military training

[kymmy]

Thx to Sharvs for letting me know about these threads.

I am worried about my hubby getting into the army.
He is so keen.
He has been running every night
and preparing.
not sure what is going to happen
he has told me what tests they have to do
he doesn't think he will get in
but he is definitely working towards it

How do I prepare myself and family?

[sharvs]

Hi Kymmy

What corps is he thinking of joining?

My DF is in Infantry but the basic training they do is all the same.

This is probably going to sound silly, but what exactly is it that you are worried about? Is it the time away, the danger, the lifestyle?

Is it possible that you will be posted around family or elsewhere?

I just need a bit more info from you so I know where to start.

Sharon

[tupper_lady]

So long as he is relatively fit the initial basic training is quite simple. More information and I will be able to help you with some inside knowledge! :D

[cjb/jbvd]

hi

am in the army myself, so i can tell you what kind of time he will be spending away from home in the first couple of years.

first up is the recruit training. 6 1/2 (they're putting it back up to 13, so hopefully he makes it before the change comes through) weeks in wagga wagga. he won't be allowed to come home at all for that time, but he will be able to call and write when he gets time.

after he marches out of wagga, he gets sent to holding platoon (waiting area for corps training) in bandiana (albury/wodonga are). he will be allowed to take leave and come home for a short visit, unless his course is a long time away, then they might send him home till it comes up. it's been known to happen, but not often.

then he goes to his corps training. depending what he has signed up for, this can be anywhere from six weeks to 18 months. i'm not sure about the shorter courses, but i am pretty sure that for the longer ones, he can put in for an uplift to get his family to his area. you might have to check that.

after his course is finished, he will get his first 'posting'. this is where he will spend the next 3-4 years working. again, depending on his corps, you can end up anywhere in the country. i personally cannot recommend darwin to anyone, but townsville is actually pretty good.

the army will definately send you and your family to his posted location. you will be given a choice of 'married quarters', which is basically a military provided house with really cheap rent (i live in sydney at the moment, and am only paying $253.00 a fortnight). DCO will help you settle in and provide you with information about schooling and daycare options. they are nice people, but if you want an opinion about which schools are better, then ask the other miliatary wives. they know everything as they have gone through it all before. and they will become your supoort newtwork and your second family. you will probably attend functions with them quite regularly, your kids will be at the same schools and they know what it's like to be left behind. none of them would hesitiate for a second to help you out.

once he is in a unit, you hubby will generally work from 7am to 4pm, monday to friday. he will probably do a 'duty' once a month or so (this is where he will overnight it at his unit for security and on call reasons). once a year he will be away from home for about 7 weeks on exercise. he will probably be able to call at least once, and mail leaves regularly. if he's an engineer (plumber, electrician, chippy) he will go away for up to six months every year, sometimes overseas.

saying all that, your husband can be called in at a moments notice for whatever reason. although this is more likely to happen in infantry, medical and engineering units, any unit at any time can be called in.

it's really tough on an army wife. you guys get little to no support unless you ask for it. and your loved one suddenly changes from someone home to be with his family to away alot. it can be very hard to cope if he joins up after you have been together for a while. sometimes he will come home from being away for a few weeks, and the first thing he will do is go out and get ****ed with his mates. depending on his corp (infantry are the worst for it), his mates will become second family. if you look at it this way: they are trained to eat sleep fight and perhaps die next to a group of people, it's not too hard to understand why there a certain bonds in place that you will not share with him.

that said, i am in the army. i am a single mum and my family all live on the other side of the country. it's heartbreaking to leave my boy behind for even a day. it's hard to settle down as i am due to move yet again. but i wouldn't have it any other way. i do this because i want to. there is a certain amount of pride and respect in myself putting on my uniform every day. i am a better person for doing this job. and yes, my son and i make sacrifices every day, as will your family if your husband joins the big green. but the army allows me more freedom and support to be with my son than if i was still a civillian. i can take leave at a moments notice if my son is sick or needs attention. i get to take up to three weeks paid leave a year (although if you don't get leave for a while, it builds up adn you can take a month or so off at a time) and even if i am away in another country, if my son really needs me, the army has been known to send people home from deployment.

it's a peculiar way of life, and requires alot of commitment to make it work. you both have to be sure about this.

and if all else fails, he's only signed up for four years. he can quit after that any time he wants. so there is an out if you both need one.

hope that's helped a little. good luck to both of you.

[sharvs]

My DF has been in the Army for 5 years & we have been together for 6. He is an Infantry soldier & we are posted to Brisbane.

