Is Geo-Baching in your future?
Geo-Baching, or Geographical Bachelor, is the new term being coined by military families that are geographically separated from one another. It is becoming so common in the military that not only are new words being made up, but entire non-for profit organizations are sprouting up to help families going through these very real struggles.
Unfortunately for all you young BogiDopers looking to get hired into a UPT slot, the likelihood of Geo-Bach Ops is seriously high. Whether it is OTS, UPT, TDYs or a Deployment, being a Geo-Bach family is difficult.
My advice, if you haven’t already, start preparing your families for this future. Start with making sure they understand what the commitment of being a military aviator entails. Show them articles like the one below and help them access the resources that will be crucial in helping the family get through rough times.
The military is an incredible community, filled with incredible people. Out of all of the amazing experiences I have, it is the people that impress me the most, like this family below!
Happy Sunday!
SIC you nailed it! Geo-Baching is almost assured just by deployments alone. My experience: I have spent over 3 years geo-baching outside of deployments, training, and TDYs. Things I have learned that BD cares about:
-Active duty will bear the brunt of geo-baching requirements. PCS moves and remote assignments are usually the cause. A concrete current example: remote Korea assignments are in limbo. Kunsan may/may not be dead; time will tell. If not and the Kunsan spawns to full strength, there will be a lot more remote assignments available.
-180/365 day deployments are still hot both in the Guard and AD.
- What kind of time are we talking for standard ops? Guard units will deploy for approx 6 months at a time (geo-baching lite). My stints between seeing the family were about 5-6 months at a time.
Good writeup from Military Times: https://www.militarytimes.com/news/your-military/2026/07/17/the-new-military-family-staying-together-while-living-apart/
I geo-Bached for my 6 month Submarine Officer Advanced Course (Department Head school) as it made sense to keep my kids in the good schools they were in. It can be a strain, but it can also make sense in a lot of ways.
