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Military Families
ETS ??
As of right now my husband is unsure if he will stay in beyond 2013. We are trying to start working on things in case he does get out. I know it seems far off but really it's not since there are so many things for us to work out. I want to start my schooling next fall (if I get all pre reqs done) and it is a 2 year course. We have talked about staying here a little longer if I am not done when it is time for him to ETS, which if I start next fall I will get done about 5 or so months after his ETS date. How does that work with the Army moving your things? Do we have a small timeline to move our things to where we will move after here? If I cannot start next fall we are talking about the kids and I moving back home so I can start there instead of putting it off a year or 2. It is the kind of program that would be difficult to move in the middle of and none of the classes can be done online.
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Re: ETS ??
This.
And if I were in your shoes, if my DH was worried about having a job post Military I would either find a way to stay in, go reserve and find a Civ job or find a Civ job with the military. The economy is rough right now and once you get out for good, its REALLY difficult to get back in if you cant find a new job. I would even consider going to the AF (if the deployments are the issue). MH only deploys 2 months at a time, every 4-6 months. Typically AF peps deploy 6 months every 16ish months (give some months take some months depending on the field).
Anyhow thats my 2 cents. Obviously you guys have youre reasons for the decisions you make. In any case, GL!
Thanks. I figured it would be a somewhat small time frame.
We understand how awful the economy is right now. That is why I am now just going to school full time. I have been looking for a job (and not even being real picky) for a while now. No matter what he will look into options before he gets out. He may decide to stay in but we are planning on getting out so we will be prepared if that is what he decides. If he gets out and I am not in this program I will move away from here the summer before he gets out (ETS in Feb) so I can get the kids settled in school and find a place to live etc. He is looking into civ within the military. For pretty much what he does now there are some jobs open for about $20 an hour without having to worry about deploying and all of the other stuff. He has been in since May 2005 and has deployed twice, once for 15 months and once for 12 months. Plus all the time he was away for training, he was gone more than he has been home with us. The first deployment was very tough on him and me since we dealt with so much death in that time. It isn't just the deployments that is making him think about getting out though, not at all. The AF would be nice but is harder to get in being prior Army and having so many kids I have heard. My best friend just got out of the AF since she was pregnant with twins and had a one year old but her husband is still in. I have known her husband since 2004 and he has deployed once for about 5 months in that time and my friend never deployed in her 4 1/2 years in.
We really don't know what he will do and I hate not knowing. I understand where he is coming from though so we will just be prepared for both just in case. He said no matter what if things are not looking good (jobs, money etc) he will stay.
Every branch has dependent restrictions. It just wasn't as difficult to get waivers as it is now.
Also, telling someone to join a certain branch to get around deployment length is really crappy advice IMO. Deployment extensions anyone?? There is far more to consider when selecting a branch.
This. And I wouldn't base your opinion on the AF/AF Deployments based on 2 people and their experience.
I'm not, I actually know quite a few people in the AF that have deployed much more than my friends. I know it depends on your job, where you are etc. He isn't going to be looking into any other branch if he gets out except maybe reserves. He initially wanted to join the AF for other reasons but we had 2 kids and and they couldn't offer him a job he wanted so he talked to a great recruiter for the Army. My husband choosing to get out isn't all about deployments, we both have a long pro/con list so it is a lot to think about. The decision will eventually be all his but he has been asking me my opinion as well. Yeah, he wants to be around the kids more but it's not like he is trying to get out of deployments, not at ALL. He was with such a crappy unit before we were here so that made the deployments rougher but we still both managed very well.
Thanks. If it was up to me he would stay in just because I am terrified of the transition of him getting out haha so I want to have a plan, a backup and a backup of the backup. We have an amount we want to have saved and at least one of us have a job lined up as well. We don't have much debt at all so that helps too. Luckily, it seems where we are from the economy isn't TOO bad. When I was there a few weeks ago my sister and I were talking about this.
Well, the absolute earliest I can start the program is NEXT fall and it is for 24 months. His ETS date is Feb 2013. I am working on my pre reqs and stuff now so if I do have to wait a little bit I at least have that out of the way. If I don't start the program the kids and I would leave here the summer of 2012 so they won't have to switch schools again if they don't have to (they are on their 3rd school and are in 1st and 3rd grade). He is hoping to be able to take enough leave to leave in January or sooner.
I don't feel bad about the deployments. That isn't the reason he wants out but him not having to leave for another year is a benefit for me. The time we were in Germany he was worked very hard. Right after the first deployment (15 months) he was working from 3 am until 6 pm 6 days a week for a few months then still had to go to the field twice before deploying again just one year and one week after the last deployment. I also had my third without him. He left when I was 13 weeks pregnant and came home when she was 6 months old (R&R at 2 months old). I think he missed a lot and he worked his butt off so I don't feel bad at all. If his mom's health wasn't failing so quickly he would probably want to stay in longer. He has a 11 year old sister we would have to take in when his mom passes. I don't know how I would deal with that if he had to deploy with her with us at least in the beginning. His mother made her fear them really bad and she already has severe behavior issues and such so it would be too much for her.
Yep, I feel him staying in would be easiest but I want him to do what makes him happy. He has always had a dream of having his own restaurant so he really wants to start looking towards that. I would have to have a very steady job though since the first several years could be tough with that. As my kids are getting older I am also finding comfort that they could possibly be in one school for a long time. I cannot imagine how hard it is on them having to switch schools so much since I didn't have to go through that. We have a small family as it is and now that my sister is having her 3rd kid I am starting to really miss living around her so our kids can grow up together.
I think part of the reason we both feel we are "done" is because so far we just haven't felt at home here and we have been here since March. We get settled and happy in Germany right away. I like it here, I just don't know what it is that is making both of us feel this way.
In the next year or so I am sure he will change his mind like 10 times lol. I am glad we are starting the process of planning things out now so we are prepared either way. I know that our plans might change 50 times and I am okay with that, got pretty use to that in the past few years lol.
Im sorry I didnt mean to offend anyone by my comment. I was just trying to suggest a more "family friendly" branch (IMO) if that was the issue. I didn't mean that one should look for ways out of deployment.