Reservists’ BAH explained          Mike A. Glasch       Leader Staff

A Fort Jackson finance official says there are Soldiers who are not getting all the money to which they are entitled. According to Ed Hinson, director, Defense Military Pay Office, not all single Reserve and National Guard Soldiers attending Initial Entry Training are receiving their full Basic Allowance for Housing allotment. “The Army decided since mobilized Reservists were entitled to this (BAH), they went back and looked and decided since we are doing it for the mobilized Reservists then all Reservists (to include those in Initial Entry Training) should be entitled to it,” Hinson said. That change went into effect Feb. 1. The entitlement change applies only to single Reserve and National Guard Soldiers who are paying a mortgage or leasing a residence. To receive the BAH at the single Soldier rate, the single Reserve and National Guard Soldier must show a mortgage or lease agreement which is valid while the Soldier is on active duty. The problem, Hinson said, is that the address on Soldiers’ activation orders is not always the same as the address where the Soldier is actually residing. That, he said, can mean the Soldier is not receiving his full allotment. In such cases, the Soldier would receive the BAH rate for the address on the orders rather than his or her actual residence. “The law was very specific –– the BAH would be paid at the rate where the orders were addressed,” Hinson said. “We don’t have a choice. We have to pay based on what’s on the orders. Regardless of what address is showing up on the lease, what is on the orders is what counts.” But there is a solution. Soldiers need to contact their home units and fill out a DA Form 5960. A copy of the Soldier’s lease agreement or mortgage contract must be attached to the form. Ideally, Hinson said, “Reserve and National Guard units should ensure that before the Soldier comes on active duty that the addresses are correct. If they are not correct let’s get them fixed before the Soldier comes on active duty. Doing that will take a lot of burden off the Soldier.” Not having the correct address on the orders could also cause Soldiers to receive a larger entitlement than what they are due. In that case, Hinson said the Soldiers could be in for a shock when they return to their home unit. “Now we’re dealing with indebtedness,” he said. “If a Soldier is receiving too large a BAH while he is in IET, when it does eventually get fixed he’ll probably go through two or three drills without getting paid to take care of that indebtedness. “It has to be fixed before the Soldier gets here. We don’t have the manpower or time here at DMPO to get it straightened out. The Soldier will have to wait to get back to his home unit to get it fixed.” For more information, call 751-4576