Most Competitive Posts

FØB Zero

FØB Zero

Enthusiastically American
Joined
Jul 30, 2019
Messages
205
After getting posts on branch night, when do cadets report there? What do they do in the mean time? What would you guys say are the top, most competitive stations and why? Do officers usually switch around? (If so, how often? Is it based off jobs?) (sorry for the newb question:)).
 
Those aren’t poor questions.
Some things will change from year to year. But in general, Italy, Carson, and Hawaii go out first. Polk and Irwin last. Everything else in between.
Some love the idea of airborne and want the 82nd (Ft Bragg). Others want the 101st. Some want a mech unit.
Some branches such as aviation chose later, but normally you get the same thought process and preferences.
I’ve been at many posts. Korea, Ft Rucker, Bragg, HAAF (Savanah), Bliss, Campbell, Gillem (Atlanta) as well as other locations. Frankly, we loved El Paso (Ft Bliss) and Savanah the most as far as locations. We loved our units at Bragg though we weren’t thrilled with the location.
But much depends. You can be in a crummy location as a 2LT but be in a great company and battalion and love it. You can be in paradise but a crummy company and battalion and hate every minute.
All you can do is your best, make your selection based on your desires and what is left, and drive on from there.
As for how long, normally you can count on 2-4 years on station as a commissioned officer. Some places people tend to “homestead”, such as Bragg. The longest we spent in one location was 5 years. Fifteen houses and counting. I think. I’ve lost track.
 
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UHBlackhawk said:
Those aren’t poor questions.
Some things will change from year to year. But in general, Italy, Carson, and Hawaii go out first. Polk and Irwin last. Everything else in between.
Some love the idea of airborne and want the 82nd (Ft Bragg). Others want the 101st. Some want a mech unit.
Some branches such as aviation chose later, but normally you get the same thought process and preferences.
I’ve been at many posts. Korea, Ft Rucker, Bragg, HAAF (Savanah), Bliss, Campbell, Gillem (Atlanta) as well as other locations. Frankly, we loved El Paso (Ft Bliss) and Savanah the most as far as locations. We loved our units at Bragg though we weren’t thrilled with the location.
But much depends. You can be in a crummy location as a 2LT but be in a great company and battalion and love it. You can be in paradise but a crummy company and battalion and hate every minute.
All you can do is your best, make your selection based on your desires and what is left, and drive on from there.
As for how long, normally you can count on 2-4 years on station as a commissioned officer. Some places people tend to “homestead”, such as Bragg. The longest we spent in one location was 5 years. Fifteen houses and counting. I think. I’ve lost track.
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Wonderful answer!! How would an officer transfer posts? Does the officer request or is it decided by others?
 
UHBlackhawk said:
Those aren’t poor questions.
Some things will change from year to year. But in general, Italy, Carson, and Hawaii go out first. Polk and Irwin last. Everything else in between.
Some love the idea of airborne and want the 82nd (Ft Bragg). Others want the 101st. Some want a mech unit.
Some branches such as aviation chose later, but normally you get the same thought process and preferences.
I’ve been at many posts. Korea, Ft Rucker, Bragg, HAAF (Savanah), Bliss, Campbell, Gillem (Atlanta) as well as other locations. Frankly, we loved El Paso (Ft Bliss) and Savanah the most as far as locations. We loved our units at Bragg though we weren’t thrilled with the location.
But much depends. You can be in a crummy location as a 2LT but be in a great company and battalion and love it. You can be in paradise but a crummy company and battalion and hate every minute.
All you can do is your best, make your selection based on your desires and what is left, and drive on from there.
As for how long, normally you can count on 2-4 years on station as a commissioned officer. Some places people tend to “homestead”, such as Bragg. The longest we spent in one location was 5 years. Fifteen houses and counting. I think. I’ve lost track.
Click to expand...
what made you like HAAF? I live 15 mins away and am wondering.
 
