Getting screwed by the Army?

[JayTee_IsMe]

So I'm in a predicament where I am transferring from Army Reserves to Active Duty with no break in service with reclassing from my original MOS. I got my orders the day I shipped out and noticed they specifally stated I was "authorized movement of dependents and household goods at govt expense" TO my AIT which is less than the 20 weeks usualy needed to allow accompamied orders. Its only 17 weeks.

Now I went to the finance office here at Ft Sill to do some inprocessing and the lady tells me I wont get seperation pay cause I was afforded the opportunity to move my family. Also that I would get BAH rate for here and not where my wife and daughter are in California which is almost $1200 a month less...

My wife doesn't work. And I'm not sure if I should just roll with it or if I should just move them here on the govts dime and then same to the next duty station. The thing is I'm already here in the barracks, is it too late to move them here?

This is frustrating cause I am losing almost $1500 a month it seems yet I still need to pay my California priced bills while I am receiving Oklahoma rates and no separation. I'm going to contact the finance and transportation offices to see what my options are next week but just want some opinions.

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[paul0660]

I don't have a dog in this fight, never served (although my dad did forever). But are you saying the DOD should pay for California rent for your dependents while you are in OK, because you did not want the DOD to pay for them to move to OK?

My wife doesn't work. And I'm not sure if I should just roll with it or if I should just move them here on the govts dime and then same to the next duty station.

Isn't that what you and the DOD want?

[JayTee_IsMe]

I'm saying that's how its supposed to work. From my understanding. All my peers here are here and getting paid for where their families are. I'm not trying to get over on the govt I just don't understand why I am the exception. Its pointless to spend out of pocket for a 17 week move. Which is why I wasn't supposed to be authorized unless my training was 20+weeks.

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[paul0660]

why I am the exception

That is weird. Good luck.

[rooster85]

No clue how the army does things but I've had Marine buddies that were stationed in san diego and their wives lived elsewhere and they got SD BAH and seps and all that. Why not move them to be with you, although Lawton sucks, and then move again to your duty station together? I believe you BAH rate is based off where YOU are not your dependents.

[tanksoldier]

ETA: Checked with a former troop of mine who is now an AIT Platoon Sergeant at Fort Sam Houston. Apparently AIT over 20 weeks IS considered a PCS.
They have lots of long AITs there and apparently quite a few people in this position. Most don't move their dependents because they have ZERO time to spend with them anyway.

However, PCS of dependents IS authorized, so if you choose not to move your dependents you still get BAH but you get it for your place of duty, not their place of residence.

The irony is, if you were still USAR and attending AIT in "TDY and return" status, you'd get BAH for their place of residence.

\/\/ What I wrote below is partially incorrect. \/\/

**********************************
This SHOULD be handled the same way TDY schools en route during PCS are handled. Your family stays at the previous duty station, and collects BAH for that location, then joins you at your next permanent duty station.

my AIT which is less than the 20 weeks usualy needed to allow accompamied orders. Its only 17 weeks.

You aren't getting screwed per se, but there might be a mistake. You need to check into that. IF the orders shouldn't have been cut for your dependents THEN you should be an involuntarily separated bachelor and your SHOULD get BAH for your dependents at their place or residence.

But are you saying the DOD should pay for California rent for your dependents while you are in OK, because you did not want the DOD to pay for them to move to OK?

DoD usually doesn't move dependents for short stays because they just have to move them again. Cheaper to pay the BAH than move everybody repeatedly.

IF the regs are the same as they used to be his orders shouldn't have been cut for a dependent move and he should be drawing BAH for them instead. I've never heard of ANYBODY taking dependents to AIT. You should be in barracks/ BEQ regardless of marital status or pay grade. NCOs I've known who were changing MOSs had to stay in BEQ and attend class & PT with their AIT units.

OP: You need to check with your supporting finance detachment.

I believe you BAH rate is based off where YOU are not your dependents.

True, UNLESS the separation is involuntary. An unaccompanied tour is an unaccompanied tour, whether it's in Afghanistan, Korea or a long school at Great Lakes.

[laabstract]

You usually get BAH for where you are stationed the only time they pay BAH based on your spouses location is when you are oconus.

[whatpain]

haha welcome to active duty bro!! this is just the first in a series of paperwork snafus you will encounter along the way. i dunno how you got orders to bring your family they dont usually do that for a tdy enroute to pcs. but your pcs orders will say that you can move household goods and fam so maybe its just your pcs orders?? i dunno how it works going from reserve to ad but i did a tdy enroute from korea and my tdy orders specifically said no household but my pcs orders did. maaybe they accidentally attached household to tdy orders instead of pcs orders???

[whatpain]

oh but when ni left korea they packed up my household goods and shipped them to campbell so when i got there they were there waiting for me?? so maybe your supposed to pre ship your family??

[Punisher]

Bring this up to your chain of command to get it resolved.

If your home of residence is California and you're temporarily assigned to your location, then you are probably right that your family should stay in Cali and you get Cali BAH. Then when you PCS, your family should come with you and you'll get base housing or BAH for wherever you PCS to.

[AfghanVetOrcutt]

Bring this up to your chain of command to get it resolved.

If your home of residence is California and you're temporarily assigned to your location, then you are probably right that your family should stay in Cali and you get Cali BAH. Then when you PCS, your family should come with you and you'll get base housing or BAH for wherever you PCS to.

+1

I also agree with the guy who said you shouldn't be able to have your family at AIT with you, I've never heard of the Army forkin over money for your family to be with you at AIT.

Also, welcome to AD, have fun. I got out ~7 months ago after 6 years active. Get used to getting screwed over brother.

[tanksoldier]

Bump to correct bad info I put out above.

[JayTee_IsMe]

Yeah thanks everyome for the input. It just pisses me off cause I know that I'm not supposed to be authorized and don't know why they would. There's no point in moving my fam here for 3 months. But at the same time Oklah BAH just doesn't cover Cali living costs. And I don't live above my means in Cali. Lol

I'm going to finance tomorrow to try to hash this out. I also got screwed in tje fact MEPs didn't tell me I NEEDED a POV and I get here and realize I have to bum rides with other reclasses around post cause trans isn't provided, which is something I askes before I left. So I'm just in a miserable world of s**t here. I hope this all gets figured out. But I guess if thr Army will cover both moves, why not. I thought the Reserves was a gagglefu*k!

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[tanksoldier]

I know that I'm not supposed to be authorized and don't know why they would.

If you knew it you should have asked about it when you got the orders.

Unless it's changed in the last few years the program that is used to write the orders is OLD. DOS based IIRC.

Everything is pre-written paragraphs, and the person cutting the order puts in what options they need by number: 1, 3, 17... and then the program writes a form letter with those paragraphs added. Put in 113 by accident and you just authorized someone to carry a general officer's sidearm while traveling... even if they aren't a GO... when you meant to use options 1,13.

Prior service entering duty at a MEPS probably almost always travel with dependents, so that's what the clerk is used to putting in the orders. Everything is 2, 14, and 17 or whatever.

You have to READ everything you're given, ask questions and keep a copy of everything. The Army doesn't make mistakes. The people in it sometimes do. At the end of the day only YOU are looking out for YOU.

You should be able to get this fixed, but if you'd read your orders when you got them you might have avoided it.

[todd2968]

My wife hit the same snag in the Navy
She went for 7 months to close out a battalion that was decommissioning so she could get orders back to SD. During that time they took away her SD bah and gave her a lower one.
Was told it was the policy of the base and not automatic that the bah is where the dependants are