[mmpalus]

and the daughter of an Air Force officer.

Building on some of the other comments, it's possible to find a military job that wouldn't require a deployment. HOWEVER, it is not a good idea for your DH to go into the military with the mindset of never deploying. With the military involved in two wars, any new enlisted or commissioned officer will not get a warm welcome if he joins up with that attitude. I'm not saying he or you are wrong in wanting to avoid a deployment, just that military culture expects the serviceman and family to be flexible about transfers.

Deployments don't always mean a combat situation although they will mean a separation from the family. They can lead to promotions or opportunities for interesting assignments, plus all income during deployment to a combat zone is considered non-taxable.

Your DH should look at all the military branches, not just the Army. Although it's unlikely that he could get a contract that says he'd only be assigned to bases or posts in certain states, some branches just don't have facilities in every state. For instance, the Upper Midwest only has 1 Navy base and a few Air Force bases.

Finally, a master's degree will open a lot of doors for your DH but good assignments can be based on other things, like work experience. Definitely he should be looking for opportunities for a commisioned officer but openings may be limited, especially if your DH confines his search to only a few states.

Hope that gives you some ideas. You can e-mail me if you want more information.

Melissa