Is it possible for me to get on-base housing while my husband is deployed?

Question

OK, I was just wondering if its possible for me to get on-base housing while my husband is deployed to Iraq. I don't really know how all of that works because we have always rented a house off base. He won't be back until April. We have been married for almost a year and if it matters at all, he is a LCpl. We had talked about it before he left a little. Also, can u tell me some of the pros/cons to living on base?
He is stationed at Camp Lejeune. What are the houses on base like? I know there are some really nice ones...but what are the chances of getting a nice one compared to a not so nice one?

Answer 1

I cant really tell you what Camp Lejeune's base housing is like, because I have never been there, but I can offer you this. Assuming that since you have been married for a little while you do have a military ID card, and you probably got a power of attorney before he left. You can get housing without him. But you will have to visit the housing office on Camp Lejeune. Some installations have a waiting list, some dont and sometimes if your hubby's rank is high enough for them you can avoid the waiting list all together. The reason for the power of attorney is that if you can get military housing, this would require your husbands signature. But the power of attorney kinda say's in a legal way you can make his choices and sign for him just like he would. If you dont have one, have your hubby visit the legal office where he is stationed now and have one drawn up. They dont require you to sign anything. Most bases have new houses and old houses. The new houses are normally the ones with the waiting lists. But in most "new houses" I have seen on base, I would take my "old house" on base anyday over one of the new ones. The new ones are tiny, you have no yard, no parking, and the bedrooms only fit a queen size bed and 1 dresser nothing else. And they are completely made from the cheapest material possible. Ask to look at old houses on base if you can before deciding that you have to have a new one. The old ones now days are almost all redone on the inside and they are always bigger then the new houses. Ok now about pros and cons. Living on base is great for safety, at the base I live on, I would say 90% of us dont even lock our doors ever. I dont even carry keys to my house. And when you live on base you seem to have a more close community. Everyone is in the same boat pretty much and all the other spouces understand what it's like to be alone while your husband is gone. Also if you need something while your hubby is gone, it's always easier to get help when you live on base, because all your neighbors are more likely to understand. Also you may even get lucky enough to live next door to one of your husbands supervisor's or people that have a higher ranking status then you. Make friends and you could help your husbands career. But there are things that kinda make it not so pleasent on base sometimes, like yard inspections. They really will come around once a week and measure your grass with a ruler. Most places it has to be below 3 inches. And most places have maditory recycling and other usch programs. Be prepaired to have to go down and sign all your friends, family and their cars on base when they want to come over, they just cant come right over on base unless they have military ID themselves. Most people dont want to mess with this, thus nobody will ever want to come to your house and this can kinda make for a lonely time sometimes. Also they will come around and make sure your trash bin is in the proper place and make sure even your back yard is clean. There are no inside home inspections anymore, but you will be in trouble if you dont keep your house to a decent standard of cleanliness, and someone reports you. And that brings me to my last point. Even though everybody on base is connected pretty much in this wonderful way, it's also the same as living in a very small town. You pretty much cant fart without everybody knowing about it. So you have to mind your manners and tend to your home constantly. That means no fighting with hubby in the front yard. The housing office will have a handbook that will tell you all their rules from that base. You can ask for one before you ever ask about obtaining housing. Read this and then you can decide if you want to obide by all the rules just to live there. If it seem's ok, then go ahead and ask about getting housing. I know this has been long, but I wanted to be honest. And I understand how hard things can be sometimes when your husband is gone. My husband is also deployed. And sometimes we need all the help we can get. on a side note I also recomend you get this book: Married To the Military, a handbook for military wives, girlfriends, and women in uniform. It's nothing but information for military wives. It's full of great tips and tells you just about everything you need to know about how to live as a military wife. You can get it at your exchange. Or sometimes family services gives it away for free. I wish you the best of luck!

Answer 2

Depends.
I would have liked to email you as I live in Base Housing and can give the laundry list of pros/cons of it, but you wisely don't accept emails. If you're interested I think I can accept emails(...I think).
Do you have kids? Housing on any installation will go to families first. If you are married w/o kids it doesn't mean that you can't get Base Housing, just that you're farther down the list. Also, is it causing you financial hardship to continue to rent? If you'd just prefer to live on base without financial woes then there's not much that can be done for you. If you're having a hard time making ends meet then talk to your husband's leadership. Most of the time they can get things accomplished in short order! In the AF we have a First Sergeant who is a liason between the enlisted force and leadership, although thier duties extend to assisting enlisted members and thier families on a wide range of issues. There should be an equivalent in the Corps who addresses issues involving enlisted folks(in the AF we have "Shirts" in the Army it's the "Top", but I've heard little about the Marine/Navy side.) Rank has no bearing on getting housing, but will dictate what type of housing you do get (in other words you won't live next door to the base commander!). Numbers of dependents also dictate the type of housing, and sometimes it comes down to sheer luck. You might end up with the nastiest house on base, but you also could luck out and get a brand new home!! See what's available first, cause once you get leadership involved to assist you it looks bad for your spouse if you back out of the deal because you didn't like the house. Most bases still have housing that was built when the base opened(circa usually 1950/60) but some Bases/Posts/Camps are tearing those down and building new housing that rivals new homes built for the civilian market. Where we're at, we are on a list for a new house that would cost upwards of $250,000 if we bought a similar model. Until then we live in a 1960's era house that will be demolished after we transition. Take a drive around housing and see what you think, but don't look a gift horse in the mouth. One of the best things about living in base housing is the lack of paying rent/water/electricity!!!

Answer 3

Depends on if you have Power of Attorney. If so, then yes you can. If not, then no. I can't tell you about Lejeune, but I know that here at Pendleton the type of housing you get is related to if you have children and what rank he is. If you have children and/or he is a CPL or higher you get better housing. I would say that if you don't have children it is not worth it for you to move on base because he is not yet a NCO (CPL or higher). Otherwise you will NOT get a nice place, and will more then likely be paying more (giving up all of your BAH) for a place on base that is the same (or worse) then a place you would get off base. Good luck, God Bless, and Semper Fi.

Answer 4

if you have a POA, you may be able to go to housing and get on the list, but you will be placed at the bottom of the list since you did not go on it when he was first stationed there. The Housing office may require a specific POA, and not accept a general one, as well.

what kind of unit you get is based on his paygrade, your bedroom entitlement and what becomes available when your name comes up. The two times I have lived in base housing, I not only got new units, but we were the first ones in the new units. But each time, the cards were in our favor.. we were bumped to the top of the list in one case due to all his TAD assignments before reporting, and in the other, there was no waiting list at all and we had our pick of places.

Answer 5

Yes, you need to go to the housing office located in Tarawa Terrace and get on the waiting list. Depending on the wait you may not get one by April. They will give you an estimate of time.

Answer 6

in case you provide up the homestead on base and checklist your self as off base you will get regardless of the BAH volume is at citadel Knox. Anotherwards if the BAH is 1200 in feet. Knox and 1600 in Hawaii you will in basic terms get the $a million,2 hundred.00. as far as residing on base in Hawaii i'm ninety 8% valuable that's a no. you ought to incredibly be stationed there to stay to tell the tale base. you will must be off base to stay in hawaii.

Answer 7

You would have to go to base housing and ask. I think you can tho. Far as quality is concerned that depends on the base.