Posted on Nov 7, 2017
Gary Henson
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How likely is it that we will be stationed together. Hypothetically speaking.....Let's say I am an army Uh60 mechanic and she is a nurse in the airforce. Is our marriage doomed? Will we ever be stationed together.... What challenges will we face? Thanks in advance
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Responses: 8
LT Brad McInnis
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I was a Navy Officer that was married to another Navy Officer. Our marriage didn't last, so let me give you my 2 cents...
Can you make it? Yes.
Do you need to be realistic? Yes.
Will it be hard? Yes.

Communication and expectations need to be managed. Make sure that you take time to connect whenever you can (Skype is awesome for this). Set up a schedule to talk, and keep to it. Things will always come up (broke helo, ER surge, etc.) but make a very concerted effort to keep the sked.

Talk to your commanders. Let them know your situation so that you can get your leave plans coordinated. Most commanders understand that unhappy service members make for bad units. They will try their best to help out.

Try to get co-located. You both need to talk to your community managers (detailers) to see if you can get stationed in the same area. It may be that you take a tough tour 1st, then get colocated on the backside.

I had a sailor that was in the same situation. He lived on the ship, and his wife lived in the barracks. There thinking was that they saved as much money as possible, so that when they had leave together, they could really enjoy it.

Hope this helps!
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Lt Col Jim Coe
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You have two issues: marriage and service to your country. Both require careful consideration before embarking on either journey.

Marriage should be based on love, mutual attraction, and respect for the other person. It should be a life-long commitment not entered into lightly. I strongly advise you to meet with a certified counselor to help set a good foundation for your marriage. Some ministers, priests, and rabbis are certified in marriage counseling. Many psychologists offer these services. I've been married to the same wonderful woman for 51 years--22 of those I was in the USAF. The key to a long marriage, as others in this string have said, is communication. I would add mutual respect to that.

You--either of you--should enter into service to your country with as much consideration and commitment as you would a marriage. If effect, you will be married to your Service for at least the length of your first contract or service commitment. I applaud you for seeking advice and input on RP. Your recruiters will put as good a face on service as they can, but there are hardships, some of which are made worse when a service member is married. The Services have policies on "joint-spouse" assignments. They may or may not apply when the spouse is in a different service. Your personnel people will take your marriage situation into some consideration when making an assignment, but not much. The needs of the service always come first. It would help if you both had combat service or combat service support MOS/AFSC. This makes you more universally assignable. Almost every installation has security, engineers, personnel, supply, vehicle maintenance, logistics planners, operations admin, and others. Highly specialized MOSs, such as nuclear propulsion or special operations limit your options.

Best of luck!
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Gary Henson
Gary Henson
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Thank you for taking the time to give me some insight
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SPC AH-64 Attack Helicopter Repairer
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Yes you will be stationed together at a joint base, no it's not doomed
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