MARRIAGE BETWEEN MILITARY MEMBERS IS TERMED DUAL MILITARY COUPLE. THE MILITARY HAS DIFFERENT BRANCHES SUCH AS THE NAVY, ARMY, AIRFORCE, ETC. MILITARY MEMBER OF THE SAME OR DIFFERENT BRANCH CAN MARRY EACH OTHER AND BUILD A FAMILY TOGETHER. MARRIAGE COMES WITH ITS JOYOUS MOMENTS AND DOWN TIMES. IT IS TOUGH TO KEEP IT TOGETHER DUE TO THE NATURE OF THE JOB. HOWEVER, THE MILITARY INSTITUTION GIVES ALLOWANCE FOR DUAL-MILITARY COUPLES TO STRIVE.
Dual Military Couple Marriage Law
Marriage between military personnel is possible but not without a clause. An officer cannot marry an enlisted member (File and Rank), except if one of them is willing to resign from the force. Only marriage within ranks or files is permitted. Cadets cannot marry until they are through with their training. Upon enlistment, female service members should not become pregnant within the first 3 years of serviceAn exception is allotted to a dual military marriage with both couples belonging to the same rank and one of the spouses becoming commissioned an officer later.
Breaching The Distance
The life of an armed force man is that of constant deployment. This limitation affects the marriage; it is something they have to plan towards. There is no guarantee both of them will be stationed together at all times, but they can request to join their spouse on attachment. This is applicable when they belong to the same branch of the military. They have to be prepared to spend more time apart
Military Life + Couple Life
The code of conduct with service members is taken extremely important and must be upheld at all times. Military personnel in uniform represents the whole embodiments of the armed force. During off-working hours, all forms of display of affect can take place. At duty post, all forms of romance and butterfly in Tommy stop.
The uniqueness of this relationship allows them to support their spouse in the right way because they both understand the demands of the job.
What About The Kids
No doubt the kids will be the most affected in the family unit, constantly changing base leads to an unstable environment which may affect their academics, ability to keep long-term friends, etc. To help reduce child care expenses Barracks in Nigeria have a daycare and primary and secondary schools that cater to the educational needs of the children.
Within the living quarters, engaging activities are put in place to ensure that the children are positively engaged such as sports, competitions, religious activities, etc
Each barracks has laws that are binding to everyone living within the quarters and prescribed punishment for erring them. This encourages the kids to be at their best at all times. They live a communal life without regard for tribe or religion, making the training of a child easier.
Balancing Career And Home Front
As opposed to what the civilians perceive of the armed force men, they have a life and catch their fun during their off-work hours. What they spend their time on the outside of work is their prerogative. To make the union work they have to be adaptable and flexible to fit into whatever situation arises. All sphere of life has to be well thought out and planned such as finances, child upbringing, loss of one or both partner, and external help to maintain the home front in the occurrence of the absence of both or one of the parents due to duty call.
Gender-based roles may not fit well in a dual-military marriage, each of them must be able to function independently as a parent within short/no notice. Anyone can become a daddy or mummy without prior notice.
Female Military Personnel and Motherhood
The woman enjoys maternity leave upon the child’s birth. She will be assigned to a “Soft post” such as offices upon resumption. Consideration is given to the woman because she will bear a crucial part in the upbringing of the children. The female members are considered for administrative jobs.
Your Offense, Who’s Punishment
Each service member in a dual-military marriage is dealt with according to their actions. Individualism of the couple is allowed. The erring partner is strictly responsible for his action which cannot be imposed nor transferred to their partner. The innocent partner will only be interrogated depending on the level of offence.
- Is there a special wedding ceremony?
There is no special ceremony to obtain a marriage license for dual-military marriage nor any military marriage fees. Both Civic and customary marriage are acknowledged in the Nigerian military. When either spouse dies, the living partner is entitled to all benefits according to the surviving spouse.
- Can dual-military marriage work?
It depends on the individual’s willingness to make sacrifices and commitments to the union especially when the kids come.
Conclusion
Dual military marriage can work but requires more effort than their counterpart civilian or civilian-military marriage. The channel of communication has to be constantly open and both parties are willing to be flexible and adapt to whatever situation comes their way.
