must receive basic pay to be eligible for housing allowances".

Amen to that. I cannot tell you how many questions have come through on this via official channels. Here is another case of someone only reading "part" of the JFTR looking for how it could apply to them.

First the JFTR paragraph is under the heading of "New Accessions". Well to be considered, "Accessed", you have to be on active duty. And the kicker as mentioned above is the JFTR mention shown below. Never seen someone get BAH and nothing else. Unless this is something new the Academy is paying. Don't ask your Active Duty finance.

U10002 HOUSING ALLOWANCE

A. General. Effective 1 January 1998, in general, a member on active duty entitled to basic pay is authorized a

housing allowance based on the member’s grade, dependency status, and location.

Edited May 12, 2010 by Finance_Guy

[brwwg&b]

shack. just goes to show that people will always perpetuate stupid rumours instead of simply doing the research and rtfm (or just read the part they want to apply...)

[Finance_Guy]

shack. just goes to show that people will always perpetuate stupid rumours instead of simply doing the research and rtfm (or just read the part they want to apply...)

UPDATE:

JFTR has been changed to clarify the BAH entitlement. Note the bold/underlined text--that was the clarification.

UTD for MAP 37-10(E) -- BAH for Accession without Dependent

1. SYNOPSIS: Clarify that a member without dependents (other than RC member) in the accession pipeline is only paid the BAH-T rate when in a travel/leave status between training locations. BAH is not payable to the member while at any training location (less than 20 weeks). Locality based BAH doesn't start until the member reports to the first PDS. A training location of 20 or more weeks is a PDS and the member is no longer an accession.

2. These changes are scheduled to appear in JFTR change number 284, dated 1 August 2010.

3. This determination is effective when printed in the JFTR on 1 August 2010.

NOTE: A Service academy and ROTC graduate without a dependent, who remains on active duty at the graduation/ commissioning location following graduation and commissioning before proceeding to another duty station and is not assigned GOV’T QTRS, is authorized a housing allowance at the without-dependent rate for the graduation/commissioning location through the day prior to departure en route to the training location. If the officer acquires a dependent, the officer’s housing allowance with-dependent rate becomes based on the dependent location effective the date the dependent is acquired.

[AEWingsMN]

And more BS entitlements to academy grads since it's virtually impossible in this day and aget to "be on active duty at the location of your graduation/commissioning before being sent to your first training location" for an AFROTC grad now that ad lt's are gone. I do know that the army does use this tactic a lot with its grads out of rotc.

[Karl Hungus]

A couple month's worth of BAH doesn't make going to the academy worth it.

[jjfly]

A couple month's worth of BAH doesn't make going to the academy worth it.

so true!

[SurelySerious]

And more BS entitlements to academy grads since it's virtually impossible in this day and aget to "be on active duty at the location of your graduation/commissioning before being sent to your first training location" for an AFROTC grad now that ad lt's are gone. I do know that the army does use this tactic a lot with its grads out of rotc.

Academy cadets are on active duty for the whole four years and don't get BAH.

[The Kayla]

Hey Finanace_Guy! I have a quick question for you:

What's the deal in BAH and deployments?

For example: If my husband is deployed, and I move back to CA, will I get the BAH rate from CA or NH?--NH, right?

Now, if we were stationed overseas, and I moved to CA during a deployment, I would get the CA rate then, correct?

For the record: You will be ending a monthly debate on my wifey forum about this subject :) I'm not looking to move home any time soon.

Thanks!

[Guest Crew Report]

Q1: Who is eligible for BAH?

A member assigned to permanent duty within the 50 United States, who is not furnished government housing, is eligible for a Basic Allowance for Housing (BAH), based on the member's dependency status at the permanent duty station ZIP Code. A member stationed overseas (except in Hawai’i and Alaska), including U.S. territories and possessions, who is not furnished government housing, is eligible for an Overseas Housing Allowance (OHA) based on the member's dependency status. If a member (except for a member paying child support) is serving an UNACCOMPANIED overseas tour, the member is eligible for BAH at the ‘with-dependent’ rate, based on the dependent's U.S. residence ZIP Code, plus FSH at the OCONUS PDS, if the member is not furnished government housing overseas.

http://www.defensetravel.dod.mil/perdiem/bahfaq.html

[Finance_Guy]

Hey Finanace_Guy! I have a quick question for you:

What's the deal in BAH and deployments?

For example: If my husband is deployed, and I move back to CA, will I get the BAH rate from CA or NH?--NH, right?

Now, if we were stationed overseas, and I moved to CA during a deployment, I would get the CA rate then, correct?

For the record: You will be ending a monthly debate on my wifey forum about this subject :) I'm not looking to move home any time soon.

Thanks!

Sorry for the delay. Been busy and not much spare time for Baseops.

If not an Indeterminate TDY where dependent travel to a designated location is approved then you follow this rule:

U10402 MEMBER WITH DEPENDENT

B. Location Rate

. Ordinarily a housing allowance is paid based on the member’s PDS, or the home port for a

member assigned to a ship or afloat unit. However, the Service may determine that a member’s assignment to a

PDS or the circumstances of that assignment requires the dependent to reside separately. The Secretary Concerned

or the Secretarial Process, at Service discretion, may authorize/approve a housing allowance based on the

dependent’s location or old PDS.

In your CA & NH example, rate continues at NH rate. But for OCONUS, OHA still applies since the husband is still assigned to the OCONUS location. Now if you did an early return of dependent (U10410) move then it could change.

Of course all this is assuming the civilian spouse accompanied the member to the new PDS and was on the PCS orders. In cases where a dependent is acquired after the member is assigned, the rules are different--JFTR U10404 covers those rules.

So for ordinary deployments (not I-TDY), generally the rate remains as if you stayed there. Now in the OCONUS example where you temporarily move to CA, then COLA would change to remove any/all dependents that leave the OCONUS location for more than 30 days.

Confused?

[hardie9e]

Hey Guys,

This would be the thread to ask the following questions, I appreciate your help, I've been trying to figure out if I am able to recieve BAH for my home while at UPT. Here are the following questions:

1. Is there a way to recieve BAH for my HOR at my guard unit?

2. Do they view going to UPT as a PCS(a change of PDS?) or a TDY?

3. I heard something about a BAH Exception Form from a guy at another guard unit. This form was for the purpose of recieving an exception to the BAH at UPT and recieve it for my HOR instead. Does this exist?

4. Where/what is the regulation that would allow this? I have been reading through all the regs here (http://www.defensetravel.dod.mil/perdiem/trvlregs.html) but I don't understand all the finance regs well (only FARs and AFIs, lol).

Thanks for your help!

-Hardie9e

[H-10btr]

I posted this question on another thread but no one answered it so I figured I would move it here as this seems to be the more appropriate thread for this topic anyway. I will soon be going to AMS/UPT for an ANG unit. If I own a house (my HOR) while I am at AMS/UPT I will get BAH for my zip? I will be married and am planning/hoping to live on base with my wife. I am a bit confused by some conflicting posts on this thread regarding this topic. I was under the impression that even though I own a home, during AMS/UPT I would not get BAH because I would be living on base.