Posted on Apr 8, 2021

How long am I going to be away from my wife and kids when I’m in the field as 12B active duty?

Orlando Rivera

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Posted in these groups: Engineers regimental insignia

12B: Combat Engineer Imgres

Deployment 9202ff71

PFC

Duty Stations

Posted >1 y ago

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Responses: 21

CPT Lawrence Cable

Posted >1 y ago

It is going to depend on the unit you end up in and their operational tempo. If you go Airborne and land at the 82nd, expect to go on multiple field exercises a year and be prepared for a deployment. The overseas deployments have slowed down of the last four years, but expect at least one during your enlistment. If you land in a Mech Unit, you are still going to the field, although probably not as much as the 82nd or 101st. However, chances are you will catch at least one NTC rotation and that ends up being about 30 days.
The price of financial security for your family is being away from them for periods of time. I got married on a Friday and left for OCS the following week. Even in the National Guard, I probably averaged 60 days a year or more away from home.

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MAJ Byron Oyler

Posted >1 y ago

Blunt reality is you need your family to understand everything you get from a paycheck to housing to medical care is from the ARMY. Army comes first and the sooner your family understands this, the better the relationship will be. Looking for concrete answers how long you will be out will only set you and the family up for hardship. My wife married into the Army and as a recent immigrant that could not drive with a new baby I left her for two weeks with my parents. It was rough as hell for her but I started from day one this is Army life. Eleven years later she and my children understand it very well.

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Sgt (Join to see)

>1 y

MAJ Byron Oyler Excellent response that points out the realities of military life.

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Lt Col John (Jack) Christensen

>1 y

Apparently the old adage that 'if the Army wanted you to have a family they would have issued one to you' has been totally lost to today's Army.

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SSG Ron Archer

>1 y

I can only speak of my experience as an active duty 12B from 85-93. On average my units spent about 6 months a year in the field, in addition to that there was post training overnighters, BN duty company, charge of quarters, schools, and an of course my all time favorite guard duty. All told if you include leave time, exoect to sleep in your bed about 4 months a year, if your not on rotation to central Asia or somewhere else. If you have a spouse she needs to be able to run your household without you and thats the bottom line.
You will become a welcome visitor most of the time.

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LTC Ronald Stephens

>1 y

I married an army officer. My wife was a CINCPac Aide-de Camp at the time. It only took me 7 months to join her in Hawaii but as long as she was an ADC none of her time was really hers. We both understood that. Then when I moved my Arty battery to the big island for 5 weeks for preparation for and undergoing my battery test she understood.

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