Several people have asked what's next for our family. We should PCS back to the US in about two months. We'll enjoy some hard-earned vacation time in the Midwest before we drive out to South Carolina for my husband's career course.
However, the finance career course might all be for naught, since my husband has answered the call for Civil Affairs officers. The active Army currently only provides 4% of CA soldiers, with the reserves pulling the majority of the weight. However, with changing needs of the Army, there has been a call for officers to volunteer to change their functional area to Civil Affairs. My husband has submitted his packet, so we should find out this summer if he's been accepted.
We've told very few people about his decision, and the ones we have told typically reply with "Wow, you two must like being apart." My husband hopes to be selected for either Arabic or Farsi training, which of course will mean that he'll be more valuable in the Middle East than in garrison. But it's what he really wants to do, and I couldn't be prouder. If someone has to be a Civil Affairs officer, I'd rather have the most capable person I know on the front lines.
So keep your fingers crossed that he gets selected for an exciting and important duty. And I'll keep my fingers crossed that he doesn't spend the remaining 16 years of his career away from home!
Posted by Sarah at March 6, 2006 10:45 AM | TrackBackWow! And all this time I've been looking forward to having both of you back in the U.S. I should have known better! Thanks for providing the link to what Civil Affairs does--that is helpful. Sarah, where would *you* be, then?
Love, Cousin Kate
So he'd be coming out to DLI for the language, eh? I teach there. It's a beautiful region, but housing costs are stratospherically high. Fortunately, you'd get nice family/officer housing, but they'll take your entire housing allowance for it.
Best of luck!
Posted by: Squidley at March 7, 2006 09:04 AMI think that the experience your husband can bring to CA would be very, very valuable. I hope that he gets to move to that role if it's what he really wants. But I understand your concerns about the lonely life if he ends up spending a log of time in travel. You two have my admiration and thanks!
Posted by: Barb at March 9, 2006 06:54 AM