is this true about the airforce??

Question

well i want to go to the airforce. but someone told me since im not married and i have a son that ill have to give up custody to the dad..im ok with it because weve been together since iwas a freshman and i am now a senior in highschool but what if something happens? so is it true .. and also do you really have to stay 6 months will 3 or so phoncalls no cell no computer and some visits till you graduate from bmt?

Answer 1

as a single parent you may NOT enlist. you may NOT give up custody for the sole purpose of enlisting and you may NOT regain custody back at all during your first term of enlistment. the AF may make you wait one year after giving up custody before you can enlist( I know the Marines do for a fact)

you will have zero internet access during Basic training. Phone calls if any, will be few and far between. you are allowed NO visitors during Basic training. you will not be allowed to even have a cell phone at all. basic training is not six months long, I do believe the AF is only like 8 or 9 weeks long. what privileges you are allowed during schooling will vary , but you can expect to be able to at least have internet access and a cellphone for off duty hours.

Answer 2

Basic is six weeks, during which time you will have no cell phone and very limited access to the computer or telephone. There will be ways for someone to get a hold of you in an emergency, but the truth is you will be so busy that you would not have time to call or email anyway. Once basic is done, you will go to your tech school, to train for the specific job you plan to do. Tech school can last from three months up through 18 months, depending on what you do. If your tech school is less than 6 months, you will not be allowed to move your son with you, even if you were married. In any case, bringing him with you would be tough, so you would need someone who can care for him on a full time basis for at least 6 months to a year, minimum. This is why you may be told to give custody of your son to his father (or to another person you trust such as your parents)..you will be totally unavailable for much of the first year and will not be in a position where you could finish your training while trying to parent at the same time. Usually, you will get some leave between basic and tech school (a couple of weeks) and then maybe a few more weeks after tech school and before going to your first base. Keep in mind that even after all your training is done, you will have to have a formal family care plan on file. This plan is in place so that if your are deployed or stationed to a place where dependents are not allowed, the military knows you have a place and people who can care for your son in your absence. Being a single parent will not change your military responsibilities..you will still have to work shifts, pull extra duty with short notice, deploy if needed and possibly be stationed in areas where family is not allowed. The military will do what it can to try and support you as a single parent..work out shifts that last for a period of time rahter than changing them weekly, work with you on using leave if your child is ill, etc...but you will be part of the military and that duty always comes first...period. I have known many single parents in the military and while it is challanging, it has it's benefits. Housing, medical care, the chance for parents to work towards a degree are all huge pluses you won't find in other jobs. You will have to be able to take the good with the bad, but it can be a great way to support a family.

Answer 3

Basic is a 6 week program and its true that you will not have time for many phone calls. Im not sure about the custody of your son though...


good luck!!

Answer 4

In the Army you would be required to sign what is called a family care plan. This is a legal document that states who will care for your child while you are away for training or deployment. The Air Force should have a similar policy in place. You can ask a recruiter for further information. If you decide to join, the personnel that processes you in at your MEPS station should go over that information with you as well. My advice to you is not to relinquish custody of your child to anyone. The military does not require it. Good luck in your career.

Answer 5

as for the custody issue here is it written in laymans terms from about.com

In the Army and Air Force, single member parent applicants who, at the time of initial processing for enlistment, indicate they have a child or children in the custody of the other parent or another adult are advised and required to acknowledge by certification that their intent at the time of enlistment was not to enter the Air Force/Army with the express intention of regaining custody after enlistment. These applicants must execute a signed statement testifying they have been advised that, if they regain custody during their term of enlistment, they will be in violation of the stated intent of their enlistment contract. They may be subject to involuntary separation for fraudulent entry unless they can show cause, such as the death or incapacity of the other parent or custodian, or their marital status changes from single to married.
here is the exact link to that one:
http://usmilitary.about.com/od/joiningthemilitary/a/enlstandards_3.htm


basically if you sign over custody now you may not get your son back for the entire time of your first enlistment or you will have to pay back any bonuses you recieved and may even get dishonorably discharged. as for benefits, if you are court ordered to support your son then he may be eligible for tricare....however things like BAH and such will be given to you on single rate only. now heres the big thing......if your child support plus all your other debts combined add up to more than 40% of what an E1 makes a month for payments you are not eligible for a financial waiver.

for the other part of your question....that will depend on how long your tech school is how long you will actually be away....but during both basic and tech school you cant have a cell phone.....you may have limited computer access during tech school..as for phone calls they are very limited....especially during the first couple weeks of basic , you more or less get to call home and let them know you arrived and thats it until about halfway through.

i used to work in the lifeskills office and my job was basically as a social worker....i worked with people who had family issues to help them get appropriate paperwork and such done. it was at an overseas base and i met a girl there who had been in your situation.....gave up full custody of her child to the father (you arent even allowed to have visitation or your considered a single parent) she got sent overseas after tech school, so she went home and saw her child for 3 days in between tech school and her duty station. when she came to me she had been at the base for 2 full years and had not seen her son at all during that time. the father had moved on..was now married and the new wife was raising the baby as her child......because she had signed the legal court documents there was nothing that could be done for her to get her son back unless she was willing to be courtmarshalled for fraudulent enlistment and even then there was most likely no way she would get him back.....i would strongly advise you really think this through, you are very young and there is a chance that you and the father will not last through long periods apart, by signing your child over you are basically telling the court i dont want him anymore he is his to do with as he pleases. if you and he were to get married at some point you could then enlist and get a waiver.