Full Time Retired Military

The reference was made to people going TDY=Temporary assignment. NOT permanent party.

TDY are usually there for less than 6 months and are paid per diem and such which is supposed to cover living expenses MANY times the allocation does not cover all of the expenses so by staying in Famcamp the member might very well be keeping closer to actual allowances. Sure, there may be instances where the member gets to pocket some of the extra but that is usually overshadowed by the extra expense of being TDY.

Besides that, when the member returns to home station they are required to fill out a travel voucher and submit receipts anyway so it is possible that even though the authorization might be for a specific amount, if the member did not spend that much or does not have receipts for that much they may very well not get paid the full authorized amount.

The last TDY I went on before I retired I was not given sufficient reimbursement to cover all the costs and had to go out of pocket a few bucks even though I was authorized more.

Then there was the BOA Govt Credit card ripoff where BOA charged me something like 20% interest rate from the date of purchase and Uncle Sammy took his own sweet time doling out the cash. I had to make the first two months minimum payment out of pocket on my own before I received the reimbursement. THEN I had racked up interest charges that Uncle Sammy DID NOT reimburse I had to complain at the finance office.

After having a BOA Government travel card I decided I would NEVER do business with BOA on my own!

Do not let this get political, folks......

Not exactly - I have issues with anyone DOD or Military taking housing allowance, which is based on the local rent, and staying in military campgrounds, and putting that money in their pockets. That's not what that money is paid for, and it's NOT earned, and FamCamps is not housing - it's recreation. I might find it okay temporarily for AD moving in for awhile when TAD, but when DOD gets paid a fortune for housing assistance, and lives in FamCamp, that sticks in my craw.

You talk about pay and waste, look at pay now compared to when we were in the 60's ... and we got benefits that are now disappearing faster than we can count the pennies. I'm as appreciative as anyone about AD, I was one once too, as were my brothers, but we need to take care of retired and DAV's as well, not just AD, and when AD or DOD abuse this housing allowance, it cost all taxpayers and erodes the potential for other benefits to continue.

Today, the pay is much more, but the budget continues to rise and manipulating housing allowance like this is not what it's for - that's all I mean ... and, yes, millionaires funneling money to themselves is a whole different issue.

monkey44 , I was stationed at Ft. Meade when I was in the army but that was back in the 1960’s; it seems you are saying that the famcamp there is frequently full due to active military staying there? Maybe I misunderstood.

Frankly, I applaud active military who can find legitimate ways to supplement their meager income. I think our tax base is high, and our national budget in the tank, due to millionaire politicians who waste millions, and even billions, of tax payer money.

I have had City, County, State, and Federal jobs, and have personally seen the huge amount of financial waste that takes place on every level with no regard whatsoever where the money comes from. Most public budgets are based on the principle that you have got to spend all the money in your budget in order to justify the need for receiving more money.

QUOTE: "They informed me that they get to pocket much more of their housing allowance by staying at famcamps during their TDY."

I'm wondering if we're supposed to applaud that ingenuity - taking Housing money, read that our tax money for subsistence, and putting it in their wallet.

Like a raise in pay without income tax ... and fill up the MCG while they do it and keep other veterans from using the facility. Ft Meade comes to mind here, as one example.

Anyone wonder why our tax base is so high, and our budget in the tank, and keeps going up - here's one reason right here. Abuse and fraud right there on top of the feeding trough.

Uma & Papa wrote:
Can any of you give us some in sight on being FT RM, like are you using military bases (monthly, weekly) State/Fed Parks, private. Are you in a 5th wheel, Class A, something else. Hubby has got the itch to stop working next year. I'd appreciate any and all information/advice.

Congratulations on retirement.

We have OMA OPA Ausfhart on the rear of our bus.

During the government shutdown some commissaries, the one at Travis AFB for sure, closed for a few days and then reopened telling patrons that they get their money to operate from DOD. So this is the information I’m going on. Now the BX did not close during the government shutdown because it is run by a private organization with its’ own funding. At least that’s my understanding.

