Posted on May 18, 2014
Why does the Army discriminate against single soldiers?
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First let me say I am biased in my opinion since I am a single soldier. The Army stacks the deck against single soldiers, in a variety of ways. There are standards that single soldiers are forced to obey that married soldiers are not. Purely just because of their marriage.
Housing is my personal biggest area of concern being a single soldier. I am a 27 yr old college graduate. I get the same "rights" in my living quarters that a single 17/18 yr old straight out of high-school would get. If that same soldier is married, they get considerably more freedom, pay, and budget control than I do.
I as a single soldier get no say in where I live. At my current duty station the BAH for my rank and dependent status (Single, E-4) would be $1,068. So I essentially pay $1,068 dollars a month to live in the barracks. The barracks I live in have two separate bedrooms, with a common kitchen and bathroom area. Since there are two soldiers in each little barracks apartment, we collectively pay $2,136 a month for this set up. That is FAR more then what a similar apartment style would cost in the surrounding communities. If single soldiers were allowed to have BAH and live where they choose we could potentially save several hundred dollars a month by controlling our living expenses. That's not including the approximately $300 a month we are forced to pay for the DFACs.
There is also the issue of furniture in the barracks. Again we have no say, we get whatever the Army already has in the room. Personally I would love to have an actual nice mattress, instead of these cheap plastic blue ones.
Barracks inspections. I can't stand barracks inspections. The inspections are completely up to the person doing them and what they "think" the standard should be. One inspection your could be fine, the next one your getting lectured about how to make a bed. Last summer I had to write a 2 page paper for an LT about personal standards in the barracks. All because my bed didn't have hospital corners. (That morning when I get up I tossed my blanket off to the right of me, where it was just sorta crunched up against the wall running the length of my bed.) If I want to know what I am allowed to have and not have in my room, I have to read three different policy letters to find out. Division could allow something, Brigade could say no, and then Battalion have nothing about it at all. I get that lower commands are allowed to restrict privileges as they see fit. I'm just saying it's cumbersome to have to read three different levels policy to find out what is what.
It annoys me that I have to have periodic inspections(currently every morning before PT for my company) while married soldiers receive no inspections just because they are married. I get that they have a family, I just don't see why that should stop a squad leader from making a planned, announced, and visual walk-through of the house of the married soldier. Keeping the same standard of living as a single soldier should be part of the military life.
Meal Deductions. I don't think the DFACs are worth the $300 a month I have to pay. I hate having to "play" the "I am a Meal Card Holder" card to get lunch sometimes during work. It's usually followed by a married soldier saying "I'm working thru lunch, you don't see me bitching about wanting to leave for food". True. However when we miss our lunch it's gone. The money we paid is gone rather we ate that meal or not. Married people if they bring their lunch it'll still be there later. If they eat out, then well that's just money they didn't spend that day. They can use it tomorrow to get twice as much for lunch or eat somewhere more expensive depending on their budget.
We get no say in what sounds good for dinner. It's whatever the DFAC has. Sometimes that means either fried or grilled chicken. If they run out of one thing, it'll be whatever they have left. It's not right. It leaves married people with control over their diet and single soldiers with whatever the Army needed to clean out of the fridge.
The above is just Big Army things, the discrimination continues all the way down to the company level. At my company single soldiers who live in the barracks are not allowed to park in the lot in front of the company. Now our barracks is approximately 3/4 mile down the road. Our motor pool is another 3/4 mile the other direction. I find it silly that an entire parking lot is reserved for married people. Sure single soldiers can drive to work, but we have to park in the barracks across the street. Which is not the barracks we live in. Married people can't park in that same lot if the one in front of company is full? To a point I can understand the reasoning behind this, but single soldiers have to leave and run here and there just like our married counter-parts. Why should they get special parking treatment? I don't see anyone stopping married people from using the barracks washers and dryers to avoid buying their own/going to coin laundry mats. Why are married people allowed to dip their hands in our honey and slap ours away from theirs?
Like I said from the start I'm biased. I look over the fence and see greener grass. Perhaps this is all just one single soldier bitching and complaining.
_______________________________________________________________________________________
Update FEB 2019: Since I originally posted this message, I have gotten married. My view on the subject has not changed. I want to respond to some of the overarching themes in everyone responses.
