How can we keep young service members from getting married just to receive BAH?

Getting married to get out of the barracks is the second dumbest thing I've ever heard. The first being getting pregnant to get out of a deployment. Is this seriously a problem? I've seen this and contract marriages happen here and there but wouldn't call it a legitimate concern due to the infrequency and measures taken to deter it.

Maybe this may be a solution, USAF Dorms for single Airmen, they have central air conditioning, wall to wall carpeting, two double closets per private room for one person, drapes. Your own vanity sink and share the toilet and shower with one other person. Civilian type furniture,dressers, night stands, chairs and You could add things. There are also kitchens and laundry facilities. The decks off the back are common area but any Airman living there can use them. These Airman Dorms are at Hanscom AFB, MA As a First Sergeant at one point We even had meetings with the Command Chief Master Sergeant for identifying things that the Airmen residents would like to see added to the dorms to improve living conditions. These suggestions were taken seriously and if adopted were funded.

The best thing is to provide BAH to all single unmarried at the single rate. Many commands are already privatizing housing on base both for families and singles. (IF these choose the on-base, I believe they all get the BAH then pay their it to the company) Camp Parks RFTA Calif has built housing for military in the bay area (including full-time Army at Parks and Coast Guard) Naval Station San Diego (32nd) has built apartments run by a private company for sailors there (single or married) Some bases, if they cant fill that housing are even letting civilian employees and retired military live there. The obvious exceptions would be basic, AIT/Tech/A schools, unaccompanied tours, deployments, etc

If we could figure this out , most of the fraud waste and abuse in the military would come to a stop and we could spend money on something more important rather than two soldiers that just want to get out of the barracks cause they think they are better than that.

Normally what I saw was a contract marriage. This is where the kid got married before deployment to make the extra pay tax free and then they would separate once they returned from deployment. The girl would get a slice of the pie, but ultimately the guy was getting more money.

I think in order for people to want to stay in the their barracks they will need to be upgraded. Just having a bunk bed and two wall lockers is not enough. Sure they can get their own TV and XBOX, but what about a stove or oven. These kids get tired of eating chow hall food and usually end up ordering pizza. Now you can have them going to the commissary and buying food and they can make their own food and it will feel more like home versus having to go somewhere for food all the time. I think it is more of a self sufficient/do it yourself feel that these people need.

When I first came in I was in a two man room that was maybe 12X15. Large enough for two twin beds with two wall lockers and two desks (one of each for each Soldier) and a community bathroom for the entire floor. I was 19 and my roomate was a 38 y/o ex semi-truck driver. Somehow we both survived without getting married. *insert sarcasm*

This is an issue that REALLY irked me. When I returned from Aviano, they released all the married to go home. So you have a PFC going to dinner with his wife while NCO's and SNCO's are unloading the plane. One of the reasons I got out. WAY to biased and discriminatory. To answer the question, no marriages privileges to E-3 and below if you get married while already enlisted. E-4's get a barracks room with their wife and mess hall privileges. E-5's, they've earned their privileges. Well, usually.

Why do Air Force personal get half of their housing and food allotments while they are stationed on Army bases (80's & 90's)? The reason given to the airmen was that they were living in substandard conditions. There within lays the answer.

Should I (a lower enlisted) be forced to live in a small cubical with everything placed as per regulation OR should I engage in a marriage of convenience and get added income, my own apartment which I can leave in any fashion I feel for that day without having to worry about Top showing up to inspect.

Between service members marrying their fellow troops right after Basic Training/AIT because they are so madly and deeply in love (but also being told about how they will get housing and subsistence for their families) or they are trying to do the "noble" thing and marry their Drinky/Juicy Girls in Korea or other Foreign National from elsewhere because they are living their lives in servitude (and a lot of times being the mistress to a married man/woman) but as soon as they get their free ticket to the US they promptly dump them and then get jobs on base/post and still get benefits for being the spouse of a service member disgusts me.

Then you have the service members who are sick and tired of living in a shared space and having no privacy, being subject to inspections and barracks maintenance and in reality having to live on dining out every night since cooking is never allowed in your room. Also being married should be an incentive for later on in a service members career since (especially in the case of junior enlisted) the first enlistment should be the time you learn everything that is required to be a good Soldier, Sailor, Airman, Marine or Coastie. Prove that you took your oath of enlistment seriously and want to be an asset to your branch, pay your dues, live in communal living, eat with your fellow people, work out together, train together and not be distracted by any of the outside temptations that present themselves.

