Because military families already sacrifice so much, few would disagree that there should be some way to make housing more affordable for military families. The U.S. Government already has an affordable housing program for the general public. It’s run by HUD, the Department of Housing and Urban Development. HUD judges who qualifies for affordable housing programs based on income.

For military personnel there is a program similar to HUD called BAH, which stands for Basic Allowance for Housing. Like HUD, BAH is based on both income and region. The reason for this is obvious. Real estate prices vary widely, depending on where you live in the United States. For example, the price for homes in California is $346,750, and in South Dakota it is $169,900.  Not surprisingly, then, the BAH, or basic housing allowance for a soldier in California is $2,300 and in South Dakota around $800 to $900. This is paid monthly and is nontaxable. (Remember, it varies depending on the pay scale of the service member).

Surprisingly, many members of the military do not know about, do not understand, or simply don’t want to go through the hassle of using their BAH allowance to get into an affordable home. On the other hand, many do take advantage of the BAH – but it can be tricky, especially because military families have to move around so much. But any military family should look first  to the BAH program to pay for housing. It is part of the benefits of serving one’s country, it’s tax free, and millions have benefited from it.

Even so, Congress is now considering a bill that would eliminate the BAH and replace it with a better system to make housing even more affordable for service members.  A bill called the Military Families Affordable Homes Act is in the works. In short, this bill would eliminate using the BAH formula, and make it easier for military families to qualify for a greater range of homes, and also homes and rental properties that are enrolled in affordable housing programs. Part of this act has already been passed and is being tested in some locations.

What’s really tricky and challenging about affordable housing for military families is the uncertainty inherent in the job, especially the frequent moving. One military family reported they moved five times in six years! That makes it extremely difficult to make the decision to purchase a home – even using the BAH – because one never knows how long they will stay in that location.

The good news is that there is the vast experience of others to lean upon when it comes to deciding how best to cope with housing needs. Each branch of the military has internal resources to help service members with housing issues. So the first place you should look if you are a member of any branch of the military is inside your own organization. If you are serving in the U.S. Army, for example, search the Army’s web site for everything it can tell you about what it will do for you to help you with housing needs. The Army also have internal specialists that will help you with housing issues. Talk to them!

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Here’s some steps to make moving a military family easier:

Getting Your PCS Order

As a military family you know that moving is a way of life.  When you receive your permanent change of station order, take time to contact the government office branch handling your service move.  Sit down with them as soon as possible and discuss all your moving options.  Ask about financial obligations and discuss the pros and cons of each moving choice.  Be sure to ask questions like:  ” How will I pay for this move?” and “How does personal reimbursement work?  ”

Next, contact the family center located in the station where you will be transferring.  The family center can offer assistance along with the assurance that everything will work out in the end.  Talking to someone, who is actually in your new location, is a great way to calm your nerves. Be sure to request the official checklist provided to all military families who are moving.

Do It Yourself Moves

Military families can benefit by moving themselves.  In some cases, voluntary do it yourself moving can be all or part of the overall relocation.  Here’s how it works.  The government allows your family a reimbursement if you choose to move your own belongings.  Depending on the situation,  reimbursement may allow you to gain a small financial benefit from a permanent change of station.

Using the Do It Yourself moving model, you may use your own vehicle or rent a vehicle to help you move.  Military families moving may qualify for additional discounts from various u haul vendors.  The government allows a per diem for gas and truck rental along with insurance coverage.

The main advantage of a Do It Yourself move is control.  You are able to control the time of your move, the cost of your move and who is going to help you move.  Depending on your circumstances, this may add to your peace of mind.

Weighing Your Household Goods

Estimating the weight of your household goods is key with every military move.  The government will pay for a set, total weight of all your furniture and belongings.  Additional weight is moved at your own expense.  The best way to begin is to count up the number of furnished rooms in your home.  Take the number of rooms and multiply it by 1,500 pounds.  Don’t forget that your attic, your basement and your garage count!  In most cases you will be allotted 18,000 pounds of total HHG weight.  Some overseas stations have a much lower weight allotment.  In this case your excess HHG will be stored.