Our first posting was to Townsville, and coming from Adelaide it felt like the other side of the world for me. We were there for a year then DF left on a 6 month Deployment. When he came home we were posted to Singleton for 2 years so this is our 3rd posting in 5 years. We have moved a bit, but ususally you can expect to be in the one place for 4 years.

DF left last week for 10 months away - 3 months pre-deployment training & 7 months overseas. In this instance, you can choose to move back to your family & the DHA (Defence Housing Authority) will pay for your uplift & arrange most of it for you. I did this when DF went o/s the first time, but I'm staying in Brisbane this time.

Like cinova said, it depends what corp he is going to but you can expect him to have to go away alot on short notice - DF was given a weeks notice before leaving for 10 months.

If you interested, i can PM you the link to another forum, especially for spouses of defence force personnel - they are very supportinve and you can uually find out everything you need .

I'm not going to lie to you, being an Army wife is really tough. BUT there are also rewards & they are the things you have to focus on. For example, DF is going to be away for a long time, miss out on the majority of our DS's first year of life but he is going on a trip that alot of people are linning up for & the money he gets for doing it will help us out alot. There is also the cheap housing (about half standard rent)

I guess with your kids, all you can do is make sure they know Daddy isnt going away because of anything they have done. Dad needs to show them alot of affection before he goes. I havent had to worry about this yet as my DS is only 5 months old. You can expect the kids to be a little funny around him when he first comes home after being away for a while but it will get better.

You need to make sure your support network is a positive one. Alot of my family & friends say "well, you chose that life" - actually, I chose the man, not the life. Just because we are aware that it may happen, it doesnt make it any easier.

I'm off to a pre-deployment brief today so I am going to see what support is available for me & milk it for all it is worth. I want these next 10 months to go quick & sitting at home feeling sorry for myself is only going to make it drag out.

[kymmy]

I guess my worry is that
I will be alone
a lot
At the moment
he works 4 days a week
so he is home a lot
we spend a lot of time together
the kids will miss him like crazy
even my 6 mth old
They have bonded
so well

I don't drive
so I might feel stuck at home

I do have my mum
and mil
close by
but i don't want to burden them
They both work
and I don't


Hubby just says
'don't worry, I might not get in"
he is going this month for the tests
I am scared
what else can i say?

[sharvs]

Maybe you would be best not worrying about it until it happens. I know its easier said than done, but worrying isn't going to change anything.

If he does get it, you will need to get used to not worrying about things until they happen, otherwise you will be a nervous wreck - things change all the time in the Army, just when you think you are prepared they throw a curve ball at you.

When is he planning on applying? Sorry, just re-read your post, this month.

Let us know how he goes, if he gets in I'm sure some of us will be able to help you out.

[neeshNgeorgia]

Hey everyone, it's been a while since i have checkedout the hub, i'm a young mum, DD 15 months and for the last 4 months DF has been a kapooka training and has only just started his advanced training yesterday, so another 5 weeks and we'll be moving. Though i was under the assumption we were leaving on the 22nd of april when he was originally supoosed to finished, but he hurt his knee and couldn't continue training after his march out.
We'll be eventually moving to bonegilla, 12kms out of wodonga VIC, where DP will be training as a vehicle mechanic.
Basically this is just a bit of a vent for me, so i'm just going to rattle on for a bit! sorry...
So the reason i'm now already feeling like an "army wife" is that i haven't been told any thing, i tried contacting DCO to find out what life will be like when we move onto the marriage quarters and just general inforamtion like that but they were no help to me at all. And now i'm kinda freaking out because i know there is no way out, DP is in the army now and will be for a long time, i know we were expecting life to be different but not hard. this is why he decided to join, so life would be easier, bigger cash flow, when quite frankly i wish he never did it, it's much harder than both of us expected.
Basically all i'm after is someone to talk to in the same situation as me, some one with the information i need, ne thing, i'm open ears to ne information about what my life will be like, as im feeling i'm going to have no control.
thanks for letting me vent,
feel a little better
Neesh and georgia

[sharvs]

Hi neeshNgeorgia,

First of all, get used to not knowing anything! It sucks but thats the way the Army is. My DF is going overseas this year & I went to a pre-deployment brief last week. The CO kept wanting us to ask questions but the answer to nearly everyone was "I dont know", "Cant confirm anything yet". It makes life hard because life goes on & we need to makes plans. I dont think it will change for a long time.

