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.
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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
When I was in the issue that made me angry was that 1. We would constantly having room inspections but a married soldier no matter what rank they were didn't even though they were living in government quarters. 2. Living in the barracks at the time 85-91 the only appliance allowed was a coffee maker after some time they also allowed microwaves. 3. As a SGT living in the barracks we were not allowed hard liquor in our rooms but married soldiers were. Pay difference didn't bother me.
It's not discrimination. It's policy, based on a real need to maintain quarters (barracks) for single Soldiers. That costs, and drives the policy.
You aren't entitled to BAH as a single Soldier. I understand the BAH may be "paid" then collected to go to whatever company is "managing" the quarters. Again, the need outweighs individual desires.
You are permitted to move off post, but won't be entitled to BAH.
The Army doesn't interfere with your budgeting.
I understand the frustration, though. You're older, and have likely been on your own, so it seems like a step back. I definitely get not liking the barracks shenanigans.
You aren't entitled to BAH as a single Soldier. I understand the BAH may be "paid" then collected to go to whatever company is "managing" the quarters. Again, the need outweighs individual desires.
You are permitted to move off post, but won't be entitled to BAH.
The Army doesn't interfere with your budgeting.
I understand the frustration, though. You're older, and have likely been on your own, so it seems like a step back. I definitely get not liking the barracks shenanigans.
They absolutely do!! My recommendation is that you get into with you local BOSS program or start one on your installation. Better Opportunities for Single Soldiers also can be 'Servicemembers' when there is a joint assignment base. It is the sole reason it exists. lots of information online about it.
Completely agree with you and that was something I always pointed out when I was in the army as well. Not to mention that you get paid to have kids which is a personal choice that should not be compensated with extra pay.
It does not really. A single soldier is worth just as much if not more so than a married soldier. Far less hassles than a married one. The military has a high divorce rate, so they do whatever is needed to keep the peace within the family environment. This keeps the morale high among the married personnel. Morale and food is what helps motivate a military force. Everything else is added in. That $1,068 pays for housing or living off base. Be glad you are single, the cost of raising a family is high and goes beyond the costs of housing.
Only thing I have to say is "WTF????" Unless I miss my guess, you are a VOLUNTEER, not a draftee!
And what Army is this? I guess I am way too "old school" for all this - he lost me at a two room barracks with a shared bathroom. What happened to the open bay with 30 other guys and a latrine and shower room at the end? And crying about a barracks inspection? Maybe there are some preferential policies and such, but I guess my point is "Suck it up, Buttercup"!!!
And what Army is this? I guess I am way too "old school" for all this - he lost me at a two room barracks with a shared bathroom. What happened to the open bay with 30 other guys and a latrine and shower room at the end? And crying about a barracks inspection? Maybe there are some preferential policies and such, but I guess my point is "Suck it up, Buttercup"!!!
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This subject resonated with me, not because I was ever effected (was married, or co-habitating for 19 out of my 20 years in the Navy), but single Sailors were somewhat discriminated against in many ways as well. This is despite the fact that “unofficial” Navy policy stated: “If the Navy wanted you to have a wife, you would have been issued one in your seabag”.
I was only single at an afloat command for about 3-4 months, so not ever affected, but later in my career, started to have sympathy on the single guys for MANY reasons.
First of all, a ship was not only a haze gray fighting machine, but “home sweet home” to the single guys who didn’t have deep enough pockets to afford to live ashore. As such, they had no privacy, no peace and quiet, and just by virtue of being there, essentially “on duty” should something happen (equipment malfunction, fire, anything else out of the ordinary). Us married guys went home at the end of the workday, pretty much forgetting the ship existed, and if some event did occur, we dealt with it in the morning... I always empathized with the single guys who had to leave the ship and seek peace and quiet elsewhere after hours, wherever they could find it. They could get relief from the senior enlisted guy or officer who would poke their head into a berthing compartment at 2030 and shout “You, you, and you, follow me, we’ve got some work to do, NOW”. Again, I would only hear about it the next morning; HOWEVER, I like to think I was a compassionate boss and would “compensate” them by letting them take off early for the day, or they could bank the time off for the following weekend.
