Command Sponsorship questions

[NomadicMama]

A friend's husband is finishing up AIT and rrecently received his first duty assignment--Korea.  My friend is trying to figure out how to complete the required paperwork so that she and her two young children can join her DH.  She does not live near a military installation, so she's doing this remotely, with a DH who is still in training.

I'm trying to help her as best I can, but DH did most of the paperwork and what I did was completed at an MTF that had our medical records.  I do know that the process is a major PITA.  We joked that we'd survived two years at Fort Irwin, infertility, a difficult pregnancy and a 15 month training/deployment, but that the paperwork to move overseas would be the cause of our divorce!  

Does anyone have any recent experience with this process?  Any tips and/or suggestions?  TIA!

[amaristella]

I really wish that I had some tips for your friend. I've never done that, but just my regular OCONUS stuff is making me pull my hair out weekly. Although thankfully we might have our move date really set by today or tomorrow.

Are you near your friend? Maybe you can take her out for ice cream or a spa day if nothing else helps.

[NomadicMama]

Mar 28, 2013 13:01:05 GMT -5 amaristella said:

I really wish that I had some tips for your friend. I've never done that, but just my regular OCONUS stuff is making me pull my hair out weekly. Although thankfully we might have our move date really set by today or tomorrow.

Are you near your friend? Maybe you can take her out for ice cream or a spa day if nothing else helps.

Sadly, we are on separate continents, so no ice cream, spa or in-person support is possible.

I was able to tell her that the process is effed up and not to read anything personal into it. It can be demoralizing to feel like nobody gives you a straight answer or sends you off on a wild goose chase. Ahhh, the joys of being a military spouse!

[ch47wife]

My DH took care of most of our paperwork. Even if her husband is in AIT, he can get some information. The only thing I had to take care of myself was the EFMP screening and paperwork. Here is a link for her to look at. There is also a Facebook page for 2ID CS information. Depending on where he's going, it can be hard to get CS right now. A lot of places are at capacity (90%) and won't approve until there are spots. She may have to reapply if she gets denied or if she wants she can come over non-CS.
www.usfk.mil/usfk/hot-topic.usfk.military.command.sponsorship.program.491

[audette]

DH filed the paperwork for me the first time. I did the second time. DH did the third time.

Yes, they lost my sponsorship paperwork twice.

I don't remember the physical paperwork to be all that difficult - it was basically information about me, DH's unit, current location, orders, etc. However, the follow-up was the serious pain in the ass - as mentioned, they kept losing the paperwork, and when they were not losing it, they were forgetting about it/not sending it to the appropriate people, etc.

There was a medical appointment I had to go to that they called an "overseas screening". That was toward the end of the process, as far as I can remember.

Now, I was living with DH, near a base, so I did not have the challenge that your friend did of not being near a base.



You know, considering it's been single digit months since we started this process, you'd think I'd remember more of it...

As an aside - from what I can tell the number of sponsorship slots in Korea are limited. I have a few friends that keep getting turned down to come over here. Filling out the paperwork and going thru the whole application process does not guarantee that she will get sponsorship.

[kpol]

I had a really easy process to get CS for Korea and feel lucky after hearing so many horror stories of lost paperwork, denials based on small oversights, etc. All I remember is needing the EFMP screening which was done at my local MTF. I needed to have a copy of an annual exam that was no less than one year old, DA Form 5888 and DA Form 27292. MH took care of the rest and was in contact with the S1 throughout the process.

There is also a way to track your CS via the 8th Army website, but that program was new when we were applying.

Like everyone else said, applying for CS doesn't mean they will be approved and most posts are almost at capacity. It's kind of a mess, at least where are.

[sushi]

I've been through this twice in different locations (keep in mind we're AF, not army). Most recently I actually had to fill it out in Korea for my move to Hawaii, while not being sponsored, so I had to go to my own local clinics.

IIRC there's a requirement for a medical records review. I went to the Korean hospital and had them sign it, even though they'd never seen me except for a well woman checkup. The med group commander also signed something for me, but I wasn't involved in that. I know I didn't have records locally, and most of the records I do have weren't electronic.
Basically, it's a checklist of health concerns, and the receiving base determines whether they can meet them or not. For instance, I have a weird heart thing. All it requires is one appointment a year, so that's acceptable. If I had to have regular monitoring or were at risk of complications, I wouldn't go anywhere in Korea since there are no ICU units on the bases (at least not AF).

For children, they especially want to make sure there are no issues like asthma or special needs education. Most overseas locations have minimal services, both for medical and educational. So there's probably a visit to the pediatrician to sign off on those forms.

I also had to have my civilian dentist sign a piece of paper that my teeth were good and clean with no major expected repairs needed. You need a cleaning within the last 12 months.

There was a meeting on base with a social worker which I presume was similar to the panel I saw when I did the process near an MTF. I'm not really sure what civilian would satisfy that. It was basically to evaluate if I could handle being overseas as well as if they could handle my mental health needs. Maybe a minister? The military loves using chaplains instead of actual mental health professionals, so why not with this?

My H is amazing at finding paperwork, so I'll see if he can get a link.

audette is right. Paperwork isn't a guarantee. The receiving location has to look at space for housing, schools, and then any other requirement that the paperwork shows they may need.