Should I contact the IG for going TDY en route at BOLC and not being authorized BAH?

2019-09-24T21:12:52-04:00

I’m prior enlisted SM and recently commissioned. When attending BOLC at Gordon my BAH stopped, then Gordon started it back up, then stopped when I left Gordon. When I in-processed Belvoir I was given a huge amount of back pay as they said I should have received BAH all along being prior enlisted.
However here I am three months later finding myself with a big indebtedness on my LES. When contacting my finance office, I am told by the director I should have not gotten it and they made a mistake. I never attended any school/TDY not receiving BAH and this back and forth is quite frustrating.

I am told by other officers that went to BOLC (they were single at the time) also prior enlisted I should definitely receive BAH.
I can’t seem to find a regulation to back it up and was wondering if it is advisable to proceed to contact IG at this point.

A few facts of note: Dual military SM (enlisted spouse). During BOLC quarters were provided. Stationed and cleared BRAGG. TDY en route to Gordon and PCS’d to Belvoir.

Response by MAJ Ken Landgren made Sep 24 at 2019 9:44 PM

2019-09-24T21:44:12-04:00

As a worst case, you can ask the finance office to help you with a debt waiver based on financial hardship.

Response by SGT(P) Private RallyPoint Member made Sep 24 at 2019 10:04 PM

2019-09-24T22:04:41-04:00

Your orders to BOLC should have advised you whether or not you were authorized BAH. It would be in the additional instruction section. That is your leg to stand on.

Response by SGT(P) Private RallyPoint Member made Sep 24 at 2019 10:05 PM

2019-09-24T22:05:58-04:00

Also whoever set you up to use DTS and your unit DTS administrator and verifier approved should have verified all that information prior to going to BOLC.

Response by LT Brad McInnis made Sep 24 at 2019 10:20 PM

2019-09-24T22:20:20-04:00

I am sure there are some different rules between Navy and Army, but I would caution about going to the IG. Exhaust all other options (Finance, leadership, etc) before being that person that heads right to the IG. This is a big problem you have, and it should never have become a problem. My 2 cents is you would be better dealing with your leadership on this. The plus is that your leadership will see that you had a hardship, and instead of running to the IG, you gave them a chance to solve it. It is better for a problem to come internally, rather than externally. If the leadership doesn't solve it, then by all means, head over to the IG. Hope they fix it for you.

Response by Capt Daniel Goodman made Sep 24 at 2019 10:22 PM

2019-09-24T22:22:18-04:00

I'm not saying to not do it, I can't say what to do in your place...I'd merely make an observation that, to me, at least, even though you might certainly be right, going to IT about such stuff seems rather like using a sledgehammer to crush a walnut, or a sharp edge of a submarine hill as a can opener...that being said, and I'm not suggesting this to be simplistic or trite, however, I'd honestly maybe ask the chaplains at your installation for help, as they can often get attention for problems of that sort, unusual as my suggestion might perhaps initially seem, rather than opening up the whole IG Pandora's Box or can of worms...that's my initial thought, at any rate, such as it is, at least for the moment...I admit I could well be wrong, however, I'd most definitely try using honey rather than vinegar, or a carrot, before a stick, though, as I'd said, that obv just me, of course, for whatever value that idea might be worth, honest, OK?

Response by SPC Private RallyPoint Member made Sep 24 at 2019 10:43 PM

2019-09-24T22:43:17-04:00

Ma’am. I’m not going to like this situation is way beyond my knowledge. I do know the belvoir finance is terrible. We had to send a guy who reclassing from finance to an LPN with a soldier to make sure finance did their job. Even then it took like 6 trips.

Response by CH (CPT) Private RallyPoint Member made Sep 24 at 2019 11:33 PM

2019-09-24T23:33:54-04:00

I wonder if BAH should have been given to your husband when you left for BOLC. I would suggest going to your CoC before IG so that they are tracking and have an opportunity to provide guidance. They might send you to IG, but then they will be in the boat with you.

