Under previous law, the monetary food allowance (BAS) was paid only when individuals were officially allowed (for various reasons) to eat their meals outside of the military dining facilities (chow halls). Those required to eat meals in the dining facilities (usually, single enlisted, living on-base) received a "partial allowance" of about $25.80 per month. Under new procedures, all enlisted and officers now receive full-rate BAS, after initial entry training (boot camp and follow-on schooling). However, for those required to consume meals in the dining facilities, most of the BAS is automatically deducted from their paychecks, resulting in those members still only receiving about $26.00 each month. There are plans (for the future) to only deduct the cost of meals actually consumed in the dining facilities, but that is likely several years in the future (for the present time, DOD depends on the fact that members required to consume meals in the dining facilities only eat an average of 70 percent of their meals there, and purchase 30 percent of the meals elsewhere. The services rely upon the difference to help balance their food budgets).
Which service has the best chow? With the exception of the Coast Guard, I've eaten in each and every one of the service's chow halls on numerous occasions. In your Guide's unbiased opinion, the Navy wins the contest for "best chow," hands-down. On the other hand, I have good friends in the Navy who will swear that the best chow they've ever eaten was on Air Force Bases. Of course, your mileage may vary.
BASIC ALLOWANCE FOR SUBSISTENCE (BAS)
For officers, and enlisted people who do not reside in the dormitories, the military pays a monetary allowance food. Looking at the BAS Pay Chart, we can see that , officers are paid an allowance of $187.49 per month. Enlisted people are paid $272.26 per month. Why are officers paid less? Mostly it's traditional. Throughout our history, Congress has decided that the government should pick up the entire cost of feeding enlistment members, but not the entire cost for commissioned (and warrant) officers.
BAS is an "allowance," not a pay, and is therefore is not taxable.
The allowance is not designed or paid to provide any subsistence to family members. It is solely for the subsistence of the military member. If an enlisted person is married, and then embarks on a ship or is assigned to a remote tour (a tour where she is not allowed to take family members), and he resides in the dormitory, it is very likely that he or she will lose this allowance in exchange for free meals in the chow hall. (EXCEPTION: By Federal Law, all E-7s and above are authorized to receive BAS, and a new federal law prohibits the loss of BAS when temporarily away from the home station, such as a deployment or duty in the field).
It used to be that when an enlisted member deployed, and they received BAS, they would lose the BAS during the time of deployment (because they received "free meals" at the deployment location Chow Hall). However, responding to complaints of many servicemembers following the first Gulf War, Congress passed a law requiring the military to continue to pay BAS to deployed members, if the member receive BAS at their permanent duty station.
Whether or not you receive BAS really has nothing to do with whether you are married or not. It has everything to do with whether or not the military decides it is more advantageous for you to consume your meals in the chow hall, or whether it is more advantageous for you (from the military's point of view, not yours) to consume meals outside of the chow hall. If you are married and are living with your dependents, you'll almost certainly receive BAS. However, for example, even married people do not receive BAS while in basic training, because they are not living with their dependents, and it is perfectly reasonable to require the member to consume all his/her meals in the chow hall.
