Does anyone have any experience being Army/Air Force dual military?

Sara Frink — Wed, 16 May 2018 12:16:05 -0400

My husband is currently active duty enlisted Air Force and I am looking to join the Army as an active duty officer. Does anyone have any experience with being army/air force dual mil?

Response by 1LT Private RallyPoint Member made May 16 at 2018 12:38 PM

1LT Private RallyPoint Member — Wed, 16 May 2018 12:38:50 -0400

Sorry I can't help but I wish you guys the best!

Response by MSgt Private RallyPoint Member made May 16 at 2018 12:59 PM

MSgt Private RallyPoint Member — Wed, 16 May 2018 12:59:11 -0400

Yes, I was in the Army from 73-79. Then went into the Army National Guard. After a year with them, I decided to transfer to the Air National Guard 1980. I back on Active Duty after that until 2002.

Response by Capt Daniel Goodman made May 16 at 2018 1:05 PM

Capt Daniel Goodman — Wed, 16 May 2018 13:05:31 -0400

I was Army ROTC, then went USAF OTS instead...to answer you coherently, you'd need to elaborate a whole lot more, OK? What major you want? Grades? GPA? Grad school? Clinical? Nonclinical? STEM field? Flight? Non-flight? Which svcs other than Army have you looked at, at all? Would you want another SVC if you couldn't get what you want? Which branch of Army if you went Army? Would you want ROTC?OCS? uSMC platoon leaders course (PLC), which I only mention as many have never heard of it? Do a really detailed bio sketch, hobbies, reading interests, sports, be as detailed and thorough as possible, OK? I only ask to try to be able to suggest more, or aomothers Jere can suggest more OK? If you have questions, ask, I'll try to help so far as I can, I'm total perm disabled, so there's a fundamental limit to what I can suggest however, so far as possible, I'll try, OK? Also ask your husband, as well, raise such things with him, get his input, also, OK? Just a thought, he's already part of that whole world, WO you've got aomseone experienced you can askmapready, honest, OK?

Response by LTC Private RallyPoint Member made May 16 at 2018 2:02 PM

LTC Private RallyPoint Member — Wed, 16 May 2018 14:02:55 -0400

For what it's worth, I left the AF for the Army 20 years ago and love it. The AF bored me and was very anti-climatic after basic and tech school. Good luck.

Response by COL David Turk made May 16 at 2018 2:48 PM

COL David Turk — Wed, 16 May 2018 14:48:54 -0400

Get him to come over from the "dark side". (Hopefully this will be recognized for humor.)

Response by LTC Jason Mackay made May 16 at 2018 10:59 PM

LTC Jason Mackay — Wed, 16 May 2018 22:59:03 -0400

I knew an AF Army couple in Korea. They volunteered and got co-located at Camp Humphreys where she was in an AF Communications Squadron and he was the Army Provost Martial. You will have to work at it. There is no Joint Married couples program. You can not depend on Joint domicile. This is the same for all married military couples, but being in the same branch at least increases the possibility of living together. I know the Army has a married couples program. It is not a guarantee and there will be tradeoffs you and your husband would have to make.

Working at it...you will have to engage your branch manager at HRC and your husband will have to engage their equivalent at the AF personnel level. Being willing to take assignments at undesirable locations that facilitate a joint domicile for you both. Short tours. Deployments. You'll also have to keep your careers on tracking with key and developmental assignments so you both stay competitive while leaving room for or accepting risk by taking a neutral assignment so one or the other can get the key and developmental experience. Occasionally you will need to take separate assignments. Maybe you maximize the separation by hitting a key career gate for each of you, then get something together on the back end. Professional Military Education (PME) may be this way too, with less flexibility on when you go, especially as an officer. You get one shot at CGSC/ILE. You get one shot at command (O3, O5, O6). KD time as a major.

What branch are you going to be commissioned in? What is your husband's career field?