War Deserters told to leave Canada..

[Galateia 1]

This worries me, as my husband is mostly likely going to be working under a 3 year contract as a psychologist for the Air Force. We have been told that if he is 'deployed' it will be for only 3 months out of those 3 years and that he will not be on the 'front' as his job is to deal with the pilots who have PTSD, etc.

How likely is it that the military will pull a fast one and say "Yep, we agreed to 3 years, but guess what! You have to work another 3 years because we decided that's what we want to do"?

If you create a contract for X number of years, it is immoral for the employing body to force you to work longer than those agreed-to number of years.

Can anyone clarify this for me?

That depends. Did he join the Air Force, or is he a contracted civilian? If he's civilian, his contract is up when its up, he can renew if he wants, but, if he actually joins the Force, all military contract law applies.

I don't know.

I know he'll have the equivalent rank of a commissioned officer and do his internship with them, but he'll be a clinical psychologist, not a commanding officer. He'll have to go through boot camp-style physical conditioning and cut his hair, but we'll be living on a base for those 3 years. The first year at least will be within the US, and then at least one year abroad, possibly in Japan or Germany.

Does that help at all?

He hasn't signed the contract yet, that will be in a few years when he's done his Doctorate and he's ready for his internship. He'll be interning with the AF and then when he has his PhD he'll be on contract as a clinical psychologist for 3 years.

Edited January 8, 2009 by Galateia

[Reba 2]

I'd suggest he talk with the AF to find out exactly. I'm just a stupid Canuck, what do I know?

[Carlawarla 1]

This worries me, as my husband is mostly likely going to be working under a 3 year contract as a psychologist for the Air Force. We have been told that if he is 'deployed' it will be for only 3 months out of those 3 years and that he will not be on the 'front' as his job is to deal with the pilots who have PTSD, etc.

How likely is it that the military will pull a fast one and say "Yep, we agreed to 3 years, but guess what! You have to work another 3 years because we decided that's what we want to do"?

If you create a contract for X number of years, it is immoral for the employing body to force you to work longer than those agreed-to number of years.

Can anyone clarify this for me?

You should be clarifying this with your husband. Doesn't he know? He needs to find out. Maybe he does know and is okay with the proposal. Again, like others have said, you sign up, or contract with them...then I guess you do what they want you to. You can't have it both ways. You mention he's going to intern there? If he's really worried about them extending the contract, then he should look for some other place to work. There are tons of places to intern where the recipients of his services have suffered PTSD, like...in the community. Frankly, given the discussion here so far, I wouldn't trust that he'll be doing what he thinks or wants to be doing anyway. "They" told him 3 months? Maybe 3 months, then he'll return, then maybe six months down the road, they'll say...we need you to do another 3 months. Or, he's over there 3 months, and they say, we want you to stay 6 months. What's he going to do, say..." well, "they" told me I would only have to do 3 months?". Maybe he does know what could happen and is prepared for it. Maybe it's you that doesn't know about that? Let us know what he says.

[desert_fox 32]

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I don't know.

I know he'll have the equivalent rank of a commissioned officer and do his internship with them, but he'll be a clinical psychologist, not a commanding officer. He'll have to go through boot camp-style physical conditioning and cut his hair, but we'll be living on a base for those 3 years. The first year at least will be within the US, and then at least one year abroad, possibly in Japan or Germany.

Does that help at all?

He hasn't signed the contract yet, that will be in a few years when he's done his Doctorate and he's ready for his internship. He'll be interning with the AF and then when he has his PhD he'll be on contract as a clinical psychologist for 3 years.

You are not too clear.....is he signing a contract for civilian employment or is he accepting a commission in the AF. If you are a contract employee...yes, it will be three years.

If he is going to be a commissioned officer, then that is different. He will receive commissioning orders for 20 years. You serve at the pleasure of the President. After three years, you apply to be released from active duty. If you are a Reserve Officer, they will probably let you go. If you are a Regular Officer, then they will determine if they can afford to release you....depends on the availability of needed skills and manpower requirements.

[Galateia 1]

.

I don't know.

I know he'll have the equivalent rank of a commissioned officer and do his internship with them, but he'll be a clinical psychologist, not a commanding officer. He'll have to go through boot camp-style physical conditioning and cut his hair, but we'll be living on a base for those 3 years. The first year at least will be within the US, and then at least one year abroad, possibly in Japan or Germany.

Does that help at all?

