R 231941Z FEB 04 ZUI ASN-A00054000161 ZYB
FM COMDT COGARD WASHINGTON DC//G-WP//
TO ALCOAST
BT
UNCLAS //N07220//
ALCOAST 080/04
COMDTNOTE 7220
SUBJ:  LOCATION AT WHICH BAH AND CONUS COLA ARE PAYABLE
A. COAST GUARD PAY MANUAL, COMDTINST M7220.29A, CHAPTER 3
B. JOINT FEDERAL TRAVEL REGULATIONS, CHAPTER 8
C. COMDT COGARD WASHINGTON DC 161409Z JAN 04, ALCOAST 022/04
D. COMDT COGARD WASHINGTON DC 312108Z JUL 03, ALCOAST 358/03
1. BASIC ALLOWANCE FOR HOUSING (BAH) AND CONTINENTAL UNITED STATES
COST OF LIVING ALLOWANCE (CONUS COLA) RATES VARY DEPENDING UPON A
MEMBERS PAY GRADE, DEPENDENCY STATUS, AND THE LOCATION OF THE
MEMBERS DUTY STATION.  WITH THE RECENT SIGNIFICANT INCREASES IN BAH
RATES, IT BECOMES ESSENTIAL THAT BAH AND CONUS COLA BE PAID AT THE
PROPER LOCATION, OTHERWISE A DISASTROUSLY LARGE OVERPAYMENT CAN
RESULT.
2. THE RULES FOR PAYMENT OF BAH AND CONUS COLA ARE CONTAINED IN
REFS A AND B.  THIS ALCOAST SUMMARIZES THOSE RULES WITH RESPECT TO
THE LOCATION AT WHICH BAH AND CONUS COLA ARE TO BE PAID TO ACTIVE
DUTY MEMBERS, RESERVE MEMBERS ON ADSW/EAD, AND RESERVE MEMBERS
ORDERED TO ACTIVE DUTY UNDER A CONTINGENCY OPERATION.
3. USCG ACTIVE DUTY MEMBERS: EXCEPT AS PRESCRIBED IN PARA 3.A.
THROUGH 3.E. BELOW, BAH AND CONUS COLA SHALL BE PAID BASED ON THE
GEOGRAPHICAL LOCATION WHERE THE MEMBER IS ASSIGNED TO PERFORM
DUTIES (PERMANENT DUTY STATION - PDS), I.E., ZIP CODE WHERE ONE
WORKS.  MEMBERS WHO ARE TRANSFERRED PCS TO ONE UNIT, THEN
ASSIGNED/DETAILED TO FULL-TIME DUTY AT ANOTHER LOCATION, SHALL BE
PAID BAH AND CONUS COLA AT THE DETACHED DUTY LOCALE.  FOR EXAMPLE,
IF A MEMBER IS ISSUED PCS ORDERS TO ISC ALAMEDA, CA, BUT IS
ACTUALLY ASSIGNED FULL TIME TO HOUSING MAINTENANCE WORK IN NOVATO,
CA, THE MEMBERS BAH AND CONUS COLA WILL BE BASED ON NOVATO, NOT
ALAMEDA.  MEMBERS ASSIGNED TO A VESSEL SHALL BE PAID BAH AND CONUS
COLA BASED ON THE HOME PORT OF THE VESSEL.  THE ONLY MEMBERS WHO
ARE AUTHORIZED TO RECEIVE BAH AND CONUS COLA AT A LOCATION
DIFFERENT THAN THE MEMBERS PDS ARE THE FOLLOWING:
 A. MEMBERS ASSIGNED TO A NEW PDS UNDER NO-ENTITLEMENT PERMANENT
CHANGE OF STATION (PCS) ORDERS MAY BE AUTHORIZED BY COMDT (G-WPM-2)
TO RECEIVE BAH AT A LOCATION DIFFERENT THAN WHERE THE MEMBER IS
ASSIGNED FOR DUTY.  MEMBERS MUST UNDERSTAND THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN
NO-ENTITLEMENT AND LOW/NO COST ORDERS.  IF A MEMBER IS ENTITLED TO
A HHG MOVE REGARDLESS IF THEIR ORDERS READ LOW/NO COST, BAH
PROTECTION IS NOT AUTHORIZED.  SEE SECTION 3-C-8, REF A.  MEMBERS
ISSUED VALID NO-ENTITLEMENT ORDERS MAY BE AUTHORIZED TO RECEIVE BAH
AT THE MEMBERS PREVIOUS PDS OR THE DEPENDENTS LOCALE (IF THE MEMBER
HAS DEPENDENTS) - WHICHEVER IS MORE EQUITABLE.  BY LAW, CONUS COLA
CANNOT BE PAID AT THE RATE APPLICABLE TO THE MEMBERS PREVIOUS PDS -
IT CAN ONLY BE PAID AT THE NEW PDS (OR THE DEPENDENTS LOCALE, IF
THE MEMBER HAS DEPENDENTS).
