As a SPC in the active duty Army, are you required to live in the barracks?

SGT(P) Private RallyPoint Member — Tue, 17 Jan 2017 01:32:03 -0500

Response by SPC Erich Guenther made Jan 17 at 2017 3:26 AM

SPC Erich Guenther — Tue, 17 Jan 2017 03:26:14 -0500

The answer is it is up to your Chain of Command there is no hard and set Army rule across the board. If your married as a SPC, in most cases it is yes and they will let you live off post. If your single it is a case by case basis. Single with visitation of kids I have seen it granted. Single with no kids I have seen it granted in some cases where your splitting rent with another Soldier. Depends on your Chain of Command, how full the barracks are and how mature they feel you are. Overseas because of security situations in Europe and Korea they might require you stay in the Barracks as a SPC if your not married. Tough to get around the security concern issue.

Response by SSG Private RallyPoint Member made Jan 17 at 2017 9:39 AM

SSG Private RallyPoint Member — Tue, 17 Jan 2017 09:39:51 -0500

A lot of the time it has to do with Battalion level policy and the number of quarters available in the barracks. When I was AD at Hood years ago, our Battalion level command only allowed E-4 and below to live outside the barracks if they were married. Once you got your stripes you had X weeks or months to vacate your room and find a place off post.

Response by MSG Private RallyPoint Member made Jan 17 at 2017 9:52 AM

MSG Private RallyPoint Member — Tue, 17 Jan 2017 09:52:21 -0500

Unless you are married......or given the extreme rare permission to live off base, yes you will reside in the barracks.

Response by SGT Dave Tracy made Jan 17 at 2017 10:15 AM

SGT Dave Tracy — Tue, 17 Jan 2017 10:15:35 -0500

As others have noted, generally you have to live in the barracks as an E4 unless you're married. Now, if you piss off your 1SG, he may decide you butt is better placed in the barracks whether you're married or not.
(Wasn't me, but I've seen it happen)

Response by Cpl Justin Goolsby made Jan 17 at 2017 11:22 AM

Cpl Justin Goolsby — Tue, 17 Jan 2017 11:22:11 -0500

If you are single yes. If you are married, no.

Response by SGM Private RallyPoint Member made Jan 17 at 2017 2:02 PM

SGM Private RallyPoint Member — Tue, 17 Jan 2017 14:02:19 -0500

There is some good stuff posted here. Before you get to far into the plan, make sure installation an unit policy allow it, or else its DOA before you start. I would say 99% of the time a single SPC would have to reside in the Barracks. The main basis is space availability. The Commander has the power to authorize Soldiers to live off base and authorize BAS. The Commander could be called into question about doing so, but if he has the proper justification, no worries. The most accepted reason for leaving Junior Soldiers in the barracks is to save them from themselves, and this shouldn't surprise you. Rules are made because someone before you messed it up. Don't beat me up on this hear me out. The average single SPC in the Army has never maintained a household. Never paid electricity, gas, water, trash, cable, etc,. This Coupled this with a car payment and insurance, one quickly exceeds the BAH and starts to bite into base pay. I understand there are exceptions, and some Junior Soldiers are squared away. My recommendation for a Soldier who is looking to get out of the barracks is to make a detailed budget plan. Show all expenses and savings, and pitch this with your plan/request to get your own place. This will show maturity, forward thinking, and your problem solving ability. It will go further than a request to move out with nothing supporting it. When I was a CSM, this was required before the Commander would consider it. I understand that the Barracks is not always an ideal spot. One is subject to "Hey you" tasking's and such. Some installations have rules that "no off post living for junior enlisted" if the Barracks are not a certain percentage filled. Some places the Barracks are in such bad shape they are encouraged to live off post. Another benefit to the Army for living in the barracks is DFAC use. The DFAC is numbers based, so the more folks use it, the better it is. Cant comment on the quality, but the busy DFACs are most times pretty good. Hope this helps. I have had Soldiers "maintain" a room in the barrack and live off post, but that's not smart because you miss meals, and most likely are paying some sort of rent with no additional funds.

Response by SPC Private RallyPoint Member made Jan 17 at 2017 5:00 PM

SPC Private RallyPoint Member — Tue, 17 Jan 2017 17:00:06 -0500

It depends. My friend who is gay had a barracks room but he lived off post. Depends on your leadership I guess.

Response by SFC George Smith made Jan 17 at 2017 5:51 PM

SFC George Smith — Tue, 17 Jan 2017 17:51:06 -0500

In My days, of the stone age, you had to be married or E-5 or better depending on Billets availability I've seen E-6's living in the Barracks because they had spaces available...
If you were single and there were spaces in the Billets for your assigned Unit... don't count on it ...
if there was a lack of space on Post NCO's In E-4 and above ... Hard stripes ... could move off Post with the 1st Sgt.'s Recommendation and the Company or Bn commanders approval...