“Quit bitching/whining/complaining.” I feel there is a difference between logically laying out issues and grievances and just bitching about them. The number of leaders who contributions on this post/topic amounted to “quit saying words” is disheartening.
“Get married/Army will issue you a wife.” Saying to get married just to move out of the barracks is a failure of leadership. Those of you (in my opinion) with that mentally should reconsider what you do/did and what your job is/was. As a former Infantry NCO I have dealt with the countless issues that arise when a soldier quickly marries someone for the wrong reason (example: get out of the barracks). The domestic issues, spouse calling in to the Staff Duty, soldier isn’t training because of counseling/FAP/court/Divorce related nonsense, greatly diminishes readiness which the last I checked the Army still considers to be pretty important.
“I had more money/I wish I was back in the barracks/ but but bills! etc.” Bull. I wish I could challenge anyone who says that to actually prove it. As stated, I am married now. I have more money, flexibility, and financial freedom then I did as a single E-4. Now some of that is because I’m a higher rank. Part of it is because I use BAH as intended to cover housing/bills, my BAS for food, and having the control over how much I spend on those two items is very important. Also, my spouse works. I have come to realize that is less than common for married soldiers in the Army. However, I would argue that getting married and not having both spouses working is a decision that you made going in to it. I’m not arguing/stating if it’s the right or wrong choice. It’s what you decided worked for ya’ll. To me it’s the equivalent of a private going out and buying that 23% interest Mustang then complaining about how much money it costs and how he used to have it so much better without that car payment. If you choose (by getting married/having kids) to feed/house/care for additional people (spouse/kids) and yet do nothing to increase your income than yeah…you’ll have less money. That is a very poor argument for what the original post was about.
a. Hopefully ^above^ I’ve made my point clear and concise seems a little muddy to me, I guess we shall see in future comments.
“Move off post.” That’s not an option. Well I guess it is, however single soldiers still have to maintain the barracks room they get assigned, they still wouldn’t get the BAH entitlement, and they would have to still pay the DFAC out of their BAS. Do I need to continue on the ignorance of that statement? Sure, there’s a packet you can submit and ask to receive those allowances, I’ve only ever seen get accepted once and that was when my BDE changed from Light to Armored, only for E-5s, and it was suggested only if they were on orders and would be PCS’ing soon anyhow. They wanted non-PCS’ing E-5s still in the barracks. I don’t recall if I stated it in my original post but that unofficial additional duty of being an NCO at the barracks is crap. “You’re an NCO at the barracks keep everyone in line down there after work and on weekends”, thought that’s what CQ was for. I’ll also comment on the “single people off post would party to much/be late to formation/traffic at the gates/ get in trouble in town more” line of nonsense. It’s ignorant. Along with the “paying dues” comments.
Veterans- I appreciate you are still active in the boarder military community, and recognize that your time in the service paved the way for what we did/do/have accomplished today. However, pointing out how things were worse yesterday compared today and to “suck it up” is lazy. There is no reason we can’t keep pointing out things today to make tomorrow even better. I’m sure there is crap I can’t even fathom that ya’ll dealt with back in the 60s, 80s, and what have you that were fixed because of people continuing to bring the issue up.
Lastly, I’ve enjoyed reading the varied amount of responses everyone has on the topic. If mine come off as aggressive or across the line it was not my intention. When I posted the original stuff above 4+ almost 5 years ago I never expected it to get attention and still receive emails notifications years later. I’m fairly sure I’ve read 90% of the comments because Rally Point sends me an email every time someone comments. No I did not add that picture at the top, it’s the website. Sorry if you clicked on a Rally Point ad somewhere that linked to this post only to see it’s from 2014. I don’t control those. It’s the website. Yes I’m sure there are a few grammar and spelling errors. If you point it out at the beginning of a comment, I’m more likely to see it and correct the issue. Cheers to several more years of being told why I’m wrong.
Housing is my personal biggest area of concern being a single soldier. I am a 27 yr old college graduate. I get the same "rights" in my living quarters that a single 17/18 yr old straight out of high-school would get. If that same soldier is married, they get considerably more freedom, pay, and budget control than I do.
