PCS to Fort Bliss (El Paso, TX): BAH, sign-in, housing, lodging and TRICARE
Quick answer: Fort Bliss is in El Paso, where Texas, New Mexico and Mexico meet. It's home to the 1st Armored Division, the 32d Army Air and Missile Defense Command and William Beaumont Army Medical Center. Its 2026 BAH for an E-5 is $1,809/month with dependents ($1,437 without), and 79916, 79918, 79906 and the rest of El Paso get the same rate. Sign in at the Reception Detachment (Bldg 909, Pleasonton Rd., 24/7, 915-569-5261) and plan on about five days there. Have your losing unit approve house-hunting PTDY, because Reception won't. Lodging is the Holiday Inn Express Guesthouse (915-565-7777), WBAMC has an emergency room, and Texas is in the TRICARE West Region. Sources: home.army.mil/bliss, Military OneSource, WBAMC, tricare.mil and DoD's 2026 BAH data.
Plan your move dates free: our free PCS and deployment planner builds a dated timeline from your report date and prefills El Paso's 2026 BAH when you enter 79916, 79918 or 79906. No email or account.
2026 BAH: Fort Bliss (El Paso)
2026 rates from DoD's BAH data file (DTMO), effective Jan. 1, 2026. Fort Bliss ZIP codes 79916, 79918 and 79906 and 141 other El Paso-area ZIP codes all map to the El Paso, TX housing area (TX279), so they show the same numbers. Open the BAH calculator with 79916 filled in, 79918 or 79906. Rates for 2027 usually come out in mid-December; see BAH 2027.
BAH is based on your pay grade, dependency status and the ZIP code of your permanent duty station. Renting in Horizon City, Socorro or across the line in Las Cruces doesn't change a Fort Bliss Soldier's rate; the Las Cruces column only applies to people stationed there (DoD military pay, DTMO BAH lookup).
| Grade | Fort Bliss / El Paso with dependents | Without | Las Cruces, NM duty with | Davis-Monthan with |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| E-1 | $1,665 | $1,302 | $1,503 | $1,695 |
| E-4 | $1,665 | $1,302 | $1,503 | $1,695 |
| E-5 | $1,809 | $1,437 | $1,701 | $1,905 |
| E-6 | $2,148 | $1,611 | $1,929 | $2,121 |
| E-7 | $2,172 | $1,668 | $1,983 | $2,145 |
| E-8 | $2,187 | $1,881 | $2,043 | $2,178 |
| W-2 | $2,178 | $1,878 | $2,007 | $2,157 |
| O-1 | $1,857 | $1,518 | $1,737 | $1,938 |
| O-2 | $2,145 | $1,764 | $1,926 | $2,118 |
| O-3 | $2,202 | $2,022 | $2,082 | $2,199 |
| O-4 | $2,352 | $2,157 | $2,241 | $2,400 |
| O-5 | $2,466 | $2,172 | $2,358 | $2,550 |
Fort Bliss: the official numbers you need
| What | Details |
|---|---|
| Sign in | Reception Detachment staff duty, Bldg 909, Pleasonton Rd., 24/7, 915-569-5261. Uniform: OCP if signing in Mon–Fri 8 a.m.–5 p.m. |
| Airport pickup | From El Paso International Airport, call 915-569-5261 for Reception staff duty, or take a ride share and claim it on your travel voucher |
| Temporary lodging | Holiday Inn Express Guesthouse (IHG Army Hotel), 1744 Victory Ave., 915-565-7777, front desk 24 hours. Check-in 4 p.m., check-out 11 a.m. |
| Housing Services Office | Bldg 515B, Pershing Rd., 915-568-2898. Mon–Fri 9 a.m.–4 p.m., closed noon–1 and on the 3rd Thursday 1–4 p.m. (Housing Division page) |
| On-post family housing | Fort Bliss Family Homes (Balfour Beatty Communities), 1991 Marshall Rd., leasing 915-564-0795 |
| William Beaumont Army Medical Center | 18511 Highland Medics St. Appointments 915-742-CARE (2273), Mon–Fri 6:45 a.m.–3:45 p.m. Emergency room 915-742-5149 (use the Espinoza Gate) |
| Privately owned weapons | Register them on arrival. Military OneSource says within 3 days, at the Buffalo Soldier Visitor Control Center (915-568-3215). Not allowed in on-post lodging |
Sources: Fort Bliss Newcomers, Housing Division, Military OneSource check-in, temporary housing and WBAMC appointments.
