What's more important to you, your duty position or your duty location?

CW4 Private RallyPoint Member — Wed, 06 Apr 2016 19:43:01 -0400

How many people have ever settled on either a substandard duty location because of a once and lifetime duty position or vice versa, who has ever sacrifice a duty position to get stationed in a dream location?

Response by LTC Stephen F. made Apr 6 at 2016 7:49 PM

LTC Stephen F. — Wed, 06 Apr 2016 19:49:47 -0400

I would say that wherever I was ordered to go and whatever position I was ordered to fulfill I would try to do my best in terms of supporting those over me, work with those who served alongside and support those I led CW4 Private RallyPoint Member.
That being said I think the position I was ordered to assume would be the most important for me independent of location.

Response by Sgt Private RallyPoint Member made Apr 6 at 2016 7:50 PM

Sgt Private RallyPoint Member — Wed, 06 Apr 2016 19:50:40 -0400

CW4 Private RallyPoint Member Duty position is more important than duty location. I went through Boot Camp and Radio School at MCRD, San Diego. This was a great base and great city. When I was leaving Vietnam, they gave me three choices for my next duty station, and I picked three bases in California. I did not receive any of my three choices, instead they sent me to MCB 29 Palms, which is not a good duty station, unless you like scorpions and rattlesnakes.

Response by CAPT Kevin B. made Apr 6 at 2016 8:15 PM

CAPT Kevin B. — Wed, 06 Apr 2016 20:15:34 -0400

Best job I ever had was deploying to Antarctica again and again and again. The work, responsibilities, and keeping the Seabees alive was what it was all about. The most suck job I had was briefly out at Pearl Harbor. My take is you don't notice the location so much if the work is great. You do notice the location if the job sucks and no location can make up for it.

Response by MGySgt Rick Tyrrell made Apr 6 at 2016 8:22 PM

MGySgt Rick Tyrrell — Wed, 06 Apr 2016 20:22:31 -0400

Neither job satisfaction and the people I work wth are the most important. Why, you can always go away for a weekend or vacation if you do not like the location. Position do something to move out of position or find a hobby. Simple if your not happy your not productive.

Response by PO1 William "Chip" Nagel made Apr 6 at 2016 9:03 PM

PO1 William "Chip" Nagel — Wed, 06 Apr 2016 21:03:38 -0400

Location, Location, Location. Love the Picture. Where I started my Career. CINCPACFLT Hawaii. Adak was OK, Sugar Grove was Outstanding as was London & DC. No one can bitch about a tour in Diego Garcia. Absolutely Gorgeous.

Response by CPT Joseph K Murdock made Apr 6 at 2016 9:37 PM

CPT Joseph K Murdock — Wed, 06 Apr 2016 21:37:48 -0400

Branch Manager: It went from Korea or Ft Hood? Korea or Ft Riley? Ft Knox or Afghanistan? Afghanistan or Iraq?

Response by COL Charles Williams made Apr 6 at 2016 9:39 PM

COL Charles Williams — Wed, 06 Apr 2016 21:39:26 -0400

Position, always CW4 Private RallyPoint Member

Response by SSG Private RallyPoint Member made Apr 7 at 2016 8:42 AM

SSG Private RallyPoint Member — Thu, 07 Apr 2016 08:42:28 -0400

I say location, experiences, travel - it depends what you are into. As an NCO you can almost fulfill all of your career progression positions at Ft. Hood alone without having experienced anything other than JRTC, IRAQ, AFG and the Field. Listen, when you and your family are happy, you have peace of mind, likely more productive. Everywhere you go you will find some kind of "toxic" leader and or "great" leader. A lot of those classifications are also personality based. There are so many positions out there that people don't know about. Such experiences, some once in a lifetime while in the military, should be taken advantage of, Korea can wait. You can always go to Korea, just ask branch!
*** Of course, it is all MOS based***

Response by SFC Private RallyPoint Member made Apr 7 at 2016 9:14 AM

SFC Private RallyPoint Member — Thu, 07 Apr 2016 09:14:41 -0400

Position. Regardless of wherever I was assigned I could always find a way to enjoy the location. Also who I was working with is/was a key factor. Thing is. If you are at what they call a crappy or "substandard" location, and you find ways to make the best of it you always have the "negative nellies" that just want to stay miserable....

Response by SPC Private RallyPoint Member made Apr 7 at 2016 9:18 AM

SPC Private RallyPoint Member — Thu, 07 Apr 2016 09:18:07 -0400

....

Response by COL Mikel J. Burroughs made Apr 7 at 2016 9:30 AM

COL Mikel J. Burroughs — Thu, 07 Apr 2016 09:30:06 -0400

CW4 Private RallyPoint Member Back in the day, it was the duty position for me. I could make any location a positive experience, but having a position that was challenging, full of responsibility, one that needed improvement or fixing for the better, and where I could make a difference was the key for me - just my opinion! Great question!

Response by SSgt Dan Montague made Apr 7 at 2016 9:55 AM

SSgt Dan Montague — Thu, 07 Apr 2016 09:55:57 -0400

First of all I liked the photo choice. Seeing the M198 brings back good memories.
I enjoyed being an artilleryman. So I must say position.

Response by COL Jean (John) F. B. made Apr 7 at 2016 10:03 AM

COL Jean (John) F. B. — Thu, 07 Apr 2016 10:03:44 -0400

CW4 Private RallyPoint Member For a person who intends to stay in the military and wants to progress, the answer is duty position, however, regardless of the position, doing your absolute best in whatever position you are in will always be the most important thing you can do to advance your career.

I used to tell my assignment officers that I would go to a great place for a crappy job, or I would go to a crappy place for a great job, but that I would not go to a crappy place for a crappy job. In reality, however, both the job and the location are what you make them.

When I received PCS orders, my wife never liked it. We never went to a place she wanted to go, but we never left a place she wanted to leave. Although she may not have wanted to go there when we received orders, once we got there, it became "home" and, when it came time to leave, she did not want to leave.

Response by SFC Private RallyPoint Member made Apr 7 at 2016 10:04 AM

SFC Private RallyPoint Member — Thu, 07 Apr 2016 10:04:47 -0400

CW4 Private RallyPoint Member, for me duty position is more important than duty location. I can work anywhere as long as I have good leadership and am surrounded by good Soldiers.

Response by MAJ Private RallyPoint Member made Apr 7 at 2016 10:46 AM

MAJ Private RallyPoint Member — Thu, 07 Apr 2016 10:46:44 -0400

When I was in the Navy - duty location was an important factor, as duty position will be determined by your evals and your leadership - as they see fit to groom you for your next promotion.

Now that i'm in the Army - duty location doesn't matter to me at all...since there's very few Army posts within 30 minutes of a beach (outside of Ft. Eustis or Hawaii).