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San Diego or Norfolk?
Hey ladies,
I'm being super pro-active about this because my boyfriend is only in Basic right now, but where do you prefer to live, Norfolk or San Diego? He put in a request for Norfolk but he wants to stay in the Navy for a long time so we'll probably end up living both places. Any comparisons would be extremely helpful!!! Especially comparisons for colleges because I'll have to attend grad school for social work in a couple of years.
Thanks! :D
Views: 470
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Yeisley on
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I heard San Diego is really nice, that's where my husband put for his number one choice... Just know you might not get it. My husband put anything on the west coast, but just found out were living in Virginia... So don't be surprised if you don't get any of your choices. It's just how it goes. And I really thought we would get San Diego cause not only are we married we have a baby and my husband was a e3 in boot camp.... And usually people with families get what they want. So we were disappointed. But as long as I'm living with him I'm happy :)
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Permalink Reply by meagan5220 on
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I have been told that when you go to one coast they typically keep you on that coast most of the time. I dont know if that is true or not but thats what I have been told. For colleges I would say look up the programs for colleges in the area. But to be quite honest, they dont always get what they put in for. Is he undesignated? I think thats the only one that puts in for their duty location in Bootcamp. My husband asked for Oklahoma (there is a place for Navy there lol), Hawaii, and Florida and we ended up with Everett, WA. We are now in Virginia. I know a lot of ppl dont like the area but I love it! There is soo much to do around here! and a lot of states are within driving distance. I love the history over here. I dont know much about San Diego I have heard its pricey idk. lol I love Virginia personally. It feels like home to me. It reminds me a lot of Oklahoma. I know ppl from San Diego that hate Norfolk and people from Norfolk that hate San Diego. Norfolk and the area is beyond saturated with the military.
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Permalink Reply by EmilyNicole98 on
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He's not undesignated, no...a while ago he said that he was told he would go to either San Diego or Norfolk and he recently got to put in a request for which one he wanted. I didn't know there was anything in OK or WA...hm. The only reason why I'm not a huge fan of San Diego is because the cost of living is extreme and I would rather live in north CA by SanFran if I had to live out there at all. Norfolk sounds like a great location though!
Thanks so much for the responses!! :)
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Hm thats weird. I mean I know some rates can only go to certain duty stations though but I was told the only rate that puts in for location is undes lol. But who knows! Oh yea WA has like 4-5 bases I think. Oklahoma has an air force base that is mostly Navy Planes and has a huge Navy side. I love living here in VA some ppl hate it but I really do love it. The only thing I miss is the mexican from Oklahoma hahaha. Otherwise its great for me lol.
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Permalink Reply by Anti M on
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Sailors do tend to stay on one coast or the other, unless they go overseas, which changes things.
There is no rate which is in San Diego or Norfolk exclusively. What rate will he be? Where is his A school? They normally put in their dream sheet then. Except BM, perhaps, because their school is so very short. To put in for a duty station in boot camp is very unusual, except for the PACT seaman/airman.
The cost of living in San Diego is helped by COLA (cost of living allowance). Married sailors get it along with their BAH.
http://www.navytimes.com/money/pay_charts/
San Diego has an amazing number of colleges and universities, both public and private. (Can you tell I was a WesPac sailor and prefer SD?)
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I'm assuming that BM is Boatswain Mate? That's what he is, and his A school is only five weeks and is in Great Lakes. I think that might be why he's already put in a request but I'm not positive. His rate is E3, if that's what you're asking? Military jargon is still new to me..
Is the cost of living helped enough, though? Houses are twice the price as ones in Virginia..
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Rate is their job so the boatswain mate. Paygrade is the E3 part :) (also some ppl refer to it as rank)
On the charts that Anti M posted about you can see the COLA that they get and BAH but I know at least BAH is for married sailors (except rare situations or over E5), there is no COLA for VA. Although people over here always complain about it. Which I can see why in some areas BAH is not enough to cover a lot of great areas but thats on the Hampton/Newport News side.
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lol most people I know that have come from SD loved it and prefer it over there! Coming from Everett and being an Okie I like this but I have no clue if I would like SD.. I am sure I would as long as I get more than 10 days of sun a year! lol
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Okay, a BM can go almost anywhere, and yes, they would fill out a dream sheet in boot.
That rate is a sea going rate, so he'll almost certainly be on a ship right away. San Diego and Norfolk are the biggest homeports, so that's most likely his "best" choices, but honestly he could go to any base which has ships ... and that includes overseas ports. Be prepared for anything, although his chances of getting the coast he requested are high because they are such big bases with many commands. When it comes to orders out of A school, the reality is they go where they are told, not where they request. They must fill out the "dream sheet" as part of the process, but unfortunately, asking isn't getting for new sailors.
Short sea story: I once called my detailer (the guy who issues orders) and was told I had three choices: Diego Garcia, Diego Garcia or ... Diego Garcia. Right. That's an island in the middle of the Indian Ocean, talk about a surprise! Although I did meet my future husband there.
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Thanks to both of you for all the replies!!
Wow, okay, so moral of the story is that I have to be prepared for the unexpected! I guess it probably won't matter where we'd rather end up, although I've been leaning more toward Norfolk.
How many times a year do they normally leave the country? I've heard that it's usually for six months and happens two or three times in a four year span??
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haha oh yea.. the Navy way. I always have a main plan with multiple back up plans and subplans that make up each plan that can be traded out easily. Research and flexibility will be your best friend.
As far as I know deployments are sort of getting extended. My husbands ship is finishing up a deployment they have been out since the beginning of Dec. Most carriers that I know of are getting 7-9 month deployments right now. Some subs do 3 month rotations (I think) like 3 months in 3 months out. Some do 6 month ones I think. I dont really know what is normal I guess my husbands ship I have been told is gone an abnormal amount of time. Again, with deployments be ready for anything. The Stennis just got back from a long deployment in March and they are heading out again August for another long one. The time between that they are going to be out doing underways getting prepared for deployment. Like my husband ship got back late April last year I think. then they started doing workups in June and was gone 3 months out of the next 5 months. Then left in December. Some ships wont go out for a few years because they are getting repairs. Or some ships get lucky. Like the Vinson did only a 5 and a half, I think, month deployment while we had a long one. So again.. sort of be prepared for anything. I guess there is supposed to be a rotation but I have been told by some long time wives that its not really followed. I know some people that call the ship my husband is on "USS NeverPorts" lol Luckily they are doing a dry dock so they should be for awhile lol!
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Oh, eek! Thanks for all of that, I have next to no knowledge about deployments! I have no idea what ship he'll be on, but I sincerely hope that it's one that isn't gone for longer than most!! He's going to be in for at least eight years, would he probably stay with the same ship for the whole time?
Letters are the only form of communication while they're out, I'm assuming?
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