Becoming a Military Girlfriend: Advanced Individual Training

Advanced Individual Training (AIT) is the next step of your partners military career. Here, your partner will learn job skills that are related to performing their Army job or Military Occupational Specialty (MOS). I welcome you to the easiest part of your soldiers career and your relationship. The term easiest is relative and it depends on how strong you are as their partner.

In AIT, life seems easy. You get to hear from your solider more than you did when they were in basic training. You, even, get to visit your solider. The option to visit your solider is only possible when they have passed a specific phase during their training. Also, depending on the length of their stay and their drill sergeant, the leniency will vary.

What you should know

As a girlfriend, you are not recognized; your relationship is not recognized. Your partner will be viewed as a single man without any obligations. I get it, girlfriends or boyfriends are like the goldfish you win at a carnival–they last no more than a week. But, for someone like me– going on 4 years of commitment to my military boyfriend– I deserve the acknowledgement; I deserve the time, his time!

Be aware that this is when your partner can have fun, if allowed. “Battle buddies” and your partner get to explore the town on weekends and holidays. In my opinion, they will need it. This is their chance to get away from the stress of training. Some girlfriends will not like this. I, on the other hand, told him to embrace it. Enjoy! Live it up! Just don’t be an idiot with these horny women ready to jump any guy in their path. Trust me, this will be something you worry about once you hear the stories about the women and what they do while in AIT.

Besides this, everyone’s experience will be different. My boyfriends AIT was a 7, on a scale of 10, in leniency. There were times he could talk and their were times he could not. I, mainly, did not stress our relationship while he was going through AIT. Nor did he. I would advise you to be excited he got through BMT . From AIT, life officially begin at his duty station.