should i enlist?

i am 22 and am married. my hubby and i have a 3 month old baby and my son who lives with us 24/7 who is 3 in april. i am contemplating enlisting in the military (army reserves) my hubby said he wouldnt like it but would support me. i am having trouble with the being away for the basic training part. how many of you have had to make this decision for yourselves while being a stay at home mom to young children? how did you come to the conclusion? any advice and even opinions as long as they are not rude are welcome.
TIA~

That is something you should really sit down and talk to your Husband about, and then decide. Why do you want to enlist?

we have discussed it that is when he said he would support me but not be too fond of it. i want to enlist for numerous reasons. 1, it runs in my family. 2, i like feeling i belong to something that will benefit others. 3, the money is good. 4, my kids will have a chance at college as will I. 5, i would love to see the world and meet new, respectable people. 6, my step dad was in it who passed away and i would love to honor him by joining same as my brother did by becoming a mason in our step fathers footsteps. 7, i want to have a better future and security for my family and my children and for all future generations. 8, i want stability and not living pay check to pay check.

Quoting Cnc1990:" i am 22 and am married. my hubby and i have a 3 month old baby and my son who lives with us 24/7 who ... [snip!] ... children? how did you come to the conclusion? any advice and even opinions as long as they are not rude are welcome. TIA~"

I did it. It was hard but worth it. I was a single mother and I had to leave my son with my mother. I had to do what I had to do to provide for my son. I aint gonna lie, it was hard as smurf to be away from him but the Drill Sgt. will have you so busy running and busting your ass you wont have time to focus on who all you miss back home. If i could change one thing i would have went active. You do the same basic training and AIT, you might as well get the full benefits for the whole family. Warning my husband said they are doing a draw down though so get while the getting is good, if that is what you want to do. My husband is a E-6 active Army.

if you are going to do it, don't do reserves do active duty. it's really not worth the time with the small amount of money you get in the reserves. you can sign up for something which is full time reserves which is where you are enlisted like an active duty person but you work on a reserves base (so that you wouldnt have to move away from home). they do not get as many benefits as active duty but that is a benefit. it would basically have you working on a reservist base full time.
my husband is active duty and it has been great for our family and helping get us both through college. my brother in law is reserves and he gets stupid long deployments when he goes (my husbands are only about 6-8 months at a time) and he doesnt get any benefits unless he is deployed for anyone but himself. He still has to work a full time job and he is an e-6 making only 2-300 a month.
do it, but do either active duty or full time reserves.

thank you after reading that i will do full time reserves if i enlist. it is just a very hard decision to make as you may all know. what qualifications need to be met in order to enlist for army full time reserves?

Army reserves? Have you looked at the pay rate? Most military live paycheck to paycheck, as they are very underpaid. Someone can correct me if I'm wrong, but in order for your kids to use the GI bill you'd have to be enlisted for at least 6 years, and they would have to enroll in college while you're still enlisted active duty. I personally would not do it, but if it is something you feel strongly passionate about, talk to DH again, and then make a decision.

Quoting Cnc1990:" thank you after reading that i will do full time reserves if i enlist. it is just a very hard decision ... [snip!] ... hard decision to make as you may all know. what qualifications need to be met in order to enlist for army full time reserves?"

it will depend on if there is a spot for your MOS open for full time reserve @ your unit. That is why i said go active duty.
There was a spot for my MOS and it never opened up.
It is hell and high water to get one of those spots.

Quoting Super Mommy!:" Army reserves? Have you looked at the pay rate? Most military live paycheck to paycheck, as they are ... [snip!] ... would not do it, but if it is something you feel strongly passionate about, talk to DH again, and then make a decision."

all do respect, i never said my husband was going to leave his job which is good money as well so we wont be on a budget as tight as we are now nor did i say it would only be for the minimal amount of time.

due*

I think it is all the same qualifications and whatever qualifications you need for your MOS. If they don't have the MOS you want right away just pick a different one. Whatever you do don't go undesignated.

you do have to wait for 6 years no matter how you enlist for anyone else in your family to use the GI bill. it can only be used for 1 person and it covers 3 years of their college expenses but can only be used toward 1 program. however, you do not have to be active duty when they use your GI bill. if you are active duty when they use it the GI bill will give them the money just to pay for school credits. if you are out of the military when they use it they will get living expenses as well.

thank you for the information provided i may serve four years because all in all i'm really not in it for the money as much as the other things i have listed along with an honorable duty to my country.