which base should i make my choices(military)?

Question

i posted earlier and came up with some of the bases i should make my choices when i enlist.ft hood, Fort Sam Houston , fort bliss. I am going to try to pick one of these because they are closest to home (oklahoma city) and they are near larger cities (for my wife to work at a big hospital as an LPN. what is the priority that i should put them in? in terms of school opportunity for myself and wife, living conditions, family recreation (we have 2 kids) and career for my wife. I know this is a giant wish list and i probably wont get either of them, i at least have to try. list them in priority and why. also I would love to go to germany and my wife is truly skeptical because of the distance and rarity of seeing family. do we get any kind of compensation for flying back and forth from germany to see our family? if so explain, also try to pursuade my wife into going to germany.

Answer 1

Okay, first of all, get rid of those other answers. They are either wrong or misleading.

Now, I'm at Ft Hood. You don't want to be here. You'll never leave except for a regular deployment overseas.

Some of the best bases are Ft Carson (Colorado) (THE BEST), Schofield Barracks (Hawaii), and Ft Meade. Ft Carson would be your best bet I'd say. Germany is usually enjoyed but they are reducing their troops there. They are desperate for people for Hood and for Korea. With the upcoming crisis going on, they are pulling people left and right from my unit here in Hood and from other units around the globe. Don't worry about being in a "highly deployable" unit. Ft Hood is home to 4ID, 1Cav and 13 S C (E). I'm in S C (E), formerly known as 13 Coscom. This is the most highly deployed unit in the Army, and the other two are either currently on their second rotation to Iraq or will be shortly.

Drum is cold, but good. Bragg is supposed to suck. Stay away from Polk, please don't go there, it'll turn you off from the Army forever. Ft Meade is supposed to have the best family housing in the Army. Ft Lewis is a happy medium. But it's in Washington. It's got all 4 seasons, in moderation, it's got all sorts of activities, very good for a family. I tried to go there but because of my job I had to go to Hood.

Stay away from the smaller bases if you want your wife to have a good career. However, all bases are some decent distance from a major city. Hood is about 45 minutes from Austin. Leonard Wood is about 2 hours from St Louis. Meade has DC and other cities in close supply. Drum has Watertown. All bases are equipped with a hospital, where civilians ARE employed, and often times have civilian hospitals right outside.

The Army also has a program called EArmyU. It allows you to go to school anywhere you want from the comfort of home. I'm in Texas and could go to Yale, MIT, Harvard, and the like. PLUS, the Army will pay for it. So don't worry about schools, your location won't hold you back from that.

Go to www.cinchouse.com and ask around, it's a site for military families and is VERY good. You'll get a lot of answers and opinions.

As for the medical corps, it does still exist. Nowadays Drs and LPNs are all officers because they have a 4 year degree or better. Enlisted medical personnel tend to be medics and such.

Good luck man.

Oh, and as for Germany, I've never met someone who didn't love it. Heck, I work with people who are going to move there when they get out, they loved it so much. And just think... the Autobahn!!!!!!!!!!!

One other thing, you get a month of leave each year. Try using your tax return to pay for plane tickets to and from home. Or you can use a military HOP. That's where you fly a military flight for dang near nothing.

One last thing, I promise. This "dream sheet" is usually a joke for your first assignment. Whatever you put down, don't get your hopes up. But if you put down Hood or Korea, you'll most likely go.

Answer 2

Germany is great, was there from 96 to 99, you can fly using the space a which is like stand by. I am an only child and was 20 when we went over, it was hard at first, but I'd go back in a heart beat, it's beautiful and there's so much to see and do. I felt more safe there walking at night than I would anywhere here in the US. It's a chance of a life time, and hey, it's a chance for your family to go over there. As for Fort Bliss, I'm gonna try not to insult anyone but if you don't speak Spanish, good luck finding a job outside Fort Bliss. We were there from 2002 to 2004, it's not a bad place to live, we had bought a house on the Northeast side I believe, unfortunately 15 months later we wound up in Memphis with my husband doing recruiting, but it's a decent place, easy to get around, gets hot and windy so you'll have sand everywhere, gotta dust often. Remember Fort Hood deploys all the time and I heard it takes at least 15 minutes to get from one side to the next if not longer, can't really say much on Hood or Sam Houston. Do the Germany thing, it's only three years and it'll be the shortest three years ever, we didn't get to do a lot of things we wanted to do. Don't know if this helped, maybe sit down and write a pro/con list on all options.

