SFC Barbara Layman 4986740 <div class="images-v2-count-0"></div>I have been asked this question because relatives of a friend have stated that their child member of a PA reserve unit who is a single college student, as well as similarly situated members of the unit were advised by the UA to do so. They did, and collected BAH while deployed. These kids were either living in dorms or in their parents home prior to deployment.<br />Personally, I perceive this as fraud waste and abuse. I can&#39;t find the correct answer. Any finance gurus out there? 2019-09-03T13:09:22-04:00 SFC Barbara Layman 4986740

<div class="images-v2-count-0"></div>I have been asked this question because relatives of a friend have stated that their child member of a PA reserve unit who is a single college student, as well as similarly situated members of the unit were advised by the UA to do so. They did, and collected BAH while deployed. These kids were either living in dorms or in their parents home prior to deployment.<br />Personally, I perceive this as fraud waste and abuse. I can&#39;t find the correct answer. Any finance gurus out there?

2019-09-03T13:09:22-04:00 2019-09-03T13:09:22-04:00 SGM Private RallyPoint Member 4988241

<div class="images-v2-count-0"></div>Here&#39;s the thing: BAH is an entitlement on active duty. <br />The military owes you that money regardless of what your rent or mortgage is. <br />Just like how the military owes you a set amount of BAS regardless of what you spend on groceries, just like how the military owes you a uniform/clothing allowance regardless of how much you spend on uniforms, just like how the military owes you Tricare Prime coverage whether you see a doctor or not, etc.<br /><br />However, the required source document in the Army is a DA 5960, and the source document required for the address on that 5960 is a mortgage or lease agreement.<br />That college kid can draw up a lease agreement with their parents showing they pay $1 a month or $7500 a month in rent, and they are still entitled to BAH Type I without dependents, based on zip code not actual rent, because they are on active duty orders for over 30 days.<br /><br />Is it waste? Sure.<br />But how much more money would we waste implementing a more complex system that investigates and determines actual cost of rent, if any, for every single Guard and Reserve service member that starts orders over 30 days, every year? <br /><br />Is it fraud? <br />If that reserve Soldier lives in a low rent zip code and decides to &quot;move&quot; to a high rent zip code for a deployment, yeah that&#39;s fraud. <br />We warn Soldiers every year that they will pay that back, and they do, sometimes with a rank reduction for good measure.

2019-09-03T22:00:47-04:00 2019-09-03T22:00:47-04:00 2019-09-03T13:09:22-04:00