Family housing questions

[ryangassxx]

I'm sure many will shake their heads, but I'm probably going to be tying the knot relatively soon and I'm also about to embark on my career as a Marine in a couple of short months. What can I say, it wasn't in the cards at first but when you're in DEP for 8 months life has a tendency to throw a curve ball your way in that amount of time.

I did some basic googling before posting this but had limited success finding good detailed info on this matter.

From what I gather, family housing is subject to availability and can have wait times for up to 12 months. I'm going in as an aircraft mechanic and I've heard that the schooling in Pensacola can take up to 1 year to complete. For prolonged MOS schools, is family base housing a possibility? Also, knowing now that I intend to elect "west" for my permanent duty station, is it a greater than not chance that it would be MCAS Miramar?

I would very much like to hear any and all info anyone would like to share on the matter of Family housing for a new Marine. Any nuance or advice would be greatly appreciated!

[Big Boz]

I had a wife and child and as a student at 29 Palms CA Communication Electronics School (1 year long) we could not get on base housing. Your rank also figures in to the housing priority and as a PFC or Lance Corporal you are pretty low priority. We rented a little 1 bedroom house and BARELY scraped by. And I mean beans and rice scraping by. The baby ate better than my wife and I did. Once I got to the Fleet, I signed up for base housing and was on the waiting list for 1 1/2 years as a Lance Corporal. Once I got promoted to Corporal E-4 I got into base housing. I don't remember there being any Marines below Corporal in base housing. My advice to you is that if your wife is on good terms with her parents, that she live with them until you get to your first duty station. Schooling is tough enough without another distraction. DO NOT EVER....EVER call your wife a distraction to her face. Focus on making it through your schooling.

[Lisa 23]

I would also wait to get married until you become a Marine, probably your first duty station. You get married now before you go to boot camp, it will more than likely delay your shipdate because you will have to do more paperwork. If you both waited this long, a few more months isn't going to hurt.

[Big Boz]

. If you both waited this long, a few more months isn't going to hurt.

Maybe he is worried about Jody.....hahahaha