I as a single soldier get no say in where I live. At my current duty station the BAH for my rank and dependent status (Single, E-4) would be $1,068. So I essentially pay $1,068 dollars a month to live in the barracks. The barracks I live in have two separate bedrooms, with a common kitchen and bathroom area. Since there are two soldiers in each little barracks apartment, we collectively pay $2,136 a month for this set up. That is FAR more then what a similar apartment style would cost in the surrounding communities. If single soldiers were allowed to have BAH and live where they choose we could potentially save several hundred dollars a month by controlling our living expenses. That's not including the approximately $300 a month we are forced to pay for the DFACs.
There is also the issue of furniture in the barracks. Again we have no say, we get whatever the Army already has in the room. Personally I would love to have an actual nice mattress, instead of these cheap plastic blue ones.
Barracks inspections. I can't stand barracks inspections. The inspections are completely up to the person doing them and what they "think" the standard should be. One inspection your could be fine, the next one your getting lectured about how to make a bed. Last summer I had to write a 2 page paper for an LT about personal standards in the barracks. All because my bed didn't have hospital corners. (That morning when I get up I tossed my blanket off to the right of me, where it was just sorta crunched up against the wall running the length of my bed.) If I want to know what I am allowed to have and not have in my room, I have to read three different policy letters to find out. Division could allow something, Brigade could say no, and then Battalion have nothing about it at all. I get that lower commands are allowed to restrict privileges as they see fit. I'm just saying it's cumbersome to have to read three different levels policy to find out what is what.
It annoys me that I have to have periodic inspections(currently every morning before PT for my company) while married soldiers receive no inspections just because they are married. I get that they have a family, I just don't see why that should stop a squad leader from making a planned, announced, and visual walk-through of the house of the married soldier. Keeping the same standard of living as a single soldier should be part of the military life.
Meal Deductions. I don't think the DFACs are worth the $300 a month I have to pay. I hate having to "play" the "I am a Meal Card Holder" card to get lunch sometimes during work. It's usually followed by a married soldier saying "I'm working thru lunch, you don't see me bitching about wanting to leave for food". True. However when we miss our lunch it's gone. The money we paid is gone rather we ate that meal or not. Married people if they bring their lunch it'll still be there later. If they eat out, then well that's just money they didn't spend that day. They can use it tomorrow to get twice as much for lunch or eat somewhere more expensive depending on their budget.
We get no say in what sounds good for dinner. It's whatever the DFAC has. Sometimes that means either fried or grilled chicken. If they run out of one thing, it'll be whatever they have left. It's not right. It leaves married people with control over their diet and single soldiers with whatever the Army needed to clean out of the fridge.
The above is just Big Army things, the discrimination continues all the way down to the company level. At my company single soldiers who live in the barracks are not allowed to park in the lot in front of the company. Now our barracks is approximately 3/4 mile down the road. Our motor pool is another 3/4 mile the other direction. I find it silly that an entire parking lot is reserved for married people. Sure single soldiers can drive to work, but we have to park in the barracks across the street. Which is not the barracks we live in. Married people can't park in that same lot if the one in front of company is full? To a point I can understand the reasoning behind this, but single soldiers have to leave and run here and there just like our married counter-parts. Why should they get special parking treatment? I don't see anyone stopping married people from using the barracks washers and dryers to avoid buying their own/going to coin laundry mats. Why are married people allowed to dip their hands in our honey and slap ours away from theirs?
Like I said from the start I'm biased. I look over the fence and see greener grass. Perhaps this is all just one single soldier bitching and complaining.
_______________________________________________________________________________________
Update FEB 2019: Since I originally posted this message, I have gotten married. My view on the subject has not changed. I want to respond to some of the overarching themes in everyone responses.
“Quit bitching/whining/complaining.” I feel there is a difference between logically laying out issues and grievances and just bitching about them. The number of leaders who contributions on this post/topic amounted to “quit saying words” is disheartening.
“Get married/Army will issue you a wife.” Saying to get married just to move out of the barracks is a failure of leadership. Those of you (in my opinion) with that mentally should reconsider what you do/did and what your job is/was. As a former Infantry NCO I have dealt with the countless issues that arise when a soldier quickly marries someone for the wrong reason (example: get out of the barracks). The domestic issues, spouse calling in to the Staff Duty, soldier isn’t training because of counseling/FAP/court/Divorce related nonsense, greatly diminishes readiness which the last I checked the Army still considers to be pretty important.