Playing video games at home with a spouse and child takes away the ability to bond with your fellow service members. Constantly having to be out of the loop with appointments for the family are just not helpful to anyone and truthfully I would have reservations about trusting the person on my left or right because I know nothing about them since we rarely if ever get to work/socialize together.

If I ever had the chance to run the DoD for a day I would impose policy that forbids service members from staying in the military if they get married or start a family during their first enlistment period of 4 years. In the end this will make a sure fire way to only recruit the most serious and truly quality people to serve.

SSGT, I see your point. When I served, and lived in the barracks, two of the biggest problems I've seen are rooming assignments and higher ranks going inside your room without you being there. Plus, feeling like you're under the microscope 24 hours of the day. The point is that you're dealing with Marines that have more than likely never been on their own. The Corps is pretty much their first experience of being out there in the world, so they don't want to feel like they are back at their parents house, if you know what I mean. A lot of times this causes young Marines living in the barracks to rush to get married because in their eyes they see it as them having their own place where they call the shots and don't have to worry about "field day" or "inspections" every week. They don't have to be afraid to open their door or come up with an elaborate plan to avoid being put on someone else's "duty" when they can't find the scheduled "Duty NCO" or "OOD". Long story short these things can make getting married to get out of the barracks look very tempting.

That being said it could be a difficult task trying to convince a young boot that's still wet behind the ears that they are not exactly ready to be married. One of the best things that I could think of is emphasizing the benefits of barracks life because there are many. Like for instance not really having a curfew (except during emergency situations): The only real curfew you have in the barracks is that you don't have to be back until time for formation. That means you could hang out as long as you want just as long as you're there in time for formation. When you're married your spouse is going to expect you home at a certain time to deal with what's going on there. You're not going to be able to hang out like you want and if you do it's going to cause big problems between you and your spouse. Being married is not playing house. You should emphasize that marriage is not for somebody with a bachelor's mind.

Another benefit is that you don't have to pay bills except for the one that you make for yourself and you're only responsible for yourself. Being married, you have more than yourself to be responsible for and to add if you're in charge of troops, it adds more to your plate. The only difference between being responsible for your troops and being responsible for a family is that the Corps provides all the gear you need, when you're married with a family, you might get more money but you have to use that money to buy everything that you and your family need. It's something that you have to have the mindset for or it's not going to work.

Another benefit is that you don't have to worry about where your next meal is coming from. Living in the barracks, you get 3 hots and a cot. Sure chow hall food might not be the best sometimes but at least you have the option of eating in the chow hall when you don't have any cash. You don't have to worry about going hungry or where your next meal is coming from. You have the benefit of knowing that you have somewhere to go when you're hungry and don't have to pay for it. Married Marines have to pay to eat in the chow hall.

Another benefit is that they have complete control over there money. If there's something I've seen and I'm sure you might have seen too SSgt are Married Marines on payday at the ATM. I'm sure you were able to tell what Marine was married standing in line because you could hear them yell "that bitch" loud enough to shake the whole building because the money they thought they had got spent by their spouse. Then them having to try to get a loan from a single Marine to get something until they could pay them back. It could be very embarrassing to go to the ATM to pull out some money to get something only to get pissed off because your money's not there because your spouse decided to go on a spending spree with the money. I've seen it many times during my tour. Some military spouses are irresponsible with money and they could end up getting a Marine in trouble not only with debtors but their command as well. Plus, a hard hit to their credit when they go to apply for a home or auto loan.

I could go on and on. As far as making the barracks life better I'm not sure there's really much you could do besides making it more comfortable by letting ranks come off after Libo, which is kind hard when you've got the Duty NCO and OOD walking around. As you know, we are Marines 24/7 and sometimes that could get in the way of down time. It could be rough living in the barracks because you end up feeling like your higher ups are breathing down your neck and having to catch hell if you or your roommate are not squared away. You end up feeling like you've always got to be on your toes. I think one of the best ways to make barracks life better is to pick the brains of your young Marines. Here what they've got to say. One of the best ways to get an answer to a question is from the horses mouth. Plus, add in the pros and cons of getting married to get out of the barracks, you could find a way to cut down on young Marines jumping into something they are not ready for. You're a Marine and one of the things us Marines are good at is being able to come up with a good solution to a problem. Good luck SSGT and Semper Fi.