Having a dependent and BAH question

[jwill211]

Good morning,

Before I ask, I'd like to thank the administrators of this site for giving such a place for information to collect. I am currently waiting for a waiver for some traffic violations to come back before I go into the DEP program as a nuke, and can say honestly I had NO IDEA what a navy nuke truly was until I read as much information as I could here, and I'm certain my recruiter doesn't either.  I've searched for answers to this question without success, so here goes.

My girlfriend of 3 years and I are expecting a little one, our first on January 27 of next year.  In order to give us more opportunities and a better life AFTER the navy, we have talked extensively about making the sacrifice while I go in and train as a nuke.  I'm 24, she's 29, and we both after reading the info found on this site understand the time and separation that are going to be lost for not only us, but our child as well.

My question is this: My girlfriend is college educated and has a career and family here in south florida, where we both currently reside. She intends to stay here while I serve my time, along with the baby.  When I go into the service, my child will be claimed for tax purposes as my dependent, not both of ours obviously since we are unmarried.  Will I be eligible for BAH allowance due to having a dependent, and still be able to get it if the child doesn't live with me, since she will be taking care of the baby back in south florida?

Thanks in advance for the information

[still_in]

"Special rules apply for active duty members who live in single government quarters (such as barracks/dormitories) and pay child support. Married members and members with custodial custody of children are considered to "have dependents," (for housing purposes) and receive full-rate housing allowance (BAH), even if they reside temporarily in the barracks (such as in basic training, job school, or unaccompanied overseas assignment), in order to provide adequate financial support (housing) for their dependents.

However, military members who don't have custody, and are paying child support, *ARE NOT* authorized to reside in the barracks and receive full-rate BAH.

Instead, such members are paid an entitlement called BAH-DIFF, or BAH Differential. BAH-DIFF is the difference between the full married rate and full single rate of BAH RC/T, (which is a different allowance than the full-rate BAH )."

I found this on ask.com. 

To the best of my knowledge as long as you are on unaccompanied orders you will be in entitled to a barracks room and BAH.  If you are allowed to move your family for orders you should only be eligible for BAH, what you do with it is up to you.  This is what I have experienced in my time in the Navy. 

[HydroDave63]

the whole BAH and benefits thing would be easier to set up if y'all were married....just sayin

Good Luck!

[Samabby]

Man up and marry the mother of your child. 

" My girlfriend is college educated and has a career "

You are WAY ahead of most young Nuksters in this regard.

Good luck, son

[RDTroja]

Man up and marry the mother of your child. 

" My girlfriend is college educated and has a career "

You are WAY ahead of most young Nuksters in this regard.

Good luck, son

You assume a lot.

Maybe he asked her and she said something like "Not until you have a good job" and that is part of why he is joining the Navy.

My stepdaughter did the same thing. She was dating a guy (long term) and got pregnant even though she was on birth control. He was a year or two out of high school, no desire to go to college, living with mommy and daddy and liked that just fine, and worked part time (for mommy) stuffing envelopes. Not a very bright future. When they found out the news, he offered to marry her and she said something like I described above. I could not have been more proud... well, given the circumstances, anyway. He joined the Coast Guard and they got married after he finished Boot.

So don't assume that he needs to 'Man up' and ask. Maybe he is manning up so he gets the desired answer.

[Samabby]

What I choose to assume remains my decision, not yours, Sir. Peace.

[RDTroja]

What I choose to assume remains my decision, not yours, Sir. Peace.

I didn't say assumptions were not your prerogative, nor that you were wrong. I only said that telling someone to 'man up' in this situation may be inappropriate. Of course, bring inappropriate is also your prerogative if you choose that path.

Using your logic, whether or not he chooses to marry the girl remains his decision. So why do you butt in?

[jwill211]

From my own situation:  you will have to prove that you are paying child support - set it up through mypay to have it automatically deducted (allotment) - I think the minimum amount is $200-300ish.  I am pretty sure that you'll receive somewhere around $3-400/month without BAH.  I was already receiving single BAH, so they added what they call BAH dif (differential?), which made me eligible for dependent BAH.  You will not receive dependent BAH or any BAH for that matter unless you have a kid that's living with you (on your page 2 as such, parenting plan, etc, or you meet the normal req's for BAH).  The biggest thing is to get that allotment set up asap, as you can always request to get paid in arrears (which I did, just took FOREVER...).  You should try to get it figured out at MEPS if possible, then again at boot camp, but just assume you won't see any real action until you're in 'A' school and talk to personnel/admin there.

Words of advice:  you'll often get a lot of convenient/easy answers - if it doesn't seem to add up, it probably doesn't.  Good luck. 

Thank you for the response mell, this is along the lines of the information I was looking for, but if I'm understanding correctly you're saying there's 2 possibilities
1.  Have to be paying child support to receive the BAH
2.  Child would have to live on base with me to receive BAH

Unfortunately, in my situation I pay no court ordered child support, it isn't necessary as I'm already putting a roof over their head and trying to take care of whatever is needed as necessary.  Also, she is intending on staying home with the child so option 2 wouldn't apply as well.  I'll have to speak to the recruiters again at meps to see if they have any new info, they are extremely limited in their answers and I suspect honesty as well.

