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IA Military Orders = STUPID!!

kristy_estes21
kristy_estes21 Posts: 434 Member
edited September 2024 in Chit-Chat
My husband and I transferred to the East Coast last October and he started his 3 year shore duty tour (no deployments = yay!!). Well, we just found out yesterday that he is 99.9% probably going to have to go on a 10 month IA deployment to an Afghanistan prison and work as a guard there. I am in SHOCK!! He is an alternate and there are 3 people ahead of him on the list. Of course all 3 of those people have "issues" and probably won't be able to go. One is a girl and she has some sort of health issue, one is a guy that is currently undergoing a psych eval, and one is a guy that is just fat and didn't pass his PRT (military fitness test) and they won't send you if you fail it. Well, if my husband had known this was coming he probably would've intentionally failed his. (whatever keeps him home! lol)
He has done six years on sea duty and gone on two 6 month deployments to Japan and the desert, as well as many short detachments for a few weeks to a month here and there. I feel like this is really unfair since he has done his time and is now able to take shore duty and focus on his education and starting a family. There are many reservists that WANT to go on deployments to help their career advancement. There are SO many people in the military and they choose to take someone that doesn't want to go and has already been on deployment? My husband is a flight engineer and they have spent a LOT of money on his training and it just doesn't make sense to send him to do freaking guard duty at a prison.
If he has to go then he'll be leaving in December. He was told that if he somehow gets out of this one then the next time IA orders come around then he'll probably have to take those. This is such BS. We were seriously wanting to start a family soon. If I get pregnant before he leaves then he will miss the birth and the first few months of the baby's life. If I DON'T get pregnant before he leaves then it'll be late next year before we can even try.
UGH! I'm rambling, but I'm so upset about this!!!

Replies

  • dls06
    dls06 Posts: 6,774 Member
    I am so sorry you have to even deal with this. I don't have any advice I just want to say I support you and your husband and Thank you both for the sacrifices you have to make.
  • kristy_estes21
    kristy_estes21 Posts: 434 Member
    Thank you. I am very proud of him for serving our country. I hate when he's gone, but I am definitely proud to be his wife.
  • funfitfoodie
    funfitfoodie Posts: 630 Member
    Aw hunni! I'm so sorry :frown:
  • llovegrove
    llovegrove Posts: 94 Member
    Being military myself, i understand where you are coming from! Hang in there girl!!!! If you need anythign at all let me know. I just got back from a deployment and I am ready to go again, but my fiance is so against me being away. : ) I know it is really hard to be a military spouse. Be strong, it will all work out for the best! :)
  • casey12105
    casey12105 Posts: 293
    I'm confused, since I thought IA orders were 100% voluntary (at least that's how it works here with the navy). Regardless, I'm sorry you're having to go through this, I know it sucks especially because I know there are people who want IA orders and aren't getting them for whatever reason (my husband is one of those). I agree it makes no sense to send someone who isn't willing to go when there are plenty of people who are. *hugs*
  • kristy_estes21
    kristy_estes21 Posts: 434 Member
    I just truly do not understand why they are choosing people like him. I mean, there are tons of people that want IA orders. Not only do I miss him like crazy when he's gone, but I also worry like a mad woman! Especially if he's going to be working at an Afghan prison. He is aircrew for crying out loud. I was all about him doing 20 years in the military, but I'm not so sure anymore. lol That was a perk about the Navy, deployments are only 6 months. Ten months is a long freaking time. Granted, not as long as Army and Marine orders though. I'll be 30 in about 3 months. I want to start trying for a family really soon, but now that is going to be put on hold also.
    I am a firm believer in "everything happens for a reason", but it's not quite as easy to believe when you're the one dealing with something crappy. lol
  • kristy_estes21
    kristy_estes21 Posts: 434 Member
    I'm confused, since I thought IA orders were 100% voluntary (at least that's how it works here with the navy). Regardless, I'm sorry you're having to go through this, I know it sucks especially because I know there are people who want IA orders and aren't getting them for whatever reason (my husband is one of those). I agree it makes no sense to send someone who isn't willing to go when there are plenty of people who are. *hugs*

    My husband is Navy and IA orders are definitely not 100% voluntary. From my understanding, they usually choose people that are on shore duty because apparently shore duty is a priviledge and not an entitlement, which I think is crap!
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