Do NAF employees get TRICARE or LQA?

No. NAF employees don't receive TRICARE, FEHB, LQA, TQSA, OHA, or several other DoD/GS entitlements. If SOFA-active, they do get NAF HBP healthcare, base access, and a handful of SOFA privileges (VAT exemption, UTAP, fuel ration card, USAREUR driver's license). Your appointment letter is the final word.

What's the difference between OHA and LQA?

OHA (Overseas Housing Allowance) is the active-duty housing allowance overseas. LQA (Living Quarters Allowance) is the civilian equivalent, available to GS positions where it's authorized. They're parallel programs for different populations, not the same thing under two names.

Do contractors get PCS entitlements?

Not by default. Contractors have no DoD-mandated TLA, TQSA, housing allowance, or healthcare entitlement. Whatever you get comes from your individual contract or employer policy — check that, not general PCS guidance.

Money & entitlements

What do military families get in Germany? Active duty vs GS civilian vs contractor vs NAF

Quick answer

What you're entitled to during a Germany PCS depends heavily on your status. Active-duty families get the full DoD package — TLA, the OHA housing allowance, TRICARE healthcare. GS civilians get TQSA on arrival and, where authorized, LQA as their housing allowance, with FEHB healthcare. Contractors get only what their contract grants — no DoD entitlements by default. NAF employees get SOFA privileges like base access and VAT relief but usually none of the government allowances. Your orders or appointment letter are the final word.

Entitlements by status in Germany
Entitlement	Active duty	GS civilian	Contractor	NAF
Arrival lodging	TLA (60 days)	TQSA (90–150 days)	Depends on contract	Per appointment letter
Housing allowance	OHA	LQA (if authorized)	Depends on contract	Per appointment letter
Healthcare	TRICARE	FEHB	Depends on contract	No (NAF HBP if SOFA-active)
VAT exemption / UTAP	Check your orders	Check your orders	Depends on contract	Yes (if SOFA-active)
Fuel ration card	Check your orders	Check your orders	Depends on contract	Yes (if SOFA-active)
USAREUR driver's license	Check your orders	Check your orders	Depends on contract	Yes (if SOFA-active)
JAG legal assistance	Check your orders	Check your orders	Depends on contract	No

Why status changes everything

PCS advice online is often written as if every military family gets the same benefits. They don't. Active duty, GS civilian, contractor, and NAF status each come with a different entitlement package — different lodging programs, different housing allowances, different healthcare, even different legal support. Boris shows content filtered to your specific status so you're not reading rules that don't apply to you.

Active duty

Active-duty families get the full DoD PCS package: per diem, TLA (up to 60 days on arrival, 10 days on departure), dependent travel, and household goods/POV shipment. Housing allowance overseas is OHA (Overseas Housing Allowance). Healthcare is TRICARE.

Source DoD FMR Vol. 7A, Ch. 68.

GS civilians

GS civilians get civilian PCS entitlements: TQSA on arrival (90 days, extendable to 150), civilian household goods shipment (18,000 lb cap), generally one POV if authorized, and — where the position authorizes it — LQA (Living Quarters Allowance) as their housing allowance. Healthcare is FEHB.

Whether LQA is authorized depends entirely on your position and appointment. Check your offer letter — don't assume.

Source DSSR §120 / 41 CFR 302-6; civilian HHG cap per DoD's civilian "It's Your Move" guidance.

Contractors

Contractors get only what their contract grants. There's no DoD-mandated fallback for lodging, housing allowance, or healthcare. SOFA status — and the base access that comes with it — depends on whether your contract carries SOFA sponsorship. Read your contract, not a general PCS guide.

NAF employees

NAF employment is common for a trailing spouse, and it comes with a very different entitlement picture than active duty or GS.

NAF employees do NOT receive: TRICARE, FEHB, FEGLI, FSAFEDS, LQA, TQSA, Post Allowance, BAS, OHA, COLA, or JAG legal services.

NAF employees DO receive (if SOFA-active): NAF HBP healthcare, a CAC, base access, limited SOFA Article I status, USAREUR driver's license eligibility, a fuel ration card, VAT exemption, and UTAP eligibility.

What actually applies to you is stated in your NAF appointment letter — treat it as the single source of truth, not a general policy.

Where to go at the KMC

Army GS civilians → Army CPAC • Air Force GS civilians → AF CPF, Bldg 2120, Ramstein • Army NAF employees → USAG RP Family & MWR HQ, Bldg 162, Rhine Ordnance Barracks, Kaiserslautern • Air Force NAF employees → 86 FSS HRO, Bldg 2118, Ramstein

Frequently asked

Do NAF employees get TRICARE or LQA?: No. NAF employees don't receive TRICARE, FEHB, LQA, TQSA, OHA, or several other DoD/GS entitlements. If SOFA-active, they do get NAF HBP healthcare, base access, and a handful of SOFA privileges (VAT exemption, UTAP, fuel ration card, USAREUR driver's license). Your appointment letter is the final word.
What's the difference between OHA and LQA?: OHA (Overseas Housing Allowance) is the active-duty housing allowance overseas. LQA (Living Quarters Allowance) is the civilian equivalent, available to GS positions where it's authorized. They're parallel programs for different populations, not the same thing under two names.
Do contractors get PCS entitlements?: Not by default. Contractors have no DoD-mandated TLA, TQSA, housing allowance, or healthcare entitlement. Whatever you get comes from your individual contract or employer policy — check that, not general PCS guidance.

Verified 2026-07-11 · Boris is an independent project, not affiliated with the DoD.

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