Need help "picking" 1st duty station (Army)

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  1. Which duty station should I rank #1 on my preferences?

    • 2
      Landstuhl
    • 1
      Lewis
    • 2
      Tripler
    • 0
      Sam Houston
    • 0
      Other

5 members have participated

It has come that time for me to submit my ranking for where I would like my first duty station to be. Obviously this is all subject to the needs of the Army, but historically nurses get 1 of their top 3 choices so I wanted to put some real thought into it. I have narrowed it down a bit from the possible 8 but still can't decide what to pick for #1. My options are:

Landstuhl- I've never been outside the US and this would give me an opportunity to travel. The biggest worry I have is if my gf (soon to be fiance) comes with me, will she be able to find work? She is a social worker and I have no idea if she would be able to find something over there.

Tripler- Seems like an awesome place (I mean, it's a vacation spot) but I've heard it gets old after awhile. Also, I wouldn't be able to attend a specialty course until I PCS'd (or so I am told).

Lewis- Cool area of the country that I've never been to. I like the outdoors (hiking, camping, etc). It rains a lot, which could get old. Biggest concern with this one is what I've heard about Tacoma being a pretty dangerous area. Can't decide because I've heard nothing but good things from Soldiers who have been there.

Sam Houston- Home of Army medicine and nursing. Been there before and loved it. Home of specialty courses I want to go to. Really nice hospital. San antonio is a fun city. This seems like my "safe" choice since it's closer to home than all of the others and not that different from my home state (Indiana, FWIW).

If you've read this far, do you have any input or advice for me? Which duty station should I put as my #1? It would be super appreciated!! Thanks!

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Specializes in EMS, ED, Trauma, CEN, CPEN, TCRN.

I love Germany — I grew up there. I would rank it as #1 every time! Lol.

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I have lived around Lewis (JBLM) all of my life, it is a great area to live. Tacoma is way over hyped as a dangerous city. It's no different than any urban area. The hiking, weather and locale are unmatched. Don't know why people think it rains here so much, it rains less than NYC

Germany is great but the experience nursing wise may be lacking, also getting a specialty course opportunity might not happen until you PCS/leave. That means you might be med surg for 3-4 years...In addition, they don't get the high acuity patients like they used to. Also it WOULD be VERY difficult for your wife to get work and obviously impossible for your her to even come until you are married.

Fort Sam puts you in a prime hospital to get access to Army nursing/medicine course, also the suburbs are nice

Tripler is scenic but I wouldn't want to be stuck on the island for three years.

Consider Fort Carson in Colorado or Fort Richardson in Alaska IMO

1.Lewis

2.Carson

3.Sam Houston

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I have lived around Lewis (JBLM) all of my life, it is a great area to live. Tacoma is way over hyped as a dangerous city. It's no different than any urban area. The hiking, weather and locale are unmatched. Don't know why people think it rains here so much, it rains less than NYC

Germany is great but the experience nursing wise may be lacking, also getting a specialty course opportunity might not happen until you PCS/leave. That means you might be med surg for 3-4 years...In addition, they don't get the high acuity patients like they used to. Also it WOULD be VERY difficult for your wife to get work and obviously impossible for your her to even come until you are married.

Fort Sam puts you in a prime hospital to get access to Army nursing/medicine course, also the suburbs are nice

Tripler is scenic but I wouldn't want to be stuck on the island for three years.

Consider Fort Carson in Colorado or Fort Richardson in Alaska IMO

1.Lewis

2.Carson

3.Sam Houston

Thanks for the advice! Fort Carson was going to be my #1 choice but they recently removed it from the list of possible duty stations for new grad nurses. I have been thinking the past couple days and I'm really leaning towards Fort Lewis as #1 and Fort Sam as #2. Honestly I would be perfectly happen with either of those!

EDIT: forgot to mention, Alaska isn't an option either! the other options available are Hood, Bliss, Bragg, Walter Reed, Belvoir, and Gordon.

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Thanks for the advice! Fort Carson was going to be my #1 choice but they recently removed it from the list of possible duty stations for new grad nurses. I have been thinking the past couple days and I'm really leaning towards Fort Lewis as #1 and Fort Sam as #2. Honestly I would be perfectly happen with either of those!

