A servicemember with dependents who serves an unaccompanied tour of duty may be entitled to a family separation allowance (FSA) of $250 per month. FSA accrues from the day of departure from the home station and ends the day prior to arrival at the home stationThis is in addition to any per diem or other entitlements presuming that:

• Movement of dependents to the permanent duty station at Government expense is not authorized. This presupposes that the dependents do not already live at or near that station
• The member is on duty on board a ship away from the home port of the ship for a period of more than 30 continuous days
• The member is on temporary duty away from the permanent duty station for a continuous period of more than 30 days and the dependents do not live at or near the temporary duty station

Servicemembers that choose to serve an unaccompanied tour of duty at a permanent duty station where the movement of dependents at Government expense is authorized, are not entitled to the family separation allowance under the first condition noted above.

In situations where servicemembers are married to another servicemember, family separation allowance is authorized for one member if the members were residing together immediately before the separation.

Servicemembers must complete a DD Form 1561 (Statement to Substantiate Payment of Family Separation Allowance) to substantiate entitlement to FSA.