Posted on Jun 17, 2015
What are your thoughts on on-post and off-post housing?
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On post housing E4 and below:
- Expect you chain of command to be all up in your business
- Don't expect any privacy
- If your neighbors call the cops guess what? Your NCO 1SG and CMD ALL know about what happens at your house...
- Be prepared for power outage be prepared not to get refunded a dime for that.
Bottom line off post definatly.
Off post:
- Expect to have to be financially responsible
- Expect to have to leave the house way early to make it to PT
- EXPECT TO BE MATURE if you live off post
- Expect you chain of command to be all up in your business
- Don't expect any privacy
- If your neighbors call the cops guess what? Your NCO 1SG and CMD ALL know about what happens at your house...
- Be prepared for power outage be prepared not to get refunded a dime for that.
Bottom line off post definatly.
Off post:
- Expect to have to be financially responsible
- Expect to have to leave the house way early to make it to PT
- EXPECT TO BE MATURE if you live off post
Posted >1 y ago
Responses: 20
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Every post is different. I lived on post at Ft. Riley for 8 years in a house built in the 30s that had a coal chute meant for a furnace. One bathroom (upstairs) and 3 bedrooms (one was really like a walk-in closet). The floors creaked and the place was just plain old. Being historical there wasn't much that they were able to do.
The pro: schools.
Now I am off-post at Bragg. I don't mind the commute as I enjoy the freedom and the choice we had in the house we live in. If I had turned down the house at Riley I would have been put at the bottom of the list (2003 mind you).
The con: schools. There are not many good schools around here. My kids get straight A's and I give them credit for that but I wonder if there would be a couple of Bs in there with another school system.
The pro: schools.
Now I am off-post at Bragg. I don't mind the commute as I enjoy the freedom and the choice we had in the house we live in. If I had turned down the house at Riley I would have been put at the bottom of the list (2003 mind you).
The con: schools. There are not many good schools around here. My kids get straight A's and I give them credit for that but I wonder if there would be a couple of Bs in there with another school system.
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I have always lived off base, and have had no experiences with on base housing. I prefer to be off base anyway, as I get to see my full BAH.
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I live on base with my wife and daughter and no one fucks with me lol. I've not had any problems whatsoever. However, my view may be biased because of my career field.
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All depends on the individual Soldier's situation. Single income, with a few kids, alot of time "on-post" is the cheapest way to get a larger house to put them in. Yes, due to the nature of the beast, your neighbors ar well informed of your business, but no trouble-no problems, off post has more variables, more options, but less direct support.i prefer off-post, but I also enjoy living out in the back 40. It is to each thier own.
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You've got to be a grown up in both situations. The only difference in having your command notified is the speed with which it happens. On post, the number to your staff duty desk is on speed dial. Off post they just have to call the post operator and get it from them first.
The same thing is true about your command calling all the time, but that's just common sense. Something happens, the people who live closest get called first. Ask a sober single soldier in the barracks what happens when someone scheduled for CQ didn't show.
Such is life in the service.
The same thing is true about your command calling all the time, but that's just common sense. Something happens, the people who live closest get called first. Ask a sober single soldier in the barracks what happens when someone scheduled for CQ didn't show.
Such is life in the service.
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No one will be in your business on or off base if you take care of your own business. Living on base allowed me to save up enough money to buy and furnish a very nice home upon getting orders a few years later. You need to be mature wherever you live. There will be issues on and off base you will have to deal with, that's life. Base housing does give your family a sense of security during your deployments and time way, it gave my family a support system as well. I would encourage all junior service members especially to take advantage of the benefit. And it is one of your benefits!
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SPC (Join to see)
See only reason I don't believe that is because I have had 1SG ask me how many people did my neighbor have over just because my neighbor was in his company. But I would see more of a benefit if I had 5 kids then yeah on post is a big benefit but if there are places off post with a 3 bedroom an it's $600 less than on post plus they don't have much of a choice but to fix something in your house if it's broken that's a benefit as well I mean pros and cons to both on post doesn't teach a soldier fresh out of high school financial responsibility it's more of a don't worry it will come out of your check... I have met some soldiers who don't even know what a money order is at all I do believe if soldiers who are fresh out of high school decided to live off post there should be a force of educational classes to show soldiers how to spend money frugal
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GySgt James Blassingame
It is a choice you have to make based on your life style. But you have to be responsible either place. In this date and time, with electronic banking and direct deposit, I don't know why you would need a money order. I have never been in the Army, but Marines must do correspondence cources for professional development and one that is required in Personal Finance for Marines.
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SPC (Join to see) if you are a trouble maker, it won't matter if you live on or off post, you will get in troubles. When I got here, 1st Unit Station, everybody told me to go off post to get a house below BAH. Well I found one on post with a below bah offer. I'm coming from Puerto Rico where we celebrate even dolls birthdays, here is way different. From where I come from, a BBQ is for everybody, your family, your guests, your neighbors AND your neighbors guests, we are like that. I haven't see that rapport between neighbors here. I've been here for a year now and I like it, I haven't live off post yet but, when I PCS, if I found another below bah offer on post, I'll take it.
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SGT(P) (Join to see)
SPC (Join to see) when I said "you are a trouble maker", I wasn't talking about you, it was a general statement.
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SPC (Join to see)
Now trouble maker I have never been with two kids it's hard to get into but here they don't offer on post housing lower than BAH rate which I am moving its been constant MP situations across the way noise every night it's kinda like when you just get fed up with an you just say hey I could actually live somewhere else when when I call to get something in my house fixed I won't have to call over and over again because that didn't fix the problem I sat with no AC for 3 days calling over and over again with two infants then had to get a hotel so that's when I just called it quits because I never had any issues like this off post but I guess everyone's experience will be different
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SGT(P) (Join to see)
SPC (Join to see) whenever you get to E-5, will you be Sergeant Major? Just a silly joke.
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Command all up in your business? No privacy? You're misinformed. I have lived in on-base housing for the past 3 years and my command has never bothered me and never known anything that happens at or around my house, nor anything that I do off duty. Privacy wise, most houses, especially if you have kids, you have privacy all around. If it's just you and your spouse, then slightly less.
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SFC(P) (Join to see)
Don't really think it has anything to do with backbone, rather would you tell your CO he's retarded if you didn't like his opinion? Yeah I didn't think so, and if you would, there's probably something wrong with you.
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SGT Drue Rockwell
Corporal, this doesn't speak well if your character, the way you're addressing someone who has shared their experience with us. You're an NCO, show that there is no one more professional.
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