The military, of course, wants this person to re-enlist, so they try to accommodate such base of preference requests. Research the schools if you have school-aged children, and make sure that you look at commute times and routes. what is your first duty station like So obviously I didn't plan ahead and had no idea who to call because I didn't even know staff duty was a thing that existed at the time, which was probably actually a blessing in disguise. I really thought at first that this was a reference to the 82nd guys who stole the tiger statue during their JRTC rotation. Her days consist of CrossFit workouts, audiobooks, and pretending to cook while her Instant Pot does all the work. Showed up at my unit on Ft. Story VA and was told to go sit in the day room. That whole place was a orgy fest . Sample 1 Sample 2. For example, if they are on a training exercise at JRTC (Joint Readiness Training Center) or a fleet deployment, they may go an extended amount of time before they are able to contact their families. While the services will consider your preferences, the overriding deciding factor is where the military needs you the most. New Army recruits now can choose their first duty station. To provide the best experiences, we use technologies like cookies to store and/or access device information. Or check out the latest stories on our homepage. *The appearance of U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) visual information does not imply or constitute DoD endorsement. For example, the BAH rates for an E6 with dependents are set to cover a 2- or 3-bedroom apartment or townhome. This is a military requirement and there are standards to uphold. Ensure to pack smartly as storage space is limited. As pull into the parking lot there's ambulances and firetrucks in parking lot. Exploring Your Military Housing Options Barracks, On-Base, Off-Base, & Overseas Housing, the pros and cons of living in base housing, renting or buying a house in the local area, BAH is in place to offset 95% of your rental costs, U.S. Air Force photo/ Airman Anthony Jennings, U.S. Air Force photo/Airman 1st Class Chad Warren. Comment * document.getElementById("comment").setAttribute( "id", "a58ddf9f976792e2585ba0161c8f679a" );document.getElementById("e335739449").setAttribute( "id", "comment" ); document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); These responses are not provided or commissioned by the bank advertiser. Your BAH is here to help! Career (those who have re-enlisted at least once) enlisted members assigned to the continental U.S. must have 24 months time-on-station to move to an overseas location and must have 36 months time-on-station in order to move to another continental U.S. location. A lot of military families enjoy living in town and making connections within the local community. You will also be provided a standup locker that is about 8" wide by 36" tall by 24 . You made it through boot camp, various training courses, and graduated from your MOS school. . The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance". Since I had a well cultivated level of curiosity, we ventured to the shed to investigate. Well, turns out that was a fucking fib. At the unit, regardless of branch, you have will unit members who have various levels of experience. The entitlements the Government will pay for consist of the following: . You are now able to pick where you want your first duty station to be in the US Army! Regardless, some sacrifices are going to have to be made to accommodate the units mission. If you're trying to join active duty specifically to stay close to your current location, you might want to reconsider joining at all. Wow That's not how the lesbian camping trips end in the magazines behind the counter. As you move from basic training to initial, job-specific training, youll also move from open bays and communal bathrooms to rooms shared with one or two other service members and a shared, suite-style bathroom. Starting the adventure! The change gives new soldiers the option of living as close to or far away from their hometowns as possible. I didn't know where in-processing was so I walked around until some dudes in a car drove by to ask me if I wanted to go to church with them. In these cases, the military will store the vehicle for you for free while you are assigned overseas. An employees official duty station is the duty station that is documented on the most recent notification of personnel action (for example, on a Standard Form 50) for his or her position of record. Keeping in mind that the BAH calculations are based on rank and not family size, you may be surprised at how much youll receive and how much rent or a mortgage is in the area youre moving to. Responses have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by the bank advertiser. Use your preferred relay service, or dial 711 then 988. 120 Likes, 1 Comments - Bradley Girard (@ssg_girard_usarmy) on Instagram: "With bonuses of up to $50,000, two-year enlistment options, and the option to choose your first" Is paralegal higher than legal assistant? Show/hide Credit, Loans, and Debt menu items. Learning where all the facilities are on the base from the PX, Commissary, Base Hospital, where morning "sick call" is held, where all the AAFES gas stations are, and where the base gyms are only a few of the things to know. If you cannot uphold them or fail to meet them, you can lose your job or not be hired. The Duty Station Locator System is intended to facilitate the Federal civilian personnel community's ability to locate duty station names and codes for use in processing personnel actions and reporting workforce information to OPM. As a service or family member, you probably expect a permanent change of station to be part of your military life. Some types of orders qualify as Sea Duty. As one of the most requested locations in the Army, youre in for a treat if you get stationed at Fort Carson. Your family's housing needs are today may not be the same as they were before, or will be in the future. All Rights Reserved. Rod Powers was a retired Air Force First Sergeant with 22 years of active duty service. Does it snow in Switzerland all year round? Here are six tips for making the most of life at your first duty station. You'll serve your country, but you'll also have time for fun and exploring your new surroundings. I flew into Fayetteville from Syracuse, and was a dumb private who didn't save any money from basic training snd blew it all on underage drinking and fully nude titty bars because that's allowed in Syracuse. The content on The Military Wallet is produced by Three Creeks Media, its partners, affiliates and contractors, any opinions or statements on The Military Wallet should not be attributed to the Dept. How many Navy ratings are there? But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience. Usually, military personnel offices maintain lists of military people worldwide who are looking to swap. First, your duty is to fill oil inside oil tanker and transport your oil tanker truck to different destinations with your truck driving skills. Now the day has arrived, and you are reporting to your first unit. Both members who agree to swap must pay for their own move. You must be willing to sacrifice many things, and most importantly it could be your life. Military members and