Quote:
Originally Posted by The Reaper
Some spouses can handle that kind of deployment schedule. Many cannot. One thing that can help is a little extra money to help make sure that the family is living well during the deployments.
There are a lot of opportunities on the outside, paying significantly more than the Army offers. Spouses know this as well.
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IMO a smart spouse will want her man to stay in SF rather than going with contractors. Yeah they dangle a lot of money and claim shorter periods away from home (which is usually BS), but they also lack the support for both soldier and family. The ones that offer $1,000.00 a day are demanding proportionate risks to earn that money. I have never encouraged him to take a contracting job. I just don't think it is worth the risk, and I don't think he would be happy doing it.
I don't like having him gone 75% of the time. I really DO like having him around, but after he has been home for a while he gets antsy and usually starts tearing holes in the walls of the house (remodeling ... not anger management). About that time, I will ask if he doesn't have some school to go to or something. Most other wives I know are similar. Then again most other wives I know have been doing this for 5+ years and are on the four or fifth or sixth deployment. I know there are women out there who have threatened to and/or left guys for staying in group, but by and large those marriages had other issues happening. SF doesn't tear marriages apart, but it will shine a glaring spotlight on problems in the relationship.
TR is right, the money does help when he is gone. Mostly it helps pay for things he would take care of if he were home like the yard, home repairs, cleaning out the gutters, blah blah blah. It is also nice that we can put some money into a gun fund for him every deployment so he has a toy when he gets home. However, even with the incentive pay, no one is gonna get rich doing this job, but it will help offset his "'cool guy" gear that the Army won't pop for and that I don't have the heart to deny him.