Husband Joing the Military

Hi,
My name's T.. My husband spent 21 years in the US Military and our tricare prime, AKA Military insurance has been a blessing! I have had some 100,000 dollars plus in surgeries and it cost us next to nothing. Our tricare prime is only 460 dollars for the entire year and we pay nothing for meds out of pocket, as long as they can be picked up on post/base.

If your husband gets deployed, he will get anywhere from ###-###-#### dollars a month for deployment pay. This is in addition to whatever pay he gets for his rank.

As far as your marriage, only do this if your marriage is rock solid. Being the spouse at home is not an easy task. You have to stay busy and keep yourself entertained while he is deployed. Be sure to stay in contact as often as you can. Talk about him everyday, with your kids, friends and extensive family. This keeps his memory fresh in your mind...and in your heart.

The military pays for moves an also offers you the option of moving yourself, which they also pay for.

My sister's hubby joined the navy as an officer when they were still in college. They have been married for almost 11 years and is still in the Navy. They have 5 kids!! I am pretty sure that he plans on making this his career at this point. I know that my sister has had her hard times but they seem to feel like it is worth it.

I personally had a hard time as a military wife, but my husband had back to back deployments and the second one I was pregnant for and out oldest daughter was seven months old when he got home! I knew no one in the military and basically went in blind! Also, my husband went through everything, basic training, AIT, and then back to back deployments! If you decide to go through with the military, good luck! I found that you have to keep yourself busy if he ever gets deployed, it can get hard!

Best wishes,
C.

Hi, my name is R. and I'm a military wife. It works for my family. I agree with Theresa on everything. With Tricare I've never had to pay a thing for the kids or when I was pregnant. We like moving around & seeing new places. Not everyone likes to pick up and move every 3 years, so that is something to consider. My husband is presently deployed; I get email almost everyday and at least one phone call a week. We keep busy, but it is hard being a single parent. I'm lucky to have made great friends here since all my family is back east. You & your husband need to talk and be honest with eachother, it has to be a joint decision. Good luck

First let me tell you...I completely understand where you're coming from. What branch is he joining? My husband decided that he wanted to join in Oct of last year. He shipped out in Feb. of this year. I have 21 month old twin girls. Experiences vary from branch to branch, but I'll try to help you out (my husband is Army). Basic training was hard becuase they weren't allowed to use the phone much. Officer Candidate School, however, has been much easier. I've only seen him twice since he's been gone, but I get to talk to him almost every day.

As far as benefits go, we haven't had any trouble with Tricare. It has an iffy reputation, but I had more difficulties with my civillian insurance. Shopping at the commissary is nice and quite a bit cheaper in some cases. If you live on base, housing is free. If you live off base, you get a housing allowance (ours almost covers our mortgage).

This may sound strange, but I think the separation, while difficult, has had a positive impact on our relationship. Not that it was bad before, but it has made us appreciate one another more.

My husband finishes OCS next month. His pay as an officer will pretty much allow me to stay home (once we sell our house, that is). I have found other military wives to be extremely supportive. They have helped me out in a pinch more times than I can count.

The BIGGEST drawback is the amount of time he has been gone. I know that we are proabably looking at more time apart in the future.

If you have any questions, send me a message. I'd be happy to talk to you about it.