SGT Private RallyPoint Member 119644 <div class="images-v2-count-0"></div> 2014-05-05T21:03:50-04:00 SGT Private RallyPoint Member 119644

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2014-05-05T21:03:50-04:00 2014-05-05T21:03:50-04:00 SGT Shawn Case 119658

<div class="images-v2-count-0"></div>I got it, but I was CI on investigative status for my first duty station. We were not allowed to be in the barracks.

2014-05-05T21:17:43-04:00 2014-05-05T21:17:43-04:00 SGM Matthew Quick 119664

<div class="images-v2-count-0"></div>Yes, if you're authorized to live off post...which is not very often.

2014-05-05T21:24:33-04:00 2014-05-05T21:24:33-04:00 SFC Stephen P. 119737

<div class="images-v2-count-0"></div>General rule: BAH is only authorized based on non-availability of government housing. <br /><br />I never got BAH because I was married, I got it because there was insufficient family housing.<br /><br />As a single soldier I got it because there was no government housing within commuting distance from my duty site.<br /><br />As an exception, I once was authorized because I owned real estate in the local area.<br /><br />Barracks are not a punishment. They are the default housing for soldiers. Age has never been and should not be an exception.

2014-05-05T22:31:21-04:00 2014-05-05T22:31:21-04:00 GySgt Private RallyPoint Member 119872

<div class="images-v2-count-0"></div>Negative, you don't rate until you...<br /><br />1. Have a dependent.<br />2. Are the most senior man and there is no room for you in barracks.<br />3. Become a Staff/Senior Non-Commisioned Officer (we need NCO's to own the barracks).

2014-05-06T01:50:17-04:00 2014-05-06T01:50:17-04:00 SFC Private RallyPoint Member 119917

<div class="images-v2-count-0"></div>DOD does not need anymore ammunition in support of closing dining facilities! be careful what you ask for!

2014-05-06T07:04:43-04:00 2014-05-06T07:04:43-04:00 SFC William Swartz Jr 119965

<div class="images-v2-count-0"></div>Compared to when I enlisted in 1987 and lived in the barracks at my first duty station prior to getting married, the barracks that today's Soldiers have are in far better shape than mine were. Also, as the result of the Single Soldier Initiatives implemented in the early-mid '90s, you have a lot more freedom to make you barracks room a "home". You can have your own linens and bed coverings as opposed to the issued white sheets and wool Army blankets; you do not have to be subjected to daily room inspections; and you are not as much in danger of having to live pay check to pay check because you can not budget for the many bills you will have outside of the gates of the post. Now, it may seem less than ideal for an "older" enlisted Soldier, but take an honest look at a lot of your peers and you will know that some, if not most would not be able to "survive" out on the economy. Yes it is a pain in the ass, dealing with dining facilities that are less than stellar, or having to put up with sharing laundry facilities or dealing with a roommate as far as the controlling of the AC/Heater in your room. But guess what, you will still end up having to deal with most of those same roommate issues out on the economy because more than likely as a single Soldier/junior NCO your BAH rating will not allow for you to live by yourself. The cost of renting an apartment or house on the economy near an Army post is tied closely to the BAH rates for married Soldiers. You will be having to share an apartment/house with others just to make the rent, not including the utilities that you will have to pay for as well as the cost of having to maintain a vehicle and pay for gas to travel to and from. If there are issues with the barracks that are not being addressed when brought up to the unit/or barracks program managers, then exercise your right to carry these issues to the IG or Garrison Commanders Office and these issues will get fixed, without a doubt.

2014-05-06T08:34:38-04:00 2014-05-06T08:34:38-04:00 SPC Daniel Edwards 120046

<div class="images-v2-count-0"></div>the problem is that these single soldiers think that if they get out of the barracks and into housing, they wont be checked on as much. they want the freedom to party, get loud, and do whatever they want to. they dont realize that they will always be checked on no matter if they are in the barracks, in post housing, or living off base.

2014-05-06T10:48:48-04:00 2014-05-06T10:48:48-04:00 PO2 Private RallyPoint Member 120159

<div class="images-v2-count-0"></div>Without dependents, if there are quarters available (barracks or onboard a ship) then no. With dependents, absolutely yes. And obviously, if quarters are not available, yes. If you have no choice but to live on the economy, then you should be compensated for it, regardless of age or rank.

2014-05-06T12:20:49-04:00 2014-05-06T12:20:49-04:00 SSG Private RallyPoint Member 120479

<div class="images-v2-count-0"></div>IMHO not looking at the budget or anything else. I would say Senior SGTs on their 2nd enlistment should be given the choice to move off post. Per the commanders they would still have a few of the junior SGTs living in the barracks. Everything based on DOR.

