Navy Wives I need help! Do I move or wait?

Ericka - posted on 10/16/2010

a friend of ours wasnt allowed in bachelor quarters once he was done with school so i would definitely move before he gets back just an fyi. in all actuality if a married sailor lives in bachelor housing they can take away your housing allowance. it is hard to move and it must be even harder if your husband will be deployed right away but as a mil spouse you have to get used to it, sorry if that sounds cold but it is the truth. i would look online at housing or apartments and see if there is someplace you like and then talk about it with him. the sooner you move the sooner you get unpacked and can prepare for him to be home with you :) you dont want to move too soon to homecoming and then him get home early, and yes they can come home early without notice. but you definitely will want to have everything unpacked before he comes home ya know. it is tough and making friends and meeting people is extra hard when you miss your spouse but it is definitely nice to be out on your own in your own place. good luck with your decision :)

Emily - posted on 10/12/2010

We are stationed on Whidbey Island and the housing works better for us :) not only is it comparible if not cheaper than finding our own I also am surrounded by other families that are dealing with the same issues :) Hope you get your orders soon and get your move all scheduled!

Brandi - posted on 10/10/2010

It really depends on your personal situation. Do you have a good job where you are? Are you in school? Do you have kids? I am waiting to do our move until the Christmas holidays because we do have kids and I am in school myself. But I do want to be there and have our home all settled before he comes home in Feb/Mar. There are a lot of factors to determine whether you go now or stay. Good luck!

Amy - posted on 10/09/2010

Thank you for all the info and insight! It's been a hectic last 8 months and I still have at least another six at the moment. I do want to sign up for the housing, but he thinks we wont be able to afford it without our BAH. We did what a lot of people told us not to do, we bought a car a few months ago and the payment isnt the problem, its the insurance! At least here in AZ. I hope that the insurance up there isnt going to be as horrible! Please correct me if Im wrong! But Housing to me seems like a way better plan! Plus, Im tired of living in a tiny apartment! We have a house load of stuff in a 2 bedroom apartment and its driving me crazy! lol Well again, thank you for all the info and insight, I greatly appreciate it ladies! Cant wait to get there, Not around any Navy wives here in the Airforce town!

Michelle - posted on 10/08/2010

it really depends on if you are going to be living in base housing..I personally would just wait it out. they usually do ship them straight to the ship and like lorraine said in order for you to get an ID you have to have certain paperwork from his command and with housing you have to have his orders and a few other things. It may take a little bit longer for you guys to see each other but usually worth the wait. do you guys have a sponser...I would def. be talking to your sponser about what you can do on your own if its something your willing to do then go for it. Bachleor quarters are not so terrible it gives him a place to stay while you guys get everything lined up then you are not just grabbing up the first rental or home that you guys see it gives him time to learn the area a figure everything out...its really a personal decision whatever you guys as a couple are comfortable with.

Kimberly - posted on 10/08/2010

Yes I do... Been there done that =p You guys will get about 10-14days to move into Base housing.. Then when the ship is at a port he can travel to the Navy will fly him (and all the others that missed the ship) out to the Airport where the ship is close to.

My husband finished A school and we moved to Washington State. His ship was in the middle of a deployment. We got to Wa end of March, He flew to Singapore w/ 100other shipmates mid April.. When you get to your duty station he will have to check in at base and they will tell him dates to travel to ship, Enjoy your time w/ him while he is there and get to know your area.when he is gone just take that time to settle into your new home, And know that this too shall pass =) Good Luck Amy =)

Melissa - posted on 10/07/2010

A lot of people stationed in Everett actually live across the water in Kingston. I don't know if that's an option for you. It's cheaper to live there, so if you aren't 100% sure you want to live in housing you may consider it. We blindly moved to WA right out of school and straight into a deployment. If I had it to do over again, I would have just stayed put until he got back. It was pretty miserable that first time being a thousand miles from anyone I knew. That's jmo though.

Ingrid - posted on 10/07/2010

Where are you moving from? If I were you I would go and set up your house so that when he gets home you can spend quality time together instead of moving. You should check out Military one source they have great info on the area you will move to and tips to help with your move. Also you should contact the ships FRG ( Family Readiness Group ) they can help you out and it is a great way to meet other spouses. If you have POA then you can do everything w/o your hubby. We have never been to WA, but I hear so many good things about the area.
As far as your husband get sent out to the ship, it depends on several things. His job, if he is in a critical billet they will fly him out. Where the boat is, if they can even get people to the boat right now.
If this is your first move DO NOT Do A DITY. It is not worth it. People say you make money, trust me it is much better to watch people pack for you and move your stuff and everything is insured. Have them move you. Your first move can be exciting and scary all at the same time, but you will be fine. Good luck.

