Soldier's Wife, Crazy Life

living on post

5 Questions To Ask Yourself Before Moving On Post

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5 Questions To Ask Yourself Before Moving On Post

The choice to live on post or off post is a personal one, depending on the military family, the location, and financial goals. What works for one family, might not work for another.

During your time as a military spouse, you might enjoy living on post in some places, and prefer living off post in others. Some families find they prefer to always live on post and others would rather always stay off.

When it comes to making the decision to live on or off post, it is best to know what you are getting into, what your options truly are, and weigh your pros and cons.

Here are a few questions to ask yourself before making that decision:

Will you save money living on post?

Saving money is one of the most common reasons why people choose to either live on or off post. You have to figure out what will work best for you based on where you live, your BAH, and what type of home you will be living in. Not everyone is going to come to the same conclusion, even at the same duty station.

You would need to figure out what type of home you would be given on post, and compare that to what you could afford off post. Look at what your BAH would be to help figure out your budget. You need to make sure to include utilities, gas to drive to post, and any other fees you might not have to pay if you live on post.

How long will it take each of you to get to work?

Think about your commute time. If you are on post, your service member could live just a few minutes from work. If you are off post, you might be a few minutes from your job. Think about how much you might pay in gas, how long you want to be in the car, and weigh the pros and cons.

How are the schools on post vs off?

Schools are super important when you have children. You want to send them to the best place possible. When it comes to which schools are better, either on or off post schools, it really depends. You can look at school ratings but your best bet is asking people whose children have actually attended those schools.

If you are not in the area yet, you can easily ask this kind of thing in local Facebook groups. Just keep in mind that one bad experience does not make for a horrible school and there could be different factors as to why each person had the experience they did. Having special needs kids and knowing what is available to them is also a big factor in making this decision.

What type of home do you want?

This is another big factor in deciding if you will live on or off post at your duty station. Are you okay living in an apartment, condo or duplex? Do you want land? Do you want to build your own house?

At some duty stations, you might be more limited than others based on what you can get on post. Sometimes there can be long waiting lists for housing and you have to take what you can get if you do want to live on post.

How much military do you want in your daily life?

If you live on post, the military is going to be a bigger part of your daily life than if you live off post. If you live off post, you, as a spouse, might not even have to go on post all that often. So this totally depends on what you want.

Your service member might want a little bit of space from work as well. They might want to drive 15 minutes in order to get home instead of feeling like they live right next to their daily job. Being on post means you will be closer to everything military related, but ask yourself if that is a good or a bad thing.

Does your family prefer to live on or off post? Or on or off base for those who are not Army spouses 🙂

The Pros and Cons of Living On Post at Fort Campbell

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The Pros and Cons of Living on Post at Fort Campbell

Did you just find out you are going to be stationed at Fort Campbell? If so, the decision to live on post at Fort Campbell can be a difficult one to make. We went back and forth on living there ourselves when my husband was still active duty. In the end, we decided to buy a house in Clarksville and have been there ever since.

The Pros and Cons of Living On Post at Fort Campbell

I have had many friends who have lived on post at Fort Campbell and have loved it, I have had other friends who moved off because they didn’t. I decided to ask my Facebook group what they thought about living on post at Fort Campbell to come up with this list of pros and cons.

Stationed at Fort Campbell

Pros of living on post at Fort Campbell

  • Schools– Schools on post can be good and are easy to take your children too. While there are a lot of good schools off post in the area, there are some not so good ones too. Most housing areas at Fort Campbell have a school close by and easy to get to.
  • Community– If you are looking for community, you will definitely find that on post at Fort Campbell. There is always something going on and activities and events to get involved in. From kids sports to MOPS to playdates for your kids.
  • Starbucks– Fort Campbell is home to two Starbucks that just happen to be at parks with a splash pad. This is fantastic for the summer. Bring your kids to play and relax with your favorite drink. While you are welcome to these places even if you live off post, living on gives you better access and might just be a short walk from your doorstep.
  • Save on electricity– Living on post at Fort Campbell should save you money on electricity. Living off post can cost you $200-300 a month. While this isn’t always the case, it is something people complain about on local pages and something you can avoid by living on post.
  • Everything is close– The nice thing about Fort Campbell is that all you need is relatively close together. Most of the neighborhoods are not too far from the hospital, the Commissary, the PX, the Chapels, and being on post means you are close to your spouse’s workplace. You can get to any of those places without having to wait in line to get on post or through the traffic of Clarksville and Oak Grove which can be terrible at times.
  • Playgrounds– If you have small children, on post at Fort Campbell can be the ideal place to live. There are playgrounds everywhere. No matter where you have your home on post, you should be able to walk to at least one, if not two playgrounds or more. There are also two splash parks that are open during the summer.
  • Pre-K– Getting into free Pre-K off post can be a challenge. Doing it on post is a lot easier if that is important to you.
  • Fenced yards– There are a lot of fenced yards on post. Off, it really just depends. If you have a dog or children, a fenced yard is probably going to be important to you.

