How many PCS moves did you do

[Pima]

I thought I might start this thread for the cadets/mids/plebes, etc, to see how often the AD moves and what bases/posts everyone liked or dislikes

I'll start Bullet's career has had us move 11 times by his 18 year marker. In his first 2 years we moved 4 times (UNT, LIFT, FTU and then to his RTU). Our longest assignment was our first base for 3 yrs, 4 mos. next closest was 2 yrs 11 mos. (they were both our overseas assignments). Our statesides were @ 2 yrs. This is our final move, so it will be 3 yrs.

Bullet was also lucky to miss the TAG YOUR IT REMOTE . For those of you going AF, you need to plan your career right, to miss it. We actually only know one other person who did not go remote (he was passed over for LTC though). Most of the people we know that got tagged were at the sr. capt/major rank, they are also now taking the guys at the 18 yr marker (knowing that if you get the assignment before 19 yrs, you can't decline and you are sure not going to give up a lifetime of retirement pay. The AF does not like to give after the 19 yr, because you can say, NOPE I am out of here. However, they won't take you if you have less than 2 yrs on station, so moving at 18 yrs saves you from the nasty.

Expect the remote, and time it right. Some people know they are in the zone to go, so they call MPC and say I'll do volunteer for this one, if you allow me to do XXXXX.

We also know it is becoming very popular for the AD to take the family with them as an unaccompanied tour. For me, if he got tagged, I would have stayed behind b4 going to KOREA or Riyad.


Also our favorite tour was Elmendorf for all too many reasons. My least favorite Almogordo (oh my G*d no, Almogordo). Pentagon was great also.

Best BX/PX/NEX, Ft. Bragg, and Ramstein. Worst Oh My G*D no, Almogordo.

Best Base to take the family along for a TDY...Eglin

 

[Zaphod]

In five years as a SWO, I was moved three times.

First from Annapolis to Newport, RI for SWOS and COMMO school. Not exactly PCS, but when a school track lasts over six months and you end up renting a house, it may as well be. This is NOT the way it works anymore (the SWO track is VERY different now).

Second, from Newport RI to Mayport FL. My first DIVO tour. Lasted three years. At one point I was ordered off for about 10 weeks to be the Communication Liaison Officer (fancy term for "translator") with the Argentine Navy during the whole Haiti thing, but otherwise it was a fairly normal schedule of deployments, exercises, and upkeep periods.

Finally, from Mayport, FL to Norfolk, VA. My second DIVO tour. We were in the yards the whole time I was abord, and was later pulled off due to back surgery. Ended my tour at Dam Neck, VA (same general area as Norfolk).

After that, I went home. Not bad, considering some of the horror stories I've heard.

 

[Pima]

At one point, I was ordered off for about 10 weeks to be the Communication Liaison Officer (fancy term for "translator") with the Argentine Navy during the whole Haiti thing

I remember the AF Col from the 82nd was on a boat with the navy for the Haiti thing. Bullet was on one of those planes that turned back for the Haiti thing.

I will say it was amazing to see the runway filled with so many heavies, and realizing in a few days they would be all filled with guys jumping in. If I recall right they came from everywhere, McQuire, Dover, Tinker, etc. When they took off it sounded like it would never end. It was also back in the day of the first cordless phones, so as I was on the phone passing the "REDLINE MESSAGE...they have left the base" my phone would cut out with the air controllers and pilots talking. I remember thinking why am I calling all of these spouses, they just need to go outside and look up into the sky, your hubby is on one of the planes...or better yet, turn on the tv, all of the news agencies were outside the base filming it

AF rule is 180 days is a PCS, that's why all of the orders are cut for 179, gets them out of paying TLA and DLA. However TDY enroute is the best pay there is!

 

[Pima]

BTW what year did you graduate? Bullets' cousin graduated in 89 (very close to being the anchor, was on academic probation 2x). He is still the only guy I know that never was on a boat. His first 2 assignments, as soon as he got there the boat was decommissioned( one in Norfolk area and the other in San Diego). He than got Pilot School and went to Maine, flew a P-3 (I think) He left the service in 96, and did what we call a Palace Chase. He is still in the reserves and is a Commander now.

