In AF nursing, no differential pay in hospital, right?

carolinapooh, BSN, RN · Jan 11, 2010

ksk33,
For clarification of what you would receive for pay, just in case you are confused:
Base pay is based on rank and time in service.
BAH is based on assigned location and rank. Also, there is a w/o dependent rate and a with dependent rate. Regardless of how many dependents you have everyone at the assigned location with the same rank receives the same with dependent rate. So for your situation with a spouse and 4 dependents, you will get the same with dependent BAH rate that someone of your same rank with just their spouse and/or 1 dependent would receive. This might seem unfair to some but the quote I've heard before of "the military doesn't pay for you to keep having dependents" holds true. Keep in mind though that if you were to reside in military housing you would be given a 4 bedroom house to live in (most likely but it would depend on the age and gender differences among your children...you could end up only being eligible for a 3 bedroom). Depending on where you were stationed, most bases have nice new privatized housing built within the last 1-8 years. Your rent for the military house would be your BAH minus 110% of their assigned utility estimate for usage in that specific floor plan. This 110% deducted from your rent amount is used to pay your electricity and such. The military does this so that their occupants will try and conserve energy. So some months you might bank some of that money and other months you might have to pay out of pocket.
BAS is the same rate for all officers.
Hopefully this helps clarify any questions you have regarding military pay.

On base you turn over your entire housing allowance and you get no difference - trust me. That's only true if you live off base.

You're better off renting in many cases. Here the biggest houses are only 1600 square feet - we're renting 2600 square feet and even with utilities are only paying about $50 a month more than my housing allowance.

Look very carefully at your local area before you get sucked into base housing.

SeekirRN · Jan 11, 2010

"On base you turn over your entire housing allowance and you get no difference - trust me. That's only true if you live off base"

This is not techinically true. It depends on what base you are located on. Some military bases are currently still going through the military to privatized housing. Also, some bases with old houses taken over by privatized companies are still going through their 1 year estimation period for utilities. Each base is different. I'm currently living in the old "government housing" taken over by a privatized company. My house is located on the base and we are currently going through our 1 year estimation period. So, yes, during this period 100% of the BAH is taken for rent. But starting next year we will get that 110% deduction to start paying our own utilities.

It should also be known that for O1's the BAH is based on apartment/townhome rent payments. Some areas of the nation you might be able to rent or pay a mortgage on a house with your BAH amount, other areas it would be impossible to find a decent house for 4 dependents and a spouse with your BAH rate. It's just the truth. Again, look at the website previously given out to get an idea of what you would receive for BAH at the locations you will be putting down on your application. Then look at local housing and see what you could get for that amount.

jeckrn, BSN, RN · Jan 12, 2010

OMG, why why WHY do people say this stuff...THIS DOESN'T HAPPEN IN THE AF UNLESS YOU ARE DEPLOYED.
I was an enlisted COP in the Air Force - and believe me, cops have the worst ops tempo and get treated the worst of any personnel in the USAF, and WE didn't have this happen to us....
C'mon, folks - be a bit more realistic and stop sounding so bitter.
And yes, your housing allowance and your BAS ($223 a month for officers) isn't included in your base pay. On average, expect about a grand a month for housing plus your BAS. So you'll make about $3600/month with no prior service time. (Of course, your housing is based upon where you live, but a grand is a good average. And - your entitlements are tax-free - AND you no longer pay for health insurance.)

This was not bitter, just used as an example. Since you were prior service you had to here the saying that the government owns you and can work you as long as they need too. Most service members in all services generally work greater then 40 hours a week no matter what their MOS/AOC is.

jeckrn, BSN, RN · Jan 12, 2010

This was not bitter, just used as an example. Since you were prior service you had to here the saying that the government owns you and can work you as long as they need too. But also what was in the post is how they can give you time off without effecting your pay or using leave. When it comes to holidays how many civilian employers have "training holidays" which can turn a 3 day weekend into a 4 day weekend without using benefit time. The civilians at the Army hospitals and the civilians at Navy & Marines bases I have been associated with had to use benefit time for the training holiday. My post stated the good & the bad which can happen. Most service members in all services generally work greater then 40 hours a week no matter what their MOS/AOC is.

carolinapooh, BSN, RN · Jan 12, 2010

"On base you turn over your entire housing allowance and you get no difference - trust me. That's only true if you live off base"
This is not techinically true. It depends on what base you are located on. Some military bases are currently still going through the military to privatized housing. Also, some bases with old houses taken over by privatized companies are still going through their 1 year estimation period for utilities. Each base is different. I'm currently living in the old "government housing" taken over by a privatized company. My house is located on the base and we are currently going through our 1 year estimation period. So, yes, during this period 100% of the BAH is taken for rent. But starting next year we will get that 110% deduction to start paying our own utilities.
It should also be known that for O1's the BAH is based on apartment/townhome rent payments. Some areas of the nation you might be able to rent or pay a mortgage on a house with your BAH amount, other areas it would be impossible to find a decent house for 4 dependents and a spouse with your BAH rate. It's just the truth. Again, look at the website previously given out to get an idea of what you would receive for BAH at the locations you will be putting down on your application. Then look at local housing and see what you could get for that amount.

You still run a high risk of paying out of pocket - I know this because it's happening here at Lackland. I have friends who live in on-base housing - in houses half the size of mine - who pay more than I do in rent and utilities because of the amount their utilities are costing them relative to what the property management company wants in rent. It's not only the one year period you're talking about - it also has to do with exactly how long it takes the private company to individually meter its houses (and how fast it decides to do it).

Our house - not counting cable, which to me is a luxury at any rate - is 2400 square feet and costs my BAH a month with all utilities. Half my BAS pays the cable. :) My friend on base has 1000 square feet and with the privatization transitioning here currently pays more than I do - before cable. (There's another caveat about company grade housing - it's quite often too small for most folks. The square footage of the abomination that is Lackland CGO housing is an extreme example, but I promise you, you won't see a second lt. in a house with four bedrooms no matter their number of dependents, unless all the other houses on base are full - and that's extremely rare. If my husband and I tried to live in a thousand square feet we'd be divorced in a month. Seriously. The sexier real estate on an Air Force base - complete with fairway views - snicker snicker - inevitably goes to very senior enlisteds and field grade officers - on base for majors and lt. colonels is sweet, but not so for the lowly Lt.)

As we've all said, check your local market very carefully before you commit to base housing. Unless it's a very high dollar area (like DC) or you're going overseas (living on the economy in many places, like Germany and England in particular, isn't cost effective), the BAH is usually very competitive for rent. It actually has to be; it can't afford not to be. And if your BAH is a concern, name your assignment selections accordingly.

But keep in mind - if you're making X amount now, you're also paying EVERYTHING out of that check. In the Air Force, whether you live on or off base - YOUR PAYCHECK IS YOURS. Your allowances will pay your "living expenses" and you will have NO health care costs (save dental and glasses). You will not be paying a ridiculous health insurance premium on top of everything else you're paying out. And your allowances (I think someone else pointed this out) are worth their amount PLUS whatever they'd be taxed. So if your housing allowance is $1000, and your tax rate is 25%, that's like you're making $1250 on paper, because it's not taxed.

It sounds really stupid, but when you start doing the math and you start looking at the little stuff that's not necessarily printed out in black and white, you might feel a bit better. I'm prior service and even I panicked for a while - until I started getting paid and saw just how much money there actually is now.

There are plenty of Lt's with multiple dependents at Lackland (I know two single parents who went to COT with me and they have three kids each, actually). And while they can't live like the single Lt's without kids or like a two income military family - for obvious reasons - they're doing fine.