Toni Reed
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Call For TDY Housing In Arizona

If you are a member of the military, then its common knowledge that you are allowed free housing on bases, and if you would like, you are given a military housing allowance. How you are alloted these housing choices though, actually depends upon your marital status, or what the government will call your dependency. The other factors that will change this status is your rank. If you are married and living with your spouse and children you are allowed to live on-base. This of course is no guarantee for the conditions of on-base housing being anything better than off-base housing. Some people have said that it is a crap shoot for conditions. Married members of the military can also choose to live off-base with a basic housing allowance. The amount of this allowance is also dependent upon rank, location, and family situation. 

The military is concerned for the well being of your family/dependents. They require that you provide for their housing needs. Now you of course care about your family and want what's best for them, so this simply means that you and your employer have the same concerns, which means your family will be taken care off. Any time you are on active duty even if you are away from your family, they will continue to receive the allowance, and if they are living on base, you do not have to worry about them being kicked out of their housing they will continue to reside on-base. Another plus to working for the government as a service member, is that your housing allowance is an allowance, not a pay. You are not taxed on this living allowance, and continue to receive your salary. 

If you are single. You can expect to live on base in the "barracks" or dormitory. The policies for living off base will differ between military services, and from base to base depending upon the occupancy rate of the barracks on that base. Some bases stay fairly full which means moving in could have a waiting list. Sometimes it is just easier to remain off base. Don't be fooled if your recruiter promised really nice housing, barracks are barracks. But good news is, all the services have plans to improve single housing for enlisted service members. 

Each service has a different housing plan for their single service members. Some argue that the Air Force has always had the best housing. The new policy for Air Force single hosing is called Dorms-4-Airmen. These apartments have private bed rooms and bath rooms, with a kitchen and living room shared with three other Airmen. The Army has a two bedroom apartment standard, with each soldier sharing an apartment with a roommate. The Navy has had some more complicated changes that need to be made, what with the majority of their sailors living on their ships even when in port. But they have begun switching to single housing much like the Army with sailors sharing apartments with one other sailor. Marine Corps believe that unity is important and is established by living together, so junior Marines share a room and a bathroom. 

How ever you look at it, there are options for any service member, and if your looking to enlist, perhaps researching your housing situation would be beneficial to choosing which branch of the military you fit the best with.