Advice on a BAH issue in the guard?

SGT Private RallyPoint Member — Thu, 29 May 2014 21:51:50 -0400

Hello, just joined this community through a friend of mine and am pleased to see an active military getting together to support each other.

My reason for creating this post is to see my case of submitting a BAH waiver for a situation I am having trouble with.

I am an E-5 with the guard, former Marine Sgt. I finally received my slot to go to AIT for my new MOS and received PCS orders to this 6 month (185 days) school. I was told before I left, and I believe it was even turned on, that I would receive BAH for my HOR. I set everything into place and took off on my adventure. Upon arrival, I was issued a barracks room, and to my surprise I was told I had to sign a stop BAH form. I had no choice but to sign it to be able to class up.

I am single with no children. I am on PCS orders (title 32) for ADT for a new MOS. I do not see anywhere on my orders that say anything about HHG, only a Temporary Change of station shipment weight of 600 lbs. Dependents were also not allowed on my orders, even though I have none.

I have looked over the JFTR several times, specifically chapter 10 that deals with BAH. It has a section specifically for reserve members that talks about BAH, and I fit into several of the categories to receive BAH, and was even authorized from the state in the first place to receive it.

Elsewhere in the JFTR is states that "PARTIAL RATES. A MEMBER WITHOUT DEPENDENTS WHO IS ASSIGNED TO SINGLE-TYPE QUARTERS OR IS ON FIELD OR SEA DUTY, AND IS NOT AUTHORIZED TO RECEIVE A BAH OR OHA, IS AUTHORIZED BAH-PARTIAL AT THE RATES PROVIDED AT HTTP:/PERDIEM.HQDA.PENTAGON.MIL/PERDIEM/.

This is apparently the one policy that stops me.

I believe it is PPOM 11-075 that can be submitted for a BAH indebtedness waiver. I was hoping some finance guru's out there can take a moment and post any info they may have on this memorandum and if it can apply to my situation of financial hardship.

Thank you for taking the time to read this.

Response by CMSgt James Nolan made May 29 at 2014 10:20 PM

CMSgt James Nolan — Thu, 29 May 2014 22:20:01 -0400

At face value, I think that it sucks. But I would have to sit down with my finance guys to make sure that I was right. I think that you got screwed by taking PCS orders. You are not PCS-ing, you are TDY-ing. I say that because as a guard guy, I went to a 6 month school and was given the option of PCS-ing. I was not PCS-ing, I was TDY-ing to a SCHOOL, not looking for a new duty station.