Hawaii ANG - Financials

[dmginc]

I did my best to search the forums, but didn't come up with much.  Unfortunately, the HIANG site doesn't have much information either.  From a financial standpoint, I'm just curious how one lives on Oahu with a Guard salary.  I'm not too clear on who is eligible to receive BAH, or if you're allowed to live on base or not.

If anyone here has experience with this, I'd be most appreciative of any insight you can provide.

[tk1313]

My best guess honestly... (link for lurkers: https://www.defensetravel.dod.mil/site/bahCalc.cfm)

I don't think you get BAH if you live on base... But even in Hawaii, I think you can find a decent apartment well within that budget (or so I've been told).

Edited April 2, 2018 by tk1313

[dmginc]

54 minutes ago, tk1313 said:

My best guess honestly...

I don't think you get BAH if you live on base... But even in Hawaii, I think you can find a decent apartment well within that budget (or so I've been told).

This is great, thank you!  Do ANG guys have the option to live on base?  I'd do that in a heartbeat.

[tk1313]

19 minutes ago, dmginc said:

This is great, thank you!  Do ANG guys have the option to live on base?  I'd do that in a heartbeat.

No worries. And yes, I think full time guard can live on base, but those are good questions for when you visit the unit.

[dmginc]

Will do, thanks again.  Appreciate it.

[va121mir]

So this applies for any location... When you are in full time status (seasoning or any other orders past that) you will get pay(basic and flight) + BAH + BAS + COLA (i was told HI has COLA). That is a good chunk of change to live on. When you are in part time status (doing the weekend a month + required currency training) you will not get BAH or BAS or COLA. So, when you are in part time status def get a job lined up. 

As far as living on base... if you can get into living on base (pretty hard if you do not have a family) ALL of your BAH will be used to pay for the on base housing. Plus, I think that you would have to move off base if/when your full time orders are done. Pretty sure there is nobody living on base in part time status...but i could be wrong.

[dmginc]

4 hours ago, va121mir said:

So this applies for any location... When you are in full time status (seasoning or any other orders past that) you will get pay(basic and flight) + BAH + BAS + COLA (i was told HI has COLA). That is a good chunk of change to live on. When you are in part time status (doing the weekend a month + required currency training) you will not get BAH or BAS or COLA. So, when you are in part time status def get a job lined up. 

As far as living on base... if you can get into living on base (pretty hard if you do not have a family) ALL of your BAH will be used to pay for the on base housing. Plus, I think that you would have to move off base if/when your full time orders are done. Pretty sure there is nobody living on base in part time status...but i could be wrong.

Great to know. Thanks!

[Patch]

Another question to add to this thread:

How feasible is it for someone to be in HI ANG and live in another state (such as CA, AZ or OR). Is something like this commonly done or worth doing? Or should it be expected for someone to live in the same state?

[IMUA]

@Patch that’s a really loaded question.

But i imagine the biggest factor where u live i’m sure largely depends on your status, full/part time/technician/AGR etc.

Lets say you have an airline job and can non-rev to/from HI, it is NOT AT ALL EASY on any airline. There are times when non-revs have to leave a week early just to not get caught in the overloaded situation the week of.

Also to chew on...airfare interisland on Hawaiian is about $300 roundtrip. You can get sales to/from the west coast for about that too.

 

[pilot]

13 minutes ago, IMUA said:

@Patch that’s a really loaded question.

But i imagine the biggest factor where u live i’m sure largely depends on your status, full/part time/technician/AGR etc.

Lets say you have an airline job and can non-rev to/from HI, it is NOT AT ALL EASY on any airline. There are times when non-revs have to leave a week early just to not get caught in the overloaded situation the week of.

Also to chew on...airfare interisland on Hawaiian is about $300 roundtrip. You can get sales to/from the west coast for about that too.

 

I don’t think jumpseats are bad to HI are they? I get nonrevving isn’t viable for HI, but I’d think there aren’t a whole lot of people filling jumpseats. 

[Sopwith Camel]

The question is why you would want to plan to spend so much of your life commuting that kind of distance. 

Edited April 17, 2018 by Sopwith Camel

[Springer]

51 minutes ago, FlyArmy said:

I don’t think jumpseats are bad to HI are they? I get nonrevving isn’t viable for HI, but I’d think there aren’t a whole lot of people filling jumpseats. 

