Someone who is in the Air Force Reserves does not get any financial allowance towards housing as they are not full-time active duty Air Force personnel.
Many Reserves live normal lives at home with family and only work part-time at the Air Force and may work another civilian job for the rest of their time.
The other job that the reserve may work may bring them a very large salary, which would prevent the need for any housing allowance to be given by the Air Force. If the Reserve was to become an active duty Air Force personnel then they would be entitled to housing allowance.
The Air Force Reserves does not require you to move and you will be assigned a Reserve Unit close to where you already live, if you have to move home in the future then you can also transfer to another Reserve Unit nearer to your new home.
There are some situations where Reserves and their family may live on Air Force base in accommodation for a short period, but this is very rare as most Air Force accommodation is given to active duty personnel and their families.
Do Air Force Reserves get housing allowance?
No, Air Force Reserves are not entitled to housing allowance, that benefit is only available to active-duty personnel in the Air Force.
Air Force Reserves only work part-time and may work another civilian job for the rest of their time, which would help cover housing and living expenses that they have.
To earn more money and be entitled to all the benefits of being in the Air Force, a Reservist would have to become a full-time Air Force personnel.
What benefits do Air Force Reservists get?
Whilst Air Force Reservists only work part-time and receive fewer benefits than personnel who are active-duty, they are still entitled to a generous amount of benefits.
Many of these benefits are what entices people to join the Reserves as maybe their other job does not come with good benefits, or maybe they’re still in education and want to have more financial security.
One of the major benefits is that a Reserve is entitled to the GI Bill Kicker which is an educational assistance program that helps Reserves pay for college or trade school whilst they also work part-time at the Air Force base.
The Air Force reserves also offer its part-time personnel low-cost medical insurance to them and their dependent family members.
They’re also entitled to purchase $400,000 worth of life insurance through $50,000 increments with the Soldier’s Group Life Insurance, this is a massive perk especially if you find yourself getting deployed as a Reserve.
With the Air Force Reserves, you are entitled to retirement benefits after you’ve completed 20 years of service in the Reserves.
There is also a potential bonus for Reserves who enlist in specific fields for up to $20,000. However, the career fields that are eligible for this bonus may change depending on the demand for people in that field.
This bonus is paid out to you over six years on the anniversary of your enlistment in the Reserves, so you won’t get the bonus as one chunk of money.
Air Force Reserves are also eligible to shop at discount grocery stores known as commissionaires or at discount department stores that are known as Exchanges that are on Air Force bases.
The person will need to bring their military ID every time they go to one of these stores as sometimes they have someone standing on the door checking the ID of everyone walking in.
The prices in these discounted grocery or department stores on base may fluctuate, but you’ll always be able to see the discount of groceries in the store reflected in prices each time you go.
There will be a surcharge of 5% every time a Reserve or any active-duty personnel shops at one of these stories that helps cover the costs to upkeep that shop and also to contribute towards building and maintaining other commissionaires at Air Force bases across the US as well.
Many people don’t mind paying this surcharge as they’re already getting a discount as you’re not charged state or food tax on your bill as well.
As a reserve, you may also be entitled to some free travel opportunities through the Space-A flights, however, those who are full-time activity duty personnel in the Air Force will get priority for these discounted or free flights to destinations.