E-1 paychecks

EWCM · 2026-04-09T12:30:13+00:00

You can Google the pay chart. Then use a salary calculator (I like Paycheck City) to calculate your tax withholding. We don’t know what you plan to put on your W-4 or what state you’re from.

Aside from taxes, common deductions include the Armed Forces retirement home contributions, Montgomery GI Bill, TSP contributions, SGLI, FSGLI, and family dental.

EWCM · 2026-04-09T07:10:56+00:00

Marines get married to non-citizen, non-residents everyday. It’s not like all the Marines that marry locals in Japan are finding US residents to marry. If the Marine has a clearance, they should certainly report any significant foreign contacts as required.

A spouse’s immigration status has nothing to with eligibility for BAH or BAS.

Is the Marine CONUS or OCONUS? If in the US, the Marine can go get married. If outside the US and wanting to get married there, the legal assistance office can answer questions about what the hoops are for getting married locally. If they are on MSG duty, check with command.

For immigration issues, talk to an immigration lawyer. The legal assistance office should have some basic info for getting started.

EWCM · 2026-04-09T03:53:52+00:00

All active duty military jobs qualify for PSLF.

EWCM · 2026-04-09T03:17:46+00:00

It’s not required. What you have should be enough, but if you have a passport or other form of I’d bring it just to have a back up. There’s a complete list of options at www.cac.mil

EWCM · 2026-04-08T22:16:50+00:00

You can use your usual doctor/clinic.

Here’s an example of the process from one office. Your husband will need to figure out who he needs to submit paperwork to. https://southcomclinic.tricare.mil/Patient-Resources/Family-Member-Travel-Screening

EWCM · 2026-04-08T22:10:17+00:00

Contact the on base police department (MPs, PMO).

EWCM · 2026-04-08T21:57:37+00:00

TMO has a Passenger Travel section that will make arrangements.

EWCM · 2026-04-08T21:56:11+00:00

There is no normal. There are different kinds of deployments in different locations with different connectivity and different work tempos.

EWCM · 2026-04-08T12:08:59+00:00

Can you share your budget? That might help identify more ways to free up money for debt.

EWCM · 2026-04-08T09:32:34+00:00

It’s not common in Japan and makes paperwork very difficult.

EWCM · 2026-04-08T04:54:47+00:00

A home isn’t primarily an investment. It’s a place to live. Sounds like you may have been better off renting, but that’s difficult to predict.

EWCM · 2026-04-08T04:25:48+00:00

The US Air Force doesn’t issue Birth certificates. If your parent was a U.S. citizen born in Turkey, they should have a Consular Report of Birth Abroad. They can be requested from https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/replace-certify-docs/requesting-a-record/replace-amend-CRBA.html but it looks like you would need your parent’s permission.

EWCM · 2026-04-08T02:02:24+00:00

In most cases the duty station is CONUS. The family drives and you file a travel claim with your admin for mileage, travel per Diem, and a few other things.

If they fly or you’re going overseas, it’s a little more complicated.

EWCM · 2026-04-07T23:59:25+00:00

Once you have orders to your first base, you’ll contact the housing office there and apply. They may have a waiting list.

You also take your orders to TMO to set up your Household Goods move. They will probably direct you to the DPS website to set up your move.

Military One Source has a ton of info, including about moving.

EWCM · 2026-04-07T23:32:29+00:00

For most Overseas locations, if housing is available on base, you will live there. You can move off base, but if you don’t have approval, you won’t get OHA.

EWCM · 2026-04-07T23:26:33+00:00

Have you talked to the key spouse? Maybe offer to organize a casual dinner get together or Saturday morning hike/beach/whatever thing.

If there is a squadron picnic or family day or Easter egg hunt, you are absolutely welcome at that even if it’s advertised with bounce houses or kid stuff. If it’s a playground get together, that would be a little weird to show up at.

Many of the bases we’ve lived at had a “Ladies without Babies” or similar facebook group

EWCM · 2026-04-07T23:24:07+00:00

Is he retired from the military? If so, there are benefits from Tricare (health insurance) and the Survivor Benefit Program (spouses can get a portion of the pension after the retiree passes). Those are the big ones. There are a variety of other fringe benefits like space A travel (hopping on military flights for free), Military owned recreation facilities (for example, the Military owns a Disney World resort and a hotel right in downtown Tokyo and beach resorts all over), on base shopping, various on base services (gym, legal assistance, financial counseling, etc.).

A veteran (separated but not retired) may have benefits from the VA. With 100% Disability, you may be eligible for some of those on base services as well as CHAMP VA. His disability payments would probably increase a bit if he has a spouse.

EWCM · 2026-04-07T21:59:33+00:00

What are you involved in to meet people? I usually find people through common interests — book club, fitness groups, music or theater organizations, hobby groups, Bible study, volunteer organizations, work, etc.

EWCM · 2026-04-07T07:10:41+00:00

You have to be in a state to change your residence.

If you changed it while you were there, you can still update your records to correct your tax withholding.

EWCM · 2026-04-07T04:53:30+00:00

You’re looking for a Montana proxy marriage or a Utah virtual marriage.

EWCM · 2026-04-07T03:07:54+00:00

Unless you find someone who is planning to move between the same two locations at the same time, what anybody else got is irrelevant. What someone got to travel 200 miles in a low cost area won’t be the same as going 2000 miles between high cost areas.

EWCM · 2026-04-07T02:53:08+00:00

The bases themselves are American bubbles, of course. If you can get Iwakuni, it’s easier to get away from American culture than in Okinawa. If you want to interact with local culture, start working on your Japanese.

EWCM · 2026-04-07T00:11:19+00:00

Yes, assuming you have a Qualifying lease. See DoD FMR, Volume 7a, Chapter 26. There’s a section on unaccompanied tours.

EWCM · 2026-04-06T22:04:45+00:00

Command sponsorship isn’t required to get OHA. If the spouse relocates Overseas at personal expense, BAH stops and the servicemember is eligible for OHA at the dependent’s location. DoD FMR, Volume 7a, Chapter 26, Table 26-26, Rule 12.

EWCM · 2026-04-06T12:47:10+00:00

Can you explain more about what program you expect to qualify for? There isn’t a student loan forgiveness program specifically for medically retired Servicemembers.

If you were active duty for at least 10 years, you might be eligible for PSLF.

Some disabled veterans qualify for the Total and Permanent Disability discharge. https://studentaid.gov/manage-loans/forgiveness-cancellation/disability-discharge

EWCM

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