Homesteading

Check out AR 215-1 pages 70 & 71. This issue is already addressed, but almost every Post commander has turned the management of MWR over to a Director who has either ignored the Reg, or has decided to write his or her own.

This topic has been beaten to death.

My thoughts on this subject are as follows:


With some exceptions I believe that homesteading should be made absolutely forbidden. Military campgrounds are recreational facilities and should be recognized as that.

That being said, appropriate exceptions should be considered:

1- Medical treatment at that installation or very nearby,
2- Legitimate emergencies with any extensions approved by the installation commander,
3- Families awaiting quarters with very strict rules that they accept quarters or lose RV site.
4- Students at military schools at the commander's discretion should be allowed to stay in military campgrounds provided that installation restrict to number of sites available do not exceed 50% of the total sites available.

I find it repugnant that people PCS to military campgrounds and spend their entire tour there. I find it intellectually dishonest and probably a violation of the UCMJ for service members to draw a full housing allowance and then pay very little of it for an RV site.

I am sure that others can flame me or add other exceptions. However, I have no illusion that anything will be done.

Curt

Hopefully this will answer some questions.
from AR215-1

(2) Homesteading is strictly prohibited. Installations may establish daily, weekly, or monthly reservation/contract periods, at the conclusion of which the next eligible patron on a waiting list must be accommodated. Commanders may authorize a length of stay up to 60 consecutive days during peak season and 90 days during nonpeak season. Commanders may authorize renewals of these reservations/contracts, on the day of expiration, as long as existing reservations/waiting lists will be accommodated by future departures. Personnel on extended stays must comply with local and State law relative to taxation, vehicle registry, and other residence issues.

Proponent and exception authority.
The proponent of this regulation is the Assistant Chief of Staff for Installation Management. The proponent has the au- thority to approve exceptions or waivers to this regulation that are consistent with controlling law and regulations. The pro- ponent may delegate this approval author- ity, in writing, to a division chief within the proponent agency or its direct report- ing unit or field operating agency, in the grade of colonel or the civilian equivalent. Activities may request a waiver to this regulation by providing justification that includes a full analysis of the expected benefits and must include formal review by the activity’s senior legal officer. All waiver requests will be endorsed by the commander or senior leader of the requ- esting activity and forwarded through their higher headquarters to the policy proponent. Refer to AR 25-30 for specific guidance.

elisowski wrote: Hopefully this will answer some questions.
from AR215-1

Homesteading is a bigger problem than just Army installations and this regulation applies only to them. And they don't pay attention to it. Quoted from the reg:
This regulation applies to the Active Army, and where stated to the
A r m y N a t i o n a l G u a r d / A r m y N a t i o n a l
Guard of the United States and the U.S. Army Reserve.

Could not agree more with the fact that they, military posts, do not go by the reg, but the reg does apply to ALL components, active, reserve, guard, retired, and Dod on a Army installation. This has been further complicated by JOINT installations, like Fort Sam Houston, and the fact that the Air Force is in the process of taking over all MWR functions for the Army and Air Force, who by the way does NOT have a FamCamp Reg. or (as they call it) a AFI. It will probably be years before this matter is squared away. Until then we will just have to try our best to pass the word to the installation commanders and hopefully we will get one or two hat will listen.

OK, Hear is info from the Army MWR office. I know this does not address Homeseading exactly, but it does give some inside to what and why. You might want to do like I did and check out the regs.

Questions: Is the Air Force taking over all Army RV parks?
Are there military regulations which govern RV parks or are commanders just making their own rules?


1. No, the Air Force is not taking over Army campgrounds. However, we have
had several locations formerly Army garrisons now combined as joint bases
under Air Force management (e.g. Fort Dix > JB McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst; Fort
Eustis > JB Langley-Eustis; Fort Richardson > JB Elmendorf-Richardson; to
name a few). At these locations, guiding regulations revert from Army's
AR-125-1 to Air Force's AFI34-110. Both of these, and all other services'
regulations are built from overarching guidance from Department of Defense
Instruction (DoDI) 1015.10.

2. Commanders don't create their own regulations, but do control local
policies and procedures that must comply with regulations. It can be noted
that regulations associated with campground operations are pretty much
limited to general guidelines. Compared to the Army, it appears that the
Air Force has chosen to keep their campground related regulation guidance
"very" limited, and therefore subject to a greater degree of local command
discretion regarding operational policies and procedures for their
facilities.

It is unclear what disparity between parks you have in mind but disparity
can be expected due to influences of local and State laws, economies,
demographics, climate, nearby attractions, etc. that vary between locations.

I hope I have appropriately addressed your concerns.
V/R


JOHN O'SULLIVAN
Program Manager
- Outdoor Recreation
- Warrior Adventure Quest
Phone: (210) 466-1367
DSN: (312) 450-1367
BlackBerry: 210-870-5648