Boq

[boobcheese]

I am in the STA21 program and am a prospective NFO. I am currently stationed about 1.5-2hr from P-cola and my wife and daughter are settled in here with work/school etc. My current proximity combined the uncertainty of how long I will actually be in P-cola and the demands of flight school all are making me consider traveling unaccompanied and leaving my family at my present duty station. Though I have been in the Navy for a little over six years and done 3 PCS moves I have never gone unaccompanied and am not familiar with the process. Would I get BAH based on my family's location or my location? Would I be asigned quarters in the BOQ? If so does anyone know what the BOQ there is like? Thanks for any help.

 

[Josh04]

Not sure if this will help, but on my orders to report Feb. 1st they have this statement embedded:

BE ADVISED, EVEN IF MEMBER
CHOSES NOT TO BRING DEPENDENTS TO PENSACOLA, FL AREA, BAH RATE WILL
STILL SHIFT TO PENSACOLA RATE EFFECTIVE THE DATE THE MEMBER CHECKS
INTO THE NEW PDS. IF, HOWEVER, A CRITICAL HOUSING AREA (CHA)
DESIGNATION IS MADE BEFORE DEPENDENTS MOVE TO AREA, MEMBER MAY BE
ELIGIBLE TO COLLECT BAH AT THE OLD DUTY STATION RATE WHILE THE
DEPENDENTS REMAIN THERE.

 

[Fmr1833]

Not sure if this will help, but on my orders to report Feb. 1st they have this statement embedded:

BE ADVISED, EVEN IF MEMBER
CHOSES NOT TO BRING DEPENDENTS TO PENSACOLA, FL AREA, BAH RATE WILL
STILL SHIFT TO PENSACOLA RATE EFFECTIVE THE DATE THE MEMBER CHECKS
INTO THE NEW PDS. IF, HOWEVER, A CRITICAL HOUSING AREA (CHA)
DESIGNATION IS MADE BEFORE DEPENDENTS MOVE TO AREA, MEMBER MAY BE
ELIGIBLE TO COLLECT BAH AT THE OLD DUTY STATION RATE WHILE THE
DEPENDENTS REMAIN THERE.

Same thing on my orders and, as it turns out, P-cola is now a designated CHA, so, BOOBCHEESE, I'd talk to your PSD about keeping your current BAH should your fam stay put. That's what I am doing and it wasn't a prob at all.

 

[boobcheese]

Well I guess that answers that question but I am still very curious what the BOQ in P-cola is like. Are they private rooms? Do they have any amenities like a kitchenette etc. I'm just trying to get an idea of what life will be like. Thanks again.

 

[TurnandBurn55]

Yeah, I was in a permanent room in the BOQ about 6 weeks. Bedroom, living room, bathroom, washer and dryer, little kitchenette with a range, fridge, and sink. Bring your own TV and telephone, hafta arrange for Mediacom and Sprint to hook you up. Overall it's not bad, but really only makes sense if you don't have furniture or whatnot. Otherwise housing in PCola area is so cheap you'd be losing money by staying in the BOQ... I moved into a house with one roommate and I was literally making over $400 a month more just off BAH.. after I'd bought furniture and such

 

[VarmintShooter]

So can you live in the Q while your dependents remain at your old duty station (and still collect BAH for one of the areas)?

I was thinking about leaving my wife in Jacksonville and moving out to the squadron to find a house to buy, then moving her once I found the house and she was finished school. Can I live in the BOQ for that time and still collect some sort of BAH? It really wouldn't matter so much to me which area's BAH I collect, as long as I could collect one or the other.

Hope that made sense.

 

[boobcheese]

Once again I have never been in this situation before but I believe if you don't transact a PCS move(i.e. you elect to not have the Navy pay to move you or your family) then you will continue to recieve BAH and I also believe you will be put up in the BOQ at no expense to you. However I don't think this applies if you are just going to do a little house hunting. In that case I think you would just schedule a PCS whenever its convenient to you and you would be living off your own dime while househunting in the meantime. PLEASE CORRECT ME IF I AM WRONG ON ANY OF MY ASSUMPTIONS because I plan on traveling unaccompanied(no PCS move) to P-cola.

 

[trvsmrtn]

If you decide to go unaccompanied and stay in the BOQ you will receive BAH at the rate of your dependent's location and the BOQ should be no cost to you. Even if Pensacola loses its CHA status, you can still request to get BAH based on your dependent's location. If the BOQ is full, then by the book, you should get per diem to stay out in town, but what I've been told by the AF Capt in charge of API is that they are making guys stay in the BOQ at whiting if Pensacola is full. Of course I guess if both are full then you'll get per diem. BOQ rooms for API students are first come first serve, no reservations so get there early and fill up the BOQ at Whiting and Pensacola before I get there because for $100 a day I will live in my truck.

 

[boobcheese]

Are you sure you get per diem if there are no BOQ rooms available? Its not that I don't believe you I have just been unable to find any references that govern this situation and I would like very much to see that in writing($100/day would be awesome). How far away is Whiting anyway?

 

[trvsmrtn]

Milpersman 1320-200. Find your situation and it will reference the appropriate JFTR section, although NFO's may be different since you guys stay in Pensacola.

 

[WannaBEaP3gal]

Don't listen to anything trvsmrtn has to say... he is just trying to scam everything and everyone... haha... see you tomorrow!

 

[Godspeed]

HAHA 10 chars

 

[TurnandBurn55]

Are you sure you get per diem if there are no BOQ rooms available? Its not that I don't believe you I have just been unable to find any references that govern this situation and I would like very much to see that in writing($100/day would be awesome). How far away is Whiting anyway?

I can assure you I had that very situation happen to me. I had to go stay in a hotel in town for a week, and then come back to the Q... got full per diem for that week once I liquidated by orders.

Varmint- I specifically knew one guy in my class who did exactly that. His wife had a job in NY and didn't want to move to Pensacola, then San Antonio (dude wanted P-3s), then to wherever the RAG is (Jax?)... so she stayed at home, he lived in the Q in PCola, and... according to him... he scored full BAH the whole time.

 

[VarmintShooter]

Varmint- I specifically knew one guy in my class who did exactly that. His wife had a job in NY and didn't want to move to Pensacola, then San Antonio (dude wanted P-3s), then to wherever the RAG is (Jax?)... so she stayed at home, he lived in the Q in PCola, and... according to him... he scored full BAH the whole time.

Awesome ... thanks!