Another bad situation occurred on a couple ships I was on, where our crew sometimes turned out to be a personnel “pool” when another deploying ship needed some guys to replace someone who was injured, sick, or transferred off without a replacement. Again, the single guys took it in the shorts. On my second ship, we had a shop with at least 6 E-6’s, and 9-10 E-5’s. We dreaded the announcement at quarters in the morning that the USS XXXX was deploying tomorrow and they needed two E-5 or E-6 volunteers to deploy with them for a 6 month Med cruise. You immediately saw 20 guys checking out their shoe shines or trouser creases, trying to avoid the division officer’s eyes. There was one single E-6 and one single E-5 in our group, and they KNEW volunteers would not be forthcoming, and one or both of them would be “voluntold” right after quarters and off the ship soon thereafter.
Having said all that, a single guy on a ship could make a ton of money in home port, standing by for married guys on their duty days. Back in the early-mid ‘70’s, we paid at least $20.00/day for someone to take our place onboard for the night. I probably spent $40-60/month so I didn’t have to remain onboard at night...Money well spent in my opinion.
I was only single at an afloat command for about 3-4 months, so not ever affected, but later in my career, started to have sympathy on the single guys for MANY reasons.
First of all, a ship was not only a haze gray fighting machine, but “home sweet home” to the single guys who didn’t have deep enough pockets to afford to live ashore. As such, they had no privacy, no peace and quiet, and just by virtue of being there, essentially “on duty” should something happen (equipment malfunction, fire, anything else out of the ordinary). Us married guys went home at the end of the workday, pretty much forgetting the ship existed, and if some event did occur, we dealt with it in the morning... I always empathized with the single guys who had to leave the ship and seek peace and quiet elsewhere after hours, wherever they could find it. They could get relief from the senior enlisted guy or officer who would poke their head into a berthing compartment at 2030 and shout “You, you, and you, follow me, we’ve got some work to do, NOW”. Again, I would only hear about it the next morning; HOWEVER, I like to think I was a compassionate boss and would “compensate” them by letting them take off early for the day, or they could bank the time off for the following weekend.
Another bad situation occurred on a couple ships I was on, where our crew sometimes turned out to be a personnel “pool” when another deploying ship needed some guys to replace someone who was injured, sick, or transferred off without a replacement. Again, the single guys took it in the shorts. On my second ship, we had a shop with at least 6 E-6’s, and 9-10 E-5’s. We dreaded the announcement at quarters in the morning that the USS XXXX was deploying tomorrow and they needed two E-5 or E-6 volunteers to deploy with them for a 6 month Med cruise. You immediately saw 20 guys checking out their shoe shines or trouser creases, trying to avoid the division officer’s eyes. There was one single E-6 and one single E-5 in our group, and they KNEW volunteers would not be forthcoming, and one or both of them would be “voluntold” right after quarters and off the ship soon thereafter.
Having said all that, a single guy on a ship could make a ton of money in home port, standing by for married guys on their duty days. Back in the early-mid ‘70’s, we paid at least $20.00/day for someone to take our place onboard for the night. I probably spent $40-60/month so I didn’t have to remain onboard at night...Money well spent in my opinion.
I was in the Corps almost 7 yrs, and I don't ever remember any of what you are talking about being a concern. There was never any envy or "He gets more than me" crap. We had open squad bays most of the time and places where I was, and the married personnel had to maintain a locker and footlocker in the barracks just like everyone else. There was no married men leave while you unmarried pukes clean equipment. We actually would have let them go and done the extra work after a long field op away from family. But that is just not how things were done. When everything was squared away, they left and we piled into our racks, exhausted. Listening to some of you Army guys really makes me glad I was in the Corps.
As to barracks inspections, I've been on both sides of that issue. I'll just ask, given some of the unsanitary people the services get, would you really want to do away with inspections? And if you can't make a hospital corner or think wadding a blanket the length of your rack is a good thing, really? Do you ever inspect your men before the real inspection? Would you pass someone like that?
As to barracks inspections, I've been on both sides of that issue. I'll just ask, given some of the unsanitary people the services get, would you really want to do away with inspections? And if you can't make a hospital corner or think wadding a blanket the length of your rack is a good thing, really? Do you ever inspect your men before the real inspection? Would you pass someone like that?
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