BAH, which is the abbreviation for basic housing allowance, is a benefit that military members are entitled to. Typically, it is straightforward. But in the case of two married members, the way it works can be a bit more complicated because there are many different factors to consider.
If you are struggling with your research on this topic, don’t worry. Our article will help. We will answer, “How does BAH work for dual military?” You can find everything you need to know about BAH for dual military here.
Table of Contents
Dual Military BAH
First, what does dual military mean?
Dual military is when two military members get married. It can also be referred to as mil-to-mil marriages, and are a lot more common than you may think. Married service couples are entitled to more benefits, including BAH.
That being said, what is BAH?
Now, let’s revisit what BAH (Basic Allowance for Housing) is. In essence, it is money provided by the military for military members to cover the cost of their housing and related expenses in the market when quarters are not given by the government.
How much a member receives depends on their pay grade, the status of dependents, and the location of deployment or duty station. The specific rate also relies on the housing cost averages of the year before, though it will not decrease if your situation remains the same. It will only decrease if you find yourself in one of the three following scenarios:
- You move (PCS) to a new location. Your BAH rate will adjust to the one that is in effect at that new station.
- You are demoted. Your BAH rate will adjust to reflect your lower pay grade, which may be lower than your previous BAH.
- Adversely, if you are promoted, and the higher pay grade has a lower BAH rate than your previous pay grade, you can opt for the higher rate.
- Your state of dependency changes from without-dependent to with-dependent, or vice versa. Your BAH rate will adjust to reflect this.
Now, onto the Army regulation for BAH!
Military Weds Living Together
- Each is entitled to their own BAH.
- With a dependent – The couple chooses between themselves: one person receives the higher BAH rate.
- It goes without saying that wedded military members can ONLY get BAH with dependents if they have a dependent, which most of the time, is a child.
- Even if there are more than one dependents (more than one child), the couple must choose between themselves: one person receives the higher BAH rate (meaning, each person cannot claim one dependent/child).
By the same token, two military members who are not married to each other or living together can get BAH with dependents, but if they get married, one will lose the BAH with dependents and revert to receiving just a single BAH.
Military Weds Living Apart (Plus, they do not have dependents…)
- They will be treated as single servicemembers
- Wherein each is entitled to their own BAH
Note: In the special case that the couple is not stationed together but does have dependents, the BAH will be given to one of the two residing in the same location as the dependents.
Also, it might be worth noting that if a service member has been authorized a dependent-BAH for a child from another marriage or for a dependent parent, they will uphold that entitlement regardless of their current relationship.
Military Weds Living in Military Housing
The couple will not be entitled to BAH unless there are special situations, such as a dependent parent or a child unable to live with the family. If you think you have a particular case like this, contact your payroll office for tailored help.
How Much Do Dual Military Members Receive for BAH?
