Anyone dual military - both medical?

Wisconsinbee · May 17, 2011

Yes. My husband is a PA and I am RN both active duty. So far AMEDD has been supportive, but we aren't in the situation you are talking about. He's with a battalion and I'm at a hospital. You most likely won't be in the same chain of command or be in the situation that one would rate the other as you will both be starting out at the same junior level and rise up together. If the same person rates both of you it's usually not that huge of a deal, it happens more than you may imagine. The one really nice thing is the branch managers actually know each other, they told me their office is next to each other, when we were working on our assingments.

Really right now the biggest concern for both of you is getting into and through the programs not "what if's" many years down the line. Getting into IPAP is not easy and finishing IPAP is even more difficult (about 50% failed out of my husband's class), accelerated BSN's aren't a walk in the park either -- I did one myself. If you are both in school it will likely be the most stressful time for both of you and for your marriage.

After that happens you need to deal with the responsiblities of two careers and what the means for your family and the always present, "needs of the Army". Right now he is subject to needs of the Army, not you. If you're dual military you are both subject to needs of the Army and rarely will either command care how that fits into your life. Many dual military stop being dual military when babies arrive because, unless you have an amazing support system, it becomes too difficult dealing with both careers and the family responsiblities.

I know that was an answer to your actual question and then some unsolicited advice but we've been dual military our entire marriage and have spend less than half of it together due to needs of the army -- and we've been married for nearly a decade. So I always warn people!

Good luck to both of you getting into and finishing the programs. The Army can be great, but it can also be very sucky.

CRF250Xpert · May 18, 2011

I know mil to mil couples that are both medical and in the same chain of command. Oh, UTSA isn't your new school. Check out UTHSCSA - no affiliation. They also have your NP program. Good luck.

Raven Sierra, BSN, RN · May 18, 2011

Thanks to both of you for your replies! CRF250Xpert, I actually didn't realize that UTHSCSA is not affiliated with UTSA. I just presumed the former was a branch of the latter. That's what I get for presuming! :)

Wisconsinbee, thanks for all the input. I do appreciate the advice. :) I realize I am thinking ahead here. I'm a little Type A that way.

I hope you don't mind me asking, but, when you say you've been apart from your husband for almost half of your marriage, is that because of deployments, schools, getting stationed separately, or a combination of some or all of the above?

Thanks again.

CRF250Xpert · May 18, 2011

The mil to mil couple I know is a revolving door marriage. Due to the ops tempo - he's gone for 6 months then she goes when he gets back (no way to live for my family). If civilians only knew what folks due to serve this nation.

Wisconsinbee · May 18, 2011

Combination of all of it. There are four deployments, about to be a fifth; couldn't PCS together because my job required me to stay at a particular unit (not nursing), multiple training events at training centers, electing to go to IPAP and nursing school. To us it's all become normal. Often times we knew the separation would occur based on choices we made.