Expert: Aaron Shifferly - 8/12/2009

Question
QUESTION: ok so i have a boyfriend and he really want to go into some branch well my question is do i have to go into the branch he is going into to live with him? do i have to married to him and not be in the army to live with him? or can i just be his girlfriend and live with on base? this is worring me so much because i dont really want to go in but if joining will be the only way to stay with him i would. another thing if i do join what can i go into and still get my college paid for? sorry this is so long. i hope you can help me.

ANSWER: I'm going to try and break this down into parts since you asked a bunch of questions but please feel free to follow up if you dont understand something. I'm also going to give you the Army version since I'm familiar with it, but it will be roughly the same across the board..

1. You don't have to join any branch. That's your choice and should be made on your own terms for yourself.

2. If you do enlist, you will not get any real consideration for stationing or anything unless you two are married. Even when married the Army will try to put you two together but it doesnt always work and deployments could be on opposite cycles (ie. he's gone for a year and then you are).

3. Single Soldiers that are enlisted must live in Single Soldier housing which is on base and generally we prohibit male/female living together. This means if you both join as bf/gf and get stationed together you wont be living together anyways. This also applies to you being a civilian and following him to a place since he'll have to live on base and you wont be allowed to. You can live off base and he could live with you, but he will NOT get paid for this and it will cost him money.

4. If you are married and don't join after his basic training he can have you moved to wherever he is (except combat or some parts of Korea).

5. You need to discuss jobs and benefits (College Fund, GI Bill) with a recruiter if you decide you want to join. They will give you lists of jobs and the benefits paid for each one.

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QUESTION: ok so for the 4th on you put if we are married before his basic training like which is in the beginning right? i can live with him on base? unless he gets sent to combat? ok well what about while he is in college does he chose the college he goes to or is at army one? and if so can i live with him during that too? thank you :)

ANSWER: The Army won't be sending him to college full time. He will get the opportunity to do classes on his base for his degree, but they're not going to pay him to just go and be a student (with very limited exception), so you'll live with him on base. If he goes to combat he will still have a house at his base for you to live in, just you will be alone.

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QUESTION: so is it stupid to go into the army just for college? and can i go into the army and be a nurse and get college?

Answer
You have to have a degree to be a nurse. You can be a nurse assistant without one. College benefits are provided in the form of the GI Bill which is used after your service for full time enrollment or in the form of Tuition Assistance which pays a portion of your tuition while you're still enlisted and attending night school. If you want the Army to pay to send you to school while you're enlisted, you're probably not going to get that.