Three of us waited for a few hours till someone remembered about us. Here are six tips for making the most of life at your first duty station. Learn more about the benefits of sponsorship in the short. You can use some military moving services and manage other parts of the move yourself. Show/hide Shopping and Donating menu items. Availability, cost, and personal finances may also play into your decision as well. The same can go for a mortgage payment. Just like the neighborhoods off of the installation. For example, the BAH rates for an E6 with dependents are set to cover a 2- or 3-bedroom apartment or townhome. Moving can be a challenge, and in times of global uncertainty it is more important than ever to know the best ways to organize the logistics of your move and act fast once you get your orders. Any opinions are those of the author alone, and not those of an advertiser to the site nor of The Military Wallet. I remember changing little old ladies light bulbs, teaching a girl how to drive a stick in my jeep and being invited over for Thanksgiving dinner by a family that would become like my own. When I deployed in 2004 to Iraq, we still were receiving written letters from home. Your unit is comprised of people from various walks of life and those differences in culture and attitude does not mean that it will necessarily mesh with your personality or yours with theirs. I go there, sign in, and go upstairs to meet my NCO, my peers, and my CO in the S4. The military, of course, wants this person to re-enlist, so they try to accommodate such base of preference requests. Most of the time this means renting or buying a house in the local area. The following weeks were a complete nightmare. Naval Station Norfolk is situated in the Sewells Point area of the City of Norfolk, near the site of the battle of the Monitor and Merrimac (CSS Virginia), and is the largest naval complex in the world. These housing options range from apartments to duplexes (or sometimes 4 or 8-plexes) to single-family homes. More Troops to Receive a Temporary 2022 BAH Increase, Managing Investment Property While Serving in the Military. If you graduate at the top of your A School you can be offered first pick in choices for first duty station. Technically that's correct. One day in upstate New York, a friend and I came upon a frozen lake on a random drive designed to get us away from Fort Drum. During my return deployment to Iraq in 2008, every building had internet and I could video chat and do whatever I wanted with little or no interruption. During a PPM, you coordinate the move of your household goods yourself without using any military moving services. For more information, please see our Advertising Policy. I drove in to JBLM after driving for 5 days across the country. That whole place was a orgy fest . Eating rare tuna steaks on the marsh of coastal Georgia, hiking through the towering firs of the Pacific Northwest or seeing the lights of Vegas off in the distance in the middle of Death Valley are things I never thought I would experience. The success rate for joint spouse assignments is about 85 percent. Knowing which service best fits your goals and personality will ensure you make the best choice for your personal situation; however, it can also lead to some conflicts. The Army has looked at creative ways to broaden its appeal, from looking for recruits in areas of the country that may not be hotbeds of military service to seeking a more diverse pool of applicants. It's important not to confuse assignments with deployments, which are of course based on many factors such as geopolitical situations and the need for U.S. military troops around the world. Mileage will be based on the official distance from your home of record to the In retrospect, my time at Ft. 5 Where are the best military stations in the United States? Water, electricity, gas, and trash pickup are included in your rent. PVT/E1. what is your first duty station like I never even knew they were possible, frankly. There is a vast difference between boot camp and unit life. The cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. If you are not comfortable with living up to a units standards of fitness, military bearing, grooming, and wearing of the uniform, you might find the military more than you can handle. Then the fucking taxi guy came up to us and started yelling at him for "soliciting" to keep us from needing to use two taxis (and thus two fares). He says cool. They may vary significantly from the family living next door to you. On a remote tour one cannot bring their family at government expense, and the tour-length is 12 months. The duty station of choice enlistment option currently includes more than 5,600 vacancies in 17 different career fields, based on the availability of the selected . If the problem is not one that can be resolved within one year, ahardship dischargewill be considered, rather than a hardship assignment. Finally, during my 2018 deployment to Kosovo, my internet and cell phone service there was better at times, than I had at my house back in the states. CONUS: Inside the continental United States 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. They call it Pinterest. Prior to the end of your training at AIT, you can file the necessary paperwork to take leave after AIT. Its also important to keep in mind that BAH rates are based off an old assumption that single, young people entered the military. Running, swimming, calisthenics, rucking, and lifting are required at varying levels of intensity depending upon your branch and military specialty. Get to know your installation. This article may contain links from our advertisers. If your Current or New Duty Station is not listed in the drop down menu it could be because your ship has not yet been commissioned OR youre stationed on a command that is not recognized as Sea Duty (squadrons, isolated duty types, etc.). Admittedly, it was out of frustration with the Army. You must remember though that nothing is official until