Posted on Oct 4, 2014
Can a CSM prohibit a SGT from establishing joint domicile?
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Me and my husband (also a SGT) came to South Korea on Command Sponsored orders for our son (me) and Joint Domicile orders (him). While my company has been extremely supportive to accommodate our needs, his unit is telling him that he is going to have to stay in the barracks the next 2 years (at Suwon Air Base) and come visit us during the weekend (we are at Humphreys), and they are telling him they won't give him the closest base to us (Osan). They are not letting him come see us or stay with us during the next 3 weeks either (in processing). I thought the whole purpose of joint domicile was to have dual military live together. I get the in processing part but can they really make him stay in the Bs even tho his unit's post is within 50mi from mine? Why leadership sometimes feels the need to mess with Soldiers just because they feel like it?
Update: Thank you to all that replied. To answer some of the questions, my husband is Army, 14T ADA, and he could be stationed in Osan. We were successful at establishing our joint domicile. Once my husband respectfully told his CSM that he was going to reach IG and legal the CSM had a change of heart and stationed him in Osan. Thank you for all your advice!
Update: Thank you to all that replied. To answer some of the questions, my husband is Army, 14T ADA, and he could be stationed in Osan. We were successful at establishing our joint domicile. Once my husband respectfully told his CSM that he was going to reach IG and legal the CSM had a change of heart and stationed him in Osan. Thank you for all your advice!
Posted in these groups: 
Leadership
Dual Military
Leadership Dual Military
Edited 8 y ago
Posted >1 y ago
Responses: 40
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A CSM cannot prohibit your having a Joint Domicile. Only the Commander can, and if the orders are published by HRC (which most orders like that are), and neither you or your husband have an MOS critical to the command, it should be no problem to grant you joint domicile. There are circumstances that can affect living together, but "Because I said so" is not one of them. Go to your local Inspector General office and outline your problem to them. They are the ones who can fix this, and if they cannot, they will at least find out why the local commander is violating DA orders.
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SGM (Join to see)
I agree with CSM Winslow. As a current IG, I would need some more information, but contact your local IG office that is on your CG's staff.
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SGT Wayne Gains
worse comes to worse write your congressman. they do backflips and handstands then. remember I had a break in service from 1983 til 1990 went back to baumholder. unit was in the field so went to rear detachment NCOIC and asked how I go about getting my family there. told "you don't E-3s cant afford families over here." told him "well bro its like this you need to send me where I can start paperwork to get my ass back home then. done have my DDform214 sure I can live without another. came back in to better my family not desert them." they will do whatever you let them get away with
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SFC Ralph E Kelley
CSM Winslow above would be the one to know. There maybe special circumstances relating to his duties but as he said "I told you so" isn't one of them.
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A Flat refusal by any CSM is not the end. Only the Commander can definitively state Yea or Nay. Many variables (data) missing here. Husband, Army or Air Force? Critical MOS? Etc.....!? I would press through both Chains of Command, be prepared to address with IG. Something does not smell right here.
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CSM Guy R. Niles
There is no "Command" in Command Sergeant Major. I know some may actually think that way; however, the COMMANDER is the only one! CSMs are an Indomitable Force if the Wearer understands their place in any organization. I advised all around me, Superior, Peer and Subordinate! My Word was Law; however Law, thru KSAE; Knowledge, Skills, Ability and Experience.
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SSG Kristell Lee The short answer is that, yes, personnel can be required to live separately even if on joint domicile orders, based on the needs of the command. I am certainly not saying that I agree with what is happening to you and your husband, but, it is authorized and quite common in Korea, at least when I was the Military Police brigade commander there.
Soldiers assigned to certain areas (primarily in the 2ID forward areas) are required to live on post (no family housing), even if their family members are in Korea. The joint domicile put you both in Korea, not necessarily the same installation or unit. Many officers and NCOs, for example, lived at Camp Red Cloud in the 2ID area, while their family members lived in Yongsan (Seoul), to include general officers, brigade commanders, CSMs, etc.
I always tried my best to accommodate joint military couples to get them as close to each other as possible. Typically, only one was assigned to my unit and I found that I was more willing to accommodate it than many other commanders. It was easier to do if there were no kids in the mix (due to schools, etc.) and it was not always possible to get them on the same installation.
I would have a problem, as a commander, having one of my NCOs residing 50 miles away from the unit/installation he/she was assigned to, especially in Korea.
Seems to me that your best bet is to get your commander/CSM involved to see if they can assist you by talking to your husband's unit commander/CSM. In addition, your husband should be doing the same thing with his chain of command. Unless one or both of you are in very specialized MOS' with very limited slots in specific locations, I can't imagine something cannot be worked out to get you two closer together, even if it means reassigning one of you to a different unit.
Good luck...
Soldiers assigned to certain areas (primarily in the 2ID forward areas) are required to live on post (no family housing), even if their family members are in Korea. The joint domicile put you both in Korea, not necessarily the same installation or unit. Many officers and NCOs, for example, lived at Camp Red Cloud in the 2ID area, while their family members lived in Yongsan (Seoul), to include general officers, brigade commanders, CSMs, etc.
I always tried my best to accommodate joint military couples to get them as close to each other as possible. Typically, only one was assigned to my unit and I found that I was more willing to accommodate it than many other commanders. It was easier to do if there were no kids in the mix (due to schools, etc.) and it was not always possible to get them on the same installation.
I would have a problem, as a commander, having one of my NCOs residing 50 miles away from the unit/installation he/she was assigned to, especially in Korea.
Seems to me that your best bet is to get your commander/CSM involved to see if they can assist you by talking to your husband's unit commander/CSM. In addition, your husband should be doing the same thing with his chain of command. Unless one or both of you are in very specialized MOS' with very limited slots in specific locations, I can't imagine something cannot be worked out to get you two closer together, even if it means reassigning one of you to a different unit.
Good luck...
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