on post at Fort Campbell

Cons of living on post at Fort Campbell

  • Break-ins/Vandalism– Sadly, break-ins and vandalism happen on post just like they happen off. Some spouses do not want to live on post for this reason. They feel that they are more likely to have something stolen if they live there. Just being on post doesn’t mean you are completely safe from these things.
  • There are nice and safe housing options off post-In the Fort Campbell area, you have a lot of options for where to live. There are plenty of off post options to find a nice home in a safe neighborhood. A lot of these neighborhoods are closer to restaurants, stories and places you will probably want to go quite often. If you are worried about not being able to find a home in the area, spend some time looking to see what is in your price range.
  • Farther commute for spouses that work in Clarksville and Nashville– For military spouses that work in Clarksville or Nashville, living off post might be a better option. There are quite a few off post neighborhoods that are closer to the Interstate making it much easier for the spouse to get to work.
  • Can’t leave work behind– A lot of military families like to live off post so they can leave work behind when they are not at work. Clarksville makes this easy to do since things are more spaced out. You can live 15-20 minutes from post or even further and have a more off post experience. Living on post you will be right in the middle of everything, and some people do not want that.
  • Pocket BAH off post– Some families can pocket BAH by living off post. If you receive $1000 a month for BAH and your rent is only $650, that is some extra money in your pocket every month. This doesn’t work for everyone as families who are looking for a bigger home will have to pay more, and that could end up being over the BAH amount.
  • Housing can be difficult to deal with– Quite a few spouses mentioned that dealing with on-post housing was a big headache. That the people they talked with were rude and they had trouble getting things done. While you can still encounter this with a rental agency, dealing with housing can be a big con for some people.

On post at Fort Campbell

As you can see, there is a lot to think about when you are trying to decide to live on post at Fort Campbell. What works for one family might not work for another. There are definitely pros and cons to either choice.

If you are trying to decide what you want to do, take some time to check out the local area. If you can’t visit ahead of time, try to find photos and listings online. You can always start on post and move off or the other way around if things change.

What about you? Have you ever lived at Fort Campbell? Where did you live when you did?

30 Reasons Why You Shouldn’t Live On Post At Your Next Duty Station

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30 Reasons Why You Shouldn't Live On Post At Your Next Duty Station

30 Reasons Why You Shouldn’t Live On Post At Your Next Duty Station

There are so many decisions to make about moving. When you go to your next duty station, one of the most important questions you will have is whether to live on post or off. What is the better choice?

Here are 30 reasons why you shouldn’t live on post at your next duty station. But know, there are also 30 reasons why you should living on post so make sure to weigh the pros and cons of both.

1. All military, all the time

If you live on post, your lives will be all military, all the time. Your spouse will be very close to work, and you might not get a break from the military like you would if you lived off post.

2. Small yards or none at all

Some on post housing have tiny yards. Some have none at all. This is not ideal for small kids or dogs who want to run.

3. Waiting lists

You might have to wait to get on post. That means renting for a while and then moving once there is an opening. This might not be worth it and could be best just to find a nice place off post.

4. Maintenance takes forever to fix something

You call them, and yet they can’t get to you for a while. Frustrating.

Should you live on post?5. Takes all your BAH, even if that doesn’t seem worth it

In some places, you will give all of your BAH and not feel like you are getting the best use out of it. Time to look off post instead.

6. Have to share a wall

If you hate sharing a wall, your on post choices could be very limited. A lot of on post housing shares a wall.

