Military Marriages by Victor Epand

Your fiance will not be limited in his choices whether married or single, unless he has an "exceptional family member" who requires he be stationed near certain specialty medical care or educational facilities.

For the most part, all specialties are open to anyone who meets the statutory and performance requirements for the job. What I mean by that is, he will have to have the minimum required scores on his armed services vocational aptitude battery (A.S.V.A.B.), and perform sufficiently well in basic training to get his desired specialty. As a man, all jobs are open to him, but statutorily, some jobs are closed to women. Infantry and Rangers are two areas closed to women.

Once he enters the Army and begins his training, he will not be allowed a lot of free time. As a couple, you need to decide whether to marry before he enlists, or wait until he has completed his basic training and advanced individual training (A.I.T.). That marital status will determine the permanent change of station allowances he will receive when he finally graduates from A.I.T. and moves to his first unit. No matter whether he is married or not, the Army will not allow you to accompany him to his training sites.

Sometimes a Soldier will have a spouse or child that misbehaves so badly in a foreign country that that Soldier gets the choice of moving back to the States, or sending the family member back. That type of problem can limit a Soldier's potential for promotion, as well as for a security clearance.

He should get some combat leave before he deploys, but it's never 100 percent sure, which is why nobody is probably telling you that he will for certain. It depends on if his entire unit is going, or it's just him. If it's the whole unit, then they'll get "block" leave prior to going. If it's just him, he should get leave, but it will be up to the command.

When you are married, you are able to draw extra money, called "B.A.H.", "basic allowance for housing", that is dependant on where you are stationed.

Usually, each of the services has a "swap" program for reassignments of members who can find another in the same military occupational specialty in the desired area willing to change assignments.

However, your case is harder, as you are in different services. Each of you should notify your branch assignments manager that you will be marrying a member of another service, and provide information on the M.O.S. of the other, the current unit of assignment, and current length on station.

Each may apply to be transferred to the other's location or to a new location in common. Neither is guaranteed the needs of the services outweigh the needs of the individuals, and it will depend on your individual branches, your current duties, and how interchangeable they are, as well as how long you have been there to justify the cost of a reassignment and move.

Ultimately, your chains of command will have a large input, so work through them to get one or the other or both of you reassigned.

Author Resource: Victor Epand is an expert consultant for http://www.CombatCloth.info/. CombatCloth.info carries the best selection of combat clothing, gear, and accessories on the market.

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