Basic Allowance for Housing (BAH) and Overseas Housing Allowance (OHA) Policy Changes

1. PURPOSE. TO PROMULGATE THE RECENT BAH AND OHA
POLICY CHANGES THAT AFFECT MEMBERS WITH DEPENDENTS EXECUTING
PERMANENT CHANGE OF STATION (PCS) ORDERS BETWEEN CONUS AND
OVERSEAS LOCATIONS. EFFECTIVE 1 JAN 2006, BAH IS NO LONGER PAYABLE
WHEN A MEMBER WITH DEPENDENTS, ASSIGNED TO CONUS, IS ISSUED
ACCOMPANIED ORDERS OVERSEAS, AND THE MEMBER EXECUTES THOSE ORDERS
BUT ELECTS TO LEAVE HIS DEPENDENTS IN CONUS DUE TO PERSONAL
REASONS. UNDER SUCH CIRCUMSTANCES THE MEMBERS HOUSING ALLOWANCE
IS BASED ON THE NEW PDS (OVERSEAS) RATE EFFECTIVE THE DATE OF
ARRIVAL OF THE MEMBER.
2. BACKGROUND. REF A GOVERNS THE ASSIGNMENT OF MARINES. REF B
EFFECTS RULES FOR BAH INTRANSIT RATES, EFFECTIVE 1 JAN 2006. THE
RULES REQUIRE UPDATES TO REFS C AND D. CURRENTLY, THE BAH
REGULATIONS IN REF C ARE BEING INCORPORATED INTO REF D. RECENT
CHANGES TO REF D ALREADY INCORPORATE THE RULE CHANGES. REFS E AND F
PROMULGATE AND DISCUSS THE CHANGES. REF F LISTS SEVERAL SCENARIOS
THAT MAY OCCUR.
3. HOUSING ALLOWANCES ARE BASED UPON THE LOCATION OF A MEMBERS
PERMANENT DUTY STATION (PDS), EXCEPT FOR CERTAIN CIRCUMSTANCES AND
UNLESS SPECIFICALLY AUTHORIZED, APPROVED BY CMC (MM) FOR ANOTHER
LOCATION. BAH TYPE 2 (BAH II) DOES NOT VARY BY GEOGRAPHIC LOCATION
UNLIKE BAH (ALSO KNOW AS LOCALITY BAH), WHICH IS THE HOUSING
ALLOWANCE PAID TO MARINES ASSIGNED WITHIN THE UNITED STATES BASED ON
GEOGRAPHIC LOCATION, PAY GRADE, AND DEPENDENCY STATUS.
4. BAH RATES INCIDENT TO PCS BETWEEN CONUS AND OCONUS DUTY
STATIONS. MARINES TRANSFERRING FROM THE UNITED STATES (BAH LOCATION)
TO AN OCONUS DUTY STATION, BAH WILL BE PAID AT THE OLD STATION RATE
OR AT PREVIOUSLY APPROVED CMC (MMIA) LOCATION UNTIL THE DATE PRIOR
TO THE DATE THE MARINE REPORTS TO THE NEW (OVERSEAS) STATION.
MARINES TRANSFERRING FROM AN OVERSEAS DUTY STATION ,OVERSEAS HOUSING
ALLOWANCE (OHA) AREA, TO A CONUS DUTY STATION, OHA ENTITLEMENT STOPS
UPON DEPARTURE AND BAH II IS THE INTRANSIT RATE. EXAMPLE:
GENERALLY, MARINES TRANSFERRING FROM OCONUS PDS TO CONUS PDS, OHA
STOPS WHEN ECONOMY QUARTERS ARE VACATED INCIDENT TO THE MARINES
DEPARTURE FROM OCONUS LOCATION, AND BAH II STARTS ON DATE OF
DETACHMENT AND IS THE INTRANSIT RATE UNTIL THE MARINE REPORTS TO THE
NEW STATION.
5. CONUS TO OCONUS PCS, ACCOMPANIED TOUR, MEMBER TEMPORARILY LEAVES
DEPENDENTS IN CONUS.
A. EFFECTIVE 1 JAN 2006, BAH IS NO LONGER PAYABLE WHEN A MEMBER
WITH DEPENDENTS, ASSIGNED TO CONUS, IS ISSUED ACCOMPANIED ORDERS
OVERSEAS, AND THE MEMBER EXECUTES THOSE ORDERS BUT ELECTS TO LEAVE
HIS DEPENDENTS IN CONUS DUE TO PERSONAL REASONS. UNDER SUCH
CIRCUMSTANCES THE MEMBERS HOUSING ALLOWANCE IS BASED ON THE NEW
PDS (OVERSEAS) RATE EFFECTIVE THE DATE OF ARRIVAL OF THE MEMBER.
