Moving Home During Deployment

[abuon18]

Hello,

So we have been living in San Diego the last year & a half while my husband was finishing school. Now he's finished and has just received orders to a ship that will be deploying shortly after (less than a month) after we get to his new duty station. Obviously this is not something we expected, and we were hoping to have time to settle in together before he had to leave for a deployment. With him having to leave right away now, we've been considering having me move back home during his deployment, and then when he comes back I'll move to where he is. We wanted to know if this possible and allowed. We don't want to do anything that will get us in trouble or raise any red flags. It would just be nice to be home with my family and friends while he's gone instead of being alone in a new state where I don't know anybody.

Has anyone done this? Is it allowed? How does it affect PCSing and BAH? Thank you in advance!

[Jenn_NicksWifey]

I moved home while my husband deployed.  It was to save money more than anything.  We lived in San Diego for 6 months at his first duty station before he deployed.  I was also worried about the "rules" on collecting BAH for his duty station while he was deployed and the kids and I were not there.  Someone had said it was "BAH fraud".  I asked his Command Master Chief (because I was interviewing for ombudsman, not just out of the blue gave him a call, don't go directly to the chain of command, have your hubby do it!).  He told me that he was 99% sure it was fine but he'd check and when he got back to me, he said he was 100% sure it was ok.  He said that BAH is based on duty zip code and there have to be extenuating circumstances for BAH to be for a different zip code.  For instance, Read Question 20.  So, that is from the CMC for my husband's command.  I recommend you contact his command's ombudsman here.  He should also be assigned a "sponsor" who may be able to help with some info on what's going on at that command.  

For how long is he going to be deployed?  I *think* I read on N4M that the Navy will pay for the move up to a year after the orders, don't take my word, but something to check on.  So if he's going to be gone 6 months, you may be good.  Basically, you'll want to call the Personal Property Office of the base he's being sent to and the Transportation Office because they are the ones that will be paying the move costs.  You can contact the ombudsman yourself.  If they will be getting ready to deploy, your hubby should be able to take leave, at my hubby's command, they called it "palm period".  He will need to check on that because if he gets it, he may want to go there, check into his command and get some quals done then take palm period leave and come home to help you move or hang with you for that time.  Feel free to message me, if you want. 

[abuon18]

Thanks Jenn! He just got his orders today so we are just really speculating to see if it's a possibility. He hasn't gotten in touch with his sponsor yet or chain of command (who I would never think of contacting myself!). Obviously I want to get the 100% go ahead from his ship but I figured I would ask since everything will begin moving so quickly now, if anyone has done it or has tried and not been allowed to.

So just to be clear, you continues receiving his duty station BAH while you we're living at home? Was there a process you had to go through or paperwork to update his ship to where you would be living?

We'll also have to figure out what to do with all of our stuff, since I'll be moving from San Diego back to FL while he's deployed. But that's a question I'll save for the PPO and transportation office. Did you leave your stuff in storage in San Diego or move it all back home?

[Jenn_NicksWifey]

Yes, we get BAH for San Diego and we live in IL.  All we had to do is update DEERS with our new address so that they have it and also update Tricare.  We were in the Southwest Region and are now in Tricare North.  That really doesn't matter for the moving, it's just a snag I ran into recently trying to set up my daughter's checkup. 

We really debated on moving all of our stuff back and then back again.  We did end up moving it all to IL with us and the main reason is because my husband is working on putting together an officer's package and he is hoping to be sent to OCS in Rhode Island shortly after he returns from deployment.  He has taken a test, I forgot what it's called, but he did really well on that and he has the support of his CO and XO plus some other officer that he needs to recommend him for the particular area he wants to go into.  So that was our logic.  If he goes to RI after he gets back, the kids and I will stay here and we didn't want all of our stuff in San Diego if we weren't necessarily going back.  Had all the pieces not fallen into place like they had, we probably would have stored a bunch.  Also, we were planning on moving back into the home we own here, but the tenants have decided that they want to stay instead of moving out as originally planned.  Lots of little things....   it'll make you crazy!

