Having a family vs the army?

Hi Cheryl, don't worry, I've got two children, 11 and 12 years old, and have been in the Army the entire time I've had children! My husband is also in the Army and it's fine.

Juggling kids and any job or career can be hard work but the Army is really supportive and we pride ourselves on being one big extended family. My kids love growing up in an Army family and the Armed Forces has a covenant to support families. You can 'Google' it to find out more if you'd like.

Our maternity package is amazing too, plus we have great flexible working or flexible service options now, including shared parental leave.

I decided when I was pregnant to have a two year career break and came back to the Army when my youngest was one and a half years old and this really suited our family circumstances.

We also have great medical care and physical exercise instruction support to keep you in the best health during and after pregnancy.

When you have children you are also entitled to subsidised housing and many units have childcare facilities on camp.

So don't worry about the long term future as the Army is really supportive. We have a Army Parents Facebook network too to support each other and share ideas. Please ask any further questions on this subject as I have a lots of experience in this area.

If you were to have a boyfriend/girlfriend who was not in the army would you still be able to live with them in the marriage quarters even though you are not married?

Hi Caitlin,

Service personnel aged 18 years or older, who are married, in a civil partnership, or have permanent custody of children are entitled to apply for housing through the Armed Forces. Personnel who have completed more that four years of Service and who are in an established long-term relationship are also eligible to cohabit in surplus housing where it is available. There are more details regarding this in our policy document which would be explained to you, relevant to your specific circumstances. If you are not entitled to a house then you will be entitled to single living accommodation which is like living in flats or student accommodation: You would have your own room (possibly shared) and washing facilities with shared kitchen and lounge type area.

In training however, there is no facility for housing, it is just shared single living which builds team work, cohesion and ensures that you all 'look after' each other while you are learning to be in the Army. It is fun living like this and the accommodation is pretty good wherever you are.

When you have finished training and you are either in single living accommodation or housing, living in or nearby to a military camp, it makes it so much easier to get to know your work colleagues. There is always lots to do on camp: Facilities like a gym, shop, sometimes a bar, sports pitches, sometimes a nursery and so on.

We have a really supportive accommodation system for our Army personnel and there are lots of options depending on your circumstances. The Army is also developing our Future Accommodation Model (https://www.army.mod.uk/personnel-and-welfare/future-accommodation-model/). We have a Joint Housing Advice Office (https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/joint-service-housing-advice-office-jshao) to help everyone with their housing application processes too. This is all part of the Armed Forces Covenant which is a promise by the nation to ensure those who serve are treated fairly. For example there are allowances (financial reimbursements) to assist you with moving when you move jobs.

The Army Families Federation is also a good source of information on Military housing: https://aff.org.uk/advice/housing/ if you want to know more.

I have lived in single living accommodation, Military housing and my own house over my time in the Army. I currently live in a military house and it is great. I love living on camp, walking to work, going to the gym when I want and being able to play squash or tennis in the courts which are a few minutes from my house. My daughter walks to the bus stop on camp to go to the local school and it is a really safe and pretty place to live.

I hope you find this helpful. Feel free to ask any other questions about life in the Army.

Thank you that was incredibly helpful!