Germany
Germany
Posted on May 23, 2019
What additional steps can I take when the Army has not paid me BAH, OHA, FSA or provided a home for my family?
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Good morning from Germany. I don’t normally ask for help but I’ve been dealing with this problem for over a year now and it’s starting to cause problems between my wife and I. Even after 10 years in the Army this is the first time I’m not sure if I want to keep going or not.
We’ve been here in Germany since 2015. Until August of 2018 I was stationed in Landstuhl where my wife was able to find a good job as a GS employee and registered nurse. When it came time to reenlist I chose to do another tour in Germany so that she could have some career stability. The LTC Commanding her clinic also asked for her to stay due to their ongoing staffing issues here. I was then put on assignment to another base in the area. All seemed well. About 4 months before PCSing, I was informed that another NCO had taken my assignment. Although I was very vocal about how detrimental this would be I was forced to PCS to Vilseck, which is about 4 hours away.
Due to the lack of employment opportunities for my wife in Vilseck, I chose to leave her in the Landstuhl area and make the commute on the weekends. Ever since my PCS the army has not paid me BAH, OHA, FSA or provided a home for my family. It took over 9 months to file a waiver request from DA only to be denied.
I’ve contacted my local IG for help and filed a complaint with my congressman. Nothing seems to be working and all I can do is wait and hope someone helps me. I’ve been considering contacting the SMA or DA IG but I need some advice if anyone has any similar experience?
We’ve been here in Germany since 2015. Until August of 2018 I was stationed in Landstuhl where my wife was able to find a good job as a GS employee and registered nurse. When it came time to reenlist I chose to do another tour in Germany so that she could have some career stability. The LTC Commanding her clinic also asked for her to stay due to their ongoing staffing issues here. I was then put on assignment to another base in the area. All seemed well. About 4 months before PCSing, I was informed that another NCO had taken my assignment. Although I was very vocal about how detrimental this would be I was forced to PCS to Vilseck, which is about 4 hours away.
Due to the lack of employment opportunities for my wife in Vilseck, I chose to leave her in the Landstuhl area and make the commute on the weekends. Ever since my PCS the army has not paid me BAH, OHA, FSA or provided a home for my family. It took over 9 months to file a waiver request from DA only to be denied.
I’ve contacted my local IG for help and filed a complaint with my congressman. Nothing seems to be working and all I can do is wait and hope someone helps me. I’ve been considering contacting the SMA or DA IG but I need some advice if anyone has any similar experience?
Military Pay
Housing
Germany
Congress
Posted 5 y ago
Responses: 4
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Let's cut out the long story and get down to facts. You PCSed and your spouse is staying in another location. You're not eligible for FSA because the Army didn't separate you from your spouse, that was a family decision between the two of you. You're not eligible for BAH because that's a CONUS entitlement. You're eligible for OHA, but it sounds like you're asking about a second OHA since you mentioned asking for a DA waiver. You are entitled to receive OHA at your location. The Army isnt going to support paying for two households because it's better for you financially. So, if you haven't received any OHA for your location then you certainly have a valid finance issue that I would elevate. If your issue is that you haven't received OHA for your spouse, I wouldn't expect to, and your waiver request stands on very shaky ground.
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SSG (Join to see)
I’m not asking for two OHA payments. Housing in Bavaria hasn’t even offered me anything. I understand that sometimes I have to make hard decisions and be separated for the good of whatever but I’ve received nothing for housing since last year. Both USAG Bavaria and KMC housing has been giving me the run around for months while I’m losing money.
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SGT Nicholas M.
Another important piece... were you authorized Command Sponsorship in your PCS to Rose Barracks, Vilseck? If so, did you decline to bring your dependents with you? Wouldn't that technically put you in the "Single Soldier" category for barracks/housing purposes at Vilseck if you declined sponsorship for your spouse to leave her in Landstuhl?
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Go to the commanding general. If you work for 21st support command go see Steve shairpo. Or send Pete Lichtenburger GS 15 former col. Us army. And be sure say Craig said hello from Thailand.
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SSG (Join to see)
I was assigned to 21st but now I’m in 2CR under 7th ATC. I should be moving back soon though because I’m pending promotion and the CSM wants me to take over MA there.
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CW4 Craig Urban
You will be fine. Sue Glick used to be the GS 15 deputy in support ops. Her daughter was a nurse at Landstul. Because sue was not not retired military the only way she could work there was by getting a contractor job. I was working for caci in Campbell barracks doing exchange pricing which is the control of major assemblies. They paid me 90000 usd a year. Mike Grosskopt and Dave Norton worked for CACI. I knew Dave from the old ERF in nabollenbach. Dave was a captain in Baumholder working for my best friend named Rick Schwartzman. Then the xo of the 47th. As the DOL at Schinnen the Netherlands rick calls me one day and says Craig what is the nsn for that cataletic converter. We have to go to the field and my staff has been scewing around for two weeks. This is 1993. I say rick it is 010103092. He says captain pull up the micofisch. This captain in the back says shit there it is sir. That captain was Dave Norton. Sue took my job in Heidelberg and has since retired to the UK.
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SFC Boyd is right on target. You and your spouse made these decisions. She may have one outlet herself, I am not familiar with the term, however, DOD can assign her a sponsored position allowing her to be on her own orders. This will require a waiver, and is impacted by how she was given the position she is in as a DOD civilian. If that is not possible, then you will have to deal with it. Quite frankly I am not sure how they are allowing you to stay in the barracks, since you are technically on a command sponsored tour. Thank you for your service.
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SSG (Join to see)
I think this is my biggest argument. How can they say it’s okay to deny me housing at my PDS based on the possibility of granting an exception to policy but then deny the ETP? It took me over 9 months to even get a response.
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CSM Darieus ZaGara
The timeliness I cannot account for. However, your homework should have been completed before the move, so that you Family did not go through so much turmoil. If I were your CSM I would advise you to bring your Family to Vilsek, it is a great area, I served in that area three different times. As a nurse your wife could start off volunteering at the rather large clinics in Vilsek and Grafenwhoer. That retains her skill set while putting her in solid competition for openings in the future. The Army is tough enough on a Family without unnecessary separations. Think about it and talk to the clinic Commanders and the Garrison. SSG (Join to see)
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SSG (Join to see)
CSM Darieus, I agree with most of what you said here. I actually submitted my ETP nearly 3 months before my PCS and was assured by housing that it was g2g. Also, Vilseck is a great area, I like it much more than Kaiserslautern, but as my wife is a paediatric specialist there is nothing for her focus there. I think what is driving this most of all, though, is that I will be pinning SFC soon and both my CSM and the CSM in K-town say they want me to move back to 21st because there is no coverage there at the moment. I think I’ve made the best decision with all the information that I’ve been provided but this is why I’m asking for help. For the past year, I’ve been given very poor information and believe that there must me some recourse.
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