I am a single father of two girls. One is 2 and a half years old and the other is 14 months old. Are any exceptions made if I have no one else to take care of my kids when the army is asking me to go overseas?...say to Iraq or Afghanistan?
2007-02-12 12:41:15 · 26 answers · asked by Adrian B 1 in Politics & Government ➔ Military
Mind you...There is absolutely no one willing to watch my girls for a few months to a year and the army is my sole sourch of income to support them
2007-02-12 13:26:55 · update #1
Mind you...There is absolutely no one willing to watch my girls for a few months to a year and the army is my sole sourch of income to support them and myself
2007-02-12 13:27:39 · update #2
Generally speaking, I THINK they give you the option to leave the army in such a case. They can't force you to put your children in foster care, but I also don't know if they'll give you the option of staying state-side, or in a non-combat situation, and remaining in the Army. It may be different if say, your wife died WHILE you were in the service...leaving you with 2 children, but if you divorced and chose to take custody, knowing you could be called up for overseas duty...they may not be likely to have any sympathy.
The Army is probably the least sensitive to family of all the armed forces. I don't say that to slam the Army...I just know that other branches seem to understand situations such as yours, better. I would think they could manage some kind of exception in your case. Whether or not they WILL is another story.
Oh, Charles...(below). I have a nephew in the Army right now, my father was in the Army, and my husband is a retired Navy Chief. Yes, I do know about the sensitivity and insensitivity of the branches, thanks.
Check below for the latest standards from the DoD.
2007-02-12 12:45:19 · answer #1 · answered by Lisa E 6 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Yes, you can and most likely will be deployed at some time.....sooner or later! You should have received notice from your Command already that you are required to fill out a "Family Care Plan" package. If you haven't thus far, both you and your Command are WRONG.
On a personal note, if you have two young ones to be responsible for, do the right thing. Don't hide behind your children to get out of deploying with your unit. Go ahead tomorrow and fill out the care plan, or put in for a discharge. Don't keep taking the taxpayers money each payday while not fulfilling YOUR promise to serve and obey your orders.
2007-02-12 21:24:19 · answer #2 · answered by jonn449 3 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Depending on your circumstances you might not be deployed but if the Army needs you because you are in a specialized MOS then maybe. You should have had to create a family care plan which states who will watch your children in case of deployment. Also like the first guy said it you chose to take the children then the case for you getting out of the military is lower than if something happened. I know fathers who have children who are deployed and their parents watch the kids.
2007-02-12 21:05:15 · answer #3 · answered by Hawaiisweetie 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Sadly, as a single parent, they will deploy you anyways...
If you should fail to produce a person to take care of your kids when you get your orders to deploy, they won't make you go, but you can receive an Article 15, or even a court martial. I think it falls under "missing movement" or something like that. Then you will probably be discharged from the military.
I remember when I was in the military and living overseas in Europe, we would get surprise orders to deploy. The single parents were scrambling to the airport to get their kids on flights heading back to the US so the kids could stay with grandparents, aunts, whoever.
I have seen single parents have to leave their children with people they have known only a short while (like spouses from fellow co-workers) because the kids were too young to travel alone and there wasn't enough time to fly back to the US with them and drop them off at a relatives.
Sometimes, the squadron you are in might try to work with you so that you have enough time to take care of these matters, or they might try to find someone to take your place on the deployment, but if they need you, you have to go... or risk serious consequences...
Things might have change now, but four years ago, that was the way it was in the military.
Best Wishes...
T.
2007-02-12 20:55:16 · answer #4 · answered by Theophania 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
1. If you aren't already in the Army, you can't enlist as a single parent.
2. If you are in, and have no family care plan that is correctly done (notarized and completed), you should be chaptered out of the Army since you're just taking up space where an effective Soldier could be doing the job, not crying about being deployed because no one can watch his kids.
2007-02-13 09:20:33 · answer #5 · answered by The Tin Man 4 · 0⤊ 1⤋
they dont give you an option to leave. before you can join you would have to have somebody sign papers to take the girls should you get deployed. Also, being in the army you may go in the field a lot and be gone for weeks at a time. I tried to join as a single parent twice and couldnt either time. Im now married to a soldier and he is gone often.
2007-02-12 22:00:04 · answer #6 · answered by cherokee 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
are you in o wanting to join? I'm not sure but they may not even let you join as a single father unless you have a designated caretaker/gaurdian assigned before entering..same with deployment i believe. If you are already in the ARmy. They may make sure you have a gaurdian assigned before deploying. If not you may be required to leave or you can maybe transfer to another unit that isn't deploying due to family hardship. Talk to a recruiter,commander (depending on if you are in or not already) Good luck! :)
2007-02-12 20:53:14 · answer #7 · answered by Angeleyez 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
my dad just retired from the army, we just moved from germany where he was last stationed and one of our neighbors was a single father of 3 and he never went farther then hoenfels, which was only about an hour and a half ago.
And about the army being the least sensitive towards family, did you even think about the facct that navy goes on ships for months at a time and marines are always deployed
2007-02-12 20:51:30 · answer #8 · answered by Charles Christopher F 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I'm sorry to say that I agree if you are in now where Is you Army Parent Plan or whatever it is called. You have to have one. I worked in Personnel so I know. Plus I was a single parent activated for Desert Storm You have to have a Parent Plan or they will discharge you. If you do not have one now you are suppose to be discharged they should of gave you x amount of days to prepare it then if its not done. One chance to get it usually 90 days then if none you out. I'm sorry wish you the best of luck,
2007-02-13 00:02:25 · answer #9 · answered by path2631 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
If you are deployed and don't have a Family Care Plan, one of the following will happen:
- you'll have to create one
- you'll be discharged
- you'll be charged with missing movement.
Even if you're never deployed (not likely), the Army can deny your re-enlistment for not having a Family Care Plan. I've seen it happen.
2007-02-12 22:11:00 · answer #10 · answered by retired military wife 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