 B. WITH-DEPENDENT MEMBERS ASSIGNED TO UNUSUALLY ARDUOUS SEA DUTY
(WHEC/WMEC/POLAR WAGB) WHOSE DEPENDENTS DO NOT ACCOMPANY THE MEMBER
TO THE VESSELS HOME PORT MAY BE AUTHORIZED, BY COMDT (G-WPM-2), TO
RECEIVE BAH AT A LOCATION OTHER THAN THE VESSELS HOME PORT.  SEE
SECTION 3-C-11, REF A.  SUCH MEMBERS MAY BE AUTHORIZED TO RECEIVE
BAH AT THEIR DEPENDENTS LOCATION OR (IF NO PCS ENTITLEMENTS ARE
USED) AT THE MEMBERS PREVIOUS PDS.  AS BEFORE, BY LAW, CONUS COLA
CANNOT BE PAID AT THE RATE APPLICABLE TO THE MEMBERS PREVIOUS PDS -
IT CAN ONLY BE PAID AT THE NEW PDS OR THE DEPENDENTS LOCALE.
 C. WITH-DEPENDENT MEMBERS ASSIGNED TO A DESIGNATED CRITICAL
HOUSING AREA (WHERE FAMILY HOUSING IS IN SHORT SUPPLY) MAY BE
AUTHORIZED BY COMDT (G-WPM-2) TO RECEIVE BAH AT A LOCATION OTHER
THAN WHERE THE MEMBER IS ASSIGNED FOR DUTY.  SEE REF C.  SUCH
MEMBERS MAY BE AUTHORIZED TO RECEIVE BAH AT THEIR DEPENDENTS
LOCATION OR (IF NO PCS ENTITLEMENTS ARE USED) AT THE MEMBERS
PREVIOUS PDS.  BY LAW, CONUS COLA CANNOT BE PAID AT THE RATE
APPLICABLE TO THE MEMBERS PREVIOUS PDS - IT CAN ONLY BE PAID AT THE
NEW PDS OR THE DEPENDENTS LOCALE.
 D. WITH-DEPENDENT MEMBERS ASSIGNED TO PROFESSIONAL EDUCATION OR
TRAINING DUTY FOR A PERIOD OF AT LEAST 20 BUT NOT TO EXCEED 52
WEEKS MAY BE AUTHORIZED BY COMDT (G-WPM-2) TO RECEIVE BAH AT A
LOCATION OTHER THAN WHERE THE MEMBER IS ASSIGNED FOR TRAINING.  SEE
REF D.  SUCH MEMBERS MAY BE AUTHORIZED TO RECEIVE BAH AT THEIR
DEPENDENTS LOCATION OR AT THE MEMBERS PREVIOUS DUTY STATION
WHICHEVER IS MOST EQUITABLE.  BY LAW, CONUS COLA CANNOT BE PAID AT
THE RATE APPLICABLE TO THE MEMBERS PREVIOUS DUTY STATION - IT CAN
ONLY BE PAID AT THE NEW PDS OR THE DEPENDENTS LOCALE.
 E. WITH-DEPENDENT MEMBERS ASSIGNED TO A UNIT OUTSIDE CONUS WHOSE
DEPENDENTS DO NOT ACCOMPANY THE MEMBER TO THE OUTCONUS UNIT MAY BE
PAID BAH AND CONUS COLA AT THE RATE APPLICABLE TO THE LOCATION
WHERE THE MEMBERS DEPENDENTS RESIDE.  SEE FIGURE 3-10, REF A, AND
SECTION U8015, REF B.  IF A MEMBER IS ASSIGNED TO ALASKA OR HAWAII,
AND THE MEMBERS DEPENDENTS ACCOMPANY THE MEMBER TO THE NEW PDS, BAH
SHALL BE BASED ON THE ALASKA/HAWAII DUTY STATION, AND SHALL
CONTINUE TO BE BASED ON THE ALASKA/HAWAII DUTY STATION EVEN IF THE
DEPENDENTS VOLUNTARILY RETURN TO CONUS (UNLESS AN EXCEPTION IS
AUTHORIZED BY COMDT (G-WPM-2)).  THERE ARE LIMITED INSTANCES WHERE
A MEMBER ASSIGNED OUTCONUS MAY BE AUTHORIZED BY COMDT (G-WPM-2) BAH
BOTH AT THE WITH-DEPENDENTS AND BAH AT THE WITHOUT-DEPENDENTS RATE
- SEE SECTION 3-G-3, REF A.
