BAS in the pipeline/while attached to a carrier/sub

[dm274206]

Hey everyone,

I've looked all over the forum, but I can't find anything regarding this topic. My recruiter told me that if you're in school, like the nuke pipeline, or attached to a ship with a galley then you don't get BAS because you get a meal card to eat instead. I am married with a child on the way, so we're either going to be in housing or getting BAH off base...so I pose this question to those who have been in my shoes before, do you still get BAS as a married sailor, or is my recruiter right? My apologies if this question was answered somewhere else on this site...I really did spend a lot of time looking for it. Thanks to those who respond in advance.

[Starkist]

Your recruiter is... wrong? That or he's just dumbing it down for you.

You ALWAYS get BAS.  Your BAS gets reduced by meals subsidized at school or on the ship.  Food for thought (no pun intended), never count BAS as "income". BAS is not affected by marital status or dependents either, as its "for you".


BAS is 384.44$ a month right now. Most of that will be taken away. Your concern will be base pay and BAH.


Officers have their own set of rules with regards to uniforms and food allowances.

[Ahmahzahn]

While at Nuke school, if you are married, you will receive most (if not all) of your BAS, as you'll live off-site and will be expected to take care of your meals.  You can still eat at the galley, but they will charge you per time, not a flat month rate ($260ish) for non married sailors. 

[DDMurray]

Your recruiter is... wrong? That or he's just dumbing it down for you.

You ALWAYS get BAS.  Your BAS gets reduced by meals subsidized at school or on the ship.  Food for thought (no pun intended), never count BAS as "income". BAS is not affected by marital status or dependents either, as its "for you".


BAS is 384.44$ a month right now. Most of that will be taken away. Your concern will be base pay and BAH.


Officers have their own set of rules with regards to uniforms and food allowances.

You don't get BAS when attached to a sea-going command, unless that's changed in 3 years.  When I was on my Squadron tour, my pay was deducted for BAS day-for-day when I was underway.  Luckily the day-for-day sea pay made up for it.

[Gamecock]

You don't get BAS when attached to a sea-going command,

.....unless you are an officer.

But as an officer you pay....yes, physically have to stroke a check to the wardroom mess treasurer.... for your meals.....and you pay for every meal prepared......even if you don't eat it.

[MMM]

You ALWAYS get BAS, regardless of your command. At least that's how it's been for the last 17 years. How much you keep, well, that's a different story. For E-1 through E-6, it's based on whether or not you're expected to eat on the ship/galley. I believe in NNPTC, you get charged a meal deduction, which is the majority of your BAS, as there is a galley on site. At NPTU, there's no meal deduction.

[Already Gone]

Things have changed over the years, but for the last 10 or so, everybody gets BAS.

BAS has two distinct but essentially equal forms:
First is Subsistence In Kind (SIK).  This means that they give you food instead of money.  Your pay account is credited the same $348.44 as everyone else, and then the fixed daily cost of meals provided is deducted from your pay account on a daily basis.  You don't see the money.  Since the $348.44 is based on the cost of meals, it is basically a wash.  If you don't eat the meal, you get nothing.

Second is Commuted Rations (ComRats). This is where they give you money instead of food.  They credit the $348.44 and don't take anything back.  You buy your own meals.  If you eat at a government facility, you pay for the meals you eat.  Again, the cost of meals and your BAS are directly correlated so a meal at the dining hall is only going to cost a couple of bucks.

On a ship you will always get SIK and never get ComRats as your BAS.  On a ship, your CO is prohibited from authorizing you to be paid Commuted Rations unless the ship is in extended overhaul and the galley is unavailable.  It is very rare to get Sea Pay and Commuted Rations both for the same day.

Normally, married members who live off base are not required to use the dining facility at a shore command.  You may have to request this from your command. 

Bottom line (intending as I am to answer the OP's question) is that you will get fed every day or you will get paid the cash equivalent of a Navy diet.  No more, no less, for every day you are on active duty, including days when you are on leave.

The Navy is required to feed or pay the cost of feeding the servicemember only.  So, BAS won't cover the cost of feeding your dependents.  If you brownbag pb&j sandwiches every day, you might have a few bucks left to help with the family groceries, but it won't come close to feeding them.  If you are depending on BAS to get by, you're cutting too close to the bone.

[DDMurray]

You ALWAYS get BAS, regardless of your command. At least that's how it's been for the last 17 years. How much you keep, well, that's a different story. For E-1 through E-6, it's based on whether or not you're expected to eat on the ship/galley. I believe in NNPTC, you get charged a meal deduction, which is the majority of your BAS, as there is a galley on site. At NPTU, there's no meal deduction.

If you're on a sea-going command and your BAS gets offset by essentially the same amount to pay for the food, whether you eat three squares a day or not (plus mid-rats), then you essentially do not get BAS on board ship.

[MMM]

I never said you keep it, I said you always get it, which you do. You still keep a small portion of it, I think it's based on the assupmtion you eat 3/4 of your meals on the ship. Unfortunately, I've been off the ship for over a year, so I can't pull up the old LES and get actual numbers from experience. I think the meal deduction is probably about $300. Maybe I wasn't clear about the meal deduction part.

[dm274206]

Thanks all, that def clears it up for me.

[Velcro]

The only exceptions I know of to receiving BAS while on a sea going command is while stationed on a Trident.  If you live in the Barracks as a single sailor then you don't get the full amount.  If you are married or are receiving BAH and living off base as a single sailor then when the ship is deployed with the other crew, then you receive the full BAS, and you get that full BAS until the other crew pulls back in and turns the command back over. Been a few years, so not sure that has changed.