Army Getting stationed together w/ spouse's non-military med residency- Anyone have any experience/tips?

[barley111]

My wife and I are both graduating in 2018. I'm army dental HPSP, she is non-military medical residency (family med). We looked at what duty stations would be best for her to apply to a family med residency nearby. I'm pretty sure I find out in December, but she finds out in March.

Has anyone gone through this or something similar? Does the army take this into consideration when assigning duty stations? Is there anything I can do to increase the chances I get stationed at a certain site? Is there any flexibility in changing assignments (if she happens to Match at a different location with a nearby duty station)? If we end up in the same place and I do a 1 year AEGD, is there any chance of me staying at that site for the next two years (until she finishes her 3-year residency?).

Sorry for the laundry list of questions, but starting to stress a little about this. If anyone has any experience with this or knows a good source of info to direct me, it would be much appreciated.

Happy New Year all

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[barley111]

Staying together is the top priority, so I'd be willing to do 1 year AEGD, 2 year AEGD, go straight into practice (also want to do endo residency, but I read on this forum that it's slim chances getting selected straight out of school (even if you have already done BOLC)

 

[doctor tooth]

Imagine winning two separate lotteries. The odds are better than that, but not by much. I hate to be a pessimist, but trying to lockdown a particular location is tough. And having a non-military spouse trying to plan their lives around yours, is going to be a challenge. My wife has lost her job and been without work for an average of 9 months each time we have moved (3 times in 4 years). She was done with school (nurse practitioner) when I went active, so I don't know your struggle 100%, but I can tell you it will not be without its challenges. To be honest, you may be apart for some or even all of her residency depending where she matches. There are no guarantees in the Army or life for that matter. You can talk to the assignments officer and let them know your situation, but just because he gives you Carson doesn't guarantee your wife will match to somewhere in Colorado... And orders can be amended (changed), but there has to be a really really legit reason to do so.

 

[teeth63a]

Speak to the assignments officer, to let them know your situation, and also to get a lead on where you're going. Once you know, start looking at job opportunities there. Contract and GS positions at a hospital or clinic at the same post can be a good option. Once you know where you're going, find out which companies holds the contract or see if there are any GS positions available for your spouse.

 

[Pulpectomy]

You're assignment officer may take it into consideration but he or she may not or it may not be feasible for them to do so. The one thing I can think of to increase your chances may be to request "a less desirable" duty station. For whatever reason, there are some duty stations that aren't commonly requested such as Ft Polk, Ft Sill, Ft Drum. Then there's other large duty stations that have high numbers of spots for dentists like Ft Bragg often does. That may increase your chance of getting some say in where you go but you should definitely call and discuss with your assignment officer. I've also heard the rumor that if you do a one year unaccompanied tour in Korea, you can pick your follow on duty station. I don't know if that's true but it's also worth talking over with your assignment officer.


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