7. If you don’t have kids, could be stuck in a small space

If you don’t have children, you might not be able to get more than a two bedroom apartment. This can be frustrating especially if your spouse is higher ranking. If you go off post, you can take your BAH and find something that works much better for your lifestyle.

8. People stealing your things

More people means more things can get stolen. From bikes to strollers, nothing is really safe. It’s a shame you can’t even trust your on post neighbors.

9. Annoying dogs

Every neighborhood has annoying dogs, but with on post living, you are much closer together. This means you are going to hear more from these dogs than you would otherwise.

10. Loud neighbors

If it isn’t the dogs, it could be the neighbors themselves. From parties on a Friday night to screaming matches, if you want quiet, look elsewhere.

11. Getting in trouble for little things

Living on post means following their rules. Rules about this, rules about that. And if you don’t follow them, you could get in trouble.

12. Safety issues

There have been quite a few cases about military housing issues. From putting people in run-down homes to dealing with mold and getting sick.

13. Lack of parking

Not having enough parking can be a pain. You want enough spaces for your friends and both of your vehicles, but that might not be possible.

14. Garden restrictions

If you love to garden, there will be restrictions on your post about what you can do. If you want more freedom, off post is the way to go.

15. Children not being watched

Go to any on post playground, and you are probably going to young children who are not being watched by their parents. Then you become the only adult around that has to be in charge of them. This is old. People, watch your kids if they are too young to be by themselves.

Should you live on post?

16. Illusion of safety

We all feel safer on post but should we? Does feeling this way mean that we leave ourselves open to more issues? Always lock your doors, no matter where you live. And always be aware.

17. Farther away from off-post places

If you work off post, living on post can be a pain. You might want to find a place close to where you like to go.

18. Bad areas in front of post

Let’s face it, the area right outside of a military installation isn’t always the best. From bars to bail bonds, not your idea of a nice family atmosphere.

19. No space

When you are on post, you can feel a bit claustrophobic at times. There will always be people around, which can be difficult to get used to.

20. Want a bigger house

A lot of military housing is on the smaller side. If you want more space, you are going to have to go off post.

21. The drama

The more people around, the bigger the chance for drama. And military housing can bring a lot of it. Stay away from the drama, and you will probably be okay, but that can be hard when you are surrounded by it.

22. Don’t have to leave post

When you live on post, you really don’t have to leave post, but that isn’t always a good thing. Get out there and explore. Even if you do call your military installation home.

23. Rules about home businesses

Have a home business? Make sure you follow the rules and regulations of having one on post.

24. Coming home late at night

If you come home late at night, you could run into issues. For one thing, the gate right by your house could be closed. You will have to drive around the rest of the post to get home.

25. Visitors

If you have people come and visit, they will need to be approved to go in. If they are coming without you, they will need to get a visitor’s pass. A lot of hassle.

26. Pet restrictions

You might have four dogs, but on post housing will not allow that.

Should you live on post?

27. No country living for you

If you want to live out in the country, you probably are not going to find that on post. It’s pretty much city living.

28. The schools

Some people love military schools; others do not. If you are on post, your kids will most likely need to go to those schools so do some research about the local areas to find out what is best.

29. Not involved in the local community

When you live off post, you can get involved in your local community. From the schools to getting out and about in your neighborhood. While you can find good community on post as well, you have to decide where you want to be.

30. Privacy issues

If you are a private family, being off post is going to be a better option for you. You can separate military life from home life a little more and create some space between you and the military post.

Whatever you decide to do, know that you can always change your mind down the road. You can move or even do something different the next place you go.

Looking for more posts on PCSing? 

30 Reasons Why You Should Live On Post At Your Next Duty Station

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30 Reasons Why You Should Live On Post At Your Next Duty Station

30 Reasons Why You Should Live On Post At Your Next Duty Station

There is always an ongoing debate about whether you should live on post (or base) once you PCS somewhere new. Some say that living on post is the only way. Others like off post living and don’t think twice about it. And others decide based on the duty station and what is available to them.

Here are 30 reasons why you should live on post, but don’t worry if you don’t agree, there are also 30 reasons why you shouldn’t live on post too.

1. It’s super convenient

Let’s face it, living on post is convenient.

