Getting married after your significant other is already active (Air Force, Navy, stationed)
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So right now my fiancee is in California for tech school for the Air Force and will be leaving in March to go to his first duty station, which is RAF Mildenhall, UK. I am still in college, and I will graduate next December. We have no idea about what steps to take next. We want to get married, but it may not be until the summer. So my first question would be, when the active member reports to their first station, how long is it normally until they can take leave to come home? I also don't know what steps we need to take after getting married to put me as a dependent, housing, living costs, pay, just anything and everything. And I would also love any advice from anyone that had to move from the states to the UK that has any advice! Thanks.
Once you're married and have a marriage license, etc., you can be enrolled into DEERS, which is done at a personnel office (not sure what the USAF calls it). In my case, after returning from my honeymoon, I enrolled my wife. At that point, all entitlements kick in. Depending on what day of the month it is will dictate when you start seeing them in an LES (paycheck). For example, if you are enrolled on the 25th of the month, it won't be seen on the end of month LES. It'll catch up and be prorated.
Having an overseas assignment as a first duty station can be somewhat unique if the SM knows they are getting married soon after they report to their overseas duty station. It is easier to PCS overseas as a married SM than wait a few months to get married. Because of that, a lot of people have a Justice of the Peace wedding to tidy all of it up and then have their planned ceremony later on. I know plenty of folks who did just that because their first duty station was Germany. Let me be clear, you don't have to do that. I just know that many do.
To the OP, if you are married before he (She?) gets orders, it is SOOOOO much easier. You will be on his orders, and they will "Sponsor" your travel, paying for plane tickets, movers, sponsoring a passport, etc. If you get married after he has orders, they will probably do NONE of that, leaving it all up to you. Just a thought. But, it's seriously easy, all he will need is proof of marriage, your SSN Card (even a certified copy) and probably some ID for you, and within an hour or two at the MPF (Military Personnel Flight) he can have you enrolled in everything you need to be enrolled in, and they you can get on the waiting list for housing (waiting list can't start until you are married).
Things could have changed, but: (I was in the Navy)
I know there are overseas stations where an accompanied tour is three years, unaccompanied is two years. So if you get married while he is there, I know that many times the command will not sponsor dependents. (I was stationed in the UK)
Maybe they will modify orders, maybe the system has changed, just saying how it was a few years ago.
I was overseas when I got married, my command did not sponsor my wife, but I was a higher rank than your soon-to-be husband is (I am assuming he is new to the USAF) so I lived off-base anyway, and had plenty of money to pay for everything. However, no special visa or nothing was available, she had to leave every six months to renew her visa and come back (non-US citizen).
I think he needs to go to his admin and ask specifics about all of this. That way if something comes up, for example, it is better to be married before going overseas so accompanied orders can be issued; you both know this and maybe can just get a legal marriage out of the way real quick, and have a formal ceremony later.
Things could have changed, but: (I was in the Navy)
I know there are overseas stations where an accompanied tour is three years, unaccompanied is two years. So if you get married while he is there, I know that many times the command will not sponsor dependents. (I was stationed in the UK)
Maybe they will modify orders, maybe the system has changed, just saying how it was a few years ago.
I was overseas when I got married, my command did not sponsor my wife, but I was a higher rank than your soon-to-be husband is (I am assuming he is new to the USAF) so I lived off-base anyway, and had plenty of money to pay for everything. However, no special visa or nothing was available, she had to leave every six months to renew her visa and come back (non-US citizen).
I think he needs to go to his admin and ask specifics about all of this. That way if something comes up, for example, it is better to be married before going overseas so accompanied orders can be issued; you both know this and maybe can just get a legal marriage out of the way real quick, and have a formal ceremony later.
Varies by state, and proxy marriages are not fully recognized in all states.
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