Here is a sneak peek into the current BAH charts for members with and without dependents:
Dual military members with dependents
| KETCHIKAN, AK | OAKLAND, CA | REHOBOTH, DE | EGLIN AFB, FL | ATLANTA, GA | |
| E01 | $1,836 | $2,985 | $1,635 | $1,965 |
$2,022 |
|
E02 |
$1,836 | $2,985 | $1,635 | $1,965 | $2,022 |
| E03 | $1,836 | $2,985 | $1,635 | $1,965 |
$2,022 |
|
E04 |
$1,836 | $2,985 | $1,635 | $1,965 | $2,022 |
| E05 | $2,184 | $3,117 | $1,680 | $1,968 |
$2,058 |
|
E06 |
$2,199 | $3,645 | $1,743 | $2,085 | $2,280 |
| E07 | $2,301 | $3,687 | $1,803 | $2,229 |
$2,298 |
|
E08 |
$2,442 | $3,732 | $1,878 | $2,397 | $2,307 |
| E09 | $2,637 | $3,855 | $1,965 | $2,562 |
$2,361 |
|
W01 |
$2,202 | $3,663 | $1,755 | $2,097 | $2,295 |
| W02 | $2,361 | $3,705 | $1,833 | $2,298 |
$2,304 |
|
W03 |
$2,532 | $3,759 | $1,923 | $2,502 | $2,316 |
| W04 | $2,676 | $3,891 | $1,983 | $2,586 |
$2,391 |
|
W05 |
$2,844 | $4,044 | $2,049 | $2,682 | $2,502 |
| O01E | $2,331 | $3,696 | $1,818 | $2,265 |
$2,301 |
|
O02E |
$2,505 | $3,750 | $1,908 | $2,472 | $2,310 |
| O03E | $2,697 | $3,909 | $1,989 | $2,595 |
$2,403 |
|
O01 |
$2,193 | $3,180 | $1,692 | $1,986 | $2,088 |
| O02 | $2,196 | $3,639 | $1,740 | $2,082 |
$2,277 |
|
O03 |
$2,523 | $3,756 | $1,920 | $2,493 | $2,313 |
| O04 | $2,904 | $4,095 | $2,070 | $2,712 |
$2,541 |
|
O05 |
$3,174 | $4,338 | $2,175 | $2,868 | $2,721 |
| O06 | $3,198 | $4,374 | $2,190 | $2,889 |
$2,742 |
|
O07 |
$3,222 | $4,410 | $2,205 | $2,910 |
$2,760 |
Dual military members without dependents
| KETCHIKAN, AK | OAKLAND, CA | REHOBOTH, DE | EGLIN AFB, FL | ATLANTA, GA | |
|
E01 |
$1,377 | $2,433 | $1,350 | $1,599 | $1,587 |
| E02 | $1,377 | $2,433 | $1,350 | $1,599 |
$1,587 |
|
E03 |
$1,377 | $2,433 | $1,350 | $1,599 | $1,587 |
| E04 | $1,377 | $2,433 | $1,350 | $1,599 |
$1,587 |
|
E05 |
$1,638 | $2,706 | $1,503 | $1,833 | $1,845 |
| E06 | $1,647 | $2,862 | $1,590 | $1,959 |
$1,983 |
|
E07 |
$1,725 | $2,985 | $1,635 | $1,980 | $2,025 |
| E08 | $1,902 | $3,225 | $1,698 | $1,995 |
$2,109 |
|
E09 |
$2,001 | $3,381 | $1,707 | $2,019 | $2,166 |
| W01 | $1,665 | $2,949 | $1,632 | $1,977 |
$2,022 |
|
W02 |
$1,899 | $3,222 | $1,695 | $1,992 | $2,106 |
| W03 | $2,010 | $3,399 | $1,710 | $2,025 |
$2,175 |
|
W04 |
$2,202 | $3,651 | $1,749 | $2,112 | $2,277 |
| W05 | $2,331 | $3,693 | $1,818 | $2,265 |
$2,283 |
|
O01E |
$1,827 | $3,117 | $1,680 | $1,986 | $2,058 |
| O02E | $1,977 | $3,348 | $1,704 | $2,016 |
$2,154 |
|
O03E |
$2,169 | $3,642 | $1,731 | $2,073 | $2,274 |
| O01 | $1,644 | $2,850 | $1,587 | $1,956 |
$1,980 |
|
O02 |
$1,785 | $3,075 | $1,668 | $1,983 | $2,049 |
| O03 | $2,046 | $3,453 | $1,713 | $2,037 |
$2,196 |
|
O04 |
$2,307 | $3,681 | $1,800 | $2,238 | $2,280 |
| O05 | $2,385 | $3,705 | $1,842 | $2,331 |
$2,289 |
|
O06 |
$2,517 | $3,744 | $1,908 | $2,487 | $2,304 |
| O07 | $2,547 | $3,801 | $1,929 | $2,517 |
Note: You can also check your BAH with this online tool.
Conclusion
Congrats! You now have all the essential information to answer, “How does BAH work for dual military?” Hopefully, you have found what you need from our article. If you still have questions, please reach out to us in the comments below. Otherwise, share your thoughts and this article with other readers! Again, thank you for stopping by!
I am Everett Bledsoe, taking on the responsibility of content producer for The Soldiers Project. My purpose in this project is to give honest reviews on the gear utilized and tested over time. Of course, you cannot go wrong when checking out our package of information and guide, too, as they come from reliable sources and years of experience.