your orders are published. Are You Ready to pick your first duty station? Typically, your unit will assign a service member of similar rank and family make-up to help you learn the ropes at your new duty station. Another type of overseas assignment, like most assignments to Korea, is considered remote. A follow-on assignment is an assignment after a remote tour. The technical storage or access is necessary for the legitimate purpose of storing preferences that are not requested by the subscriber or user. Employees are entitled to receive the location-based pay entitlements associated with their documented official duty station for their position of record. Your daily job will require sacrifices in time with family, friends, your spouse, and your kids, and you also will not be able to live, work, eat, change jobs, or travel normally as well when permanently stationed or deployed with your unit. What was your first day like at your first duty station? At unit level, Service Members can talk to their family members while they are at work, however some units may dictate that a Service Member can only talk during breaks or lunches. Fucking dope. If youre getting ready to pick your dream list for your very first duty station, you may be a little unsure of what locations to choose for your top choices. How do you write a good story in Smash Bros screening? My report date was ordered for Thanksgiving, but my recruiter had told me that I could just show up Sunday "because no one was gonna be working at reception anyways". Ensure to pack smartly as storage space is limited. Who does the voice of Vanessa on Phineas and Ferb? Another officer and I even ended up in a sweat lodge once, but that is another story! In the United States Navy, a duty station is the location where a sailor is stationed for duty. Drum was an incredible adventure that formed me into who I am today. Roberts and his family recently moved into base housing after a permanent change of station to Tyndall. While the services will consider your preferences, the overriding deciding factor is where the military needs you the most. Calculating a Federal Annuity FERS and CSRS, Retirement Eligibility & FERS Minimum Retirement Age (MRA), Higher Special Rate Pay for Some Federal Jobs, LWOP Leave Without Pay in Federal Government, Law Enforcement Retirement Countdown Clock, Webinar: Your Federal Retirement Benefits, Public Service Loan Forgiveness (Sponsored), Report: Federal Employee Benefits & Divorce, Military Service Credit for Federal Retirement, FLTCIP Federal Long Term Care Insurance Program, FEGLI Federal Employees Group Life Insurance, Dual Employment in the Federal Government, Like this article? #1 Naval Base San Diego, California As a result, its not shocking that Naval Base San Diego is by far the most sought after station for duty in the U.S. Navy. There are special considerations and you may be allowed to rent a place in town. First duty station selection is made (in either basic training or technical school/AIT/A-School), based upon your preferences, and the needs of the service. Editorial Disclosure: Editorial content on The Military Wallet may include opinions. However, the unit will teach you how to conduct yourself as a Service member and as a professional in your respected branch. Military OneSource moving experts can help you with moving tips, information about your new duty station and everything you need to master your PCS. Doing it all yourself can mean added stress and possible problems. Conclusion. The size of the house you would be eligible for depends on the size of your family and by whats available. The military does not pay you for travel on leave. For example, growing up in the South, I knew nothing about ice fishing. Show/hide Jobs and Making Money menu items. Broadly speaking, your orders will tell you where youll be moving to either CONUS or OCONUS. If u have your tab and have airborne or airsalt u might have some luck requesting a transfer to XVIII airborne corps prior to PCS. For most employees, this will be the location of the employees regular worksitethat is, the place where the employees activities are based, the location of the employees desk or work station, or the place where the employee normally performs his or her duties. So there I am, Private Fuzzy trying to haggle with the taxi folks to get me to Bragg on 20 bucks. Single people, even though they don't have dependents can use the follow-on program, as well. Articles may contain affiliate links which enable us to share in the revenue of any purchases made. Without a subpoena, voluntary compliance on the part of your Internet Service Provider, or additional records from a third party, information stored or retrieved for this purpose alone cannot usually be used to identify you. Max Hauptman Not a bad duty station. Compare the rates, fees, and rewards of top credit cards for military servicemembers and veterans, including cards with waived annual fees under the SCRA. This may be why the rent for the 4-bedroom house youre looking at is higher than your BAH. Responses have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by the bank advertiser. Show/hide Identity Theft and Online Security menu items. When it comes to a first assignment, some of the Armys newest recruits will have a chance to pick their poison. Yet they all had one thing in common. In these cases, the military will store the vehicle for you for free while you are assigned overseas. When your on duty always do your best. Some locations don't allow the shipping of a personal vehicle and others restrict this privilege to certain ranks. Arriving at My First Duty Station. Scams. Of course, other things play into your housing decisions, such as commute, schools, and even specific neighborhoods. 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. They summoned you some free leave. This can be a painful pill to swallow for some families, who are used to this day in age where the social media footprint tells them everything that their loved one is doing. Mama ain't raise a quitter rip the homie tho. What is the best duty station in the Navy? 