2014-05-06T19:37:54-04:00 2014-05-06T19:37:54-04:00 SGT Kristin Wiley 286934

<div class="images-v2-count-0"></div>I think the military needs to make it less about family and more about level of responsiblity. In my opinion, E1-E3 single or married should maintain government quarters until their command determines they will be able to live off post responsibly. Married soldiers should be in unit operated apartment type housing or even live in the barracks if they don't have kids. If the spouse is capable of affording off-post housing, then they can live off post on THEIR DIME. This will allow the unit better oversight on the living standards of its junior enlisted. This would reduce contract marriages, and better prepare young married soldiers before living off post. I have heard of many issues with junior enlisted not properly cleaning their homes or not having enough money to afford their homes, that this option seems logical. More junior enlisted will be occupying government quaters, which would allow senior E4 and E5 the option of moving off-post and recieving BAH. If soldiers are not financially responsbile or capable of living off post without issues, they shouldn't be authoirzed that 'entitlement'.

2014-10-21T14:24:07-04:00 2014-10-21T14:24:07-04:00 LTC Private RallyPoint Member 287434

<div class="images-v2-count-0"></div>Hate to say it - but it depends on the barracks utilization rate. Not fiscally responsible for the approval authority (BN CDR) to approve BAH if the barracks are only 50% filled.

2014-10-21T19:40:44-04:00 2014-10-21T19:40:44-04:00 SPC Private RallyPoint Member 287862

<div class="images-v2-count-0"></div>The new(ish) barracks at gordon were nice. I was in the 513th back in 2000 and aside from not having hubs for the CAT5 ports in the room I enjoyed it. Two to a room for junior enlisted, the third floor reserved for NCO's one per room. Even had a SFC who refused to go off post. Parties were great, clean up less so. Barracks inspections about once a month, more if there was an issue. Health and welfare about once a quarter. Found a family of five in one of the rooms. Pool table, big screen, laundry all in a centrally located area. Close to gate 6 so you could get off post before some one could Johnny on the Spot you. Only annoying thing was what to do with a girl. I fixed that with a curtain. Those were the best barracks I ever saw on an army post.<br /><br />Saw much worse later.<br /><br />But I'll have to say negative. Even as a former fellow junior enlisted, I have to say no. Even as vaunted Military Intelligence, land of the 110 GT score and TS/SCI clearance to many things can go wrong. For one, each unit has a percentage of troops that must be recalled within a certain time, hang around the S-3 shop of your unit and find out. Now imagine, the morning of September 11 after every married soldier and single senior NCO drove home to wash and change after PT and was now recalled to the unit with all his TA-50 only to find a line 2+ miles long at each of Gordon's gates with 100% vehicle searches, it took hours to get through the gate that day. The installation's initial plan was to augment the gate with soldiers, real ones, not the IET ones. So the 513th and 706th provided the bodies within an hour from what was available in the barracks. That initial response would have been impossible if the junior personnel all lived off post.<br />Another thing is BAH is for the dependents, not the troop. What you technically get every day after work is a blanket pass to go off post. No one verbalizes it that way, but that's what it is. Irritate an NCO or officer who knows the rules well enough and see what happens to that pass. From 1999 to 2004, I never found a AR or FM that entitled anyone to a pass, married or not, enlisted, warrant or commissioned.

2014-10-22T00:35:02-04:00 2014-10-22T00:35:02-04:00 SSG(P) Private RallyPoint Member 288277

<div class="images-v2-count-0"></div>That would soley be based on a couple of reasons. We just had this discussion with a AF guy i know, when he an E-3 he was told he had 30 days to move off post, to make room for new Airmen, then it turned over to the Navy when they are E-4's they can move off post. Now with this i look at like what makes them soo special to live off post and such low ranks...<br /><br />Now the other topic is what is the difference between an officer at 23 and an SGT at 23, is it becasue he went to college, how do we know said SGT does not have a college degree, is he any less held to a standard that we have set for him. We can tell him to sign for equipment be responsible for 2 joes, and work his duty and lead soldiers, but we dont think he is responsible enough to live off post? Thats what i dont get.<br /><br />When i entered the military i was married and lived in on post housing and did that for 8 yrs. Now when i got my divorce and because i had no kids guess what....Yep stright to the barracks....It doesnt bother me, its just the fact of the age differences between me and them thats a downer...theres anywhere from a 5-12 year difference in age....But yet again i am not responsible enough to live on my own or get a Apartment, so i play the game until i make the next Rank....<br /><br />But i do believe if the AF and the Navy went to this process it would really be different, do you know how much BAH would be saved, less spent......Im going with the Billions that would be saved...out 600k authorized in the AF lets say 250k are soldiers E-5 and below living off post thats with the BAH of a single rate here of 819.00 thats 204 million that could be spent on barracks....better equipment....you name it.....I just think if thats how we want to control stuff i think it should be that same across the board because DFAS pays every one there not one for the army, navy, marines, af....This is just my .02 cents, i think all services should have all soldiers E-5 and below in the barracks....Now if you were married before and got a divorce thats a whole nother ball game....and thats all i got....