 F. WITH DEPENDENT MEMBERS ASSIGNED TO RECRUIT TRAINING OR OFFICER
CANDIDATE SCHOOL ARE PAID BAH AND CONUS COLA AT THE RATE APPLICABLE
TO THE LOCATION OF THE MEMBERS DEPENDENTS.  SEE FIGURE 3-10, REF A,
AND SECTION U8012, REF B.  THIS RATE OF BAH AND CONUS COLA SHALL
CONTINUE TO BE PAID UNTIL THE MEMBER REPORTS TO HIS/HER FIRST PDS.
IF THE MEMBER IS ASSIGNED TEMPORARY DUTY TO TRAINING OR CLASS A
SCHOOL AFTER RECRUIT TRAINING/OFFICER CANDIDATE SCHOOL, BAH AND
CONUS COLA SHALL CONTINUE TO BE PAID BASED ON THE DEPENDENTS LOCALE
UNTIL SUCH TIME AS THE MEMBER REPORTS IN TO HIS/HER FIRST PERMANENT
DUTY STATION.
4. USCGR MEMBERS INITIALLY ORDERED TO CONTINUOUS ACTIVE DUTY FOR
140 DAYS OR MORE UNDER OTHER THAN A CONTINGENCY OPERATION
(VOLUNTARY ACTIVE DUTY FOR SPECIAL WORK (ADSW) OR EXTENDED ACTIVE
DUTY (EAD)): SUCH MEMBERS BAH AND CONUS COLA ENTITLEMENTS ARE
IDENTICAL TO USCG MEMBERS AS DESCRIBED IN PARA 3 ABOVE.
5. USCGR MEMBERS INITIALLY ORDERED TO ACTIVE DUTY FOR PERIODS OF
LESS THAN 140 DAYS UNDER CIRCUMSTANCES OTHER THAN A CONTINGENCY
OPERATION ARE NOT AUTHORIZED TO RECEIVE CONUS COLA AND ARE ONLY
ENTITLED TO THE APPLICABLE BAH TYPE II (BAH-II) RATE.
6. USCGR MEMBERS ORDERED TO ACTIVE DUTY UNDER A CONTINGENCY
OPERATION.  AS PRESCRIBED IN SECTION 3-C-10 AND FIGURE 3-8 OF REF
A, AND PARA U8011 OF REF B, WITH-DEPENDENT RESERVISTS RECALLED TO
ACTIVE DUTY UNDER A CONTINGENCY OPERATION SHALL BE PAID BAH AND
CONUS COLA AT THE LOCATION OF THE RESERVISTS PRINCIPAL PLACE OF
RESIDENCE AT THE TIME ORDERED TO ACTIVE DUTY FOR THE DURATION OF
THE ORDERS.  WITHOUT DEPENDENT RESERVISTS ORDERED TO DUTY AT A
PLACE WHERE THE RESERVIST IS UNABLE TO OCCUPY HIS/HER PRIMARY
RESIDENCE ARE ENTITLED TO BAH AND CONUS COLA BASED ON THE LOCATION
OF THE RESERVISTS PRINCIPAL PLACE OF RESIDENCE, PROVIDED THE
RESERVIST IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE COST OF THAT RESIDENCE.
 A. RESERVISTS RECALLED UNDER A CONTINGENCY OPERATION SHALL NOT BE
PAID BAH OR CONUS COLA AT THE LOCATION WHERE THE RESERVIST IS
ASSIGNED FOR DUTY.
 B. BAH AND CONUS COLA SHALL CONTINUE TO BE PAID AT THE LOCATION OF
THE RESERVISTS ORIGINAL PRINCIPAL PLACE OF RESIDENCE EVEN IF THE
RESERVIST VOLUNTARILY MOVES HIS/HER HOUSEHOLD GOODS (AND
DEPENDENTS) TO ANOTHER LOCALE AT HIS/HER OWN EXPENSE.
 C. RESERVISTS WHO CONVERT FROM INVOLUNTARY TITLE 10 RECALL ORDERS
TO VOLUNTARY TITLE 10 RECALL ORDERS WITH OR WITHOUT A BREAK IN
SERVICE SHALL CONTINUE TO RECEIVE BAH AND CONUS COLA AT THE
LOCATION OF THE RESERVISTS ORIGINAL PRINCIPAL PLACE OF RESIDENCE AT
THE TIME INITIALLY ORDERED TO ACTIVE DUTY.
7. QUESTIONS AND CONCERNS MAY BE SUBMITTED VIA E-MAIL TO
COMPENSATION (AT) COMDT.USCG.MIL.
8. INTERNET RELEASE AUTHORIZED.
9. MR. THOMAS F. FISHER, ACTING DIRECTOR OF PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT,
SENDS.
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