I'll give you a bit of my history. I'm 26 years old, have a 5 month old son & we are posted to Brisbane. DF has been in the Army for 5 years, our first posting was to Townsville, then Singleton & now here. We moved here in January & so far DF has been away for 3 months of our 4 months here. He has been in Darwin for nearly 2 weeks, he will be home in August for a month before going to the middle east.

All my family is in Adelaide, but I have decided to stay here while he is away. As much as I would love to be around family & friends, they just dont understand the Army life. It really helps having support from people that can understand where you are coming from.

Personally, I havent found the DCO to be that helpful but I havent tried that hard either. What sort of info do you want from DHA? I'll see if I can help.

I find what gets me though is focusing on the positives. Think about the benefits, cheap housing etc. Think of how proud you will be of your DH the first time you see him in his uniform for ANZAC Day. Think of all the parts of Australia you might get to see. It is so easy just to think of the negatives (I get the gold medal for doing that) but all it does is upset you more.

Anyway, feel free to post away, ask any questions you want. Hopefully on of us can help you out. Look forward to chatting to you soon

Sharon

[neeshNgeorgia]

Hi thanks for a bit of reassurance, but my god, it's hard!
Not only has he been away for a lot longer than expected, his missed out on seeing our little girl walk, and talk and she has changed so much in the last 4 months and how many other precious times like that is he going to miss, because he will go away and i know that. It's just so hard as i'm sure u know.
we definately weren't prepared for exactly how hard it was going to be!
But like u said i can only think of the positives, though like u i do see the negatives first! And i am looking forward to the benefits, housing will be cheaper and we will be earning more money that b4, we'll have financial secruity and i won't have to go back to work which is also great! lol There are a lot of positives i guess if i really think about it.
thanks for the advice hope to chat soon
Ciao
Neesh

[mykidzrokk]

My DH is in training at the moment to join the Reserves......he has always wanted to join the Regular Army, but has been unable to due to the fact he has epilepsy. Finally after many years they have told him that epilepsy isnt enough grounds for immediate rejection, so he is finally going for all his tests on the 24th of May. The reason he has gone for the Reserves is because of his age...he's 36 now and wants to make sure it is really what he wants, before maybe crossing over somewhere down the track. He is a cook and wants to get proper training in the Reserves and continue with this trade. He is soooooo excited...this is like his big break and he so doesnt want to blow it.

I've really enjoyed reading this thread, thanks.....i guess even if he gets in to the reserves, he'll still be away at Kapooka for x-amount of weeks....i think i will be fine, but i do worry how the kids will take it. They are 8-6-3.....the older 2 would understand, but not the 3yo....would be tough on him, i think.

[sharvs]

It is really hard, Neesh. Sometimes you say to yourself "Why me, Why cant I have a normal life?" I'm not a big fan of living this way, but I love my DF too much to live any other way.

I get a kick out of knowing that I have done it - not whist he is away, but once he comes home i say to myself "I did it - I survived". It makes you feel proud of yourself, especially when you know not everyone could handle this lifestyle. Most of my 'civilian' friends pretend to understand my life, but they dont. My DF was leaving for 8 weeks away, & a friend came up to see me. She was in tears most of the time because she was going to be away from her DF for a few nights. I know this is hard for her, but she just picked the wrong person to complain to. I usually find that most of my friends know they will never have to live this life so they dont worry too much about it. As sad as that sounds, I get a kick out of it - it makes me feel special because I do get through it.

Anyone who says its easy is nothing but a liar. You have to remember, it isnt forever & he WILL come home.

I think it is hardest for the kids. We understand why they are away & what they are doing - the kids dont (especially the young ones). My DF left a 4 month old, will be home for a month to a 7 month old, then when he comes home from o/s DS will be 14 months. DS wont know him but he is aware of that, he just needs to spend the time with DS to get comfortable again. He will need to learn how to be a parent again.

[bearsmummy]

hi girls, my dh is in the reserves, i think he said the other day that basic training in kapooka is now only 6 weeks not the 8 that he did. my boys found it hard, especially our oldest, but dh managed to send us a post card and a couple of letters. which really pulled us through and him with the ones that we sent.

my dh too wanted to join full time but i refused as we had already settled in where we live in the west. i thought we had left that a little too late in our lives to start that as a career for him. i grew up with my dad in the army and know how it feels :)

i think him being in the reseves works well for us. he still feels like he is doing his bit for the country (even been deployed!) and goes on courses all the time but at the same time has his regular job near home.

good luck to all you girls... you are so brave and strong, hope to keep on hearing how your all doing on here. :hugs:

[mykidzrokk]

Thanks for the info, bearsmummy, nice to know......