He hasn't signed the contract yet, that will be in a few years when he's done his Doctorate and he's ready for his internship. He'll be interning with the AF and then when he has his PhD he'll be on contract as a clinical psychologist for 3 years.

You are not too clear.....is he signing a contract for civilian employment or is he accepting a commission in the AF. If you are a contract employee...yes, it will be three years.

If he is going to be a commissioned officer, then that is different. He will receive commissioning orders for 20 years. You serve at the pleasure of the President. After three years, you apply to be released from active duty. If you are a Reserve Officer, they will probably let you go. If you are a Regular Officer, then they will determine if they can afford to release you....depends on the availability of needed skills and manpower requirements.

Well, I have today off and he'll be home from work soon so I will ask him then. I think it's a civilian contract but I want to know for sure. Thanks for helping me figure out what questions to ask.

[Texanadian 10]

male citizens/nationals who are from 18 & less than 26 years of age

Permanent residents too. I made sure to move to the US after I was 26. I think it's ridiculous that they would make non citizens go to war.

[trailmix 77]

male citizens/nationals who are from 18 & less than 26 years of age

Permanent residents too. I made sure to move to the US after I was 26. I think it's ridiculous that they would make non citizens go to war.

Hmm, well what really wouldn't be fair is to have all the advantages of the country (barring voting) with none of the responsibility. Plus I imagine they figure, since you are an immigrant, if you don't like it you can leave.

Edited January 9, 2009 by trailmix

[Galateia 1]

.

I don't know.

I know he'll have the equivalent rank of a commissioned officer and do his internship with them, but he'll be a clinical psychologist, not a commanding officer. He'll have to go through boot camp-style physical conditioning and cut his hair, but we'll be living on a base for those 3 years. The first year at least will be within the US, and then at least one year abroad, possibly in Japan or Germany.

Does that help at all?

He hasn't signed the contract yet, that will be in a few years when he's done his Doctorate and he's ready for his internship. He'll be interning with the AF and then when he has his PhD he'll be on contract as a clinical psychologist for 3 years.

You are not too clear.....is he signing a contract for civilian employment or is he accepting a commission in the AF. If you are a contract employee...yes, it will be three years.

If he is going to be a commissioned officer, then that is different. He will receive commissioning orders for 20 years. You serve at the pleasure of the President. After three years, you apply to be released from active duty. If you are a Reserve Officer, they will probably let you go. If you are a Regular Officer, then they will determine if they can afford to release you....depends on the availability of needed skills and manpower requirements.

Oh #######.

Having a spaz ... he says that yes, he will be a commissioned officer but that the AF "doesn't do that" when it comes to potentially being on the hook for 20 years, etc. He says the army does, but the AF does not. They have the power to do so, but don't.

He doesn't know if he will be Reserve Officer or a Regular officer. I'm flipping my gourd. I agreed to a 7-8 year detour from my degree and career, not a 28 year detour.

Where can I get hard answers from? We had pretty much decided this was the route we wanted to go, but that's back when I thought it was going to be 3 years then done for good. I am not willing to be a military wife.

[Flames9_RN 358]

Huge difference between it doesn't apply to the Air force, than "yes it applies, but the Air force doesn't do it! A person in his position isn't going to be battling with a weapon, he is going to be dealing with the mentally wounded. But it is something one should look into. Recruiters tend to "bend" the truth at times.

[minnew 4]

I know this is getting off-topic but I would like to add something to the conversation. My fiance's dad used to be an army recruiter, is also a vietnam veteran and now his younger son is planning to join the Air Force. He already has a career field in mind. The recruiter that they had been going to has not been very cooperative or helpful in that they are trying to get his son to enlist in the AF and THEN pick a career field within the AF that might interest him to give him time to think about it. DO NOT DO THIS!! They will place you in a job you will hate!! Have the job in mind that you want to do and force the recruiter to give you more information on the career field. The recruiter (and they have been trying to find another in the area) has not been cooperative in that, and I am not sure telling the truth about other aspects, which leads recruits to not know the reality of what they are getting in to.

Just a thought....you are 18 years old and allowed to enter the military...it has been researched that 18 year olds do not have full decision making capacity, are they thinking more about what they can do with an enlistment bonus?

My fiance is in the AF and he's worked with the new recruits that come who are 18, straight out of high school and myself and him have seen them not do well at all, professionally or personally and in some cases actually being discharged from the AF. Too much too soon? Yes in my opinion, but maybe there are some well-adjusted mature for their age 18 year olds out there who do join.

