[quote]dre wrote:
Well, I believe she was a senior airmen when she left. Don’t quote me on that though. She worked in dispatch while she was in.
She did 4 years, including 6 months in Iraq. If she were to go back in she was talking about 4-6 years.
Well, she knows a lot of people and going back in depends on where we could get stationed. If we could get to Japan, Germany, Hawaii, Guam or somewhere really nice in the states I think we would do it. Now I don’t know how all that works with how you get stationed where. But she is leading me to believe that if you know the right people that you can get to where you want to go. Which is just like civilian life. It’s not always what you know, but who you know.
Um, as far as my career field, I work with computers right now and could still do that somewhere else I guess. I would love to go back to school and could do that also. I wouldn’t mind transitioning to a Gov. Civilian career field. I’m pretty much open to anything.
Ultimately, I don’t know if I could have her join again for fear that she does have to go back to Iraq or some place else. Honestly, I don’t think I could handle being away from her for very long. Nor would I want to.
We are giving ourselves lots of time to think this through. We wouldn’t decide until after our one year anniversary. So, we’ve got plenty of time to think about this.
Thanks for the reply.
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A Senior Airman with 4 years experience in dispatch, huh? I’m not as familiar with the enlisted careers, but it sounds like someone in dispatch could be assigned ANYWHERE. If one of the other posters is correct and she can negotiate her first assignment as part of re-enlisting and/or your wife is right that her connections can get her a by-name request assignment, then you two can live someplace that most people never get to experience. That’s worth something.
I’m not sure why someone would want to go back into the military for 4-6 years, resulting in a total of 8-10 years. I originally joined the AF because they paid for college (ROTC) and thought I’d pay back my 4 years and then get out to make some serious money. But they kept offering special assignments that took me to 9 years with a 4-year commitment (to pay back for sending me to get my Masters degree). When I thought I was committed for 13 years I decided I might as well go 20 years to earn the pension. The military pension is one of the few quality pensions left. However, in my case the AF was looking to downsize at my 9-year point and offered an early-out payment that was too good to pass up (and waived my 4-year commitment). The AF was very good to me. My point is: think strategically - what will 4-6 more years in the AF accomplish for her? Will it allow her to put enough money into a GI Bill (or whatever they call it today) to be able to attend college and start a new career or what?
As for your career, computer skills are needed everywhere. Every AF base has a Communications Group/Squadron that manages the computer networks. It’s been my experience (in the US) that most of the computer support is contracted out. So if you work on the base, you may end up working for a DoD contractor and may have to change employers when your wife is PCS’d to another location.
A lot of bases, if not all of them, have multiple college choices on the base - usually extensions of accredited colleges/universities (Park University, Central Michigan, etc.). So both of you could work on a college degree part-time. The programs are designed for people that have a full-time job and are usually very reasonably priced. Maybe the two of you look at the 4-6 years as an opportunity to live in some interesting location(s) and to finish up a college degree to set yourselves up for successful careers and raising kids. That’s better planning than most young couples.
As for the separation concern (deployments), it sounds like you’re still in a “honeymoon”-type stage in your relationship and your relationship is still maturing, so it’s good that you’re not rushing into this decision. As one of the other posters said, if your wife is trustworthy, then all these comments about cheating during a deployment is just talk. I know a woman whose fiance was assigned to Iraq for a year (he is in the Army Reserves or Guard) and they maintained regular communication, mainly via computer. I didn’t see her showing any interest in straying while he was gone - I would expect the same if the locations are reversed. Good communication results in a good relationship.
Best of luck in your decision.