Is it possible to get married during AIT?

Private RallyPoint Member — Tue, 04 Feb 2020 20:44:40 -0500

My fiancé just arrived to FT Gordon for AIT and was told we should try to get married during AIT. How would we navigate logistics of paperwork/visiting the courthouse etc considering phase restrictions?

Response by SFC Private RallyPoint Member made Feb 4 at 2020 9:15 PM

SFC Private RallyPoint Member — Tue, 04 Feb 2020 21:15:47 -0500

Well you can only leave post as a phase 5+ at Gordon. He can’t leave base on the weekends before that. They only other time I can think of that you would get free time for something like that would be the first weekend when her got there so he could spend time with his family. I would wait until after AIT though and do it while he is on leave before his first duty station. I would just have him concentrate more on graduating school first.

Response by SGT(P) Private RallyPoint Member made Feb 4 at 2020 9:23 PM

SGT(P) Private RallyPoint Member — Tue, 04 Feb 2020 21:23:46 -0500

Yes you can! I have a friend who got married when we was in AIT at Fort Gordon, but he have to be 5+ to be able to go off post. He scheduled everything calling the courthouse. It was simple , no big party but they did it.

Response by SSG Private RallyPoint Member made Feb 4 at 2020 9:37 PM

SSG Private RallyPoint Member — Tue, 04 Feb 2020 21:37:35 -0500

Is it possible? Yes.
Is it recommended? Definitely not! Wait until he's on leave to his first duty station, or until he arrives there. The process is a lot smoother that way, and easier to plan and implement too.

Response by CWO3 Private RallyPoint Member made Feb 4 at 2020 9:48 PM

CWO3 Private RallyPoint Member — Tue, 04 Feb 2020 21:48:30 -0500

It's not rocket science, and I mean no disrespect, but if you want to be married this is something you could easily figure out. Get license, and tie the knot. A calendar might help for planning. Public offices publish their hours and contact info. Your fiancé will know when he's available.

Response by SMSgt Lawrence McCarter made Feb 5 at 2020 1:32 AM

SMSgt Lawrence McCarter — Wed, 05 Feb 2020 01:32:04 -0500

I understand You may want to get married but this is an important phase of training and NOT a good time to divert Your attention elsewhere. Focus on finishing AIT and not rushing a wedding and do it right, it should only happen once. That's My opinion !

Response by SFC Private RallyPoint Member made Feb 5 at 2020 2:27 AM

SFC Private RallyPoint Member — Wed, 05 Feb 2020 02:27:33 -0500

Whoever told you that is setting you up for failure. What will happen is that you two will get married and almost certainly be sent to different duty stations. You will now have made this big commitment under the false impression that the Army had to station you together, and instead you will be stuck at your next duty stations two to three years until you can reenlist to be together, or you get out.

Response by LTC Private RallyPoint Member made Feb 5 at 2020 4:33 AM

LTC Private RallyPoint Member — Wed, 05 Feb 2020 04:33:30 -0500

If you intend to marry him and PCS with him as a dependent, it would make sense to be married before he gets orders to his next duty station.

Response by SSG Jose M. Hernandezsanchez made Feb 5 at 2020 7:57 AM

SSG Jose M. Hernandezsanchez — Wed, 05 Feb 2020 07:57:43 -0500

Well, if your intentions are to be station together, you might get lucky. But not everything goes as planned especially when you're still on training mode. In AIT all they trying to do is to get you trained, graduated, then ship out to your first duty station. The reason I say all this is because my ex-wife and I got married before joining the Army, filled out all the paperwork under Army Couple's Program I think it was, and we still ended up on different stations. But I also think me going to Airborne School had a little bit to do with that. I ended up at Ft. Bragg, and she went to National Training Center in California. It took almost six months before everything went through.
I understand this is not what you want to hear right now, but it is reality. Is it possible to get married while on AIT?, yes. Would it guarantee for the both of you to be station together? Maybe not right away. Good luck!

Response by MSG Private RallyPoint Member made Feb 5 at 2020 8:20 AM

MSG Private RallyPoint Member — Wed, 05 Feb 2020 08:20:06 -0500

Bad advice. Just bad!!!!!!!!!!

Response by MSG Private RallyPoint Member made Feb 5 at 2020 9:59 AM

MSG Private RallyPoint Member — Wed, 05 Feb 2020 09:59:11 -0500

Yesterday when you posted this, you had your name and your pic posted. Now you are Anonymous with no pic?

Response by LTC Private RallyPoint Member made Feb 5 at 2020 10:50 AM

LTC Private RallyPoint Member — Wed, 05 Feb 2020 10:50:15 -0500

Unless his AIT is very long, DON"T. What little benefit you would gain from BAH/BAS is offset by the pain in the buttness of it all. Hindsight 20/20, you should have gotten married before he left for basic. As it is now, just wait until he gets to his first duty station.

Response by SGM Bill Frazer made Feb 5 at 2020 11:59 AM

SGM Bill Frazer — Wed, 05 Feb 2020 11:59:01 -0500

BS- you neither have the time to do it, or the place to do it. Far better to wait till her 1st duty post for all the paperwork, license restrictions, BAH etc.

Response by 1LT Private RallyPoint Member made Feb 5 at 2020 12:02 PM

1LT Private RallyPoint Member — Wed, 05 Feb 2020 12:02:58 -0500

If S/he’s is truly the one, then they are worth waiting graduation to marry.

Response by MAJ Ken Landgren made Feb 5 at 2020 3:02 PM

MAJ Ken Landgren — Wed, 05 Feb 2020 15:02:06 -0500

What is the future MIL like?

Response by PFC Private RallyPoint Member made Feb 5 at 2020 3:11 PM

PFC Private RallyPoint Member — Wed, 05 Feb 2020 15:11:14 -0500

I would wait. I know when I went to AIT there was a couple in our company that had gotten married and they were dephased and given an article 15 for fraternization. I went to Ft Huachuca though so it may be different for ft. Gordon. I on the otherhand took my ten days of leave and went to las Vegas and got married to my girlfriend of six years two days after graduation. it caused a lot of headache when I arrived to my unit as I had nowhere to go and my 1SG kicked me out of the barracks immediately after I reported to FT. Gordon when she learned I had gotten married. She told me to use my Government Travel Charge Card to get a hotel but I didn't have one so I ended up using my own money. So my advice would be to communicate with your sponsor and your DS/ Platoon Sergeant in AIT and try to get a Government Travel Charge Card in AIT so your pockets wont be hurting by staying in a hotel until you can get bah and housing situated.

Response by SGT James Wilson made Feb 12 at 2020 12:44 AM

SGT James Wilson — Wed, 12 Feb 2020 00:44:15 -0500

I got married during AIT in 1999. It wasn't particularly difficult in our case because my wife was in North Carolina, and I met her on there on a mileage pass during Memorial Day weekend. She handled most of the paperwork on her end. Spoiler: She's my ex-wife now.

Response by PFC Private RallyPoint Member made Apr 21 at 2021 11:27 AM

PFC Private RallyPoint Member — Wed, 21 Apr 2021 11:27:02 -0400

I understand the drawbacks to getting married during training. Many factors to take into account that will ultimately effect your future.

But I have a question about finances regarding this particular situation. If he were to get married during AIT would he eligible to begin collecting BAH from the date of his marriage license? Or does it begin to when he leaves TRADOC and gets to his duty station?