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
Everything you say is true. And maybe it isn’t fair. But it is what it is and it hasn’t changed since Washington was a private. I lived in the barracks as a 27 year old sergeant. Get over it.
I lived in a squadbay. Stop bitching about having a bedroom and bathroom all to yourself, and a shared living room and kitchen with one other person you may or may not ever have to deal with.
Motivation to move up or get married. As a 27 year old E4, college graduate the path ahead is paved for you. Does beg the question why you are still an E4 as a college grad and 27 years if age. No one promised you a rose garden when you joined. But, take my word for it, stick it out and more privileges will be afforded you as you advance. If not, get out.
Ok so you open up your complaint by saying you are 27 and have a college degree. You are entry level in a nondegree job primarily for 18 to 21 year olds. There is nothing wrong with enlisting at your age with a degree but aside from starting at E4 you should not expect special treatment. If you want better living accommodations get promoted. Many posts put their ncos off post. Senior ncos that are single get even better on post housing.
Because it can, has, and will most likely always will. I may be in the minority, but I do not feel their should be a BAH with dependents at all. One standard BAH, I don't care if you married, have kids or not. No other system of pay allows you to get paid based on this factor with in Government services. Only the military does. For what it is worth, I agree with you.
There are LTs out there inspecting for hospital corners? Please don't do this... I mean, if your unit has published it as a standard, then I guess I could see that, but that LT better be making his own bed with hospital corners.
I am not sure. I am an E-5 promotable who is 42 years old being made to live in the barracks with a bunch of 18 year olds because I am not married. To be honest it sucks total ass. There should be some sort of cut off for age where you no longer have to stay in the barracks past a certain age cutoff. I mean I am 42 and fully capable of feeding myself and paying bills but I am made to have a meal card and stay in regular old barracks. It definitely doesn't help your social life either.
It is all about money. There is a cost benefit ratio at work here. Does the military gain anything from putting lower enlisted out on the economy? Not so much. However, if all married soldiers were required to foot the bill for private lodging or be forced to live on post, retention numbers would drop low enough that the cost of attrition would out weigh the cost of housing. Think of the cost per year to train an E-7 averaged out over 10-15 years. Would they stay or take their training to the civilian market without that $2k housing stipend? The Army thinks so. In the end it is all about costs and your feelings don't matter. Welcome to the Army.
CSM Charles Hayden Passed 7/29/2025
Did you say: "Equal pay for equal work"? Is that not the mantra for today's citizen?
Though I realize the Army has changed considerably over the past years since I served (87-04). When I was in and lived in the barracks, we were just going to the single soldier living quarters or barracks towards the end of my career where I was stationed at the time. We didn't even get BAH at that point. If I understand your comments, you are getting a BAH to aid in the cost of living in the barracks. When someone receives BAH it is essentially based on the number of members in your family. It is essentially to allow to pay for the rent or the housing you are in. A married soldier may have to pay for rent or housing off base. Pay for utilities, trash pickup, water usage etc... This is what BAH is designed for. It increases as the size of your family grows to accomodate for the more people in your family. The nice part is that living in the barracks, though there are inconveniences (inspections and so on) everything is paid for. Utilities are paid, no fees for water, trash etc... Though I do understand the plight you are making. The big picture is this. The element of freedom or free time away from the Army does not happen when you are living in the barracks. This was the same even back in my olden days if you will. LOL.
I got out of the Army as a Sergeant First Class. I always looked to make it a point to take care of all my soldiers day in and day out. We as NCO's made it a point to know our soldiers, the financial status and we were in their business only to see that they were being taken care of. I still am shocked that many locations no longer have a supply Sgt. where supplies can be drawn for the general maintenance and cleaning of the barracks for single soldiers. If they Army is going to continue to do barracks inspections to see that you maintain their facilities (your home if you will), they should still provide you the materials to do so. I see your frustration and I currently have a son serving at Ft. Bliss with the Combat Aviation Bde and he expresses his concerns as well.
Granted as an old school NCO, I see living in a barracks as a benefit for the most part, I agree with much of your post. I as a former NCO, look for the positive in as much as I can. Picking up your own bucket, mop and misc. cleaning supplies can be done very inexpensively. You can make the most of your money. In many ways, I am jealous that many get BAH now days, I wish we had that extra fund back in the day. It is what it is and times have certainly changed.
I agree that there is no reason that units could do away with the barracks inspections since they do not conduct inspections of married couples homes. I suppose the difference is that the majority of single soldiers will not clean or maintain the facility and therefore the barracks can then be unsightly and not represent all a soldier should be. The same can be said for married couples as well. I am sure many do not clean their homes well and they are not subject to inspections. So, I can see your point. There is no doubt, as a single soldier you are required to do more work than the married soldiers and are subject to very little free time with in your barracks.