Man up and marry the mother of your child.  Cool

" My girlfriend is college educated and has a career "

You are WAY ahead of most young Nuksters in this regard.

Good luck, son

I appreciate this advice as well, but we are happy as we always have been now and neither of us feel its necessary to complicate things further.  This is no baby momma drama, we're both good people that have decent jobs, but I'd like to make the sacrifice now for the both of us and give us more options for the future.  In our current careers, we'd both be full timers for the rest of our days, whereas a few years of grit and hard work now could possibly pay off with a decent job for me down the road that would let her work less and be a mother more.  So, thanks for the advice but to each his own

[Already Gone]

I'm in the camp that believes that marriage shouldn't happen until you are ready for it. You are already the father of this woman's child.  That is a lifelong commitment in itself.  First, do right by the child, and you will be doing right by the mother of your child.
Marriage has some unique advantages to the young military member, but they don't justify entering into one before you are ready.
An enlistment and fatherhood are two huge undertakings for a 24 year-old man.  Best of luck to you in both.

[jwill211]

I'm in the camp that believes that marriage shouldn't happen until you are ready for it. You are already the father of this woman's child.  That is a lifelong commitment in itself.  First, do right by the child, and you will be doing right by the mother of your child.
Marriage has some unique advantages to the young military member, but they don't justify entering into one before you are ready.
An enlistment and fatherhood are two huge undertakings for a 24 year-old man.  Best of luck to you in both.

Your views on this and my own are almost one in the same.  We are closing on our first home, moving in together for the first time, having our first child, all within 30 days.  I'm running on all 8 keeping up with the new as it is, trying to worry about marriage before going into the service is the least of my problems at the moment. Plus, things are going smoothly now, if it isn't broke don't fix it!

[HydroDave63]

  I'll have to speak to the recruiters again at meps to see if they have any new info, they are extremely limited in their answers and I suspect honesty as well.

Are the recruiters liars simply because they aren't telling you what you want to hear?

The marriage decision is between you and your gf, of course. I think what the get-married folks are trying to say is that since you ARE doing all of the good and right things for your family, why not go ahead and get the benefits that are available in the Navy from it?  Without court-ordered support or full time custody or being married, the Navy might not pay you BAH at all. BAH is discretionary on the Navy's part if barracks or shipboard quarters are available (though I have been out a long while) and you are a single sailor, which by lack of the aforementioned you are in the eyes of the Navy. The recruiters may have no latitude to promise something to you that the Navy can't later deliver.

Good luck!

[jwill211]

Are the recruiters liars simply because they aren't telling you what you want to hear?

This couldn't be further from the truth.  In my case, I was told by my recruiters that
1. No one enters the DEP with the job designation as a nuke, so go ahead and sign for any job offered to me and they guarantee within 1 month I'll be reclassified to nuke.
2. Once I'm presented with an available job(s) from the career counselor at MEPS, I have to either sign for one of them on the spot or I will not be able to come back at a later date after thinking about it/discussing with family. The navy would be through with me at that point. When I asked if I were allowed to at least have a minute to call my family and then go back in the room it was as if I were pulling teeth.

So, after what I've experienced so far with the recruiter, he could tell me the ocean is full of water and I'd be skeptical.

[still_in]

Being married would have a lot of advantages for you and your family.  Healthcare is probably the largest advantage.  If you were married, your wife and child would be covered.  Im not sure if this would apply for your girlfriend but a lot of companies have a stipend or allowance for employees that do not use company health care. Marriage would also ensure you BAH.  Marriage would also allow your girlfriend the use of commissaries and exchanges if there are any in your area.  Lots of benefits with marriage but like you said, to each their own.

[Neutron_Herder]

I'm pretty sure you'll be eligible for the BAH-Diff part of it.  I'm not sure about the full BAH, but it's something anyway.  To get an idea of how much, Google BAH rates, and it should get you to a calculator to see the rates based on zip code.  It will give you the rates with and without dependents, and you would get the difference between the two...  I think.  Also, calculate it for both the Charleston zip code and your home zip code.  I'm not sure which one they would give you, but assume it will be the lower dollar amount.

Your child will also be eligible for health care from the Navy.  You mentioned that your GF has a career also, so she might have a healthcare plan too.  The Navy's healthcare plan is way cheaper (almost free), but your GF wouldn't be covered.

Big stuff to ensure happens while you're preparing for this...  First, make sure the recruiter knows what's happening.  They can't sign your child up as a dependent until it's born, but they can start to get the paperwork ready.  Second, and this one might sound silly...  Make sure you're on the birth certificate as the father!!!  I've seen guys lose out on benefits because the hospital just put the mom's name on there (especially when it's an unwed mom).  Very important to do this!

I would almost just wait the extra month or so and do the paperwork after the baby's born, and maybe even wait until you get a Social Security card for the child.  That way you're not dealing in the future with the recruiter, you're dealing with a current situation.  They're under pressure to get you in, don't let that pressure result in a loss of benefits to you and your family.