Successful military families make moving easy by keeping a key focus. Keep what you love - toss or sell what you don’t.  You can always accumulate new items.  Decide which belongings say “home” to you and your children and be sure to take those (and only those) with you.

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It’s also about a lot more than just money – having one parent gone means the other parent at home shoulders all the many responsibilities of daily life. Furthermore, many soldiers come home from their service wounded, physically, but also often psychologically – it creates a situation of enormous difficulty on many levels.

The only way to truly appreciate the challenges of a military family is to live them, certainly, but the rest of us only have to look at the dismal statistics associated with military families – suicide and divorce levels are sky high – not to mention mortgage foreclosures on the homes of military families, and high rates of unemployment.

Now more than ever, military families need everyone’s love and support – and that means leveraging the resources of the communities that military families live within. Community means churches and church organizations, youth groups, schools, health care providers, volunteer groups, local employers, Chambers of Commerce, veterans groups and more.

Local community leaders should get together to create a “blueprint for action” which creates a comprehensive safety net, or a kind of overall environment designed to recognize and help military families in a way that identifies problems and provides solutions.

An important thing to remember about military families is that they tend to be naturally independent, incredibly proud, and tend to be among the last sort of people that are willing to ask for help, even when they sorely need it. The idea is not to force solutions on anyone, but create awareness that resources are close at hand when needs arise.

The children of military families are a critical factor. Kids often need special attention. With a parent away from home, and the other parent stressed to the limit, groups like the YMCA, schools,  after-school groups, scouting,  church groups and youth organizations can step in and provide much needed structure and support to kids who may be in dire need of more attention on any given day. A parent who has a resource, a group they can rely on to surround children with a supportive and safe environment can make a huge difference for a stressed parent.

The good news is that no neighborhood or community has to recreate the wheel when it comes to establishing community support systems for military families. One of the best places to get information on how to start your plan of action is to check out the web site of the U.S. White House  – First Lady Michelle Obama has made support for military families her primary project during her tenure as the country’s First Lady. There you will find a variety of resources and information,  and very  specific ideas and strategies for doing everything you can to support a military family in your neighborhood.

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Rest assured. There are organizations who would like to help by supporting military families who have lost a loved one. Just thinking of operation Iraqi Freedom. How many military men or women have lost their lives, which led to financial worry and pain for their loved ones? This happens often as most US service members are career soldiers with families.

What Kind of Help Is Provided by these Organizations?

There is one such organization known as the Fallen Heroes Last Wish Foundation. Their aim is to grant the last wish of our military heroes. That is to provide for the children that were left behind. You know when it comes to our children it certainly leaves a lump in our throats to think that they might suffer want. The Foundation mentioned here encourages CEO’s of companies to set up foundations aiming to give enough funds to raise and educate all the children of US military members lost in Operation Iraqi Freedom. Now that is a noble cause. Even though this happened some time ago, it is still affecting the lives of many.

This is just one of many operations out there supporting military families who have lost a loved one. Another such organization would be Operation Family Fund. This organization was founded to honor the sacrifices of our American Heroes by providing for their families and remembering the price they pay. This organization is on a mission to aid the families of those who have been injured or killed as part of the Global War on Terrorism. They aid families with financial grants to help them meet financial self-sufficiency. This foundation reported that more than 2.3 million in donations have been received from generous Americans as of September 2011.

Your Part in Providing Support for Families that Lost Loved Ones

Surely it must warm your heart as a surviving spouse or child to know that there is so much care out there. The support of many Americans out there shows how much they appreciate the willingness of our fallen heroes to lay down their lives to protect fellow citizens. Yes, all of us can have a share in supporting military families who have lost a loved one. There are many ways to do this. Do research online for organizations that fund families who have lost loved ones in the military. You will most likely come across  Green Beans Coffee in your quest to find organizations supporting military  families who have lost a loved one. They are devoted to the US armed forces and truly understand the needs of many out there. Your donations and contributions will go a long way in giving back to those loved ones and their families who have sacrificed their lives for our freedom.