Sign-in and in-processing
Report to Reception's staff duty desk no later than the report date on your assignment instructions. You'll fill out paperwork, get a barracks room if you need one and sit through a 15-minute brief, then spend about five days in Reception doing finance, medical and dental in-processing and the welcome brief. Hand-carry your leave form (DA 31), assignment orders with all amendments (and any DD 1610s), health and dental records, personnel records as required, your CAC, and itineraries, invoices and receipts for any travel cost over $75. Bring extra copies of your orders and leave form. The installation's first-week checklist covers house hunting, submitting PCS and BAH finance documents, updating TRICARE, and getting ID cards for family members (source).
House-hunting PTDY: Reception won't approve PTDY or house-hunting leave on arrival, so get it authorized by your losing unit before you leave. Otherwise, sign in, finish in-processing, then request it through your gaining unit. Since housing is privatized, no housing stamp is needed (source).
Housing
Before you rent, lease or buy off post, you're required to report to the Housing Services Office, and you're told not to send deposits before you talk to them (Housing Division). On-post family housing is privatized. Fort Bliss Family Homes (the Army Housing Office names Balfour Beatty Communities as the privatized owner and Fort Bliss Family Homes as your landlord) is a gated community with 2-, 3- and 4-bedroom homes for active-duty Army families, plus some homes for retirees, DoD civilians and the public. Leasing: 1991 Marshall Rd., 915-564-0795 (Military OneSource, Army Housing Office brief). The Army Housing Office oversees the privatized housing and handles tenant-landlord disputes and off-post referrals.
Temporary lodging
The Holiday Inn Express Guesthouse (148 rooms, about 3 miles from El Paso International) is Fort Bliss's official temporary lodging facility. Military OneSource says incoming personnel must check availability there before taking temporary lodging off post. Book at 915-565-7777 (Military OneSource, IHG). Pets: only dogs and cats, at most two per room, 80 lb max. There's a $75 nonrefundable fee per pet, plus $10 a night per pet from the 8th night. Army policy bars certain breeds from post lodging. Personal firearms aren't allowed in the hotel.
TRICARE and medical care
Texas is in the TRICARE West Region. The contractor is TriWest Healthcare Alliance, 888-TRIWEST (874-9378) (tricare.mil, West Region). WBAMC also tells patients referred to civilian specialists to check authorizations at tricare.mil/west or 888-874-9378.
- William Beaumont Army Medical Center: Military OneSource describes it as a 135-bed medical center with a Level III trauma center. One appointment line covers primary and specialty care: 915-742-CARE (2273), Mon–Fri 6:45 a.m.–3:45 p.m. 1st Armored Division and 11th ADA Brigade Soldiers use their unit sick call or aid station; other Soldiers use the appointment line (source).
- Emergency: WBAMC's emergency department is at 915-742-5149. For emergency access, use the Espinoza Gate (source, directions). After hours, for non-emergencies, call the Nurse Advice Line at 800-874-2273.
- Other care: the Mendoza Soldier Family Care Center is in Bldg 11335 on SSG Sims St. Pharmacies are at the WBAMC West Clinic, the Freedom Crossing PX, Mendoza and East Bliss; the refill line is 915-666-7830 (source).
Changing TRICARE plans because of the move? A PCS is a Qualifying Life Event; see TRICARE Open Season 2026 and QLEs.
Moving here? Check the water. Our sister site ClearTap Guide covers El Paso tap water: hard water in El Paso (the utility's published hardness), water softener cost in El Paso and El Paso water treatment dealers. These aren't sponsored or affiliate links, and FAFO Mil earns nothing from the click. ClearTap Guide has the same owner as FAFO Mil and may earn money when it connects readers with water-treatment dealers (disclosure).
PCS money checklist
- Free PCS planner: a dated timeline from your report date, with BAH (enter 79916), DLA, TLE and MALT estimates. No email.
- Keep receipts for travel costs over $75; Fort Bliss asks for them at in-processing. Ride shares from the airport are reimbursed on your travel voucher.
- PCS weight allowance by rank and the PPM (DITY) move calculator with 2026 DLA.
- Per diem rates 2027 for travel days.
- 2026 BAH calculator (79916), BAH 2027 and how to read your LES. Check that block 52 (VHA ZIP) shows your El Paso ZIP after your first pay.
