worried questions

[danicat83]

My husband is wanting to join the Guard and I know nothing about it. We have an 8 month old daughter and are having a hard time making ends meet right now with him being out of work all the time with layoffs. My husband has had some problems in his past including anger issues, drugs and some minor legal problems, he also has had trouble getting and keeping jobs. He finally seems honestly interested in bettering his life. He is getting his GED now, then wants to join the Guard. My concern is how am I going to support our family while he is in boot camp training? I work, but my pay is pretty lousy and not enough to pay our rent and care for our child. Will he get paid for the basic training? How much? Also... medical bills are ridiculous with no insurance... will his daughter get any sort of insurance through him in the Guard while he is in training or does he have to go fighting in Iraq or someplace first before there is insurance and pay. Thanks for any info... I am clueless and he is too excited about wanting to turn his life around that I dont think he is getting all the info straight. Also will any jobs hire him if they know he is in the Guard or will they not hire him due to the fact that he could be called away at any time, I dont know how that works. Thanks

[NynjaX]

He gets paid while in boot camp. It will probably be something like $1,000 a month. I think he might get more because he has a child (Not sure). 20,000 for signing up. He also gets paid more if he signs up friends.

The insurance plan offered to Guard members is the Servicemembers' Group Life Insurance (SGLI), which provides coverage for a Guard member 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. It costs approximately $16.25 per month for $250,000 of insurance with smaller amounts of coverage available. Coverage is available through age 60, upon receipt of your first retirement check, or 120 days after a soldiers ETS.

Family coverage is available through Family Servicemembers' Group Life Insurance (FSGLI). This program is available to the spouses and dependent children of members insured under the SGLI program. FSGLI provides up to a maximum of $100,000 of insurance coverage for spouses, not to exceed the SGLI amount of the insured member. It also provides $10,000 for dependent children. Spousal coverage is issued in increments of $10,000. Coverage costs vary among plans.

This is just some info that might help you out alot...

[matthew.ritchie]

If he's mobilized, he and the family will be covered under Tricare at no charge. Time when he's not mobilized, the Guard offers subsidized (not free) health insurance, which might be of interest to you. http://www.tricare.osd.mil/reserve/reserveselect/index.cfm

His Recruiter can tell you his base pay and Basic Allowance for Housing (BAH) while he's at training or mobilized.

[NynjaX]

Yup... I knew I was missing something

[danicat83]

thanks for the replies. It is good to know he will get something while he is at boot camp. He really wants to do this to better his life but if we couldnt make ends meet and support the baby while he is at boot camp it wouldnt be a feasable thing to do. Unfortunately 1,000 a month isnt much but I could make ends meet. He doesnt get that 20,000 until after he finishes boot camp right? That is what I have heard. I'm nervous about this whole thing but very proud that he is wanting to do something to make our daughter and I proud of him, and if he can make enough money to support us (with my job too of course) that would be great.

[Towely]

thanks for the replies. It is good to know he will get something while he is at boot camp. He really wants to do this to better his life but if we couldnt make ends meet and support the baby while he is at boot camp it wouldnt be a feasable thing to do. Unfortunately 1,000 a month isnt much but I could make ends meet. He doesnt get that 20,000 until after he finishes boot camp right? That is what I have heard. I'm nervous about this whole thing but very proud that he is wanting to do something to make our daughter and I proud of him, and if he can make enough money to support us (with my job too of course) that would be great.

Not untill after BCT and AIT. Im not sure how it works when you are out of college but for me i get 1/2 when i finish AIT and the other half after i get through my 2nd year of college.

[NynjaX]

"Enlistment bonuses up to $20,000! And that's just for signing up!"
Than I beleive its 20,000 after BCT than 20,000 after AIT or 10,000 after both...

[AbnMtn]

Danicat83,

The $20,000 enlistment bonus would be for any of the critical specialties (10 nationwide and 20 for your state, for a total of 30) for which he qualifies after taking the ASVAB. The bonus is paid in two installments, 50% after completing AIT (the specialty he selects) and the other 50% on the third year aniversary of his enlistment. Make sure that you're getting the information from a qualified recruiter before sitting down with your husband to make this major decision.

[AbnMtn]

"Enlistment bonuses up to $20,000! And that's just for signing up!"
Than I beleive its 20,000 after BCT than 20,000 after AIT or 10,000 after both...

The information you post on this threads is used by those who visit the forum to gain knowledge before they make a major decision in their lives. Please, if you don't know the information they are requesting, SHUT IT! It isn't a joke to weigh your decisions using presumptions made due to faulty information provided by people who are not qualified to do so. Rather than helping, you're adding confusion to some issues that are complicated already and can do without additional erroneous information. At the least, post a disclaimer that you're not sure about the information so it's not taken at face value.