Ok, so this might have been asked before, but I can't find it, so I'm asking it myself.
FI and I are getting married May 6, 2011. He's an E-4 stationed in in Northern VA and I live in the Chicago area as I'm finishing up college. I would LIKE to move out there and move in together as soon as we're married, but FI doesn't think we can get BAH or backpay for BAH for at least an entire pay period. That would mean that I can't move out there until the BAH kicks in, which isn't something I want to do. FI is on TDY until Thanksgiving, so he can't really go to Finance on base to get these questions answered and it's really bothering me, so I thought I'd ask other Knotties with previous experience.
Can anyone tell me how this works? Is it possible for him to move off base and receive BAH BEFORE we get married so that we have a place I can move into as soon as we're married? Can we get a place as soon as we're married and receive backpayed BAH? Help!

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RSVP Date: March 11
Re: Question about BAH and Marriage
You will not recieve BAH for the time you aren't married if that's what your asking. But, if you do not move out right away you will recieve BAH from the time you got married. Does that make sense? When my H got his first pay with BAH added, there was half of that months, plus all of the previous months since we'd been married.
Why can't he go to Finance, or call them? They will have general info, even if he's TDY.
ETA: Is he in Tech School? Even without a dependent he should recieve BAH. When he is permanent party and not TDY he should be able to move off base....right? I'm no expert.
H lived off base as an E-4 and recieved BAH before we got married. He wasn't TDY though.
But I've heard of people (not on his base, but in general) whose FI's moved off base and received single soldier BAH, then they moved in with their NH after the wedding. Does every base do this? Would it be possible for him to do this as an E-4?
Or is waiting to move out there until the "with dependent" BAH kicks in our only option?
I guess I'm just super confused about our options and how all of the BAH stuff works.
RSVP Date: March 11
[QUOTE]<strong>H lived off base as an E-4 and recieved BAH before we got married</strong>. He wasn't TDY though.
Posted by Sammy0709[/QUOTE]
I'm quoting myself because I gave you a direct example of an E-4 who lived off base and recieved BAH before getting married. I'm almost positive the rules about when you can do this are military wide, not base to base.
The best bet is for your FI to go to the housing office, and probably finance, if they can't answer everything. Housing will be able to give info about living off base. Or he can call the base directory and get the number.
RSVP Date: March 11
RSVP Date: March 11
Also, vlk263 , which base is FI at, if you don't mind me asking? Hopefully that could be an option for us!
RSVP Date: March 11
[QUOTE]I was wrong about being able to get BAH and live off base as an E-4. H had special circumstances leading to him moving off base early. You have to be an E-5.
Posted by Sammy0709[/QUOTE]
<div>Even then, it depends on the service and the base. In the AF, NCOs get BAH. It's the way it is. Of course, NCO doesn't start until E5 in the AF. At MCBCP, they make some of the Marine E5s live in junior enlisted housing, rather than give them single BAH. They used to easily approve single BAH for E5s, now it's a huge special request that has to get signed off on multiple levels.</div>