NAS Pensacola Housing, BAH, etc...

[iwrru]

Wanted a bit more information on how BAH works for on-base housing, specifically once we check in to NASC.

I searched the forums; the closest thread/discussion I could find was here but it didn't answer my question.

Looking at NAS Pensacola housing, there are a bunch of different neighborhoods and floorplans available for O-1s. If you go to 'Floor Plans' and just filter it down to Military > Navy > O01 - Ensign (ENS), there are about 30 available floor plans.

I know that you aren't paid BAH when living on base. Or maybe more accurately, your BAH goes to on-base housing. (I also read that, according to FormerRecruitingGuru, "most officers live out in town".)

1. How does BAH work with each floor plan? Some units are twice as big as others. Does a bigger unit "cost" more than a smaller one?
2. Do any O-1s on AirWarriors live on base right now, or have recently? How do/did you like it?
3. Are the any advantages to living on base, besides being closer to where you need to show up to work?
4. What are the biggest DISadvantages of living on base? I can imagine what the advantages of living off-base are, like finding roommates and therefore saving money, closer to nightlife, beaches etc. (I've already read this helpful summary of places to live off-base; I wanna find out what sucks about living ON base.)

Thanks

 

[FormerRecruitingGuru]

Wanted a bit more information on how BAH works for on-base housing, specifically once we check in to NASC.

I searched the forums; the closest thread/discussion I could find was here but it didn't answer my question.

Looking at NAS Pensacola housing, there are a bunch of different neighborhoods and floorplans available for O-1s. If you go to 'Floor Plans' and just filter it down to Military > Navy > O01 - Ensign (ENS), there are about 30 available floor plans.

I know that you aren't paid BAH when living on base. Or maybe more accurately, your BAH goes to on-base housing. (I also read that, according to FormerRecruitingGuru, "most officers live out in town".)

1. How does BAH work with each floor plan? Some units are twice as big as others. Does a bigger unit "cost" more than a smaller one?
2. Do any O-1s on AirWarriors live on base right now, or have recently? How do/did you like it?
3. Are the any advantages to living on base, besides being closer to where you need to show up to work?
4. What are the biggest DISadvantages of living on base? I can imagine what the advantages of living off-base are, like finding roommates and therefore saving money, closer to nightlife, beaches etc. (I've already read this helpful summary of places to live off-base; I wanna find out what sucks about living ON base.)

Thanks

First and foremost, welcome to the forum.

Instead of creating posts about every single thought on your mind, please take the 1-2 minutes to research and find your answers. Most if not all of your questions have been asked and answered… even multiple times.

If you live on base housing, they take your BAH. If you live out in town, you get BAH.

Instead of planning housing options, you should be prepping for OCS. Good luck!

 

[iwrru]

First and foremost, welcome to the forum.

Instead of creating posts about every single thought on your mind, please take the 1-2 minutes to research and find your answers. Most if not all of your questions have been asked and answered… even multiple times.

If you live on base housing, they take your BAH. If you live out in town, you get BAH.

Instead of planning housing options, you should be prepping for OCS. Good luck!

Thank you for your answers.

So your BAH will cover a 2 bedroom just the same as a 4 bedroom?

 

[FormerRecruitingGuru]

Thank you for your answers.

So your BAH will cover a 2 bedroom just the same as a 4 bedroom?

Bruh…

Google “how does BAH work in the Navy”, please.

 

[iwrru]

I meant a 2-bedroom versus a 4-bedroom on-base property, for example, which I'm struggling to find the answer to on here or by Googling.

Anyways please don't answer. I'll find it myself. Thanks

 

[Brett327]

Bruh…

Google “how does BAH work in the Navy”, please.

Don't be a dick.

I meant a 2-bedroom versus a 4-bedroom on-base property, for example, which I'm struggling to find the answer to on here or by Googling.

Don't mind him. First question, are you married? If so, the on base house you qualify for will depend on the number of dependents you have, and the availability of the various floorplans. Each base is a little different, but if it's just you and a spouse, then you'll be authorized a 2BR. More dependents usually equals bigger house.

Try not to focus on the cost. Whatever house you wind up in, the rent will equal your O-1 BAH w/ dependents entitlement.

 

[iwrru]

Don't be a dick.

Don't mind him. First question, are you married? If so, the on base house you qualify for will depend on the number of dependents you have, and the availability of the various floorplans. Each base is a little different, but if it's just you and a spouse, then you'll be authorized a 2BR. More dependents usually equals bigger house.

Try not to focus on the cost. Whatever house you wind up in, the rent will equal your O-1 BAH w/ dependents entitlement.

Thank you sir!

 

[Gatordev]

I'm guessing you're going for pilot. If so, I wouldn't recommend Pensacola base housing because any training at NPA will only be a very small part of the overall time spent in flight school. Everything else will be done at another base in another county...or state.

 

[ChuckMK23]

34 and going through pilot training. Good for you!

How times change!

 

[iwrru]

I'm guessing you're going for pilot. If so, I wouldn't recommend Pensacola base housing because any training at NPA will only be a very small part of the overall time spent in flight school. Everything else will be done at another base in another county...or state.

