Malmstrom starts BAH recertification

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Katrina Heikkinen
  • 341st Missile Wing Public Affairs
MALMSTROM AIR FORCE BASE, Mont. --  An Air Force-wide Basic Allowance for Housing, or BAH, recertification for Airmen entitled to BAH with-dependent rate started March 1 and is scheduled to be complete by December.

"Beginning in March, every member of the Air Force to include active duty, Guard and Reserve receiving BAH with-dependent rate is required to provide the supporting document to justify the basis for the entitlement, along with a wet-signed Air Force Form 594," said Tech. Sgt. Kelley Ferguson, 341st Comptroller Squadron first sergeant.

Team Malmstrom members are identified by their social security number and are assigned a specific 30-day recertification window. Members are being notified via email with instructions to attend one of four briefings held during their 30-day window at the base auditorium.

"To avoid mass confusion and chaos, members who are affected will receive an email from the finance office with the subject line 'IMPORTANT Notification from Finance!!! Air Force Wide Verification! Please Read Email in its Entirety -- Suspense of NLT' informing them of the dates and times of briefings that they can attend with specific instructions on how to come prepared to recertify their entitlements at the briefing," said Staff Sgt. Alicia Greene, 341st CPTS financial services NCO in charge. "Members who need to recertify will receive the email on the last duty date of the month prior to their recertification window."

According to Greene, traditional BAH recertification is completed upon permanent change of station arrival, every four years for those who have not completed a PCS in that time period, within 60 days prior to separation or retirement.

"Recently, an audit was conducted in another military branch and a deficiency was discovered with regards to the retention of BAH paperwork," Greene said. "Specifically, the certified original Air Force Form 594 to accompany a change in BAH entitlement was not being maintained; therefore, prompting an Air Force-wide BAH recertification for all members to claim BAH with-dependent rate. Once reviewed, the Air Force Form 594 documentation will be retained indefinitely in the member's Automated Records Management System, or ARMS, account."

BAH recertification will affect approximately 1,800 Team Malmstrom personnel. Married Airmen without dependents, including active duty married to active-duty Airmen or single Airmen without dependents are not affected by this recertification.

Ferguson said email notifications are being tracked with read receipts to account for members on leave or on a temporary duty. Members who fail to recertify may have the opportunity to request their entitlement to BAH with-dependent rate be started again with valid justification and written approval from their commander.

"Not only is this BAH recertification important for audit purposes, it is also very important for each member," Ferguson said. "If a member fails to recertify in the allotted 30-day time, the BAH with-dependent rate will stop and the without-dependent rate will start."

For more information, contact Greene at 731-3193/4620/4735 or email finance2@us.af.mil.