Should I join the army instead of my Husband?

Is it something YOU want to do?

The military can be great but it's in a whole other playing field than civilian careers. You have months away from your family due to training and school and deployments. You have good benefits but you also may be required to use your new skills in defense of your country and that means using a firearm against another human being. I don't care if you are male or female or what your MOS is you can be deployed, you CAN be put in a combat zone and the does mean you CAN end up having to deal with the messiness of combat including killing or being killed.

Are you ready for all of that?

A lot of people tend to think of the military as a stepping stone to something greater and while that certainly can be the case it is not the primary purpose of the military and when the Army calls you must answer and leave your two kids at home.

Will your husband be okay with being a stay-at-home-dad and watching you go off and do something he wanted to do without it causing animosity and anger in the relationship?

You also should know that the national divorce rate is around 43%. For military couples with the husband in service it's about 50% and for couples with wife in service it is about 60% (per an article in the Military Times). It's something to think about. Will your marriage be able to withstand it?

Who and how will your children be raised in your absence? Do you trust your husband to take good care of them and train them up morally and confidently in your absence (because there will be a lot of absences)? Do you have a plan should something happen to your husband while you are gone? Where will your children go? Who will care for them? If your husband decides to get a job as well do you have a good care plan for your kids then?

Have you considered a family plan in the event of your being disabled or killed? Is your husband okay with those possibilities? Is he willing to take on the responsibilities of being, essentially, a single parent?

If you have considered all of these things and have come up with solid, logical answers and you and your husband have BOTH agreed on the reasons for you to go and are confident in your JOINT decision then I would say you are on the right track. Too many people join the military only to be surprised it's not what they want and that they are expected to give way more than they ever expected they would have to.

Joining by yourself is one thing, joining with a family is a whole other ball park and needs a lot more consideration behind it.

Good luck with your decision.

1. Your husband did not get "screwed" by the recruiter. The rules are the rules and he would have been more screwed had the recruiter attempted to process his enlistment. If you want to place blame you need to place it with the person or person that enrolled him in a unaccredited school.

2. Only you can answer if you can deal with the time away from home.

No, I do not think you should join the army just because your husband wants you too! I think if he was any kind of a man at all he would support you financially, and get his stuff together! If you join now you WILL, hear me now, will get sent over seas to one of the middle eastern countries we are fighting, and you will be away from your family for possibly 2 years straight!

Your husband is the one who did not have the valid diploma, how in the hell is this the recruiters fault? Go take the ASVAB and see how you score before you make any life changing decisions.

Joining the military is something that you should have passion for doing. If you are so worried about leaving for deployment and are too used to being for with your kids...well then, you shouldnt join. Don't jump into it.

Anyways, your call tho.

don't join the army if you have kids because if you die they will have to live their lives with no mum find another good job