[kymmy]

My husband is going later this month
for training
he has told me they think he will get in
no worries
he will go away for 40 days or something
He now seems to be in two minds about
he says that reserves is the same as full time now?
he knows he will miss us all
so i will be interested to see if he goes in or backs out.....

[bearsmummy]

ooops sorry girls, got it wrong last post :o
reserves training at kapooka is only 4 weeks! so thats even better i guess! and
full time training is 6 weeks ........ keep me posted on how all your fellas go :wave:

[kymmy]

Do they have a ceremony when they get in?
Hubby says he wants me to go, so he can show off
Where will it be?
At the local

[sharvs]

They usually have a "march out" parade, held at Kapooka.

I went to DF's March out, I was so proud of him. They do a parade infront of the family & friends, then they will usually put on a meal for everyone. DF was able to leave the barracks for a couple of hours after his march out so we got to spend a bit of time together. I will never forget that day - my camera didnt stop snapping photos!

[kymmy]

That is it
March Out
Hubby wont stop talking about that

[emma2938]

yeah march out is a fabulous day!! :yes:

I will never forget how proud I was of my husband, its was awesome! We even got tp spend that night together in a hotel before he had to go to Victoria the next day. Saying goodbye again in the morning was tough, but the welcome home is always that much mroe special!

[sharvs]

Once you go to the March out, apart from being so proud of them, you are also proud of yourself. When they first leave, 6 weeks seems like forever & you wonder how you will get through it. Then before you know it, you are standing in the crowd watching your husband (or someone elses husband - they all look the same in their polys!). Then you say to yourself "I did it - I survived".

[bearsmummy]

as im in the west i didnt get to go to my dfs march out but was still so proud thinking of him and when he showed me the video of it!
and boy dont they look spunky in their polys? lol! thought so even on anzac day this year!

tell me kymmy, if u dont mind is your dh going in full time or the reserves?

keep up the good work girls :)

[kymmy]

... Then before you know it, you are standing in the crowd watching your husband (or someone elses husband - they all the the same in their polys!). ".

That's funny.
Thx for your support and help.
Hubby is keeping his options open at the moment
He is going into the reserves
But he wants to change jobs so who knows

I don't think he really knows what he wants himself
Last night he said to me, "They are going to miss me, aren't they?"
Yeah!, and I am sure he will miss the kids too. Me too I hope.
So to be honest I am not sure if he can do it.

He took a year off from school to do the army when he was 17
so maybe he feels like it is going to be the same.
The truth is it isn't.
He has us now.
I just don't know how it is going to work out.
I hate this uncertainity....

[MilkOnTap]

"I did it - I survived"
I hadn't met my hubby yet when he did his march out parade, but I will be there when he gets home from Iraq - waiting to greet him. Though he wont be coming home with the rest of the ship (coming back a month earlier) I will still be just as proud of him :D

I have survived 105 days so far - only 78 days to go. It feel so incredible, every time I realise that a few more days have passed since I last counted, I just go excited about seeing him!

To be honest, I have butterflies right now - I feel like a teenage waiting for my boyfriend to pick me up for our first date together... :kiss:

[sharvs]

Only 78 days to go! Yay for you :yelclap:

I'm excited for you, do you keep picturing in your head the moment you get to hold each other again & how it will feel?

When DF came home from East Timor I waited at the airport for 2 hours (plane was late) & seeing him for the first time is a feeling I will never forget - i was excited, nervous, scared & over the moon all in the same second!

[mykidzrokk]

wow, this is a great thread...i am feeling better about him joining each time i read a little more...of course, he still has to pass all his tests, yet...so am getting way ahead of myself....he goes next Wednesday for all his medical, physical....etc...fingers crossed......Kapooka is only about 2hours from here, i think....so at least that is one thing if he gets thru.

[MilkOnTap]

Do you keep picturing in your head the moment you get to hold each other again & how it will feel?

Do I?!!! All the time! lol

I'm still on my weight loss hike at the moment so that when he sees me, he can pick me up and spin me round :D

[kymmy]

mykidzrokk, how are you feeling now?
I am far from excited.
I am more scared every day.
I don't drive.
I am going to feel like a prisoner in my own home
with 3 children.
Oh, it is more like a detention centre.