“I had more money/I wish I was back in the barracks/ but but bills! etc.” Bull. I wish I could challenge anyone who says that to actually prove it. As stated, I am married now. I have more money, flexibility, and financial freedom then I did as a single E-4. Now some of that is because I’m a higher rank. Part of it is because I use BAH as intended to cover housing/bills, my BAS for food, and having the control over how much I spend on those two items is very important. Also, my spouse works. I have come to realize that is less than common for married soldiers in the Army. However, I would argue that getting married and not having both spouses working is a decision that you made going in to it. I’m not arguing/stating if it’s the right or wrong choice. It’s what you decided worked for ya’ll. To me it’s the equivalent of a private going out and buying that 23% interest Mustang then complaining about how much money it costs and how he used to have it so much better without that car payment. If you choose (by getting married/having kids) to feed/house/care for additional people (spouse/kids) and yet do nothing to increase your income than yeah…you’ll have less money. That is a very poor argument for what the original post was about.
a. Hopefully ^above^ I’ve made my point clear and concise seems a little muddy to me, I guess we shall see in future comments.
“Move off post.” That’s not an option. Well I guess it is, however single soldiers still have to maintain the barracks room they get assigned, they still wouldn’t get the BAH entitlement, and they would have to still pay the DFAC out of their BAS. Do I need to continue on the ignorance of that statement? Sure, there’s a packet you can submit and ask to receive those allowances, I’ve only ever seen get accepted once and that was when my BDE changed from Light to Armored, only for E-5s, and it was suggested only if they were on orders and would be PCS’ing soon anyhow. They wanted non-PCS’ing E-5s still in the barracks. I don’t recall if I stated it in my original post but that unofficial additional duty of being an NCO at the barracks is crap. “You’re an NCO at the barracks keep everyone in line down there after work and on weekends”, thought that’s what CQ was for. I’ll also comment on the “single people off post would party to much/be late to formation/traffic at the gates/ get in trouble in town more” line of nonsense. It’s ignorant. Along with the “paying dues” comments.
Veterans- I appreciate you are still active in the boarder military community, and recognize that your time in the service paved the way for what we did/do/have accomplished today. However, pointing out how things were worse yesterday compared today and to “suck it up” is lazy. There is no reason we can’t keep pointing out things today to make tomorrow even better. I’m sure there is crap I can’t even fathom that ya’ll dealt with back in the 60s, 80s, and what have you that were fixed because of people continuing to bring the issue up.
Lastly, I’ve enjoyed reading the varied amount of responses everyone has on the topic. If mine come off as aggressive or across the line it was not my intention. When I posted the original stuff above 4+ almost 5 years ago I never expected it to get attention and still receive emails notifications years later. I’m fairly sure I’ve read 90% of the comments because Rally Point sends me an email every time someone comments. No I did not add that picture at the top, it’s the website. Sorry if you clicked on a Rally Point ad somewhere that linked to this post only to see it’s from 2014. I don’t control those. It’s the website. Yes I’m sure there are a few grammar and spelling errors. If you point it out at the beginning of a comment, I’m more likely to see it and correct the issue. Cheers to several more years of being told why I’m wrong.
Posted in these groups: 
Barracks
BAS
Marriage
DiscriminationBetter Opportunities for Single Soldiers (BOSS) President
Barracks BAS Marriage DiscriminationBetter Opportunities for Single Soldiers (BOSS) President
Edited >1 y ago
Posted >1 y ago
Responses: 488
Back when I was an enlisted soldier, I did not join for $$$ as your focus seems to be. I was happy they gave me a roof, three meals a day, free medical, and all my gear. You SGT are not living in the barracks based entirely off being single but your status at your location. I would have preferred to have lived in the barracks as a young single 2LT but officers do not have that luxury. You are a college graduate, commissioning is the fastest way to change your $$$ concerns, not whining on rally point. Are you angry at me for using my free medical and that you do not receive a paycheck for the medical you as a young man do not use? If you are not happy with how things are, you can do what many of us did and change your circumstances. Go to OCS, get a commission or better yet, get the hell out and go work for a fortune 500 company and get all that you feel you deserve. There is not some big plan out there that discriminates against you because you have no love in your life.
