Only if you aren't in a signal MOS.

 

Yeesh. Yes, she will. Just make sure all your paperwork is straight BEFORE you go to MEPS. Your recruiter should be able to handle it. Active duty or Guard/Reserve?

 

active duty and i'm not married yet just engaged but i go to meps next week. From what i gather my recruiting office doesn't do all the normal meps. I went out just one day to take the test and came back to the local recruiter to pick a job and all that. I am going next week but again only for a day i think for a physical. I might be wrong i'll find out tomorrow. When i first asked my recruiter about meps he said something like "expletive that expletive we do all that expletive here". I haven't gone into the specifics of if, when i do get married, if i'll have to go through the meps process again. If i do its no big deal as long as it doesn't push my ship date further away. Me and my fiance weren't expecting that being married before basic gave any financial benefits. I hate to rush things but i won 2 nights 3 days in any one of a list of hotels all over the country. Might have to go to Vegas. we talked about doing the drive through wedding ceremony out there and i told her we'd have to rent a jeep cause i don't want to get married in any other vehicle

 

No bah in basic. You have to complete basic first, be married and have her put on your page 2, then apply for bah. You dont actually get paid until the end of basic

 

Huh?

When I went through AF basic 7 years ago we got paid every 1st and 15th during basic, just like I still do to this day. Guys that were married were receiving BAH based on the zip code they called home before they joined.

But yes, you need to be married before you sign your life away to the Army for any of this to matter.

 

so possibly in AIT? maybe that's what my recruiter told me to begin with

 

No bah in basic. You have to complete basic first, be married and have her put on your page 2, then apply for bah. You dont actually get paid until the end of basic

As long as you're married before you get there, you get paid just like regular active duty. Including BAH. Based on the zip code you lived in before getting there.

 

Huh?

When I went through AF basic 7 years ago we got paid every 1st and 15th during basic, just like I still do to this day. Guys that were married were receiving BAH based on the zip code they called home before they joined.

But yes, you need to be married before you sign your life away to the Army for any of this to matter.

Same here, I had a fat bank account compared to the single guys also when I got out.

 

You will get paid if you can provide your Marriage license and certificate before you leave for Basic. Your BAH will depend where she is located at the time you leave.

 

Can't get it until you are married. Don't get married early just to get it, things can change in 12 weeks of basic and however long your AIT is. If you do though, be sure to have paperwork for a mortgage or a rental agreement/lease ready when you get there. Even is she lives with her parents while you are gone, have some kind of lease drawn up to give to finance or you might get screwed. Also, no matter how tempted don't sign that GI bill away for an extra few dollars a month. Even if you don't want to go to school, you may change your mind. Or you can transfer it to your child when they are ready. Good luck, its a tough road.

 

When I just pulled the army reg, it said you wont get your checks until you grad so thats what I was using to go by.

 

When I just pulled the army reg, it said you wont get your checks until you grad so thats what I was using to go by.

Which one?

 

When I recruited for the Army 2003-2006 my married recruits got BAH in Basic. Even if much of the info and processing is handled by the Recruiter you will still go to MEPS to verify and sign you contract. Your Recruiter will also turn in all you paper work and documents to MEPS. Unless your Recruiter is a WORTHLESS POS he will turn your marriage certificate to MEPS or have you take it down at some before or when you ship.

Make sure you keep your Marriage Certificate with you when you head to basic. If the Recruiter keeps it you can go to your county court house, vital statistics, clerk, or who ever and get another marriage certificate.

A PHOTO COPY OF YOUR MARRAIGE CERTIFICATE WILL NOT WORK!!!!!! YOU NEED AN OFFICAL ONE!!!!!!!!!!!

 

Exactly! When I went through my dad told me make sure to have 5 original copies of any paperwork you needed. I was no married but my Cousin was when he joined and my uncle and dad just told him have 5 of every piece of paperwork needed just like as if you had copies of orders.

 

so as long as my recruiter submits the paperwork and i have extra coppies of my certificate then i should have no problem getting married in the time between swearing in and shipping out. Like i said this was a perk we had not expected but we had planned to have a wedding soon anyway she's been wearing the ring for like six months already. Extra money would be nice for paying for the apartment when i'm gone. I know it'll take a huge load off my shoulders which is probably why i was so worried about it.

 

19D just got back from the recruiter

 

The Army is a single mans job. Don't get married.:thumbsup:

 

Well I am not sure how to do this since it has been a long time since I went to basic, but if you are getting married before you go you need to ask the recruiter about how to get your wife enrolled in DEERS before you leave. DEERS is what she will need so that she will have access to her medical and dental benefits. Also, you might be getting family separation pay while you are in basic and AIT as well as BAS (extra money to feed your family). Family sep pay was like $250 and month and BAS is maybe $200? I can't remember. It will be different for you because of rank and time in service.