[desert_fox 32]

He hasn't signed the contract yet, that will be in a few years when he's done his Doctorate and he's ready for his internship. He'll be interning with the AF and then when he has his PhD he'll be on contract as a clinical psychologist for 3 years.

You are not too clear.....is he signing a contract for civilian employment or is he accepting a commission in the AF. If you are a contract employee...yes, it will be three years.

If he is going to be a commissioned officer, then that is different. He will receive commissioning orders for 20 years. You serve at the pleasure of the President. After three years, you apply to be released from active duty. If you are a Reserve Officer, they will probably let you go. If you are a Regular Officer, then they will determine if they can afford to release you....depends on the availability of needed skills and manpower requirements.

Oh #######.

Having a spaz ... he says that yes, he will be a commissioned officer but that the AF "doesn't do that" when it comes to potentially being on the hook for 20 years, etc. He says the army does, but the AF does not. They have the power to do so, but don't.

He doesn't know if he will be Reserve Officer or a Regular officer. I'm flipping my gourd. I agreed to a 7-8 year detour from my degree and career, not a 28 year detour.

Where can I get hard answers from? We had pretty much decided this was the route we wanted to go, but that's back when I thought it was going to be 3 years then done for good. I am not willing to be a military wife.

He would be a Reserve Officer on active duty. After the three years he would apply for a separation date. It would be approved unless he accepts a Regular Commission in the interim if he should decide to make it a career. I dont know what you are fretting about. It will be a good life probably stationed in Europe and caring for dependents, etc.

If he joins an active reserve unit afterwards....then he does his one weekend a month....collects several hundred dollars but is subject to be activated again if his unit is activated. If he becomes an inactive reservist, then yes, they will have his name but under present conditions it would be doubtful that he would be involuntarily recalled unless we went to war with Canada or something like that.

[Reba 2]

not everyone is cut out to be a military spouse though desertfox. I can understand her stressing about it. Its not a life that some people can handle, and understandably really. Even though he wouldn't be "on the front lines" necessarily, he could potentially be stationed somewhere not too pleasant, leaving her behind Stateside or on a base somewhere foreign.

Gal, I suggest you speak with your husband about your concerns, and have him find out for sure exactly what it is he's getting himself into. If even he's not sure right now, (as it sounds), he may be in for a big surprise when he gets to the point of finding out what he's signing up for.

[Emancipation 2]

My fiance is in the AF and he's worked with the new recruits that come who are 18, straight out of high school and myself and him have seen them not do well at all, professionally or personally and in some cases actually being discharged from the AF. Too much too soon? Yes in my opinion, but maybe there are some well-adjusted mature for their age 18 year olds out there who do join.

Hubby joined right out of highschool.. he did it because college didn't interest him at all.. he did 7 yrs in the Navy and it was good for him.. kept him actually out of trouble, and he got to see the world on the Gov. dime.. different era then of course, it was mostly in peace time (except for the 1st gulf war), and he was stationed on an aircraft carrier the whole time..

When I told him about the thread he said that anyone who is interested in the forces right now should just join the Navy.. they don't see action - they are always at sea tee hee.. he loved his time in the military, but when it was time to get out, he HAD to get out.. he was not a military career guy.

[minnew 4]

When I told him about the thread he said that anyone who is interested in the forces right now should just join the Navy.. they don't see action - they are always at sea tee hee.. he loved his time in the military, but when it was time to get out, he HAD to get out.. he was not a military career guy.

The nice thing about his job right now in the AF is that if he does deploy I do not have to worry about hime going into combat areas...they don't see any action either...the two times he has deployed its to an island in the middle of the ocean. Ha! more like a vacation. Which I guess the only downfall to that is me sitting at home in the US in the middle of winter or fall( doesn't matter which season LOL)being jealous that on his off time he is scuba diving or playing beach volleyball!! Grrrrr!!! My fiance was actually thinking of getting out in March after his 6 years, he was so fed up...but the current economic situation had alot to do with his decision to stay in, got orders to NE and well that and they were offering reinlistment bonuses, which is going to help to be a great start to our married life. Who know after another 6 years though? We will see!

[Flames9_RN 358]

I joined the reserves just after Grade 11 and enjoyed that, then shortly after High school went Reg Force! loved my 15 years in it. Don't really miss the Army,Navy days, but miss my Air Force days,lol Military life isn't for everyone,nor is it for every spouse,so that has to be taken into account