Are Military Contract Marriages Legal
You may have married so that the non-military can take out health insurance or simply so that you can both live together during your relationship with minimal interference from the command. (For example, waiting until weekends are together or your partner has to maintain a barracks room while renting an apartment with you.) But don`t worry, it doesn`t necessarily mean you`re in a contract marriage if you`ve postponed your wedding date because life came and you got married. While the military will always throw a monkey key into all the best plans, your career doesn`t have to be one of them. There are also rules on who can receive a military ID card and military benefits. To receive a military identity card and benefits, including health care, a military spouse must be legally married to the military. The military does not recognize marriages or engagements at common law. A military contract marriage is the practice of a soldier marrying someone (sometimes another soldier) just to obtain additional military benefits. For the military, the housing allowance increases after marriage and those who would otherwise live in the barracks are paid to move into family apartments on or off the base. For a civilian spouse, he or she receives health care and temporary privileges, as well as access to a variety of other military benefits such as employment assistance. And as with all marriages inside and outside the military, if the civilian spouse is not a U.S. citizen, they can apply for a green card based on marriage. It`s important to find the help and resources you need to plan your financial transition from the military. It is not uncommon for the government to prosecute wedding participants.
There are military marriage rules for certain groups of people who are in the process of enlisting in the army. Cadets of military academies are not allowed to marry until they have graduated as a soldier or left their academy. Otherwise, there are no rules on who or when military personnel can marry. Do you think contract appearances are common? Do you personally know someone who has been in one of them? Tell us in the comments. So what do you do when you think someone is in a contract marriage? If you think you would marry your partner if you weren`t faced with the specific problem that makes you think of marriage, then you have nothing to worry about. You are not or are not considering any contractual marriage. Life is coming. Sometimes, even in the military world, birth control fails, we receive a chronic health diagnosis if we do not have or not enough insurance, or our loved one is selected for assignments abroad and we want to join him.
It`s an open secret at military bases across the country: soldiers looking for contracts. On Craigslist, you`ll find dozens of ads, many of which are so blatant that soldiers put the end directly in the subject line and don`t even try to hide it. Marriage can be a private bond between two people, but it is also an important social and legal institution. Below, we look at some of the requirements for marriage and how military service affects marriage. The following questions and answers should guide you on these topics. Unfortunately, and rightly so, these agreements are considered fraudulent. Not only can the soldier be charged militarily under the Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ) for BAH or OHA (Overseas Housing Allowance), but also 10 years in prison in a military prison, a dishonorable release and must pay compensation for housing and substance allowances. Whether you are a former professional or a newcomer to the military moving game, there is something to learn about PCSing. This is our simple PCS 101. To show how it works, the Rossen Reports team responded to a Craigslist ad.
The contractual marriage was correct in the subject line: “Looking for a contractual marriage with someone who is looking for little or no money and a free apartment.” But if you feel you need to inform someone, start with your department`s criminal investigation department (example: Army CID) either at your local base or via their tip email address, which you can find by searching on Google. But don`t be surprised if nothing ever happens: investigators often don`t actively investigate contracts unless they`re discovered as part of another crime. “Marriage is a personal and private decision between adults, so the military does not question a soldier`s marital decisions for no reason. Soldiers must have all the necessary legal documents confirming their marriage before receiving benefits. The military is investigating allegations of marriage fraud involving soldiers. Any soldier in a fraudulent marriage may violate the Uniform Code of Military Justice and could face administrative and punitive measures. Fraudulent marriages are not tolerated by the military and are contrary to the values and ethics of the military that we demand of our soldiers. Contract viewing is one of the army`s great myths, which is actually a bit true, but we don`t like to think about it – something like the broom on the porch or the myth of a block holiday (I`m joking about the last one).