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Family Benefits
April 4, 2011
To start, I am a 25 yr old father of a 1 yr old little boy. I am considering joing the Army and am looking for some feedback from those who are serving and have families, or those who are a family member of a service member. My fiance supports me with joining, but I want some real info, not the recruiter garble! I am a college graduate with a bachelor's in criminal justice. I am looking at the Army to do a number of things for me. The first and major reason for wanting to join is to serve my country. Secondly, I am looking at the Army as a way to help me get into a federal law enforcement career. I also am looking at the Army for help with my school loans and a way for my family and I to get into a much better financial situation. I am also looking for some insight on what the Army has to offer for spouses with jobs, continuing education, child care, etc. I've been searching and searching and I havent been able to find a whole lot on how the Army also benefits the family members and what opportunities are out there for family members. I'd like to get the feelings from people on an overall experience for Army families. Thanks in advance to those who respond and help me with my decision!
submitted by Derek Wing on Apr 4 2011
Comments
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Hi Derek,
25 and focused... awesome! Congrats on your degree. You my friend are asking all the right questions. The biggest problem with who you are asking is that if they are not recruiters they don't have the most current information on what the Army can offer you. Benefits, loan repayment, and family benefits. I say give them a chance to share what is available and go from there. I can tell you or anyone else can tell you about their experiences but that doesn't answer the questions you've asked. I wish you and your family all the best!-Don
Reply
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Benjamin Grimes
Apr 7, 2011 3:40 PMDerek,
Don is exactly right, you should give your local recruiters a chance. They have the most current information and will be able to get you solid answers to your questions (and your inevitable follow-up questions).
As for my experience, the Army has been pretty good to my family. We've moved every 2-3 years, so that can be a challenge. But every Army installation I'm aware of has on-post child development centers (day care) and a network of in-home daycare providers. Almost all installations also have an education center that is a great resource for continuing education opportunities for you and your family. (There's also the opportunity for tuition assistance, but I don't know much about it; it's worth looking in to.)
You know the Army often offers a signing bonus or loan repayment for enlisting in certain specialties, but make sure you are making the right career choice in terms of your MOS (military occupational specialty; your job). Not every job in the Army will set you up to transition to a federal law enforcement job, so look long-term (career transferability), not just short-term (big signing bonus).
And, again, give your recruiter a shot!
Best of luck,
MAJ Ben Grimes
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Derek Wing
Apr 7, 2011 8:56 PMDon and Major Grimes,
Thanks for your responses. The information you gave me was very useful. I wanted to get some information from people living it to ensure to information I am getting from a recruiter is accurate and not him blowing smoke to get a number or meet his quota! Thanks again!
Reply
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Don Hilton
Apr 5, 2011 10:45 AM