 

[Zaphod]

I remember the AF Col from the 82nd was on a boat with the navy for the Haiti thing. Bullet was on one of those planes that turned back for the Haiti thing.

I'm glad you got the message!

When we returned to Haiti after a stopover in Rosey Roads for food and fuel, we found ourselves COMPLETELY ALONE in the oparea.

COMPLETELY. Everyone else had up and left on us.

Turns out the guys in charge of sending the message ordering the fleet to disburse and return to home ports forgot to add us in.

 

[Zaphod]

BTW what year did you graduate?

Look at my avatar.

He than got Pilot School and went to Maine, flew a P-3 (I think) He left the service in 96, and did what we call a Palace Chase. He is still in the reserves and is a Commander now.

Oh, WOW! I didn't know they were doing that back then!

Hell, guys in my class were asking for and being allowed to leave with as little as 2 years of service completed. Scott-free, from what I understand.

Meanwhile, Yours Truly finished his full tour. Still not sure if I was a fool for that or not...

 

[Pima]

Okay that was a blonde moment!

Note to all future 82nd guys, when they hand out equipment for something like Haiti (the guys got called in Sunday morning and were in lockdown by Fri.) don't lighten up your rucksacks, because if the plane turns around they want everything they handed to you back. Bullet was kept in lockdown for 3 extra days, since guys in their brigade decided to lighten their jump load and the count was off fromwhat they gave out and what they came back with. By the time he got out of lockdown, the 10th Mtn div from Ft. Drum was already deployed to Haiti.

I will say the Army does a great job with the redlines...it becomes a little annoying, when they call every few hours. Redline...the brigade is in lock down on base....redline..the brigade has left...redline the brigade is enroute....redline the brigade has reached their intended assignment. Then I had to turn around and make calls to all of the spouses (by the time I got through 20 wives, I had to re-start the entire process again) Then add in the fact that when they returned and had a count problem, I was making more calls.

If I recall correctly our AF Col, stayed on the boat for about 3 weeks.

Also for future 82nd people, the best part at Ft Bragg is their yearly run. The entire post runs the post one morning in the spring. If you live on post you will hear them before you see them. Even people from town get up to see it. It sounds like thunder coming down the road, and as they get closer everyone is singing Jodies. Imagine thousands upon thousands running in the dawn.

I also remember the first day after we PCS'd to there. Bullet got up at 5 and kissed me goodby...in my daze I looked at him and asked where are you going, he said PT, I rolled over and went back to sleep, about 15 minutes later I laid there and thought what is PT? (BTW we were married for 6 yrs by then and I thought I knew every acronym) I had to wait until 4:30 to find out. He never did mandatory PT in the AF, and has only done it 1x more when he went to CGSC at Leavenworth

I am still trying to figure out the colors on the Army mess dress, what is there 20 colors ...Okay I know there are at least 4, yellow, light blue, blue, and red. It is so much easier with the AF...everyone has the same, just look on the chest and you can tell if they are medical, flyer, SP, missile, jump, etc. Of course the flyers always are out of uniform code by wearing their squadron color bow ties...anyone who needs green, red or bright blue, we are more than happy to hand them over. The only thing we will keep are the dice (the 90th has AF permission to wear them instead of the usual AF insignia for the jacket at the waist).

For all of the AF guys, if you get to Korea during the summer, get the special mess dress shirts...looks like the mess dress shirt, but when you take off the jacket, the front, back and arms are funky patterns (typically hawaiin)

Zaphod, graduating in 91, would make sense that they could leave with only 2 yrs since the RIF was in 92-93, especially since they were trying to get rid of company grade. His cousin was in flight school, so he had the extra payback time, and passed the RIF time. The AF targeted the class of 85/86 for the RIF, but they also allowed Maj. to take the buy out. I remember one guy who left with a 115K pay check, and two years of med./commissary benefits...not a bad deal if you were a pilot and 33 yrs old with no dependents. He is a captain now with Delta.

 

[justawife]

Next you be explaining crud rules Pima lol.

