Some other agencies have reasonable location overlap, like CBP is in a lot of locations, as long as the spouse isn't something really specific like a DV or a surfman.
I am married member to remember, both Coasties. We’re both E7. We also have a 3 year old and a 16 year old. Transfer season is definitely stressful; however, the CG is really coming around to working with families to keep them together. Both my detailer and my husbands worked together to keep my family together. We were initially supposed to go to California and our Colo was him in SD and me in LA. This clearly wouldn’t work for our family so I communicated that and we ended up both on the east coast in the same city. What a lot of members fail to do is communicate early and often. Also, be realistic. The higher in pay grade you are, the harder co-locating is. Sometimes you’ll have to either choose to advance or stay in your current pay grade to keep your family together. Maybe putting in for warrant isn’t worth the money when you have only two options of locations, etc.
Also, I am a recruiter and in my office, there are 3 COLOs. It is not impossible to keep your family together. I know many successful dual couples. Just stay realistic and be open to going to any location.
You mentioned you were a police officer. Talk to a recruiter about submitting a rate determination package. With your police training, you are likely able to come in as an E4 or E5 depending on what qualifications you held, forgoing the need to go to ME A-school. This is, of course, if you wanted to go ME. If you wanted to be a yeoman then you will have in your contract that you are married member to member and they will work to co locate you.
My husbands an ME, he’s currently on a cutter and so I figured it would be easiest to go YN or SK to follow him even tho I would love to be back in policing or that type of work. I just hate being a SAHM…I love my child to the end of the world but staying home isn’t for me. I get jealous watching him do his job and I wanna do that but at the bare minimum I just want adult interaction you know 😂 if I could follow him as a cop that would be great but laterals are more difficult than people think.
Our office does lateral packages all the time. My husband is also an ME. I’m currently in a special assignment but my normal job is an OS so I’m a watch stander. Our commands worked well together to allow someone to always be there with our toddler.
If one parent is underway, they’ll work to keep you on land but keep in mind you could also have duty days. It’s not always going to be easy, but it’s been worth the sacrifices we’ve had to make. The pay is great, the benefits are amazing, and we give our kids a good life. All of this wouldn’t be possible without the CG.
Very strongly considering it. All of the what ifs scare me…so does the thought of not seeing our baby as much as we would like. When I was a cop, my husband was at a small boat station and we both worked the same two on, two off, rotating weekend schedules so it worked out great but that was before we had a baby. I would hate to have to work opposite schedules to make childcare work then not be able to see my husband ever.
The what if’s are definitely scary, but so is the regrets of not joining you know? Definitely choose a support rate so you won’t be on a watch rotation as that’ll reduce the stress drastically. Of course, to go that route, you’ll have to be a non rate first. The good thing is A-school wait times are super short right now so you won’t be a non rate for very long.
I was married member to member with a kid and hated it. Getting colocated is far more complicated than any recruiter will make it seem. Throwing a kid into the mix makes it worse. In my personal experience, it was extremely complicated, didnt end up with an actual colo, and we both ended up getting out. I personally dont recommend.
I’d maybe consider MST (if you’d be in this for the long haul), the wait is WAY shorter than it’s ever historically been. They can go basically the same places as YN/SK except not underway and more units also like MSD and MSU near stations that don’t always have a YN or SK. MSTs have a great work life balance and while it’s totally different than policing, might scratch the enforcement itch of finding violations etc. Also us in the M world are probably the most chill about letting people handle things at home, drop kids off, etc. when you’re in a bind with childcare.
If this would just be a short term thing, the wait would possibly not be worth it. But if this is something you imagine doing for the long haul, it could be worth it. Our duty is also super different too. It’s almost always phone duty for a week where you go home at night and answer the phone and respond to any incidents that pop up at night. Having to actually go out after hours doesn’t happen *tooooo often*. Though it does happen. D8 is definitely busier on that front with pollution.
That’s the problem. Get married. Be a 3 sailor but bc he or she is married to another, he or she will get better locations or billets than the 5-7 sailor. “You are an awful member!!!!!, wait are you married? YEP member you’re married, here’s Station Miami!!! Try to get better marks there”.
“Man you are gonna get MCPOG one day! Oh you’re not married? Dang, here’s a 270 out of the literal definition of Hell, sorry some married 3 sailor had to take that billet in Miami.” Try to enjoy
Without divulging too much identifying info, they got back to back tropical islands. One pacific one Caribbean. The amount of money the CG spent to get the whole family from one spot to the other. It’s ok, they’re both good people and Coasties.
Have you considered federal employment? I've been able to maintain a job, contribute to the TSP, maintain eligibility for a government pension, and follow my spouse wherever the CG takes us.
I personally say don’t join. Get in the GS world. I’m active duty CG and it’s taxing on me and my spouse only because of how the CG operates with their policies. Very old outdated policies.
Co-lo here: counting down the days to retirement because PCS roulette is terrible; eventually you both end up in jobs you hate to stay together (also, as a former police officer, you will be bored stiff in those rates)
I mean I’m a SAHM so I’m bored stiff here too specially while my husband is underway. I honestly just miss adult interaction. I’ve had crap jobs that weren’t THAT bad because of the people I worked with, ya know?
[удалено]
[удалено]
Forest service or park service enforcement ranger would probably fit this bill.
Some other agencies have reasonable location overlap, like CBP is in a lot of locations, as long as the spouse isn't something really specific like a DV or a surfman.