their families have many housing options to choose from, including the barracks for single members, base housing, off-base housing and more. Doing it all yourself can mean added stress and possible problems. It dictates where you will go when you will go there, and how long you will stay there. So finally, you made it through MEPS, reception and survived your branchs grueling boot camp and advanced training for your military occupational specialty (MOS). Of course, other things play into your housing decisions, such as commute, schools, and even specific neighborhoods. Scams. Military OneSource moving experts can help you with moving tips, information about your new duty station and everything you need to master your PCS. of Defense or any governmental entity. Even today, after 21 years of military service, I still can remember the moment that I walked into my first unit. Max Hauptman By Additionally, there is an allowance for utilities, which is the same for everyone. You get an OHA amount that equals your rent and the utility allowance, nothing else. Turns out a soldier hung themself with an electrical cord not but an hour before. But when you have time off get away and see things watch out for the woman/men on hotel street and there are areas you don't want to go. Here are 3 things you should know about your first duty station. Each time you have to make a decision on housing, youll want to work through the decision-making process. When you get married or when you reach a rank where you are allowed to live outside of the barracks youll have other housing options. He previously worked at The Washington Post as a Military Veterans in Journalism Fellow, as well as covering local news in New England. In order to be eligible for a swap, one must have the required time-on-station mentioned above. Drum, NY. The military will pay to move your personal property from your home location to your first permanent duty station, or, you can rent a truck, move it yourself. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. You also want to know how long it takes to . Perform duty station searches by using any combination of the search parameters listed below. OCONUS: Outside the continental U.S. Includes Alaska, Hawaii and U.S. territories. Most installations have some housing for their service members. Known for its mechanical strength and ability to withstand pressure, this type of epoxy flooring is often used in places that see a lot of truck traffic and other heavy duty motors like forklifts - it's essentially suitable in industrial buildings. Even the new private that arrived a month before you, has more experience and seniority than you, even if you are the same rank. And, do you know where to look for this information? With the new enlistment option, recruits can choose from Fort Carson, Colorado; Joint Base Lewis-McCord, Washington; Fort Bliss and Fort Hood, Texas; Fort Polk, Louisiana; Fort Riley, Kansas; Fort Stewart, Georgia; Fort Drum, New York; and installations in Alaska. Men in combat. The Army now offers new active-duty recruits the ability to select their first duty station, giving many the option to go as far away from or stay as close to home as they want. This site is solely for testing and approving site pages before they are released to the general public. If an employee is covered by a remote work agreement under which the employee works from home or other specified alternative location full-time and is not required to report to the agency worksite at least twice each biweekly pay period on a regular and recurring basis, the employees official worksite is the employees home or other worksite. It's also known to have anti-slip properties, for industries, like food processing firms, can use . But military moves dont have to be exclusively one or the other. More posts you may like. Want to write for Task & Purpose? A Government Accounting Office (GAO) report indicates that may be true; worse yet there have been a large number of rejected applications for non-GI Bill VA education benefits with no clear indication as to why those applications, Military news is more than just breaking stories about forward-deployed troops, combat operations, and military operations. Get a Map and Drive the Base. This place the Navy sends you is called a duty station. An employee's official duty station is the duty station that is documented on the most recent notification of personnel action (for example, on a Standard Form 50) for his or her position. I'm like 'okay, this must place must have some awesome parties'. The government must then pay again to relocate the dependents from where they are living to the newassignment when the member returns from the remote tour. Branch-specific guidance varies from year to year, but the rule of thumb is 12-18 months in one command and up to 24 months in two commands. I was stunned to hear it since he had a good job, a nice family and was living the picture-perfect American dream. Here are some of, This column rounds up important developments in the military community for the week. Learn and follow them to the letter. Location-based pay entitlements include locality payments, special salary rates, law enforcement officer geographic adjustments, and non-foreign area post differentials. Availability, cost, and personal finances may also play into your decision as well. They are also available for single service members living overseas or on a dependent-restricted tour. They will also vary in style, size, and age based on the installation you are assigned to. Obviously they weren't budging so I thought I was about to hoof it down All American with my MapQuest printouts. Three Creeks Media, LLC 2023. But this doesnt really answer any questions about what is available. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. On a remote tour one cannot bring their family at government expense, and the tour-length is 12 months. Each branch has specific rules for who is required to live in the barracks, and at which rank they are allowed to move out of the barracks and receive BAH. Where are the best military stations in the United States? Your orders include important information related to your authorizations and entitlements. What worked for you 10 years ago, may not work now. Three of us waited for a few hours till someone remembered about us. 17 Games To Play If You Like Call Of Duty: Warzone 2. | The Navy is the overseer of your household and livelihood. CID investigated everyone. Ive learned through experience how to make the most of a duty station. While the services will consider your preferences, the overriding deciding factor is where the military needs you the most. It is up to you to capitalize on the opportunity and make the most out of every place they send you. The technical storage or access is necessary for the legitimate purpose of storing preferences that are not requested by the subscriber or user. If you travel home on leave, any additional cost is out of your pocket. of Veterans Affairs, please visit their website at va.gov. On this social media platform, travel bloggers make their name by finding out-of-the-way attractions, restaurants and cool places that some of the locals arent even aware exist. You may get to influence where you go after that, but if you don't reenlist you may separate after having only one duty station.