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I know it's very rare, but has anyone ever lived on base with their spouse while theyre in A School?

Hi everyone,

My wife is joining the Navy and I'm just trying to get as much information as possible so I know what to expect. Her brother is in A School in Great Lakes right now, so I know some basic information, but theres a lot I still wonder about. I've read a few different things regarding spouses being able to live on or even off base together during A school. I've read that if the A school is over 6th months it can be done. Does anyone know if this is true? My wife is looking into being an ET, and the A school is somewhere around 42 weeks in Great Lakes. I guess what I'm asking is, if her A school is over 6th months, will the Navy pay for me to move out there? If I live off base near Great Lakes and she lives on base, will she still get bah like she will while she's in basic? I know talking to a recruiter would probably be best, but she's not at that point yet. She wants to improve her fitness level a little more before she does that. Any information is greatly appreciated.
Thanks!!

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Replies to This Discussion

My husband is an ET, and we lived in Great Lakes housing after bootcamp, and the Navy paid for the move. My husband was in Great Lakes just over 1 year (June '13-July '14) for bootcamp and school. She'll have to fill out a live ashore chit, get that approved, and class up before anything can really be set in motion.  A recruiter is not a reliable source of information, most of them will just tell you what you want to hear unfortunately. 

Thank you so much! Would she have to put all that in before graduating boot camp? Do you remember about how long the process took? Thank you again!!

Because you are already married, the BAH will kick in during boot camp for you.  It will be based on your current zip code and take a few pay cycles to show up.  

AECF program is long enough for accompanied orders.  That is taken care of when she signs the original contract as a married recruit.  Nothing for Live Ashore can be done during boot camp, because RTC is a different command than TSC, where the A schools are.  She'd need to graduate from basic, check into TSC, earn phase two of liberty (two~three weeks), then apply for live ashore (two weeks more-ish??).  You can arrange the move earlier than she can live off base, but you will need a POA and a hard copy of her orders.

Bear in mind with AECF she has a pretty equal chance of being an FC as an ET.  ET cannot be guaranteed before boot camp, it is assigned during according to needs of the Navy.  Be prepared for that.  Still the same scenario for A school though, you get a move there.  C schools and the fleet is where things diverge.

Thank you Anti M! That information is very helpful. In your opinion, is it better to live on base or off? We don't have any children (yet), it's just the two of us and our dog (a beagle/lab mix who is 40 lbs).

Opinions vary a lot on the off vs. on base options.  Base housing in Great Lakes is not bad, very close to the base, so there is almost no commute. They do take all the BAH, so no remembering to pay rent.  You are in the middle of Navy, so it can feel like eyes are on you, or maybe like you have a ready made support system of neighbors (hard to tell in advance which you'll get).

Off base, you can save whatever BAH you do not spend, but you have to be responsible about your bills.  Commute can be bad in the winter, you need a good car.  If she is late to school, she could lose her Live Ashore status.  Neighborhoods may be sketchy.  

I was raised in housing, but when I was active duty myself, we always lived off base. Mostly I hated the housing in Japan and preferred our funky little house.  In San Diego, the wait list was too long, so we just stayed in our rental.  Great Lakes?  I'd say housing for convenience sake.

So glad to have found this post, as I will be in a very similar situation as EricaLQ and your post was very helpful. My husband is leaving for boot camp in June and we were told that we (our son and I) could live with my husband during A school, but after about the first 9 weeks. My husband and I were concerned with what would happen during C school, though.  Could you elaborate on when you said "C schools and the fleet is where things diverge."  Thank you!

The advice for A school is fairly simple, as there are not many variables at Great Lakes.  AECF is one of the few schools there long enough to move dependents.  Easy.  

C schools ... FC have longer C schools, in fixed locations and most are over 20 weeks, which qualifies for a move of dependents.  But ETs have so many different C school options, it can be hard to plan because you have no way of knowing what orders you'll get.  Many are too short for a move.

Fleet orders in the US will usually be accompanied.  Overseas  orders will only be accompanied if he has made E-4 ... which would be true for AECF as that is in their contract, but not true for most other ratings (which train at Great Lakes).  And there are duty stations where dependents cannot go.  While the Navy tries not to send married sailors to those places, if they need them there, they go, and the families stay behind.  Also, to go overseas, families must pass a health and security screening, usually not a problem, but can be.

Too many variables, and things can get complicated.  Just try to get through boot camp first!

Base housing for students is not like the normal housing, unless you get lucky because they don't have anything else open. You'll get put in an apartment most likely, and in my opinion, it wasn't worth full bah. But we had a kid, so it was the safest option. The surrounding areas are pretty grizzly these days, lots of gang activity. If you're willing to live out a little farther and commute, you'll find safer areas. But since it'll only be a little more than a year, base housing is probably the best option.

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