The ever-confusing BAH...

[rslilly]

Background info:  He's in the Army (three more years).  He's deploying later this year.  I'm in grad school (three more years).  We're engaged.  Since we won't be able to be together, we aren't planning on getting married until after he's out of the Army and I'm done with school.  But seeing as it's a military relationship, there's always the idea

Comments

[h_hope]

I'm still fairly new to the military life, but I think you have it pretty close to correct. Married personnel receive separation pay IF their situation won't allow for the spouse to be with them (as in the military causes the separation). If he were deployed he would be eligible for separation pay, but if you're married and he is not deployed and you are CHOOSING not to live with him near base in order to finish your schooling I don't think you would be eligible for separation pay. Also, i've heard that the only way to get BAH for a dependant's housing while he is living free on base would be for you to provide paperwork proving you are involved in a school program and that requires you to live separately from him

[rslilly]

Thanks for the info.

And honestly, I agree with you about marrying for the benefits, which is one reason I'm fighting him a bit on the issue. But honestly, if it weren't for the financial and logistical issues of the Army and school, we'd be married already anyway.

[h_hope]

Yeah, I'm sure the military does have a unique way of messing up one's life plans or at least throwing them off in a different direction! My husband and I got married before joining the Navy was even a thought to him... its an interesting transition from this side too, and talk about throwing off our plans... we were TTC our next child when he got sent to boot camp, its sure hard to get that done when the Navy's got him!! hehe!

[lunarophelia]

I was in a similar situation to the OP but we waited until after his deployment and my graduation to get married. We decided that we never wanted to look back and think that we did it for the money and we did not want to spend the first part of our marriage separated.

As far as the original question goes, I think h_hope is right.

[schonesleben]

IAWTC