Expert: Aaron Shifferly - 7/22/2009

Question
I am a new check-in at Mannheim Germany.  The hosuing office says that I have o move myself, wife, and daughter into on-post family housing simply because I'm married and there are so many housing untis available.  Every command that I have been to in my 13 years of service, I've always at least had the OPTION to choose where I could call my place of residence, but here I am being shown only one door and am being "forced" to choose that as my only option!  I have spent the last 5 days searching for any documentation or admin that specifies that I do not have to follow that particular standard when it comes to housing.  in addition, this base has been slated for closure and the main reason why they have lots of accomedations is because of said closure and so many soldiers being deployed on short notice.

Do you know of any exception to the rule that I may use in order to help my cause?


V/R,
Marshall

Answer
You need to go to the Housing office on Sullivan Barracks and request an exception to policy. If they're unwilling to grant you one, you need to be prepared to talk to the Garrison CSM across the parking lot. The documentation you want will be in USAG-Mannheim policy letters, they may well spell out that available on base housing will be filled first. I have seen exception to policy letters successful in the Garrison but you need to ask them for the format.