I currently work for the AF as a reservist and civil service employee. Life here has been great but my wife is joining the Navy after medical school. I've been in aviation since high school and now work part time as a flight instructor. My bachelors is done too. My thought is that when she goes AD that I would go ahead and put in for a pilot slot. I'd love to fly for the Navy but I am not willing to stress my marriage to the breaking point. I am looking for some advice. Are there many cases out there of spouses being stationed on different sides of the country?
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Married Life in the Navy
- Thread starter brian434
- Start date
How old are you? You might be to old for a pilot slot. You can get co-located with your spouse. Doesn't mean you will be on the same deployment cycle. There also needs to be a billet in the location. One problem would come up when your wife is at a hospital in one area but your airframe is not available in that area.
You're still young enough to apply for OCS. There are plenty of couples who are both serving and the good news is wherever there is a Master Jet Base/Major Aviation Command hub, there are usually Naval doctors nearby and certainly flight surgeons (she should look at that venue if you are flying...you might even end up in Pensacola at same time...long shot, but who knows?). That's the sunny side. The sometimes cloudy side is invariably, you'll end up in opposing deployment cycles or rotation timing. That's not always that bad if you work it, but pushing detailers to align your rotations and assignments can mean putting best career path opportunities into secondary priority status under mutal location. If you don't want to be CNO and she doesn't want to be the Surgeon General, then no worries.
Thanks for the great advice! I just got off the phone with her (at work) and she seemed pretty interested in that. My other idea was to just go enlisted into the Navy for an ATC function but I'm pretty sure the left seat of a medium/heavy jet aircraft is where I am meant to be.
There are various threads on this site detailing some of the challenges for dual-military couples. Check them out for more stories. Yes, it is absolutely possible you would be stationed on opposite sides of the country. The detailers will TRY to keep you colocated, but there are no guarantees. You should also know that while either of you are in training, you may not request colocation... meaning if you get a flight spot, you will head off to Newport for OCS for 13 weeks, then down to Pensacola and who knows where else for 2 years for flight school. It is possible your wife could get stationed at a hospital at a flight training base, but if you move to another training location after 6 months or 6 weeks, she will not move with you. No difference in the policies if you were to enlist.
My husband and I are both P-3 pilots, we've been married almost 6 years, so it can be done. We were stationed together on our first sea tour: six months together, one of us deployed for 6 months, 6 months together, the other one deploys for six months and repeat. But then there are the extra detachments, workups, trips, etc during your non-deployed time as well.
I am not trying to discourage you, but I hate seeing flight students coming in complaining about being separated and/or not getting orders together. You need to know as much as you can before signing on to this lifestyle.
My husband and I are both P-3 pilots, we've been married almost 6 years, so it can be done. We were stationed together on our first sea tour: six months together, one of us deployed for 6 months, 6 months together, the other one deploys for six months and repeat. But then there are the extra detachments, workups, trips, etc during your non-deployed time as well.
I am not trying to discourage you, but I hate seeing flight students coming in complaining about being separated and/or not getting orders together. You need to know as much as you can before signing on to this lifestyle.
I guarantee if you settle for an enlisted ATC job, you will regret your decision. You already have your degree, you want to fly, what is there to think about??
If you are committed to a life in Naval Aviation, it will be stressful for you and your wife. Always been that way, always will be. You will miss birthdays, anniversaries, holidays and lots of other things. But, if you're committed to your wife, you'll find a way to make it work. If you're committed to your wife first and Navy second, your career will suffer. If you are committed to the Navy with the understanding that you will make your marriage work no matter what, then both will thrive . . . .
. . . I'm old and cantankerous though, just my .02c
Umm... you've looked at the Navy's inventory of aircraft, right? To satisfy your destiny, we have the E-6, and other than that all our aircraft in those categories are in the reserves. How do you feel about the left seat of a medium/heavy helicopter?
Yeah, but I wrote the book on Old and Cantankerous.
Live your life so that when you get Old and Cantanerous you will not look back and have regrets. Only you can make the choices in life, yes look for advice, but in the end you must follow your heart. If the left seat is your calling, go for the brass ring.
Back to page one, under no conditions should you consider enlisting. If you want a more in depth explanation of that advice, PM me.
McBuff
Sees the light
Similar situation. I'm in primary, Girlfriend will be doing HPSP.
One thing we've found is that one or both of us will probably have to make concessions when it comes to our careers. If your wife is dead set on a rare specialty, it might be rough as she's limited as to where she can go. If she's perfectly content with being a GMO/flight doc/PCP type, then that gives you guys options. Likewise if you won't be happy unless you're in something heavy, then you're stuck in Whidbey, Jax or Oklahoma, only one of which is a major Navy area.
Also keep in mind that not being $300,000 in debt may make up for any strain the distance puts on your relationship, thats how we look at it. Good luck
One thing we've found is that one or both of us will probably have to make concessions when it comes to our careers. If your wife is dead set on a rare specialty, it might be rough as she's limited as to where she can go. If she's perfectly content with being a GMO/flight doc/PCP type, then that gives you guys options. Likewise if you won't be happy unless you're in something heavy, then you're stuck in Whidbey, Jax or Oklahoma, only one of which is a major Navy area.
Also keep in mind that not being $300,000 in debt may make up for any strain the distance puts on your relationship, thats how we look at it. Good luck
maybe a book, but definitely not the book. You damned Master Chiefs, always thinking the world revolves around you !!!
maybe a book, but definitely not the book. You damned Master Chiefs, always thinking the world revolves around you !!!
No? If not, wonder why they call us Master? Look it up in your Funk and Wagnalls if you do not believe me! lol