Married Teenage Warriors

g2mil.com ^ | 2003 | Carlton Meyer

[Ace of Spades]

That's no joke. Two of my brothers are Marines, and they tell me you wouldn't believe how many people marry just to get out of the barracks. I have all the respect in the world for the armed forces, but your average 18-year old soldier isn't any more emotionally mature than anyone else.

"If this proves a bad policy, it can be quickly reversed."

Now that's just funny.

[ken5050]

Excellent essay.. All points are spot on.. It would be even easier to attract recruits ( unmarried) by using the $$ spent for family housing/services, etc.to pay biger recruiting bonuses and pay..I've said this many times. However, HOWEVER ( and there is always a "however") thie story ignores one teling point. We are in wartime, and will be so for the forseeable future, in the War on Terror. and young men, volnteering to serve their country, and protect her by going into harm's way, have this incredible desire to leave something behind of themselves, if they don't return. It's human nature. It's not the number of marriages..it's the number of marriages AND immediate pregnancies that causes the problems..

[R. Scott]

Way back when we were told “If the Army wanted you to have a wife it would have issued you one”.
Times change.

[Jacquerie]

Amen. It is tough enough on young men and women to adjust to a new way of life in our armed forces. Adding the pressure of family life at such an early age is a recipe for problems.

By the way, it was that b!tch congresswoman Pat Shroeder from CO that went bonkers over Commmandant Mundy's decision to solve the problem.

[dakine]

lot of fun stuff in this...

"Fewer GIs will work extra hours to make up for the absence of married personnel."

??? WTF, who is in charge where this is happening?

[Jacquerie]

I forgot to add, "Pat Shroeder the impaler of Naval Aviators."

[glorgau]

Gotta agree with this. I hated doing weekend duty just so some married PFC could have some "quality time" with their wife. It was blatantly unfair and corrosive to morale.

[DYngbld]

I have seen way too many "paper" marriages just to get out of the BEQ or off the ship. I got married after I had been in the Navy for a year, and been very happily married my entire carrier. I was also 21 years old and had known my wife for a couple of years.
I have seen many divorces due to lack of maturity, or just plain respect for the service members job. My wife is very much a part of my career she had a 50.5% vote in my staying 20 or not.
The biggest problem I have seen is Military married to military I know several. Many of them work out great, however many of them also bring new issues of readiness, especially if there are children.
Removing the incentive of more pay and better housing if you are married is great at the E1-E3 ranks. If the Navy did not pay for my housing now I would not be able to support my family, and I would have moved on years ago.

[DYngbld]

Agreed, It is blatantly unfair. Your COC should have been kicked in head. Duty is duty.

[ThisLittleLightofMine]

But did it benefit the family (the married PFC) on the whole which in turn benefits the country? I think younger workers military or not that are not married do carry the burden of working weekends, night etc. It is just part of being younger, not fair, but it happens to everyone. In terms of people marrying younger, I have my doubts, I think the longer you wait to get married the more selfish you become. JMHO.

[dakine]

Never had a readiness problem, being military married to military...have to have a plan....

[DYngbld]

Not all Mil to Mil have a problem. There are family care plans and so fourth. But I have seen issues come up that make one person not deployable. The big problem I have seen as of late the last 5 years or so is the increase of unmarried moms. 19 and 20 year old girls having babies. That wipes out readiness if you have a small shop, you lose them for about a year.

[Lazamataz]

During the past two decades, the number of married GIs grades E-1, E-2, and E-3 has more than tripled.

Soldier, if the United States Army wanted you to have a wife, they'd have issued you one.

[Lazamataz]

I think the longer you wait to get married the more selfish you become.

I'd question your comment, but I fail to see how that would benefit ME.

ME.

[dakine]

"you lose them for about a year."

Maternity leave use to be 6 weeks, I guess the time before giving birth they are "non-deployable"...

Just get women out of the military....

[untrained skeptic]

I don't think that the military should be paying those who are married differently than those who are single.

I understand this likely means that a pay raise is required to retain career soldiers. I think they deserve a reasonable wage for their service to our country. I think they deserve it regardless of their marital status.

[MissAmericanPie]

Billions of dollars? Wonder while congress is at it if they will consider the 34 billion ripped off from our economy and sent to Mexico each year?

[dk/coro]

This particular aspect of the broad critical problem facing our national leadership, relative to our current military manning and "recruitment" policies is but the tip of the iceberg.

The relatively recent relaxation of the marriage and billeting issue for the lowest paygrades was, of course, a transparent ploy to enhance both recruitment and retention. Dastardly shortsighted and flawed, of course.

But, beyond that issue looms the truism that the military is extended far beyond the capability to sustain itself over the mid to long term.

Further, I submit that we have "hessianized" our uniformed cadre -- giving the affluent segment of our national soul a free pass, while assuring the requirements are fulfilled by co-opting the economically disadvantaged (spell foreign) and minority manpower pool.

And, Congress has not a clue as to the severity of this horrific mistake. Less than 16% of our Senators and Representatives have ever worn a uniform -- much less heard the whine of an enemy bullet.

For over two decades now, we have been cooking the books relative to the imbalance between commitment and capability -- both politically and strategically.

We will soon have to face the issue of Uniformed Military Service -- or acknowledge the fact that we are dumbing down the officer corps -- and failing to meet overall manpower requirements; losing national contact with the military services; and generating a Military Manpower Problem that will take years to correct; and make the social security issue look like child's play!

Thank you. /s/ DKP

[Ro_Thunder]

lot of fun stuff in this...

"Fewer GIs will work extra hours to make up for the absence of married personnel."

??? WTF, who is in charge where this is happening?

But they don't get OVERTIME pay, so who cares if they work extra hours? I routinely worked 24 on/24 off (port & starboard watches)... we also worked a 2 days, 2 mids, and 2 eves shift that left us dog tired. I was single, and filed for VHA/BAQ, got it, and moved offbase. If they don't want single E-4's living off base, don't approve the pay!

As for the ones who marry? Well, that's just silly. It's the same as if they marry in college, and frankly, doesn't matter. Whether they can handle it or not, they want the pay, they get the pay by getting married. However, they also pay for it in having to pay for food instead of eating at the chow hall, and the extra headache of utilities, etc. Everyone has to figure out how to do that sooner or later, and the military isn't just to teach you to fight/go to war.