# Army anyone?



## PeanutsMommy (Sep 21, 2008)

just wondering if we have any army people here or any army wives. My husband is currently considering going back into the military but insted of a Marine this time we are looking at the army. we went to the recruiter yesterday and started some paperwork. we still have a bit to do before it is final and Josh has to finish his police academy (that way he doesnt have to pay back the tuition). Anyways i am nevous and excited at the same time. I am not sure how much different things will be in the army from the marine corps.......so army wives...let me know


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## meganc66 (Mar 6, 2009)

i'm not an army wife
or anything like that... but good luck to both of you guys!

my fiance is looking into going into the air force. makes me nervous, but we are kinda struggling right now so that'd be nice.


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## Nizmo (Jan 15, 2009)

my brother in law is currently in the hospital in germany, his convoy got blown up and they didnt know if he was going to make it.
they are flying him to DC tomorrow, he's stable.
but he wants to go back for another term and "show em what they did to him".


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## OldFortKennels (Mar 10, 2006)

USMC here. I couldn't switch, they tried but I just couldn't do it.


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## PeanutsMommy (Sep 21, 2008)

thanks Megan  i am nervous because i dont know if it is going to be different in the army than the marine corps and this would be the first big move of my life as it would be bringing us to a different state (which i am scared but super excited about).

Megan if your fiance is serious about going into the military it really isnt that bad. The military (all branches) really does take care of you and your family. Which is one of the main reasons my husband islooking into going back into the military, that and he gets real jealous of the news coverage of afghanistan. Josh is looking to go infantry which does make me nervous in a way but is less scary to me than him being a city cop.


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## CraziNate (Oct 15, 2009)

Not in the military but good luck. 

Seems like all of my friends are going in the military or already there but its just not my cup of tea


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## Nizmo (Jan 15, 2009)

i woulda if i didnt have crohns


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## PeanutsMommy (Sep 21, 2008)

Nizmo said:


> my brother in law is currently in the hospital in germany, his convoy got blown up and they didnt know if he was going to make it.
> they are flying him to DC tomorrow, he's stable.
> but he wants to go back for another term and "show em what they did to him".


my thoughts are with your family. i am glad to hear he is okay and is coming home. tell him thank you for his service.


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## meganc66 (Mar 6, 2009)

Wow trevor, I'm glad he is going to be okay, that sounds horrible!
And PeanutsMommy (Michelle, right? i'm bad w/ names!) the fiance says they will definitely take care of us, and that will be really nice. My fiance is all about action and dangerous crap lol. He loves guns, and if he goes into the military when he comes back out he wants to be a cop or a friggin bounty hunter. his dad is a bounty hunter and has been like ... i dunno what its called... his dad isn't in the military but someone hired him to guard some military bases or something in afghanistan... so yeah, i guess it runs in the family! but i think military will be our route, he actually just got his ears sewn up (people, dont stretch your ears. your parents were right... not worth it. LMAO) because the recruiter said he wouldn't even talk to him about it until he couldn't see through his ears anymore lol.

so good luck to you and good luck to me bahahha

and ive never lived anywhere other than here, I would really like to not have to work if i don't have to.. right now if I don't work, we will be out on the streets, and it would be nice to have the option to move somewhere new and just experience something different.


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## PeanutsMommy (Sep 21, 2008)

yep im michelle  my husband is the same way as your fiancee. my husband lives for deployments. he did 4 to iraq since the invasion in 2003 and spent only 28 days in afghanistan before he went into iraq his first deployment. he watches the news and sees the marines over there and all i hear about is he should be there. all i can do is sigh..i know its the only job in the world that he is truely happy doing so i just support him 100%
as far as not working at first when he goes in he will be in a lower paygrade BUT if you guys are married you can either live on base (but with our breed that option is out the department of defense banned "dangerous breeds" on base) which leaves you with the other option BHA or base housing allowence which is part of his pay for living off base that amount depends on the area you live in. Then if he deploys he gets his paygrade pay, his combat pay, hazard pay if you guys are married bha and sometimes a few other things depending on what he does and for the whole deployment the paychecks are tax-free the government doesnt touch it. Also, you get tricare which has been the best healthcare i have ever had and you dont pay for it. then there is shopping on base you have the commisary which you get your groceries at cheap prices and you have the px which is like department store shopping at walmart prices. but there are the negatives....deployments are not fun at all but they are not as bad as they used to be as far as staying in touch. 
anything else you want to know megan ask me ill give you what i know. good luck to you guys if you guys do go into the airforce. its a big step but its not as bad as most people think.


