Taking Family To An Unaccompanied USAFR Tour - Germany

Counselor

Well-Known Member
Hi - I know it's probably a nightmare logistically and paperwork-wise, but has anyone brought their family with them (on your own dime) to a 365 unaccompanied MPA tour to Germany? Something's opened up and I'd like to give it a look. Any advice on the following would be great: (1) Getting your family a SOFA stamp if they're not listed in your orders (2) Space-A availability in DOD Schools (3) Family access to base facilities (4) Housing, and anything else that might be pertinent.

Thanks to all.
 
Hi - I know it's probably a nightmare logistically and paperwork-wise, but has anyone brought their family with them (on your own dime) to a 365 unaccompanied MPA tour to Germany? Something's opened up and I'd like to give it a look. Any advice on the following would be great: (1) Getting your family a SOFA stamp if they're not listed in your orders (2) Space-A availability in DOD Schools (3) Family access to base facilities (4) Housing, and anything else that might be pertinent.

Thanks to all.

You family (as well as any dependent) can use DOD facilities with or without command sponsorship though I can’t speak to schools since it was never an issue when I was there. The big exceptions being housing and more importantly Tricare networking. Those are the two big dangers you have. You can actually change your family to that network without sponsorship.

OHA rates don’t change based off family presence. In fact you may be saving the military money in some ways depending on your HOR BAH while you go Geo Bachelor. It seems to depend instillation to installation but where I was the Geo Bachelors were required to stay in available Bachelor Officer Quarters or the barracks so they received no additional funds to go on the local economy and find an apartment nor were they authorized too.
 
Unaccompanied means just that. Don’t take the gig if you can’t meet that. You do your family no favors dragging them along when everything about the assignment is non-family based. Have them visit every so often, sure, but having them live there with you as if it was an accompanied tour isn’t the best idea, as Lawman cited. If you want an accompanied assignment, find one that is.
 
Unaccompanied means just that. Don’t take the gig if you can’t meet that. You do your family no favors dragging them along when everything about the assignment is non-family based. Have them visit every so often, sure, but having them live there with you as if it was an accompanied tour isn’t the best idea, as Lawman cited. If you want an accompanied assignment, find one that is.

Too that as well, I’m not sure about the way the Air Force works it, but the Army offers command sponsorship as incentive to extend once on station. You might look into that as well.
 
Unaccompanied means just that. Don’t take the gig if you can’t meet that. You do your family no favors dragging them along when everything about the assignment is non-family based. Have them visit every so often, sure, but having them live there with you as if it was an accompanied tour isn’t the best idea, as Lawman cited. If you want an accompanied assignment, find one that is.

No doubt a hassle administratively. Unfortunately, accompanied OCONUS reservist tours are few and far between, at least in the Air Force.
 
No doubt a hassle administratively. Unfortunately, accompanied OCONUS reservist tours are few and far between, at least in the Air Force.

I know, they are a pain indeed, especially for a reservist. Something like this will just become more of a hassle than it is worth if you try to turn an unaccompanied into an unofficial-accompanied tour. Curiously, what’s the general assignment? Staff of some kind, or flying?
 
I know, they are a pain indeed, especially for a reservist. Something like this will just become more of a hassle than it is worth if you try to turn an unaccompanied into an unofficial-accompanied tour. Curiously, what’s the general assignment? Staff of some kind, or flying?

A quintessential staff assignment.....
 
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