base housing?

[hanginginthere]

I am curious and like to think ahead- we have 2 years left of residency and then he is active duty and that means he will be deployed at some point at least once...I have NO family or support system in this country- hubby and daughter are my family so I was thinking maybe we should live on a base so I had some way to connect when we move....I thought it might give me a support system especially when he gets deployed- which I am already dreading....Does anyone know about physicians living on base? thanks so much!

[spotty_dog]

I'm not military but I do live in a Navy community. I don't get the impression that officers' families live on base -- mostly just enlisted. I have no idea if that's more of a "taboo" or that the officers' families have more income and more options or what.

You may be able to find connections through an Officers' Spouses' Club, and just generally, all the tips that help you break into a new community (as all of us have had to do) will help. Join Moms club or another meetup group, go to the library, if your child is old enough make contacts through school and sports. You can do it!

[Urowife]

You can absolutely live on base if you want. You'll probably want to wait to decide until you know where you'll be stationed. We haven't lived on base, and we've still been able to find a community (well, we did in Oceanside - we've yet to find friends here, but we have a brand new baby which is limiting our social calendar at the moment). I think it depends on your location. But, spotty_dog is right. Most of us here have had to relocate and find new friends, etc. So, the advice is similar: find moms groups, go to library story time, etc. Regarding military specific community opportunities: there is usually an officer spouse group, but it may not be that active.

Back to the housing... It may depend on the base, but I believe officers only live in officer housing with other officers for neighbors. May not be physicians, but would be officers among whom you might find friends.

Sorry for the scattered post - I'm up feeding the baby. Feel free to PM me if you have questions about the military experience.

[Phoebe]

This isnt about physicians but my friends husband works for the JAG corp in the Air Force. I'm not sure what his title is, but he used to be in charge of all medical law. They lived on base for all assignments except for the last two. They wanted bigger homes than the base offered.

[DCJenn]

There's a priority listing for base housing and usually physicians aren't on it. At Ft. Sam there is a limited number of on base houses for officers anyway. Of all of the people he's worked for over the past 10 years, only the Chief of the Residency program lived in housing, and that was before 9-11.

We've never lived on post- the waiting list is years long. When dealing with a deployment, remember also that physicians don't always deploy with the units they're attached to at the hospital. My husband deployed with a CSH unit out of Ft. Bliss so even if we'd been on-post it wouldn't have mattered as he was the only one who went with that group. With this upcoming possible deployment, it'll be the same- he'll attach to another unit.

What's important is to build your resources no matter where you live- we have wonderfully supportive neighbors and none of them are military. (lots are physicians though)

Jenn

[hanginginthere]

Thank you all for the responses! Does anyone anything about deployment for surgeons?

[DCJenn]

You can assume that if there's an active theatre, they'll be deploying at some point. You can pretty much assume that with all of the specialities. My husband is a Child Neurologist. He's looking at #2, his Army colleague went last summer, his AF colleague went to Haiti and his other AF colleague was sent out on the USS Comfort. We have a Navy Anesthesiology friend from med school who just got back from #5.

They do let them know when they're 'in the bucket' (on the list to deploy) and then usually 6-8 weeks out they get the details. We're just waiting to hear-assuming that he'll be going.

Also, don't think that because someone else with the same speciality hasn't gone, that they'll go before your spouse. A lot of that is also location dependent. They may send my husband again even though there are others who haven't been because he's at a location where he's got back-up. They're usually reluctant to pull the "only one _____" at other locations.

I wouldn't get too worked up now though because two years is a long time and we're supposed to be out by then. (now, who knows if we'll be someplace else but no sense stressing about that, either.) You have to find your zen about it.

J.

[hanginginthere]

Thanks- this is good to know...I am just much better if I know or at least have some idea what it will be like and hubby isn't exactly chatty about it so thank you!!!!

You can assume that if there's an active theatre, they'll be deploying at some point. You can pretty much assume that with all of the specialities. My husband is a Child Neurologist. He's looking at #2, his Army colleague went last summer, his AF colleague went to Haiti and his other AF colleague was sent out on the USS Comfort. We have a Navy Anesthesiology friend from med school who just got back from #5.

They do let them know when they're 'in the bucket' (on the list to deploy) and then usually 6-8 weeks out they get the details. We're just waiting to hear-assuming that he'll be going.

Also, don't think that because someone else with the same speciality hasn't gone, that they'll go before your spouse. A lot of that is also location dependent. They may send my husband again even though there are others who haven't been because he's at a location where he's got back-up. They're usually reluctant to pull the "only one _____" at other locations.

I wouldn't get too worked up now though because two years is a long time and we're supposed to be out by then. (now, who knows if we'll be someplace else but no sense stressing about that, either.) You have to find your zen about it.

J.

[peggyfromwastate]

All I know is surgeons generally deploy for shorter tours-- usually 2 months training-6 months in field- 2 months debrief. Something like that.

We are going to live on base housing got the next two years as dh is doing a fellowship. It will be interesting!! I probably wouldn't choose base housing again bc the houses are a bit smaller than what we need, but for now and where we are moving I'm really excited to be in base housing.