Ok, my husband is re enlisting and I am totally new to this. We have 3 boys ages 5,4,3 and are trying hard to get them ready the 1 month long basic refresher coarse coming up. My questions are : 1)what do we have to look forward to coming up?
2)What is the likely size of housing we would get on a post? 3) Is there any pointers I can get as to the Army?

This may help some.

Does your husband have a waiver for coming in with so many dependents? Or is he keeping his rank form his prior service and that is why?

Read through the boards and you'll find lots of info and support.

I know with 2 kids the same sex it would be a 2 bedroom place for you. With 3 the the same sex I'm not sure if they keep it that way or if they will bump you up to a 3 bedroom. Hopefully someone will know the answer for ya.

Hang in there!

The standard for the Army will be a 4 bedroom unit, those can be harder to come by than a three bedroom so if a 4 bedroom is not available you could opt for a 3 bedroom, or live off post.

Pointers, well basically you will need to learn the art of patience. You may get orders to move to Germany and you will have a million questions running through your mind. You will want the info right now, but likely you won't get it that fast. Just try and remember, while all this is real new to you, the Army does this every day. Be flexible and diligent and you will be fine.

Secondly, if you are able make a decision to be happy. Things may basically be terrible all around you, but happy people seem to remain happy. I have seen miserable people be miserable in great situations, so I guess it really is what you make of it. If I had one wish for myself it would be to be that person who when confronted with a room filled with horse poop gets excited, because with that much poo there must be a pony in there somewhere!

The type of housing available to you will have many factors...such as where you are stationed, rank and the ages of your children.

For instance, when we were stationed in Germany, we got a bedroom per child, no matter what the ages. So I had an infant, a 3 y/o and a 5 y/o and we got a 4 bedroom.

At Ft Bragg, your children only get their own room if they are over the age of 10 (for same sex) and a younger age (I don't recall what..I think 5) for opposite sex children.

If you husband is an E-6 or over, you automatically get a 3 bedroom here, even if you only have one child.

Then the type and size of house can vary too. We have single homes, townhouses, quadraplexes, etc. The size varies by age of the structure, type of home, etc.

So you really won't know what you will be offered until you know where you will be stationed as a permanent assignment.

There is an army website you can go to that is rather helpful: https://onestop.army.mil/

It will let you see the kinds of housing available at the different installations. It is up to the individual post to keep this information updated, so it may not show everything, but will give you somewhere to start.

Hope that helps!

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Mama_Hen,

If he's going to WTC it might be longer then a month. I've told people this before but the Recruiters are still very new to the WTC thing. So if they mis inform you its really not their fault.

He should be able to talk to you pretty much almost every day. Unless some one messes up and gets their phone privledges taken away. I just got Matt a trac phone and he was able to use it most of the time. That way I could put mins on it when ever he needed from the computer

If he's going to white sands. Its not exactly a kid friendly place. So if you go to his grad have some extra help on hand to rangle the kiddos. I don't know about still but since its a full base it'd be more likly to have more to keep the little ones buisy.

Your 4 and 3 year old Probably wont really notice he's gone and most likely. At that age jayde really didn't remeber. Heck at 5 Matt was gone 3 months and she barely remembers him being gone. But your five year old would be most likely to be the one that goes "I miss daddy". which will probably get the other too going as well. I always tell Jayde I miss daddy too. but its important to daddy we arn't to sad.

More then likely your looking at a three bedroom. you might get a 4 but it all depends on the base and the wait list. So plan for a three bedroom.

When he does get to his unit get involved in the Family readiness group for that unit. The ladies and men there will be able to help you some much. It seems totally overwhelming at first. Even for me and My husband did 8 years in the Air Force. And I still had to learn almost everything all over again. Read the boards if he's going directly from WTC to a unit look for That Base's group on myspace and get to know some people out there before you get there.


Good luck and welcome to the Army.

Well we're at Ft Lewis, and we have a 1, 3 and 9 yr old, and only have a 3 bedroom. Here we won't qualify for a 4 bedroom until our 3 yr old is 6, becasue my youngest is a girl and they can't share a room past age 6....but it's different everywhere. Ft Stewart would have given us a 4 bedroom automatically.
As far as not knowing he's gone, I don't necessarily agree with them not knowing. A few pointers....my husband was gone when my son was 1 1/2 and my other son was 7 and I was pregnant, every night the little one marched up the stairs to my room, kissed his daddy's picture goodnight and told him he loved him. When he got home, we told him to kiss daddy goodnight and he went right up the stairs to our room to the picture, instead of to his dad on the couch He may not remember NOW that he was gone, but when he was gone, he asked about him a lot and colored lots of pictures and paintings....my 7 yr old took it the hardest. He treasured every postcard and letter he mailed to him, so just know your child, explain he's gone, put BIG x's on the calendar of how many days till he's here, make a chain (like the old ones you did when you were a kid) one link for each day he's gone, and hang it in the house. Each night he's gone, have the kids cut a piece off. The kids love to see it get smaller, because they know he's closer to coming home.
Hope that helps!

Thank you guys so much! I have friends who are spouses but they have been in so long they don't remember what it's like to be the newbie so it gets frustrating. Yes, he has to go to white sands for bct refresher, then AIT. I need help with the kindergarten issue, our 5 year old starts this year but he will only be there for a month or two before we move. We also have an Autistic 4 year old in special pre-k. do we let them go for the month then move or keep them out till we move as to not make it more traumatic?

The 5 year old I think legally has to be in school. But I'd go talk to the school and explain the situation. They might be able to put him on independent study. SO that way he's enrolled but he wont be in school getting use to teachers and what not before before he has to leave. The little one I'd keep out just because of the Autism. As soon as you get to a perminate duty station go to tri care and get the little one set up EFMP. Its basicly a program for kids with special needs. They can help you get into a ton of programs. Also they can make sure that your husband only goes to bases that can provide the services your kiddo will need.

Thanks a bunch Jillandmatt. I had heard of the EFMP but didn't know what it would entail for my spouse.

Its a great program. My daughter is gifted and even she gets services throu them.

let me know if you need anything I am pretty new to the Army but matt did 7 years in the Air Force. So I can try to help as much as I can.