Response by MAJ Bryan Zeski made Sep 25 at 2019 1:14 AM

2019-09-25T01:14:25-04:00

I think IG, at this point, is jumping the gun. Get your ducks in a row, paperwork together, and then make an appointment with the finance folks and get this all figured out. As THEM for the regs if they say you don't get something. They are the experts and generally they aren't out to screw you. They may be incompetent and sometimes negligent, but they aren't malicious.

If THAT fails, then go through your chain of command to find another level of finance folks to talk to.

If THAT fails, and your Command is putting you off, THEN you can talk about IG.

IG is really there to look into abuses and oversteps by the Command, not to investigate financial pay problems - unless they have something to do with the Command (ie, that whole National Guard deployment where people aren't/weren't getting paid).

Response by SSG Brian G. made Sep 25 at 2019 1:24 AM

2019-09-25T01:24:20-04:00

On the surface, yeah you could go to the IG with it but would not the better course be to go through you CoC with it? This puts them in the loop, allows that they can work what they can, pull the strings that they can and be a support factor.

Going to the IG should be the last option .

Response by CSM Darieus ZaGara made Sep 25 at 2019 6:56 AM

2019-09-25T06:56:04-04:00

You should first do what the IG will do, see your local Finance Office. Thank you for your service.

Response by CPT Lawrence Cable made Sep 25 at 2019 8:00 AM

2019-09-25T08:00:09-04:00

OK, the applicable AR's are AR210-50 and AR420-1. In general, unless there are children, Dual Military couples on separate assignments are treated as single soldiers. I am a former S-1 and not Finance, but I can't find any regulation that gives any preferences to Prior Service. While your spouse should be drawing at BAH with dependent, unless he is in government provided quarters, if you were provided quarters in route, you should not get BAH.
I would set down with Finance and confirm this, but that's the way it reads to me.
I took my family on a long TDY school were I wasn't enroute, so the move wasn't command sponsored. I wasn't required to live in the single officers quarters, but I got BAH at the rate of my home station instead of a Certificate of Non-Availability from the post and the local Rate.

Response by 2LT Private RallyPoint Member made Sep 25 at 2019 8:01 AM

2019-09-25T08:01:19-04:00

Since this came up a few times but to me it’s implied that I exhaust all resources.
I have had multiple trips (6-10) to my local finance office the last one my CDR got involved and headed there with me. All left unresolved and the director being unable to answer any specific questions or even knowing when my pay will be “normal” again.

Response by MSG Gary Eckert made Sep 25 at 2019 9:04 AM

2019-09-25T09:04:12-04:00

At some point someone should have given you a memorandum of indebtedness and that memo should have referenced remission or cancellation of debt which can happen for two reasons. The first is hardship and the second is that the Government made a mistake, you took the money in good faith meaning you did not know you were not entitled to the money. Regulation for remission or cancellation of debt is AR 600-4.
I am not sure why everyone here is against going to the IG. You have already been to Finance with your Chain of Command and they cannot provide you the regulatory guidance. If nothing else, the IG operates as an adviser to Command and the IG will be able to provide the true regulatory guidance on BHA in your situation.

Response by MAJ Private RallyPoint Member made Sep 25 at 2019 9:34 AM

2019-09-25T09:34:35-04:00

I dont know how SOBC changed since I went through in 2004 but if you were single you did not get BAH. Single SMs were forced to live, like the rest of us who were GEO Bacholors, in Ring hall. If this is still how things are run where they force you to live in the barrack then Belvoir is correct in recouping the money. If they were paying you to stay off post (which is different from when I was there for ILE not long ago when I stayed at the IHG on Chamberlain) then you should be authorized. The school should have given you orders saying what you were authorized to get or not. Verify and like others have said get your paperwork straight before you go to IG as you could end up being found to be in the wrong. Good luck in getting this situation straightened out.