[abuon18]

Always little headaches! Well, good luck to your husband on his officer package! Since we will be moving anyway, since his orders are to VA, we have a lot of questions to get answers to! We just don't know what's allowed, as far as PCSing "rules". So we have to find all of that info out once he has his hard copies and can get going on this. And yes, I know these are just verbals, but through a lot of headaches of our own we know these are definite. He should get those tomorrow and then hopefully we can actually start getting our answers! Thanks for your time you have been SO helpful!

[Jenn_NicksWifey]

I wish you the best of luck!  It seems like every little thing changes in an instant and it interferes with your plans.  I hope you get all the answers you need and your move(s) are smooth and uneventful!  I never thought I would be wishing someone to have an uneventful day/night, but I wish it to my hubby all the time about his watches or his ops. 

[abuon18]

Thank you very much! Yes I find myself wishing for uneventful days now too!

[Angie]

What state is his new duty station in?

[abuon18]

His new duty station is in VA, we are moving from San Diego. I am considering moving home to FL... But of course not if it would get him or us in trouble.

[Angie]

You can more where you would like to he won't get in trouble for that...but now keep in mind if you move home and he is at his duty station he will get BAH for where he is at, unless he puts in the paper work to get BAH where you are at, and that doesn't always get approved.  Also sense you will be living apart he will  have to live on the ship as they are not going to put him up in barracks and give him BAH for being married.  As far as the Navy moving you all...they will only do one more so they won't move you from CA to FL and than move you from FL to VA.  

Lots of times young spouses move back home while their spouse is on deployment.  No one gets in trouble for it, it is very common to do that.  The issue is the moving.  He is going to have to let the travel people know where he is now what he plans to do and they can look up the instructions.  I have the instructions if you really feel like looking at it.   Click here and look in Ch 5

[abuon18]

Thank you Angie! We were more concerned with being "allowed" than the logistics and finances- if I move home we'll be able to save money so getting the lesser BAH isn't a big concern, and him living on the ship isn't a big deal because he'd be deployed anyway.

What we have to find out is if it's better to move our HHG to FL or VA... Our hometown is only an 11 or 12 hour drive to his base in VA so we could easily rent a truck to move our stuff back there if we needed to (we moved ourselves from FL to CA. While an experience, it's not one we want to repeat so as long as they'll move our stuff across the country we can figure the rest out!) I may be a new Navy wife but I've learned to go with the flow.... We're just exploring all the options right now before we decide what's best for us! Thanks again, I will certainly check out that link!

[Angie]

He might want to look into moving his HHG to VA and putting them in storage until he gets back from deployment and than everything  is there when you all find a place to live.  That is if you don't need that stuff down in FL.  I am not sure the Navy would move you to FL when his duty station is in VA...he will need to check that out ASAP

[meagan5220]

When my husband's ship moved homeports (a little different but hang tight lol) the PPO explained to my husband and myself that the Navy would only pay to move it to the duty station or the distance from the old duty station to the new station if you did a DITY but then you would be required to pay the extra distance and then pay to move it to the duty station in the future.

 

I know my friend had all of her stuff packed up in WA where the ship started and went home for our deployment and her stuff got to VA (which btw took it quite sometime to get all the way over there!) then they called her and asked if she was ready to receive it or if they needed to store it. Then after I think 90 days they called her back and asked if she was ready to get her stuff, they will extend the storage for free I was told if you need it but it depends on the reason, or I have heard also they can charge you a certain amount to hold it until you are ready.

 

I live in Virginia and I would highly suggest if you want to be settled in before deployment is over to possibly come a few months before you plan on finding a place and exploring the area. Its a very tricky area and what I may think is an awesome area you might decide is super ghetto. Its really a toss up, I wouldn't rely too much on other people if you have the opportunity to come up here and look around. I moved over here 5 months before deployment ended, mostly because they extended, it was only going to be a month and a half early but it ended up working out for the best, I had the house set up and knew some yummy places to eat and things to do and I had settled in to the area.