After 26 years, 12 PCS assignments with 3 TDYs in route. We have had 3 so called remote assignments and 3 assignments that lasted 11 months or less(ACSC, War College and RTU). I looked at my close friends who spouses have stars and said enough. They have moved every year and the wives have no life of their own (OSC and entertaining the 4 star who flys in for a looksy)

My best friend who I have know for 15 years her GO husband has moved 17 times in 29 years. Her fun meter is pegged.

Worst BX Camp New Amsterdam (Holland) close second Cannon AFB (kill me)
Best BX Luke AFB right after they doubled it size and put in the parking garage.

Best assignment Eielson AFB so much to do so little time!
Worst-- Pentagon long hours, commute from he}} and working for Rummy.

Glad it is over, but wished we had more time to spend Germany, Spain and Alaska.

My best advice to the future officers here, pick a spouse that can handle the fact you will be gone for a year sometimes. Someone who won't cry when the toilet breaks and kids get sick. Some of the best spouses are brats, they understand the lingo and have grown up moving. It makes a difference knowing that when you leave for 6 month deployment that the home life isn't going to fall into a sink hole and died. Girls who think slumming it is Saks 5th Ave, don't do well at Cannon AFB. The smell there is scarry.

 

[WAMom68]

I am still trying to figure out the colors on the Army mess dress, what is there 20 colors ...Okay I know there are at least 4, yellow, light blue, blue, and red.

FYI - I found the list of branch colors in the AR670-1. There are more than 20.

http://www.colostate.edu/dept/ArmyROTC/AR670-1.pdf
28–19. Branch colors
a. Adjutant General Corps: dark blue and scarlet (cable numbers 65012 and 65006).
b. Air Defense Artillery: scarlet (cable number 65006).
c. Armor: yellow (cable number 65002).
d. Army Medical Specialist Corps: maroon and white (cable numbers 65017 and 65005).
e. Army Nurse Corps: maroon and white (cable numbers 65017 and 65005).
f. Aviation: ultramarine blue and golden orange (cable numbers 65010 and 65003).
g. Branch Immaterial: teal blue and white (cable numbers 65024 and 65005).
h. Cavalry: yellow (cable number 65002).
i. Chaplains: black (cable number 65018).
j. Chemical Corps: cobalt blue and golden yellow (cable numbers 65011 and 65001).
k. Civil Affairs, USAR: purple and white (cable numbers 65009 and 65005).
l. Corps of Engineers: scarlet and white (cable numbers 65006 and 65005).
m. Dental Corps: maroon and white (cable numbers 65017 and 65005).
n. Field Artillery: scarlet (cable number 65006).
o. Finance Corps: silver gray and golden yellow (cable numbers 65008 and 65001).
p. General staff: no color assigned.
q. Infantry: light blue (cable number 65014).
r. Inspector General: dark blue and light blue (cable numbers 65012 and 65014).
s. Judge Advocate General’s Corps: dark blue and white (cable numbers 65012 and 65005).
t. Medical Corps: maroon and white (cable numbers 65017 and 65005).
u. Medical Service Corps: maroon and white (cable numbers 65017 and 65005).
v. Military Intelligence: oriental blue and silver gray (cable numbers 65027 and 65008).
w. Military Police Corps: green and yellow (cable numbers 65007 and 65002).
x. National Guard Bureau: dark blue (cable number 65012).
y. Ordnance Corps: crimson and yellow (cable numbers 65013 and 65002).
z. Quartermaster Corps: buff (cable number 65015).
aa. Signal Corps: orange and white (cable numbers 65004 and 65005).
ab. Special Forces: jungle Green (cable number 65025).
ac. Staff specialist, USAR: green (cable number 65007).
ad. The Sergeant Major of the Army. no color assigned.
ae. Transportation Corps: brick red and golden yellow (cable numbers 65020 and 65001).
af. Veterinary Corps: maroon and white (cable numbers 65017 and 65005).
ag. Warrant officers: brown (cable number 65016).

