Single parents can and do serve in the
Military Single-Parent Regulations
Families may also receive deployment and relocation assistance, financial training, parent support and other benefits, reports Military OneSource. Considering these perks, it's easy to understand why single mothers would want to join the service.
Single-parents and military couples with children must designate a non-military person who will agree, in writing, to accept care of the member's children at any time, 24 hours per day, seven days per week, in the event the military member is called to duty or deployed with no-notice.
For many, the military is a path towards a career and higher education. However, the military does not allow single parents to join the military because of potential hardships for the service member and their children. Although, in some cases, a new recruit could have someone else take over custody of their children.
Can I Serve As A Single Parent? Yes, you can. However, due to the risks associated with serving in the military, the Navy requires a waiver for any single-parent applicant.
The primary mission of the Coast Guard is to protect domestic waterways. What is the safest military branch? The Space Force is the safest military branch in terms of man-to-man combat and machine-to-machine accidents.
The Army leads the way with more than 35,000 single parents, followed by the Navy with more than 16,000, and the Air Force with more than 15,000. The Marine Corps, the smallest force, has about 5,000.
If a candidate has children (dependents), can he or she enlist? DoD generally prohibits the enlistment of any applicant who has more than two dependents under the age of 18. While the Services are allowed to waive this policy, they often will not.
Soldiers may only be involuntarily deployed or mobilized in the 12 months after giving birth by the Secretary of Defense in the interest of National Security and with the approval of their healthcare provider or the child's pediatrician.
In general, the Defense Department restricts enlistment to those 35 and younger. Prior enlisted service members can subtract their previous years of service from their age in order to extend eligibility. For example, the current age cutoff in the Air Force is 39.
One of those questions may be, “Can't you go with them on deployment?” For most military spouses, the answer is a resounding “No!” For others, it may be possible. It all comes down to the destination, the environment, and your own travel experiences.
The one parent must take on many roles, such as being both father and mother, housekeeper, cook, and the most difficult of all which is being the sole financial provider. Another role that single military parents must take on (the same as civilian parents) is that of the disciplinarian.
Military service members are encouraged by their commanders to regularly communicate with members of their immediate family. However, they are not, and cannot be, required to do this. As adults of legal age, they are entitled to make their own personal decisions regarding communication with family members.
To become an enlisted Soldier, you must be 17 years old.
Can my spouse or loved ones deploy with me? The Army does not allow spouses or family members to join Soldiers during deployment. However, the Army has a strong network of resources to provide support for families while the Soldier in their lives is deployed.
The military doesn't stop service members from using video chat. In fact, they encourage deployed soldiers to stay in contact with family and friends.
Army Dependent Requirements
The Department of Defense usually prohibits applicants with more than two dependents under age 18 from enlisting, but waivers are sometimes available.
To get out of the military, you need to be discharged.
Unlike many other positions, you cannot simply just quit the military once you are on active duty. You may choose to finish out a contract and then not renew, or you can get an early discharge if you do not want to wait or cannot wait for a contract to end.
Military divorce rate statistics
Your chances of having your marriage end in divorce are even higher if you are a female member of the military. The divorce rate among women in the military is 4.54%. The divorce rate among men in the military, meanwhile, is 2.9%.
But even after a military family is settled, they often remain at one location for just two or three years before starting their PCS cycle all over again.
Military life can be very stressful on families. Long separations, frequent moves, inconsistent training schedules, late nights in the office and the toll of mental and physical injuries on both the service member and the family can all add up over time.
Next to the Coast Guard, Air Force members are among the least likely to see combat. Deployments in the Air Force are not as common as in the Army, Navy, or Marine Corps, and they are generally shorter in duration.
There's a great argument that the Marine Corps has the hardest military training of anyone, and here's why. Of course, when you reach the top, you can find them becoming SEALs or a part of the Marine Raider Regiment (MRR), but the training of any Marine is some of the hardest military training in the world.