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The purpose of BAQ is to provide a member with
a pay supplement when it is necessary for the member
and any eligible dependents to obtain private quarters
because the government is unable to furnish the member
with family quarters at the member’s duty station.
Members without dependents, in paygrades E-7
and above, may elect at anytime not to occupy assigned
government quarters at the permanent duty station
(PDS) and become entitled to BAQ. However, if it is
determined that this option will adversely affect a
training mission, military discipline, or readiness, the
members may not exercise and be allowed to choose
this option.
Refer to part 3, chapter 2 of the DODFMR, volume
7, part A, for additional information concerning BAQ.
Variable Housing Allowance
VHA is intended for the purpose of assisting service
members entitled to BAQ an opportunity to defray
housing costs if government quarters are not assigned.
When transferring to a new PDS, the service
member has no entitlement to VHA for the number of
travel days authorized or actually used, whichever is
less, between the PDSs. The computation of travel time
is for the number of days allowed for direct travel
between PDSs without consideration of any temporary
duty en route.
When both husband and wife are service members,
each is entitled to VHA (ineligible to receive BAQ) as
prescribed in the Joint Federal Travel Regulations
(JFTR), NAVSO P-6034, volume 1.
A service member who lives with parents or other
family members and pays no rent is still entitled to have
the utility allowance considered in the VHA offset
computation.
Refer to the JFI’R, volume 1, chapter 8, and the
MILPERSMAN, Article 2640500, for additional
information concerning VHA.
Overseas Cost-of-Living Allowance
The overseas cost-of-living allowance (COLA) is
prescribed to help service members assigned to
overseas duty stations to maintain the purchasing power
of their basic military compensation in the overseas
area.
COLA is based on comparison of costs between an
overseas area and the continental United States
(CONUS). In fact, the COLA computation compares
the cost of over 100 different goods and services
between CONUS and the overseas area.
Cost changes at the overseas location do not
necessarily cause COLA changes. The overseas change
must be compared to the CONUS change. For example,
if an overseas cost increase is greater than a
corresponding CONUS increase for the same time, a
COLA increase could occur depending on how large the
difference is. If the overseas item cost increase is the
same as the CONUS item increase, no COLA change
should occur. If an overseas item cost increase is less
than a corresponding CONUS item increase, a COLA
decrease could occur despite the increase in item cost
at the overseas site.
Refer to the JFTR, volume 1, chapter 9, part B, and
the MILPERSMAN, Article 2640310, for additional
information concerning overseas COLA.
Overseas Housing Allowance
The OHA system provides an allowance to service
members assigned to overseas locations. The OHA
helps defray a significant amount of housing costs
associated with overseas duty locations. The OHA
provides an allowance based on the difference between
BAQ or family separation allowance (FSA), type I, and
total housing costs.
This cost cannot exceed the
maximum amount set for an individual service
member’s paygrade according to appendix K of the
JITR, volume 1.
Refer to the JFTR, volume 1, chapter 9, part B, and
appendix K, and the MILPERSMAN, Article 2640320,
for additional information concerning OHA.
Continental United States Temporary Lodging
Expense
Temporary lodging expense (TLE) is paid in
CONUS. The guidelines for TLEs are set forth in the
JFTR, volume 1, chapter 5, part H. TLE is intended to
help a member partially offset the cost of occupying
temporary lodging incident to a PCS move. The JFTR,
volume 1, defines the types of temporary lodging
facilities and private or commercial lodgings in the
vicinity of either the old PDS or the new PDS within
CONUS a service member or dependents may occupy
to be eligible for TLE.
Refer to the JFTR, volume 1, chapter 5, part H, and
the MILPERSMAN, Article 2640400, for additional
information concerning TLE.
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