Expert: James Bell - 7/14/2007

Question
MY fiance is a 1A2X1 (loadmaster).  He just started his first week of tech school. I received an email from him this afternoon he was quite upset.  AND when i talked to him tonite he explained what his instructor at Lackland told him.  That he won't get a leave.  That he will actually have a year instead of 10 weeks and 3 days of tech school.  AND That he will be sent to Iraq after completing all of that.  AND what i want is the truth.  I am so sick of hearing cookie cutter answers.  Will that happen?  OR Is this another scare tactic.  I think that they were telling him the truth, but I just need someone to tell me that instead of being with my husband, he'll in Iraq who knows what they are talking about.  Please help me.

Answer
Greetings Jennifer -

I'm not sure what scare tactics his instructors or T.I.'s have told him, but here is the truth ...

While your husband in in training, he is not authorized to take leave.  After Basic(as you already know), he is then shipped right to tech school.  Depending on where is permanent duty assignment (PDA) is located, he may be sent directly to his next tech school after the first one, or they will send him to his PDA to get processed into his squadron.  After his second tech school he will attend survival school in Washington state (that is only two weeks).

Once finished with all his schooling, he will return to his PDA for mission qualification training.  At this point he is roughly six months into his training, and has received all the FORMAL training he needs to know his craft, but he must perfect his skills before he is considered "mission ready."  This will take roughly another six months.  While at "home station" he will be able to get settled into housing (either on or off base).  This is when you get to join him.

During that time he will fly with instructors on a variety of missions.  Yes, this may include trips into combat zones, but since he is not fully qualified in his duties, he is not considered "deployable".  He will only transit through these locations on his mission, and return home.

Yes, his total upgrade time will be approximately a year, but that will mostly spent at home station, and NOT deployed overseas.  Yes, you will be with him, you will see him, you will have dinner with him and go to bed with him on most nights (when he isn't flying).

When his instructors feel he is ready to become mission qualified, he will receive a flight evaluation, at which point he is considered "mission ready."  At that point he will begin flying missions on his own, without instructor supervision, and this may include deployments for longer periods of time.

BUT ... once he is mission ready, he will also be eligible to take leave.  Most folks do after getting upgraded, as they have finished their first year in the military, and it has been filled with intense training.  I took two weeks after my evaluation, and went home to visit family.  Your husband will be able to do the same.  By the time this happens, however, you two will have been living together at the base for roughly six months.

All in all, don't fret too much.  You will see little of him while he is attending tech schools, but once he gets to his home station, you will be able to live together and see each other whenever he is not flying.

I hope I have alleviated some of your fears.  I know this is a time of confusion and uncertainty, but hundreds have come before you and, when the relationship is strong, it will be survive.

If you have any other questions, don't hesitate to write again.

Sincerely,
James Bell