Family in Flight School

[Teddy]

John, this is aimed at you because I know you went through with a wife and kids. Frumby, feel free to jump in with the Dog's eye view as I'll be a Marine as well.

I read back over the year or so on the forum and found much info on family life while in the pipeline. The schools, I know, are all over the country, depending on your pipeline. Obviously, this FNG has no idea what his pipeline will be. If I end up helo most of my time will be in Pcola, it seems. Jets, I know, gets me bounced around a little more. Basically, what is considered a PCS and what is temporary? Will the Corps shell out the $$ to move my wife each time I go to a new school? Is it even worth us doing that? John - how did you handle it? Is it best for me to go alone and her to visit and maintain a home elsewhere? Anyone else feel free to jump in too.

Thanks,
Teddy.

 

[webmaster]

Teddy,

Each of your schools during Flight Training (API, Primary et al) are funded orders (PCS). So to answer your first question, the Navy/Marine Corps will foot the bill to move you and all your belongings to the next training site. I won't go into the mechanics of the different types of moves, but suffice it to say you have different ways of moving your stuff from point a to b.

You are correct, if you get helos and went through Primary at Whiting, then you can do all your training except for the FRS right there in Milton! But if you go Jets or Props, you get bounced around. I went from Whiting, to Corpus, then to Jax, and now to Hawaii, boy am I looking forward to staying in one place!

Now the big question, should the family be with you? HELL YES! Granted you are going to be busier at certain stages of training, especially early stage FAMs, and any of the ground schools. BUT, you can always find time for the family. For me, it always involved setting aside Friday and Saturday for the family, whether it would be beach, BBQ, movies, dinner, or finding a varmit sitter to got out clubbing. You are going to find yourself with ALOT of free time on occassion, and frankly you should enjoy it while you can, mine has all disappeared, now that I am looking at going to "work for a living" at the Fleet Squadron I am going to.

Also, how are you going to function being seperated. Will it in fact make flight school more difficult for you, ie thinking about your wife while you two are away, wondering when the next time you will have to get together, etc?!?!?! You have enough on your plate to worry about, why add anything? If anything, my wife helped out immensely, and I doubt my grades would have been as good if she hadn't been there with me.

On the other side of the coin, your better half needs to understand the nature of the program you are going thru, and that you will be spendind alot of time studying, going over procedures, study groups, or spending time at the squadron. Frankly, I made my wife a part of the process, and I think she knew the EPs better than I did!! It is important that you find out who else in your classes, squadron, API, OCS, whatever has wives/girlfriends in town, get the together, introduce them, so while the rest of you are off studying (cough, or golfing!), they can do their thing. Last thing you want (speaking from 10 years of marriage) is for the little woman to be going stir crazy sitting in the apartment you just moved into, with the boxes piled high, no friends or relatives in the local area, and you off busy at flight school. Bad juju!

Oh well, just some of my thoughts, my wife, two kids and I had a blast in Pensacola at the beaches, and we always found something to do. Same goes for both Corpus and Jax, just how you approach it, and definitely get to know the people you are going through school with.

Hope that helps, got any more questions, just shoot.

 

[Frumby]

What can I say, that was as thorough of an answer as your ever going to get. Good luck.
Semper Fi! Frumby

Attack Pilot
Major USMC

 

[Teddy]

I tell you what John - I couldn't have asked for a better response. You answered the question, and others that you knew I probably had but didn't ask. This site is great, and I think I'm getting a decent idea of what to expect, at least on a basic level. Thanks again

Teddy.

 

[webmaster]

Teddy, no problem, got any more questions, either post them, or shoot me an email.