Oh here is another question which I'm sure is best suited towards the recruiter but how does housing and food allowance work? Say I am in Kuwait or Afghanistan could my wife still get the housing allowance or what?
It's a package you and your family will apply for, they'll figure out your situation in boot camp and get you started on the paperwork (actually, your recruiter will probably get you started). They will get an allowance whether or not you're deployed. They'll get insurance coverage via
DEERS and housing benefits are allotted by location... so this will depend on whether or not you're renting base housing, rank, etc...and/or other personal circumstances. Definitely ask your recruiter, but you can also look
here to get some idea beforehand and come up with specific questions.
When I was in, I had some guys under me who were married and some with kids and I had to deal some with these systems in that sense, but I didn't personally have to for myself. I do know that your family will recieve allowances unavailable to those without families though, even when you aren't deployed.
Good luck, and I wish you well. Personally, I say you should go infantry, but I'm biased in that respect. Infantrymen have access to clearances too (I got a TS)...but pick a job you want--just remember that in the infantry or some other combat MOS your training will be your work, whereas in other areas the training will be aside from job-specific MOS training (so less shooting/weapons qualifications, less PT, and less MOUT, etc). Depends on what you want to get out of it. My advice is, regardless of MOS, to go to any and every school you have the ability to from the get-go, the Army has lots of money to throw around.
Also, concerning the bonuses... Note: I'm speaking from the marines perspective but I'm pretty sure the system is practically the same (just different in the amounts offered)... You can get a sign-on bonus initially from your recruiter, and also reenlistment bonuses down the road, both are based on MOS and rank attained-- ie. the Army will give more money to take a job in areas where they need people. In this case, the bonuses for Infantry are usually more substantial for obvious reasons. Also, here, I have to say that I didn't get a sign-on bonus because I joined before the operations in Iraq had began although I was offered over 38 grand to reenlist in 2007 as an E5 in the Infantry. Also, if you do decide to reenlist, do it in a place like Kuwait, if you can, 'cause it'll be tax-free (but you'll know all about this after 4 years).