OldRetSWO said:
I agree with much of what you say in this regard but EVERY SINGLE MIDSHIPMAN of my era had to pass a mile run with 6:30 or less both semesters of all four years and other than some very specific athletes, the majority were not in training for it nor had been "trained" for it. It was just the requirement and either you met it or you were not going to make it at USNA.
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FØB Zero said:
Wonderful answer!! How would an officer transfer posts? Does the officer request or is it decided by others?
Click to expand...
Transferring posts is part of the “circle of life” for commissioned officers in all services. It’s a combination of being decided by others, timing, perhaps your desires, your zodiac sign... and luck. Heck, it’s gotten to the point where my wife gets antsy after 3-4 years in one spot. Branches within the Army have personnel sections that try to fit round pegs into round holes and shuffle around officers usually pounding round pegs into square holes.
Part is experience officers gain or need. For example, if you are an Apache pilot, need command, and the Army is short Apache company commanders In Korea congratulations. You’re going to Korea... unless a regimental commander knows you and needs a company commander at Ft Bragg. Then you go to Ft Bragg.
Or if you are a German major in college and want to go to Germany then you can be guaranteed that instead you will be assigned to a location where the populations speaks Spanish.
Then odd ball assignments come along and you happen to be in the right place at the right time. In my brother’s case it meant being sent to language school to learn Portuguese, then off to Brazil where he was a Naval attaché, flew C-12s (King Airs) and went to parties.

That’s the thing about the military. Talk to 30 officers on this page and you’ll get thirty different career tracks.
 
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Lucas8200 said:
what made you like HAAF? I live 15 mins away and am wondering.
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1. I was assigned to special operations. It was a fun mission.
2. My DD was born there.
3. If you left post it wasn’t like normal posts. You didn’t know you were close to a military base.
4. Warm weather and a beach. I got to see my DW in a bathing suit more often.
Did I mention my DD was born there?
 
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AROTC-dad said:
DS (1st Armored) loved Bliss for the three months he lived there before being deployed.

If you like dirt biking and TexMex food, it is great.
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Many things nearby.
The Big Bend area is stunning. Many western movies such as Lonesome Dove were filmed there.
Many other places within striking distance. We would go to Taos for skiing. Kilburnes Hole just west of El Paso.
Our favorite food was L&Js (the place by the graveyard) and the car wash downtown for breakfast. But so many great places to eat.
 
Mad Jack’s Mountaintop BBQ is an hour north of El Paso in Cloudcroft, NM. I am always surprised at how many Army people from Ft. Bliss are there. At first I thought they were from White Sands or maybe stationed at Holloman, but after talking to them I learned they drive all that way for Texas-style BBQ. Sounds like they need a good BBQ joint in El Paso. Or maybe it’s the mountains that they come to see.

Stealth_81
 
Stealth_81 said:
Mad Jack’s Mountaintop BBQ is an hour north of El Paso in Cloudcroft, NM. I am always surprised at how many Army people from Ft. Bliss are there. At first I thought they were from White Sands or maybe stationed at Holloman, but after talking to them I learned they drive all that way for Texas-style BBQ. Sounds like they need a good BBQ joint in El Paso. Or maybe it’s the mountains that they come to see.
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Some BBQ, but yeah. Nothing that stood out. More Mexican and Texmex.

Now if you ever have a chance, Cattlemans in Fabens in amazing.

Cattleman's Steakhouse at Indian Cliffs Ranch

Cattleman's Steakhouse is a large, family-style restaurant on a 32,000 acre working ranch near El Paso, Texas. Enjoy a western atmosphere, miles of desert scenery and spectacular sunsets!
cattlemanssteakhouse.com cattlemanssteakhouse.com
 
stitchhead said:
Get stationed in Germany as a young officer. It will be the greatest time in your life. Endless opportunities for fun and travel. I speak from experience.
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I tried. I even fell for the “Go to Korea and we will give you your choice of follow on assignments” trick. My “choice” was Polk or Reilly as they were just fielding the UH-60s. I told them I would stay in Korea. Two weeks later I got an RFO for Germany and immediately called personnel branch to take it. “So sorry. Too late. You already extended in Korea.”
Doctrine Man on Facebook has some classic cartoons on dealings with assignments officers.
It worked out. I met my wife.
 
