Defence Home Ownership Assistance Scheme (DHOAS): This is available to members currently and formerly serving in the military. This scheme provides monthly payments to assist both current and former members in paying their home loan. Eligibility for this scheme depends on the length of time served.
Service residences are subsidised homes for members and their families. Defence Housing Australia (DHA) offers Service residences on or near ADF bases around the country.
Single or unaccompanied military installation housing such as “the barracks,” or “bachelor quarters,” are rent-free, but you may share a room or bathroom. Privatized military installation housing is owned by a private-sector company.
As a member of the ADF, you are eligible for assistance to purchase your own home. HPAS comes in the form of a lump-sum payment of $16,949, before tax. Note that the amount you're eligible for is affected by your share of ownership of the property (ie – joint ownership with a non-ADF member will see the amount halved).
Generally, active duty service members, veterans, Reservists and National Guard members in good standing and meeting other eligibility requirements qualify for a VA loan as do certain surviving spouses. VA loans can be used to build, purchase or refinance a primary residence.
For starters, an unmarried couple cannot live on a base outside of certain extenuating circumstances that would have the non-service member defined as a caregiver for the service member's children. As a result, unmarried military couples typically live off-base.
Described by some as “a preference for the Civilian over the Military,” the Third Amendment forbids the forcible housing of military personnel in a citizen's home during peacetime and requires the process to be “prescribed by law” in times of war.
During initial training you'll live on base, giving you the opportunity to bond with fellow recruits. After that you may have the option to live on or off base, or rent or buy locally.
Defence uses rent ceilings and contribution rates to help work out how much rent allowance you get. In most cases, rent allowance doesn't cover all your rent. You can calculate your possible rent allowance using the Defence Housing Australia rent allowance calculator.
After that they may have the option to live on or off base in service-provided accommodation, or rent or buy locally in a suburb that suits their lifestyle. Either way, meals and accommodation are subsidised by the ADF.
Military Health Care Benefits
TRICARE, the military's health insurance program, may still be available after you retire from the service. However, you must enroll in the TRICARE retiree health plan within 90 days of your separation to maintain these benefits. Veterans Health Care through the VA never expires.
The 2023 Basic Allowance for Housing rates, as part of a robust military compensation package, continue the member cost-sharing element at five percent of the national average housing cost by pay grade. These amounts vary by grade and dependency status and range from $82 to $184 monthly for the 2023 rates.
All married service members receive a Basic Allowance for Housing (BAH) to cover their rent. The family can choose to live on base in government housing, in which case the BAH will be automatically deducted from the paycheck and sent to the property management company.
In addition to your salary, you'll receive plenty of benefits like allowances, a generous superannuation rate (16.4%), extra pay for training and relevant qualifications, free medical and dental care, and generous housing subsidies including assistance with the costs of housing and moving.
U.S. Army pays its employees an average of $65,352 a year. Salaries at U.S. Army range from an average of $34,460 to $122,608 a year.
The good news is, while the Army doesn't step in and pay your bills for you while your husband is deployed, it does look after its service members and their families by providing services, special pay and emergency aid during these times.
A member's ADF salary and salary-related allowances are exempt from income tax while on warlike service. This exemption only applies to taxable income from ADF sources during deployed service, ie ADF salary and allowances earned for service in the operational area.
Is Australian Defence Force pay tax-free? The general answer is “no”. Most ADF members are required by law to pay income tax based on salary, wages, and allowances earned for the income year. Income tax exemption may apply to ADF members deployed overseas on eligible duty in a specified area.
Getting That Morning Wake-Up Call
In military basic training, there's no such thing as sleeping in. You'll get up at 5 a.m. every single day. Waking up in the morning is an adjustment process that's the same for every single basic training class.
Members can change the way they serve during their career. This includes leaving the ADF to transition to a civilian career.
To get your relationship recognised, complete an Amendment of Personal Data Details - ADF (AD150) form. You can download this from the web forms portal on the Defence Protected Network (DPN). The 3 relationship types Defence recognises are: marriage.
Do not expect or offer public displays of affection whenever a service member is in uniform. However, brief kisses and hugs are acceptable during deployments and homecomings. Eating, drinking, using a cellphone and smoking while walking is generally banned in uniform.
This would be a violation of the Soldier's Fourth Amendment rights. The NCO can order the Soldiers not turn on their phones during duty hours or to not have their phones out during duty hours, except for an emergency.
These requirements may also impact the scheduling of annual leave. Annual Leave: Active duty Soldiers earn 2.5 days of annual (chargeable) leave for each month of service, for a total of 30 days per year. Currently, Soldiers can bank up to 60 days of leave at the end of the fiscal year.