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Re-Intro and Question about Marine basic pay
Hello, I am a current Army wife and I used to post on here a long time ago. These days I am a mostly a lurker.
I am hoping some of you ladies can help me with a question. My friend's DH is signing up for the Marines. He was told that he will have no access to his pay while in basic training but that he will get it upon graduation. They had my friend sign a statement at the recruiting office saying she is aware of this stipulation and that she must (I use that term lightly as that is what she told me but I have not seen the document myself) move home with her parents while he is in basic. This doesn't sound right to me or my DH. Has anyone else experienced this?
From what I have seen online it looks like the Marines require the recruits to have an account on base, but that they still get paid on the 1st and 15th like everyone else.
Any advice or guidance would be appreciated!
Re: Re-Intro and Question about Marine basic pay
That's what I told her basically. I can't believe they had her sign something like that! I'm wondering if they did it so they don't have to pay him BAH? But how in the world can they hold her to that... ugh. I'm frustrated for her. When my DH and I got to our first duty station they tried to tell us we couldn't live in the neighborhood we moved into and his SGT threatened to make him live in the barracks. I learned very quickly to check facts on anything we were told.
Well, they cant *make* her do anything. She's not joining the military. Thus, she couldn't have signed anything saying that she agrees to that in the first place. Even the crappiest of crap recruiters wouldnt do that.
I'm wondering if either A) they/she just made the whole thing completely up or
she greatly misunderstood something they may have said (i.e. "some spouses choose to live at home with their parents" or something like that.)
I changed my name
I don't think she would lie about it but a misunderstanding is possible. I sent her a few links for reference and asked if she had a copy of what she signed. She just told me she doesn't but it's in the contract... but her DH hasn't been to MEPS yet. It's been a lot of years since I tried to join and went to MEPS but they didn't present a contract to me until the end of the process.
I told her to get a copy ASAP of whatever they signed.
I really appreciate everyone's responses! I at least feel better knowing I'm not the only who thinks this doesn't seem right.
Dh and I were married when he went to basic. It takes about 6 weeks but he will have an opportunity to transfer money into a bank account back home. He will get a 2 minute phone call while he is at the bank on base and will set up a transfer.
The first transfer I got was a wire transfer, then for the remaining 2 months I have a set amount deposited at the beginning of the month (her DH will have to set that up though).
I did have to sign that paper that she is talking about. However, it didn't say that I had to live at home, it said that I understand that we will not have access to DH's pay during bootcamp (even though you get it after around a monthish). The thing is, if she doesn't work and they don't have enough money saved up to pay their bills for at least 6 weeks she would need to rethink her living situation. Also her DH won't have access to his money, unless he is transferring it to a home account, until boot camp is done. On Family Day we went to the bank together and pulled out a nice chunk of change.
Most of our BAH was given as backpay at the end of bootcamp.
I think we can all agree on that, logic would dicate that conclusion. But your statement =/= the Marines making her sign something saying she HAS to live at home with her parents. She can live where ever the heII she pleases. She's not signing up and the government cant make her do crap.
My opinion of this stranger is that there was a misunderstanding on their part.
I changed my name
JillyWtP: I definitely agree that there must have been a misunderstanding.
Thank you Cloebeth for your input!
I was just pointing out that the BAH really didn't come until the end of boot camp. I didn't want her friend thinking that she would be getting this stipend at the beginning of the month and she could use that to cover her expenses.