If you live in Govt housing, you don’t get BAH, generally speaking. You don’t have most of the bills either. Sometimes that is the best solution, to live on base, sometimes not. There are a number of factors involved, including personal preference. JOs sharing a place is often a way to get a nicer place by pooling BAH and possibly keeping some dollars.
Finding a place to live. The internet has made this so much easier.
- Military bases have websites with “new arrivals” or “reporting aboard” sections with all kinds of useful info.
- The base housing office will also have info on places to live off-base. They may have multiple listing services, preferred partnerships, know where NOT to live.
- There will be apartment complexes that advertise “convenient to Gate 4 of NAVSTA Whatsis.”
- The command you will be reporting to may have a welcome aboard packet.
- You are often assigned a sponsor at your next unit who serves as a source of info and advice.
- People at your current unit will have been stationed some place you are headed to and have insights and recommendations.
- Military people often buy houses or condos close to a base and actively look for military renters (Google “military by owner”) for their property when they are serving elsewhere.
- Try simple google searches for “rental housing near NAVSTA X.”
- There are all kinds of websites and articles offering PCS advice, often found on the websites known for serving the military, such as the Military Times family of newspapers.
- For some PCS moves, no-cost TAD “house-hunting time” is authorized. You get time off to go do some advance stuff, you don’t use up your personal leave, but it’s on your own dime.
- There is the official DOD website, Military One Source, which has a housing and moving section.
https://www.militaryonesource.mil/
Here’s a classic official website for a Navy base, NAS Pensacola, which sees a huge O-1 population arrive each year.
Military people, especially shiny new O-1s, have been figuring this out by the thousands each year, for a long long time. You will too, and become skilled at executing all the logistics.Your military family will share the gouge, as you will share with those junior to you.