Rejoining the army

[crazylegs69]

Hi, I recently left the army to pursue a life in civvie street so i could be with my family. The trouble is i'm bored. I'm missing the the routine and commitment i had in the army. Friends in civvie street aren't anywhere near like those you have in the army. Therefore i have sat with the missus and we've agreed the best thing for our future and my career is to rejoin in our eyes. Whats the deal with rejoining? My circumstances have changed since i was in, as now i have 2 boys, one school age and missus (not married).
What sort of troubles will i find in having to move my family? Is it possible to have married quarters without being forced to get married? Aren't we classed as a civil partnership without being gay/lesbian as we have children together?

 

[RoyalEngineers]

The army doesn't recognise girlfriends. You'll have to tie the knot if you want a quarters

 

[crazylegs69]

Isnt it about time they should change that? After all they accommodate for same sex relationships and it isnt like my girlfriend is just a fling as i have children with her. It seems a shame to be forced to marry, takes the specialness away from it all. If it is the case looks like the army will lose a hard and dedicated soldier.

 

[BIPOLAR77]

The army doesn't recognise girlfriends. You'll have to tie the knot if you want a quarters

not strictly true you can get oneuder a civil partnership

 

[crazylegs69]

But doesnt that only apply if your the same sex as your partner? How would you get the "civil partnership" paperwork if you get what i mean?
Seems a grey area to me

 

[BIPOLAR77]

strangely you can have a civilpartnership with the opposite sex also

 

[devilish]

Isnt it about time they should change that? After all they accommodate for same sex relationships and it isnt like my girlfriend is just a fling as i have children with her. It seems a shame to be forced to marry, takes the specialness away from it all. If it is the case looks like the army will lose a hard and dedicated soldier.

wouldn't you be cutting your nose off to spite your face?

You want to commit to the Army but don't want to commit to your GF?

Nothing stopping you joining back up and marrying when your back in a routine.

You'd even get a nice set of 2's to marry in....

 

[BIPOLAR77]

or am I thinking of common law wife?

 

[crazylegs69]

you cant build a relationship when your in the army, thats why i got out. now my relationship and family is set up and solid i can now go back into the army knowing that i have full support from my family as its more of a joint decision.

 

[jt9563]

You ARE entitled to a quarter. As primary carer for the children and unmarried you will be maristat 2 which entitles you to a quarter. You will however have to ask permission for your girlfriend to live there lol.

 

[devilish]

Then just get married when you're back in.

where's the problem?

 

[crazylegs69]

There isn't a problem with us getting married as obviously we would like to in the future but just not yet. Its just the fact that we don't have a choice about this as I want the best of the both worlds, don't we all?

 

[devilish]

Well it looks like you're going to have to compromise then doesn't it?

 

[crazylegs69]

Basically we are making a problem out of nothing as obviously there is only one way and thats to get married! oh well i better get down on one knee, how romantic 'babes will you marry me so we can still live with each other when i rejoin the army!' i'm sure she will love it! Suggestions please!!!!!! How would you do it?

 

[jt9563]

Crazy, as I already said, you are entitled:

JSP 464

0301 Entitlement criteria. To be entitled to SFA Service personnel must be:
a. Aged 18 or over, has com¬pleted initial training and be serving on a regular engagement with the UK Armed Forces, or be a Full Commitment (FC) Reservist as defined in single Service instructions. For those personnel under 18 years of age the parent unit must accept responsibility for their behaviour until the 18th birthday.
b. In Personal status category (PStatCat) 1, 1C, 1S or 2 as defined in Appendix 1 to Annex D to Chapter 1. c. Have at least 6 months to serve at the station where they qualify for SFA.

As a "single parent" you are pay stat 2 and as a result incur an entitlement to FSA. You will need to ask permission for your GF to live there, but I doubt VERY much that it would be a problem.

 

[crazylegs69]

Great! But i'm not a single parent. Isnt that a back door way of doing it.

 

[Broker]

if shes not your wife, you could split up tomorrow, making you a single parent

So couldnt you move in as a single parent then your GF move in with you?

 

[jt9563]

The army has no middle ground. You are either Married or Single. You are a single parent with primary care of your child. Maristat 2.

 

[Disco]

Say you apply for a MQ as primary carer and somehow manage to get DE to approve your co-habitation with your girlfriend. What are you going to do when you are posted overseas? She wont get any travel warrants, she will not get any medical or dental care. Say she decides to stay in the UK, you wont qualify for seperation allowance and so on. What about the event of your death? Financial support, repatriation of your body (it wont be her they talk to).

Despite the high Op tempo we have atm the Army wants its soliders to be part of families.

If you are serious about the Army and about you partner then get the wedding or civil ceremony booked.

For those not in the know the civil ceremony is getting married outside a church, such as at a hotel or on the Blackpool tower

 

[jt9563]

It's not without it's problems, I'll agree, but is is do-able if you're adamant not to make the army force you into marrage. I've been with my missus unmarried now for 8 years and we've always had to have our own house or be separated. It becomes particularly annoying when you have to pay CSA because you aren't co-habbiting.

But the answer to your question "What sort of troubles will i find in having to move my family? Is it possible to have married quarters without being forced to get married? Aren't we classed as a civil partnership without being gay/lesbian as we have children together?" is, you wont have any troubles moving your 'legal' family, yes you are entitled to a quarter without being married and a civil partnership is only for gay / lesbian that carries all the legal ramifications of being in a straight marrage.

Hope this helps some.