IF THE MEMBER IS AUTHORIZED TO RESIDE ON THE LOCAL ECONOMY OVERSEAS
WITH AN APPROVED HOUSING VOUCHER DD FORM 2367, THE CORRECT HOUSING
ALLOWANCE IS (OHA) AT THE WITH DEPENDENT RATE, EVEN IF THE
DEPENDENT(S) DID NOT RELOCATE. THE MEMBER IS ENTITLED TO ONLY ONE
HOUSING ALLOWANCE FOR BOTH HIMSELF AND HIS DEPENDENTS. A MEMBER
WHO ELECTS TO NOT EXECUTE HIS DEPENDENTS TRAVEL AND TRANSPORTATION
ENTITLEMENTS INCIDENT TO THE PCSOS AND THE MEMBER RESIDES IN
SINGLE TYPE GOVERNMENT QUARTERS IS NOT AUTHORIZED A HOUSING
ALLOWANCE.
B. WHEN ASSIGNED TO AN ACCOMPANIED TOUR, THERE IS NO AUTHORITY
TO TREAT THE DEPENDENTS LOCATION AS IF IT WERE A DESIGNATED PLACE
LOCATION AND PAY THE MEMBER BAH FOR THE LOCATION OF HIS DEPENDENTS
OR THE OLD PDS LOCATION.
C. THE ONLY EXCEPTIONS TO THE ABOVE ARE IF, IAW REF D, A MEMBER
SPECIFICALLY REQUESTS AND IS AUTHORIZED, APPROVED DEFERRED OR DELAYED
TRAVEL OF HIS DEPENDENTS TO HIS OVERSEAS PDS. IF AUTHORIZED,
APPROVED, THE MEMBER MAY BE PAID BAH AT THE RATE FOR THE LOCATION OF
HIS DEPENDENTS OR THE OLD PDS. SUCH REQUESTS MUST BE SUBMITTED VIA
THE MARINES COMMAND TO CMC (MM).
D. ANOTHER EXCEPTION IS IF THE MEMBER SPECIFICALLY REQUESTS AND
IS APPROVED BY CMC (MMEA, MMOA) A TOUR CONVERSION FROM AN ACCOMPANIED
-BY-DEPENDENTS TOUR TO AN UNACCOMPANIED TOUR.
6. ACTION.
A. COMMANDS. REQUEST COMMANDS PROVIDE WIDEST DISSEMINATION OF
THIS INFORMATION TO AFFECTED MARINES SO THEY MAY MAKE MORE FULLY
INFORMED DECISIONS. THE MOST OPPORTUNE TIME TO ASSIST MARINES
AFFECTED BY THE ABOVE BAH CHANGE IS DURING THE PORTCALL, AREA
CLEARANCE PROCESSING. THE FOLLOWING STATEMENT WILL BE INCLUDED IN
THE REMARKS SECTION (ITEM Q) OF THE AREA CLEARANCE REQUEST (SEE
FIGURE 4-18 OF REF G, INFORMATION REQUIRED FOR REQUESTING DEPENDENT
ENTRY APPROVAL, AREA CLEARANCE), THE MARINE HAS INDICATED THE INTENT
TO DELAY DEPENDENT TRAVEL OVERSEAS AND HAS BEEN COUNSELED AND
UNDERSTANDS THE FINANCIAL IMPACT OF THIS DECISION.
B. INDIVIDUAL MARINES. INDIVIDUAL MARINES SHOULD ADDRESS
SPECIFIC QUESTIONS TO THEIR COMMAND. INDIVIDUAL MARINES REQUESTING
DELAYED OR DEFERRED TRAVEL OF THEIR DEPENDENTS OR CONVERSION OF
THEIR ACCOMPANIED-BY-DEPENDENTS TOUR TO AN UNACCOMPANIED TOUR,
SHOULD SUBMIT SUCH OFFICIAL REQUESTS AS SOON AS POSSIBLE AND BEFORE
EXECUTING ORDERS TO CMC (MM).
7. THE POLICY AND GUIDANCE IN REFS B, C AND D AND THIS MSG SUPERCEDE
THAT CONTAINED IN REF H, AND REF H IS CANCELLED.
8. COORDINATED WITH DFAS, RFF, MI, RA AND MM.
9. APPLICABILITY. THIS MARADMIN IS APPLICABLE TO THE TOTAL FORCE.