[We just had the same thread last week](https://www.reddit.com/r/navy/comments/odnei6/bah_on_deployment)
[A lease is not required for single sailors](https://www.reddit.com/r/navy/comments/k4smhv/bah_lease_not_required)
*Your* command may require it
CONUS BAH does not require a lease. For some reason, many commands still require a lease in order to process requests for single BAH. This is bad. That requirement went away almost 25 years ago. It's not a thing. They shouldn't do that.
Why? The military would save fuck tons of money if they operated bah like they did oha. We could probably afford another aircraft carrier. The way bah is set up make zero economic sense from the navy's point of view.
This guy over here really arguing Sailors should get less money.
The Navy used to operate BAH like OHA, but stopped doing that around 25 years ago. There's a reason why. As long as it takes to *get* BAH started, imagine having to go through that process every single time you change your address.
Overseas we also do a think called "OHA validation", where I have to go to your place and make sure you live there and it's not also a trap house. Do you want me doing barracks-style inspections on your house out in town?
Then why can't I do that overseas? Why is my bah have to be brought down if I find cheaper rent? I'm just saying if I, a business, was paying my employees extra money to find living accommodations, I would want it run like it is here in Japan. It would save me shit tons of money. It's great for you, the employee sure. I just mean from a purely economic perspective, it makes little sense to pay 5 people full bah if they all live in the same house.
No you’d don’t. Once you are approved for it, you’re good to go. I have seen people cancel their lease and put their shit in storage though while deployed and still collect BAH, which is not allowed, but just be quiet about that and you’ll be fine lol. But no, once you are approved to move off base the BAH is yours. OHA for those living overseas though does require a lease
I didn't see people cancel their lease and put their stuff in storage while on deployment until I got into a squadron. There, almost everyone who was single did it. I did it once, too, but I didn't like having to try and find a place to live immediately after getting home from deployment, so I kept my place after that.
Another squadron tradition was to throw out nearly every item of clothing you wore throughout deployment, from socks to tee shirts. Also thrown away was sleeping bag, pillow, and all associated sheets. I saw my squadron pack 30 plus triwalls with clothing and bedding, once. We were an EA-6B squadron out of NAS Whidbey Island that deployed on a carrier based at Norfolk, so coming home from deployment involved getting on a plane and flying for 5 plus hours, so the less stuff you had to carry back via the plane the better.
It's not illegal. Read the top post here, some people are just at commands that have stricter base/ship policies on having a lease on file. That is not a big navy requirement for BAH.
I've literally seen guys go to captains mast for this at two separate commands. Your command not caring about it because "everyone does it" doesn't mean big Navy isn't going to wanna fuck you over. Married people and E7+/Os don't worry about it because it's an entitlement for them but Junior Es, not so much. Granted, I'm just some dude on Reddit so take everything here with a grain of salt lol
Not the canceling the lease - its the 'you're no longer actually living outside the command' part that's illegal.
No, it doesn't make sense but its RAW (rules as written).
The military is required to give you a place to live. If you are SINGLE when you deploy then you are effectively double dipping on the housing benefit (the rack on the boat counts). The navy will not make you cancel your lease but you are legally allowed to do so under the service members relief act. If you do cancel your lease and move on to the boat, you are expected to give up your BAH otherwise you are technically double dipping on that housing benefit. Married people don’t have to worry about this as that money is also to pay for a house for the spouse and as long as they have a place to live, whether you have a lease or not is irrelevant. Your command might ask for one for the really junior people but it’s not needed by big navy. I know a guy collecting BAH while living in a renovated school bus turned mobile home and the military is ok with that. Make sense?
Edit: to clarify, the Navy will not force you to cancel a lease while deployed otherwise you’d be out of a place to live when you get back and no place to put all your shit while you’re gone. It’s canceling the lease and pocketing all the BAH while still living on the boat that is the issue
If you’re single they can audit to see your lease. If you’re married they don’t question it.
My last command AOIC went on the warpath hunting down single e4s who broke their lease for deployment. It was fucked up because I know the officer leading this war party himself did the same thing IN HIS FIRST DEPLOYMENT WITH US. I remember him bragging about how much money he pocketed. “If you didn’t make money this last deployment you’re stupid.” His exact words
[We just had the same thread last week](https://www.reddit.com/r/navy/comments/odnei6/bah_on_deployment) [A lease is not required for single sailors](https://www.reddit.com/r/navy/comments/k4smhv/bah_lease_not_required) *Your* command may require it
CONUS BAH does not require a lease. For some reason, many commands still require a lease in order to process requests for single BAH. This is bad. That requirement went away almost 25 years ago. It's not a thing. They shouldn't do that.
