Posted on Feb 8, 2014
Why would junior enlisted Soldiers get into contract marriages?
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Has anyone else noticed this recently? I have seen more than a few Soldiers in my own company decide to do this to get out of the barracks. It seems so ridiculous to me to see people let alone Soldiers pretty much say screw it to something that is supposed to be special and for life.<div><br></div><div>Any thoughts?</div>
Marriage
Barracks
Soldiers
Enlisted
Posted >1 y ago
Responses: 65
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This is not a new phenomenon…was happening in the early 90s as well. Soldiers get tired of sharing rooms, room inspections, barracks ruckus, etc, etc. Although getting married for the BAH is not the ethical thing to do…I have felt their pain while I lived in the barracks…a long…long time ago.
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SSG William Patton
It has been many decades since I was billeted in a baracks, but even with the passage of time, I can still remember how unpleasant it was and for a long time, I had a room to myself. It was however loud when soldiers would come in after a night of partying and if they trashed the barracks, then it was up to all on that floor to clean it up, even if you did not help mess it up. We had a couple of young soldiers get fed up with it and married the first girl that would say yes and some of the marriages were over before the ink had dried on the marriage license. Our senior NCOs tried to monitor what the soldiers were doing, but you can't be a baby sitter 24/7. Another factor was the remote location where we were stationed and it was easy to become lonely. A lonely GI can get into a relationship much more quickly and then it is not easy or cheap to get out of it if it fails. Soldiers should be required to have counseling prior to marriage, especially those who are very young.
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LTC (Join to see)
I have no idea what you’re trying to say. Screwed over by the Army, how? By providing them with a barracks room?SSgt Joseph Baptist
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LTC (Join to see)
You obviously have a chip on your shoulder...either from bad leadership or blaming your problems on others. I’ve been a Single Soldier that lived in the barracks while I was enlisted. Less pay is being treated worse? They have no dependents...of course they will get less pay! Less likely to be promoted?? I think you have no idea what you’re talking about. Single Soldiers have the exact same promotion opportunities as married Soldiers. Marital status has absolutely ZERO bearing on promotions!! In fact, smart guy - ERBs and ORBs that appear before boards have that section blacked out so board members can’t see that information.
Tell me again about how much you know. SSgt Joseph Baptist
Tell me again about how much you know. SSgt Joseph Baptist
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LTC (Join to see)
Your responses are so out in left field - that a response isn't warranted. Your time served must have been terrible. Don't know how you survived.
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It has gone on for forever. When barracks life meant stop and grab details, four or more to a room, etc. morally corrupt but some reasoning. Now it is strictly about money, and not that much. Hey you’d are largely unauthorized and most dorms are that. So in the past, it made some sense, now it makes no sense.
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When I was in the Navy, at shore stations, it was single mothers who got preferential treatment over other sailors (male or female), even the single dads.
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I saw it in 1999. Quietly "open" lesbian was with another. They knew a couple, of queers, and they got married, girl/guy, girl/guy. They reaped the BAQ/Sep Rats. Not wrong, but definitely not right.
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Get a prenup and don’t have kids because living in the barracks sucks. SJA should give class’s on prenuptial agreements. Also a class on how not to have kids if you’re going to get married young to get out of the barracks.
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1 Don't treat em like crap in the barracks. 2 help undo the UCMJ reg saying they can't voice a political opinion when they bitch about shit pay and benefits.
3 when an E5 and advice does something stupidb say DUI or impropriety with a minor don't ban e3 and below from having pov's or restrict them to base with a curfew.
3 when an E5 and advice does something stupidb say DUI or impropriety with a minor don't ban e3 and below from having pov's or restrict them to base with a curfew.
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Back in the day, the main reason for contract marriages was that both parties were gay. The Army was pretty dense when it came to that. If they are married, they can't be gay. It was a good way to get out of the witch hunts. Others did it b/c they wanted a real life. No 1SG or SDNCO walking into your room at 3AM to see if you had a female member of the unit in your bed. If you were a female, no waking up to have your creepy CO standing over you, watching you sleep. And we've all experienced the thumper music, the guy practicing the opening to Stairway to Heaven for the 300th time on his guitar, or the guy that drops weights all the time in the room above you. When you move up in rank a bit, you can yell at the E-4s & below to turn off the Chipmunks singing Christmas music in September at 0230 hours.
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