Can a man join the navy if he has a child?

Question

My husband wants to join the navy. He has a daughter from a previous relationship (wasn't married). He pays child support but the mother has 100% custody. The recruiter tried to tell us that because he pays child support, that makes her a dependant of his and he can't join the navy!!! What?? Is this true? The child is the mother's dependant because she claims the child on her tax return every year, not him. Is this accurate? Please help!!!

I was sitting right there with my husband when the recruiter told us BOTH this information. THEHERONHOUSE--do you have IM? If you do, give me your id and we can talk about this more. Sounds like you know what you are talking abouy. Thanks to all of you for your answers!

Answer 1

hmm.. how many kids do YOU and he have? Anyone seeking to enter the military for the first time is allowed 2 dependants.. one of which must be a spouse. therefore if you have any kids(whether they are your husband's biologically or not) that you yourself have custody of/live with you, that may be the hold up
It can be possble to get a waiver for one extra child, much more difficult for any more than that. Since he pays child support, she is considered a dependant in the eyes of the military, eligible for medical, dental and other priviledges.

Alternatively, there may be something else wrong with your husband's package and the recruiter is trying to let him down easy by saying he can't get in for a totally different reason.

or he could be a lazy SOB who doesn't feel like doing the necessary paperwork involved.

Answer 2

Either your husband is not telling you the whole story, or he did not understand the recruiter. You can have up to 3 dependants and still be eligible for enlistment. However, I would have to look in the book to see if this child would qualify as a dependant since he does not have custody. The guy that sleeps in the rack accross from me pays over $600 a month to 3 different women, however the only one that is considered a dependant is the child he had with his wife. If I remember correctly if he provides over 50% of the finacial support for the child and his name is on the birth certificate the child would qualify. Let me know if you need more info, I will do some investigating, but the bottom line is that he can join with dependants. I would ask him to tell you why he really cannot join.

Answer 3

Any dependants require a waiver, the number of dependants changes who approves the waiver. Anything over 3 is not eligible. You count as a dependant, so does his daughter, custody or not. If you have a child together that is 3. Then they have to do a financial statement to ensure you will make sufficient money with all the dependants. If it all looks good then it would get approved. It takes a lot of work for the recruiter so they don't always like to do it. but it is their job. email me if you have any more specific questions at [e-mail]

Answer 4

Dependant for Navy purposes doens't mean the same as for tax purposes.'

And I don't think that is true. People who have children join the service all the time.
****BUT*** you must agree to let someone else take care of your children if you are called to duty to a place where you can't take the kids.

Since his child is in the custody of his ex I would think this would be a non issue...

I'd talk to another recruiter...

Answer 5

First why is he paying child support if she has 100% custody? Does he even get to see his daughter? Because if he doesn't then he should not be paying. As for the navy I thought you could but unless his wiling to put her as a dependent then maybe. I would trust his recruiter.

Answer 6

My niece had a child when she joined the Air Force, so something doesn't sound right. I would talk to a different recruiter.

Answer 7

something here sounds strange.
my husband is in the marines and i know single marines that have children living with them, i know marines that pay child support to kids that don't live with them, heck, i know marines that are in all kinds of odd family situations.

i would ask this recruiter for more of an explanation. there is a piece missing from this puzzle and i'm not sure what it is.....
if you don't understand something...especially, with the military, then ask as many questions as you can. trust me, as a military wife, you need to know just as much as your husand and you have to be involved just as much as him.
i've known wives totally lost b/c their spouse is on deployment and they don't know what's going on....so, ask that recruiter to explain to you, in basic terms, why your husband cannot join the navy.

good luck and seriously, talk to that recuiter, or that recruiter's superior.

another thought.....that recruiter may be stringing you along to meet a future quota....so, be sure you get a solid explanation.

take care.

Answer 8

my friend want to be in the cost guard they turned her down because she has and kid and is and single Parent. she son is 4 years old i am not sure how it works but she took test passed everything ween they found out she had and child they told her that she wasn't except do to the fact she has and small child and she not married. she has custody of the child the dad is slack as hell and didn't want her to have him. he also doesn't pay his child sport. i think different branches of the arm / military of different on this subject but if he wants to get needs to talk to someone else about it. my friend tried 15 time the turned her down every time.

Answer 9

If you go to www.military.com they have an excellent website that will give you all the stipulations for joining the navy...

I believe its ok to have 1-2 Children, but you can not be the person who makes the more money or something, it was a while that i read up on it, but that website really helps.

Answer 10

walk across the hall and speak to an Air force recruiter. Maybe your husband is just lazy and lied about what the recruiter said.