Girlfriends, Fiances,and Wives of Sailors

My guess on the wallet is he got confused during the in processing stress and chaos.  Or maybe he had a newer RDC who isn't up on the rules.  It happens.

Everything has to fit in a sock, or they can't keep it.  If he had stuff he needed in it, did that come back too?  You can mail stamps and calling cards and such if he needs those.

If me and my boyfriend were to get married during his FRAC, would he be able to eventually live off of base with me?

Eventually, yes, once he gets to his permanent duty station.  During aircrew training, probably not.  

His recruiter won't have details about what is happening at RTC.  Just because others shipped on that date does not mean they are on the same exact timeline, some may have gotten straight into divisions, while others are waiting for their division to fill up.  Also, a lot depends on where you live in the US, can take an extra three days for mail to hit some states ... and the postal service is really busy this time of year.  Just be patient a little while longer.

Elizabeth, my boyfriend also shipped out on 12/3, and neither I nor his mother have received letters yet either. We are hoping that today they will have some free time to write since it is a Sunday, and that it will be coming sometime this week! 

Word on the bootcamp group seems to be a lot of the form letters are running late.

http://navyformoms.com/group/bootcampmoms

The A school must be longer than 20 weeks to authorize a dependent move.  Does not include hold times.  It will say on his orders if that is the case.  He needs to talk to his COC (chain of command) about Live Ashore, because he needs to put a packet in to get permission.  If authorized, he contacts Personal Property Office about moving their stuff, and after she travels there, it may be possible to be reimbursed.  She may have to drive, as the Navy doesn't move cars, and he probably has to have transportation to get brown bagger/live ashore.

Housing is not always available, only nukes and AECF tend to get it.  She'll need to rent a place.

He hits phase two liberty in about a month an can put in for live shore then, IF it is allowed.  MOST A schools are not long enough.  Nuke, AECF, SECF, and maybe DLI language school  are the ones I know off the top of my head.  There may be more.  I know one in Pensacola is long enough on paper, but they are strict.  

You usually go right away.  The Navy prefers "concurrent travel" with dependents, meaning the sailor comes home on leave and picks you up.  It is actually problematic for a married sailor to show up without their family; they have to pay to stay in the barracks, or they are stuck on the ship.  With dependents, they stay in the lodge for ten days while looking for a place to stay.  His command can approve ten days of house hunting time, essentially free leave after he checks in, if they know he's married and is accompanied by a spouse.  Sometimes they do not give it, but many do.  Catch is, you have to be with him to get it.

Does she have a copy of his orders?  No one will talk to her without the information on those.  Also, they may not be helpful until he is actually a sailor.  

She can stay in the Navy Lodge there while looking for a place. He will not be given much time off to do so, as he has to follow the school's liberty policies.  He has to apply to live with her, usually once he reaches phase two.  That's about a month after he gets there.  The school will instruct him how and when to get her there.

 It is different than when he is going to his first command.  Then, she just goes with him right away.

Good to know! The policy changes from time to time, and from training command to training command.  Anyone done this in Groton?

Here's the thing with the marriage chits... they cannot be denied unless the marriage is not legal.  Training commands do make them turn in chits so they can be counseled and advised about dependents rights and responsibilities, and to screen for fraudulent marriages for the money.  
However, lots of sailors marry on leave without the chit.  I have never heard of one being punished, although technically, they could be.  Will he get chewed out?  No doubt.  Will he lose his school?  No.  I'm not sure if they still give student evals, and he'll want those to be high so he gets a better shot at order picks.  Maybe.  But no captains mast or official punishment has been reported anywhere I have seen, and we would hear about it.  But try marrying without the chit while at Great Lakes, not on leave, and they will hand the sailor their ass for disobeying orders.  It is a fine line.  

In Japan, I did deny a marriage chit, but somehow we got a sailor who was 17.  No way we'd let her marry a guy she knew for three weeks.  There's a reason the Navy makes them wait until they are 18 now!  She did marry when she turned 18, but it was a different guy.  We begged her not to, and we were right, but legally could not say no.  

Every training command expects a handful of sailors to return from stand down with a marriage certificate in hand. 

Also, recruiters rarely lie outright.  They often do not know current A school policy.  They know fleet policy.  And in the fleet, no permission would be needed.

I am so excited! My Fiance just got his orders this morning and all of the prayers paid off! He is coming to San Diego!!!!!! 

Does anyone have a loved one on the USS America in San Diego?  

Hello all! My sailor is graduating from bootcamp in about a week and a half. He is hinting towards marriage in his letters. How long is the process for the Navy to approve the marriage?