Housing for wife during PAT and SQ and DP1

[kkramar]

I would try and search this but can think of on how to search it. I've been talking to some people that are at gagetown for artillery school about how long I will be there. They said expect to be there for a year or more. Now I understand they won't move my wife till I get my first posting and they expect to keep up your resident.

Would they frown upon this senario??

I have a sister living in Muncton NB which is 45 min from gagetown. What if we pit our belongings in storeage and she lives with my sister so I can see her on weekends or weeknights. Now I get that I would probally loose seperation pay, but would I have to pay quarters and rations.

What will they say or do, if we do this???


kkramar

 

[PMedMoe]

I have a sister living in Muncton NB which is 45 min from gagetown. What if we pit our belongings in storeage and she lives with my sister so I can see her on weekends or weeknights. Now I get that I would probally loose seperation pay, but would I have to pay quarters and rations.

What will they say or do, if we do this???

First off, you would have to get authority to move your stuff into storage or pay for it yourself (packing, loading, storage).  Without an authorized move, the CF will not pay for that.  Also, if you own the home and sell it, you will not get reimbursed any fees incurred.  Since you will no longer be maintaining a residence, I'm not sure about the R&Q.  You should still get separation pay.

BTW, it's Moncton, NB.

 

[jeffb]

I did almost exactly what you are describing and got in some trouble for it. As with any other decision like this, if you are moving your F&E once you are in the CF, make sure you obtain permission to do so from your chain of command before you do so.

 

[kkramar]

Even if it's on my own dime?

 

[PMedMoe]

Even if it's on my own dime?

Well, I'm pretty sure they can't stop you from having it done yourself, but it's still a good idea to info your CoC.  They might know some ways to assist you.

 

[McG]

I would try and search this but can think of on how to search it. I've been talking to some people that are at gagetown for artillery school about how long I will be there. They said expect to be there for a year or more. Now I understand they won't move my wife till I get my first posting and they expect to keep up your resident.

Would they frown upon this senario??

I have a sister living in Muncton NB which is 45 min from gagetown. What if we pit our belongings in storeage and she lives with my sister so I can see her on weekends or weeknights. Now I get that I would probally loose seperation pay, but would I have to pay quarters and rations.

What will they say or do, if we do this???

Don't make any plans now.  Wait until you have completed BMQ and actually get posted to Gagetown, then talk to your chain of command.  It is not uncommon, after SQ is completed, for you to be authorized a first move to bring your family to Gagetown ... it is not a sure thing, but the odds go up the longer schedualling will see you waiting in a PAT Troop.  If things align so that you go from course to course to course, you may not get this move but at the same time your progress through training will have been faster.

 

[McG]

Even if it's on my own dime?

If you pay on your own dime, then on your first posting you may also be stuck paying the difference in cost for moving from Gagetown vs moving from where your family is now.

 

[kkramar]

Well I'm in Edmonton at the moment. For a 2 way trip is over 900 bucks. I just want a good solution to being across the country for about a year and still having a decent relationship life with my wife.

 

[Eye In The Sky]

Normally, a CF mbr doesn't pay R & Q if they are maintaining a residence and have a dependent/dependents.  If you are married, that covers the dependent (IAW the CF definition of the word) aspect.

Someone mentioned a very good point; waiting until AFTER BMQ to do anything.  You could get injured, as an example, and be there for some time.  You could even not complete the training. 

As for the aspects of what you would like to do;  if you maintain your residence in Edmonton, and are married, you should not have to pay R & Q, you should receive seperation pay for up to 364 days.  Anything over 364 days and you are entitled to a full cost move by the Crown. 

Now if you put your HG & E (household goods and effects) into storage at public expense, you are no longer maintaining a residence.  If you pay for your HG & E to be in storage...you are STILL not maintaining a residence (the reason a CF mbr receives quarters at no cost). 

Now, if you maintained your residence in Edmonton, but your wife say, stayed in Moncton but did not "move" then technically, you maintain a residence with a dependent in it, and should get R & Q at no cost, and receive seperation pay.  The CF can tell you that you can't move your wife/belongings yet, they can't tell her she can't "visit" your sister while you are on course, right?

I'd wait until you are on your way to G-town to do anything though.  BMQ isn't that long, and St Jean ain't exactly close to Moncton either (10-12 hours by car, unless you cut thru the US).

 

[kkramar]

Well she wouldn't be going to muncton till after bmq. I was told I would be in gagetown for courses which is two hours from muncton.

 

[Eye In The Sky]

Its Moncton and yes, its about 1.5 - 2 hours from Gagetown.

 

[kkramar]

The wife is upset that the recruiters or file managers never mentioned the fact that I could be waiting a long time to get on course. She was under the impression that I would be on course right away.

Now she's scared about being alone ( she's never lived by herself before). I feel terrible and I don't know what to do to fix this.

