AF Assignment Question

[theflashbang, BSN]

This is a question to anyone who has experience having been selected for AF nursing. Is the assignment in your offer letter exactly where you are stationed/live/work? For example, I was selected for he AF in critical care nursing and my offer letter says Fort Belvoir, MD (which is confusing since it is an army post and actually located in Virginia). Is it my understanding that I will actually live on Fort Belvoir if we decide to go for on base housing? Or will I live on a near by AF base and commute? Recruiter couldn't shed much light on this. Any help would be appreciated.

[ED Nurse, RN]

It's all dependent upon what housing is available and where. Due to traffic, if you could live in base at your duty assignment that would be ideal. The AF base there, Bolling, is a beautiful base right on the river. It should say on your orders what unit/squadron you are assigned to.

[theflashbang, BSN]

I suppose I'll have to wait until I have orders to really know then. Thanks.

[jfratian, DNP, RN, CRNA]

Your orders won't even say whether you're on base or off base; it will say unit/base. Living arraignments will be based on housing availability at the time you arrive at the base. There are a bunch of factors such as whether you are married, whether you have kids, and what your rank is.

[theflashbang, BSN]

Yeah I realize I phrased that poorly. I know living arrangements is something I'll set up.

[jfratian, DNP, RN, CRNA]

Generally, people choose to live on base. Officer housing is pretty nice. As a result, people only live off base when they are forced to do so. You do get a housing allowance based on your rank and family status ($1995/mo single or $2304/mo married at Ft Belvoir) if you have to live off base.

There are certain bases where you can choose to live off base by choice. There are others (typically overseas) where everyone has to live on base unless there is absolutely no room on base. Reach out to your unit and ask your sponsor about that.