I have four kids and was told by my recruiter that if I gave up custody of two of them to join once I was done with basic I could bring them to live with me on base and say that who ever was watching them couldn't anymore, and they would then be eligible for benefits. Is this true, or once I sign the contract for only two of my kids and I do this the other two won't be eligible for medical? And will I get in trouble if I bring all of them to live with me later?
2006-07-23 19:05:45 · 15 answers · asked by sabrina n 1 in Politics & Government ➔ Military
you might want to get a consult with a lawyer. just to be on the safe side.
2006-07-23 19:08:29 · answer #1 · answered by Cheesie M 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Why would you waive your rights, first of all? All of your children would be eligible for military benefits as soon as you sign that dotted line. I'm not sure what the recruiter is feeding you there. Also, if you will have custody of your children more than half the time, you will be elgible for family housing. You'll need to have all of your children listed in order to have the correct number of rooms in your apartment.
Usually, you can do something like a Power of Attorney, that would allow another adult to see to the care of your children. It can be made up specifically for that one purpose. You'll need to talk to a JAG lawyer for this.
Another thing: you can always change the number of people on your benefit list. Think about it: there are babies being born everyday to military families.
Hope that helped...and thanks for considering joining our Army.
2006-07-31 23:41:10 · answer #2 · answered by his_lil_patriot 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I'm not trying to bash the army but it sounds like this recruiter is telling you what you want to hear to get you in. Maybe you misunderstand the wording. Waiving your parental rights means you give up your kids completely and all rights to them whatsoever (it is mostly done by parents who are unable to care for their kids) it is a legal action that is very hard to reverse. I would recommend consulting a lawyer first before signing anything involving your kids and your parental rights. I would recommend you have a family member care for them until you can have them and remember the military owns you . There is no guarantee you wont be sent to a war zone in this day and age.
2006-07-24 02:21:15 · answer #3 · answered by drunkmunky 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
There is some truth to what the recruiter said; however, it is a circumvention of the system. Remember that you are a contract for the recruiter and that is all he/she sees right now. Once you join at MEPS (or the officers enlistment) your relationship with him/her will change.
I would not recommend doing that though. Why can you not claim all four children as dependents? I agree with the first answer you received to this question. Seek legal advice with a military familiar attorney.
2006-07-24 02:15:54 · answer #4 · answered by nflhandicapper 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Recruiters are in a heck of a spot. Often they are asked to become experts on areas where it is impossible for them to do so, and although he might answer you to the best of his ability, and he may even have done research to make sure, it is highly likely that he is wrong about this.
What's worse is that the Army will NOT honor any promises made to you by the recruiter after you join. Your best bet is to assume the less favorable result, and to plan accordingly.
Also, please avoid giving up custody of your children unless you truly cannot care for them. It may be extremely difficult to get custody back, as most caregivers will be receiving income to care for them, and it is difficult to prove (and the proof is on you) that they are incompetent. It may be even more difficult to prove that you are significantly changed in competence since the time when you gave them up. If the court listens to you regarding the incompetency of the caregiver, they may just get another caregiver.
2006-07-31 23:12:21 · answer #5 · answered by nora22000 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
When you join the military all of your dependents are automatically entitled to benifits. You give temporary guardianship to someone while going through Basic and AIT then once you are assigned to a duty station and have housing your children can come and live with you. If you are a single parent you are required to have a family care plan in case of a deployment.
2006-07-24 02:14:04 · answer #6 · answered by Nichole 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
first question: are you a single parent? if so you are ineligible to join period. Secondly, if, as a single parent, you still wish to join, you must give up full legal and physical custody of ALL of your children.
You MAY NOT regain custody of any of your children through your first enlistement period(anywhere from 2-8 years, depending on your job and the training required) trying to regain custody sooner that that can result in discharge, especially if they can prove you frauded the military in order to get in in the first place.
If you are married, you have too many dependants to join, period. waivers are not considered. Giving up custody for the purpose of getting around this rule is grounds for Fraudulent enlistment as well.
2006-07-24 12:22:53 · answer #7 · answered by Mrsjvb 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
First of all, joining the Army is NOT stupid--I can't believe how many people answer questions like this with those kinds of comments.
But please keep in mind that some recruiters will say anything to get you to sign. Make sure that you get a copy of everything s/he tells you in writing, and don't be afraid to ask him/her who you could talk to explain the details.
2006-07-24 02:21:15 · answer #8 · answered by Nobody 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
you dont have to waive your parental rights you set up what is called a family care plan. that means someone takes care of your kids and has guardian ship while you are away on duty. you would still have rights. and they could live w/ you while you are there. tell ur recruiter hes a dumb ***. but then again. y would u want to be away from ur kids for so long anyways?
2006-07-26 04:32:33 · answer #9 · answered by jbarker 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Don't be stupid, do not join the army. The majority of my mother's family has been in the army and trust me, the army is filled with LIES. Do not waste precious years serving this country, it is not worth it. Not to mention that the government does not care about it's soldiers and the pay is horrible. Oh yea, and most likely, he/she was lying to you. If you join the army, you would barely have any time to spend with your children.
2006-07-24 02:09:09 · answer #10 · answered by Ohay 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It's quite common. Yes, you can get a temporary order of custody. It's recommended you do this with a family member you trust.
2006-07-24 02:10:47 · answer #11 · answered by DEATH 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