As a Warrant Officer who is a Rotary Wing Aircraft Pilot, how long have you been away from your spouse and children?

2019-01-30T14:44:37-05:00

Good morning. I am looking into dropping a Warrant Officer packet. My wife is not necessarily on board with this decision yet, as she says " I have a friend whos husband did this. He's never home." Collectively at my last duty station in Fort Riley, KS, I was already gone more than half my 5 plus years. This is something I've had my heart on for a while. So how long are you actually away from family so I can decide if it is right for my family and I.

Response by WO1 Private RallyPoint Member made Jan 30 at 2019 4:48 PM

2019-01-30T16:48:02-05:00

As a maintainer I can tell you that the deployments are every other year or so. NTC and JRTC rotations are plentiful. Also, there is always TDY going on. I’ve spent almost 3 years away from my wife in our 4 year marriage so far it is tough. I’m going through the motions currently as well. Best of luck.

Response by CW3 Private RallyPoint Member made Jan 30 at 2019 10:01 PM

2019-01-30T22:01:33-05:00

As someone who was prior enlisted I’ve been fortunate to see it from both sides. Every unit is going to do field training, NTC/JRTC rotations, and deploy. It’s the way of the Army and won’t change if you become an Aviator. After a few years of experience you could always get a position at TRADOC, which will definitely allow for more time with the family. I tell everyone that flying beats walking any day of the week. Best of luck with your choice.