Expert: Cynthia Bedell - 9/9/2007

Question
Basically my friend is in the Marine Corps and her boyfriend is in the Navy. They are both in active duty. What would happen if they decide to get marry while they are both in active duty? Would one be able to transfer to another ones branch?

Answer
Dear Sherrelle --

Your friends can marry, but unless they take specific action, their services will treat them as if they were single.

If one of them wishes to do an inter-service transfer, they will have to apply.  Their current service would have to release them and the new service would have to accept them.  This can be done.  It just take some significant effort.

If they wish to remain in their current services, they can register for joint-domicile.  That means the services will try to assign them in the same general area of the world.  Unfortunately, this some times means the closest they are together is both on the east coast, or both on the west coast.  Sometimes that means something like, both in South Carolina, or both in Okinawa.

They will have to work with their billeting officers to get jobs in the same locale.  Often one will have to take a less prestigious job than the other so they can remain together.

Good luck to both of them.