Critical Care RN Considering Joining the Army for CRNA — Need a Reality Check
So basically, my husband (23M) has been in the reserves for 6 years. His contract is coming to an end and he is planning to go active duty in the army. I (26F) have been a critical care nurse for 5 years.
Our original plan was for him to go active duty, then eventually transfer his GI bill benefits to me so that I can go to CRNA school. Once I finished school, he would get out of the army, and we would live off of my CRNA salary while he transitioned to a federal law enforcement career. Ideally he would get CID in the army (he has police background and bachelors), attend the FBI academy, and then use that experience to move into a federal job after leaving the military.
Now we are also considering another option: me joining the army as well. The idea would be that I could attend CRNA through the army/Baylor program, earn an officer salary while serving, use my own military benefits to pay for school, and possibly make it easier for us to stay stationed together instead of us being separated while he is active duty.
I’m not looking at this lightly. I know joining the military is a major commitment, and I’m trying to understand whether this route would actually help us reach our long-term goals or if it would create more complications than benefits.
For anyone who has gone through Army-Baylor/USAGPAN, joined as an RN, or navigated this as a dual-military couple: what do you wish you knew before starting? Did you talk to a recruiter before applying, or did you apply first and then start the military side of the process?
Summary:
We are trying to figure out which path makes the most sense long-term: him going active while I stay a civilian and use his GI Bill later, or me joining the army now to pursue CRNA through the military while we both build toward our careers.