UHBlackhawk said:
Those aren’t poor questions.
Some things will change from year to year. But in general, Italy, Carson, and Hawaii go out first. Polk and Irwin last. Everything else in between.
Some love the idea of airborne and want the 82nd (Ft Bragg). Others want the 101st. Some want a mech unit.
Some branches such as aviation chose later, but normally you get the same thought process and preferences.
I’ve been at many posts. Korea, Ft Rucker, Bragg, HAAF (Savanah), Bliss, Campbell, Gillem (Atlanta) as well as other locations. Frankly, we loved El Paso (Ft Bliss) and Savanah the most as far as locations. We loved our units at Bragg though we weren’t thrilled with the location.
But much depends. You can be in a crummy location as a 2LT but be in a great company and battalion and love it. You can be in paradise but a crummy company and battalion and hate every minute.
All you can do is your best, make your selection based on your desires and what is left, and drive on from there.
As for how long, normally you can count on 2-4 years on station as a commissioned officer. Some places people tend to “homestead”, such as Bragg. The longest we spent in one location was 5 years. Fifteen houses and counting. I think. I’ve lost track.
Click to expand...
UHBlackhawk said:
Transferring posts is part of the “circle of life” for commissioned officers in all services. It’s a combination of being decided by others, timing, perhaps your desires, your zodiac sign... and luck. Heck, it’s gotten to the point where my wife gets antsy after 3-4 years in one spot. Branches within the Army have personnel sections that try to fit round pegs into round holes and shuffle around officers usually pounding round pegs into square holes.
Part is experience officers gain or need. For example, if you are an Apache pilot, need command, and the Army is short Apache company commanders In Korea congratulations. You’re going to Korea... unless a regimental commander knows you and needs a company commander at Ft Bragg. Then you go to Ft Bragg.
Or if you are a German major in college and want to go to Germany then you can be guaranteed that instead you will be assigned to a location where the populations speaks Spanish.
Then odd ball assignments come along and you happen to be in the right place at the right time. In my brother’s case it meant being sent to language school to learn Portuguese, then off to Brazil where he was a Naval attaché, flew C-12s (King Airs) and went to parties.

That’s the thing about the military. Talk to 30 officers on this page and you’ll get thirty different career tracks.
Click to expand...
If married couple is stationed together, do they stay stationed together through moves/transfers?
 
US2021 said:
If married couple is stationed together, do they stay stationed together through moves/transfers?
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The needs of (fill in Service) will always prevail.

That said, the Services have co-lo policies for dual military couples. There is usually no guarantee, except “an effort will be made.” DH and I were staggered on some tours, with one of us rolling out before the other, completely apart on others, or co-lo within the same state, for example, San Diego and Monterey. We saw each other on weekends for that one. It was actually supposed to be Monterey and San Francisco, which we could have worked out a crazy midway commute, but his orders were changed enroute. There were also choices to be made along the way. We could be in the same home port/military base city, but the career milestone billet (maintains promotability) one of us needed to be in, was on the other coast. It will all depend on how the relationship works for that couple. We are both very independent and didn’t need to be joined at the hip, and never asked the other to make a lateral career move.

Dual military couples figure it out according to what matters most, and act accordingly.
 
Stealth_81 said:
Mad Jack’s Mountaintop BBQ is an hour north of El Paso in Cloudcroft, NM. I am always surprised at how many Army people from Ft. Bliss are there. At first I thought they were from White Sands or maybe stationed at Holloman, but after talking to them I learned they drive all that way for Texas-style BBQ. Sounds like they need a good BBQ joint in El Paso. Or maybe it’s the mountains that they come to see.

Stealth_81
Click to expand...
Cloudcroft is beautiful. I would drive an hour to eat there for sure. El Paso is not my jam. Never liked it. The traffic drives me crazy, but, that being said, the food is really varied and tons of it to be had.
 
FØB Zero said:
After getting posts on branch night, when do cadets report there? What do they do in the mean time? What would you guys say are the top, most competitive stations and why? Do officers usually switch around? (If so, how often? Is it based off jobs?) (sorry for the newb question:)).
Click to expand...
You graduate end of may, usually get a month of time off, go to some kind of school often, airborne, etc...go to your officer basic course and usually report DEC - Jan. after that...depends a lot on branch..Hawaii is. usually top post
 
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