How can my husband pursue assignment stability after finishing G2G so that I can finish my education?

2019-01-18T10:48:04-05:00

Hello! I have a complex situation, that I need help discerning. I will attempt to explain everything in as much detail as I can! Basically, I am looking for some advice pertaining to my husband's career as well as my educational goals - how can we get both of us what we want.
First and foremost my husband is an active duty soldier, prior National Guard service. This is our first duty station, and technically his first year in service. The poor man attended college and nearly got an associate's degree before some major things happened resulting in him dropping out. Long story short, he wants to continue his education and make the student loans worth it. After obtaining his associates degree he plans to apply for green to gold: active duty. If everything is time right, this will align with our PCS perfectly.
Assuming everything works out as planned and my husband is accepted into G2G, receives his commission and everything that follows will he be sent to another duty station or is there a possibility we can stay?
Unfortunately, I have decided to pursue an education that requires an obnoxious amount of schooling, and I have found the PERFECT school for my aspirations. Of course, with everything my husband has planned, and the possibility of the unknown I doubt I will be able to attend said college unless I plan to break up my family. Without a doubt this will be the most difficult thing to accomplish, and more than likely will be ruined by the needs of the army! I just want to know what the likelyhood of my husband being forced to another post is before he is technically required to PCS?

Response by LTC Eugene Chu made Jan 18 at 2019 10:58 AM

2019-01-18T10:58:34-05:00

Look up Green to Gold topics that already exist.

If I understand question correctly, he more than likely he will have to PCS after college graduation. After getting a commission, new officers must attend a 3-4 month BOLC (Basic Officer Leadership Course) to learn branch skills similar to enlisted attending AIT for MOS skills. After BOLC completion, he will go to another duty station if he is active duty (duty station and branch choices are significantly determined by school/ROTC performance and Army need along with personal preference).

Response by LTC Jason Mackay made Jan 18 at 2019 11:13 AM

2019-01-18T11:13:49-05:00

Julia Cardarelli when you go through a commissioning program you come out the other side with absolutely no guarantee on anything. You can request to go to a certain installation after BOLC, but it is just that. His branch will fill needs of the Army, if they can make you guys happy they will, but needs of the Army will come first.

If his plan is green to gold, the associates degree is really superfluous. Recommend any Course work he pursues be transferable and applicable to the bachelor's degree program. he could conceivably work so if selected for G2G, he has a minimal course load.

If your perfect school has a degree and ROTC program for your husband, you could concievably go to the same school. Just understand G2G will have time commitments. Four day FTX's, Daily PT, leadership lab etc.

If your ideal school is where you are now, it may be beneficial for you to surge now and have your husband delay G2G for the time being. It's hard to provide advice since the information is vague. Degree programs, school educational approaches, PCS clock, cost, obnoxious level of time commitment. The struggle you describe is the friction in every military famiy including mine. My wife finished her credential for teaching two years into my retirement. We both made choices. We both did masters degrees at the same time. When we met, she didn't have a degree yet. We spent some time apart for schooling and the Army. Most of the time we were together.

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Response by LTC Private RallyPoint Member made Jan 18 at 2019 11:15 AM

2019-01-18T11:15:52-05:00

Ma’am, I recommend you timeline what you stated above and develop some plans based off that. Your situation is complex but could be doable. Timing is the issue.
I assume your are in school now at your current duty station. What is your education timeline. What is your husbands Ed timeline for the Associate Degree? When does he drop the G2G request? (What are the Ed requirements for G2G) I think if you timeline it out you can see some different possibilities open and close.

Response by SFC Private RallyPoint Member made Jan 18 at 2019 12:20 PM

2019-01-18T12:20:07-05:00

This is actually a pretty easy fix. As everyone very accurately pointed out to you, there is no stability after commissioning and it will take a few months of BOLC after that.
As a career counselor, I VERY rarely counsel people to pursue the active duty green to gold option unless they are shit hot. There are only 200 a year. If he isn't winning Soldier of the quarter/year boards, maxing his APFT and pulling down a 3.5 GPA, I wouldn't make solid plans based on AD G2G because his competitors are doing those things.

However, what is very doable is Army OCS. He just needs a bachelor degree and he can finish it at his own pace as long as he's below the age and time in service threshold for applying.

Response by CPT Private RallyPoint Member made Jan 19 at 2019 10:20 PM

2019-01-19T22:20:27-05:00

If he's G2G he will be given a MOS and sent to whatever state that MOS holds its Basic Officer Leadership Course.

Unfortunately as a Active family, you will need to prepare and get used to times when you cannot always be together. As much as we would like to stay in the young minded college sweetheart lifestyle, those are the facts. You both can make that decision and work out a plan or hold him back from his education and desired career progression. However, once he is finished schooling (the longest I've seen is 6 mo. for BOLC) the Army will pay to move you and any kids with him to the follow on duty station. If that duty station is not in the same state as the school you want to attend, he can be listed as a geo-bachelor and your family will still be taken care of.

My friend is on a 2 year tour to Korea and cannot take his family. His spouse is a strong woman. They have both taken the steps they need to ensure the nurture of their marriage and children in lieu of the extreme distance. Whether it's XXXX time your side we do a video chat every day or every week - it's a plan.

Response by COL Jon Thompson made Jan 20 at 2019 4:29 PM

2019-01-20T16:29:11-05:00

If he commissions through the ADO Green to Gold, he would go back to active duty as a 2LT. After commissioning, he would go to the Basic Officer Leader Course for his officer branch. Those usually are 4-5 month (a couple are longer) with a follow on duty assignment wherever the Army stations him. He may go to Fort Knox for the summer after graduation to work at Cadet Summer Training or he may end up being a Gold Bar recruiter for the ROTC program. But the Army is not going to let him stay at that college for too long. So, I would not plan on staying there beyond 2 years.