Army merriage?!?

Question

Hello!
I got a question that is very important to me. My fiance shipping of soon for her Basic Training, and she will be a Activ soldier. I want to go to college and join the reservers and later on join the SMP. Now if we are married, she activ duty and me in the reserves going to college, would the Army station her close to my town? I know that two married activ duty soldiers have to be stationed within 50 miles, but how is it in our situation?
I would really appreciate your help!
Ryan K.

Answer 1

Here is the answer:

1. At this time, without marriage .. you will have no existence as a LEGAL dependent of your future spouse in terms of the Military.

2. Now just because TWO individuals (soldiers) are married, is NOT a guarantee that you will be stationed at the same post, NOR is it a guarantee that you will be stationed within 50 miles of each other. REMEMBER .. that you serve where the MILITARY deems it is most important for you to serve to support the MISSION Requirements (and not the other way around).

3. IF you marry, she is on Active Duty, and you are a Civilian attending College, there is NO guarantee that she will be stationed near where you are ATTENDING college either.

HOWEVER ... IF she is stationed on Active Duty at Post X -- you can go to the Education office and ASK for information on ALL the Colleges/Universities and Continuing Education Schools that have OFFERINGS on post -- and that list can be mighty extensive. There are also programs in place where most of these on-post Colleges offer special services to the SPOUSES of those stationed there, making it easy to transfer in your existing credits as well as offering some kind of military discount to those who want to continue their education.

YOUR reserve duty (and yes, I am familiar with the reserves) has no bearing either on this situation. That situation is complicated when you go up the ranks in the Reserves .. where your civilian job or college or whatever is located (and can be) thousands of miles from where you do your day-to-day living.

So bottom line is: Even when you marry -- the Army is going to station her where she best fulfills the mission -- and that is where you both will have to be BEFORE you go through your Basic Training and any additional training after you enter Active Duty. Then ... the Army will try to station you both together (or as close as possible), but it is NOT a guarantee.

Answer 2

In my experience ... NO .... even if you were married, unless you could prove a significant hardship ... they will place her where she is needed! If you do get married then there are certain benefits that you will receive. They are mostly monetary ... However, if you are also active duty ... they will work with you ... but it is really still based on need ... and your MOS (Military Occupational Specialty)

Now, she may have made a request for her first duty station that is reflected in her initial contract ... but that too is subject to the discretion of the DOD.

I met a PFC that worked with my husband. ... he has been here at Ft. Campbell for a year this is his first duty station after basic ... when he was being recruited he expressed a need to be stationed near his hometown in Texas, Ft. Bliss, since his father was very ill ... the recruiter said he couldn't make a promise ... but he would do his best ... He ended up here ... last month Ft. Campbell relocated over 400 soldiers ... mostly to Ft. Bliss ... he is still here! Sometimes the Army makes no sense!

Have you considered going to a college that is near where she will be stationed? She should find out where her permanent (an Army term that means temporary ; ) duty station will be during basic.

Military One Source is a wonderful site for families, fiancées, spouses etc. I visit it often!!!!

I have also included a link to a forum where this question was asked and answered it might be of help!

Best of luck ... it takes a special person to be married to the Army! Hooah!

Pamela

http://www.myarmylifetoo.com/skins/malt/home.aspx?mode=user
http://www.us-army-info.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?p=11672
http://www.militaryonesource.com/skins/MOS/display.aspx?ModuleID=ae74eaa3-d1b6-4dbd-b23e-354880172094&Mode=User&action=category&ObjectID=1db48006-712f-422c-b6bb-448737067269

Answer 3

If she is going to be active duty, don't you want to move and be close to her? You said you are going to join the reserves and go to college. So just move wherever she gets stationed. The Army doesn't have to stationed you within 50 miles of each other. They go by what they need. Depending on your MOS and her MOS they may work something out. But they don't 'have' to do anything. Good Luck.

Answer 4

Two Active Duty soldiers DO NOT have to be stationed in the same place. They will try, but a lot of dual military couples spend most of their careers at different duty stations. We had some friends who were dual military and she was stationed in Louisiana and they sent him to New York, even after he'd been in Iraq for 15 months and hadn't seen her. If she is Active Duty, she'll be stationed according to the needs of the Army, regardless of the two of you being married.

I've been told the Air Force is a lot better about keeping married servicemembers together. You might want to consider that.

Answer 5

Right now, without you two being married...you basically don't exist in the military's eyes. And after you get married & you are in the reserves, you are still considered a civilian & she will get shipped to different duty stations with or without you. When you go active duty, the married couples program kicks in & is still no guarantee that you will be stationed near each other. Sorry for the bad news.

Answer 6

2 ActivE duty soldier do NOT have to be stationed within 50 miles. My hubby's CO was stationed here, and his wife 1,000 miles away.

It's all at the needs of the Army, and if there isn't a job open for you both, then someone will be going somewhere else.

If you're going to do reserves, I would suggest doing that once she finds out her duty station. I believe that you can change your reserve station if/when she PCS's.

Answer 7

Probably not. In most first time enlistment contracts the contract specifically states that they are under no obligation to co-locate first term enlistee's and depending on the program she has selected or you will select sometimes it also says you are not to marry prior to finishing your first enlistment. She will get her orders out of boot camp and that is where she is going to stay probably until her first enlistment is over. They will not pick her up and move her just because you got married. That is the last thing the Army or any other service cares about. She enlisted, she is going to boot camp, she will go where the Army needs her. Now if she does her 4 years and reenlists then they may transfer her somewhere in the same state you live in. Active duty and reserve centers are usually not the same thing unless it is a pretty large base. Should have thought these things out and asked the recruiter prior to signing contracts and making commitments. You may get married and never see each other if that is what you want to do. Duty and operational commitment come first.

Answer 8

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