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

[jenholifield]

While not deployed he wouldn't be able to live on post for free and still recieve BAH. He would either live on post and not recieve BAH or live off post and get BAH for where he is. Sometimes if the chain of command is being nice then that can grant the soldier to live in the barracks and receive BAH for thier spouse who is not there. But that is a privlage and if they need barracks space he would be one of the first to be asked to leave.

Also the only way to get seperations pay while not deployed is if separated by the Army, if you choose to live apart for whatever reason you will not get separations pay. But say they send him to a school longer than 30 days you will receive it for the time after those 30 days. My husband and I received it when he was reclassing and was gone for 5 months and the Army wouldn't move me with him.

The information about while he is deployed is correct.

[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.

[kimberly_2002]

We're MC, but BAH is generally the same for all branches. Before my husband and I got married, he was deployed and I was living in VA (he was stationed out of NC). We got married while he was on R&R, but at the time, I had planned on finishing grad school before moving to NC (I ended up not finishing there). We were told (by the offices on base) that if I were in another state for school, he would be able to stay in the barracks AND receive BAH that could go towards my bills. That may have been crap, but I think generally those things depend on the command and are a privilege like Jen Holifield said

[jay_m_elle]

If he lives on post, you will not receive the BAH. It would all go towards housing. If you live off post, you would receive BAH and just pay rent each month to wherever you are living. If you choose to live in government housing, you would not be responsible for utilities, whereas if you lived off post, you could potentially get a nicer place but be responsible for utilities.

Separation pay is only received if your husband is deployed or otherwise posted elsewhere temporarily while you are married, such as schooling or other training that you cannot accompany him to.

[katpetal]

ok, so here's what our experience has been: BAH is based on the location of his Home of Record (HOR) zip code. Depending on where you live it can be really good, or really not so good. For me, living outside of Philadelphia (Northern Delaware) - we get BAH based on Philly, for us that's great, for people who live in philly it isn't always.
We did get married when we found out about the deployment, but we were planning on getting married anyway - just hadn't set a date yet. The financial stuff helps, but I think its more important that I am 'in the loop' as far as what is going on - they will call me with information and I can very easily handle things here on our end.
Good luck!