Dual military but different branches. Who takes priority on pcs options?

I can attest when my wife and I were both Navy enlisted we were able to be stationed together.

Then when she became an Air Force officer and I was still Navy enlisted, the Air Force assignment was elsewhere but my recruiting command was able to PCS me to same city even though it was a bad career move for me.

When I became an Air Force officer, detailers didn't even try to keep us together even though we were both medical. We had Group Commanders, some GO officers, talking to detailers but we only had a 4-month overlapping tour of duty together.

This led to a decision to search the opportunity for an inter-service transfer to PHS. PHS assignments can keep couples together their entire careers, but it too can hurt ones career if not properly massaged. I had the most years of service so I was the test subject to see if a inter-service transfer would be accepted. I was accepted with orders to the FDA in Los Angeles. Next my wife tried for inter-service transfer (it took me 9-months) and she kept trying to the point of no return. Meaning, one has to commit to the PHS for 10-years before you retire, she had less than 10-years before AF retirement and she was perpetually stuck in Pacific AF and her frequency of assignments continually blocked any chance for an inter-service transfer.

So, I said a lot to say being in two different services has been a morale killer for our family. She was looking at retirement in 2017 but you guessed it she will PCS now after only in her current assignment less than a year to a third command job which will extend her retirement by 2-years, she's high-3 for retirement to meet retirement as an O-6 and 18-months in now.

For us, it's not worked at all. The needs of the service comes first. Maybe if both are enlisted there might be better opportunities but for us both as senior officers the two different services do not work together not even when we were both Air Force. As a side note, I know many dual military couples that decided two careers were not worth the Seperations and one got out. I know of only one other senior officer couple both Air Force that endured a career of Seperation like ours. It's been since 1999 that we had a tour of duty together, I'll let you figure out the math.

Ready to retire in 2018 and still waiting on a date for her. I truly wish you the best, it's a tough decision to make when you get those first orders apart.

It is typically the senior member, but honestly it ends up being whatever will work. HRC coordinates with the other services to come to a solution that will work the best for all parties.

It used to be that the senior member was the primary for any mil-to-mil action like this. It's tough with a joint service assignment unless you are at a joint base. Good luck on the PCS.