I am an enlisted E-3 sailor PCSing to the USS George Washington, I have been in contact with my sponser since October. Today I received an e-mail saying my dependent cannot move to Japan because:

"It seems that the ability for E3 and below to bring their dependents over here with them is currently suspended."

This makes no sense to me, I am getting married December 31st, with a report NLT Jan 15. That makes it before the effective date of orders. Pending Dependent entry request I am not going to get approved on the CVN 73 side.

Simply the timeline is like this, Orders Oct 13, Married Dec 31, Jan 1st dependent entry request, then Transfer before Jan 15, move wife in Mar/Apr.

Can I get approved through my old command to sidestep the CVN?
Is this due to a policy? Or just right now I cannot bring because of Base politics. I am on the verge of canceling my orders and just taking a job in Norfolk.

Is there a message out for this? I know of no instruction and I am a Personnel Specialist.

You will be stationed in a foreign country by permission of that country. As such, certain regulations have been established to protect US DoD personnel as well as the host nation. Those regulations are contained in the Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA) between the governments of Japan and the United States. As an E-3 I doubt seriously you've been exposed to all of the documents that effect your military life. Have you talked with your Chief? LPO? CCC? Why not?

There has never been a possibility of E-3 and below personnel being able to bring their spouses with them. Since you were not married prior to receiving your orders (nothing to do with execution) you must come to Japan on an unaccompanied tour (2 years). Should you make PO3 during this time there is a possibility, with the approval of your command, that you could then bring your spouse over provided you extend your tour at least one year. Trust me when I tell you that you will save a lot of headaches and heartache by doing just that.

Be advised that should you decide to bring your spouse over without command approval she will not be allowed to stay nor would she be allowed on base. She could stay for three months on a tourist visa but where would she live? Apartment? Check that out, too. One month's rent plus three months deposit off the top, utilities, furniture, food, transportation, etc. It ain't worth it. E-3's don't make enough to cover all of that and are not eligible for on-base family housing buy local housing regs.

Ask your CCC if you can cancel your orders and get back to me.

I got selected to go to Yokosuka for CG Cowpens 63. I am an E3 with dependent. Wife and a child. This will be my 2nd duty station as a Corpsman. I dont have my orders yet. What is my chances if bringing my family with me in Japan. My son is 2 years old and I love him so much. I will be sad if I can't bring them with me. Thank you in advance.

Personally, I think its difficult if your a single parent. What would you do with your child when you have to go on deployments? Its a tough call, and I probably would say its very very difficult. Not only on you, but what about your child being away from someone he is comfortable with and knows. Atleast if you leave your child with a family member, they know and trust that person more than they would with a complete stranger. You have to also picture being deployed for up to 6 months. I doubt it would be that long, but time can never predict what may or may not happen. That's a long time to be away, if you just thought you were going to be gone for 1 or 2 months, and you find out, OOPS... Its now 5-6 months.. Bad situation to be in when your a single parent..

Its also hard on those dual military families when one of the parents is stationed on a forward deployed ship, and the other is shore duty. That 1 parent has to wake up early enough to prepare that child for daycare/school, and then make it to their normal day to day routine. Imagine having 2 to 3 kids and trying this.. I had a friend who was doing this, and I give her a lot of credit. She is a champion in my books! She had a 3 year old boy, and a new baby, and she amazed me at how positive, and motivated to get up, and make it to work on time each day.

Good luck with whatever decision you decide to make.

Thanks for the quick response Adam. I'm just hoping that they can come with me, so they can experience the navy life in Japan.

GaryB is correct and even if you did get a waiver you couldn't afford to live here with dependents as an E-3.
You really need to re-think your plan.

Pfft there're some E-5's who can barely get by! X-D But that's from lack of common sense.

E-3 w/ dependents is hard anywhere these days, even in the States where (unless it was just VA?) you got to keep whatever leftover BAH you had, if any.

Rebel, think hard before you try to "sidestep" anyone. For one, you most definitely wouldn't be the first, and two, you may end up getting yourself into a load of financial trouble - they kick people to the curb for that...but you should know that being a PS.

In Japan, us military members who choose to live off-base have to request Advance Overseas Housing Allowance. This covers all the expenses you have to pay before you can move in: (taken from when I had to do all this in '08)

1st Month's Rent - 200,000 Yen
Security Deposit - 200,000 Yen
Agent Fee - 210,000 Yen
Landlord Fee - 200,000 Yen
Fire Insurance - 20,000 Yen
===================
Total - 830,000 Yen



So we're talking a loan for a little over $8k. I can't remember exactly how it went, but I ended up only paying back $3k...something about the Navy eats the other half, or something along those lines. But it was $300/paycheck until I paid it back - and I was glad once it was over with.
Regardless, it is expensive over here. You don't keep any leftover BAH, so don't think you're going to bank that much.

