Oh, this is lovely

[Feldenak]

Reading the news article about the US Army extending tours of duty by 3 months (to a total of 15 months) really throws our family plans for a loop. My little brother, stationed in Iraq, is scheduled to be married in December. He was scheduled to return home from Iraq in September...now, if the Army worked like clockwork (which we know it doesn't), with this new extension he'd be home ~1 week from his scheduled wedding date. My future sister-in-law is in hysterics, wedding plans are in flux and my brother is scheduled to come home for leave in a week....the whole family has been thrown for a loop.

Sorry about that...I just needed to vent a bit. Please, please please don't turn this into a political debate/flamefest...you can take that to P&N

 

[Zysoclaplem]

Yeah that's about right. How old is your bruddah?

 

[Feldenak]

Originally posted by: Zysoclaplem
Yeah that's about right. How old is your bruddah?

He's 25.

 

[Zysoclaplem]

Originally posted by: Feldenak

Originally posted by: Zysoclaplem
Yeah that's about right. How old is your bruddah?

He's 25.

Things have a way of working out in the end. No worries.

 

[DeadByDawn]

Sucks, but that's just the way the military is. If they plan on having kids tell her to not expect him to be there for the birth. Saw it happen many times.

 

[K1052]

Originally posted by: Feldenak

Originally posted by: Zysoclaplem
Yeah that's about right. How old is your bruddah?

He's 25.

Same age as me.
1982 was a good year.


That sucks about his extension and for his plans.

 

[Feldenak]

Originally posted by: Zysoclaplem

Originally posted by: Feldenak

Originally posted by: Zysoclaplem
Yeah that's about right. How old is your bruddah?

He's 25.

Things have a way of working out in the end. No worries.

Thanks for the positive note Zysco...I really hope things do work out.

 

[Feldenak]

Originally posted by: K1052

Originally posted by: Feldenak

Originally posted by: Zysoclaplem
Yeah that's about right. How old is your bruddah?

He's 25.

Same age as me.
1982 was a good year.


That sucks about his extension and for his plans.

He might have a year on you...he turns 26 this fall.

Yeah, it really sucks because my future SIL has been planning this pretty much on her own so that when he came home on leave he wouldn't have to worry about doing any wedding stuff and could just relax.

 

[Feldenak]

Originally posted by: DeadByDawn
Sucks, but that's just the way the military is. If they plan on having kids tell her to not expect him to be there for the birth. Saw it happen many times.

Well, I believe his contract is up either late this year or early next year...unfortunately, IIRC officers are never really seperated from the military completely.

 

[K1052]

Originally posted by: Feldenak

Originally posted by: K1052

Originally posted by: Feldenak

Originally posted by: Zysoclaplem
Yeah that's about right. How old is your bruddah?

He's 25.

Same age as me.
1982 was a good year.


That sucks about his extension and for his plans.

He might have a year on you...he turns 26 this fall.

Yeah, it really sucks because my future SIL has been planning this pretty much on her own so that when he came home on leave he wouldn't have to worry about doing any wedding stuff and could just relax.

As DBD said that is just one of the things you have to accept with a family member in the military, as much as it sucks. One of my close friends was in and his wife was a nervous wreck before their wedding as they were cutting it close to his unit's return date from South Korea and she was convinced something would go wrong.

I hope everything works out OK for them.

 

[gwrober]

Originally posted by: DeadByDawn
Sucks, but that's just the way the military is. If they plan on having kids tell her to not expect him to be there for the birth. Saw it happen many times.

That's why I sep'd from the AF. I hadn't received a single tour anywhere for years, regardless of trying, and when they finally sent me orders it was to Camp Redcloud! Demil zone, vests, M16 at all times, etcetc. Obviously and unaccompanied tour. The problem was, my daughter was due within 3-4 weeks, and they only gave me two weeks notice, and wouldn't budge. So I turned the orders down, which automatically denies you reenlistment (I was going to sep anyway...)

But just goes to show you that when you 'marry' the military, they mean it. They'll make every effort to make your family life easier, but you belong to the mission, and that's what comes first. A sacrifice, but a good one.