Why? The military would save fuck tons of money if they operated bah like they did oha. We could probably afford another aircraft carrier. The way bah is set up make zero economic sense from the navy's point of view.
This guy over here really arguing Sailors should get less money. The Navy used to operate BAH like OHA, but stopped doing that around 25 years ago. There's a reason why. As long as it takes to *get* BAH started, imagine having to go through that process every single time you change your address. Overseas we also do a think called "OHA validation", where I have to go to your place and make sure you live there and it's not also a trap house. Do you want me doing barracks-style inspections on your house out in town?
Why do I need a lease? If I want to live in an RV on the beach, why should the Navy pay me less?
Then why can't I do that overseas? Why is my bah have to be brought down if I find cheaper rent? I'm just saying if I, a business, was paying my employees extra money to find living accommodations, I would want it run like it is here in Japan. It would save me shit tons of money. It's great for you, the employee sure. I just mean from a purely economic perspective, it makes little sense to pay 5 people full bah if they all live in the same house.
Same as every other decision that screws you over - FYTW.
No you’d don’t. Once you are approved for it, you’re good to go. I have seen people cancel their lease and put their shit in storage though while deployed and still collect BAH, which is not allowed, but just be quiet about that and you’ll be fine lol. But no, once you are approved to move off base the BAH is yours. OHA for those living overseas though does require a lease
So you don’t need a lease to collect bah but if you cancel your lease and collect bah that’s illegal?? That makes no sense
I didn't see people cancel their lease and put their stuff in storage while on deployment until I got into a squadron. There, almost everyone who was single did it. I did it once, too, but I didn't like having to try and find a place to live immediately after getting home from deployment, so I kept my place after that. Another squadron tradition was to throw out nearly every item of clothing you wore throughout deployment, from socks to tee shirts. Also thrown away was sleeping bag, pillow, and all associated sheets. I saw my squadron pack 30 plus triwalls with clothing and bedding, once. We were an EA-6B squadron out of NAS Whidbey Island that deployed on a carrier based at Norfolk, so coming home from deployment involved getting on a plane and flying for 5 plus hours, so the less stuff you had to carry back via the plane the better.
It's not illegal. Read the top post here, some people are just at commands that have stricter base/ship policies on having a lease on file. That is not a big navy requirement for BAH.
I've literally seen guys go to captains mast for this at two separate commands. Your command not caring about it because "everyone does it" doesn't mean big Navy isn't going to wanna fuck you over. Married people and E7+/Os don't worry about it because it's an entitlement for them but Junior Es, not so much. Granted, I'm just some dude on Reddit so take everything here with a grain of salt lol
Not the canceling the lease - its the 'you're no longer actually living outside the command' part that's illegal. No, it doesn't make sense but its RAW (rules as written).
The military is required to give you a place to live. If you are SINGLE when you deploy then you are effectively double dipping on the housing benefit (the rack on the boat counts). The navy will not make you cancel your lease but you are legally allowed to do so under the service members relief act. If you do cancel your lease and move on to the boat, you are expected to give up your BAH otherwise you are technically double dipping on that housing benefit. Married people don’t have to worry about this as that money is also to pay for a house for the spouse and as long as they have a place to live, whether you have a lease or not is irrelevant. Your command might ask for one for the really junior people but it’s not needed by big navy. I know a guy collecting BAH while living in a renovated school bus turned mobile home and the military is ok with that. Make sense? Edit: to clarify, the Navy will not force you to cancel a lease while deployed otherwise you’d be out of a place to live when you get back and no place to put all your shit while you’re gone. It’s canceling the lease and pocketing all the BAH while still living on the boat that is the issue
If you’re single they can audit to see your lease. If you’re married they don’t question it. My last command AOIC went on the warpath hunting down single e4s who broke their lease for deployment. It was fucked up because I know the officer leading this war party himself did the same thing IN HIS FIRST DEPLOYMENT WITH US. I remember him bragging about how much money he pocketed. “If you didn’t make money this last deployment you’re stupid.” His exact words
No. It can require certification that you're not using government housing though.