Military paternal leave: does it exist??

Question

i am 6 months pregnant and my boyfriend's in the air force. he's in tech school right now. he gets done mid october and i am due in november. i was wondering if he gets leave during tech school to come back home so we can get married so he can be here when our baby is born. and also how much time will he get off after our baby is born before he has to go to his first duty station? and if we don't get married before the baby is born, will he still be able to come back? I'm looking for answers from people with experience in the military preferably. thank you!

Answer 1

With him just finishing school there is the possibility that he might be able to get a few days off, but there is also a good chance he will have to report right to the command.  The military earns 2.5 days of leave per month and that does include weekends and holidays if they take the time off.  He also could get OCONUS (Overseas) orders and have to report there very quickly.   There is very little chance he can get time off before he reports and then time off after the baby is born.  Lots of babies are born each day without the father there so it won't be the first.  

If you want to get married now your best bet might be if he has a weekend off and you go to him to get married.   Then while he is finishing school you have time to get everything ready to move if it is authorized when he gets his orders.

Answer 2

Nope, paternal leave doesn't exist.

Any leave at all is left up to his Chain of Command. He can put in a request, and his CoC has the option to approve or deny it.

Birth is normally not considered a reason to grant leave, although it never hurts to try. My husband was never granted leave time after any of our children were born.

In the end, remember that military wives give birth alone every day.  

Answer 3

If the air force wanted him to have a family they would have gave him one in boot camp.I knew guys who did not see their kid for the first time until they were almost a year old.  He may get leave after tech school and he may not your having a child will have nothing to do with this.  The miltary does not care about you.  forget what the recruter said.

Answer 4

sorry the answers to all your questions are, no. it doesnt matter if your baby is born, he cant leave because of that.

Answer 5

if you are not married, you do NOT exist.  

NO Leave is authorized during Tech school.

and even by some miracle you do manage it.. no such thing as Paternity leave.  strictly command discretion as to whether her gets any time off and whether or not is is chargeable Leave.  

if you are not married when the child is born, he will have to request Regular leave, and that is granted( or not) based on command policy.  If he just arrived, expect it NOT to be granted.  

Answer 6

During his tech school, depending how far away from you and what stage he is in he may be able to come see you during week ends. But there is no such thing as paternity or maternity leave in the military for that matter. the same 30 days leave apply for all time off. He may at the end of his tech school be able to take like a week or two off. I would get your marriage done at least at the court house as soon as possible so you guys can possibly get base housing or BAH and you two can live with each other. Have a healthy baby and sorry for the bad news

Answer 7

Military paternal leave: does it exist??

^ Nope. He may have a few days off after tech school but there is no such thing as paternal leave. A lot of military wives/girlfriends/fiances have kids without their significant other being there... its just another part of military life.

& Mrsjvb is totally right... unless you're a dependent (meaning unless you're married to him or his kid) you do NOT exist to the military.

Answer 8

It would not matter if you are married.  The amount of time between basic and tech can be 10 days or none at all..it simply depends on when the classes start vs. when his basic ends.  The same can be said for time off between tech school and his first assignment..he may get some and then again he may not.  Generally, they try to give about 10 days between basic and tech, but it is not written in stone/mandatory.  As for leave to come home when the baby is born, that will be completely at the discrestion of the command he is assignmed to.  If he is still in tech school it is highly unlikely...leave would interrupt his training and set him behind the rest of his class.  As someone just getting to an assignment, it is also highly unlikely.  There is no mandatory paternity leave in the military..it all comes down to mission requirements and command.  Many wives have given birth without thier husbands, even when the husband is stateside..or watched thier spouse head back to work the day after the baby was born. Being married may help...at the very least it means that as soon as he gets an assignment, you and the baby will be eligable to live with him and be moved at the military's exspense.