I am prior service single parent and wanted to rejoin the army active duty the recruiter said I had to be?

married- anybody else know anything on the subject- I'm sure there has to be some kind of loophole aka ';waiver'; to this new policy. I understand the need for it because 9 out of 10 single mothers are always late, trying to get out of, or not going to work but I was and would be again a good soldier even being a single parent.I am prior service single parent and wanted to rejoin the army active duty the recruiter said I had to be?
its true you cant go back to active duty as a single parent (ref AR 601-210 chapter 2). however you do qualify for the ARMY reserves, as long as you have a good family care plan in place.





your recruiter is essentially right.I am prior service single parent and wanted to rejoin the army active duty the recruiter said I had to be?
You do not have to be married. However, during any basic training and tech school, you will have to sign gaurdianship of your children over to someone else (usually a grandparent or a non-custodial parent). You can have it done in a way that gaurdianship will then be returned to you after you complete your training and are sent to your first duty station. BUT you will always have to have a family care plan in place. Basically, this is a plan detailing who would take and care for your children in the event of a deployment or being stationed in a place that does not allow family members to accompany (Korea is the best known of these). You will also have to have complete child care plans, including having child care to cover for any schedule (since many fields work 12 hour schedules or are in sections that run 24/7). Many single parents are serving in the armed forces and are doing so in an exemplery manner, but it does take a lot more planning and effort than it might take if you were married. Be sure that you have the support you will need if you need it before you enlist, otherwise you may find yourself in a very tight spot.
The Army National Guard seems to be the only branch that will consider single parents anymore: http://usmilitary.about.com/od/joiningth鈥?/a>
Unless you give full custody of the child to a family member or friend for the duration of the first part of your contract, you cannot enlist in the military as AD. Only the Reserves will allow you to enlist and you must have a Family Plan set for them to take you.





This isn't a new policy this is a policy that has been in play for awhile.
Talk to the recruiter and see if you have court papers giving one of the grand parents joint / shared custody, if there could be a waiver for your situation. Good Luck.





Vet-USAF





@dded 1/18/08 I talked to a recruiter Friend of mine today and he said that you could not come back active duty but you could come back as reserve. Sorry
I've never heard of that regulation. I know you have to have a family care plan, to include regular care for your child.
They should let you back in if you sign custody over to someone else at least if you have to go to basic training after that it shouldn't matter.
Never heard of this. Try another recruiter.