Hey everyone,

My boyfriend and I are relocating to Pendleton from Pensacola. He's an E5 and will be working with 1st radio battalion. Can anyone recommend where we should pick as far as housing goes? We won't have the chance to look ahead of time and could really use the help. We are hoping for something with AC but I hear that is fairly uncommon out there. Also, is it worth it to live on base or somewhere out in town? We are trying to get the most bang for our buck but we really don't want him to have too much of a commute.

Also if anyone has a link to a map that I could see I would REALLY appreciate it! Thanks! 

Well.. since your Marine is just your boyfriend.. you don't have the option of living on base, unless you're getting married.

Websites that I have used in the past for rentals have been hotpads, trulia, and zillow. 

Like Dreamer said you won't be eligible for base housing OR benefits since you are not married.. I would suggest looking for housing off base.. 

Remember that BAH is much lower when there are no dependents.. I am not at Pendleton yet.. but most bases the Marine has to have permission to live outside of the barracks when they do not have dependents.. and that is usually at the discretion of the command and they have they usually require X amount of barracks rooms filled before they approve of them living off base. If they don't approve of it.. He will still be assigned a barracks room and will not collect ANY BAH and then have to pay everything out of pocket. (My husband and I lived together before we were married. He had to still keep a barracks room because his barracks were not full, and still had to participate in field day and did not get any BAH). 

And with the Marine Corps making cuts, if he gets BAH right now, he may not in the future.

I know two E5s that are Drill Instructors that had their BAH taken away and they were told it was because the MC is cutting costs. 

Correct.. If someone doesn't have dependents then they are doing them a "favor" by letting them rate BAH and live off base, but without dependents they are perfectly capable of living in the barracks, unless there isn't enough room. 

They do not care about the needs of the girlfriend. My husband and I even had a child together and they did not care.. because he didn't have custody. Told us if we wanted the BAH to go to JOP instead of waiting to have a wedding. 

My husband is in 1st Radio if you have any questions :)
Like the girls said, since you all aren't married living on base is out of the question. You'll want to look outside of the back gate (San Luis Rey gate). There are some nice areas around there. We've lived off Douglas Rd, that's an okay area and it doesn't take long to get to BN. We've also lived around the 76 and Old Grove intersection. There are some really nice houses for rent over there but it can be kind of expensive. The commute for both was around 15-20 minutes which I think is great. 

And with the Marine Corps making cuts, if he gets BAH right now, he may not in the future.

I know two E5s that are Drill Instructors that had their BAH taken away and they were told it was because the MC is cutting costs.

^^^^This....Once he PCS's he wouldn't rate BAH unless his new command grants it. Its been recent that the Marine Corps has really cut back on granting single E5's BAH. They have just built new barracks on base and want NCO's in them.

If you guys are getting married then you might look at Deluz housing. http://www.deluzfamilyhousing.com/ Its the closest and has AC. 

To add, I know 1st Radio has NCOs in the barracks right now. Especially right now with the deployments, there is plenty of room for them. That might be an issue :/ 

To add, I know 1st Radio has NCOs in the barracks right now. Especially right now with the deployments, there is plenty of room for them. That might be an issue :/

USMCFunSize is right. RadBn has e5's in the barracks if they don't have dependents. Since the barracks aren't at capacity, he'll very likely be put in the barracks even if he has household goods.

If he is authorized BAH, you want to look for places outside the San Luis Rey "back" gate. While RadBn is on Mainside, Mainside is NOT by the Main gate. This confused the bejeezus out of me when I first moved here. 

But, welcome to RadBn! 

I just wanted to say that I'm really shocked at how unhelpful and down right mean some of your comments are. I am the Marine in question who is moving to Pendleton and this question was posted at my asking. For your information I DO rate BAH with dependents no matter if we are married or not, so this is not an issue, not that this is any of your businesses as well. Not that any of you asked in the first place. It would've probably made most of you look less like jackasses if you did. Thank you for the responses though, I've got a few friends who are currently stationed there and they gave me the info that I needed. By the way, benefits aren't a worry for this woman who is JUST my girlfriend (and also has served 6 years in the military and is very recently separated) anyway, she has health insurance. To those of you who actually offered helpful and kind advice, I say thanks. But to those of you who didn't, I'd like to ask that you not play the "Jump to Conclusions" game before responding to posts from people you don't know, you could've easily just answered the question. 