Plus as it was stated above, your wife will not be allowed on base. What if something happens and she needs medical attention? The Navy will not accept her at the hospital, and will definitely not eat the bill from whatever Japanese hospital she goes to- so you'd be responsible for that, also. She's better off staying in Norfolk as a dependent so she can utilize the base, medical and the Commissary. Bring her over here when she's not allowed and you're screwing her over.

You're better off sucking it up and having her visit whenever the boat's in port for a length of time, and waiting it out. Trust me, you're not the first (and definitely not the last) geo-bachelor over here. It sucks big time, but there's things you can do to occupy yourself. Alot of people also utilize Skype.


Before I finish this up with "it's your trigger to pull", let me put something into perspective for you. CVN-73 is watched just as closely as the Blue Ridge is. There are constant protests against it because it's nuclear, and those groups are dying for someone onboard that ship to screw up and give them an excuse to pressure Japan to kick it out. (Whole other discussion, but anyways.)
I grew up, lived and worked 10 minutes away from NOB. I know what it was like over there and I'm telling you now, 7th Fleet's a whole other monster compared to 2nd. The priority is the mission of the Fleet, and your priority better be that ship. If not, you're wasting their billet, time, money it took to haul your ass over here, and breathing air.
Yokosuka Naval is not nearly as big as NOB - one carrier, 3,200 people not counting family members, is enough for this base...but then you also have an LCC, small boys, subs, etc. No wonder they're not letting anyone else come over.

And by the way, your new CO, Capt. Lausman, was my old CO on Blue Ridge. He is not a family man, he is not a caring man. Nobody got off work before 1600 and there were no half-days after your duty day. Have fun with him, he's just a bundle of joy.

Not to try to convince you to come or anything, but one thing was said incorrectly. If you bring your wife over here without command sponsorship she will be able to get on the base, but she will not fall under the SOFA agreement and the only way she could use the hospital or dental would be during an emergency where they would stabilize her and prepare her for transport to a local hospital which is cheaper than the US, but still WAY TOO EXPENSIVE FOR AN E-3. I have lived here more than 15 years and never has an E-3 been able to bring a spouse here. If you married a Japanese national after you got here and then applied for command sponsorship you could get it (dependent on the command), but that is the only way I have ever seen a married E-3/below here. GW is underway way too much, the rent is more than you can afford with what little COLA/OHA you would receive.

Listen to everyone here...you want to save your marriage before it even begins, don't do the stupid thing. Come over as a Geo-bach, this will cover your spouse for rent in the US while you are here. Bust your arse and study hard...make E-4 and do like someone else said...try to bring them over after the fact. I won't say CAPT Lausman isn't a family man...I think that would be kind of one sided. Look at his job...if he does his job well then it would include ensuring that his Sailors are well taken care of...not always happy, but taken care of...

As for the corpsman guy... Same thing...make E-4 and then apply for command sponsorship.

Sidenote, I thought all first tours at a DoD billet required a minimum of 3 years commitment regardless of martial status. So to bring a spouse over would require an additional year which would equate to a four year tour. Either way...WELL WORTH IT if done right!

I hate to sound like a broken record, but I agree with everyone here. I think you should try to pick different orders if possible. You do not want to be separated from your wife and child for as long as your orders are for GW. And, GW has a rigorous schedule. It will be very hard for your wife here. These orders will always be here. There aren't a lot of people who want to come here by choice, so you should be able to pick them up again at a later time once you've advanced.

What some folks are not saying but need to is that E-3 years are best to be spent single anyway...Personally I would wait until you are E5 or so. If you dont have 5000-10000 saved up and doing financially well as a single sailor you will just end up another broke married junior sailor. As far as if you are already married with kids and poor, I mean E3 and below, avoid Japan! You of course should know all this before you select orders, especially if you are a PS. Come over here when you are more senior and financially set. At least you should get BAH for your spouse back in the states...
If you are a young person, think twice before getting married, if you only knew how many junior folks have a marriage that fails you would not jump into it so fast...

I will be coming out from Naval Air Station Lemoore CA. Since i am going to be stationed in Japan, what will be my BAH if my family will be staying in the mainland USA. They will be moving back to San Diego CA and NOT in Lemoore CA. Will they be getting the San Diego BAH ? I am just wondering because we are originally from SD. Thanks

Based on dependant location, have proof, rental agreement or mortgage, electric bill etc...

@wilson,  Have you ever seen an E-3 married to a Japanese National get command sponsorship before arriving in  Japan?