u/Five_OnAGoodDay

Trying to confirm I’m reading the reg right before I go back to finance.

My spouse and I are both in the National Guard. I’m currently on a Title 10 mobilization — on active-duty orders, drawing basic pay and BAH. My spouse is also Guard but is traditional M-Day — drilling status only, not on any orders, so they aren’t drawing basic pay or BAH. No kids, no other dependents. We own a house.
When I went to update my BAH (DA 5960 in IPPS-A), the default assumption was the usual dual-military rule: “you’re married to another soldier, so you’re both without-dependent.” That didn’t sound right for my case, so I went into the DoD FMR and found this:

DoD 7000.14-R, Volume 7A, Chapter 26 (“Housing Allowances”), para 4.5.1.2 — One Service Member Enters a Non-Pay Status (May 2025 edition):

“When one Service member enters a non-pay status, the other Service member may claim the Service member not entitled to pay and allowances as a dependent and be authorized to draw BAH or OHA at the with-dependent rate for the duration of the non-pay status, if otherwise authorized, unless a dependent is confined in a penal or correctional institution. A Service member may claim as a dependent a Service member on inactive duty for training (Reserve drills).”

Because my spouse is in a non-pay status (M-Day / drilling = inactive duty for training, not on AD entitled to basic pay), I can claim them as a dependent and draw BAH at the with-dependent rate while they stay in that status. The “both without-dependent” dual-military rule (para 4.5.2) only applies when both of us are entitled to basic pay — which we’re not right now.

Questions for anyone who’s actually been through this:
1. Am I reading 4.5.1.2 correctly, or am I missing something?
2. Has anyone processed this in IPPS-A? Did finance accept it, and what Housing Type did you pick — plain “With Dependents” or one of the “Dual Military” options?

Trying to confirm I’m reading the reg right before I go back to finance.

My spouse and I are both in the National Guard. I’m currently on a Title 10 mobilization — on active-duty orders, drawing basic pay and BAH. My spouse is also Guard but is traditional M-Day — drilling status only, not on any orders, so they aren’t drawing basic pay or BAH. No kids, no other dependents. We own a house.
When I went to update my BAH (DA 5960 in IPPS-A), the default assumption was the usual dual-military rule: “you’re married to another soldier, so you’re both without-dependent.” That didn’t sound right for my case, so I went into the DoD FMR and found this:

DoD 7000.14-R, Volume 7A, Chapter 26 (“Housing Allowances”), para 4.5.1.2 — One Service Member Enters a Non-Pay Status (May 2025 edition):

“When one Service member enters a non-pay status, the other Service member may claim the Service member not entitled to pay and allowances as a dependent and be authorized to draw BAH or OHA at the with-dependent rate for the duration of the non-pay status, if otherwise authorized, unless a dependent is confined in a penal or correctional institution. A Service member may claim as a dependent a Service member on inactive duty for training (Reserve drills).”

Because my spouse is in a non-pay status (M-Day / drilling = inactive duty for training, not on AD entitled to basic pay), I can claim them as a dependent and draw BAH at the with-dependent rate while they stay in that status. The “both without-dependent” dual-military rule (para 4.5.2) only applies when both of us are entitled to basic pay — which we’re not right now.

Questions for anyone who’s actually been through this:
1. Am I reading 4.5.1.2 correctly, or am I missing something?
2. Has anyone processed this in IPPS-A? Did finance accept it, and what Housing Type did you pick — plain “With Dependents” or one of the “Dual Military” options?