Correct, going for SNA. And yah, I’m told that any flight training in the vicinity of Pensacola will be done either at a private flight school nearby, or at NAS Whiting Field in Milton.

I guess then, my question about living on-base would extend to NAS Whiting Field on-base housing as well. Would anyone recommend that versus living in one of Pensacola’s neighborhoods? Looks like a minimum 40 min commute from downtown, for example. For people who committed to living out the Back Gate/in Perdido it’s over an hour assuming zero traffic 😮

34 and going through pilot training. Good for you!

How times change!

Indeed. Thanks!

 

[Odominable]

Haven’t been in the area for a while but if it were me I’d plant the flag off-base somewhere in Milton/Pace and eat the commute to NASP for your initial training so you have a gentlemanly commute to NASWF. There’s surely some more recent data from people here but I’m guessing your out of pocket will be pretty similar one way or the other.

 

[Griz882]

It has been many, many years since I lived in base housing in Milton. The house was….ok…nothing great, certainly nothing terrible. It was very easy to get from the housing area over to the airfield and there was, in my day, easy shopping just down the hill (my unit was off Berryhill Road at Dogwood/FL89. I had one kid and got a two bedroom home that was a duplex. It had a covered driveway that entered into the kitchen, a big enough living room and then the two bedrooms.

If you are a “hang out with the dudes and do loud stuff” type this isn’t for you. I always had to study super hard to learn things beyond stick-and-rudder stuff so the tranquility was a good thing for me. In the scheme of things, you won’t live there long.

 

[Gatordev]

I guess then, my question about living on-base would extend to NAS Whiting Field on-base housing as well. Would anyone recommend that versus living in one of Pensacola’s neighborhoods? Looks like a minimum 40 min commute from downtown, for example. For people who committed to living out the Back Gate/in Perdido it’s over an hour assuming zero traffic 😮

First up, I think you're thinking base housing is like an apartment complex. That's not really how it works. Base housing depends on both availability and orders. Availability is always an issue no matter where you go, so that means you have to get on a list. As a SNA, you won't have "normal" orders that tell you where you'll end up. In fact, you won't know where you're going until finishing up NIFE (or some time in that vicinity). Some housing offices work together in a fleet concentration area (like San Diego), so you apply but you might end up near a completely different base than the one you're attached to. I'm not sure if the Whiting and NPA offices coordinate now, but in the past they didn't because there were just too many students coming to both on the "right" kind of orders.

What and how Whiting housing handles incoming students changes over time, and I'm not smart on how it works currently, but Whiting may not want to even entertain the idea of you getting housing up there because they won't know if you're going to stay there for training. You may go to Corpus to do Primary*.

As you said, the commute from either Whiting or NPA to the other is horrendous. Add in a 0530 simulator event, and it's even worse. I understand you're trying to prep as best you can for both budget and caring for your family, but for now I'd plan/budget to stay out in town. If housing is an option great, but there are so many advantages to being out in town as a student (other than budget/money) to include study groups and commuting.

*In recent history, there was a trend of married SNAs getting orders to Whiting, but that isn't guaranteed or universal, so I would again plan for the "worst" and assume you'll have to move again to Corpus.

 

[iwrru]

First up, I think you're thinking base housing is like an apartment complex. That's not really how it works. Base housing depends on both availability and orders. Availability is always an issue no matter where you go, so that means you have to get on a list. As a SNA, you won't have "normal" orders that tell you where you'll end up. In fact, you won't know where you're going until finishing up NIFE (or some time in that vicinity). Some housing offices work together in a fleet concentration area (like San Diego), so you apply but you might end up near a completely different base than the one you're attached to. I'm not sure if the Whiting and NPA offices coordinate now, but in the past they didn't because there were just too many students coming to both on the "right" kind of orders.

What and how Whiting housing handles incoming students changes over time, and I'm not smart on how it works currently, but Whiting may not want to even entertain the idea of you getting housing up there because they won't know if you're going to stay there for training. You may go to Corpus to do Primary*.

As you said, the commute from either Whiting or NPA to the other is horrendous. Add in a 0530 simulator event, and it's even worse. I understand you're trying to prep as best you can for both budget and caring for your family, but for now I'd plan/budget to stay out in town. If housing is an option great, but there are so many advantages to being out in town as a student (other than budget/money) to include study groups and commuting.

*In recent history, there was a trend of married SNAs getting orders to Whiting, but that isn't guaranteed or universal, so I would again plan for the "worst" and assume you'll have to move again to Corpus.

Thank you for the comprehensive answer!!!

 

[cgoss99]

*In recent history, there was a trend of married SNAs getting orders to Whiting, but that isn't guaranteed or universal, so I would again plan for the "worst" and assume you'll have to move again to Corpus.

This was somewhat true when I was finishing up NIFE in June of 24’. Pretty sure it was maybe 2 or 3 graduating classes after me that switched to the new method. Whiting vs Corpus is solely based off your NIFE academic scores. If you want your choice of primary location, finish at the top of your NIFE class.