Hi, I'm new to this. I was doing some research after my husband told me he wanted to join the CSG. I first must say that I was scared but I am supporting him, I know why he wants this and I can see him excelling in it. However rest of his family is against it and I know that even though he says he doesnt care what they think deep down he does. My question sand concerns I guess are how can I tell his family that it a discession that him and I will make together? And he wants so bad to be a recuse diver. We are meetign with the recruiter FRi but I'm tryin to prepare myslef. Is vision one of the qualifactions? He has stated before that if he cant do that he will do resevres and go to school. If he did resevres and liked it could he transfer to full time? Also while I'm thinking of it, we did get in a bit of a disagreement because he does not want me there when he meets with the recruiter he said its like an interview, and he will answer all of my questions that I write down. Should I fight more to be in there or trust him to keep me informed? I'm worried about the money thing because we bought a house last year (before all this) and i'm worried how we will pay that bill, he said he might have to volunteer to go to alaska for a year and that should help?!?!?! Sorry that I'm rambling but this is so overwhelming to me. Thanks
My suggestion, if he wants to talk to the recruiter alone, accept that. If he has any more questions that come up and can't get ahold of his recruiter, go down this main page a little further to the CG Recruiter's Desk and ask CPO Kalbach or others for advice.
My questions to you are how old is your husband? Why would it be a big deal to tell the family he wants to join? You are adults who can make up your own mind are you not. Where did he come up with the idea that he may have to spend a year in Alaska? How much in debt are you with your house? Yes you do need to talk with a recruiter to see if you are qualified to even think about joining.
No its not that we are in debt by no means. Its with him joining the first year he will take apay cut and he was told that he if volunteered to do a year in alaska he would get paid more during that year there by helping make up the difference he would be losing with the pay cut. I told him to get this in writing though because it sounds weird to me. And He has told his parents but they are not being supportive at all they are callin him selffish and irresponsible. I was j ust wondering if any one has heard about this alaska thing and maybe some adivce on how to get his family to be supportive we have told them that we are going to make this decission but that doesnt mean they understand.
My mother was never in favor of my father being in the USNR, and after eight years of service (and one year of marriage), he got out.
She was never in favor of me enlisting in the Army, but I did it anyways.
When my brother decided to enlist around 1983, she not only gave him a car but paid for his college to keep him out of service (I paid for my own college and paid my folks room and board to stay at home while I was in college before I decided to enlist).
Spree, If your husband desires to enlist, it should be HIS decision, with your support, and not anyone elses.
Spree my advice would be first have your husband set up an initial meeting with your local recruiter to see if he's even basically qualified, at that time things such as your current financial obligations, major health issues, career intentions etc can be discussed. Assuming he's qualified I would then arrange a meeting with the recruiter where you both can be present and have any of your mutual concerns and questions addressed. Not sure who's giving you your info currently but it's not very good. There are some small incentives for certain duty stations in Alaska such as isolated duty pay for remote locations but would you be prepared on the homefront for your husband to be gone for a minimum of a year straight on the remote chance he filled one of those billetts? As a non-rate the compensation isn't going to be but more than a few dollars and I certainly wouldn't count on it to be making up any pay differences from civilian employment to the military. It sounds as if someone is telling you "no one in the USCG wants to go to Alaska, so if you volenteer they'll pay you more" which couldn't be farther from the truth. Many Alaska billets and locations are highly desired. One of my regrets is that I never took any of the multiple opportunities I had for Alaskan billets during my time in the USCG. I thought the carribean sounded much more exciting, in retrospect I should have gone to AK. Lastly I'd tell your husbands parents to grow up, they have a very poor and uneducated view of those who put their lives on the line to defend their freedoms! Good luck to both you and your husband in your USCG pursuits -Jeff
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