Let's dissect this. First, you are not "discriminated" against for being single. You are making a choice to be single. Married people cannot co-habitate in barracks and have children so they live on their own with BAH. You can have that too if you got married. Next, the Army is covering your living expenses to include utilities so you are not as you say "essentially paying $1068. That cost is derived by the DOD based on zip code to live on the economy. Name somewhere in the civilian world that pays your living expenses. There are probably some out there but not very common. I get that you get soldiers have same rights but it's only temporary until you prove yourself and become an NCO. Or, you can make the request to your Commander with justification that you be allowed to live off post. Good luck in this tight budget situation the Army finds itself in. Now on to chow. You don't or never will pay for food while living in barracks when you possess a meal card, unless you choose to go eat elsewhere. An E4 single soldier makes a decent living if you budget accordingly but many don't and then bitch about stuff like this. Again, if you don't like the situation you're in, go after that NCO rank or get married. Your choice too. Not discrimination. My bigger question is why someone almost 30 years old with a college degree is just an E4? Why is that? You chose to come in knowing your job and rank so suck it up, and stop whining. I can't speak for the unit you're in and why you claim you cannot park in a parking lot in front of the unit unless it's tiny. Married people have to commute to work every day spending money on fuel when you live right there. Army food. Eh, it's Army food. It's better than it was years ago but it is what it is. Deal with it. If married people are using your washers and dryers, tell them that's a NO-GO. They don't have that right to use anything in the barracks and should even be in there in the first place unless they are checking on soldiers. Sounds mostly like this whole rant while understandable, is nothing more than a soap box gripe of the entitlement generation. There is no discrimination going on. If you have a valid complaint, take it up with your chain of command.
MSG (Join to see)
I would wager you have lived your life silver spoon in hand sir. Single soldiers are discriminated against constantly. As for age as a factor, not every soldier enters the military and depending on MOS only so many positions of advancement are available. Many outstanding soldiers do not get promoted because of medical conditions from injuries sustained overseas. I know in your blind tunnel, you are a shoot first ask questions later kind of guy. Might help if you assess all of the facts on the table. Do you place a married soldier on the same number of details as a single soldier? Do you award time off to married soldiers to spend time with their "family" while the single soldier slaves away? Do single soldiers get "QUALITY" meals? Seriously, do you know the low bid, back of the shelf cuts of meat, high sodium processed foods, loaded with preservatives and other health hazards served at the DFAC?
MAJ Byron Oyler
I was never married while enlisted and commissioned both single and married. I can say in both statuses that being single was simpler. I did work more holidays when single to allow the married folks time with their families and can honestly say that now I have kids and a wife, my civilian co-workers see I get some of that in return. Life was far easier 24years ago as an E2 and really do not see what people are whining about and folks need to remember it is not always greener on the other side.
LTJG (Join to see)
It actually is greener on the other side. As a single marine on okinawa i lived in a building that should have been condemned. I was called in to work weekends and holidays when my married counterparts spent time with their family. I was routinely moved from barracks to barracks with less than 2 days notice. Drunk people would roam the halls screaming at all hours of the nights on weekends and sometimes during the week. Now as a married sm I live with my wife in a quite house I own in the suburbs where im not called in unless im doing someone a favor. Lets recap: enlisted in the brks: 0 married out of the brks: 1000
MSG (Join to see)
MAJ Byron Oyler Are you seriously comparing simpler E2 to being a commissioner field grade officer? You don't say...Sir. Yes, the Army expects more out of a field grade than an E2. You would be better off attempting to compare the muzzle velocity of a cannon to the migration patterns of Canadian Geese. The question isn't is being an E2 simpler? The question is are single soldiers (rank removed) discriminated. Conclusion is a resounding YES! we discriminate against our single soldiers at every step of the way.
They also don't like single parents. I've dealt with alot of bullshit for being one. It's not like I made that choice for myself. My ex husband was a real work of art let me tell you.
I used to get some pretty heavy pushback when I pointed out that housing policy in the military had more in common with communism than individualism we claim to value. As a single person, I was the one who worked holidays and shared bathrooms and/or cooking facilities. My married colleagues were given preference for time off and were assigned housing based on how many children they had but in no case got less than a two-bedroom private home, ergo, “to each according to his needs”. That was many years ago, but I agree that single people have historically not been valued for their contributions.