2. Everything you need is right there

You don’t have to drive as far to get to all the places you need to go on a regular basis. Not that you never want to leave the post, but if you didn’t want to, you wouldn’t have to.

Why you should live on post

3. Your spouse can come home after PT for breakfast

This is the best. For them and for you. They can save money by doing so too.

4. Your spouse can come home for lunch

More family time when they can come home from lunch every day. They might have to deploy sometimes but when they are home, you can see them a lot more when you live on post.

5. Very little commute time

Instead of having to drive for a while to get to work, they might be able to get there in just five minutes and in some cases, ride a bike or walk.

6. Playgrounds, everywhere

If you have kids you know how exciting it is to live near a playground. If you are on post you will not be short on those.

7. Someone to call when something breaks

If something breaks, call maintenance.

8. You will feel safer, most likely

A lot of people feel safer on post.

9. More sense of a military community

If you are looking for military community, living on post will be the way to find it. You will be surrounded.

10. All your neighbors get the military life

Because everyone is in the military, your neighbors will totally get this life.

11. Lawn care

Living on post means you won’t have to do as much lawn care as you would otherwise.

Why you should live on post

12. Kids go to school with other military kids

Your kids will probably go to school on post and all of their classmates will have a parent in the military too.

13. Easier to be involved in the military community

If you want to get involved in the military community, it is easier to do so when you are right there in the middle of it.

14. Don’t need a 2nd car, usually

Because a lot of what you need on the post is relatively close, you might not need a 2nd car. You can walk where you need to go.

15. Cheaper

In the end, you are most likely going to save money by living on post. If you are on a tight budget, that is really going to help you.

16. Can get more house

Depending on your family size and where you are stationed, living on post can get you a bigger house.

17. More kids for your kids to play with

If you need kids for your own children to play with, living on post will make that happen.

18. There is some nice military housing out there

Have you seen some of the new housing out there? Some of it is pretty awesome.

19. You have dogs

Sometimes people don’t want to rent homes to people with dogs. Going on post can help with that.

20. Easier to find a place to live

It can be easier to find a place to live when you decide to live on post. Not as many hoops to jump through.

21. The pools

Not every off post neighborhood is near a pool. If your post has a pool, they will be a lot easier to get to.

22. Commissary is doable on a regular basis

One of the hardest parts of getting to the Commissary for those living off post is the distance. If you are on, no problem. You might even be able to walk.

23. Can run to the PX really quick

Need something from the PX really fast? Go ahead, it’s just right there.

Living On Base

24. CDC is close

I love hourly care and when the CDC was right in our neighborhood, that made dropping my kids off there so much easier.

25. Retreat and Reveille

This military tradition is a good one. Hearing it from your own house will make you proud.

26. You learn more about the military

Living on post will teach you a lot about the military, about what life is like there and how things go.

27. Closer to the base hospital

If you need the hospital, you are right there. Especially important if you are going to have a baby.

28. Can volunteer easier

Let’s face it, it is a lot easier to be an FRG leader when you live on post.

29. Kid’s sports

There are usually a lot of sports for kids to play on post. Living close by will make that easier for you.

30. Because doing so will allow you to find out if living on base is for you.

If you don’t like it, don’t do it again but now you know.

Do you like living on post?

Here are some other PCS posts to read:

The 15 Stages of a Military PCS

How PCSing Overseas Will Change You Forever

When You Get PCS Orders to a Place You Don’t Want to Go

 

Why You Should Live In Military Housing At Least Once

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Why You Should Live In Military Housing At Least Once

When we went in to talk to a recruiter back in 2005, one of the things he told us that has always stuck with me was the advice to live in Military housing at least once. Being so new to the Military I really didn’t know what to expect. Our first duty station together was in Germany and it only made sense to live on post there.

We arrived in March of 2006 (can’t believe that was almost ten years ago) and moved into Army housing. They put us on the 3rd floor of a stairwell apartment in an older building that was very European. We got lucky because our unit had been redone recently and we had our own washer and dryer in our bathroom. For the units that didn’t, they had to do their wash in the basement. Our apartment was small and was on the 3rd floor but it seemed perfect to us at the time. At least, until we had another baby.

One of my first memories of Military housing was hearing two wives talk with each other across the road. It was loud and I couldn’t believe they were doing that. There were also a lot of parties late into the night and a lot of noise. I was not new to apartment living but Military housing was so different then anything else I had experienced.

