MARINE CORPS BASE CAMP PENDLETON, Calif. -- A local disbursing officer says some servicemembers facing shrinkage in their housing allowance because of a new Department of Defense policy may be eligible for a waiver.

The shrinkage, stemming from the elimination of "geographic rate protection" outlined in a July 1 Marine Administrative Message, can be as much as hundreds of dollars a month. But Capt. Bradley S. Charlson, deputy disbursing officer for the 1st Force Service Support Group disbursing office, says some Marines might avoid the reduction by filing a waiver to Headquart-ers Marine Corps.

The waiver specifications also are mentioned in the MarAdmin, 239/05.

Servicemembers who fall into this category should check with their S-1 or consolidated admin centers to make sure a waiver is being submitted on their behalf to HQMC, Charlson said.

“The logic behind (the waiver) is that the government saves money by not having to pay for the servicemember to move, as well as allowing the servicemember to not have to relocate their family, etc.,” he said.

“The bottom line is that the services are still permitted to base a member’s BAH rate on other locations besides their current duty station in certain circumstances, but they must apply for a waiver in these cases,” Charlson said.

Under geographic rate protection, servicemembers who changed duty stations within a region — for example, from Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego or Marine Corps Air Station Miramar to Camp Pendleton — could retain higher housing allowances even though transferring to a cheaper area.

Now, without a waiver, those transferring Marines face a reduction.

Geographic rate protection expired Monday because BAH rates have climbed so that servicemembers no longer have to pay out-of-pocket expenses for housing, Air Force Col. Virginia Penrod, DoD’s director of military compensation, said in an American Forces Press Service article.

While local realtors have noted in previous Scout articles that high home-mort-gage prices have kept Marines from realizing zero out-of-pocket costs, Charlson says the BAH rates are pegged to rental — not mortgage — rates.

“BAH is intended to cover the costs of renting a home or apartment. Unfortunately or fortunately, depending each person’s situation, in many areas of San Diego County, rental costs have not kept pace with … home prices,” he said.

While home values have skyrocketed in San Diego County and throughout South- ern California, the cost of renting an apartment or townhome has risen much more slowly, he said.

“Since BAH rates are based on a formula taking into account the cost to rent a place to live, Marines in the Camp Pendleton area have seen their BAH rates rise more slowly than what it might cost to purchase a home in the same area,” Charlson said.