Army

Most of you know we have been looking into the military for the past
few months.  We started out looking at the air force, but things
didn't work out well for that.  The recruiters seem lazy and unwilling
to try and work fast.  And they just make it so hard to get in, plus
they don't really give out much by way of job descriptions.
So a week or two ago we started talking with people who are in, or
have been in, the Army.  We got a lot of info, and we were able to
read very detailed job descriptions online, so that we could be sure
they had something in Jereme's area of expertise.
Last Thursday Jereme headed to MEPS in Portland, where he took his
ASVAB and his physical the next morning.  He had to stay the night
there, which was our first really night away from each other since we
got married.
Everyone there was VERY impressed by his ASVAB score, although we have
still not been told what it was... :) and he did great on the
physical.
He called me at 11 on Friday and I headed down to sit around and wait
with him, we picked out his job, went over his contract, and then he
got to swear in.  Sounds fast, but it isn't, we waited a lot!
Anyhow, here is what is going on now.
I am looking at apartments today in our current area.  We will be
moving out this week (hopefully) so that the lady who wants to rent
this place from us can move in.
Jereme wants the kids and I to be settled somewhere before he ships to
basic, which is why we are moving now instead of later.
He ships out on July 28th, which means he will be here for all of the
kids birthdays, and be driven to Portland on July 27th (Lillie's
birthday) at night sometime so he can do all the things required
before flying out on the 28th.
He will go to Basic at Fort Jackson in South Carolina for 9 weeks and
4 days.  Then ship out to AIT for 26 weeks and 3 days at Fort Gordon
in Georgia.
Our hope is that the kids and I will be able to move to Georgia with
him while he is at AIT, but there is no telling for sure till the time
comes.  Most likely the Army won't pay for that move because the
length of training isn't long enough, but once he is at AIT he may be
able to get them to approve it.  If not the kids and I will try and
move over there to a furnished apt if our finances allow it.
Otherwise we will just try and visit at some point, and he will be
able to fly home for Christmas.  He will finish AIT in April of 2010.
At that point they will probably ship him straight to his duty
station.  Jereme will be an E4, and his job (25 sierra) means that
there is only 6 bases he can be located at. California, Colorado
Springs, Maryland (I think), Japan, Germany, and one other over seas
one, but I don't remember where.  We are probably going to choose the
one in California, but haven't decided for sure yet.  The other nice
thing about his job is that it doesn't deploy.  He will be working
with satellites, and the only places he will ever need to be are the 6
places that have the satellites.
Once he is at his duty station the Army will come to wherever we tell
them we have our stuff, they will pack everything for us, and move it
all.  The kids and I will have to drive wherever his duty station is
so that we have a car, Jereme will be flown there from AIT, unless he
decides to take leave at that time and pays to fly himself back here.
Then he can drive with us.
So that is where we are at right now, If you have any questions just
ask, and I will let you all know more as we learn more. :)
We are so proud of Jereme, and are all scared and excited about the
changes coming our way!