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When I went to recruiting school we were taught to sell these "allowances" as earnings to show how much they would be making starting right out of high school. Heck, they even told us to call it a "clothing allowance" instead of a "uniform allowance" to make kids think the military paid for their civilian clothes.
BAH (housing), BAS (food), and the uniform allowance are not earnings and is the reason they are not taxable. They are things (housing, food, uniforms) that the government must provide a military member to allow them to serve in whatever location they are ordered. Only certain people get these as "allowances" in their pay check.
Not everyone gets these allowances as you have to qualify to receive them. They should not be figured into or discussed as what a new military members is going to make. Their base pay is actually what they are going to make and I can assure you it isn't $40k starting out.
I'm curious how long ago you were in or were recruiting? Now we give BAS even to Airmen who live in the dorms. She would give up the BAH if she lived in base housing, but with a family, she doesn't have to.
If she gives up the BAH to live in base housing, then her money goes farther as she doesn't have rent or a mortgage. Why would we not consider this?
EVERYONE is entitled to food (via allowance) or housing (via housing or money). You do not have to "qualify" for those. You do not have to quality for Tricare, or commissary privleges, or anything else either.
I'm curious how long ago you were in or were recruiting? Now we give BAS even to Airmen who live in the dorms. She would give up the BAH if she lived in base housing, but with a family, she doesn't have to.
If she gives up the BAH to live in base housing, then her money goes farther as she doesn't have rent or a mortgage. Why would we not consider this?
EVERYONE is entitled to food (via allowance) or housing (via housing or money). You do not have to "qualify" for those. You do not have to quality for Tricare, or commissary privleges, or anything else either.
Again, Air Force problems (similar to 1st World Problems). Everyone is NOT entitled to a food allowance in the rest of the military.
I retired 5 years ago and have a son on active duty now.
Navy personnel that are assigned to ships do not get BAS. They are expected to eat on the ship (even in port and if married drawing BAH). They don't all get BAH either as they are expected to live on the ship. My son ate and lived on the ship for almost 4 years (not by his choice).
Have you ever eaten or lived on a ship??? Do it for a couple years and then come back and have this conversation and tell me if we should consider it earnings.
Did you read my previous post? I explained in great detail why it shouldn't be considered as earnings. It is a benefit (for some) but it should not be described as what they will earn or "start out at" as that is misleading.
Same in the Navy. If you are single and live on base you do not get BAS. You are expected to eat in the mess hall. Married people get it, but is it enough to feed a family on?
And when I was an E1 living on base, I bought home 500/month. Hardly rolling in dough.
When I first came in I made $639/month base pay before taxes. The pay is wonderful.
Lived in the barracks four guys to a room, community bathroom, no doors on the toilets, ate every "meal" in the chow hall. My Recruiter told me I'd be rolling in the dough. Took me about two months to figure out he was full of it.
Same in the Navy. If you are single and live on base you do not get BAS. You are expected to eat in the mess hall. Married people get it, but is it enough to feed a family on?
It was for us. More than enough, really. But, not a large family.
Again, Air Force problems (similar to 1st World Problems). Everyone is NOT entitled to a food allowance in the rest of the military.
I retired 5 years ago and have a son on active duty now.
Navy personnel that are assigned to ships do not get BAS. They are expected to eat on the ship (even in port and if married drawing BAH). They don't all get BAH either as they are expected to live on the ship. My son ate and lived on the ship for almost 4 years (not by his choice).
Have you ever eaten or lived on a ship??? Do it for a couple years and then come back and have this conversation and tell me if we should consider it earnings.
Did you read my previous post? I explained in great detail why it shouldn't be considered as earnings. It is a benefit (for some) but it should not be described as what they will earn or "start out at" as that is misleading.
Point taken, but as a potential Air Force member she won't end up on a ship without allowances. However, your son was provided housing and food, and did not have to spend his pay on them. It's also misleading to say someone will make $23K a year, as laymen will assume they have to pay for food and housing with $23K a year.
It was for us. More than enough, really. But, not a large family.
It's over $368 a month, not taxed. It's enough to feed a small family if you're thrifty... if it's not enough, it's still a good deal of money that offsets your grocery bill. It is an allowance that almost everyone in the military gets if they have a family. There may be some extreme exceptions, but I can't think of a case where someone with a family wouldn't be entitled to it unless they were serving time in Leavenworth (even then they might get it, I'm not sure.).
It's over $368 a month, not taxed. It's enough to feed a small family if you're thrifty... if it's not enough, it's still a good deal of money that offsets your grocery bill. It is an allowance that almost everyone in the military gets if they have a family. There may be some extreme exceptions, but I can't think of a case where someone with a family wouldn't be entitled to it unless they were serving time in Leavenworth (even then they might get it, I'm not sure.).
BAS has nothing to do with families or dependents. It is for feeding the military member. You get NO rations allowance for dependents.
I just gave you a case where someone would NOT get BAS with a family. Navy members attached to ships do not get BAS even if they have a family they go home to every night. There are other reasons someone may not qualify to draw BAS.
BAS has nothing to do with families or dependents. It is for feeding the military member. You get NO rations allowance for dependents.
I just gave you a case where someone would NOT get BAS with a family. Navy members attached to ships do not get BAS even if they have a family they go home to every night. There are other reasons someone may not qualify to draw BAS.
Yes, but the OP asked about the AIR FORCE. The title of this thread is about the AIR FORCE. I'm not aware of any Air Force members stationed on Naval ships. While theoretically possible, I doubt it will be the case.
Air Force regulation 32-239 states
"1.1.3.2. With the exception of basic trainees and certain categories of personnel, all military members draw BAS."
From Air Force Regulation AFMAN 65-116V2
"6.8. Policy on BAS.
6.8.1. Effective January 1, 2002, all members entitled to basic pay have a continuous
entitlement to BAS, with the following exceptions:
6.8.1.1. Members in Basic Military Training (BMT)
6.8.1.2. Members in Officer Training School (OTS) who have no prior continuous
enlisted active duty (active or reserve component)
6.8.1.3. Members in excess leave status
6.8.1.4. Members absent without leave (unless absence is excused as unavoidable)
6.8.1.5. Members on educational leave of absence
6.8.1.6. Members, with no dependents, who are training for, attending, or participating
in, Pan American Games, Olympic Games, or other specifically authorized international
amateur sport competitions, who are subsisted during that period by a sponsoring agency.
6.8.1.7. Members serving a court martial sentence that includes an approved forfeiture of
pay and allowances."
I highly doubt any of these conditions are going to apply to her... so, since she was asking about the AIR FORCE, she will get BAS upon completion of basic training.
The reason I brought up dependents was because I thought deployed Air Force members only got BAS if they had a family back home. Since they have a dining facility in a deployed environment, I thought they lost BAS if they didn't have a family. I was wrong, they get the BAS no matter what.
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Everyone is NOT entitled to a food allowance in the rest of the military.