[neeshNgeorgia]

hi everyone,
I have posted on this thread b4, but i don't get on the computer much and it's so hard to keep up, so i hope u don't mind me butting in!
My DP has bee away for almost 5months at kapooka. He finished his basic training and had his march out, which i must say was such a fab day and we got to spend the night together which was great to be kinda normal again!, but the week he went into his advanced training, which was supposed to be for only 35 days, he injured his knee meaning he had to go into a recovery platoon for 10weeks, where he went through intense physio to get back to training fitness level. This was the hardest part of him being away, waiting for the date that he would have been finished and we could start our "normal" life again, then seeing that date fly past with him still there at kapooka was awful.
He's started his advanced training again and now only has 19days to go!!!
By the end of his time at kapooka he'll be 3 weeks off being there for 6 months!
So when we originally thought 12 weeks, it end up being 26 weeks!
So to u girls who's hubbys are off to kapooka soon, don't take for granted the time u have with them as a family b4 they leave, because u really don't know how long they are going to be away for.
It's great now knowing that he is only 3weeks away from coming home, then we will be going to Bonagilla, 12kms out of Wodonga VIC, So if any body has been there, or is living there at the moment i would love to hear all about it.
Also if any body has any info on DHA that would be much appreciated

Have a good day
Cheers
Neesh

[kymmy]

Hi, Neesh!
How am I going to deal with hubby being away?

[sharvs]

So to u girls who's hubbys are off to kapooka soon, don't take for granted the time u have with them as a family b4 they leave, because u really don't know how long they are going to be away for.


That is another thing you need to get use to pretty quickly - nothing is ever certain in the Army. They tell you one thing, then something different will happen. Whether it be injury or something else. My DF was told in 2003 he was being deployed, then 3 weeks before he was meant to leave he was told he wasnt going. Then a week before he was meant to leave he was going. He did end up going for 6 months. We are a month into a 9 month deployment at the moment - 3 months interstate, 6 months overseas. Even the overseas time keeps changing, one minute its 6 months, the next it is longer.

Kymmy, my advice is stay busy - you have 3 kids so that shouldnt be too much of a problem. He's not away forever, whether it be 2 weeks or 2 years he will come home. Dont be afraid to look for help, & other people in the same situation because they can sympathise with you. There are plenty of us around & we are all doing it tough with our DP's away. You'll be suprised at yourself, just how well you do cope.

All my family & friends are in SA - we have been in Brisbane for 4 months. I am raising my first child by myself & I am suprised at how well I am coping. I'm proud of myself for doing it. I'm sure you'll be proud of yourself too, as will your DH!

Neesh, what sort of info on DHA are you after?

[kymmy]

How can you be so sure I will cope, Sharvs?
I guess it is good to know you and others are coping.
But am I that strong?

[sharvs]

Well, i cant be sure. Your kids need you. They need you to be strong (although easier said than done). I'm not saying you wont have days where you just want to cry all day, we all have them but it is possible to make it through it & come out the other end a stronger person. It's not easy being a defence force spouse & no-one will argue with you there.

I dont mean to be nasty but if you have the attitude that you wont cope, then you probably wont. I know, because that is how I started off when DF first joined. 5 years later (of which he has been away for about half of) I've finally got it worked out that i need to stay positive about it all. Like I said, i still have my moments where I get really angry at him for leaving me, but I am also so proud of him.

When DF first joined the Army, i was the weakest person I knew! Hated being alone, would make myself sick thinking about it. Now I have realised that I am a strong person, it just took this to bring it out.

[kymmy]

Thankyou Sharon.
I know you are right.

[neeshNgeorgia]

hi everyone,
Sharvs thank you so much for all ur advice about everything, u are really a strong person to be able to have ur own problems and then still give ppl advice! so thank you.
Basically about DHA, I really don't know too much about them. At the moment i'm kinda just being left in the loop, and we are supposed to be moving in 3 weeks. Now it maybe just me but i'm kinda freaking out that we don't have a house yet, I have no idea how our furniture is getting to wodonga, nothing. So if i ring DHA what do u think i should ask? Will they be able to give me any info or???
This is so annoying, i am the most organised person, and it's really hard for me having no bloody control!:banghead:
I'm trying to see the positives in everything, byut it's so hard when there are so many bloody negatives in every situation!

[sharvs]

Hi Neesh,

First of all, are you recognized defacto? If you are, ring DHA - they should be able to help you. If not, then your partner will probably have to do it.

You partner should have been given a relocation pack at Kapooka. He basically has to fill in all of your family details (number of children, pets, special requirements for housing etc). Once the DHA receives this back, they issue you with a PIN for the Homefind website. Once you have that PIN, you log on & you can see all the houses that are available for you. They have pictures & a floor plan so you can see all of the house. You can secure the house on line too.

