Married after A-school disadvantages?

[Maureen(sh 02 div 944)]

My fiance and I would like to get married after he completes his A-school, but ive read i wouldnt be in his orders to his first station.
Im just curious to know how long the process would take for the Navy to recognize his changed status and when the housing allowance starts for us to finally move in together?

Any advice helps, thanks :)

[abuon18]

Well if his orders are overseas, even when the Navy changes his paperwork from single to married you still wouldn't be able to live with him... The Navy only allows dependents at overseas bases for e-4 and above. I have heard they try not to send married e-3s and below overseas... Of course that doesn't mean he still won't but there is a better chance he won't if you're married before then.

[Maureen(sh 02 div 944)]

could we live together off base?

im sorry, im so very new to all this lol

[abuon18]

Not if he's overseas. Sailors have to live on base. You could move yourself there off base & he could essentially live with you depending on his liberty status but he'd have to keep his barracks anyway. But all of this only applies if he gets sent overseas. If you're not too worried about that and in no rush for the paperwork to live together to go through then there's really no other disadvantage to waiting until after A school. Its more of a hassle of course for the paperwork but if you're willing to deal with that you should be fine.

[Angie]

If you wait to get married...

 

If he gets stationed overseas, you will NOT be going over there and staying over there.  Why?  As you would not be getting a visa to stay there, you would only be able to go visit on your own time and own dime.  Also he will NOT be allowed to live off base.

 

If he is stationed state side, than no worries, you can move anywhere you want to and live anywhere you want to. As soon as you get married, he can live off base.  Reality when he is at his first command (after all training) he can live off base if he wants to, as long as he makes it to work on time, they really don't care where he lives. 

 

As far as how long the housing allowance takes...that can be a few months, but you will get back pay.

 

As far as if he gets stationed state side, and if you want to live in base housing...he will have to get on the waiting list.  Some area's have months to a year back long and others have a few weeks.  IF you want base housing and don't get in right away, YOU will have to find a place to live.  The military just won't give you a place to live.

[Maureen(sh 02 div 944)]

thank you so much, this was the information i needed :)

[luvinmatt]

actually all of that overseas stuff depends on where overseas you are stationed. We are currently in Guam and while here, he would have to pay your way over. He could live off base with you. You would not need a visa. You would still have to go through the overseas screening process but it would be done AFTER you got here. I dont suggest doing it that way but he COULD, it is very expensive to fly over here and get established without the Navy's money.. I would get married before A school so it is not something you have to worry about.

[Anti M]

Don't forget, Guam is VERY expensive for cost of living.  Even E-5s get counseled when requesting to live off base! Being command sponsored makes it so much simpler.

[luvinmatt]

E-5's do not get counseled when living off base in Guam. My husband was an E-5 when we got here and I was him every step of the way and really the cost of living is not that different from living stateside (besides travel costs and food/gas IF you shop OFF base) If people are dumb they run up their electric bill. We have lived off base for over a year and never had a electric bill over 325.  I hear stories of people with their 900 dollars bills. I dont know how they are managing it, I guess just used to living in housing where electric is "free" We dont ever live on base unless it would be cost prohibitive to do so we have not had any problems at this duty station or any of the others we have been at since he came into the navy.

 

 

[Anti M]

Perhaps it is only single E-5s, because my friend was counseled.

 

$325 for electric?  That isn't normal by stateside standards. We run a full sized house for under $60!  If the sailor were an E-3 or 4, and not receiving OHA and COLA, 325 is a huge chunk of change. 

 

I loved off base in Japan for 12 years, and without the Navy paying for it, even as an dual E-6 couple, it would have meant scrimping had we not had our allowances.  I can't imagine a couple trying to make it overseas without command sponsorship, with only his base pay income  .... which is what we were talking about.

[luvinmatt]

60 a month for electric?!?!?!?!? We have lived in Tn, Va, Ct, Ga, and Guam and never had a 60 bill. In Ga our electric bill was regularly 300 a month during the summer. I would love a 60 dollar bill. lol I think Va was the lowest electric wise at about 100ish a month for electric but that house was heated with Gas. 

I do know a few people who have come over and done it without command sponsorship. It can be done I absolutely do not suggest it by any means.  The servicemember would still receive his allowances as a single person. I think the biggest issues with being overseas as a lower enlisted person and trying to bring your spouse after the fact is that you are not allowed to live off base until you are a certain rank.  So your spouse is not on your orders and say you are an E-4 they wont even talk to you at the housing office here until they see a copy of modified orders that include your dependents or see your command sponsorship paperwork which can take MONTHS to get approved.  But anyway the gist of what I am say is GET MARRIED BEFORE!!! Dont wait lol.

 

 

[Anti M]

LOL,I guess we're just very efficient and mindful of our electric use.  Even in San Diego, I kept the electric low, under $100, and in Japan I kept it under $200. Here, I'm on the Equal Pay program, where the power company averages out the bills over a year and takes one small payment monthly. 

We did go to all compact florescent bulbs, the new ones which are bright, and that cut a LOT off the bill.  Bought a few each month in the commissary until they were all replaced. And yes, we heat and cook with natural gas,  and cool with a roof mounted swamp cooler (you don't have those back east, you use power-sucking AC units). Low humidity, even in the 100s we don't feel as hot as we would in a humid area. (Gas runs $54 a month, again, equal pay program)

But yes, turning out the lights makes a huge difference. 

[luvinmatt]

We are pretty mindful about electric usage because we do pay out of pocket for it. But yeah central heat and air sucks the power. I think something was wrong with the AC in Ga because we kept it at 80 in the house and the bill was still 300 a month. Here in Guam we have split AC units that get run at night time only. Some of the houses have solar power to run them but we were not lucky enough to find one with the panels. Of course they keep raising the rates for electricity every 3 months it is ridiculous.