For your information I DO rate BAH with dependents no matter if we are married or not, so this is not an issue, not that this is any of your businesses as well.

Who was being rude? I'm said "if they don't have dependents." No one here is being a "jackass" like you so eloquently put. The only one being rude here is you. 

Thank you for your insight SOON TO BE jd. 

Well.. since your Marine is just your boyfriend.. you don't have the option of living on base, unless you're getting married.
Like Dreamer said you won't be eligible for base housing OR benefits since you are not married..
They do not care about the needs of the girlfriend.
If you don't see these comments as rude then you must have been brought up very differently than me. I made sure to put MOST in my initial comment because it was not all of you. I'm sure you know as a soon to be jd to not jump to conclusions. But most comments did (again note the word most") by assuming that I did not rate BAH. I actually really appreciated your comment and jackass was the most mild word that I could find to ensure that everyone understood my point. Thanks again for the insight. 

Wow! I've re-read every reply on here, and can't find anything even slightly snarky. It all sounded like good advise to me. 

If you don't see these comments as rude then you must have been brought up very differently than me.

I see it as more matter of fact than rude. Not everyone has time for niceties. 

Well boobs, what I didn't see was a post that simply answered my question without any judgement or jumping to conclusions. Half of the comments were absolutely out of line for such a simple question. Read his last post if you can't seem to find the comments in question. 

well then I should have called you b******? 

Not everyone has time for niceties, so I guess not everyone has the time to answer the simple question that was asked. The fact of the matter is, he rates BAH and he asked me to find out where he should move to be close to his job. Half of you didn't even answer the question. Your rants about what he may or may not rate, or get were extremely rude. I hope that we don't meet any of you, with the exclusion of USMCFunSize. 

well then I should have called you b****?

I'd say "b***" is more gender appropriate.

Half of the comments were absolutely out of line for such a simple question.

Unfortunately, nothing on here is considered even close to out of line for most people. The responses covered a couple different scenarios and with the limited info you posted, would have spot on. But, as your boyfriend said, he rates dependent BAH. While his dependent status is no ones business, it would have very much helped everyone on here give you a better and more accurate response.

Don't be so uptight. No one on here is trying to be rude or offend you. They're giving you advice that you came on here asking for. 

1)You ARE his girlfriend and can't live on base
2)You aren't married so don't qualify for benefits
3)The military doesn't care about girlfriends

Those are the facts. 

I hope that we don't meet any of you, with the exclusion of USMCFunSize.

Gee, thanks. I'm pretty sure I answered your question thoroughly. You're going to fit in quite well. 

If you have a dependent CHILD you HAVE to have 75% custody to rate HOUSING and they DO check papers. Also, I doubt it's the Marine in question who created the second account. Dependent CHILDREN and legal spouses are the only ones who can live with the sponsor (unless otherwise approved). 

If you have a dependent CHILD you HAVE to have 75% custody to rate HOUSING and they DO check papers.

I thought it was 51%? You need 51% for dependent bah, right? 

Ok... you guys win this cyber war. I will get back to life. I'm sorry I even asked her to post on here but you are right JD. She should've posted a more accurate scenario but my point remains. It would've been easier for everyone on here if someone would've just answered the question that was asked. But what do I know.
Also, she can live on base as she is a military retiree. She qualifies for benefits because again, she is a military retiree and you're right. the military doesn't care about girlfriends. Granted, none of these facts were stated but they didn't need to be, someone could've simply answered the question asked. I really hope to never meet you "Boobs Radley". Have a good life all of you 

I may be his girlfriend, but trust me it's definitely by choice. Thank you all for reinforcing my belief that the majority of military spouses married solely for benefits. I'm so very glad that I am JUST his girlfriend so I will never be lumped into this category.

Also boobs, I am just his girlfriend but I am also a medically retiree who served 6 years and got out with FULL benefits. Therefore, for the rest of my life will always be allowed to live on base and have full insurance regardless of who I marry or don't marry. Luckily though, the military DOES care about retirees as well. So I'm glad that none of you see what was said as rude, but I can guarantee you I definitely DON'T feel welcomed to Camp Pendleton. I am absolutely disgusted with everyone who reacted in any way other than a nice way. I realize not everyone has the time to be nice, I guess that is just asking too much. 

So you rate BAH with dependents. Your girlfriend doesn't count as your dependent soooooo even if YOU can live on base she can't.

ANDDD you'd think that someone who is former military would know the rules of BAH and housing...

Just sayin'...