The DHA will then arrange your pre-pack & uplift. You need to fill in an inventory of all your house (furniture, number of boxes for each room etc). This can be done online too. Once the DHA has this they send it off to get quotes for different removalists. The one who gets the contract will come out to your house & do a pre-pack survey & arrange the day for your pre-pack, uplift and delivery at your new location.

Since you are moving in 3 weeks and none of this has been done, I would get onto it ASAP (like as soon as you finish reading my post!) or get your partner onto it straight away. DHA will put you up in a motel (or similar) in your new location but I think the most they will pay for is 10 days.

I would ring DHA - 1800 249 711 & explain it all to them. Stress to them that you are moving in 3 weeks & you havent been told anything. I dont blame you for being stressed - I would be pulling my hair out.

I've always had a pretty good response from DHA so hopefully they can get onto it for you. Good luck, let me know if there is anything else I can do to help.

[mykidzrokk]

mykidzrokk, how are you feeling now?
I am far from excited.
I am more scared every day.
I don't drive.
I am going to feel like a prisoner in my own home
with 3 children.
Oh, it is more like a detention centre.


I'm feeling a little nervous...tomorrow is the day he does all his tests...he says he's as prepared as he'll ever be and he reckons it'll just be the medical side that may stop him going in, but time will tell. Where do u live?

[neeshNgeorgia]

thanks for that sharvs,
c that's the thing i know we are leaving in 3 weeks and thought it was a little strange that we hadn't been told nething, and i haven't spoken to DP for the last week as he has been training with no phone time, i've sent him letters but i assume they haven't reached him yet or he has no time to reply. Well i don't know if he has filled out a pack thing yet, i haven't recieved a PIN, though i have visited the DHA site i wasn't sure where i would get a pin from.
But thanks heaps for that! very much appreciated and now i can start getting things organised!!

Cheers
neesh

[mykidzrokk]

Would u believe DH pinched a nerve in his back last night????.....of all the times to do it....oh well, guess he wont be passing and physical test today......lol.....

[mykidzrokk]

All is good....DH didnt have to do the run...etc today, he will be doing it next time, so his pinched nerve didnt factor into it. As for everying else, he breezed thru it, even the dreaded medical. The nurse told him that they prefer an epileptic to have been free from seizure for 5 years, but as he hasnt had one for 4.5yrs and has only had 3 in 21 years, they are happy to pass him......wow, never thought we would ever hear that.......also, as he wants to be a cook, that also went in his favour, too......so now he is just waiting for the phone call to tell him to go back and do is fitness....etc......

[kymmy]

Where do u live?

I am in Melbourne.

So happy for you, my kidzrokk! You sound so excited.

My hubby is going in on Tuesday all day.
I don't think it is for physical tests.
He has already been in the army
so he only has to do half the stuff I think.
He has been training for the shuttle run
but he doesn't think he will do it on Tues.

They have already asked him if they can pencil him in
to go up on the 9 th June.

[cjb/jbvd]

hi neeshNgeorgia

please check your PM's
i sent you some contact numbers and a website.
nikki, the wodonga DHA rep is expecting your call, and she will help you as best she can.
best of luck

[kymmy]

hubby is going in tomorrow....

[kymmy]

and he didn't get in.
he tells me he could not stop thinking about me and the kids.
he has the option of going back in November.

[neeshNgeorgia]

sorry to hear ur DP didn't get in.
was he going for fulltime or reserves?
Trust me though the longer u have with him at home as a family take it as a blessing!
DP left on the 31st of jan thinking he was going for 12weeks (fulltime) he has now been there for 4.5months and still has 2 weeks to go as he had an injury 2 days after he finished his basic training! I am missing normal life so much i just can't wait for him to finish! it has been the hardest thing the 3 of us has ever had to do (considering i have also been staying with his parents and 18yr old sister who comes in and out at all hours of the night with no consideration as she wakes me and DD at 3:30am!!!:banghead: )
But with less than 2 weeks to go i'm getting so anxious of what our new life holds! I just can't wait to live in my own place again with the 3 of us as a family, it's going to be great!
Also i called DHA yesterday, i couldn't get a hold of Nikki though i left my contact details and she is calling me back hopefully today!
Hope u all have a good day
Cheers
Neesh

[kymmy]

Hello Neesh.
Hubby was not able to go through with it I think.
He just would miss us too much:yes:

[mykidzrokk]

Sorry Kymmy, but i guess if it isnt what he really wanted, better to find out now than later.....My DH cant wait for the next phone call....does that say something about me and the kids....pmsl.....

[kymmy]

I think hubby wants to keep his options open.
He is torn between his love for us and the yearning to fight and
I guess defend us
He still wants to go back and try again
His heart just wasn't in it.

