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Comment by Anti M on June 21, 2017 at 10:50am

LOL, "medical need".

Comment by Anti M on June 21, 2017 at 7:03am

The one thing about BAH is that a sailor with dependents will always get the housing allowance.  What zip code is used is the issue.  During basic and school, it is based on where the dependent resides.  After that, it is the duty station where the sailor is assigned, unless they are where dependents cannot go.  Some situations, such as a medical meed, override that rule.  A dependent in the exceptional family member program may need to live near where they can be treated.  If so, the paperwork is submitted and they can receive BAH for that area.  If the sailor is overseas, and the dependent cannot go, they get BAH for their home in the US.  Then there's Hawaii.  It baffles me, and the answer seems to depend on the command funding.  Some commands have the budget for approving dependents, some do not.  Apparently.  I don't really know.

You will hear "geographic bachelor" a lot.  That is not as simple as it once was.  Used to be a sailor could get paid to leave the family behind, and stay in the barracks for free.  Now that doesn't fly.  The barracks are often full.  Married sailors get BAH, so they have to go find a place to live, or worse, live on the ship.  Living onboard sucks, and is not always possible.  If their dependents do not live in the same area, too bad.  While they can ask for money for two households, or a household and a barracks room, it happens less and less often.  

OHA is different in that it covers actual cost of rent and utilities more closely then the blanket payment of BAH.  There is talk that BAH will change soon, so that folks are not living below the BAH ceiling and pocketing the difference.  

Comment by blackbirdmom on June 20, 2017 at 8:29pm

I find a lot of this confusing. :-) And I've seen so many different situations posted. Some say getting a waiver was no problem, others waiting years, some getting BAH as a dependent but not living with their sailor. I guess it will all work out the way it will work out. And when I know more, I can post as to what happens with our couple. 

Comment by Anti M on June 19, 2017 at 11:23am

I saw your reply on the blog and answered as best I could there. I wish I could nail down the actual answer to the Hawaii OHA/BAH issue.  They won't let an unsponsored dependent live in base housing, and will not authorize OHA (overseas housing allowance).  Yet all dependents are eligible for BAH.  I find this very confusing, and just cannot get a firm answer.

Comment by blackbirdmom on June 18, 2017 at 9:04pm

I have a few more questions on this subject, but I'm going to ask them over on your blog, so that maybe if someone else is doing a search, it will come up there and help others. 

Comment by blackbirdmom on June 18, 2017 at 7:50pm

Anti M -  I also just found your blog. I was doing a search and it was on the last page. 

Comment by blackbirdmom on June 18, 2017 at 6:21pm

I found the forms. He told me that his sponsor was supposed to call him this week, and he would ask about command sponsorship and about everything they need to do. 

Comment by Anti M on June 18, 2017 at 3:42pm

Google to find the overseas screening forms.  Can't hurt to get them done.  Does he have a sponsor listed on his orders yet?  If so, he should call and ask about command sponsorship, and how soon he can begin that process.  They usually make them check in first, but it does not hurt to ask, they may say go ahead.  

Comment by blackbirdmom on June 18, 2017 at 2:20pm

Her job will transfer, since she works for a national company. However, it won't pay enough for her to live there independently. I think this will just be a waiting game for them. Not worried about the checklist, as she's had no medical issues, no criminal activity and only knows 3 people outside of the country (Scotland). It wouldn't take anyone more than 10 minutes to see her whole life history. LOL  I want to be knowledgeable about what we have to do to make the process go smoothly here on our end. She's been told to go to a "military" doctor for her medical. Our insurance will pay for that. 

Comment by Anti M on June 18, 2017 at 2:00pm

The checklist is not much different.  They look at medical history, criminal background, foreign contacts.  He will need to go to his new command alone, and apply for a command sponsorship waiver.  Every command varies a lot on whether they will sign off on it.  Some will, some will not.  Now Hawaii is the US, so nothing would stop her from going there.  Howeer, the Navy will offer her little in the way of support.  No OHA or COLA, not eligible for base housing, she'd be on standby status for medical, and her transportation would always be out of pocket. Hawaii is crushingly expensive without the extra Navy allowances.  She can just go, but living on an E-3 or below pay?  A nightmare.  

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