The Disadvantages of Living on a US Air Force Base
The Disadvantages of Living on a US Air Force Base: House Maintenance
Families who live on base can live in family housing. This is often a suitable solution for families, who would rather not live off base. But it can be hard to cope with all the rules and regulations surrounding the maintenance of the property. Every fixture that is broken in the house has to be reported and fixed in a timely manner, or else families could face a hefty bill when they move out. They must also mow the lawn regularly. If you live off base in your own home, you can leave the lawn for three weeks and not have to worry, but the rules are stricter on base.
Housing inspectors regularly visit the housing area to make sure all families are complying. If they come across an unkempt, overgrown lawn they will report the family and issue a warning. This can be especially stressful for remaining family members if the military member has been deployed or there are family problems to cope with.
The Disadvantages of Living on a US Air Force Base: Work Problems Spill Over
Living on base can be quite claustrophobic at times for some families. They must work and live near people they see on a daily basis. Under good circumstances, it can be beneficial to live near work colleagues, but what about when you do not get along with your colleague? You will see a lot more of troublesome work colleagues if they also happen to live across the street from you and it will be harder to avoid them and leave problems where they belong at work.
The Disadvantages of Living on a US Air Force Base: Can be Harder to Integrate into the Local Community
Some families who have lived on base for many years may find it harder than most to integrate into the local community and make friends with civilians. That is not to say that it is not possible to do, because it is. But the military lifestyle is very different to the civilian way of life and families may not know quite how to relate to the civilian way of life if they have been away from it for years.
In conclusion, a family must really weigh all their options before choosing to move on base. There are various advantages in doing so, but there are also some disadvantages in making the move to base.
