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View Full Version : Lance Corporal stationed in Okinawa, want to change orders to accompanied.



Nasty94
11-07-12, 09:43 PM
I'm currently stationed in Okinawa with Marine Corps Base, and my girlfriend and I have decided that we want to start a family together. I'm currently on unaccompanied orders, but I was planning on taking a few weeks of leave in May to get married and bring her back with me.

My question is, would she have a place to stay, would we rate military housing? We want to have kids within the first year, and this has nothing to do with me just trying to get out of the barracks (I currently have a room to myself anyway). I heard some people say that you have to be at least E-4 to get housing, and I've heard others say that as long as your op tempo (I'm in a nondeployable unit) isn't too high and your command approves it then you're good to go.

Any answers?

josephd
11-07-12, 09:55 PM
Don't quote me on this but last I was aware, you have to be on your second tour of duty over there and be an NCO in order to rate housing, accompaniment, your dependents to be there with you(whatever you want to call it).

What do I know though...I am just a nasty POG reservist

fl1946
11-08-12, 08:01 PM
I surmise that you must be 17 or 18 yrs old, on your first deployment and perhaps your first time outside the U.S., (OUSA). If not correct, my apologies.

I'm not challenging your judgement to marry the young lady but are you sure? How in the world are you going to take care of your bride much less your children? Young man, I know your intentions are sincere, and I know you want the best for your family. But where you are in the arc of your career, think again. Housing will be the least of your worries. Even boot lieutenants are financially challenged much less a lance corporal. Think twice and put this deal on ice. Good luck.

Semper fi

William Hardy
11-09-12, 07:05 AM
Not many Marines get an accompanied tour to the Orient, including NCOs, SNCOs, and Officers. I did 2 unaccompanied tours before I got a 3-year accompanied tour in Germany as a SNCO. Be glad you are in today's Corps. In my day you would have gotten your butt chewed out for a thread like this plus the old saying. "If the Marine Corps wanted you to have a wife, they would have issued you one." Many still believe, and I am one of them, that you are too boot to rate it. Like growing up, you go through various stages in life. With each stage you get more and more privileges and are looked upon as being more senior. You haven't earned the right to an accompanied tour. Some would say, "Hell Marine, your not even a Corporal yet and you think you can manage a marriage. Try running a fire team, or squad first!" Just trying to make a point. Just because you get married doesn't mean everything will be fine and work out "happily ever after.' You have to work at it. The relationship must be fine-tuned everyday to keep things running smoothly.

As posted above, getting married under these circumstances is rough, and is one of the reasons why the Corps has a very high divorce rate. Everything is all hugs and kisses now, but too many wives and Marines forget the vows when thousands of miles separate you for months on end. Think about it carefully.

As SSgt fl1946 said, "Think twice and put this deal on ice. Good luck."

William Hardy
11-09-12, 07:09 AM
ps - There is an option. One of my Sergeants had his wife come to Oki on their own. She got a passport and a visa (visa was for 6 months) and he found a cheap place to rent. We were at Camp Foster so the Ft. Buckner commissary and PX were fairly close. They made it fairly well, but she had to get use to living in the middle of a foreign culture. At the end of the 6 months, she returned home and he moved back into the barracks (He had to maintain his spot in the barracks and couldn't use his wife as an excuse for anything during this time). It's an alternative.

Hamelink83
11-09-12, 08:05 AM
From what I understood while I was there, you need to be an NCO (we had a couple married guys that were not allowed to bring their wives over because they were not NCOs) for accompanied and should you get it, your orders will change from 2 years to 3 years. In any case, do the correct thing and bring it up to your chain of command and they will be able to inform you of what your options are.

I left Oki in Nov 2011 so who knows what has changed since then.