What we couldn't verify: The Housing Services Office location and hours conflict. The Newcomers page says Bldg T-0070, Carter Rd., 9 a.m.–4 p.m.; the Housing Division page says Bldg 515B, Pershing Rd., 9 a.m.–4 p.m.; Military OneSource's check-in page says Bldg 515B, 8 a.m.–5 p.m. (Wed to 4 p.m.). Every source gives 915-568-2898, so call first. The Fort Bliss Family Homes leasing office's Wednesday hours differ (8 a.m.–4 p.m. per Military OneSource; its own site has shown 8 a.m.–6 p.m.). Military OneSource calls the sign-in unit the "Reception Company" at Bldg 909C; the installation says "Reception Detachment," Bldg 909. It also calls the hotel both "IHG Army Hotel (Holiday Inn)" and "Holiday Inn Express," with ZIP codes 79916 and 79906. IHG also lists a Candlewood Suites on Fort Bliss, which we didn't verify for PCS use. Weapons: the installation says register "upon arrival," while Military OneSource says within 3 days. For guests who aren't in a Fort Bliss unit, IHG says the Military Police store weapons at the MP station (Bldg 125) and Military OneSource points to the Rod and Gun Club. WBAMC's address appears as Highland Medics and Highlander Medics St., with ZIP 79906 or 79918. Military OneSource's lodging page quotes FY2026 standard per diem; El Paso may have its own locality rate, so check GSA. We read some pages through a fetch service because .mil and some other sites block our server. Phone numbers and hours change, so confirm with the installation.
FAQ
What is the 2026 BAH at Fort Bliss?
Fort Bliss is in the El Paso, TX military housing area (TX279) in DoD's 2026 BAH data. An E-5 gets $1,809 a month with dependents or $1,437 without, and an O-3 gets $2,202 with dependents or $2,022 without. BAH follows your permanent duty station's ZIP code, not where you rent.
Do 79916, 79918 and 79906 have different BAH rates?
No. In DoD's 2026 BAH data, the Fort Bliss ZIP codes 79916, 79918 and 79906, plus the rest of the El Paso area (144 ZIP codes in all, including Horizon City and northeast and east El Paso), all map to the same El Paso, TX housing area (TX279), so the rates are identical. Because BAH follows your duty station, living across the state line in Las Cruces, New Mexico doesn't change your rate either.
Where do I sign in at Fort Bliss?
Report to the staff duty desk of the Fort Bliss Reception Detachment, Building 909 on Pleasonton Road, no later than the report date on your assignment instructions. Staff duty is manned 24 hours a day (915-569-5261). Expect about five days with Reception for finance, medical and dental in-processing and the installation welcome brief. If you land at El Paso International Airport, you can call that number for a pickup, or take a ride share and claim it on your travel voucher.
Can I take house-hunting PTDY after I arrive at Fort Bliss?
Not through Reception. Reception won't approve permissive TDY or house-hunting leave on arrival, so the installation recommends having your losing unit authorize PTDY before you leave. If you want PTDY after your report date, you sign in, finish in-processing, then request it through your gaining unit. Because Fort Bliss housing is privatized, you don't need a housing office stamp.
What TRICARE region is Fort Bliss in, and is there an emergency room?
Texas is in the TRICARE West Region, so the contractor is TriWest Healthcare Alliance at 888-TRIWEST (874-9378), per tricare.mil. William Beaumont Army Medical Center on Fort Bliss has an emergency department (915-742-5149); use the Espinoza Gate for emergency access. Appointments go through 915-742-CARE (2273).
Where do I stay when I first arrive at Fort Bliss?
The official temporary lodging is the Holiday Inn Express Guesthouse, an IHG Army Hotel at 1744 Victory Ave. (915-565-7777, front desk 24 hours). Military OneSource says incoming personnel must check room availability there before taking temporary lodging off post. Pets are limited to two dogs or cats up to 80 lb, with a $75 nonrefundable fee per pet and $10 a night per pet starting on the 8th night.
Related: Free PCS planner · PCS to Davis-Monthan AFB (and Luke) · PCS to Fort Huachuca · PCS to Yuma · 2026 BAH calculator · BAH 2027 · PCS weight allowance · PPM move calculator · Per diem rates 2027 · TRICARE Open Season 2026 · All guides
- U.S. Army Fort Bliss (home.army.mil/bliss): Newcomers, Housing Division
- Army Housing Office, Fort Bliss: Plain Language Brief
- Military OneSource MilitaryINSTALLATIONS: Fort Bliss (check-in, housing, temporary housing, health care)
- William Beaumont Army Medical Center: Urgent and emergency care, Appointments and referrals, Driving directions
- IHG Army Hotels: Holiday Inn Express Guesthouse on Fort Bliss
- TRICARE: How do I know what region I'm in? and TRICARE West Region
- DoD Military Compensation: BAH and DTMO BAH Rate Lookup (2026 data file: BAH-ASCII-2026)
Last checked Oct. 18, 2026. Phone numbers, hours and rates change; the official source wins.
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