WOW!! What a difference 43 years make! Back then, a family was viewed as a hindrance. During the Cold War every linguist, interrogator, interceptor, and analyst I knew was itching to go to Berlin, Free Zone-Germany, Turkey, Japan, Korea, Eritrea, etc to ply the tools of our trade. Nobody wanted to play spook on the battle fields of Texas or in the California or Kansas Conflicts
I couldn’t disagree more with your statement. My second tour in Iraq I was the only single NCO in my Squad. Before deployment I was always the one that stayed late and delt with any issues. Once we got in country I volunteer to run lead on missions because of the fact I was single with no kids. I didn’t have to do these things, but even being single I understood how important family “and especially kids” are. Marriaged soldier give up much more being away form their family’s. As a single soldier what are you missing? I never had a problem with the extra work. It’s a good way to teach your joes selfless service.
I feel for your circumstances Sargent. I don't know if it will make things feel better, but please allow me to tell you my story. 1975, 82nd. ABN Fort Bragg NC.
* I was not married, a Sargent E-5,
* I was paid $532.00 a month, no additional monetary benefits,
* No living or housing Allowance due to I was not married,
* I had no choice but to live in the Barrack, with all the lower ranking personnel,
* I had a two bunk room 10'x12', but only me staying there, no other NCO's were single,
* I had to clean my living area, and pass all the Co's inspections weekly,
* Had to shower and use the same toilets as the rest of the 40+ men living in barracks,
* Eat my meals in the Mess Hall with all the others,
* My room was used as the daily NCO meeting and bullshit area, regardless,
* I was always the CQ on weekends, because I was the only NCO living at the barracks,
* CQ on weekends, I was responsible for all individuals who were restricted to the barrack,
* CQ Runner and Fire Watch were someone "TOP" was punishing with discipline,
* Responsible for all personnel's welfare and safety, who were living at the barracks,
* CQ was the first contact on weekends on all concerns for the company,
* CQ was responsible for the Arms Room and Weapons on weekends,
* Daily responsible for first call at 0500hrs, and made sure everyone got up,
* Daily responsible for everyone living in barracks made morning formations 0600hrs,
* Had to make reports on personnel that were AWOL for formation,
Not to mention that I was the, "Only one from Guam", in the Brigade, 4000+ men, and never thought or complained, I was the minority.
No Sargent, I'm not another one single soldier bitching and complaining, but you hit it right on the head.
"The Grass is Greener on the other side of the Fence!" "Your GRASS and my FENCE"
Somewhere early in my Army experience, I was told that I was, "MARRIED TO THE ARMY."
And, I'm still here 43 years later in life, nothing more expected in those days, but I had a good story to tell you. Salute!
* I was not married, a Sargent E-5,
* I was paid $532.00 a month, no additional monetary benefits,
* No living or housing Allowance due to I was not married,
* I had no choice but to live in the Barrack, with all the lower ranking personnel,
* I had a two bunk room 10'x12', but only me staying there, no other NCO's were single,
* I had to clean my living area, and pass all the Co's inspections weekly,
* Had to shower and use the same toilets as the rest of the 40+ men living in barracks,
* Eat my meals in the Mess Hall with all the others,
* My room was used as the daily NCO meeting and bullshit area, regardless,
* I was always the CQ on weekends, because I was the only NCO living at the barracks,
* CQ on weekends, I was responsible for all individuals who were restricted to the barrack,
* CQ Runner and Fire Watch were someone "TOP" was punishing with discipline,
* Responsible for all personnel's welfare and safety, who were living at the barracks,
* CQ was the first contact on weekends on all concerns for the company,
* CQ was responsible for the Arms Room and Weapons on weekends,
* Daily responsible for first call at 0500hrs, and made sure everyone got up,
* Daily responsible for everyone living in barracks made morning formations 0600hrs,
* Had to make reports on personnel that were AWOL for formation,
Not to mention that I was the, "Only one from Guam", in the Brigade, 4000+ men, and never thought or complained, I was the minority.
No Sargent, I'm not another one single soldier bitching and complaining, but you hit it right on the head.
"The Grass is Greener on the other side of the Fence!" "Your GRASS and my FENCE"
Somewhere early in my Army experience, I was told that I was, "MARRIED TO THE ARMY."
And, I'm still here 43 years later in life, nothing more expected in those days, but I had a good story to tell you. Salute!
