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Military Families
IfferMarie
member
Can you share your experience with me?
IfferMarie
member
Hi everyone,
My DH did 5 years in the Marine Corps with Comm Battalion. We both absolutely hated it. He hated the way he was treated (as did I) and I hated the deployments. He was gone almost as much as the time he was enlisted.
From talking with friends enlisted in other branches they feel like the Air Force treats their men and women the best. I am sure there are many differing opinions, I was wondering if you all could share what your experiences are.
I have so much respect for the people who serve and their spouses who are serving right along with them. There are times when I really miss it, but I remember who miserable we were and now that we have a daughter I know how much I don't want him gone all the time. How do you do it with a family?
I have a few friends that are going to school through the Navy/Air Force/Marine Corps. One of my friends is about to get his degree and they are going to station his family somewhere. I would be more open to the idea if I knew were didn't have to be separated as a family. I realize there are no guarantees, but how do these other families I hear about manage to get away without deployments?
Any insight would be much appreciated. Thanks!
This discussion has been closed.
Re: Can you share your experience with me?
Pretty much no one gets away without deployments. If a service member is attending school sponsored by the military, they can't be deployed during that assignment, but once the are done with school they can and will be deployed.
As for branches and treatment of troops - every branch is different, every career field is different, and every command is different. You can't generalize how troops get treated by an entire branch. It's just not accurate.
Very true. I realize some really love the branch they are in and wouldn't have it any other way.
The friend I mentioned above was protected from deployment while he was in school, but now that he is getting out they are sending his entire family to Japan and once he is done with his 3 years there, he gets out. However, if for some chance they decided to deploy him, does that mean his family would be left where they were sent to? I realize they could choose to come home, but how hard it must be to move out of the country just to turn around and move right back.
I believe, if the tour is longer than 6 months, the military will pay for the family to move back "home". Though, I'm not sure if that also applies to families stationed OCONUS.
Of course, his family are autonomous individuals and can choose to go wherever they want at their own expense.
My understanding is that the military will pay for a family to return to the states early BUT they will not pay to bring them back when the service member returns from deployment. But, if a family is stationed overseas, they have the option of flying Space-A to go to the states to visit.
My DH has been in for 16 years. He loves his MOS (he's EOD). Sure, there have been assignments and commands that have been difficult, but it's that way in civilian life. If anything, in the military, give it a year, somebody gets orders and things can change. As for mentioning the Air Force. If your DH is considering switching branches, he needs to do his research. The military, in general, is getting leaner. The Air Force has been force shaping for years. Switching may not be an option. Before spending any more time musing over which branch has it better, he might want to determine what his realistic options are. Good luck.
He is stationed in Japan so his family is in Japan with him. There are several military bases there (with base housing, commissaries, etc). If he deploys out of Japan (which is VERY VERY likely as the forward deployed units are gone A LOT) then they will stay in Japan because that is where they "live". As far as I know, if you do an accompanied tour to Japan (or any other OCONUS location) they will not move your family back and forth at the whim of deployments. That would be ridiculous.
And chances are his time is more than 3 years. At least on the officer side, if you get your BA or BS with ROTC the minimum requirement is 5 years. At USNA, they call it "Five and Dive" for people who just do their requirement and get out. But if he does anything specialized (aviation, nuke) then his requirement will jump. And if he gets any further education, again, his requirement will go up.
There is no branch that will shield you from deployments. Do some people get lucky and others get slammed? YES. But that happens in the civilian world too. Every branch has its own culture and "typical" experience, but you can't generalize with this stuff. This person you know has no idea what will happen until it is happening, and how much he is home/away will just depend on his timing and unit and a zillion other variables.
Married 6/28/03
Kate ~ 7/3/09 *** Connor ~ 11/11/10
4 miscarriages: 2007, 2009, 2013, 2014
*~*~*~*~*
No more TTC for us. We are done, and at peace, as a family of 4.
"Suffering has been stronger than all other teaching, and has taught me to understand what your heart used to be. I have been bent and broken, but – I hope – into a better shape.” — Charles Dickens
Like the other ladies have said, you can not generalize branches. DH is AD Army. There are Airman who are attatched to his unit. Several of the men I have spoken to have stated they have never had a more positive expirience for their families than with this unit.
Honestly, it isn't easy for prior service to join back up right now. I would have him talk to different recruiters to see what they can offer him. He may not have many options.
It honestly depends on the job, base, mission, etc. I was ADAF for nine years at three different bases and only deployed once and I was never on any mobility restrictions. There just wasn't a need for my job in deployed locations, because med techs or nurses could easily do it (medical admin). I was able to complete my bachelor's degree during my enlistment.
DH on the other hand, has been in the AF for 10 years, deployed 4 times, retrained into another job, and has been TDY anywhere from a week to 3 months over a dozen times.
Whenever he deploys, I stay where we are stationed. It can be hard with a LO, but every base we have been to has always had a great support system.
Your husband should definitely talk to the recruiters in each each branch and weigh the pros and cons. Like PP said since they are reducing forces, it may be difficult for him to come back in as prior service right now. Good luck.
This is not true for all branches. I know the USMC does not pay to move families when a Marine is deployed. If the family decides to move, the cost is on them. The only branch I have heard of doing this is the Army, but I don't know the specifics.
Army will do "compassionate reassignments" but anything else you'll be paying for yourself in my experience.
Also, from my understanding, the only branch currently accepting prior service, without something like the blue to green program, is the Army and even they're talking about stopping. I don't think you could switch branches anyway.
Deployments from Japan, in my experience, occur often but are over just as quickly. My husband leaves about 4 times a year where he's gone for a month and a half to three months. When he's home, he's here from three weeks to three months. The ship's schedule changes so much that I have to be on standby for when he returns.
On another note, it has taken my household goods two months to get here. If I were to move back and forth, it would be from my own pocket (for the move and the travel) and happen so much I think I would be considered homeless and rarely see my stuff. Not to mention, I would be so poor from trying to fund the move.
It's only three years. There is enough to do in Japan that time during deployments is worthwhile.