Posted on 07/14/2015 4:41:28 PM PDT by ParityErr
Hey all! I need some advice from former or current military members. My daughter and her high school sweetheart got married a couple of weeks ago. He's currently active duty Marine stationed at Camp Pendleton. He's been there only about a year. Great kid and great Marine. He had to return to base while she stays here while waiting until they can send their marriage license through channels so they can get their housing allowance and get an apartment. A little screw up has added a couple of weeks to the wait.
The problem is that he pulled the trigger early and submitted paperwork that he wouldn't need base housing at the end of July. According to him(this is through my daughter) to re-submit for base housing would take weeks and by the time it went through they would be ready to move off base. With the lousy pay they get he can't afford to pay for an apartment without his housing allowance.
I suggested staying with a fellow Marine that lives off base but that isn't an option. I also suggested that he speak to his sergeant but according to him that also isn't an option. He's a great kid but a little wet behind the ears so maybe there's an option that he doesn't know about. I figured with the amount of Military people on this board I could get some good advice. Thanks
If I understand right, he told them he was getting out of the barracks. Now, he has no place to stay? Is that it?
That is correct. End of July. I suggested he just start the paperwork to stay on base.
“The problem is that he pulled the trigger early and submitted paperwork that he wouldn’t need base housing at the end of July.”
How did he not know he was getting married?
Retired Air Force SNCO here.
Now I’ve been retired for 13 years so my suggestion might be a bit dated, but here goes:
1) For single enlisted people, the ability to get BAH (Basic Allowance for Housing) (formerly BAQ (Basic Allowance for Quarters), don’t know what it is called these days) is based upon the availability of on-post housing (a/k/a barracks).
2) For junior enlisted (like E-1 through E-4), there may be a requirement to get permission from his unit commander to live off-post, regardless if he’s married or not. That used to be an issue with the AF but wasn’t so much before I retired. It may still be an issue with the other branches of the service.
3) The way it used to be, your S-I-L should be entitled to BAH regardless if he lives on base or not, as he is legally married. He is obliged to care for his dependents (a/k/a his wife, your daughter). He should get paid for BAH backdated to the day that they were married on their marriage license. (That’s a good thing, as the back payment could be very helpful for a security deposit on an apartment). The BAH allowance disappears if they get base housing (because, technically, they get BAH in lieu of government housing). But since the government is not providing the family housing, he should be getting BAH.
4) Your daughter is entitled to a military ID card...and should have that ID card as of the day they were married. It is of crucial importance that your S-I-L take a copy of their marriage license to the personnel office and get her registered as a dependent (that includes any of her children, if she had any from before they were married...no offense, but it happens these days). Her getting an ID card entitles her to go onto any military base and use the clinic, commissary, PX, and so on. It also signs her up for the military health insurance (a/k/a Tricare). That is important to save her (and you) money in the event it’s needed.
When I was in only E4 and above qualified for on base housing or off base housing allowance. If he qualifies why couldn’t she simply postpone the move until he can start getting the pay.
Talking w the first sergeant is a very, very good idea. SIL might get a verbal talking-to (we called it something different), and he might get some extra training (and he might have a need for it, and that's okay) but he should be used to some verbal flak by now.
All the very best to you, your daughter, and your Marine-in-law. (ooo-rah!)
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I am active duty Air Force, but I work with Marines. Although I agree with a lot of the general information posted here (like “talk to the First Sergeant”), realize that each branch handles issues slightly different and that things change over time. Your best bet is to get advice from an AD Marine.
I work with a bunch of Marines. If you don’t mind, I can copy the general info you posted and take it to work tomorrow and see if they have any advice for this kid.
I second that
She stays with you until they can afford to get a place together
He stays in the barracks or finds someone who will take a temp roommate
Go through the chain-of-command.
Yeah, they’ll tease him, but they aren’t going to make him sleep in a dumpster.
I’ve been out for awhile, but there was always room in the barracks.
By “re-submit for base housing would take weeks”, I assume that the wait list is several weeks, because applying for base housing only takes a few minutes at the housing office.
I suggest your daughter go to “http://www.militaryonesource.mil/"; to check out the housing situation on base. Some bases post lists of available base housing on the internet. She should also browse the base website, since it will have a list of some of the services available on base and links to other resources (like military one source).
During duty hours, she should definitely go to the base housing office. People there will be able to help her understand the options.
In addition to on-base housing, the base housing office will have lists of available apartments in suitable areas. They do try to steer young service members away from the less-desirable parts of town.
Believe me, there is no shortage of advice/assistance to help young military people and their families! The services do not want to let any of their members slip through the cracks.
There is always room.
He has a chain of command. He needs to follow it and take whatever instruction is his reward.
And there is always Navy Relief. Wonderful people.
I had something similar happen to me, I ended up having to pay for the Navy Lodge for 2-3 weeks or so.
I was told, think of it as punishment for not planning and following procedure.
The good thing was, that the Navy Lodge hooked me up with a greatly discounted weekly rate when I explained what happened.
Alot of the on base services are partially or fully funded through the enlisted welfare and recreation fund. Its there to help the servicemen and women.
They were married June 28th so he figured that by the end of July the marriage license would have gone through and he would have received his housing money. The screw up with the license added a couple of weeks.
He's an E3. Still wet behind the ears.. She is staying here until this gets figured out. Getting him qualified requires their marriage license approved.
Talking w the first sergeant is a very, very good idea. SIL might get a verbal talking-to (we called it something different), and he might get some extra training (and he might have a need for it, and that's okay) but he should be used to some verbal flak by now.
All the very best to you, your daughter, and your Marine-in-law. (ooo-rah!)
Thanks... He doesn't have a problem with any extra flak. He's a good kid. I'll suggest again for him to speak to his first sergeant
Yeah, they’ll tease him, but they aren’t going to make him sleep in a dumpster.
I’ve been out for awhile, but there was always room in the barracks.
This. He's hardly the first E-3 to be in this situation.
What I’ve read to this point has all been excellent advice, especially the parts about using his chain of command to full effect. This will help him learn how the USMC world goes around for the next time. Right now, he’s a very young Marine that doesn’t know how to work the system and thought he could do it himself. Now, he gets to learn the right way to work the system from those who know it best.
Your best advice to your daughter is to see to it she gets taken care of for becoming a properly documented dependent so she gets the services she deserves. This should also connect her to the enlisted wives who can also show her the ropes. She’ll do well to listen to them in the same way her husband needs to listen to their husbands.
I work with a bunch of Marines. If you don’t mind, I can copy the general info you posted and take it to work tomorrow and see if they have any advice for this kid.
Any help would be appreciated. Thanks!
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