Do you really want to sit on a jumpseat for 5.5 hrs especially on a B-737 that many are now flying to HI?  Don't get me wrong because I was a commuter for 23 years and did all I could to make jumpseaters feel welcomed, but do you think the cockpit crew wants you on their jumpseat for that long?

[IMUA]

49 minutes ago, FlyArmy said:

I don’t think jumpseats are bad to HI are they? I get nonrevving isn’t viable for HI, but I’d think there aren’t a whole lot of people filling jumpseats. 

Can’t speak to the Pilot Jumpseat situation with certainty, but i’ve known bros at the regionals who go out for a Holiday or to see fam and have to buy tickets to get back CONUS cause they get bumped by employees or other mainline jumpseaters etc. If you have a mainline capability to jumpseat it’s much easier but still not a guarantee. There are only a finite number of resources to fight over.

As for flight attendants, commuters from Hawaii at least on my wifes major airline hate their life. Jumpsets go quick and to seniors that have the ability to do it in order to commute or to seniors on vacation leaving a seat in a cabin for a family member.

Best case scenario if you want to commute is on Hawaiian. Much smaller employee pool to fight for resources with and generally high capacity to host jumpseaters/nonrevs. 

[pilot]

Don’t get me wrong, I would never commute to HI. Unfortunately I temporarily commute across the country, often in an offline 737 middle seat or jumpseat. And it’s brutal. But my days of driving to work again are almost here. If I was in the HIANG I’d live there. But I do think pilots with access to jumpseats have a decent amount of options with as many A321s/757s/767s/widebodies as there are for 737 JS avoidance purposes, plus perhaps FedEx. Not ideal for anyone, but probably not as bad as some commutes. 

Edited April 17, 2018 by FlyArmy

[Chancellor]

On 4/2/2018 at 4:24 PM, tk1313 said:

My best guess honestly... (link for lurkers: https://www.defensetravel.dod.mil/site/bahCalc.cfm)

I don't think you get BAH if you live on base... But even in Hawaii, I think you can find a decent apartment well within that budget (or so I've been told).

I was stationed out there for 4 years with the Navy. You get BAH on base but the housing contractor takes it all back. What you do get is your left over utility allowance if you’re under at the end of month (usually doesn’t happen if you like to have air conditioning). Look at the cost of living allowance calculator as well that’s  your extra take home. 

When I was there as an O3 I was living out in town collecting $3600 a month in BAH and another $1200 in COLA. Both have gone down considerably since. 

[N730]

I have this same question, I plan to apply for this unit and it is a dream to fly F-22s, but I can’t figure out how anyone can afford it on ANG pay. 

If you could live on the big island, it seems (fairly) reasonable, but O’ahu seems cost prohibitive if you aren’t receiving BAH or at least COLA.

I’m just hoping it’s possible for a married couple.

[matmacwc]

A fighter unit is going to want at least 5-7 days a month in participation.  HI probably has a “live local” rule if I were to guess.  Not living on the Island would be a mistake.

[SocialD]

12 hours ago, matmacwc said:

A fighter unit is going to want at least 5-7 days a month in participation. 

For the guys looking to get out of AD...If the squadron requires more than 4-5 days/month, look elsewhere.  It seems like no big deal now, but when you grow up and get a real job (even an airline gig), anything more than 5 days/month is ridiculous.  IMHO, 7 days/month is an unreasonable and unsustainable expectation.  Of course, I'm not talking about TDY...just month-to-month expectations.  

[IMUA]

On 5/8/2018 at 5:29 PM, N730 said:

I have this same question, I plan to apply for this unit and it is a dream to fly F-22s, but I can’t figure out how anyone can afford it on ANG pay. 

If you could live on the big island, it seems (fairly) reasonable, but O’ahu seems cost prohibitive if you aren’t receiving BAH or at least COLA.

I’m just hoping it’s possible for a married couple.

Big Island is cheaper property wise but any outer island has a more expensive cost of living than Oahu. Groceries, gas, utilities add up on the outer islands.

Anything is possible man. Just brace for the possible drastic lifestyle change to support the dream...

There’s a reason having 3 generations of family under one roof is a common reality in HI.

Edited May 13, 2018 by IMUA

[IMUA]

Oahu data points as of Feb18 for your consumption.