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. No matter where I was, the contrast between the standardized, drab monotony of military buildings and the wildly vibrant world that lived just outside the front gate was amazing. You would learn by doing your USAF speciality under supervision and study for your 3 level on your own. First person in AIT to get their PCS Rep's number in the system. *The appearance of U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) visual information does not imply or constitute DoD endorsement. This is a military requirement and there are standards to uphold. DOD Safe Helpline - Sexual Assault Support, Domestic Abuse Victim Advocate Locator - Family Advocacy Program, Wounded, Ill or Injured, & Their Caregivers, Expanded Access at Commissaries, Exchanges and Recreation Facilities, Cliques, Phonies & Other Baloney Childrens Book, Spouse Education and Career Opportunities, Personal Property Customer Service Contacts, explore your base and beyond with MilitaryINSTALLATIONS, Emergency Contacts for Disasters & Evacuations, CONUS: Inside the continental United States. The service announced Friday that it would begin allowing new active-duty. 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. What your PCS orders include Unlike temporary duty assignments, permanent change of station orders are a longer-term assignment, generally two to four years. There was a place she found in the Green River Gorge in Washington and an adobe we stayed at outside of Fort Huachuca. Drum, NY. June 1, 2022. hotel group in singapore. . Well, turns out that was a fucking fib. FREE Weekly Updates! 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. It dictates where you will go when you will go there, and how long you will stay there. By signing into the AKO and selecting "On Orders," you may also access your S1's orders. Texted him the moment I got my phone back and let him know I was on track to graduate on X Date. You are now able to pick where you want your first duty station to be in the US Army! 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. 2. Even today, after 21 years of military service, I still can remember the moment that I walked into my first unit. X Date comes, I text him that I have completed my AIT course and I'm flying Y Flight arriving at Columbus Airport at 2200. Coming out of tech school you will have learned the basics of your specialty an. Learn more about, Your military sponsor is someone from your unit who is assigned to assist you throughout your PCS. This is a VERY SELECTIVE process and the privilege is afforded to outstanding E-4 and below Sailors. 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. This article covers more about the pros and cons of living in base housing. It was a good year. Consenting to these technologies will allow us to process data such as browsing behavior or unique IDs on this site. You usually don't get to choose your first duty station. . I'm like I just like I just got here, I don't know nothing! | Rod Powers was a retired Air Force First Sergeant with 22 years of active duty service. Here are some of, This column rounds up important developments in the military community for the week. Even the new private that arrived a month before you, has more experience and seniority than you, even if you are the same rank. Your familys housing needs are today may not be the same as they were before, or will be in the future. Advertising Notice: The Military Wallet and Three Creeks Media, its parent and affiliate companies, may receive compensation through advertising placements on The Military Wallet; For any rankings or lists on this site, The Military Wallet may receive compensation from the companies being ranked and this compensation may affect how, where and in what order products and companies appear in the rankings and lists. A duty station is usually assigned to a sailor when they first join the Navy, and it is where they will . Whether youre facing your first military move or your last, there is always one burning question, Where should we live? From young, single service members to big, bustling families, the housing situation is one of the first things that needs to be settled. Make sure to crunch all the numbers for each situation to make sure youre picking an option that is financially feasible for your specific situation. This has to be approved, and the most common length is 10 days. Your orders include important information related to your authorizations and entitlements. Once I made Specialist (pay grade of E4), only then I was started to be liked by other members of my unit. You do have to be fitter than your average contemporaries. This is called a joint spouse assignment. Almost everything above can be thrown out the window when youre looking at housing options for an overseas move. The first place you will probably live as a service member is in the barracks. May 17, 2016. Being an active duty sailor means that the US Navy is your job- your day job, your night job, your real job. Antonio. Heres a complete list of all 93 Navy Ratings (jobs) in alphabetical order, as well as the minimum ASVAB score for each rating. There are options for living in town, or on the economy as they say in Germany, but those tend to be few and far between. When moving from one rental to another, you can easily have several thousand dollars locked up in deposits at one time. Next morning he texts me to come to BN HQ to sign in and meet the S4 staff I'll be working with (even though I'm not on duty). They are also available for single service members living overseas or on a dependent-restricted tour. Answer (1 of 2): Imagine going from basic training directly to on the job training (OJT) at your first USAF base. Max Hauptman has been covering breaking news at Task & Purpose since December 2021. You may be eligible to move a small amount of your belongings with you for a TDY.