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## Nizmo (Jan 15, 2009)

PeanutsMommy said:


> my thoughts are with your family. i am glad to hear he is okay and is coming home. tell him thank you for his service.


thank you!


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## meganc66 (Mar 6, 2009)

Thanks Michelle! I don't really have anybody to talk to about it... I know what you mean about it being the only thing he likes to do... I've always just told him I want him to find what makes him happy and what he wants to do, even if it is the military. He's looked for other options because I was uneasy about him being deployed and all that, but I told him I don't want to hold him back, and I will do what needs to be done. We are engaged right now but if he's going to sign the papers and whatnot we are going to get married up at the courthouse haha. We were gunna go away to get married in a year or two but right now neither of us have health care or anything, and we pretty much are married anyways.. we own a house together and have lived together for 2 years and if we were married right now it wouldn't be any different. That's a lot of pay stuff, and I didn't know if he's deployed the paychecks aren't taxed? Wow that's nice!


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## PeanutsMommy (Sep 21, 2008)

i have learned everything about the military from Josh. I dont know any other military wives..i can let you know about that later (if you wanna know) and my family doesnt know about the military and when we told my family and his dad they were not real excited about going back into the military but we have to do what is right for us not what others want so talking to them its not always easy. 
tomorrow we have to go back down to the recruiter so we will know alitte more about what we are looking at. Josh is excited so i am too it would be a new adventure in life for us.

If you guys (i say you guys because even though he is the one in the military you are just as much in without doing it in cammies) do go in i would recommend at least on paper be married and have your big wedding when you guys can. that way you guys get the benefits of being married. insurance is a big one and housing too because if hes not married and hes not at a certain rank (i am not sure what it is for the airforce) he would have to live in the barracks and you wouldnt be able to live with him and they dont allow animals into the barracks so another benefit of being married is living off base as a married couple. living seperate isnt cool we had to do that being married because josh got orders and they were on an unaccompined tour since he was just in country to train before a deployment so that was definately a negative. any other things you wanna know about ask


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## NewPitThena (Feb 5, 2010)

meganc66 said:


> i'm not an army wife
> or anything like that... but good luck to both of you guys!
> 
> my fiance is looking into going into the air force. makes me nervous, but we are kinda struggling right now so that'd be nice.


If your struggling the air force isnt going to fix it. They dont pay you anything special. My buddy is in it, says he hates it so much, and they barely pay him. Ya they pay for some of his rent n such, but money in his pocket is nothing.


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## PeanutsMommy (Sep 21, 2008)

NewPitThena said:


> If your struggling the air force isnt going to fix it. They dont pay you anything special. My buddy is in it, says he hates it so much, and they barely pay him. Ya they pay for some of his rent n such, but money in his pocket is nothing.


is your friend new to the airforce?

when my husband was in the Marine Corps we had a lot more than we have now which is why we are looking at going back into the military. 
the experience each person has with the military is what they make for themselves


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## OldFortKennels (Mar 10, 2006)

First let me say my prayers are with your brother and law. I hope he makes a complete recovery and then gets to deliver whats coming!



> he watches the news and sees the marines over there and all i hear about is he should be there. all i can do is sigh..


The sign of a true patriot! I grew up around the military. I love the Corps. If I could I would go back. I tried 2 years ago, but at my age and with a wife and two kids they really were not interested. The army would have taken me though.

The AirForce is hands down the "best" branch as far as how you get taken care of. Its like having a civilian job with military benefits. I think every redblooded american should have to do 2 years reserve duty when they turn 18. If you are going to live in a free country and enjoy its benefits you should be willing to do your part to defend and uphold those freedoms!


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## PeanutsMommy (Sep 21, 2008)

OldFortKennels said:


> The sign of a true patriot! I grew up around the military. I love the Corps. If I could I would go back. I tried 2 years ago, but at my age and with a wife and two kids they really were not interested. The army would have taken me though.


Josh got out originally in 2006 after his 4 years and 3 deployments to Iraq since the invasion in 2003 and wanted to go back in then he got recalled and he was excited and he went back in 2008 for his 1 year recall and by that time he was disappointed in changes the Marine Corps made and his last unit seemed to really sour him on the way things were running. He has been out since June last year and he went into a police academy since its a "paramilitary" type job he is almost thru with his academy and he just has the itch to go back in...and to be honest i dont think he will be happy doing anything else. The Marine Corps has a few hang ups such as tattoos and changing his MOS that he decided to not try the Marine Corps this time and give another branch a try and the Army just says sure come in we can do something for you and that is what brings us to the process with the Army plus the Army will let him go infantry so as much as THAT part stresses me out it is my support for him that i just be there for him in what he wants to do. For him he feels being in the military and fighting for our country is what he is ment for.


