Spouse living in separate state

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Slevin

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So when I start active duty and my spouse is living in a different state which has a higher BAH rate than the area I'm going to and isn't planning on moving with me at the current time. Which BAH rate do I get? The one for where I'm based or the one for where my spouse is living at?
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You get the higher BAH.

Here's a quote from the NAVY OPNAV 7220.12:

b. PaYment of BAH when member resides separately from
dependents. PaYment of BAH based on dependent location for a
member who lives separately from dependents due to military
necessity may only be authorized when the member is not able to
commute daily between the duty station location and the
dependents' residence. Assigned military duties, including
deploYment and transportation interruptions, do not constitute
an inability to commute. The following duty assignments within
the 50 states and District of Columbia are determined to be
assignments to which military necessity makes it necessary for
dependents to reside at a location other than the member's duty​

station:

The CO's get to decide on if "member is not able to
commute daily between the duty station location and the
dependents' residence" or not.

I am 100% sure about the Navy. Not sure about other services

 
Last edited:
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BrandonX said:
You get the higher BAH.

Here's a quote from the NAVY OPNAV 7220.12:
Click to expand...

Did you read the entire instruction? This has very specific application. Specifically take a look at page 8 under "additional information".

There are very specific reasons why you can get the BAH at the place of your dependents.

payment of BAH based on dependent location when
members and dependents live separately within the United States
may be appropriate in circumstances other than those in
paragraph 5b. Such determinations will be made only in cases
when the necessity to reside separately is caused by conditions
at the duty station and paying BAH based on the servicemember's
permanent duty station would be inequitable. Members may submit
requests to PERS-451H for determination.
Click to expand...
and
Circumstances specifically precluded from
consideration in determination to pay BAH based on dependent
location for members transferring between permanent duty
stations (PDS) located in CONUS are:
1. Continuity in dependents' education.
2. Selling a dwelling.
8
l. Waiting list for government housing in
a non-critical housing area.
4. Dependent employment.
5. Desire to retire to previous permanent duty
station.
6. Financial burden of relocating dependents.
7. PCS funds conserved by not relocating
dependents.
Click to expand...
 
backrow said:
Did you read the entire instruction? This has very specific application. Specifically take a look at page 8 under "additional information".

There are very specific reasons why you can get the BAH at the place of your dependents.


and
Click to expand...


Yes, I did... I've spend a little over 5 yrs reading Navy BAH instruction and also process over hundreds of request tht BAH at dependent location.

The Navy does not expect the spouse to drop everything that they are doing to meet the needs of the Navy, only active duty member.
 
Slevin said:
So if my spouse was running her own business then I'd get paid the BAH based off of her location?
Click to expand...

Does not matter why your spouse can not move with you. But like the Doctor above point out. Be honest about your situation when talking pays with your Personnel Officer because BAH at dependent location are the most often investigated pay in the Navy.

But yes, if your spouse and ALL your dependents can not moves with you to your PDS than you can request to draw BAH based on your spouse's location. I did many requests for N.Y, HI, and S.F. when I was processing BAH pay for my shipmate.

and also make sure you read about what a Geographic Bachelor is and how the Navy define it.

Good Luck !!
 
BrandonX said:
You get the higher BAH.

Here's a quote from the NAVY OPNAV 7220.12:

b. PaYment of BAH when member resides separately from
dependents. PaYment of BAH based on dependent location for a
member who lives separately from dependents due to military
necessity may only be authorized when the member is not able to
commute daily between the duty station location and the
dependents' residence. Assigned military duties, including
deploYment and transportation interruptions, do not constitute
an inability to commute. The following duty assignments within
the 50 states and District of Columbia are determined to be
assignments to which military necessity makes it necessary for
dependents to reside at a location other than the member's duty​

station:

The CO's get to decide on if "member is not able to
commute daily between the duty station location and the
dependents' residence" or not.

I am 100% sure about the Navy. Not sure about other services
Click to expand...

Gosh, I wish that was true, but not.

The above instruction applies under certain circumstances:

1) Your family can't move with you. ie unaccompanied tours. (won't happen in CONUS)
2) You have a child in his/her junior or senior year of high school.
3) You commute from the residence daily as it would suggest.

Your CO cannot just arbitrarily waive the commute thing.

I am currently assigned to Camp LeJeune (but forward deployed) and my family lives in DC. I "chose" to be a geographic bachelor because it made no sense to uproot the family, move them for 5 months and deploy for a year. I tried to keep my higher BAH, but it was denied, so I am out $1100 a month because of it.

If you are stationed in CONUS, your family is expected to be with you so they won't pay.
 
Does anyone know what happens if you get stationed overseas, but go unaccompanied voluntarily (family stays in CONUS per their preference)? Do you get OHA (or live on base) + the single rate for COLA + the BAH for the dependent's location in CONUS?
 
Yellowstone said:
Does anyone know what happens if you get stationed overseas, but go unaccompanied voluntarily (family stays in CONUS per their preference)? Do you get OHA (or live on base) + the single rate for COLA + the BAH for the dependent's location in CONUS?
Click to expand...

You get BAH for where your dependants live and COLA. If you choose to not stay in the BOQ you would have to pay for that out of pocket. You don't get additional housing allowances.

The BOQs in Oki are pretty darn nice for O3 and aboves though. (one bedroom apts.)
 
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