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When you get word that your deployment is on, planning is key to making the transition smooth, and in getting everyone ready to start living without that one vital member of the family, possibly for the next year or longer.

For families with kids, the first order of business should be to explain to the children what is happening and why. Some choose to wait until just a few days before the deployment, but others opt for telling the kids right away to give them more time to adjust. Those who wait until just a few days before the deployment feel that this means less time for the kids to dread that coming day. Others like the opposite approach, giving the kids greater time to mentally prepare. You know your kids best, so you can make the best decision for them.

Next, think about paperwork and legal issues. Prepare a will for both parents. Also see a lawyer to make sure that both people have power of attorney. You may take for granted that both parents already have this, but it’s not always the case. Many spouses, for example, find out that they have no authority to deal with a husband or wife’s bank account or credit cards if those accounts were not created jointly.

Make sure you know where all of your important documents are, just in case you need them. That means birth certificates, marriage licenses, bank documents, insurance forms, mortgage documents – this also includes ID cards, such as driver’s licenses and passports. Make sure they are up-to-date and that the deployed person’s IDs do not expire while he or she is away. Oh, and don’t forget to gather all the information you’ll need for filing taxes!

Deployment means you may also qualify for certain breaks in certain expenses. Car insurance is one of them. The reason is simple: Because you will have one less driver during the time the service member is gone, you should pay less. Ask your insurance agent about it.

It’s a good idea to post the number for the Red Cross where you can easily find it. This may come in handy in the event of an emergency, and you need to contact your spouse quickly.

But perhaps even more important than all the “must do” legalities of preparing for deployment are the more personal and psychological aspects of the situation. Parents must create an environment for the children, and for each other, that makes the best of what is about to happen. Don’t act like the coming deployment is a secret and avoid talking about it. Strive for as much normality as possible. Don’t forget to make specific plans for the big day itself. What will you and the kids do on that day, and the day after the loved one ships out? Have something specific planned so you can get the feeling that you are jumping right into the transition from Day 1.

Here’s what you can expect:

Each military branch offers an annual military leave of 30 days, per year, to every active service member.  In essence, this is a paid vacation.  In addition, each service member earns 2.5 days of leave, for every month they are in the service.  These days are like bonus days and can be stored up and saved.  (In most cases up to two years before the days expire)  If active duty is involved some exceptions to these “general guidelines” may apply.

What should you do with your time?

Families often make the mistake of cramming a huge list of activities into their designated leave time.  A family can find themselves exhausted, confused and frustrated by the end of military leave.  There will never be enough time or enough money to get everything on your list done.  Instead, consider choosing your priorities.  As a family unit, what is most important to you?  How do you want to interact?  Where do you like to go?  What do you like to do?  Remember, a military leave is a vacation not a “to do” list.  Make time for fun and refreshment.  Allow moments to sit in the sun and sip iced tea.  It’s the little things that will make your time together special.  Don’t make it difficult.  Enjoy the time you have with each other.

If you are located in a foreign country or in a state you have never seen, consider taking time to see the sites.  Many military families forget to travel outside the border of their base.  Pretend you are a local and really see the sites.  Experience the food, visit the museums, snap photos and collect souvenirs.  Few families are given the opportunity to see the world like military families.  Why not use your military leave as a benefit?

Where you start and finish:

Leave always starts and ends in an area near the service members duty station.  A leave can on occasion be extended in certain approved circumstances but a military officer can also be recalled to active duty if the need arises.  Remember, this is the active military and things beyond your control may happen.

What about emergencies?

Everyone has family emergencies and a military member is no different.  In the case of an emergency, such as a dying immediate family member, a death, a natural disaster which has effected the family or a major injury to the spouse, emergency leave may be allowed.  Emergency leave requires approval and is counted against normal leave time.  If emergency leave extends more than 60 days, additional considerations may be made. If the service member is stationed out of the country the military may help them with transportation to the nearest state side port.

