Air Force/Dogs/Single/Housing/Flight/ICU

[Fox_RuN, BSN]

Looking for experiences and advice, particularly those with dogs. I have 2 greyhounds and I'm unmarried with no children. The information I'm seeing is that I would have to live on base? Would I be permitted to live off base at my own expense? Also, how often does one get deployed? Is it specialty specific? I'm interested in pursuing flight, but assume that I would be deployed more often than if I was serving in an ICU on base? My dogs are my world and want to make the best decisions for them. I have family that could watch them for COT and deployments, but daily life is what I'm more concerned about as a single officer. Thank you

[OUxPhys, BSN, RN]

Yes, you can live off base. You get a basic allowance for housing (BAH) that goes toward your rent/mortgage.

[Fox_RuN, BSN]

OUxPhys, even as a new officer I can live off base with a housing allowance?

[OUxPhys, BSN, RN]

I would assume so. Officers get BAH right off the bat where as its different for enlisted.

[Bratapfel]

On 9/27/2019 at 5:57 AM, Fox_RuN said:

Looking for experiences and advice, particularly those with dogs. I have 2 greyhounds and I'm unmarried with no children. The information I'm seeing is that I would have to live on base? Would I be permitted to live off base at my own expense? Also, how often does one get deployed? Is it specialty specific? I'm interested in pursuing flight, but assume that I would be deployed more often than if I was serving in an ICU on base? My dogs are my world and want to make the best decisions for them. I have family that could watch them for COT and deployments, but daily life is what I'm more concerned about as a single officer. Thank you

So as a single officer in the AF (conus) you will be REQUIRED to live off base. Base housing is for people with wives/families.

You do get BAH (basic housing allowance) which changes with your location.

You will certainly deploy a LOT more as an ICU nurse. Flight nursing in the AF is not like most flight on the outside - think super basic med surg in the sky. Super stable.

ICU nurses go CCATT (critical care air transport team) and you will deploy even more as a CCATT nurse (do note that is an “additional” duty, you are an ICU nurse that is CCATT certified, not a “CCATT nurse”)

As far as your dogs, people have made it work and some people were unable to. Personally the amount of stress trying to find the right people to take care of them wherever you are stationed at whatever notice would be hell for me. You have to think you could be stationed somewhere far from family and friends and deployments can be 6+ months. It may work 99% of the time but what about that 1 time it doesn’t?