Good Idea to Move to AIT?
Hi, my husband is graduating from Basic Training in 3 weeks. His AIT is at Ft. Huachuca in Arizona for 48 weeks. He had asked one of his drill sergeants if I could live with him, and she said yes but didn’t recommend it. I wondered if anyone has lived with their husband during AIT and if it is a good idea. Thank you!
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I was not allowed to live with my husband during AIT as his training was much shorter. I can’t imagine why she would tell him that you shouldn’t live with him. So I will open this up for others to comment. Hopefully, someone can shed light on what is a bizarre comment to me! 🙂
Moving with Him to AIT
My husband recently joined the USAR and will soon be off to Basic & AIT. His AIT program is 26 weeks long at a post on the opposite Coast. I had read that the Army provides temporary family housing for programs over 20 or so weeks long. Still, we hadn’t planned on taking advantage of the service (we already own a home together, so a temporary move didn’t make sense).
However, we just found out I’m pregnant with our first child, and the due date is just past the halfway point of his AIT. It’s almost funny in a way – we’ve been together since freshman year of college over 9 years ago, and this is the first time we’ll be apart for more than a month or two.
Great timing on our part! Not having him around for the pregnancy isn’t an issue, but he is concerned about missing those first few months after the baby is born.
So I guess the big question is: if we were to qualify for temporary family housing while he’s at AIT, would I have to live there for the full duration of his training? For example, would the Army allow me to move out there 12 weeks into his program, or when he ships out would I have to get moving as well?
If I had to move for the full 26 weeks, the loss of my income and his BAH would make our mortgage payment problematic. It would be great to be able to share the fabled sleep deprivation with him, but we do need someplace to come home to when he graduates.
Thank you so much for your guidance and the work that’s gone into this site. It’s a lifesaver to find a resource like this on the web.
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Congrats on the pregnancy! I hope all goes well with it.
Generally, the Army would expect you to move when he moves to his duty station. There may be some leeway with that, but it is up to the Army to allow you to move later. You may be able to talk to the transportation office at the post closest to you to inquire about how long you are eligible to move after the orders have been cut.
If you chose to live off post there, you could still collect BAH based on that zip code. Depending on how much your living expenses are, it may still work out okay. You would only give up BAH if you chose to live on post.
Hope this helps.
Moving with Soldier for Reclass (AIT)
My husband has already completed Basic and AIT. His unit was called up with a different unit, and he has to reclass. If he reclasses, will we be able to go to AIT with him? He can choose between two jobs, one AIT is 19 weeks, and the other is 24 weeks. Because his AIT will be so long and he will be deployed for a year, we would like to go with him and spend as much time with him as possible. Who would we need to talk to about this?
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Generally, the Army will allow the family to accompany a soldier to AIT if the school is at least 20 weeks. Since he is reclassing, this policy should be a bit more lenient. He should be able to talk to his unit about including his family on the orders so you can accompany him to training. However, even if you are not officially able to go with him, you could still move to the area.
With longer AITs, more freedom is allowed during training, especially after the first weeks of training. Of course, it would be easier financially if the Army authorizes the move as they will also pay to move your household goods as well, and you could apply for on-post housing if that’s where you wanted to live.
I hope it all works out!
Moving When AIT Is Less Than 20 Weeks
Living with Your Soldier During AIT
Hello, I dropped my husband off at AIT this past week in Fort Eustis, VA. His training is 28 weeks long, and in his orders, it is an accompanied tour so I can move down. But he talked to his Sgt and said he would not be able to move in with me..but everyone else I talked to said it shouldn’t be a problem. Just wondering if anyone knows more about this base. He is going to school to be a 15 Juliet.
Thank you so much for your help.
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Most longer AIT schools give more freedom after passing a certain part of the training. While he may not be able to live with you in the beginning, it will likely eventually happen, and at the very least, he can spend any time off he has (nights, weekends) with you.
I will open this up to others to share their stories, as my husband’s AIT was short.
When Can I Move to AIT with My Soldier?
My husband’s AIT is 44 weeks long; he is still in basic training and will graduate in about three weeks. I should be allowed to move to his AIT at the military’s expense, but how do we find out when I am allowed to move? Also, there is a week between his basic graduation date and his AIT report date; does he get that week off, or does he have to report to AIT early? Thanks for your time.
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If you are on his orders for AIT, you can move with him to his AIT duty station when he moves. Just be warned that it may be several weeks before he can live with you. Depending on the school, they sometimes will have the soldiers advance to a certain training phase before allowing them to live with family full-time.
Generally, he will have to report to AIT. He may be given some travel days depending on the distance between his basic location and the AIT location. I wouldn’t count on a week off until it actually happens.
Time Off During AIT If I Move With Him
My husband is in basic training right now at Fort Benning. After basic, he is going straight to A.I.T at Fort Gordon. Altogether he will be gone for over 7 months.
I was curious because I want to move down there if I ever get to see him. Some people say he will get weekends off, while others say he won’t. I don’t know what to believe. Also, what about moving there? Since he is gone for so long, will the Army move me, or do I move?
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Hi,
Whether you can see him during AIT depends on his MOS and his instructors. Generally, the longer his AIT is, the more freedom he will have during training.
I’m assuming from your question that his AIT is about five months long. In that case, he should be able to have some visitation time once he has been in AIT for a bit. But that is not guaranteed, and their freedoms can always be taken away if someone screws up.
The Army will move you if you are on his orders. If his AIT is longer than 20 weeks, it is possible you will be added to his orders. The moving expenses would be your responsibility if you are not on his orders.
Hi I just have a question my husband lives in Hawaii and I was wondering do u have to take a physical in your home town before you get to live with them
Hi, my husband graduates basic training in about 7 weeks. His AIT is only 13 weeks but I am wanting to stay on base while he is at AIT at fort lee VA. Would I be able to stay at TLF at my own expense? And would I even get to see him if I was to stay there?
My husband is transferring branches he isn’t going to basic training he is going straight from meps to his training for his job. His paper work says AIT but I’m seen on the paperwork for on post house that it says for signal school he much be there for 20 weeks or more but AIT says he qualifies if his training is over 12 weeks. We are planning to go with I’m now not sure if we are eligible for on post housing. Any help??
My husband is leaving to Fort Lee VA soon to do his AIT. He will be gone for 10 weeks is he allowed to have myself and the kids visit him? Do they allow him to leave base sometimes?
Each AIT is different in what they allow. Generally the shorter the AIT, the less free time they have. In longer AITs (usually more than 20 weeks), the family is able to move with the soldier in most cases. In these schools, there is more free time after they make it past certain phases of training.
I don’t know if I’ll get a response but my husband is at basic training right now and will go to AIT June 1st and his AIT is in fort Gordon and it’s 25 weeks and I was just wondering if I’ll be able to move with him when he goes .
Hello,
My husband is finishing BCT and will be going to AIT to be a 15D. The course itself is 18 weeks but his MEPS orders say 24 weeks and 2 days. Would the Army go with 18 weeks or 24 weeks when deciding whether his orders are to be accompanied?
It should go by whatever his official orders say. But his orders will also indicate if it’s accompanied or not. What do they say?
He hasn’t gotten his orders from BCT yet, but his MEPS official orders say 24 weeks 3 days.
His MEPS orders say 24 weeks and 3 days. We have heard from random Army wives that weekends and holidays don’t count toward accompanied orders, and that they will deduct them from the 24 weeks before making a decision. Is that true?