Can a single parents join the army?

I have been told that a single parent cannot join the army unless they give up full custody.

I am a single parent. I am seventeen years old. I will be joining the army in a few months. My mom has agreed to watch my daughter while i am at basic or if i get deployed and whatnot.
I am not going to give up full custody of my daughter to her though. If you know what i mean by that.

Is that possible?
And if my mom agrees to WATCH my daughter while i am gone , Can i still get military housing if they have it available for me and my daughter?
Or do i absolutely have to stay in the barracks without my daughter?

ten points to best answer.
Additional Details
and btw , yes a seventeen year old can join the army as long as they have both parents permission.

scubasniper

You may NOT join the Active Duty Army as a single parent hon, sorry. Yes you may give up custody of your child and join at that time, however that has to be a legal court document stating you've given up custody...not just somebody watching her while you're gone. If you were to choose this path there is NO guarantee that you'll be able to regain custody of your daughter once in the Army although I have seen it done.

If you are standing by your statement that you will NOT give up custody of your daughter then it's settled, you may not join the Army until you're married or decide to give up custody.

Policy-

With the exception of the Army National Guard, single parents are not allowed to enlist in the military, period. In the "old days," some recruits would try to get around this restriction by giving up legal custody of their child(ren) until after basic training and job school, but the military has wised up to this practice.

In the Army and Air Force, single member parent applicants who, at the time of initial processing for enlistment, indicate they have a child or children in the custody of the other parent or another adult are advised and required to acknowledge by certification that their intent at the time of enlistment was not to enter the Air Force/Army with the express intention of regaining custody after enlistment. These applicants must execute a signed statement testifying they have been advised that, if they regain custody during their term of enlistment, they will be in violation of the stated intent of their enlistment contract. They may be subject to involuntary separation for fraudulent entry unless they can show cause, such as the death or incapacity of the other parent or custodian, or their marital status changes from single to married.

Call a recruiter, they will tell you the same.

yeah, shes right.
i was thinking of joining the air force but i couldnt unless i gave up custody of my daughter- so i didnt join.

thats just the way it is, get married or something, then you can live w/ her and your husband.

Marine5

No single parents cannot enlist...

Sorry the Military is not a Social Program...

Mrsjvb

no. you may not give up custody just to enlist and you may not regain custody AT all during the enlistment.

if you are single you will reside in barracks, period. you may NOT have your child with you AT ALL.

"watching' is NOT ENOUGH..it must be CUSTODY as in full legal and physical custody through the courts.

stressedoutmom

I was a single mom when I joined the Army. I was on active duty. I had to show court papers that my daughters father had custody of her. I also had to sign some paper saying I would not try to get custody with out chain of commands permission. I was so mad because of this. But it was life. I got to my duty station and my chain of command was more than supportive about my daughter coming and living with me. I ended up getting married, but because my husband was also in the military I had to do a family care plan. You can't have custody and be single weather you are mom or dad and want to go active duty. You can give temp custody while you are serving. Then talk with your chain of command at your duty station. Then you have to go to court so you can move the kids out of state or country if you go somewhere like Germany.

Send me an email, and I will be more than happy to ask one of my closest friends who is a recruiter. Things might have changed since I joined.

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