Homesteading

Homesteading, when talking in this content, is someone who occupies a space/site at a military campground for more than what the governing Regulation states,i.e.14,30,60,90,etc. days, with no intent of moving on, making it his or her "home base". Basically, turning a recreation area into a "Trailer park".....The military use to have trailer parks, but tore them out to make more on-post/base housing....maybe this "old idea" should come back.....

Trust me brother...I know the pay difference between AD and civilian pay and benefits. After retirement and going back to work for the feds the 1st thing they did was cut my leave accrual rate to that of a new employee while others who served but didn't retire accrue at a higher rate. $20 an hour doesn't go very far these days either...a heck of alot less than $10 an hour did in the early 90's.

I just don't see active duty on BAH in rv resorts trying to full-time it as a growing concern. These folks have familes, gear, furniture, a couple vehicles and just aren't thinking about living in a duffle bag on wheels. Even some of the most elaborate 5th wheels with a few pop-outs and 30'+ is just not going to make momma happy with a couple kids and a puppy. A home is just not suppose to have tires underneath it or a set of propane bottle on the front for most folks.

I totally get what you're saying, I just don't think what he's doing is a firing squad offense.

monkey44 wrote: Second point, beyond putting cash in pocket.

When AD and Retired begin using MCG's for HOUSING, the MCG becomes a trailer park instead of recreation - and ultimately the traveling veterans cannot get a site even for a few days because others are using it for housing and stay months and months at a time ... and once it becomes 'housing' it will fill up with individuals "saving money" instead of finding regular housing.

At that point, our recreational camping benefit will disappear. It's already a hassle to get sites in the south even for a few days during winter in most of the MCG - in Florida for example. Of course, each of these "full MCGs" will allow us to "camp" in a parking lot for half-price, and then claim it's meeting the obligation it's designed for,

Our benefits we all earned should be shared, and not used to increase cash payouts to anyone on active duty. But, just so we know - any family where AD is in a war zone, then by all means - let's give up our sites.

But traditional military careers have changed significantly, and our "half pension pay" as you mentioned is quite a bit lower than AD's today ... AD today, if you count everything (housing, clothing, food, medical, day-care), compares to a civilian job in many cases. And civilians do not get subsidized housing ... civilians may get house-rent, but it's paid to the landlord and the employee does not get to "keep the extra" if he/she puts the family in a campground.

Housing allowance is to cover the cost of local housing - period. It is not designed to compensate a stateside AD as a pay-raise while he/she lives in a recreation area site - because, regardless of whether or not one has earned the right to stay at MCGs, over-staying is directly taking a spot that another AD or Retired has earned in the same manner.

We appreciate as much as anyone the sacrifice we've all made defending our freedom and our country (both AD today and Retired in the past) - but we need to share these benefits equally, just as we shared the risk, or the benefits will continue to erode and we'll lose this one too.

I could not agree more, well said!!!!

I think Its funny any one with a DOD ID can stay at the campground at Fort Meade. Pulse anyone can get base housing. We have DOD civilian contractors.

With more and more retires selling there homes and buying RV's with no real home base there just going campground to campground. There not campers, there just resident. Most never even come out of there RV!!!

At Meade the campground has to be the biggest money maker for the MWR!!! They don't clean the fire pits or even clean or check the sites after someone pulls out. They clam they cant have a camp host unless they are a paid employed.

Can someone tell me why every thing In the store cost more then It would off post, haaail Its cheaper to go off post to get propane, what gives????

Meade is a thorn in everyone's side, I think, along with Mayport and MacDill during winter months. Ever tried to get a few days at either one of them. Plenty sites available during summer tho'

Retires selling homes and traveling, using DIFFERENT MCGs is not and should not be an issue. Anyone that does that, has earned it. It's staying in one spot all year or same six months every year to the exclusion of others is what should never occur.

And BigRedTruck - if I'm not mistaken, you implied above that you declined base housing because you'd have to give up BHA?? And, it appears the base housing is not up to your standards - or not large enough?? Not sure which.

But lots of civilians travel more than an hour to work every day, so they can afford a better home for their families.

You can't have both - extra money in your pocket, or a nicer home for your family. Just doesn't work that way in military, nor civilian work. SO, if you're gonna put this "extra" money in your pocket, then you have to travel to work, or pay the amount for better housing closer.

A fine reason - to use MCG while truly searching for a home, but to use MCG to save BHA money is not a good reason.

But, no matter what, if any AD takes an MCG site (to save part of BHA) you're depriving other individuals that earned the right to a campsite.

Recreational camping at MCGs all across this country is a great benefit, but if it continues to get abused -- by Command (Camping fees to pay for golf upgrades, for example), by camp managers, or by campers -- we will lose it and-or it will become either supplimental housing or too expensive to stay.

IF it becomes 'over-productive' due to DOD or BHA substitute, then MWR will see it as a "cash cow", and the rates will skyrocket even faster than the past few years ... even in our Negative COLA, rates still went UP not Down.

Nuff, said ...

To the, Monkey On My Back!!!!
If you really must know, we are waiting for a americans with disabilities home!!!!!!!