Pay: Subsistence Allowance - Military Pay & Allowances - Military Times

Pay: Subsistence Allowance

Basic Allowance for Subsistence is a nontaxable allowance to defray a portion of the cost of service members’ subsistence, i.e., food. The allowance is not meant to compensate military personnel for the cost of food for family members.

Rates increase each Jan. 1 in tandem with an Agriculture Department index of the cost of food.

BAS rates remained unchanged for 2010, another reflection of the economic recession’s effect on inflation. BAS for commissioned and warrant officers in 2010 is $223.04 per month. Enlisted members who have completed basic training qualify for BAS at a rate of $323.87 per month.

Personnel in basic training eat in government facilities and receive no food allowance.