Planning military leave is like planning an extended vacation with additional hoops along the way.  Use your time wisely and military leave can be one of the best benefits enjoyed by your service family.

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The Act also applies to all loans a service member might have – credit card loans, car loans, or any other “debt incurred” by someone in the military full-time. Most military loans are made up to a limit of $20,000. Military loans are also extremely flexible. You can use the money for just about any need you have – home repair, debt consolidation, buying a car, and so forth.

Who will give you a military loan? Is this something that is run directly from inside the military? No, you can get a military loan from any bank, including wherever you currently do your banking. All you have to do is show proof that you are an active duty full-time member of the military.

However, banks are under no obligation to grant you a military loan. You can still be turned down. There are basically two kinds of military loans: Secured and unsecured.

Lenders prefer making secured loans, of course, because they are backed up with some form of collateral. That’s most often a home or car. A secured loan is easier to get if you have the collateral, and you may also get a lower interest rate and a longer repayment schedule.

Unsecured loans are much more difficult to get for obvious reasons. A lender must be willing to grant you a loan based on your signature and your promise to pay it back. They’re not impossible to get, but few nervous bankers these days are interested in making unsecured loans, even to those with good credit and a steady military pay check.

What if you have bad credit? Can you still get a military loan? The answer is yes, but here again you are again in “secured loan territory.” You’ll definitely need a rock-solid form of collateral, and maybe even a co-signer to get a military loan if your credit rating is not up-to-snuff.

Anyone who goes online and searches for military loan providers will quickly find dozens of entities that make military loans, and many of whom say they specialize in this form of lending. However, just because all military loans are capped at 6% annually does not mean that all loans are a great deal. Lenders are good with the fine print. That means you need to examine the terms of each lender and their offers carefully. Some will make you a much better deal than others.

But even more important: Some clever, less-than-scrupulous lenders disguise themselves as “military loan” specialists, but the only thing “military” about what they are offering is in their name. For example, some lenders advertise themselves as “military loan” services, but when you read the ad copy, they often state “better than a military loan”! So they’re not really “military” lenders at all!

So a member of the military can get a loan with an interest rate far more attractive than non-military people. But remember, a loan is a loan and debt is debt – and debts need to be paid back.

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One of the main support groups established by the Department of Defense is the Family Readiness Group. This is a group established by the military, comprised of military personnel, members of military families, and volunteers. This group was created for the purpose of providing assistance, support, and a network for communication among the various community resources, the chain of military command, and the various members of the military families. These Family Readiness Groups help to create help and mutual support within the military units and the various communities.

Usually the Family Readiness Group is made up of family members and spouses of military personnel, as well as the military personnel themselves. The groups meet at given times and locations, and the purpose of the meetings is to give the families information on their loved ones, talk about the various issues of support, to raise funds, and to help build communities and friendship among the families of military personnel.

The main bond of a specific Family Readiness Group is usually because the members of the various families are all in the same unit. The reason for forming these groups is due to the various lessons that the Army learned about family readiness during the Gulf War. The group was designed to help improve family readiness and the ability for Army families to be self-sufficient .

If one of your family members is in the Army, you will find that joining one of these Family Readiness Groups can help to provide you with information about your loved one. You are able to obtain information pertaining to your loved one’s unit, as well as information on the military community. This will be a link to your family member in the military, and it is there to provide support, care, and open communication.

The only requirement for joining one of these Family Readiness Groups is that you have a family member in a specific unit. You are instantly and automatically granted membership to a Family Readiness Group for the unit in which your family member is posted, regardless of whether you are married or not.

There is no need to participate in these Family Readiness Groups if you don’t want to, and nothing is mandatory. These groups have been established to help you if you want the help and support of other people in situations similar to yours, but there is nothing that states that you have to participate to remain part of the support group.

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