Hey person above me, our house was three bed, two and half bath, garage, about 1300 square feet brand new, I picked cupboards and all, it was 700.00 a month our BAH paid for the house and all utilities, oh yeah remember BAH goes by rank and years in!!! Something to also look up. Plus most of our housing as enlisted were nice, so as BAH goes the higher rank the better.

Answer 3

When you join the military they will send you where you are needed. And you may have to spend a lot of time away from your family. You are making a list that you won't be able to get fulfilled.

Is there some reason you want to join the Army in particular? If it's the reasons above, forget them.

Join the branch of the service that you think will give you the best skills for what you want to do when you get out. You will be on the G.I. Bill then and can have a lot of help completing your higher education.

If you have what it takes, and they only take the best, I suggest you should check into the Coast Guard. Following that the Air Force would be my choice, then the Army.

Whichever branch you join is going to be hard on your family.
Some wives do really well overseas, just enjoying the new experience, and all that brings. Others languish badly. If you are enlisted, no, you don't get compensation for flying back and forth, and the cost of bringing your family overseas with you can be prohibitive. An LPN in the states isn't going to get your wife a job in Germany.

I understand your concern for your family, but it seems to me that it shows that you don't understand the kind of commitments you are taking on in joining the military. And don't believe your recruiter's promises. The military will look at your aptitude tests and what they need and where and that is where you will be sent. And the burden of adjustment for those years falls on your family.

Answer 4

If you go Army, you won't get to choose where you go to basic, but it will be in the South, i.e. close to home. The Army doesn't have a medical branch really anymore, they use Air Force Medical Personnel. As far as going to Germany I was stationed there twice, there are fewer bases over there now and they are all
for specific MOS's. Infantry, Armor, Light Artillery, and all supply
and support branches. Housing is free, schools on military bases are way, way ahead of civilian schools. So, joining will benefit your kids more than anything. Most DOD (Department of
Defense) Schools have far less problems than civilian ones.
If you get stationed in Germany and it will likely only be from 18 months to three years for full tour, it is an awesome experience.
If you want to go home to America to visit family, you can sign up your family at an Air Base to catch what is called a HOP, back to the states. I wouldn't take my kids on one during times of war though, this is the planes our fallen ride home on.
My experience with the military was good.The Army when I was with it was more functional and tolerant, than the civilians it defends. I hope this helps some.

Answer 5

First of all once you are in they will send you wherever they want so don't count on getting what you asked for. As far as your wife's job believe me a nurse should not worry about finding a job because everywhere in this country there's a shortage and she might actually get great perks as far a signing bonus, CE, relocation you name it, she is not going to have any problems as long as she keeps her license. If you just enlisted housing is not going to be great, anywhere you go if your planning on living on post. If you're planning on living off post or buying BAH sucks so don't count on getting anything great just with BAH. As far a school for you don't worry about it E Army U will take care of you anywhere.
Wherever you go there ar things you will love and things you'll hate so just try to make the most out of it. Good luck to you and your family.

Answer 6

LOL.....Wow....the service had really changed. The military will send you where you are needed. If that is in BFE, well then, guess where you will be headed.

Do they still have what is known as a "Dream sheet". Where you chose your bases that you would like to be stationed at. The joke is that it will happen "In your dreams".

My career was overseas imbalanced, which meant I had many more choices overseas than what was stateside.

Good luck man......I hope it works out for you.

Answer 7

They have what they call a "Dream Sheet" in the military, where you can choose three places that you would LIKE to go. But that basically means nothing --- the military will send you where they need you.
I was active Army for eight years, and never was stationed at any of the places on my Dream Sheet.

Answer 8

Hey man if i was you i would go with Ft. Sam. Life here is great. If i had my choice i would saty here for the rest of my career, as i have a wife and two kids as well. if you have any questions about the area feel free to email me at [e-mail]