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Which gate should I live by


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Freedom Drive is where it's at! It's close to town, 5 min from the Enterprise gate, has townhomes, apartments, AND houses... My commute to anything in Enterprise and anything on post is less than 20 minutes (not sure about a commute to Hanchey). Area feels safe, there are old and new places... Can't really go wrong here.

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Freedom Drive is where it's at! It's close to town, 5 min from the Enterprise gate, has townhomes, apartments, AND houses... My commute to anything in Enterprise and anything on post is less than 20 minutes (not sure about a commute to Hanchey). Area feels safe, there are old and new places... Can't really go wrong here.

Agreed. I've been living in my place for 18 months and have literally not one single complaint about either commute or neighborhood. None of my friends who live around here do either. It's ideal.

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Daleville. The drive is short. I live in Enterprise now, but if I had to do it over, that's what I'd do. You're super close to Rucker (like 5 minutes to PT), closer to Dothan and Enterprise is 5 minutes away.

This about sums it up. Takes me about six minutes to Bco/PT. And it costs less for a pretty much brand new 3BR house than an apt in enterprise.

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I know Ruckers in lower Alabama, but how rural is the area around there? Is there stuff to do or do you have to leave the area to find entertainment?

The most useful "entertainment" is to get into the books...Flight School IS, after all fairly demanding....

 

But, yeah...get outside Rucker itself, Enterprise, Daleville or Ozark and it can be pretty rural. The only larger towns near are Dothan to the southeast and Montgomery to the north. Birmingham is a pretty good trek away and then there are (not really all that far away) city of Panama City and Panama City Beach...plus the beaches, In summer, go to the beaches, in winter just stay home and watch football! There are a lot of other pretty small towns in the Rucker surrounding area, but most of them are just that...small, mostly agricultural economies and some of them kind of dying off.

 

Redneck country boys will feel pretty much at home in Lower Alabama...city boys, ehhhh, not so much!!

 

There are some bars/nightclubbish places here and there, but they are usually not real big and they do kind of come and go. There is a fair sized mall in Dothan if you just gotta shop til you drop and some fairly OK bars/clubs there in Dothan, too. If you are the outdoors type, there is a good deal of decent hunting around (deer, turkeys, doves, some quail, some rabbits and there is some OK fishing in the local lakes and streams. Then there is brackish water and salt water fishing along t coast of FL and AL.

 

I was so busy during Flight School, that I didn't really have much trouble staying busy (plus, I was married and we had kids). After my first tour in Germany, I went back to Mother Rucker and was there for three years...lived in Ozark and stayed pretty busy hunting, fishing, shooting and playing in the woods with my 4 X4. Actually enjoyed the more laid back pace and lifestyle...but then that is ME and not everyone will get off on that stuff. Oh...if you DO get out in the woods much...WATCH OUT FOR THE CHIGGERS....they are NO FUN AT ALL! (Don't even ask how I know!!)

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The most useful "entertainment" is to get into the books...Flight School IS, after all fairly demanding....

 

But, yeah...get outside Rucker itself, Enterprise, Daleville or Ozark and it can be pretty rural. The only larger towns near are Dothan to the southeast and Montgomery to the north. Birmingham is a pretty good trek away and then there are (not really all that far away) city of Panama City and Panama City Beach...plus the beaches, In summer, go to the beaches, in winter just stay home and watch football! There are a lot of other pretty small towns in the Rucker surrounding area, but most of them are just that...small, mostly agricultural economies and some of them kind of dying off.

 

Redneck country boys will feel pretty much at home in Lower Alabama...city boys, ehhhh, not so much!!

 

There are some bars/nightclubbish places here and there, but they are usually not real big and they do kind of come and go. There is a fair sized mall in Dothan if you just gotta shop til you drop and some fairly OK bars/clubs there in Dothan, too. If you are the outdoors type, there is a good deal of decent hunting around (deer, turkeys, doves, some quail, some rabbits and there is some OK fishing in the local lakes and streams. Then there is brackish water and salt water fishing along t coast of FL and AL.

 

I was so busy during Flight School, that I didn't really have much trouble staying busy (plus, I was married and we had kids). After my first tour in Germany, I went back to Mother Rucker and was there for three years...lived in Ozark and stayed pretty busy hunting, fishing, shooting and playing in the woods with my 4 X4. Actually enjoyed the more laid back pace and lifestyle...but then that is ME and not everyone will get off on that stuff. Oh...if you DO get out in the woods much...WATCH OUT FOR THE CHIGGERS....they are NO FUN AT ALL! (Don't even ask how I know!!)