Tina - posted on 10/07/2010

Hi Amy, it is me, Tina, the one who did the previous post... I looked through the forest city website and you would choose Constitution Park Homes in Lake Stevens. those are the for Everett base. So i clicked on the housing and it is brand new 2010. Let me tell you that these are the same types of homes that i lived in in Bangor WA and they are immaculent. Beautiful inside and out. I am talking hardwood floors, tiled baths with garden style tub (master bed) great layouts and tons of storage. Beautiful and it is definitely a home I would have bought. The neighborhoods are cared for very well adn this is not your typical navy housing, let me tell you. IF you are lucky enough to get into these right away, do it. You will find living in housing is the most affordable way to go, Major utilities are included with your housing allowance. It is a good life! These are great homes and i would highly recommend getting yourself on the housing waiting list. Even if it is a year long wait! Rent an apt until then if need be. Go look through the site i gave you. Also, I have tons of info in the area so if you would like you can email me privately at the address from the previous post and i can send my info your way!

Tina - posted on 10/07/2010

First go to www.navylifepnw.com. This is a good place to start so that you can get an overview of the communities. Click on naval bases at the top and click on everett. click on family housing. From there you can find phone numbers, call them, and they will definitely help you get stuff done. I too have a hubby that leaves everything up to me! You will need to get your papers faxed over to them to get the ball started but until you have orders nothing can be done. But you can at least look through the site and get familiar with the area. I live in WA in the Bangor Base area across the water. WA is beautiful and has so much recreation. Embrace what the navy life has to offer you and enjoy all your experiences. It is what you make of it so stay positive. After your first move, and first deployment, you will feel like "I have this down!"
As far as your husband, he will probably go to ship first and you will be left to do it on your own anyway. If he is not the doer, then you just go do it!!! You can! Just make sure you also have special POA like car shipment, household goods shipment, and abililty to accept government quarters. Without those, you will be in trouble. The Forest City military communites (housing) are what we lived in before and were amazing. Depends on rank what housing you live in and if they have new ones over there. But as soon as you get orders, get yourself on the list for housing so that you can move when the house is ready. Otherwise you will need to find temporary housing, like a month to month lease somewhere (more expensive) if hubby wants you to move over, I understand, but just because he doesn't want the discomfort of living in barracks, don't screw yourself too.
jonesfamilyt2@msn.com if you want to chat privately. Whatever you do, don't stress too much. Housing will give you plenty of opportunities to meet people before he gets there too! Good luck!

Kim - posted on 10/06/2010

They may not have "base" housing but there is military housing which is ran by a private company. All 3 places we have lived was ran by an outside company but you still apply for everything just like you would for base housing. Also, if they are not going to cut his orders until graduation then you won't be able to start that process til you have official orders. When my husband graduated from A school they picked orders a few weeks prior and they were up on Bupers maybe a week later. I'd have him check Bupers a few weeks prior to graduation . If you move prior to receiving actual orders the Navy will not reimburse you. When you do have actual orders you can go to www.move.mil and schedule your move. You will need to fax his orders so that they can finish processing your request for your move.

Amy - posted on 10/06/2010

Well they said that they're not cutting him written pcs orders until he graduates. As far as getting my husband to do anything, thats an impossible task, I have POA so Im in charge of organizing everything and getting everything done. The only other thing that sucks is that we got stationed to Everett, WA and they dont technically have base housing and I dont want to just move up there without knowing anything about where Im living. But he wants me to move before his ship gets back so that he has somewhere to live thats all set up.

Kim - posted on 10/05/2010

I know that my husband got 2 weeks leave after he completed his A school. If you really want to move you could do it over his leave if he gets it. That way he can still handle getting the decals for the vehicles and housing. Also, he should be able to apply for housing prior to actual graduation. We were able to have our stuff moved the week of his graduation and actually moved into our new house the day after he graduated. As far as him meeting the ship...he most likely will. Although, I know that my husband had to checkin with squadron before he could meet his boat. (medical, dental, tricare, psd) Hopes this helps!

Lorraine - posted on 10/05/2010

Usually if the ship is out to sea they will send him straight to the ship. If I was you I would wait just because all of the housing, decals, and other stuff you have to do requires all this inforamtion that you probably don't have. It's usually a lot easier for your husband to do all of it. He might even be able to start the process while on the ship and have housing ready for the both of you. Once he gets whatever paperwork in, then I would go just so you wont feel so lost and you know exactly where to go. Ask him to start talking to the housing referral office and see what they can do and then maybe you can even take over after he gets most of the information in.