re: Got orders to Ramstein Air Base today-Tell me what you know!

In K-town there was a little anti-American sentiment.

But with Ramstein, Sembach, Lansdstuhl, Vogelweigh, ROB, and all of the other bases close by, they had a large concentration of American males living there. Many German chicks would do anything to hook up with an American GI and come back to the states.

Once we got away from the large US population center, the Germans were very nice.

I was a pre-teen when I lived there. As kids, we got along great. They were fascinated by our baseball gloves.

My recommendation is to get off the base as often as possible. Luxomberg is an easy drive.

The Rhine and Mosel Rivers offer lots of castles to tour relatively cheap or for free.

I was an AF brat. Never lived in Germany, but did live in England. I don't know if you've lived overseas with your family yet. I will implore you not to be one of the families that get there and spend all your time in the base and then come back to the states and complain about how there was nothing to do here and you hated it.

Your children have an opportunity to exoerience things most will never get to. The oersoective they get from living abroad can change their outlook entirely from the who never get that chance. Expose them to as much as you can while there. Except schools. Always keep them in American schools. It's not that schools in other countries are bad, it's that our system is so different they stand a good chance of being all screwed up when it's time to transfer back stateside.

Most of all, enter into this as an adventure. And realize how privileged you are to get to live in another nation and explore other cultures. If you don't already, cultivate an interest in history. And do the same for your kids. It's amazing what you will be able to see there.

Caught a hop on a C5A out of there in 1989. cost $10

Go to K-town and get tickets to 1. FC Kaiserslautern soccer games. An incredible gameday experience.

I talked to a lady on my flight to Frankfurt last month who is a head doctor for a unit at the Landstuhl hospital. She is looking to hire a nurse practitioners in my wifes specialty. 2-3 yr assignment working for the U.S. government. We are considering it after my wife gets a little more experience under her belt. I actually work for a German company but even with that not sure if they would have anything over there for me as I don't speak German and the corporate office is probably 4-5hrs away.

I was stationed there from 2012 to 2014, and looking back at it wish I extended.

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-Married
-2 kids
-E-4

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hopefully the wife lets you go out drinking

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I'm super pumped but what should I know?
Where should I live? On base/Off base?

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Do not live on base. Wtf is the point of being stationed overseas and then living with all Americans. I lived in downtown K-town with only one other American on my street. It was a great experience getting out of my comfort zone and being around a new culture. Especially at first it can be over bearing but its very rewarding in the long run. Things like buying groceries and beer off base is something new and different. Shopping off base is actually cheaper and better quality, but most people don't want to leave their bubble.

When living off base you get OHA, its different than BHA. You don't get to keep what you don't spend. But.... You make that up and then some with COLA and then the money they give you to pay bills which you keep. Thats where making sure you find a quality house is important, so you don't get fricked on bills. Sure living on base you don't have to pay rent and basic bills. Be warned though, if you ask to be put on base housing you might not be on Ramstein which does have nice places to live. You most likely will be put on the other base Vogelweh which is almost in K-town. The trash you want to avoid live over there.

But you make more money off base. With everything included at the time I made 56k as an E-4 who had been in less than 3 years.

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I'm going to sell my truck. Don't want to pay to have it shipped as the AF will already be shipping my wife's car. Will probably buy a car with cash to use while I'm there.

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You should get two cars shipped on married orders.

All in all it was a great experience, especially when I was single. The wife and kids do limit some of the things you can do when traveling but its still a great location. I'm actually trying to get back there or to Stuttgart next.

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As was said here earlier, Germany on E-4 money will limit your options.

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Thats not true. I was a single E-4 and my OHA was over 1000 euro. I was able to rent a townhouse in prime location with that and never had any money issues.

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From what I know, leave your truck here, sell it if you need to and use the proceeds on buying a car big enough to fit everybody and some gear for travel once you get there

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The only drawback off bringing a truck is parking it. Euro parking lots are much smaller in terms of slots.

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Gasoline is super expensive there (compared to most everywhere in the US). If you live on base (recommended for your situation), you'll find that you probably NEED just one vehicle. I'd try to make it without the second vehicle.

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When buying gas, you pay American prices on base. You get a fuel card, called the Esso card. This also lets you buy gas at any Esso in the country at American prices. So gas is not expensive for Americans covered by the SOFA.