 

[Just_A_Mom]

I see the AF is moving as much as ever. My dad was AD from early 50's to early 70's. Moved 10 times - I think. Most of the bases are no longer in existence. After flight school he and my mother went to Laon AFB in France - still there?
My mother had to be flown to the hospital when my brother was born and spent 10 days then they were flown back.
Longest tour was 5 years at Mather AFB - gone. Then 2 years at grad school.
We spent 10 months at Kincheloe AFB near Sault St Marie - Sept -June and it snowed every month. If you ranked high enough you got to plug in your car at work.
Off to Europe with 4 kids - expected France again. While on leave, 2 days before the flight to Paris he got the 4 am call. Orders changed going to Weisbaden.
Household goods were on the boat to France and by the way - there is no housing. No worries - you have Army housing at Mainz Army base - still there?
We lived in Mainz for 1 year and then moved to Weisbaden for two years. It was the first time I started school in the same school I had finished.
Living in Europe while in Elementary school was weird. My parents did immerse us in the culture though and we traveled all over Europe. My mother and brother and I even went across the "Iron Curtain" into E Berlin - this was "encouraged" by the US Govt to keep the border "open". Saw a bride and groom at the wall - waving to familiy on the other side.
Everyone who left Germany went to Vietnam. So back to the states with 5 kids and no place to live. They picked a nice "quite" college town. A year and a half later saw us at SAC HQ (SAC is gone right?) at Offut AFB. I loved Omaha but the 'rents had had enough. The Penatgon was around the corner and they wanted no part of it.

 

[Pima]

My best advice to the future officers here, pick a spouse that can handle the fact you will be gone for a year sometimes. Someone who won't cry when the toilet breaks and kids get sick. Some of the best spouses are brats, they understand the lingo and have grown up moving. It makes a difference knowing that when you leave for 6 month deployment that the home life isn't going to fall into a sink hole and died. Girls who think slumming it is Saks 5th Ave, don't do well at Cannon AFB. The smell there is scarry.

Couldn't agree more! I will say from experience that we always take the cars in for complete check-ups before Bullet leaves, no matter what within a week, I will have a flat tire or something wasn't caught on the inspection.

OH BTW when were you at Cannon?

As far as Crud:

Here's 2 funny stories as I am a very AVID crud player. Bullet has promised me that our final home will have a crud table. DS already knows the rules, we started teaching him on a pool table when he was @ 11. Bullet is also a crud player, when he went to AK this summer to Eilson for the northern red flag, he won for the squadron as single man against 11 lives (I think that was the number) NOt bad for a 40+ yr old guy.

Now my stories:

The 90th owned the club at Elmendorf and every Friday we would go and play crud against the 15C guys. One time a guy threw me across the room, I literally fell into the popcorn machine...Bullet, in his comical personality screamed "Honey is the baby okay?" The guy felt like a sh*t, and picked me off the floor. I threw a glare at Bullet and screamed I am not pregnant! 4 days later as I hosted the OCSC coffee as the president, I spent the entire time explaining I wasn't pregnant

The other time was when the 90th was sent to Korea for 120 days...this is where it goes back to getting a wife who can survive without you. The wing king would make teams to go against the 90th wives... as I was coming into block I slipped on beer on the tile floor...fell to the ground and was taken to ER. The ER doc asked me (will be vulgar now, so if you are squeamish leave)

Are your pregnant? Nope
When was the last time you had sex ? Husband left 43 days ago...44 days
Last time you had sexual activity? Husband left 43 days ago...44 days

He told me I smelled like alcohol, I explained I fell in a puddle of beer. He refused to give me any meds....the result?

My back went into spasms,(when the flt doc examined me, he could feel my whole spine spasming) I bruised my liver and they had to send me on Monday for a scan with the fear that the spasms tore my liver after the flight doc demanded I come in, b/c I could not move...my best friend drove me in, after 2 hrs, I was placed on valium, flexeril and another med for 10 days. The flight doc came to my house 2 days later, to check that the spasms had stopped.

Now the positives...as the president of OCSC, I knew the wing King Queen personally, when they found out my story (from other board members, the doc was brought in for his unprofessional questions) Bullet was given a special patch to call me daily (they did not send him home, and this was back in the day that you could call home 1x a week for 10 mins) The wives, took over...I would get up with our kids, send them to school, take my meds and sleep, they would pick the kids up from school, feed them dinner, help them with homework, and bring them home for me to put hem to bed.


Crud is a great game, but don't play it unless you expect to get some major bruises.

