kinnem,
You live in Cary which all Goldsboro residents go to (Crabtree mall) for shopping. However, you have to admit, when you watch WRAL and see Oliver Garden, you can find one within 10 miles...we have to drive to Greenville, 25 miles away. Goldsboro only has Lowe's, no Home Depot. Goldsboro has no Macy's. Goldsboro movie theater does not allow you to buy tickets on line!
For a Jersey girl, Goldsboro feels like a town my Mother lived in as a teenager. Mom is 75! Heck Goldsboro doesn't even have a Best Buy! Got an IHOP only 2 yrs ago. Sam's, Target and Wal-Mart are the big stores! Pier One went under in Goldsboro!
Drum is great. My folks had a 2nd home outside Manchester, VT. Your post illustrated what I was stating, it is about embracing the area and what is positive.
Bullet opted Bragg over Drum for 2 reasons.
1. My father was battling Adult Myleonic Leukemia. Bragg was 7 hrs away from home, so was Drum, but winters are harsh at Drum. Snow was an issue. Ironically, before reporting to Bragg because of his training at Benning and Hurlburt, he died, thus it was moot.
2. Bullet decided if he was stepping out of the jet, he wanted to still be the 1st in action. He felt Bragg was a better chance.
~~ Irony. Haiti uprising, Bragg was going to jump in. The situation was resolved diplomatically, 82nd returned to post and Drum took over.
One thing I would say to every cadet, don't go somewhere because it is "ideal" from a lifestyle perspective. Go because it is good for your career.
When you take assignment always think about it from "How will this help for my next assignment". I am sure many of you can get Hawaii or Germany or wherever you want, but if that job can't parlay you into a promotion or a better assignment after that, than call it a day.
Bullet jumping with the 82nd placed risks for him from a flier's perspective. One bad jump, 1 pin in his body and his flying career it could have been all over.
He took a lot of criticism for his decision. His perspective was in the long run it would help his career. He became AF ALO of the yr. That award helped him get O4. That helped him get PME where he went to Leavenworth for CGSC, not Maxwell AFB for ACSC. Attending sister school, got him a DP for O5 after being in the "shop" for 30 days compared to others that had 12 months.
Everything you do will be a foundation for your next phase. As a HS student you took APs or Honors Physics, not because you love Physics, but because you knew it would give you an edge for scholarships and admissions. The same is true for the AD world. Successful officers will think about how the next assignment will impact the assignment after that.
If all it is to you is great posts, enjoying life after work, get your resume ready because you lost sight of what the mission is for the military. I have seen many of those officers, and yes, they enjoyed life because they worked the system to get the "dream" station; yet, they were the ones that were shocked when they were passed over for promotion and given 180 days to start their new life!