My son moved into the SSB (single soldiers barracks) and had to clean his room when he moved into it, simply because the soldier before was not held to a standard. He cleaned it very well and then had to move to another room. He was expected to clean that room and pass an inspection of the room before he could clear that room in the barracks. Not much consistency. Someone, an NCO dropped the ball and failed to do their job as an NCO. Lead the way, or as we used to say lead, follow or get the F*** out of the way. I do agree that a soldier married or not should maintain a clean and orderly barracks/home. Its the army...not a college dorm. LOL
I recall being in NCOES (BNCOC & ANCOC) schools and being required to even as a SSG/SFC to maintain and pass room inspections so somethings never change. Looking at a big picture, I was also in as a married soldier as well. We didn't have anyone within the chain of command inspect our home. The only time it was required was upon ETS or PCS moves to clear housing. This was not done by the chain of command either.
As a Senior NCO, I would still feel an obligation to make sure my soldiers are well taken care of and give them as much latitude as the Army would allow me to. It is the Military and a job so the best I can say is keep on soldiering. Make the best of your career in the Army. If it gets to a point where it is no longer for you, you will be forwarded the option to ETS at some point. Take your experiences, learn from them and be the soldier you signed on to be. Lead from the front and carry the guidon high for all to see. God speed my brother.
SFC(R) T Livengood
I got out of the Army as a Sergeant First Class. I always looked to make it a point to take care of all my soldiers day in and day out. We as NCO's made it a point to know our soldiers, the financial status and we were in their business only to see that they were being taken care of. I still am shocked that many locations no longer have a supply Sgt. where supplies can be drawn for the general maintenance and cleaning of the barracks for single soldiers. If they Army is going to continue to do barracks inspections to see that you maintain their facilities (your home if you will), they should still provide you the materials to do so. I see your frustration and I currently have a son serving at Ft. Bliss with the Combat Aviation Bde and he expresses his concerns as well.
Granted as an old school NCO, I see living in a barracks as a benefit for the most part, I agree with much of your post. I as a former NCO, look for the positive in as much as I can. Picking up your own bucket, mop and misc. cleaning supplies can be done very inexpensively. You can make the most of your money. In many ways, I am jealous that many get BAH now days, I wish we had that extra fund back in the day. It is what it is and times have certainly changed.
I agree that there is no reason that units could do away with the barracks inspections since they do not conduct inspections of married couples homes. I suppose the difference is that the majority of single soldiers will not clean or maintain the facility and therefore the barracks can then be unsightly and not represent all a soldier should be. The same can be said for married couples as well. I am sure many do not clean their homes well and they are not subject to inspections. So, I can see your point. There is no doubt, as a single soldier you are required to do more work than the married soldiers and are subject to very little free time with in your barracks.
My son moved into the SSB (single soldiers barracks) and had to clean his room when he moved into it, simply because the soldier before was not held to a standard. He cleaned it very well and then had to move to another room. He was expected to clean that room and pass an inspection of the room before he could clear that room in the barracks. Not much consistency. Someone, an NCO dropped the ball and failed to do their job as an NCO. Lead the way, or as we used to say lead, follow or get the F*** out of the way. I do agree that a soldier married or not should maintain a clean and orderly barracks/home. Its the army...not a college dorm. LOL
I recall being in NCOES (BNCOC & ANCOC) schools and being required to even as a SSG/SFC to maintain and pass room inspections so somethings never change. Looking at a big picture, I was also in as a married soldier as well. We didn't have anyone within the chain of command inspect our home. The only time it was required was upon ETS or PCS moves to clear housing. This was not done by the chain of command either.
As a Senior NCO, I would still feel an obligation to make sure my soldiers are well taken care of and give them as much latitude as the Army would allow me to. It is the Military and a job so the best I can say is keep on soldiering. Make the best of your career in the Army. If it gets to a point where it is no longer for you, you will be forwarded the option to ETS at some point. Take your experiences, learn from them and be the soldier you signed on to be. Lead from the front and carry the guidon high for all to see. God speed my brother.
SFC(R) T Livengood
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At least in the Army, there is an unwritten expectation that every Soldier will have a place to eat Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners. This is generally considerred to be a Platoon (25-40 Soldiers) level responsibility, and between the Platoon Sergeant (SFC - E7) and the Platton Leader (LT), every Soldier has a place at a table. Part and parcel of that is a place big enough to host 3-6 Soldiers, 8 or 9 in a pinch. It is not required; but it is expected.
Additionally, the military is a hierarchical organization. Just like no one expects the Captain of a carrier to be in open bay hot-cot bunks, and totally accepts and expects him/her to have their own storeroom (and apologies to the Navy folks if I am messing up terminology), we should expect and accept that higjer ranking folks should be allotted nicer quarters. In terms of BAH, this means a higher allowance.