A lot of active duty, NG, etc., on TDY stay at the Beale AFB Famcamp, and other famcamps, and they have told me it is cheaper than on-base housing. They informed me that they get to pocket much more of their housing allowance by staying at famcamps during their TDY.

P.S. The Military Star Exchange Card is only accepted at the BX and not the commissary unless it bears a Visa or MasterCard logo. The Military Star Card alone without the Visa or Mastercard logo is a product of the Exchange system which is separate from the Commissary system.

The on-base gas stations are also under the Exchange system. But the commissary has “case sales” about 2 or 3 times a year where you can buy cases of stuff relatively inexpensive; the BX has no such event.

deltamaster wrote:

Larryzv7 wrote:
Roy & Lynne, the commissaries did take a big hit with that so-called “sequester,” and most of them have already stopped having “case sales,” which I used to look forward to for stocking up on things at a reasonable price. It would not surprise me, with all of the budget cutbacks and the commissary being part of the DOD budget, if some commissaries did close.

I’m told that Sam’s Club has discount membership for military veterans, and if the commissaries close I probably will be going more to Costco and Sam’s Club. It is my understanding that BX/PX’s are for profit organizations and are run under a different budget than the commissaries. I recently learned that BX/PX’s started out as on base trading posts back in the 1800’s.

I thought the commissary was a self supporting agency as well... not so much for profit as break even, hence the five percent surcharge that is supposed to be used for facility upgrades and such.

Right, the 5% surcharge pays the way - plus baggers work for tips, no pay ... but someone in the budget hearings must have figured out it could "look like" a budget cut if the commissaries close. It always comes down to what it looks like and not what it really is. Believe it, if the commissary closes it will be a disguised pay cut for AD and retired.

Larryzv7 wrote:
Roy & Lynne, the commissaries did take a big hit with that so-called “sequester,” and most of them have already stopped having “case sales,” which I used to look forward to for stocking up on things at a reasonable price. It would not surprise me, with all of the budget cutbacks and the commissary being part of the DOD budget, if some commissaries did close.

I’m told that Sam’s Club has discount membership for military veterans, and if the commissaries close I probably will be going more to Costco and Sam’s Club. It is my understanding that BX/PX’s are for profit organizations and are run under a different budget than the commissaries. I recently learned that BX/PX’s started out as on base trading posts back in the 1800’s.

I thought the commissary was a self supporting agency as well... not so much for profit as break even, hence the five percent surcharge that is supposed to be used for facility upgrades and such.

Larryzv7 wrote:

I only go to certain Famcamps which I have visited before and know what facilities they have. Travis AFB allows you to stay up to 6-months, Beale AFB allows up to 4-months. militarycampgrounds.us website.

I did not know about the stay limits at Beale. The only time I went there was to dump my holding tanks when I came back from that TDY. I believe they had extended the size of the Famcamp after they closed the trailer park which happened to be right next to it.

The only other time I went to Famcamp was as an EMT (I was a medic on base). Had a call out there for someone in respiratory distress. The first time I had ever taken care of a call in an RV.



NOW... someone mentioned the prices of things in the BX/PX/NEX being the same as or higher than Walmart. Did that take in to consideration the sales tax that you pay off base and do not pay on base? Did that also take in to consideration that the quality of products at the base exchanges is generally a little better than at Walmart. I also know for a fact that the Beale BX WILL price match anything that Walmart sells. DW bought her first digital camera there and they price matched with the Yuba City Walmart that had the same model for around ten bucks less... PLUS it was a long hike to Yuba City Walmart. I think it was about thirty miles round trip or so... Heck it was about three or four miles to the front gate from base housing!


I took a look at Google the other day and I see they have completely demolished the neighborhood where I lived in base housing. Several months ago the house I lived in was still there... maybe on or two others on the street as well. Just a week ago the new picture shows them all gone.