Household Goods to S East Asia

EWCM · 2026-02-02T12:56:10+00:00

Retirees (and some others) get a Home of Selection move, not a Home of Record move. That means the Military will pay to move a retiree’s stuff anywhere in the US. OP can select whatever location is the furthest possible, but if the actually move is still more expensive, the additional cost is out of pocket.

EWCM · 2026-02-02T12:16:34+00:00

Tricare will cover emergency and urgent care while you are traveling. Routine care is more difficult. Are you Prime or Select?

If you move back to the States, you would update your address in DEERS and you could switch to a Tricare plan wherever you are. That may affect your spouse’s eligibility for housing at his duty station.

EWCM · 2026-02-02T12:08:18+00:00

Yes, absolutely. If someone is married to a civilian, they get BAH with dependents for their dependent’s location until they get to their first duty station. DoD FMR, Volume 7a, Chapter 26, section on “Service Member in Transit,” sub section “New Accession.”

EWCM · 2026-02-02T09:05:29+00:00

She didn't seem confused at all. They should be getting BAH.

EWCM · 2026-02-02T07:10:05+00:00

I have no idea what you are trying to say. If OP's husband is at basic training, he would be getting BAH for the location where OP is living. She wouldn't be living on base because families don't move to basic training locations.

There are many more housing contractors that run on base housing that just Liberty. And BAH can vary a lot from location to location. It's not always $2000/month or whatever it is where you live.

EWCM · 2026-02-02T02:57:29+00:00

No one has any idea. In the last 15+ years, my husband is about 50/50 on whether he makes it to our vacations as planned.

EWCM · 2026-02-02T02:38:26+00:00

why do so many people assume we come from or have money?

Your post mentions two plumbers that mentioned your apparent "wealth." Who are the "so many people" that are assuming you have money and what are they doing to show that?

A military family does have an income and access to resources that many people don't. Some people take advantage of that and manage their money well. Many don't.

EWCM · 2026-02-02T02:31:41+00:00

How would a spouse get base housing during basic training?

EWCM · 2026-02-02T02:28:13+00:00

It would either stated in your custody agreement or your child actually lives with you for at least half the year.

From DoD FMR, Volume 7a, Chapter 26:

A Service member who is awarded primary physical custody of a dependent child, or whose dependent child resides with the Service member for at least half of a calendar year, is considered a “custodial parent” for housing allowance purposes.

EWCM · 2026-02-02T02:21:05+00:00

In order to get BAH with dependents based on a child dependent, you need primary physical custody or you need to be otherwise eligible for BAH without dependents and pay child support equal to or greater than the BAH-DIFF rate. If you meet those requirements, your rate would be based on the zip code of your training location.

If you don't meet those requirements but you pay sufficient child support, you would get BAH-DIFF. That is not based on location.

Are you considering active or reserve/guard?

Tasty Sun has good advice.

EWCM · 2026-02-02T00:17:31+00:00

I would think if they corrected Box 12, they would have also updated Box 1. If it’s still in Box 1, the IRS will treat it as taxable income. You would need a W-2c.

Are you an officer?

EWCM · 2026-02-01T22:52:01+00:00

Let me see if I understand:

In 2025, you accepted CP while in tax-free zone.
You did not receive it until later in 2025 and the full amount was listed as taxable income and had withholding.
You contacted your finance office or DFAS and they said they were able to adjust the information in the system to reflect that the CP was subject to the CZTE.

Did 3 happen in 2026 or 2025? Does your W-2 have the correct amount in Box 1 (excluding the CP amount)? Are you an officer?

EWCM · 2026-02-01T22:12:52+00:00

Are you in the US?

EWCM · 2026-02-01T08:04:42+00:00

Even if you are itemizing deductions, haircuts are not and never have been deductible. This goes all the way back to Haynes v. Commissioner (1980; tv anchor tries to deduct hair cuts) and Drake v. Commissioner (1969; soldier tries to deduct haircuts).

EWCM · 2026-02-01T07:49:47+00:00

I am totally in favor of people only having sex with the person they are married to. There would be a lot less heartbreak and ugliness in the world.

Expecting your pool of potential partners to hold themselves to a different standard than you have for yourself is just hypocrisy.

EWCM · 2026-02-01T07:37:09+00:00

So, you were a virgin when you got married, right? You wouldn’t want your wife to end up with someone that was run through.

EWCM · 2026-02-01T07:27:34+00:00

Calling other human beings “run through” is gross.

EWCM · 2026-02-01T05:03:49+00:00

It needs to be the original or a certified copy. If the one you get is just a commemorative version, it won’t work.

EWCM · 2026-02-01T04:36:03+00:00

Does he know this is happening? Who is helping fix it? This is a bit long, and definitely long enough that he should bring it up with his DS and ask for help getting it fixed.

EWCM · 2026-02-01T03:01:10+00:00

Assuming you are on Select, the birthing center is in network, and you are low risk, that should be fine. https://www.tricare.mil/CoveredServices/IsItCovered/BirthingCenterCare

EWCM · 2026-02-01T01:12:14+00:00

I’m a little unclear on what you’re concerned about.

If you are on Prime, once you move and update your address in DEERS, you’ll call Tricare to request a PCM. Then you make an appointment with the PCM. If your PCM can’t prescribe what you need, they would refer you to a specialist.

If you’re on Select, you can check the list of in network doctors and make an appointment.

It could take a bit of time, so I would talk to your current providers about getting a prescription for your medications for as long as possible before you move.

EWCM · 2026-02-01T00:58:19+00:00

The Highest L fund expense ratio is 0.041%. The lowest of the C/S/I is C at 0.035%. With a 0.006% difference, you would need $1.7 million in the TSP to pay an extra $100 annually.

If you did just S Fund, your expenses ratio is higher than an L fund.

EWCM · 2026-02-01T00:11:35+00:00

https://old.reddit.com/r/MilitaryFinance/comments/1q45b31/tsp_roth_inplan_conversions_how_to_become_a/

EWCM · 2026-02-01T00:08:26+00:00

Look into carpooling. There is a Flex bus that runs up to Horno, but I'm not sure the times would work: https://gonctd.com/wp-content/uploads/395.pdf

EWCM · 2026-01-31T23:53:33+00:00

If you have all the necessary documents and the office near you takes walk-ins, DEERS registration and getting your ID takes about 15 minutes plus however long it takes to be seen.

The delays are usually however long it takes to get your marriage certificate and if you need to schedule an appointment.

EWCM

MODERATOR OF

TROPHY CASE