EDIT: Sorry OP - best wishes to your bro - might have to rearrange the plans though. I think it's awesome that your SIL is putting so much into it, so that he has less to worry about when he returns. Also gives her full creative control too...

 

[zuljinAF]

Talk to the unit CO, get the process started now to make sure he can be home for it... If it is that close to the scheduled end of his tour odds are they can make him part of the retrun ADVON team back stateside to help ensure he gets home in time. this is assuming of course he has a CO that cares about his troops... but the key is start the talks, letters, paper work now to make sure his command knows of the situation now instead of last minute.. just my two cents

 

[gwrober]

Originally posted by: zuljinAF
Talk to the unit CO, get the process started now to make sure he can be home for it... If it is that close to the scheduled end of his tour odds are they can make him part of the retrun ADVON team back stateside to help ensure he gets home in time. this is assuming of course he has a CO that cares about his troops... but the key is start the talks, letters, paper work now to make sure his command knows of the situation now instead of last minute.. just my two cents

Excellent idea :thumbsup:

 

[Aharami]

can he come back for a weekend, get married, then go back to Iraq? Nothing can be worked out with his superior officers? He'll have to postpone his honeymoon plans...but thats better than postponing his entire wedding plans.

 

[Zysoclaplem]

Originally posted by: Feldenak

Originally posted by: K1052

Originally posted by: Feldenak

Originally posted by: Zysoclaplem
Yeah that's about right. How old is your bruddah?

He's 25.

Same age as me.
1982 was a good year.


That sucks about his extension and for his plans.

He might have a year on you...he turns 26 this fall.

Yeah, it really sucks because my future SIL has been planning this pretty much on her own so that when he came home on leave he wouldn't have to worry about doing any wedding stuff and could just relax.

Unfortunately the armed forces aren't really concerned with your life outside of the armed forces, well, unless you are a homosexual.
Like I said, something surprising will happen and he will be able to come home and everything will work out great.
What's his bday? I turn 26 in the fall too.

 

[Feldenak]

Originally posted by: Zysoclaplem

Originally posted by: Feldenak

Originally posted by: K1052

Originally posted by: Feldenak

Originally posted by: Zysoclaplem
Yeah that's about right. How old is your bruddah?

He's 25.

Same age as me.
1982 was a good year.


That sucks about his extension and for his plans.

He might have a year on you...he turns 26 this fall.

Yeah, it really sucks because my future SIL has been planning this pretty much on her own so that when he came home on leave he wouldn't have to worry about doing any wedding stuff and could just relax.

Unfortunately the armed forces aren't really concerned with your life outside of the armed forces, well, unless you are a homosexual.
Like I said, something surprising will happen and he will be able to come home and everything will work out great.
What's his bday? I turn 26 in the fall too.

He turns 26 in October.

 

[Feldenak]

Originally posted by: zuljinAF
Talk to the unit CO, get the process started now to make sure he can be home for it... If it is that close to the scheduled end of his tour odds are they can make him part of the retrun ADVON team back stateside to help ensure he gets home in time. this is assuming of course he has a CO that cares about his troops... but the key is start the talks, letters, paper work now to make sure his command knows of the situation now instead of last minute.. just my two cents

Yeah, I've advised my SIL to-be to talk to his CO's wife. I'm trying to get ahold of my brother but he's not the easiest guy to find.

 

[DrPizza]

Sounds like a crappy situation to be thrown into. On the other hand, there seems to be enough advanced notice that couldn't they change the wedding date to 3 months later? (Or is it too late to get a reception hall, church, etc. booked for next March?)

 

[piasabird]

Write Pelosi a Letter and Complain.

I was in the Army for 10 years and I have seen budget cuts affect the military from time to time. Anytime you work for any outfit that depends on government funding you are at the whim of politicians.

 

[Feldenak]

Originally posted by: DrPizza
Sounds like a crappy situation to be thrown into. On the other hand, there seems to be enough advanced notice that couldn't they change the wedding date to 3 months later? (Or is it too late to get a reception hall, church, etc. booked for next March?)

I'm hoping that the date can be changed if need be. Deposits have been made (I don't know if they're non-refundable), Save the Date cards, etc... I'm going to try and call home on my lunch break and see if there's anything I can do to help.