There are good things about living in Military housing and bad things about living in Military housing. There are many benefits that I missed after we lived off post. There are other things I was glad to leave behind. Overall, I think the recruiter’s advice was right on. It is a good idea to live on post at least once. Why?

Why?

To be surrounded by the Military Community

When you live in Military housing, you will be surrounded by other Military families. Your kids will go to school with our Military kids. You will be more likely to shop at the PX and Commissary on a regular basis. You will get a good feeling for the Military community. This will stay with you for the rest of your time as a Military Spouse and that is a good thing. It will allow you to feel a part of everything even if you decide to live off post in the future.

To meet other Military families on a daily basis

Because you will be on post you will always be meeting new Military families. If you see a moving truck in your neighborhood, you don’t have to wonder if they are Military or not. It is easier for you to attend events on post and there you will continue to meet other people. If you are in need of more Military friends, living on post is the way to go. You will always be meeting people associated with the Military.

To know how a Military post works

One thing you will learn after living on a Military post is how it works. You will hear Reveille and Retreat in the morning and evening and will know what to do when you hear it. Your kids will know what to do. After living off post, I realized we are not usually on post when that happens and I miss hearing it. You will get used to watching the service members run around post during PT or going for a lunch break. You will get used to all of this during your time in Military housing and it will be nice to look back on that time with good memories.

To make life a little easier during deployments

Deployments are usually easier if you live on post vs off. This isn’t always the case of course but there is something to be said about living around people whose spouse is also deployed or who have been through it before. When we were in Schweinfurt, our first duty station, almost everyone there had their husband deployed at the same time. This mean we had more people to walk through the deployment with. It was something our whole community went through together. My deployments when we have lived off post were different and I just didn’t feel as connected to others going through the same thing.

If you are not sure if you should live on post or not, think about the benefits and how doing so can help you understand the Military and Military life in general. Some people do have really good experiences off post as well. It really depends on what you are comfortable with and what you want to experience as well as where you are stationed.

In the end, I would tell you to live in Military housing if you get the chance. If you hate it, you never have to do it again but at least, you will have had that experience.

 

Have you ever lived in Military housing? Did you like it? Hate it?

 

The Benefits of Living in Military Housing

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There are a lot of benefits to living in Military housing and it can be a very good thing for you and your family.

 

Living in Military housing can be such a great thing to do. We did it when we were in Germany and to be honest, if my husband had stayed Active Duty and we moved to another duty station, I would have wanted to do it again. There are a lot of benefits to living in Military housing and it can be a very good thing for you and your family.

By living on post you can more easily find yourself a support system. Everyone in your neighborhood is a Military family. You will have a ton of Military spouses on your street to make friends with. Your kids will probably go to school with other Military children and their teachers and staff will all know that the school is filled with Military kids.

It can be easy to meet new friends by just walking your kids down to the park or attending events put on by the housing area. Lincoln Military Housing does just that. They host a variety of events that help the community get to know one other and make friends. It can give you a chance to meet others, have your kids find kids to play with and feel like you are more apart of your local community.

You need a good support system as a Military spouse. People who truly understand what you are going through, who can be there for you during your more difficult days and know what it is like to be without your spouse for long periods of time. You can vent together, share good days, share bad days, get together for holidays and dinners and just be there for one another.

One summer, when my husband was deployed, I would meet friends at the local parks to have dinner together while our children played. It was the best way to get through the deployment, especially the evenings that seemed to drag on and on. Although we could have done this without all living on post it was so much easier to do it several times a week since we all did live so close to one another.

Another benefit to Military housing is that it is so close to everything. In a lot of places you can walk to a lot of the places you need to go. In some cases the service member can even walk to work. They can also easily come home for lunch during the day without too much trouble. Kids love having lunch with both parents when it works out to do so.

If you live on post, you might be able to save a little bit of money each month. This will mostly depend on your location, what your BAH would be and your family size. You should do a little research if you are curious about it and see if living on post can in fact save you money. Keep in mind that you will probably pay more for electric and water as well as more in gas if you choose to live off post.

What about you? Do you like to live in Military housing? Are you able to find a support system there?

This post is sponsored on behalf of Lincoln Military Housing