Expert: MARK A. HOWELL - 4/9/2009

Question
Sir,
    A married O4 with dependents detaches his command in Kansas June 5th.  He transports his wife and two children from the house he had been renting in Lawrence, KS to his next duty station in Key West, FL.  They will arrive NLT June 12th; where he recently closed on a new home.  He can't check in to his new command at Key West, because he still needs to attend a 3-month training course in Norfolk first.  (The gaining command doesn't have the travel funding to send him to the school in Norfolk.)  
    I am being told his BAH entitlement rate will be based on Kansas (his past duty station) not the actual location where his family will residing (Key West).  This doesn't seem to pass the fairness test.  [But it wouldn't be the first time the JTFR hosed a military member.]
    Geo-bachlors are entitled to the BAH rate of where thier dependents are actually located.
Very respectfully,
Will

Answer
Will,
Evidently the previous base is sending him TDY enroute to his new location.  Which means that Command still "owns" him.  Until he inprocesses his new command he receives BAH from Kansas.  Doesn't matter where he voluntarily moves his dependents for those 3 months.  If it were more than 3 months he'd be considered PCS and then his BAH will change.

Otherwise everybody would move their dependents to Alaska while they're in Tech School and draw enormous BAH for 3 months.

He should see his base finance office for a thorough personal explanation if he thinks he's being hosed.
Colonel H