Background: We moved in together in Dec 2010, I swore in and started basic last October. As she is in school, I am currently paying the majority of our bills (wasn't a problem when I was making more money, it is now as bills are > the income for a single private paying rations and not getting sep pay) and I asked my recruitment center if I would be able to change my marital status in December; they said it would not be a problem. In St. Jean, I tried to change my marital status and was told just to do it at my next unit as that would not be a problem and I would receive back-pay dating to December for my rations and possibly sep pay. I have been on PAT at my next unit for a month now and I was told the other day that I will not be able to change my marital status until my next unit and we co-habitate for another two months. I also recall (although I am not 100% on this one) being told that even getting married wouldn't really help until I get to my next unit; I am going to be here for over a year.
This poses a huge problem for me. I was told by both the recruitment center and St. Jean that it would not be a problem for me to change my marital status when the time came and I budgeted appropriately. I will be out of money in a couple months (at most) if I am not granted a status change and no longer have to pay rations.
After being denied a status change I immediately put in a memo appealing to the OC but if this fails I am basically screwed. I will have no choice but to either VR or have her quit school and work full-time, neither of which I see as an option.
My question is this: If my memo does not obtain approval for a status change and free rations, what is my best course of action? Is there anything that I can do besides a memo that would help me out? I have barely been in for 6 months and I am not going to pretend to know any/all of the tricks. The only reason I am asking right now instead of waiting for my memo to be processed is because I leave for SQ right away and I will not hear anything for over a month so I would like to be as prepared as possible in the event of a failure. Thank you for any and all help.
This poses a huge problem for me. I was told by both the recruitment center and St. Jean that it would not be a problem for me to change my marital status when the time came and I budgeted appropriately. I will be out of money in a couple months (at most) if I am not granted a status change and no longer have to pay rations.
After being denied a status change I immediately put in a memo appealing to the OC but if this fails I am basically screwed. I will have no choice but to either VR or have her quit school and work full-time, neither of which I see as an option.
My question is this: If my memo does not obtain approval for a status change and free rations, what is my best course of action? Is there anything that I can do besides a memo that would help me out? I have barely been in for 6 months and I am not going to pretend to know any/all of the tricks. The only reason I am asking right now instead of waiting for my memo to be processed is because I leave for SQ right away and I will not hear anything for over a month so I would like to be as prepared as possible in the event of a failure. Thank you for any and all help.