[Gamecock]

I'm pretty sure you'll be eligible for the BAH-Diff part of it.  I'm not sure about the full BAH, but it's something anyway.  To get an idea of how much, Google BAH rates, and it should get you to a calculator to see the rates based on zip code.  It will give you the rates with and without dependents, and you would get the difference between the two...  I think.  Also, calculate it for both the Charleston zip code and your home zip code.  I'm not sure which one they would give you, but assume it will be the lower dollar amount.

Your BAH rate will be based on your permanent duty station (i.e. Goose Creek, SC).  When you get to a ship (and are therefore at a duty station designated as "Extremely Arduous Sea Duty") you will then be eligible for BAH based on dependents location.

[Mike_Koehler]

Above all....... Thank you for your service.......

Happy holidays

Mike

[BillAllman]

I have a question concerning dependents and BAH. I leave for Boot Camp in May and am going to be a Nuke. Ive also been married for 3 years. During Boot Camp I know that my wife will get BAH according to her Area Code in Northern Michigan. What happens when I go to A School in Charleston? She is going to move there after i get down there, so will she get BAH to live down there or will she have to move into Government housing? If I have to live in dorms to go to school will she still get BAH to live in Charleston? Ive just been having troubles locating information about housing during Nuke school and how I'm going to accommodate my wife.

[still_in]

When I went through INDOC in 2001 we had a guy with the same situation.  He went to Charleston with the rest of us from Great Lakes.  He was in the BEQ's until INDOC started, reported on a Friday and INDOC started Monday.  On Monday the LPO's got him on leave and to the House Hold Goods office to get the paperwork completed for a Home of Record Move.  Once he was done with his move, he classed up one class behind me, about a week behind.

Once in Charleston, you and your wife will get BAH based in Goose Creek.  Base housing is the easiest answer on where to live and it is getting much nicer with new houses being built currently.  Living out in town has its ups and downs and should be evaluated very carefully.  You shouldn't have any breaks in BAH unless you extend your stay in the barracks. 

Its been a while since I experienced this so my information may be a little dated as to what NNPTC will do at INDOC but this should give you a general idea. Good luck.

[Neutron_Dodger]

I have a question concerning dependents and BAH. I leave for Boot Camp in May and am going to be a Nuke. Ive also been married for 3 years. During Boot Camp I know that my wife will get BAH according to her Area Code in Northern Michigan. What happens when I go to A School in Charleston? She is going to move there after i get down there, so will she get BAH to live down there or will she have to move into Government housing? If I have to live in dorms to go to school will she still get BAH to live in Charleston? Ive just been having troubles locating information about housing during Nuke school and how I'm going to accommodate my wife.

I was married when I enlisted.  When you get your orders in boot camp, fax them to your wife and she can start the ball rolling for your HHG move and getting housing.  I highly recommend you go the family housing route.  You don't have to stay in the BEQ... it is actually "double dipping" to stay in the Q and have a wife in housing or get BAH.  We stayed in housing in CHASN and it was great to be close to the schoolhouse.  I rode my bike to work!  If you live out in town the traffic can bite you especially when you get to NPTU.

My question is this: My girlfriend is college educated and has a career and family here in south florida, where we both currently reside. She intends to stay here while I serve my time, along with the baby.  When I go into the service, my child will be claimed for tax purposes as my dependent, not both of ours obviously since we are unmarried.  Will I be eligible for BAH allowance due to having a dependent, and still be able to get it if the child doesn't live with me, since she will be taking care of the baby back in south florida?

A note for your time in the service.  Learn to read instructions ASAP.  Google the instruction that covers BAH.  Don't just look at websites that offer the info...it may be way out of date.  Go to the instruction and you're golden.  Usually 20-30 minutes of reading through it and you've got your answer.  On a different note. 

Unless you guys don't have a problem with long periods of separation (years vice months) I highly recommend you use your girl's location on your dream sheet to get Kings Bay if you are a sub guy or Norfolk/Mayport if you are a surface guy (if a CVN goes to Mayport).

[Possible]

This couldn't be further from the truth.  In my case, I was told by my recruiters that
1. No one enters the DEP with the job designation as a nuke, so go ahead and sign for any job offered to me and they guarantee within 1 month I'll be reclassified to nuke.
2. Once I'm presented with an available job(s) from the career counselor at MEPS, I have to either sign for one of them on the spot or I will not be able to come back at a later date after thinking about it/discussing with family. The navy would be through with me at that point. When I asked if I were allowed to at least have a minute to call my family and then go back in the room it was as if I were pulling teeth.

So, after what I've experienced so far with the recruiter, he could tell me the ocean is full of water and I'd be skeptical.

So your recruiters are telling a bunch of lies? 1. I entered DEP with the rate of nuke. 2. I know guys who have gone to MEPS but not picked a job that day because they wanted more time to think about it so they came back at a later date. These lies don't even make sense because if you scored high enough to be a nuke your recruiter should be trying like crazy to get you into that rate. I know the recruiters around here are really competitive when it comes to signing up as many nukes as possible. I just took the pre-ASVAB when the BM1 (my recruiter) began talking about signing me up as a nuke. Your recruiter seems weird.