 

Thanks for the info! I kind of figured Monday-Friday would be all about flight school. But I'm only 21 and single so no family time to devote the weekends too. I'm definitely more of a city person so this should be interesting haha

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Well...don't slack off on the weekend studying!! When I was an IP at Lowe in Tactics branch, I tpld my students during Fridays de-brief what to expect on Monday...subjects, what sort of questions to expect, what kind of tasks and problems in flight, etc. Come Monday and time for "table talk" and I am asking questions and otherwise quizzing my three students after the Briefing Officer was done, One of them had no clue at all and when I asked him if he had read/studied the stuff I talked about during Friday's debrief he said " Nope. The weekends are mine and I don't do any Army or Flight School stuff." :angry: <<-----ME!!! The ONLY THING that kept me from CHOKING him was the law!! Needless to say I walked into the Flight Commaners office and told him the story and REQUESTED an IMMEDIATE student change! Again, needless to say, that student was IMMEDIATELY moved....I think mostly to keep him from being killed and also to keep me from going to jail! I heard somewhat later (the guy DID manage to graduate) that when promotion to CW2 time came around, he was NOT promoted, but rather was "invited" to leave the service.

 

PLEASE DO STUDY enough to NOT IMPRESS your IPs like that guy did....although that bit was mostly just his bad attitude showing through, which attitude DID NOT, apparently, serve him well later in his limited Army flying career!

 

Flight School can be a BLAST and a VERY satisfying experience with a little effort...not to mention that it is easier that way. Good luck with Flight School and HAVE FUN!!

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The general consensus around here now is Friday nights and Saturdays are yours, go relax, have a good time, and Sunday get your head back in the game and study up for the week ahead. The academic/technical library on post is closed on Saturday and open super long hours on Sunday for that reason.

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Sounds like a GOOD PLAN to me!! Not to mention that when it comes time for ANY kind of a written test/exam, being well prepared over the course of the class is a MUCH better way to go than trying to cram the night before.....I found that to be true in Flight School AND in college and got top-of-the class results in both. Not to mention that you never lost a bunch of sleep the night before an exam and, therefore, always had all your marbles when taking said exam. BTW, do you know what "RTFQ" (probably should do that 2 or 3 times) means?

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Would it be worth it to try and get a roommate if I lived off base?

That's a personal decision. Depends on if there's anyone you could see yourself living with after WOCS. I was very fortunate and got a great roommate but now that he's PCS'd and I'm back by myself I don't want another one. You'll save lots of money with a roommate though. Spend ~$400 vs $800 a month give or take a hundred.

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That's a personal decision. Depends on if there's anyone you could see yourself living with after WOCS. I was very fortunate and got a great roommate but now that he's PCS'd and I'm back by myself I don't want another one. You'll save lots of money with a roommate though. Spend ~$400 vs $800 a month give or take a hundred.

 

Yeah, talked to the recruiter. Roommate would save some money. Just have to wait and see I guess.

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Would it be worth it to try and get a roommate if I lived off base?

 

Don't get a roommate at Flight School, Wait until you get your unit assignments and then look at those going to the same place and see if any of them would make a good roommate. You'll have a chance over the course of flight school to get to know them better.

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Alright I have a question. My wife will remain back where we are currently stationed for a while before she joins me in Rucker. I don't want to set up housing before WOCS to avoid paying a month's rent for no reason. Will I have time after WOCS before WOBC, SERE etc. to set up housing and take my 10 days permissive TDY? I want to say yes, but I would appreciate some advice from those who know the process.

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Will I have time after WOCS before WOBC, SERE etc. to set up housing and take my 10 days permissive TDY?

 

Toward the end of WOCS, you'll have an hour or so where one of the cadre from B Co will meet with all the aviator candidates to explain the process of transitioning from WOCS graduation to WOBC. Chances are very high that you'll be in some sort of bubble for at least a few days, if not weeks. He'll explain the procedure for requesting permissive TDY (or regular leave) if you need to find a place to live. You also get a four-day weekend pass after graduation so you can use that as needed too.

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Toward the end of WOCS, you'll have an hour or so where one of the cadre from B Co will meet with all the aviator candidates to explain the process of transitioning from WOCS graduation to WOBC. Chances are very high that you'll be in some sort of bubble for at least a few days, if not weeks. He'll explain the procedure for requesting permissive TDY (or regular leave) if you need to find a place to live. You also get a four-day weekend pass after graduation so you can use that as needed too.

Awesome. I appreciate it!

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Alright I have a question. My wife will remain back where we are currently stationed for a while before she joins me in Rucker. I don't want to set up housing before WOCS to avoid paying a month's rent for no reason. Will I have time after WOCS before WOBC, SERE etc. to set up housing and take my 10 days permissive TDY? I want to say yes, but I would appreciate some advice from those who know the process.

You can also do what I did, arrange the shipment of your HHG, and setup housing at Rucker for a week or so before WOCS graduation. Just make sure your wife has the powers of attorney she needs, and she can do everything herself. Worked good for me since my day 0 for WOBC was the day after my WOCS graduation.

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You can also do what I did, arrange the shipment of your HHG, and setup housing at Rucker for a week or so before WOCS graduation. Just make sure your wife has the powers of attorney she needs, and she can do everything herself. Worked good for me since my day 0 for WOBC was the day after my WOCS graduation.

I wish I could do that, but like I said, my wife will not be with me at Rucker for a while. I don't want to pay a month's rent, and leave my HHG in an apartment I will not be in for a month straight. My HHG will have to remain in storage. I'm trying to guage when I am allowed in between training to set up housing, which Tanniyn did. I appreciate the advice.

Edited by Seth G.
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