I've been on all sides of this dilemma. While on Active Duty (in Germany) I lived in the barracks. Full disclosure, they were brand new, and compared to the open bay barracks I'd just come from, I thought they were pretty nice. Three man rooms, with a shared bathroom. I had a great 1SG and we were allowed to use our own sheets, and comforters; unless there was a planned barracks inspection, then we had to use the whites and woolies. We had a great DFAC, our cooks were always winning awards, and the food was pretty nutritious.
I got married while I was in GE, and moved out of the barracks. The BAH and COLA still didn't cover my rent for a two room flat. It had a super slim and short fridge that on the tallest shelf wouldn't hold a plastic gallon of milk. I bought cardboard 1/2 gallons so I could fold the top over. The oven was just big enough to put an 8 lb turkey in it for Thanksgiving, and I burned the skin off of the top of my hand (on the electric heating element) pulling it out. Don't get me wrong, I'm not complaining, I learned a lot about adapting during my stint there.
I've been where there was about a 60/40 split of married Soldiers living on and off post. My Commander's did not allow married Soldiers to leave post after arriving for the first formation (to include those who lived in post housing). We were all scrambling for a shower in the gym after PT. If I wanted to eat breakfast after PT (because breakfast at 4am wasn't always a choice I made), I was paying for it at the DFAC. I didn't mind so much, its one meal that is pretty hard to mess up. I took my lunch most days (a sandwich and a piece of fruit, or a chopped salad), most of the other married folks just paid for lunch at the DFAC, unless they slipped home unnoticed.
The facts: 1. Basic Allowance for Housing is intended for the Soldier to use to offset the cost of housing and the additional costs associated with said housing; rent, electricity, water, garbage collection, and in so many states (sewage fees). 2. BAS (that $300 for food) - BAS is for the Soldier, not his/her dependents. That's just over $3.00 per meal for the Soldier.
Opinion, but true for most: BAH does not even come close to covering all of those additional expenses. BAS most often is enough to buy a months worth of groceries for one person (coupons and sales always help). Fuel for the car to go buy groceries, fuel for the car to get back and forth to work (unless you were like a bunch of your peers and only had one car, I walked to work; never lived more than a couple of miles from duty location.
The notion that paying $1068 dollars to live in the Barracks, doesn't go without merit. However, it's a pretty solid deal. Your rent, unlimited supply of electricity, water, sewer usage, and garbage collection seem to be at a fair cost.
What I will give you - Single Soldiers living in the barracks are always called upon first when there is a crisis; they are immediately available (I always thought that was bogus when I was single). Single Soldier's will always get manipulated into pulling CQ/Staff Duty etc. during the Holidays (as if you don't have any family at all); again I thought it was BOGUS. Married and single Soldiers with dependents leave duty early at least once a week if not more; leaving those single Soldiers to finish the work, or the Soldiers who have valid, working family care plans. This didn't happen as much when I was on AD, but now it's an everyday occurrence.
Bottom Line: We all choose. I chose to raise my hand; I knew what I was in for as a single Soldier. I didn't complain about my condition, I made the best of it. I didn't spend much time in the barracks, I was working or exploring my new location, getting everything out of my assignments. I chose to get married and struggle financially, struggle to work out compromises with that one and only car; learned to speak more German than I ever thought I would, just by walking to and from work. I chose to marry another Soldier so that required us to have a Family Care Plan, get up at 0400 to get children up, changed, diaper bags packed, and loaded into the car for the trip to day care, and still make it to formation. Really envy those guys living in the barracks who can roll out of bed at 0540, 20 minutes before formation. Not really, I chose to marry, and procreate, the extra just comes with it. No regrets.
There are up sides to being a single Soldier as well as down sides. Same is true for the married Soldier or single Soldier with dependents. We choose our own destiny.
I like the Air Force Colonels suggestion that you embark on a mission to change the Army's way of thinking and perhaps at the rank of E5 be permitted to get out of the barracks.
Choose to make a difference. If you bring a complaint to the table, show up with a possible solution for desert.
I got married while I was in GE, and moved out of the barracks. The BAH and COLA still didn't cover my rent for a two room flat. It had a super slim and short fridge that on the tallest shelf wouldn't hold a plastic gallon of milk. I bought cardboard 1/2 gallons so I could fold the top over. The oven was just big enough to put an 8 lb turkey in it for Thanksgiving, and I burned the skin off of the top of my hand (on the electric heating element) pulling it out. Don't get me wrong, I'm not complaining, I learned a lot about adapting during my stint there.