But I just want to say I love that I can come here and see how it would be like living the army wife life living through your experiences.
So thankyou.:thumbsup:

[Nikkiraz]

Hi! I just found these threads and thought it interesting, as 4 days ago, My DP left for Kapooka for his basic training.

It had taken us 2 years from his initial JOES day to finally get in, and I am so pleased and happy for him and for us!

A little background: We've been together for over 4 years, we have a 2 and a half year old son and I am pregnant with our 2nd child... in fact, I am due to have our baby the same week that my DP is due to complete his 80 days!!!

I've had to move 3 hours away from my home/friends and all my supports to live with my Mum and Dad while DP completes Basic Training. This was for financial and health reasons, but also too, so my parents could have some time with my son and newborn before we get posted, as being 3 hours away, they never really got to see us regularly. Now, I'm half-regretting the idea: I've been out of home for 9 years, so moving back in with my children and the added stress of being away from my DP is getting to me!!!

I have a few Q's:

1. I'm yet to hear from DP: He has no mobile, so is relying on Public phones for now: When can I expect to get a call from him? I know the first 2 weeks are pretty hectic (and I understand why!) but it would be nice to know if he may have rec time to make a call to us!

2. When he finishes the Recruit and Advanced Soldier Training, can he come home to the birth of our child? I'm being induced 3 days after his training completes. If for some reason he is back-held, can he get compassionate leave to attend the birth?

3. I noticed he may be sent to Albury until he gets sent to Holsworthy (where his employment training is) how long would that be? His employment training is only 12 weeks at Holsworthy, of which I am happy to stay with my parents in the mean time.

4. Regarding DHA: I live in Taree, my Dogs are being boarded on the Central Coast, most of my furniture is in storage there too, but I have some belongings with me: How do they organise our removals from Storage and how will our Dogs be taken care of to move with us?

But anyway, like I said, we're 4 days into training: Only 41 till I see him for March out and only 76 till he's finished!

[hannahizzy]

Hi there,
My husband has been in the army for quite a while now but i will answer your questions the best i can, although someone who's husband has done (pooki) more recently would probably have more recent info for ya.

1. I'm yet to hear from DP: He has no mobile, so is relying on Public phones for now: When can I expect to get a call from him? I know the first 2 weeks are pretty hectic (and I understand why!) but it would be nice to know if he may have rec time to make a call to us! This is frustrating i know but unfortunately you probably wont hear from him for a few weeks and when you do it will be sparse, they are trying to disconnect the guys from their families , so they can concentrate on turning them into soldiers

2. When he finishes the Recruit and Advanced Soldier Training, can he come home to the birth of our child? I'm being induced 3 days after his training completes. If for some reason he is back-held, can he get compassionate leave to attend the birth? , I have been in this situation!! i feel for you!!When he completes his training i beleive he gets a short period to come home, but thats if he doesnt get backclassed for any reason (fingers crossed, im sure he wont) unfortunately though apparently having a baby doesnt rate high up there with reasons that the guys can get approved leave!! especially when doing initial training(sucks i know, but as they say if the army wanted them to have a family they would have issued them with one:eek: )

3. I noticed he may be sent to Albury until he gets sent to Holsworthy (where his employment training is) how long would that be? His employment training is only 12 weeks at Holsworthy, of which I am happy to stay with my parents in the mean time. This is difficult as it is the army we are talking about!!! could be a couple of weeks could be a couple of months, i had a friend who had to wait 6 months for his training to tart, they have to wait till the next course starts, hopefully not long though

4. Regarding DHA: I live in Taree, my Dogs are being boarded on the Central Coast, most of my furniture is in storage there too, but I have some belongings with me: How do they organise our removals from Storage and how will our Dogs be taken care of to move with us? I am currently doing something similar, i am in Canberra while hubby is overseas, so most of my stuff is stored in Brisbane and some here with me. I think with the dogs , you have to organise it yourself and then i think (correct me if im wrong someone) they reimburse you or something??? the removals is easy as long as you had 2 inventories done, or you do another inventory of the stuff you have with you when the time comes, its pretty straight forward, and they will let you know what you need to do closer to the time.,
Good luck hope i helped a little, welcome to the Army!!!!!!!:wave:

Cheers Belinda (pm me if you have any questions, i am happy to help.)

[neeshNgeorgia]

I have a few Q's:

1. I'm yet to hear from DP: He has no mobile, so is relying on Public phones for now: When can I expect to get a call from him? I know the first 2 weeks are pretty hectic (and I understand why!) but it would be nice to know if he may have rec time to make a call to us!

