2026 BAS Rates
The 2026 Basic Allowance for Subsistence (BAS) is $328.48 a month for officers and $476.95 a month for enlisted members, effective January 1, 2026. At Rank and Pay, we cover military pay and benefit rules, and the figures below come from the official pages linked here.
| Group | Monthly BAS Rate (2026) |
|---|---|
| Officers | $328.48 |
| Enlisted members | $476.95 |
| BAS II (certain enlisted members) | $953.90 |
The monthly figures are published on the Defense Finance and Accounting Service (DFAS) BAS pay table and the Department of Defense (DoD) Military Compensation BAS page.
The enlisted rate is $148.47 a month higher than the officer rate in 2026.
BAS II Monthly Rate
BAS II is a higher monthly rate of $953.90 for certain enlisted members in specific situations. That is exactly twice the standard enlisted rate of $476.95. Each military department sets the situations that qualify.
For the BAS II situations, check the DoD Military Compensation BAS page and ask your finance office.
What the Basic Allowance for Subsistence Pays For
BAS is a monthly allowance for a service member's food costs. The published rate comes in two groups: one rate for officers and one rate for enlisted members.
The rate is the same across paygrades within each group. The 2026 officer rate is $328.48 for every officer paygrade, and the standard enlisted rate is $476.95 for every enlisted paygrade.
Questions on tax treatment, per-day or per-meal amounts, partial BAS, deployment effects, and meal-card rules need the official answer: read the DoD Military Compensation BAS page and take your specific question to your finance office.
How the BAS Rate Changes Each Year
Each year, the BAS rate is adjusted by the percentage increase in food prices identified by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). Because the adjustment tracks USDA food prices, the BAS change in a given year does not have to match the basic pay raise or the change in Basic Allowance for Housing (BAH).
BAS vs BAH vs Basic Pay
BAS is a monthly allowance for food costs. BAH is the housing allowance, covered in the BAH guide and the BAH explainer. Basic pay has its own page, basic pay. The Basic Needs Allowance is a separate allowance tied to low household income.
The military pay hub lists the other pay guides, and the military pay calculator covers the rest of a pay package.
Where to Check Your Own BAS Entitlement
The DFAS BAS pay-table page and the DoD Military Compensation BAS page are the official sources for BAS figures. Your finance office can confirm whether you receive BAS and which rate applies to you.
- Open the DFAS BAS pay-table page and note the 2026 rate for your group: officer, enlisted, or BAS II.
- Read the DoD Military Compensation BAS page and check the BAS II situations.
- Bring the rate from the DFAS table to your finance office along with any question about your own BAS.
This page is general information. Verify your BAS with your finance office and the official DFAS BAS pay-table page.