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Tim Bilecki

Avoiding BAH Fraud: Why Being Honest on Your Forms Could Save Your Career

If you’ve ever filled out a start/stop form in the military, you probably didn’t think much about it. It’s just paperwork, right? But let me tell you something: this one “little” form has been the undoing of many service members. I’ve seen it happen time and time again. What starts as a simple misstep—maybe listing an address you *think* your family will move to—turns into an accusation of Basic Allowance for Housing (BAH) fraud. And let me tell you, once that snowball starts rolling, it’s hard to stop.

Here’s the thing about military forms: they’re not asking for your dreams. They’re asking for facts. When the start/stop form asks where your family is living, it’s not an invitation to get creative. It’s not asking where you *hope* they’ll live or where you’d like them to live. It’s asking where they live right now, at this very moment. Period. Full stop.

Maybe one day you’ll buy that penthouse overlooking the beach in Miami. Heck, I’d love to have one myself, but last time I checked, I’m about $18 million short. Dreams are great, but they don’t belong on a start/stop form. If your family isn’t currently living in that dream location, don’t list it. It doesn’t matter if you have plans to move there next week, next month, or next year. If you don’t live there today, it’s not your address.

Let’s break this down. Say you’re heading off to Korea for an unaccompanied tour, and your spouse mentions they might move back to New York to be near family. Maybe they even start looking at places in the Bronx or Queens. That’s fine, but until they’ve actually moved there, it’s not their address. Or let’s say you’ve been advised—by someone who clearly doesn’t have your best interests at heart—to list a friend’s address in a high-cost area to maximize your BAH. Don’t do it. Seriously, don’t.

And don’t even think about pulling an address off Zillow or Airbnb. I know these tricks because I’ve seen them all. Guess what happens to the people who try them? They get caught. Every. Single. Time. And when they do, they’re looking at larceny charges under the UCMJ. That’s not a slap on the wrist, folks. That’s the kind of charge that can land you in prison and end your military career in the blink of an eye.

You might be thinking, “Well, how will anyone know?” Trust me, they’ll know. Investigators are good at their jobs. They’ll ask for a lease agreement, mortgage documents, utility bills—you name it. If you don’t have the paperwork to back up that address, it’s game over. And once they start digging, they’ll find everything. You don’t want to be the person trying to explain why your “home” is actually a short-term rental on Airbnb.

Here’s the smart play: be honest. List the address where your family lives today. If they move later, no problem—you can update your form. But until they’re physically living at that new address, don’t list it. And for the love of everything sacred, don’t try to inflate your BAH by listing a high-cost area just to get a few extra bucks. It’s not worth the risk.

This isn’t just about following the rules; it’s about protecting yourself. When you’re accurate on your start/stop form, you eliminate any doubt about your integrity. You’re showing your command—and any investigators who might come knocking—that you’re honest, transparent, and not trying to game the system. That goes a long way, not just in the courtroom but in your career.

Now, I get it. Sometimes the advice you get from peers or even supervisors is downright terrible. “List your intended address,” they might say. “Everyone does it.” Well, everyone who does it ends up in my office asking for help because they’re facing fraud charges. Don’t be that person. Be smarter.

The military is cracking down on BAH fraud more than ever. With digital records and advanced verification tools, investigators can easily cross-check addresses, rental agreements, and even your social media posts. Yes, they’ll look at your Instagram to see if you’re actually living where you say you are. If they find inconsistencies, it’s not just embarrassing—it’s incriminating.

The bottom line? Play it straight. List where your family lives today, not where you hope they’ll live tomorrow. If you’re ever unsure about what to put on the form, ask for guidance from your command or consult someone who knows the rules inside and out. Taking the time to get it right will save you from a world of trouble down the road.

And remember, when in doubt, honesty isn’t just the best policy—it’s your best defense.

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