My wife wants to go medical in the Air Force. I want to go Army Aviation warrant. What should I do?

If you guys are both planning to join the Active Components, be prepared for very long time periods apart. Most of the Active Duty dual military couples I know usually count that time apart in years. There are programs that will “try” to keep you guys co-located, but there is no guarantee. Maybe if one chooses Active Component, the other should consider a reserve component (USAR, ARNG, USAF RES, or ANG) This way if one gets a permanent change of station (PCS), the other can just find a nearby unit to transfer to.

As an Army Aviator, there will be days you work 12-14 hours. That isn’t the standard Duty Day though. Serving as an Army Aviator is amazing, but it does take a lot of effort. Sometimes it is harder to crack the books open and knock off some rust when you are home than it is being away. Your family wants your attention since you are home, but you are trying to focus on studying (you will have to study your whole career).

Quality of life is relative. I am Active Duty in the NG (AGR) and were days that I dreamt of greener pastures... and then I spent a few deployments with Regular Army units and I came to appreciate my blessings. I am not insulting the Active Component, but I think the NG does a little better with work-life balance. Full-time positions are out there, and AGR or Dual Status Fed Technicians get paid about the same doing the same jobs as the Active Component folks. Just food for thought.

Last thought: Do what you love and love what you do. If either of you choose to do a job that you aren’t in love with, it is very likely you won’t see retirement. #1 reason people don’t serve beyond their first contract is they don’t like their job. Good luck!

Once you made the decision to have a child, what you want is second to the needs of that child.

The first thing the child needs is to be in a home where you and your wife can reach a reasonable compromise; and live with that compromise without resentment.

The two of you need to see if you can both meet career goals, and be where you need to be; with your child as much as possible.

_That may be in the military. It may not.
_It may be doing exactly what you both want, the way you want. It may not
_It may mean you may have to flex a bit. She goes medical in the Army or you try to fly in the Air Force.

When you hit my age, you don't think that much of your career choices. You will always wonder what more you could have done for your kids.

My wife had a phenomenal career offer back when she was my fiancé. Looking back, just on the stock options alone, we could have retired in the upper 10% of incomes by the time we we're 40-45. But once we had kids, I would have had to be a house husband (which I was fine with) or we would have had our kids raised by a nanny (which neither of us would accept). And we would have seen very little of ach other until my commitment was over. I was already six months into an unbreakable five year commitment with The Marines. We didn't have kids and we didn't have any on the way. Our decision was to marry, she turned down the offer and we didn't have kids until I hit my first non-fleet Marine Force tour. It was a choice we've never regretted.

First off, it's the Army, almost everyone is doing 12-14 hour days. 2. Pilots have mandatory time off, can't be nodding off in a multi-million dollar helicopter (fly boys back me up? or correct me). 3 I'd discuss it very well with the wife. If family life isn't happy, work life will be horrible. there are plenty of AF flight positions, and plenty of Army medical positions, hell theres a slim chance you could be the pilot while she's the medic in the back of the HH-60 (MOS 68J and 68W W1)
There are options out there that aren't so bad on quality of life in the army. Especially if she gets the W1 identifier, I've never seen a W1 that's not happy with their life, its too fun, and theyre doing real life medic stuff like surgery.