2014-10-22T10:07:29-04:00 2014-10-22T10:07:29-04:00 SGT(P) Jennifer Brande 292537

<div class="images-v2-count-0"></div>When I came into the Army back in 2000, I was personally not a fan of any soldier who was just entering the armed forces from being allowed to get married just to get BAH and out of the Barracks if they were under the rank of E-4. I have several reasons why but will only list a few here: <br /><br /> 1.) When you enter the military as a young person straight out of HS and have never been outside your hometown before, this is your first "real job" and if you fall madly in love with your "soul mate" during your training period you want your own space and the extra money for that. This is wrong because for as long as I was in, married service members were less reliable because of "personal issues" that always seem to arise, i.e. sorry my car wouldn't start this morning so I'll miss PT or work, Oh my spouse is sick and I have to take her to the doctor, oh my spouse needs a new ID card so I have to go with her. <br /><br /> 2.) Having a child, of course that means more BAH and yet more built in excuses for not being there at work doing what you need to do. i.e. Oh the baby and my spouse are sick so I have to take them to the doctor, Oh I can't pull 24 hour duty because I am a single parent and don't have child care lined up, or oh I am pregnant so I can't physically do what is expected of me (and of course they can get promoted up to E-4 without an APFT). <br /><br /> 3.) Being a single parent gives any service member latitude to get out of basically most assignments because you have family obligations and single service members who took their oath of enlistment seriously get stuck doing every last ounce of scut work to compensate for the lack of service members who will be out of pocket for anything that comes up other than duty. I've personally seen soldiers get out of motor pool maintenance, PT, Field Duty, CQ Duty and pretty much anything because of it. <br /><br />I personally had no issue doing any duty assigned to me but it was super tiresome seeing married or pregnant soldiers never being there and the few of us single soldiers had to pick up on everything because we were at diminished capacity at all times. It actually got worse once deployments came along because they were always finding a way to get out of something or another due to family issues. <br /><br />If you give service members BAH while living in barracks that is just an invitation for more problems with service members wasting their money since they don't have any living expenses. I personally also believe that there should be a ban on service members being able to marry during the first enlistment since they don't really learn how to be a proper soldier, sailor, airman, marine or coastie if they have outside distractions. Prove to your respective service branch that you want to be in service and do your job and everything that it encompasses before you start going goo goo eyed over the money you receive for having a family and children. <br /><br />Sorry if I sound like an angry crusty soldier but I feel that taking an oath to be in the military means that you need to get your hands dirty and learn everything good and bad and anything other than the service branch is just a distraction.

2014-10-24T16:55:59-04:00 2014-10-24T16:55:59-04:00 SGT Private RallyPoint Member 293240

<div class="images-v2-count-0"></div>Ehhhh that's a hard one. I think if they are single they should live in the barracks for a min time as hey welcome to the Army this is how we live in a way, then if they choose to move off base they should be given the opportunity to do so. We are adults and the barracks are more like a prison in my opinion. <br /><br />There are just so many rules. <br />-if you're of age to drink you can only have so much<br />-no personal to stay the night and having to leave at a certain time<br />-mandatory room mates which some can be nasty that you have to clean up after,<br />-having to baby sit your clothes if the laundry room is down the hall <br />-unable to cook in most barracks which leaves you stuck at microwave meals or Defec<br /><br />A big reasons why a lot of Soldier get contract marriages so they can have the freedom to live off post. <br /><br />The barracks I stayed in at Hunter were amazing. I loved the trailers there but not once have I seen anything as nice as they were. We had 3 man rooms which were a good size nothing like a box in bragg. You had a full kitchen to be able to cook on if you bought food. Washer and dryer in the kitchen. <br /><br />Bragg on the other hand I was so glad I didn't stay in those lol

2014-10-25T04:01:13-04:00 2014-10-25T04:01:13-04:00 2014-05-05T21:03:50-04:00