2. When he finishes the Recruit and Advanced Soldier Training, can he come home to the birth of our child? I'm being induced 3 days after his training completes. If for some reason he is back-held, can he get compassionate leave to attend the birth?

3. I noticed he may be sent to Albury until he gets sent to Holsworthy (where his employment training is) how long would that be? His employment training is only 12 weeks at Holsworthy, of which I am happy to stay with my parents in the mean time.

4. Regarding DHA: I live in Taree, my Dogs are being boarded on the Central Coast, most of my furniture is in storage there too, but I have some belongings with me: How do they organise our removals from Storage and how will our Dogs be taken care of to move with us?

But anyway, like I said, we're 4 days into training: Only 41 till I see him for March out and only 76 till he's finished!

Hi there,
Dp has only just finished at kapooka, he went in on the 31st on jan and didn't get out till the 11th of june!!! So the initial 80days we thought we had to tough it out end up being a lot more! But he is down in the albury just waiting till DD and I get down there as that's where we are getting posted.
I'll try help u out with a few of ur Q's...

Dp didn't take his mobile with him as he was told that he couldn't though when he got there they were told they could have a phone providing it had no multimedia (camera etc) and that they only got to use it as a privelidge! So i sent it up to him which was really handy when he got held back and had a lot of spare time! it was tough not talking to him for that first couple of weeks, though we found that sending letters really helped and he especially enjoyed recieving letters from family and friends as it made him feel as though everyone was thinking of him.


As for him coming home for the birth, i wouldn't know exactely how that works but DP had a mate in kapooka who was able to go home for a week for the birth of his baby, but he was also being back held at the time as a result of injury, so maybe it would have been different if he was in advanced.


It's hard to tell how long he will be down in albury, see the army don't let out too much info before the recruits are fully trained which i found really annoying! It really all depends on when his course starts after he has finished training. We were lucky that DPs course started the Monday after he got down there.


I didn't know too much about DHA untill the last cople of weeks, and about a month ago i was getting really stressed out that nothing was going to be organised in time, as im staying with my inlaws and our things are in storage as well. Everything is organised for u once Dp is finished his training, really u don't get to know a lot about ne thing until the recruits are finished, u can research and call a thousand different ppl and u don't get told ne thing.

So just focus on toughing it through his basic training! look forward to march out day as it is a fantastic day and recognised defacto's or married couples get to spend the night together in wagga which was so great to kinda be normal again for 24 hours lol! Don't stress too much about trying to organise things with the army as most things are done for u in the last few weeks of training.
Hope i was of some help
Feel free to PM me if u like
Cheers Neesh

[neeshNgeorgia]

I was speaking to DP about ur situation last night, and how will be giving birth whilst ur hubby is in training, he was telling me that ur DP should tell the staff ASAP about his situation so that when the time comes he can pretty much just get up and leave so he can be with u for the birth. Also he mentioned that if he does get time of during training he will prolly get back held when he goes back to kapooka for a while, though i think that it would be definately worth being back held in order to be there with u when bub arrives. Hope this helps a little
Cheers
neesh

[Nikkiraz]

Thanks for your replies guys. Well, I did finally hear from him last Sunday as well as a surprise call tonight! He's doing well, which is great.

He spoke with the Padre, and it looks like he will be able to come home for the birth, which is a plus. And as soon as Kapooka is done, he may even be sent back home for a short while to spend with us and bub and then onto Holsworthy instead of holding. But like I'm learning don't take it as gospel!

Thanks for your help on the Q's... One more thing: How long after enlistment is their payday????? I'm getting worried, cause funds are running low between DP's last pay slip at his civvy job and the 1st pay from the Army!

Thanks!

[sharvs]

That is fantastic news that he will be home for the birth :smiliedance: :smiliedance:

Every now & then the Army will do these little things that suprise you!

You're right about taking things as they happen, its taken me 6 years to adjust to it. I always like to know in advance what is happening but you cant count on much, you just get hurt. They change their minds more than they change their underwear - hang on, that isnt much either! lol

With regards to the pay, how long has he been at Kapooka now? I cant really remember how long it took but pays are another thing they dont rush with. It is normal for them not to get bush pay until a month after they are back from bush. I'll take a guess and say it shouldnt be any longer than 4 weeks. You may have to wait until the next pay day now, which is this coming Thursday (29th June).

Let me know if there is anything else you need. You sound like you are doing a great job considering you are expecting your 2nd right in the middle of all this :hugs:

Sharon