I've been where there was about a 60/40 split of married Soldiers living on and off post. My Commander's did not allow married Soldiers to leave post after arriving for the first formation (to include those who lived in post housing). We were all scrambling for a shower in the gym after PT. If I wanted to eat breakfast after PT (because breakfast at 4am wasn't always a choice I made), I was paying for it at the DFAC. I didn't mind so much, its one meal that is pretty hard to mess up. I took my lunch most days (a sandwich and a piece of fruit, or a chopped salad), most of the other married folks just paid for lunch at the DFAC, unless they slipped home unnoticed.
The facts: 1. Basic Allowance for Housing is intended for the Soldier to use to offset the cost of housing and the additional costs associated with said housing; rent, electricity, water, garbage collection, and in so many states (sewage fees). 2. BAS (that $300 for food) - BAS is for the Soldier, not his/her dependents. That's just over $3.00 per meal for the Soldier.
Opinion, but true for most: BAH does not even come close to covering all of those additional expenses. BAS most often is enough to buy a months worth of groceries for one person (coupons and sales always help). Fuel for the car to go buy groceries, fuel for the car to get back and forth to work (unless you were like a bunch of your peers and only had one car, I walked to work; never lived more than a couple of miles from duty location.
The notion that paying $1068 dollars to live in the Barracks, doesn't go without merit. However, it's a pretty solid deal. Your rent, unlimited supply of electricity, water, sewer usage, and garbage collection seem to be at a fair cost.
What I will give you - Single Soldiers living in the barracks are always called upon first when there is a crisis; they are immediately available (I always thought that was bogus when I was single). Single Soldier's will always get manipulated into pulling CQ/Staff Duty etc. during the Holidays (as if you don't have any family at all); again I thought it was BOGUS. Married and single Soldiers with dependents leave duty early at least once a week if not more; leaving those single Soldiers to finish the work, or the Soldiers who have valid, working family care plans. This didn't happen as much when I was on AD, but now it's an everyday occurrence.
Bottom Line: We all choose. I chose to raise my hand; I knew what I was in for as a single Soldier. I didn't complain about my condition, I made the best of it. I didn't spend much time in the barracks, I was working or exploring my new location, getting everything out of my assignments. I chose to get married and struggle financially, struggle to work out compromises with that one and only car; learned to speak more German than I ever thought I would, just by walking to and from work. I chose to marry another Soldier so that required us to have a Family Care Plan, get up at 0400 to get children up, changed, diaper bags packed, and loaded into the car for the trip to day care, and still make it to formation. Really envy those guys living in the barracks who can roll out of bed at 0540, 20 minutes before formation. Not really, I chose to marry, and procreate, the extra just comes with it. No regrets.
There are up sides to being a single Soldier as well as down sides. Same is true for the married Soldier or single Soldier with dependents. We choose our own destiny.
I like the Air Force Colonels suggestion that you embark on a mission to change the Army's way of thinking and perhaps at the rank of E5 be permitted to get out of the barracks.
Choose to make a difference. If you bring a complaint to the table, show up with a possible solution for desert.
You are never going to get the pay situation sorted out, just get used to that $300 taken out every month.
As for living in the barracks, it sucks. Regardless of how clean your room and common areas are there always seems to be some scumbag Private with 100 pizza boxes in his closet, and mushrooms growing out of his pillowcase. Having to haul out everything you own and assemble it in the grass and spend hours scrubbing other soldiers' rooms can get tiring really quick. But what can you do about it? Some people are just inherently dirty. The odds are that this PVT Scumbag is the same guy who needs an NCO to order him to shower on FTXs and NTC/JRTC rotations with functioning showers.
As for living in the barracks, it sucks. Regardless of how clean your room and common areas are there always seems to be some scumbag Private with 100 pizza boxes in his closet, and mushrooms growing out of his pillowcase. Having to haul out everything you own and assemble it in the grass and spend hours scrubbing other soldiers' rooms can get tiring really quick. But what can you do about it? Some people are just inherently dirty. The odds are that this PVT Scumbag is the same guy who needs an NCO to order him to shower on FTXs and NTC/JRTC rotations with functioning showers.
I agree with some of what you say being single once in the barracks, but just know that at the end of the month with all my bills with wife and kids, you have more money then me.
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