Response by SPC Private RallyPoint Member made Jan 17 at 2017 7:48 PM

SPC Private RallyPoint Member — Tue, 17 Jan 2017 19:48:53 -0500

You have to be married or a single parent with at least 50% custody of you kid(s). If you are neither of those than you have to live in the b's. Even single E5's have to live in the b's.

Response by SPC Daniel Thomas Smithson, B.Sc., M.A., M.A. made Jan 17 at 2017 8:52 PM

SPC Daniel Thomas Smithson, B.Sc., M.A., M.A. — Tue, 17 Jan 2017 20:52:19 -0500

They have a special housing unit for your wife if you can prove you're married, but, in the Army, you still once in a while must do CQ, Charge of Quarters, an all night guard duty at the entrance of the company headquarters and barracks, an NCO and junior enlisted (including Specialist E-4) nightwatchman team, and the junior enlisted must mop the floor of the company day room and buff it with an industrial grade electric floor polisher machine. And if if your honeybun is waiting for you back at the married housing, then you can do the slip and slide before you pass out after your shift is over.

Response by MSG Steve Wiersgalla made Jan 17 at 2017 9:05 PM

MSG Steve Wiersgalla — Tue, 17 Jan 2017 21:05:25 -0500

Off post housing is usually local policy. When I was in Germany We had E-6s and E-7s living in the barracks. So there was no lack of barracks rooms. In my unit they only allowed Married soldiers to live off post, and there was a long waiting list for off post military housing. I maintained a room in the barracks but stayed with my then girlfriend. Once we got married we were authorized BAH/ BAQ and because she was German we were able to haggle a deal for a prime location apartment that was not military housing.

Don't be in a rush to move out of the barracks it gets to be expensive and if a commander gives you the go ahead he will most likely not authorized housing allowance. The next thing you know all your buddies want to come over and your place becomes the party place. And you get left with the carnage from the parties. As a single soldier ir is not worth living off post in my opinion.

Response by SSG(P) Private RallyPoint Member made Jan 18 at 2017 1:42 AM

SSG(P) Private RallyPoint Member — Wed, 18 Jan 2017 01:42:37 -0500

Yes. If you're single

Response by SSG Private RallyPoint Member made Jan 18 at 2017 9:30 AM

SSG Private RallyPoint Member — Wed, 18 Jan 2017 09:30:41 -0500

Just don't get married because of housing. It could be costly if you end up with the wrong person. Most have already answered your question.

Response by SSgt Dwight Deatherage made Jan 18 at 2017 6:13 PM

SSgt Dwight Deatherage — Wed, 18 Jan 2017 18:13:07 -0500

As a single SP4 (E-4) in the Stone Age I was permitted to live in a garage apartment, but was required to have a home phone, and maintain a space in the barracks. I had two roommates from another unit, their requirements were the same.

Response by SPC Brian Mason made Jan 19 at 2017 2:03 PM

SPC Brian Mason — Thu, 19 Jan 2017 14:03:30 -0500

Not if you're married. I was married when I enlisted as a PV2. She was in the Army Reserve. After I finished my initial training, we went to my first duty station. I was lucky that I got housing in such a short time. No kids (thank goodness). As for each base, I'm not sure if they each have their own requirements or not. If you're married you can't. Don't go rush and get married to avoid it. Worse problems come from rushed marriages.

Response by SGT Josh Sincoskie made Jan 21 at 2017 4:11 PM

SGT Josh Sincoskie — Sat, 21 Jan 2017 16:11:32 -0500

Yes. But don't get married just to move out of the barracks. Barracks life can be fun and beneficial if you make it so.

Response by SSG Mark Bundy made Jan 29 at 2017 2:16 PM

SSG Mark Bundy — Sun, 29 Jan 2017 14:16:32 -0500

As long as I maintained my barracks room and was on time where I needed to be, I was able to stay off post.

Response by Cpl Private RallyPoint Member made Feb 14 at 2017 8:08 PM

Cpl Private RallyPoint Member — Tue, 14 Feb 2017 20:08:46 -0500

Man I am a PFC in the Marine Corps. I am 23 years old. But man the barracks suck balls but hell sure beats spendin freakin cash pocket it and save man. Money talks and bullshit walks no matter where you go or what ya do.

Response by PV2 Private RallyPoint Member made Apr 5 at 2017 2:37 PM

PV2 Private RallyPoint Member — Wed, 05 Apr 2017 14:37:24 -0400

Good responses. I live in an apt off post. I'm not married. But I have a roomate so it is cheaper. My commander said she recommended I didn't move off post but said it wasn't a big deal. Again this could vary among commanders. I still have a barracks room I just have to keep it clean in case they do inspections. Which it's always clean considering I don't go to my barracks room to often