The best commanders for the families are the ones, where the wives remember the moves, the bad medical problems, and can get in their car to go over to the young wives house to help change a tire.

This is negative, but as a wife, it is the best piece of advice I can give...don't marry someone who doesn't get your dream. I gave up a very successful career before marrying Bullet, but had I said to him "No, I don't want to go there", our marriage would never have survived. I have seen spouse dictate where they should go, most of them didn't get promoted to field grade. I have also seen spouses who B*tch about everything that is wrong with the base. Then there are also thespouses who believe that they can complain in the wing kings ear of how their spouse shouldn't have to do something, or they were wrong not to give a position to their spouse. The wing King's wife at Elmendorf gave me the best piece of advice ever. You can be the OCSC president 100 times and it will never help his career, you can be it one time and hurt his career.

There are bases I would never want to go to, but in the end I have enjoyed every base, and every friend that I have made...without the AF, I would never have my 2 best friends.

Teach your spouses how to change a tire,where the circuit breaker is, the water shut off valve. Take pride in the fact that she will be okay when you are gone. I know when Bullet is deployed and flying in the unfriendly skies that he knows, we miss him, but we are fine

 

[Pima]

WAMom,

Wow, I didn't realize there were that many...I was being sarcastic about the colors

I would think it would stink to cross train in the Army, b/c now you have to take the mess dress in to get new lapels.

So WAMom what color is your child getting?

Even as an AF wife the Navy has the best mess dress. Bullet is a fan of the Marines.

Just A Mom...Mather was a great location, close to Sacramento and San Francisco. Bullet's first assignment was obviously Mather. Which base would you want to go back to? As far as France, I don't think anyone can get an assignment there...closest that I could think of would be SHAPE. My college roomate was born in France when her Dad was an LTC for the AF, that would be close to 40 yrs ago

 

[Zaphod]

Zaphod, graduating in 91, would make sense that they could leave with only 2 yrs since the RIF was in 92-93, especially since they were trying to get rid of company grade.

Yep. It was a bloody time in the .mil.

I remember one guy who left with a 115K pay check, and two years of med./commissary benefits...not a bad deal if you were a pilot and 33 yrs old with no dependents. He is a captain now with Delta.

Why can't I ever get a lucky break like that?

 

[Pima]

b/c you weren't a MAJOR/LT COMMANDER...remember it was based on yrs and grade

 

[Zaphod]

Yep. I always seem to be just a hair behind all the good stuff.

Right now I'm looking for a house. Funny how every time I do that (this is my 5th time around) I ALWAYS seem to be just $35K short of EXACTLY what I'm looking for.

Well, at least I don't have to move as much as while in uniform, so long as the job is secure.

 

[Just_A_Mom]

Pima - my mother just loved Mather. Always said she would go back in a heart beat.
My dad liked every place except for Tan Son Nhut - not too crazy about that one.
I loved living in Omaha - we lived in a great subdivision with lots of other military families.
BTW - I went to 8 different schools from K-8th grade. Only had to change schools mid year once though.

 

[Zaphod]

I went to 8 different schools from K-8th grade. Only had to change schools mid year once though.

That must have been tough.

 

[Pima]

Zaphod, as a realtor go to firstpreston.com maybe you can find something...Also through in an offer what's the worst that can happen...they say no...My latest client got a relo (Pratt & Whitney) for over 100K below the orgina price (went on in Aug, they put the offer in Feb)

JAM all of our children moved at least 2x in mid year...I actually think that is good, they got to know the kids and had friends for summer break

 

[WAMom68]

So WAMom what color is your child getting?

He is only a plebe so he may change his mind before he actually picks a branch but right now he wants light blue (Infantry).

The first time I saw the mess dress close up was in December at our All Academies Ball. A USMA alum sat next to me so I got a good look at his uniform. His looked like kind of a salmon color - which I don't see on the list. Maybe it was orange for Signal Corp.

 

[Zaphod]

Also through in an offer what's the worst that can happen...they say no...My latest client got a relo (Pratt & Whitney) for over 100K below the orgina price (went on in Aug, they put the offer in Feb)

That may be exactly what I do.

Are you a realtor, by any chance? I ask because I'd be curious to know how the current market slump has been affecting military families on the move.