 

Well I am not sure how to do this since it has been a long time since I went to basic, but if you are getting married before you go you need to ask the recruiter about how to get your wife enrolled in DEERS before you leave. DEERS is what she will need so that she will have access to her medical and dental benefits. Also, you might be getting family separation pay while you are in basic and AIT as well as BAS (extra money to feed your family). Family sep pay was like $250 and month and BAS is maybe $200? I can't remember. It will be different for you because of rank and time in service.

You will probably have to do DEERS at basic. You are not really in the Army until the day you ship to Basic or arrive at Basic. AT MEPS they can nuke sure you have children or spouse listed as dependants.

ADD: if there is a Military installation close to your wife to be, she may be able to enroll in DEERS there, once you are in the system.

 

We plan on getting married before i ship out just so i don't worry about her not having enough money or having to work two jobs. That's one huge thing that i won't be bothered by. At BCT and in AIT it'll help me concentrate on learning what i have to learn to stay safe. I'm just excited to have a ship date this has been a long time in the making.

 

Make 110% sure you get her in DEERS before you ship. You will also be able to get her put into TriCare and have her on your SGLI. You will get paid about 2-3 weeks from the day you in process at Knox. But you will get it all paid back to you. Check check check your LES and make sure they have your BAH and your SGLI correct. If you got a bonus you will get it after you in process at your unit as long as they arent lazy you should get it pretty quick. Good luck! Agony Missery and Heartbreak await you!

 

Make 110% sure you get her in DEERS before you ship. You will also be able to get her put into TriCare and have her on your SGLI. You will get paid about 2-3 weeks from the day you in process at Knox. But you will get it all paid back to you. Check check check your LES and make sure they have your BAH and your SGLI correct. If you got a bonus you will get it after you in process at your unit as long as they arent lazy you should get it pretty quick. Good luck! Agony Missery and Heartbreak await you!

I could be wrong, it wouldn't hurt to ask. If I am wrong and this is possible do it. It will make things simpler

DEERS deals with benefits you and your family get when you are in the Military. You are not in the Military before you ship.

As a Recruiter I never say any DEP in 3 years be able to do this. Sometimes the spouse would get a packet AFTER the person was at Basic. They would then go to the closet Military Installation (happened to be a Marine Base even though they were Army) and then enroll.

 

You cannot put anyone in deers before YOU as the service member, have an ACTIVE DUTY ID card. If you get to boot camp and dont make it through you wil have no benefits either.

 

They moved training from Knox to Benning. I was told i am going to Benning but i know when my dad was in it was at knox. I hear Benning is in a nicer area but its not like i'm sight seeing

 

Is it co-ed there yet? When I went to Knox it was still all-male.

Yes, it will make a difference. :rtft:

 

Yes OSUT just means that whenver everyone else gets done with basic they go somewhere for AIT (i.e got to Jackson for basic and then to Bliss for underwater basket weaving or whatever their MOS is) for you being a 19D you will have the same DS and platoon from the day you leave reception till you graduate. 19D is combat arms, no chickies. And that sucks that they moved if from Knox.

On DEERS Im trying to recall how that worked (its been a while) I know she had to go to Knox and get and ID card made while I was at Knox in basic. (That was hard to know she was there and couldnt see me).

 

so in OSUT after it moves to the AIT stage do we still stay in the large one room barracks or do we move to a nicer building?

 

I went through OSUT and we didn't move, I didn't even change bunks. It wasn't really much different then basic.

 

So no cell phone privileges like other MOS' AIT?

 

Things have changed. Some AIT, esp the longer ones, get more lax as you go.

 

just an update. I got 20/25 vision on the test at meps because my glasses prescription is ancient. That DQd me from cavalry scout they filed exception papers but its a no go. They say i can't re-take it so i signed for 12c bridge crewmember. That pushed my ship date back one month and now i'm going to fort lost in the woods. I know someone that just got out that had that job (then called 21c) and they liked it and they did time in the sandbox serving along side MPs. I know when i go back and take the test before i leave for basic i'm prob going to get 20/20 but oh well. Its prob for the better my future wife won't have to worry about me as much and as of right now i'm happy just to have a for sure place in the army. When it really comes down to it i guess i learned that i don't need to be on the front lines to have purpose. Besides i'll still prob get dust on my boots and i get to do explosives training so that's kind of cool. Another plus is i guess i'll only ever get stationed it places with lots of water. I see that the job also includes building fighting positions also. I'm starting to also think that this choice will be better than 19D down the road when/if i leave the army i will leave with construction and engineering knowledge.

 

Where is Fort Lost in the Woods?