Posted on Jul 31, 2018
SGT Healthcare Specialist (Combat Medic)
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I live in the same city where my AIT was conducted. I tried to go to finance yesterday to have them help me apply BAH to my account I’m owed from over a month ago plus this month since when we’ve been married. They told me i had to go to S1 but when i told them i was out of training and didn’t know where that was they said there was nothing they could do for me. And to contact my new duty station at Ft. Irwin and only they could help me. I’m on 10 days of leave and will be here for awhile. I called ft Irwin and no one ever answers the phone no matter what time of day it is. I need to apply for housing there as well so we can get on the wait list sooner than later. Problem is i can’t apply for housing without proof of BAH which they won’t help me with at finance. I have no idea what to do or how to solve this dilemma
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Responses: 9
SFC Retention Operations Nco
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You're saying that finance turned you away? That's prime time for an ICE complaint.
However, it will probably be easiest for you to PCS, apply for BAH at your new unit, get your home, and then have your wife join you.
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LTC Jason Mackay
LTC Jason Mackay
6 y
When you get to Irwin you need to have your marriage license and your wife’s ID etc and get her in DEERS.

Your S1 (the personnel section at Battalion/Squadron) has you do a DA5960 BAH verification form. That goes to finance to start your BAH. Because your wife is in deers with an ID card, you get it with dependent rate.

PS: S1 is always at your BN HEadquarters.
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SGM Bill Frazer
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1. If you graduated, then you no longer belong to TRADOC, but your unit at Ft. Irwin technically. 2. When you arrive at Ft Irwin One Stop to in process- that all your marriage paperwork with you to get it processed. After you are assigned to a unit, or better yet, take your wife with you to One Stop and you can get her an ID card and get her enrolled in DEERS.
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SSG G3 Aviation Air Movement Request Nco
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SGM, Doesn't he belong to his training unit (losing unit) until he signs in from leave at the gaining station?
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SGM Bill Frazer
SGM Bill Frazer
>1 y
If it was a regular unit,yes, unfortunately training units, once graduation send records forward to gaining unit and wash their hands on them. Technically he belongs to TRADOC HQ, getting personal help from them would take longer than his leave
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CSM Darieus ZaGara
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Wow, did you speak to your unit first. It is not a norm to be married during training. Training units are not generally equipped to have quick solutions as it is not the norm. Yo need to go to the base in and out processing if the training unit does not understand. Gaining housingthere is highly unlikely. The best you can hope for is BAH., which can take a pay period or two. As for your gaining unit, you can do nothing until your wife is added to your orders. That happens at the same building as does your BAH authorization orders to will take some time. Go to the 1SG and ask for help. Please retain this as a lesson learned for your future Soldiers. You may not need permission in the US to get married it is wise to work through all of the requirements associated before you do. You may be forced to PCS without your spouse. All of this pain could have been avoided by speaking with your COC. Thank you for your service and good luck.
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SGT Healthcare Specialist (Combat Medic)
SGT (Join to see)
>1 y
My wife is already on my orders that is not the problem. i had her amended to them. But i still have yet to get BAH. And i did speak to my COC but they wouldn’t let me go to finance while i was in training because they said i was on their time and not mine.
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Married a month ago to civilian in AIT. Where do I go for BAH to be applied, plus backpay, and where do I get help with applying for housing?
SGT Jim Ramge, MBA
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If all else fails, via the phone, walk your butt into the base operations NCO, request to sign-in off of leave. Take care of your family! You then become the bases problem... You sought help, no one wants to give it! Make someone wake up and be an NCO and help a new troop out whom is a NUG to the system! Obviously you were either briefed of things you shouldn’t do and did disobeying, or were never privy to what you can and cannot do during training! A lack of communication on your previous Commands fault and should be briefed to troops in the future classes - lessons learned and I’m sure they will hear about it either way. The key here is you are now married and need some assistance! Take care of your spouse while you are in garrison... Learn that lesson well, and heed it for it will serve you well in your future in this man’s Army! If all else fails, seek out a Chaplain, they have a way of making things happen too!
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SGT Eric Davis
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Go to your S1 or Finance office!
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SGT Healthcare Specialist (Combat Medic)
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I went to finance and they said i had to go to S1 when i asked where that was they said they didn’t know
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LTC Jason Mackay
LTC Jason Mackay
>1 y
SGT (Join to see) - the S1 is your battalion's personnel staff, in your unit...Finance is at the installation level. Surprised they let you in the door without An S1 rep or an NCO. S1 does personnel actions as well as help you with finance actions like pay inquiries. When you get to Irwin and in process, they will ask who got married enroute. Ensure your wife is in DEERS, have your marriage license etc. When you arrive they will pay you dislocation allowance unless they provide temp lodging. If you get quarters, your bah is signed over to housing. If you live off post (former OPFOR guy is telling you don't unless you have to), you fill out a DA Form 5960 to initiate BAH.

You will do a travel voucher as part of inprocessing, that will catch up anything you would be due for PCS travel.
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LCpl Ferdinand Hughes
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You'll square away your BAH once you reach your first PCS. As of now you are in a transient status, and probably collecting transient BAH.
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MAJ Javier Rivera
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This is something you need to do as part of your in process at Ft. Irwin. Based on your story you already signed out of your AIT station so there is nothing they can do. Also, don’t hold your breath on back pay. I could be wrong but hey will pay you from the day you add your spouse in DEERS.
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MAJ Javier Rivera
MAJ Javier Rivera
>1 y
Thanks for the clarification! Hence the reason I stated I could be wrong.
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SFC Incheon Airport Jppc Ncoic
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The first thing you have to do is get your spouse enrolled in DEERS. Finance can’t do anything until that happens so they were correct when they told you that hence the reason why they told you to go to your S1. Your first stop should have been your platoon sergeant or cadre because they probably would have guided you in the right direction. After the enrollment in DEERS you must go see your S1 to apply for BAH. If you are on leave you will have to wait to get to your new duty station in order to apply for housing. If you’re close to a military installation you can take your spouse with you to do her enrollment. She will need her birth certificate and her Social Security card (must be original or certified copy) and of course the original marriage certificate. I hope this helps.
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1SG Robert Shaver
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If it is the money you need you can normally go to any military base (Army, Navy etc) and get an advanced pay.
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