EDIT: forgot to mention, Alaska isn't an option either! the other options available are Hood, Bliss, Bragg, Walter Reed, Belvoir, and Gordon.

Dang, they changed the list since I commissioned. Carson was added on in 2011 I think. Not a bad list, I hope you get what you want!

Reed is a pretty high profile hospital but I would avoid the rest of the list unless you are really interested in being ABN or going to a ABN CSH or FST after your hospital stint. Then Bragg would be a decent choice.

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Specializes in EMS, ED, Trauma, CEN, CPEN, TCRN.

They do try to limit new grads to MEDCENs — the inpatient population at MEDDACs can be a bit sporadic.

I know a few people who went to DDEAMC (Ft. Gordon) as new grads and loved it. The area has a lot to offer, too. Not as much as JBLM, though (I am originally from Oregon but lived in the Seattle area for the portion of my childhood that wasn't spent overseas).

Your choices are a bit better than mine when I commissioned — I came in as a 66HM5 (now 66T), so I was offered Ft. Stewart, Ft. Sill, Ft. Hood, or Korea as my first duty station. :D

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Specializes in Cardiac (adult), CC, Peds, MH/Substance.

I was at Madigan (Ft Lewis) and 47th CSH for 4.5 years and can say that between Lewis, Bragg, Sill, Sam Houston, and Benning, it was easily my favorite. Absolutely loved the area. Like most metros, there are areas that aren't super, but if you're outdoorsy it's a great area. I've said if I were to move back anywhere, it would be there. It's also a place where there are traditionally more TOE positions you can hold as ANC, so theoretically you could start at Madigan, then "pcs" across post to a field unit, do some command time or bde staff time or whatever, then move on from there.

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Thanks for your support! I would love to work in an FST eventually!

I'm pretty much positive I want to go to Lewis at this point. If I do, will I have the chance to be a part of a FST at Lewis, or is that mainly just Bragg?

Dang, they changed the list since I commissioned. Carson was added on in 2011 I think. Not a bad list, I hope you get what you want!

Reed is a pretty high profile hospital but I would avoid the rest of the list unless you are really interested in being ABN or going to a ABN CSH or FST after your hospital stint. Then Bragg would be a decent choice.

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Specializes in EMS, ED, Trauma, CEN, CPEN, TCRN.
Thanks for your support! I would love to work in an FST eventually!

FST nurses are from the ER, ICU, or OR, or they are CRNAs. You should try to find your way to a specialty course if being part of an FST is the goal. :) I was the ER nurse (ATLS OIC) for an FST for 9 months in Afghanistan. I was not part of the FST stateside, but I was selected to fill in because the organic 66T could not deploy.

One of my former ER OICs is an FST chief nurse, he loves it and greatly prefers operational medicine to being in the hospital environment.

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FST nurses are from the ER, ICU, or OR, or they are CRNAs. You should try to find your way to a specialty course if being part of an FST is the goal. :) I was the ER nurse (ATLS OIC) for an FST for 9 months in Afghanistan. I was not part of the FST stateside, but I was selected to fill in because the organic 66T could not deploy.

One of my former ER OICs is an FST chief nurse, he loves it and greatly prefers operational medicine to being in the hospital environment.

That sounds like an incredible experience! So based on what you said, I'm gathering that my first duty station won't really determine whether I end up in an FST in the future. Rather, I should try to go to a specialty course for ER/ICU and go from there.

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Thanks for your support! I would love to work in an FST eventually!

I'm pretty much positive I want to go to Lewis at this point. If I do, will I have the chance to be a part of a FST at Lewis, or is that mainly just Bragg?

I believe between the 62nd MED BDE and the 47th CSH there are at least a couple FSTs at Lewis. All of the ABN ones I think are at Bragg. Pixie is correct in that you will need your specialty course and some experience before you join one, so possibly after your first PCS.

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Specializes in Cardiac (adult), CC, Peds, MH/Substance.

There was when I was there. Google says there still arehttps://m.facebook.com/pages/250th-Forward-Surgical-Team-ABN/258013254321964.

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