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## Gnarley44 (Jul 11, 2009)

Im in the Air Force Been in for almost 5 years and I love it. The money and benefits are great. I have only deployed once and it was the time of my life, the comraderie is phenomenal. You pretty much have a new family overseas. My wife understands the military life style and supports me 100%. Im actually looking to comission into the Army in the next 2 years since Im almost done with college, hoping to get a job as a Chemical officer and get attached to an Airborne Unit. So yeah love the military and support it all the way!


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## OldFortKennels (Mar 10, 2006)

My wifes brother is a Captain in the Airforce. He is a pilot. LOVES his job and doing very well for himself as well!


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## PeanutsMommy (Sep 21, 2008)

Okay we went back down to the army recruiter yesterday. Josh had to sign some stuff and talk to the boss guy. He told him his only MOS (not sure if that is what they call their jobs in the Army, still used to the MC) openings will be infantry and EOD which are both jobs Josh has been wanting to do since he was still a Marine (since they wouldnt let him lateral move into them he got out) so he is excited. He is on to the next step waiting on MEPS so we have a week or so until they call him in to that. We are both getting excited on the new adventure


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## meganc66 (Mar 6, 2009)

Congrats Michelle!! 
We will be hearing back from the Air Force recruiter Monday  I dunno what he has to talk to Chris about, but we are hearing back from him lol. 
I've always dreamed of flying a plane, but i don't think that will happen LOL


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## PeanutsMommy (Sep 21, 2008)

oh Megan i am excited for you! update me what happens  If you guys do go in the military chances are really good you will love it. Josh has gotten out 2 times and always regrets it and hunts down the military to get back in.


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## Diesels_Mama (Mar 12, 2009)

NewPitThena said:


> If your struggling the air force isnt going to fix it. They dont pay you anything special. My buddy is in it, says he hates it so much, and they barely pay him. Ya they pay for some of his rent n such, but money in his pocket is nothing.


Aww this hurts...
I'm air force and i LOVE it. your friend might be living above his means which is why he doesn't have pocket money. And military pay is the same throughout all branches by grade. 
a new starting out airman makes $1447 a month and that's with no dependents. as soon as they pass E-3, it's yearly pay raises. not to mention yearly clothing allowance and depending on your job, bonuses. and when you move off base, depending on the area you live, its around 600 more dollars to pay for rent/mortgage. It's just how you manage money. If they're not doing well, that's their fault! 
We've had some people who had financial problems but it was because their spouse or they themselves were financially irresponsible and bought expensive things and were living paycheck to paycheck.

I'm an E-5 now. I make around 2600 a month just from my military pay + base housing allowance: 800, + Basic Allowance for Substinance: 323.00 = that's almost 45k a year.

But that's with any military branch.


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## dixieland (Aug 14, 2009)

The military sure has changed from when my husband was in the Marines in 1999.He was an e3 and only brought home around $1100 a month.And we only got almost $400 a month in housing.The base housing was full so we had to live out in town.We struggled alot and were by no way living outside of our means.

PeanutsMommy,good luck with everything that comes your way.And tell your hubby I said thank you for all the sacrifices that he and you make!


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## Diesels_Mama (Mar 12, 2009)

I'm a prior military (navy) brat and that was wayyyy back in the 80's. My father didn't make much so he got out. But he's impressed with how much the military gets paid now. I'm moving soon to New mexico and the house we have now we'll be renting out and we'll be buying a second house in new mexico. There's just so many opportunities that we can take advantage of. Not to mention my husband is now retired (at 28! WHAT?), and he has 100% disability. two paychecks there . we were both e-5's. a lot has changed. Pretty much after Clinton's term was over, everything has changed for the better for military members.


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## PeanutsMommy (Sep 21, 2008)

Diesels_Mama said:


> I'm a prior military (navy) brat and that was wayyyy back in the 80's. My father didn't make much so he got out. But he's impressed with how much the military gets paid now. I'm moving soon to New mexico and the house we have now we'll be renting out and we'll be buying a second house in new mexico. There's just so many opportunities that we can take advantage of. Not to mention my husband is now retired (at 28! WHAT?), and he has 100% disability. two paychecks there . we were both e-5's. a lot has changed. *Pretty much after Clinton's term was over, everything has changed for the better for military members*.


aint that the truth without turning this into a debate. Mr. Bush did a lot to help out military and their families.


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## dixieland (Aug 14, 2009)

PeanutsMommy said:


> aint that the truth without turning this into a debate. Mr. Bush did a lot to help out military and their families.


:clap:Couldn't agree more


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