Hi, my Dh is going AD Army after being in the Navy Reserves for the past few years. We have 5 kids and I was just wondering if anyone would know what would be better, base houseing or getting a place off base? And could you list like some of the good and bad points of having which ever one. Also are there any good web sites to help me explain to little ones what it would be like to move, as this is the first move 3 of them have ever made. Thanks for the help.

I'd try for base house.... It just depends on where your going... I find housing to be a little bit more gossipy, then out in town.

hey girl, come to SD. I miss you

I think it depends on where you'll be living.

:hi :cloud9 ANGELA, hey girl, I wasn't sure you were still on here, I MISS YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!! Hey girl, my hunnie went to the Army, do they have any bases there? Call me sometime girl, the number is the same.:hugs :hugs :hugs

I think we are going to try for base houseing at first, to see how that goes with the kiddos. Can anyone tell me what that is like, what kind of rules and regulations they have, can you have pets, what it is like in general for a family? thanks

Here's the link to Army housing, you can search by base name. https://onestop.army.mil/ YOu can get an idea of size of housing, etc from the pics.

I found this site on moving with kids, hopefully it helps!
http://www.moaa.org/serv_benefits_relocation_kids.htm

The housing quality varies from base to base & even within communities on base, so once you find out where his permanent duty station will be I'd strongly suggest trying to find someone who is already stationed at that base to give you a real opinion on the quality of housing there and good places to live out in town. One of the good points of base housing is you don't have to worry about paying a lot of your bills (they automatically pay your housing fee out of hubby's BAH & usually electric & water are covered) bc it is taken straight out of your BAH, but if you can find a place out in town for cheaper than the BAH you will be recieving then you can stash away a little rainy day cash or help pay for other bills that way. BAH varies from base to base and your DH's rank

A link to explain BAH... http://www.dod.mil/militarypay/pay/bah/index.html
A link to calculate your BAH if you have an idea of where you're going to be stationed...
https://secureapp2.hqda.pentagon.mil/perdiem/bah.html

In addition to BAH you may qualify for COLA - Cost of Living Allowance in that area that you are stationed (check the list of COLA locations) ...
https://secureapp2.hqda.pentagon.mil/perdiem/ccform.html

PM me if you have any questions!

Thanks so much for all the help, I finally don't feel so in the dark,kwim? This is so new to me , but with all of the help ya'll have given me, it sure doesn't look as scarey now. thanks:)

Personally we've always preferred to live on base.
It's closer to his work (he gets called in at all hours), closer to the commissary, school, hospital, neighbors in the same boat, etc.... IMO it's safer, the day Marine Corps bases don't haved armed Marines at the gates, I'm outta here - lol.

The one downside most people will mention is the "drama" of base housing. IMO there's drama if you invite and/or create it. We've lived on numerous bases and have never been involved in it.
My sister as a total civilian in her early 40s has more drama in her suburban neighborhood than I've ever heard of on any base, so go figure ;)

The only "rules" I can think of really have to do with pets, which we don't have.

For us, it's much more beneficial at this point to live on base.

Good luck to you.