Kadena Air Base OHA, COLA & PCS Housing Guide

How overseas housing allowances work

Which allowance applies depends on your situation. Eligible members renting privately at an overseas station generally receive the Overseas Housing Allowance (OHA) for their housing there, plus an overseas Cost-of-Living Allowance (COLA). Your orders, whether you're assigned government housing, and where your dependents live determine which housing allowances apply — for example, members serving unaccompanied may receive a housing allowance based on their dependents' location. Your finance office and orders are the authority for your case.

• Rent is reimbursed up to a ceiling. The rent portion of OHA covers what you actually pay, up to a ceiling set by pay grade, dependency status, and locality (JP027 for Kadena Air Base). If your rent is below the ceiling, the rent portion pays your actual rent — unlike BAH, there's no rent difference to keep.

• Utilities and maintenance are a separate piece. OHA includes a separate monthly utility/recurring maintenance allowance that is not tied to your rent amount.

• A one-time move-in allowance may apply. The Move-In Housing Allowance (MIHA) can help with certain one-time costs of occupying a private rental overseas.

• Government housing changes the picture. Members assigned government or on-base housing generally don't receive OHA for that housing.

• Amounts move with exchange rates. DTMO reviews exchange rates twice a month, so OHA and OCONUS COLA amounts can change between paychecks. That's why this page links to official lookups instead of listing rates.

• OCONUS COLA covers non-housing costs. It helps offset higher prices for everyday goods and services and varies by location, pay grade, years of service, and dependents.

• Tax treatment. OHA and OCONUS COLA are excluded from federal taxable income.

Official lookups

Your LES in myPay shows what you're actually receiving.

Source: DTMO OHA program page; DTMO OCONUS COLA program page; DoD FMR Volume 7A, Chapter 26 (Housing Allowances); DoD FMR Volume 7A, Chapter 68 (Cost of Living Allowance Outside the Continental United States).

Quick facts

Location

Okinawa City, Okinawa, Japan source

Branches

Air Force source

OHA locality code

JP027 source

COLA locality

Japan – Okinawa (OK), JP027 source

Living near Kadena Air Base

All military family housing on Okinawa is managed by one housing office on Kadena Air Base. Accompanied active-duty members are required to live on base when adequate family housing is available, so OHA applies only to members who are authorized to live off base. Unaccompanied members E-4 and below are not authorized to live off base. source

• Kadena housing (Military OneSource)
• Kadena driving and vehicles (Military OneSource)
• Military OneSource — Kadena AB

Questions to ask before you sign a lease

• Has the housing office confirmed whether you're required to live on base before you start looking off base? source

• Have you reserved temporary lodging in case your assigned home isn't ready when you arrive? The housing office recommends it. source

• Does the home come with major appliances? Kadena issues major appliances for the tour to accompanied Air Force members authorized to live off base. source

What doesn't change overseas

• Basic pay and BAS follow the same tables as stateside.

• State income tax obligations follow your state of legal residence, not your duty station.

Other overseas stations