Posted on Mar 11, 2015
LTC Operations Officer (Opso)
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Imagess04761iy
This will surely be a heated debate. As leaders we are looking for ways to be smart with our money, so why do we all get full BAH and BAS when we are deployed? We are provided with housing and food without any costs to us overseas. So should we be given BAH and BAS while deployed?
Posted in these groups: Bah calculator BAHImgres Deployment38326e5d Military Pay
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MAJ Robert (Bob) Petrarca
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I say yes for those with dependents AND if you do not live in government housing. Deployed or not you still have a mortgage or rent to pay back home and if applicable, a family to support.

The system (as it was back in 2005-2006) needed a little updating to make it more real time. The fact that you received multiple LESs and checks per month to receive benefits and deduct taxes was quite burdensome. It should be as easy as pulling up a SMs financial record clicking a check box for taxes, BAH, BAS, HD pay, Jump Pay, etc. and whatever elections are selected/not selected are what drive your pay the next paycheck - SHOULD BE. but we all know in "DoD land" its all but next to impossible.

Sorry this is the logical, software engineer ME speaking and trying to make "fantasy land" sense out of the hopelessly DoD oblivious.
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CPT Zachary Brooks
CPT Zachary Brooks
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Sir, if you automate this system and make it work intelligently you lose jobs for all those great government workers. Now they can't be paid to look at porn for six hours a day.

Now they won't vote for me!
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LTC Operations Officer (Opso)
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SSgt Forensic Meteorological Consultant
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MAJ Robert (Bob) Petrarca Heu Bob. how you doing bro?
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SrA Jonathan Carbonaro
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As a E-4 with 4 years in the military I clear $2100 base pay after taxes (Fed, not state) before entitlements.
An O-3, with 4 years in the military clear over $5K a month, before entitlements.
Really what you are talking about is the difference between the two is a college degree (which a good bit of the force has) and a commission. Now I'm not saying the Military doesn't get their moneys worth out of Officers, tougher promotion, stricter PT standards, level of responsibility.

What I am saying is that when promoting an idea on a military based social media site like Rally point, lets NOT give Congress any more ideas on how they can Nickle and dime us, which they already want to do with Tri-care, retirements etc.

If you want to keep people in the military, in Enlisted positions, taking away more of their entitlements esp. while deployed isn't the way to do it.

Also I would
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LTC Operations Officer (Opso)
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Let's just hope they are too busy doing their jobs instead of being on Rally Point then ;-)
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SGT Joseph Jones
SGT Joseph Jones
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So right. Officers are fewer between too so they can be paid more. They are leaders and have to prep more. They aren't typically 18 year old boys trying to become men. They have the college or enlisted time before OCS the army gets their money's worth out of them. But I don't think I ever made 5k a month while deployed maybe but it was 6 years in service E-5 with entitlements.
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SSgt Maintenance Management Analysis
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I definitely think BAH should be given to all members while deployed! I disagree with it only being allotted to individual with dependents... I'm single... When I deployed, my rent didn't stop. Yes, I could of moved my belongings out and paid for storage and then upon return move my belongings again... That shouldn't be the case. Just because I lack dependents does not mean I don't have the same bills! The cost just might not be as high (hence the difference in BAH to begin with).
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LTC Operations Officer (Opso)
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SSgt (Join to see) great point about bills being same if not more as you have smaller BAH.
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PFC Nathaniel Thedford
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No soldier gets payed enough to go to war to potentially sacrifice their lives and if anyone suffers more than the soldiers in battle, it is their family. BAH and BAS should not stop for those holding the homefront down for when they return. 
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LTC Operations Officer (Opso)
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Well put.
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PFC Nathaniel Thedford
PFC Nathaniel Thedford
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Thank you Sir.
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LTC Retired Veteran
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I actually agree with PO1 (Join to see) who said there are variations to this. What is sad is the fraud in the system. Seems even values-based services have greedy people in their ranks (common practice when I was enlisted...marrying another soldier for the benefits, mainly BHA).

Single soldiers, no dependents, okay, maybe no BHA. But this is slightly misplaced as a solution as it applies to this trend of cutting benefits to ease the financial burden on the Army (in our case). We can cut other areas and be more efficient with our spending against our mission and PROBABLE threats (quit spending for the big open desert tank war while non-standard conflicts that quickly devolve into insurgencies seem to be our 50m targets).
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LTC Operations Officer (Opso)
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I agree that we have fat that we can cut in other locations.
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SGT Joseph Jones
SGT Joseph Jones
>1 y
Only one service member can recieve BAH. If they are married so that's not fraud. I know single mothers who deployed. Your right about spending smarter but it's not greed it's trying to get a little extra. LTC Griggs I don't think you remember how little enlisted pay is. Even an E-7 with 10 years doesn't make much money. Not until you get 12+ years and e-8 is the money good but there's civilian jobs that pay double that. Blackwater paid 120k a year for what I did for 55
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LTC Retired Veteran
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SGT Joseph Jones , I've only been out since October. My first gross pay for the MONTH as an E1 was $658...dad was a retired E8 and his retirement was peanuts. No chance I'll ever forget the disparity in pay, especially for our junior enlisted.

