Deploying overseas, please help

[Ban Hammer 13,283]

YEOOOOW that sounds like orders to the DMZ in Korea.

No, not the DMZ, actually I don't think that I'm at liberty to discuss where I'm going, sorry. Let's just say that where I'm going has been in the news quite a bit.

Thank you everyone for all of the help.

i'm sure it's not new orleans

keep your head down and stay outta trouble. been there and done that and best wishes for you

[Keith & Xiang 0]

With all due respect Keith,

Bringing Xiang to the States without you for 18 months isn't a good idea for her. (Unless she's been here before and understands our culture?)

Good Luck

After bringing my Vietnamese wife to America 15 months ago, NOW I'm finally confident about her living alone without me because I know she can pay the bills online, drives, shops, cooks, works full-time, understands safety & the social differences, most importantly, she's independent and wouldn't impose on other people to meet her needs.

I truly appreciate everyone's input here, it clearly shows that user's want the best for each other. My fiancee Xiang had recently been in Canada for 5 months on a cultural exchange program, she's been an English teacher in China for the past 16 years.

I know that she'll miss her home town and her country, I'm doing all that I can to make the United States as comfortable for her as possible. She's going to focus on her career while I'm away, taking additional courses to gain her teaching certificate here, learning to drive, and I'll also have as many phone cards as possible for her to call China anytime her heart desires. I'm also setting up a website to bring the Chinese community together in our area and also will have all the Chinese channels that Dish Network has to offer.

So yes I have thought long and hard on this, we have talked about it together as husbands and wives should do. This is not only my decision but ours together, on average we talk about 1 - 2 hours each day on the phone as well as emailing each other and video conferencing with one another.

As for her being independent, she has raised her/our daughter on her own for the past 2 years along with paying the bills, grocery shopping, tutoring her students, having a part time job after her full time job, and a multitude of other choirs and responsibilities. I have yet to find any other fine lady out there that could possibly equal her independence. The only reason that she's coming to live in the United States is because of our deep love and that special bond that perfect couples have for each other.

[TracyTN 237]

Please keep us informed about the speed of your case. I've been following you along, and I sure do hope you can get something sorted out soon. At least she knows the language very well, and she can lean on your family too.

[woodgc 0]

This may help but is not necessary good news. I was in contact with my congressman and I asked the question as to what happens if you do get called- up even though for me it is not likely -and I was told they just had a case of a guy getting called up for I think 18 months but going to Alaska and that did nothing their office was told that unless the member is going into a combat zone and it might have also stated, anticipates being in combat, they do not help at all.

So if it looks like you might be in that situation Contact all you congressman; the embassy yourself; get a hold of the red cross and see if they can add fuel and make the biggest fire under their butt as possible.

Your pictures show you are old enough to understand what it means to dump someone in a foreign country alone so you need to best decide how it will be. If you have never had dealings with other cultures long term please insure she has a very good support network and also insure you fine out the legal ramifications for her if you happen to take the freedom bird upstairs instead of back to USA. When I was in San Diego many years ago we had a Philippino USC sailor married to a Philippina NONUSC and he was killed in a car accident leaving the hospital after the birth of their child- drunk driver. The INS wanted to ship her back to the PI ASAP even though almost all his and her family was in USA; including both sets of parents. His congressman had to have a special federal law passed to allow her to stay so this highly insane ####### does happen.

Why not 200K n insurance and leave her in China??? I got a 100K I was insured by the insurance company that in the event of my final vacation she would without doubt receive the funds in Vn

[Jaylen Brit 0]

Keith I found this:

wa, from Ft Sam Houston, Tx writes:

Sir: I am an active Army soldier. I put in an application DEC 02 for a fiancee visa for my fiancee from China. I just got back from a 10-month-long deployment of supporting of OEF and OIF. It has been 1 year. I haven't received the visa date. Should an active duty soldier have the priority?

Anthony Principi

Dear WA

I deeply regret the problem you are having with obtaining a fiancee visa. Thank you for your tremendous service to America. Please contact Debbie Bevins at 202 273 4800 to determine the status of your visa and assist if possible.

here: http://www.whitehouse.gov/ask/20031110.html

Don't know if that is any help but might be worth calling. Best of luck

[wodengdaini 0]

Keith, my heart goes out to you.

Thank you for serving our country, my whole family and I salute you.

[Keith & Xiang 0]

Keith, my heart goes out to you.

Thank you for serving our country, my whole family and I salute you.

And I thank each and every one of your for your support and guidance with our K1 Fiancee Visa.

Here's some good news, I hope. Out of pure dispiration and receiving the email from the Congressman's office about them waiting till August to call the U.S. Consulate in Guangzhou, China I searched the internet. I went to http://www.whitehouse.gov and found a "contact us" button, I decided to press it. Ok, now I have two choices to send an email, the President (or one of his aides I should say) or the Vice President (or one of his aides). I thought very long and hard about this, I don't jump my chain of command with the military but the time is drawing near for my deployment. I sent an email to both, thinking that the email would float in cyber space for all of eternity.

Well this was a little over a month ago, a few days ago I received a snail mail letter in my mailbox from the White House in DC, they basically stated that someone from the U.S. Department of State would be getting in touch with me in the near future in an attempt to expedite my K1 Fiancee Visa. I pray that they keep their word, I cannot imagine having to go through the K1 Fiancee Visa all over again because I missed the window due to my deployment.

Believe me, I thought very long and very hard on my action to submit an email to the White House. I thank God above that someone there has a heart and will help a couple in love to finally get married and spend a lifetime of bliss together! I've heard that people from China usually don't talk on the phone for any longer than 20 minutes or so, me and my fiancee sometimes talk for hours or so. I'm also thankful that I have found a phone card provider that only charges .025 cents per minute, rounding to the minute, and these are TRUE minutes, no usage fees!

Thanks again all, may everyone have success in bringing their loved ones over! Please keep your love alive, the key to a great marriage is communication, always have your heart talk to the one that you love!