 

[jeffb]

The wife is upset that the recruiters or file managers never mentioned the fact that I could be waiting a long time to get on course. She was under the impression that I would be on course right away.

The job of the folks at the CFRC is not to speculate on every possible permutation of your career that may occur in the future so I wouldn't be too hard on them. It's your job to learn as much as you can about what you are volunteering to do and then take the appropriate steps to prepare your family for the impacts of your decision. It seems like you are doing that by asking good questions here so good work so far.

With respect to the waiting time, some NCM's show up to the Artillery school and are loaded on a course almost immediately, don't get injured or re-coursed for any reason, and are posted out again 3 months later. Officers are lucky if they are done their first course, CAP or BMOQ-L, in 3 months but that's another issue. The time ine of one year for training is what I'd be preparing my family for but recognize that around 4 months of that will be in St. Jean and it could be as short as 7 months  if you are lucky. Remember though that things happen while in training. You can get hurt or re-coursed for a variety of reasons that will put a kink in your training schedule.

 

 

[PMedMoe]

Now she's scared about being alone ( she's never lived by herself before). I feel terrible and I don't know what to do to fix this.

I don't mean to be blunt, but she might as well start getting used to it.  This is only the beginning of your career and you will be away on exercises, courses, tasking, tours, etc.

She should get involved in something she enjoys doing, whether it's a hobby, volunteering, a job (full or part time), etc.  She should also become familiar with the aspects of being "alone" (Who pays the bills?  Does the banking?  Gets repairs done on the car or house? and many other things).  When she finds that she is able to cope, she may not be so overwhelmed.

Oh, and get a dog. 

 

[kkramar]

She's just not used to the idea yet, and to be honest neither am I, but I'm more prepared than she is. I guess all I can hope that all goes smoothly.

 

[Eye In The Sky]

I think your wife is upset about the seperation, not "that the recruiters didn't blah blah blah".

And...if she is going to be in Moncton...and you can see each other on the weekends...you can tell her to consider herself lucky.

Mrs EITS and myself got married a year ago next month.  I was away in August on course.  And October.  And November.  I've been attached posted, 3565 miles away from home, since just after New Years.  I don't get home until end-June.  If you put 2 and 2 together, you'll see our first anniversary is going to be spent apart.

Then, we get to pack up and proceed on our posting.  Where to?  We don't know yet and won't until end-June, but we've been told our posting date will be 14 Jul  :blotto:. 

We don't have to option of a 2 hour drive to see each other, so IMO, you guys are lucky you have the Gagetown-Moncton option. It isn't ideal to your wife perhaps, but I'd bet a years pay MY wife would love to be only 2 hours away instead of 3 days driving.

Its not something you have to like or enjoy, but it sure is better if you know what is coming up and plan for it as a couple.  Find the positive side of anything you can.

 

[kkramar]

Well currently we live in Edmonton, and the only way she would be in moncton is if she quits her job and lives with my sister is moncton. But than there is the issue of keeping all our stuff in Edmonton is our townhouse. And if she can't find a job in moncton than we can afford to keep our stuff in edmonton.
I've heard jobs in NB are scarce and if someone doesn't speak french it makes it just as hard.

 

[simysmom99]

I certainly don't mean to be blunt but your wife and you are just going to have to get used to being apart.  I was married to my dh for 13 years, and spent 2 anniversaries together in that time.  I also lived in a house for 3 years that he only lived in for 2 months.  Such is the life and that is what we chose. 
Get your wife in touch with other wives/gfs in town.  Edmonton is a huge military town and lots of support. 
I sure hope that you guys know that the possibility of having children alone, raising them, selling houses and moving on your own and spending a lot of time doing everything without the other is very real.  It is hard to grasp in the beginning and not knowing what is about to happen is hard too, but that is the way the military works. 

 

[kkramar]

Well if it turns out that I will be on PAT troop for a very extended period of time, than I have no trouble paying for a Uhaul truck and trailer and taking a week of leave to drive that puppy from Edmonton to Moncton. Even if the government approves to pay for it or not.

 

[gunnars]

I think that your wife needs to connect with the military family resource centre. It may help offer her guidance in the troubles she is having.

Job situation in Moncton/Fredericton/Gagetown(Oromocto) is questionable. There are lots and lots of jobs in the retail/management end of things here because outsiders are really friendly and seem to get hired fast. Finding a more professionally minded job is quite difficult without French, but trying Saint John (1 hr from base Gagetown) and speaking french doesn't seem to matter. I am in a gov't position that dictates bilingualism (until my offer of employment?!?!) and I can ask where the toilet is in french but they need workers here so bilingualism as a necessity falls by the way side. If you wife plans to move down here, unless she lives in Oromocto or Fredericton, she will be over 1 hour drive away from the base.