That said, we as leaders can do better helping those we lead manage their money and make the most of benefits. But my stance on this topic in the end is that we should not be cutting personnel bay and benefits and say that this is the best way to make up for budget cuts. We've cut enough.

As for BHA specifically, as I said and others have said as well, it is what is provided for my family and they need a place to live when I am deployed. I expect to be housed when deployed without impact to my family situation.

Wasn't someone talking about good RP discussions? This is a good RP discussion in my opinion.
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LTC Robert McKenna
LTC Robert McKenna
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BAH is a sham. Its a method to keep servicemembers base pay lower for retirement purposes.

USG civilians receive a wage that is calculated to include the cost of housing in their CONUS local area. When they are deployed or serve oversea, they receive pay based upon the DC locality rate and then receive an OCONUS housing allowance.

If you were authorized BAH prior to deployment, then a service member should be authorized the allowance while deployed. Deployment is a temporary state (despite the fact that its been a 1 year steady state for most Army folks the last decade) that can change at any time.

This is a great discussion point for the revamp of military compensation. If we are going to go with a 401K type plan, why don't we have the base BAH (without the locality bump formerly called VHA) rolled into base pay; deduct BAH for government housing and use the new base pay figure as the base for 401K contributions.
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CPT Public Affairs Officer
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Edited >1 y ago
While I understand why someone would state that we should not due to being provided food and housing for free, it does not alleviate the need for someone to still maintain their home.

This is particularly true for those with dependents. They still have to be able to provide adequate housing for their dependents. The reduction in BAH would obviously have a tremendous impact on this.

However, I don't think it should exempt single members either. Think about a Reservist with a mortgage. You can not assume that they could or want to sell their home just because they are deploying for 6 months to a year. That would place an undue hardship on them.

I know that if my BAH were eliminated while I am deployed, that the cost of housing where I live would eat up considerably more than half of my base pay. That would be problematic to say the least.

BAS could be something that I could see being eliminated or reduced while deployed since it is for feeding the service member.
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LTC Operations Officer (Opso)
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CPT (Join to see) you currently do not have mortgage payments on your house in NY correct? So if you were single should the Army force you to put your stuff in storage? Or maybe give you partial per diem? Also, with being overseas you have less bills and get more money being tax free etc....that can pay for it (just being a dime picker here).

I agree about the BAS as PO1 (Join to see) said...BAS is for you....

Now I will let you in on a little secret....I love my BAH and BAS...please don't take it away!
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SGT Healthcare Nco
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I find this question a little silly, regarding BAH anyway. Consider the families living on post. When the Soldier deploys, are they to move out? Or are we to start charging them rent? Of course not. NEXT.
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LTC Operations Officer (Opso)
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SGT (Join to see) not all people have families. So how about BAS?
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SGT Healthcare Nco
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I didn't get BAS both times I went to NTC. Makes sense. When I deployed I got it, but I also received HDP/IDP and Fam Sep, so if I did not receive BAS it would make sense since my meals were provided. Now, if the question was should a SINGLE soldier get BAH while deployed and not maintaining a residence, then I would say no, because there is nothing to maintain. Am I making sense? Also, for the single soldiers with mortages or residences to maintain, the SCRA covers them for either termination of the contract or derferment of payment until the SM returns.
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SN (Non-Rated)
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Whether you have a family or a house/apartment back in the states, when you deploy your payments back home do not stop.
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LTC Operations Officer (Opso)
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SN (Join to see) how about BAS? Your food bills stop for that individual.
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SGT Joseph Jones
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Look at the 0-6 & O-8 pays at $6900-10k+
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SFC Deputy Station Commander
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Who is out there collecting BAH while deployed without the proper qualifying guidelines? Of course if a person has dependent a and gets deployed they should keep their BAH. The BAS i'm not sure if I agree or disagree with removing or keeping that either. I was deployed before and divorced to a location where I received government housing and I lost my BAH even though I had court orders giving me custody. However o was given BAH differential for that entire period until I returned state side. But seriously If SM's are out there getting BAH/BAS without meeting the guidelines please let me know who the finance clerk because I need that type of hook up. Lol
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LTC Operations Officer (Opso)
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SFC (Join to see) it is all in who you know and what you do to show you have rent....
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