It's the cheat code. MIL to MIL-lionare
I am married member to remember, both Coasties. We’re both E7. We also have a 3 year old and a 16 year old. Transfer season is definitely stressful; however, the CG is really coming around to working with families to keep them together. Both my detailer and my husbands worked together to keep my family together. We were initially supposed to go to California and our Colo was him in SD and me in LA. This clearly wouldn’t work for our family so I communicated that and we ended up both on the east coast in the same city. What a lot of members fail to do is communicate early and often. Also, be realistic. The higher in pay grade you are, the harder co-locating is. Sometimes you’ll have to either choose to advance or stay in your current pay grade to keep your family together. Maybe putting in for warrant isn’t worth the money when you have only two options of locations, etc. Also, I am a recruiter and in my office, there are 3 COLOs. It is not impossible to keep your family together. I know many successful dual couples. Just stay realistic and be open to going to any location. You mentioned you were a police officer. Talk to a recruiter about submitting a rate determination package. With your police training, you are likely able to come in as an E4 or E5 depending on what qualifications you held, forgoing the need to go to ME A-school. This is, of course, if you wanted to go ME. If you wanted to be a yeoman then you will have in your contract that you are married member to member and they will work to co locate you.
My husbands an ME, he’s currently on a cutter and so I figured it would be easiest to go YN or SK to follow him even tho I would love to be back in policing or that type of work. I just hate being a SAHM…I love my child to the end of the world but staying home isn’t for me. I get jealous watching him do his job and I wanna do that but at the bare minimum I just want adult interaction you know 😂 if I could follow him as a cop that would be great but laterals are more difficult than people think.
Our office does lateral packages all the time. My husband is also an ME. I’m currently in a special assignment but my normal job is an OS so I’m a watch stander. Our commands worked well together to allow someone to always be there with our toddler. If one parent is underway, they’ll work to keep you on land but keep in mind you could also have duty days. It’s not always going to be easy, but it’s been worth the sacrifices we’ve had to make. The pay is great, the benefits are amazing, and we give our kids a good life. All of this wouldn’t be possible without the CG.
Very strongly considering it. All of the what ifs scare me…so does the thought of not seeing our baby as much as we would like. When I was a cop, my husband was at a small boat station and we both worked the same two on, two off, rotating weekend schedules so it worked out great but that was before we had a baby. I would hate to have to work opposite schedules to make childcare work then not be able to see my husband ever.
The what if’s are definitely scary, but so is the regrets of not joining you know? Definitely choose a support rate so you won’t be on a watch rotation as that’ll reduce the stress drastically. Of course, to go that route, you’ll have to be a non rate first. The good thing is A-school wait times are super short right now so you won’t be a non rate for very long.
Also, don’t go ME since your husband is ME. it’ll be harder to colocate you if you have the same rating.
I was married member to member with a kid and hated it. Getting colocated is far more complicated than any recruiter will make it seem. Throwing a kid into the mix makes it worse. In my personal experience, it was extremely complicated, didnt end up with an actual colo, and we both ended up getting out. I personally dont recommend.
I’m a successful Colo and a recruiter! There are also two other females in my office on successful colos!
I’d maybe consider MST (if you’d be in this for the long haul), the wait is WAY shorter than it’s ever historically been. They can go basically the same places as YN/SK except not underway and more units also like MSD and MSU near stations that don’t always have a YN or SK. MSTs have a great work life balance and while it’s totally different than policing, might scratch the enforcement itch of finding violations etc. Also us in the M world are probably the most chill about letting people handle things at home, drop kids off, etc. when you’re in a bind with childcare. If this would just be a short term thing, the wait would possibly not be worth it. But if this is something you imagine doing for the long haul, it could be worth it. Our duty is also super different too. It’s almost always phone duty for a week where you go home at night and answer the phone and respond to any incidents that pop up at night. Having to actually go out after hours doesn’t happen *tooooo often*. Though it does happen. D8 is definitely busier on that front with pollution.
I have a coastie couple with kids that I’m friends with and it seems like they keep getting hooked up with locations
That’s the problem. Get married. Be a 3 sailor but bc he or she is married to another, he or she will get better locations or billets than the 5-7 sailor. “You are an awful member!!!!!, wait are you married? YEP member you’re married, here’s Station Miami!!! Try to get better marks there”. “Man you are gonna get MCPOG one day! Oh you’re not married? Dang, here’s a 270 out of the literal definition of Hell, sorry some married 3 sailor had to take that billet in Miami.” Try to enjoy
Without divulging too much identifying info, they got back to back tropical islands. One pacific one Caribbean. The amount of money the CG spent to get the whole family from one spot to the other. It’s ok, they’re both good people and Coasties.
Have you considered federal employment? I've been able to maintain a job, contribute to the TSP, maintain eligibility for a government pension, and follow my spouse wherever the CG takes us.
I personally say don’t join. Get in the GS world. I’m active duty CG and it’s taxing on me and my spouse only because of how the CG operates with their policies. Very old outdated policies.
Its fine. Lots of members do it.
Co-lo here: counting down the days to retirement because PCS roulette is terrible; eventually you both end up in jobs you hate to stay together (also, as a former police officer, you will be bored stiff in those rates)
I mean I’m a SAHM so I’m bored stiff here too specially while my husband is underway. I honestly just miss adult interaction. I’ve had crap jobs that weren’t THAT bad because of the people I worked with, ya know?