My husband has been accepted into the air force and he is going to MEPS this week.

Question

How long will we be seperated? Just boot camp? Or while he is in school too?

Answer 1

I'm not sure about the Air Force but if he was in the Army you would be separated for both basic training and advanced individual training.  Once he gets to his first duty station you'll be back together for sure.

Answer 2

Hey tinkz. Congratulations and welcome to your beginning as an Air Force wife. I can help you answer this question because My husband just finished his Basic Training at Lackland AFB in Texas about 3 months ago, and now he is in tech school.

When he leaves for BMT, at this time, the training is 6 1/2 weeks. You will not see him at all for these 6 1/2 weeks. He will be VERY busy. I only got 2 letters and 3 or 4 phone calls the whole time. this is not because he doesnt want to call or write. It is because he does not have time. I got most of my calls during the end of those 6 1/2 weeks.

My first call came almost 2 weeks into his training. Write to him EVERY day if you can. My husband told me it really helped him. You will be allowed visitation for the weekend if you husband EARNS it, (most do) at the end for his Graduation ceremony and weekend pass. Try and make it to San Antonio for this. It is very important, and there are lots of family there. It will make your husband sad that you and your son arent there to cheer him on. Then it will be off to Tech school for you husband.

This is where we are at right now. My husbands tech school is exactly 5 months long, right at the cut off, for the military to pay to move wife and family. So I did not move there with him. But your housing allowance can be used anywhere, (If we did not own our home, I would have moved myself there.) I have seen him twice since he has been in school. I think it is better for him, he has had good grades, and is doing well in his school. Im not there to distract him. Duty first, family second, that is military code. You and your husbands time away from each other will depend 1) How long his tech school is--different for every job. 2) If you and your son are going to move to where his training is. I do know that my husband is Engineering and if I did move down there he would still NOT be able to move in with me off base. Some tech schools are different and allow him to move in with you off base but my husbands didnt. Good Luck feel free to e-mail me and maybe we can talk more. Tell your husband to not be too critical of training and tech school. Ive heard the real Air Force is nothing like training. My husband has his days where he hates it and his days where he loves it. Im sure yours will be the same.

Prepare for the worst and hope for the best. We are being stationed at Ramstein AB in Germany following his Graduation from tech school on Sept. 30th. I am very excited!

Answer 3

Is this the shipping out date? Or is it the physical and getting his assigned MOS?  If it's a ship out then he's gone through basic and AIT training. Time line depends on what "job" he has been given since some take shorter or longer training. Don't forget their is graduation from basic so will have some time then.

Answer 4

Probably boot camp and training. Once he gets a permanent duty station, you can join him.

Answer 5

Here's the deal:  You may get to see him during basic training if he gets a weekend pass near the end of his nine weeks and then again on graduation day (assuming you can get to San Antonio).  Once he gets to his tech school he'll be in a "phase" program.  If he stays out of trouble for four weeks he'll be able to leave the base after he's done with duty on Friday and won't have to return to the base until 10:00 PM on Sunday.  So you could see him on weekends while he's in tech school (again, assuming you can get to whichever base he has to go to for tech school).  As for the two of you living together, the only way that can happen in tech school is if he gets permission from his commander -- and that happens once in a blue moon.  

Once he completes tech school, the Air Force will send movers to your home to pack up all your stuff.  You'll be able to live with him at his first duty station, but be warned:  You may not be able to live on-base.  Many bases have waiting lists for on-base housing.  If that's the case, you can rent an apartment or house off-base and your husband will get a housing allowance for that.  The problem is it's not much for an airman fresh out of tech school, so you may have to rent a small apartment or you may have to get a job to help pay the bills.

Answer 6

More than likely you will be separated during basic training and his Tech School.

If his Tech School is longer than 20 weeks, you will be on his orders to move there also.

But there are very few Tech Schools that are 20 weeks long.

You could move to where his tech School is and pay the cost yourself and rent an apartment off base.

But he will still be restricted to the base for the first 30 days.

Then he would have to get permission from his commander to move off base.

That permission is not guarenteed.

Answer 7

I'm an air force wife and i was seperated from my husband during boot camp for 6 and half weeks which now they are soon chaning it to 8 and half weeks but tech school all depends on what his job field is my husband was gone for like 9 weeks but there are some jobs fields that require him to be at tech for over a year. I'm not sure if you can go i heard people being able to go but i did'nt and it not like he would be able to stay with you he'll be going through school and PT and my husband was in charge of the guys in the dorms so my advice to you would be just wait until after basic and tech let him have his focus on the schooling because it will be very difficuilt for the both of you and you don't want to get in the way.  

Answer 8

He will need to do boot camp, which is 8 weeks, and whatever job skill he is training into is going to determine how long he is in Training.  Different job skills have different training, and they don't all have the same training time period, some can be 3 months and some can be 8.  They usually get a 1-2 week break in between boot camp and training, so you can see him then.  When he gets a base assigned to him, you can move with him there. The military will pack you and your sons things and ship them to where ever you new base/home is going to be.  

Answer 9

I just got done talking to a recruiter. He said that you will be separated for 8 weeks for basic training. Then you will be separated for 6 to 12 weeks for schooling, if he is longer than 12 weeks in schooling you may move to when he is. He will have to be on base while you live in an apartment or where ever you may want to live. He may not live with you but he may come off base to visit you. If you have any more question just call his recruiter.

Answer 10

I believe that it will just be for boot camp, but that while he is in school, he will have to stay in the barracks but the family is provided with military housing.  You won't be together full time, but at least you are both on post and can spend time together when he is off. That is how it is in the army.  The air force may be different.

Answer 11

Congrats to him for getting accepted.  As far as the Navy goes, you two would be separated while he is at boot camp.  Once he goes to his tech school, you should be able to move to the area, and get set up.  Be aware, his school should not be too long, and I wouldn't advise signing a lease depending on the time he'll be there.  He will be elgieligible for BAH (basic allowance for housing) which will help out with the bills.  I recommend that you wait it out, and then move with him at his ultimate duty station.  Good luck

Answer 12

Depending on what tech school he has, the Airforce may allow you to move to his location, the cut off is 5 months. Anything below 5 months long then the command will not pay for it. It doesn't mean you can't move there, it's just that his orders will not reflect that you are there.

While in school if you move to his location, he will be allowed to live off base, usually... I think the only tech school that doesn't allow that is security force...I may be wrong on that one though. Generally speaking though, especially if you have a family, it is easier for everyone if you just wait until he arrives at his final command before you move together. He will not have a lot of time to spend with you and you will not be able to accomplish much while he is in school. It would be a good idfea to go and visit him for a few days though. That way you can get your dependents ID card(s, if you have family) and have your medical benifits turned on.

Yeah..see with a family it will be much easier to wait until he gets orders to his permanent duty station. He'll get those orders a month or so before he is ready to depart tech school, this way you will have plenty of time to prepare for the move and can arrive on or about the same time he does. He may be granted leave (most likely he will) between school and PDS to assist you in making the move. If you get your ID card and benifits while he is in school, then he can get you a power of attourney and you can go ahead and set up housing and a Military poaid household goods shipment to his permanent duty station as soon as his orders are made.

If you decide to move to his location for tech school, say if it will be a year long or so...then he will be waived from "phase" portion of training and he will be exempt from some minor things. he will have to stand duty and watches, but he will not need to maintain a barracks room and all that intails.