Military Life: On-base Versus Off-base Living
Sacrificing their lives serving the United States of America, military personnel at least deserve a worthy home. It is common for military families to move every few years and each time comes with a decision of living in a civilian home of their choice or an assigned family-sized home on the military base to which they are assigned. Both options have their pros and cons: for instance, their differences in privacy, cost effectiveness, and security are all major factors in which home location is the better option.
A lack of privacy can be a significant issue for many who are raised modestly, but others may not think it is a big deal. On base, it is common to live in tight nit communities with co-workers who can literally hear their neighbor’s toilet flush; that’s embarrassing! It may be convenient to have an on-base commissary, hospital, school, and shopping mall; however, usually everyone living there takes advantage of these amenities and gets to know each other very well, so the latest gossip spreads like wildfire. Unlike on-base, there are
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It is extremely common for military personnel to inevitably be re-stationed every few years, so moving and saving money would be a smart choice. Renting or buying homes off-base grants more freedom and creativity in the home, like painting pretty murals and adding construction projects; but investing all that money into something that will be left behind appears pointless. As well as the home investment costs, the commute for living off-base is also pricey to get to work and everywhere else depending on the distance. The traffic hasn’t even been taken in to account and everyone knows how irritating it is. Fortunately, the military provides a housing allowance for those who choose to live off-base, and pays for the house and utilities for those who choose to live
One of the immediate challenges Valley residents faced after the war was where to house the large number of incoming veterans who either never went back home after the war or moved here shortly thereafter. One emergency solution, by means of a $300,000 state grant, was Airport Village. Temporary, war-surplus style housing was brought in on trailers and set on piers on an unused plot of ground by the airport, just outside of San Jose. But this effort hardly made a dent in the housing shortage.
If you serve in the military, you know that moving is a regular event that can be stressful. Relocating to a new area doesn’t have to be taxing for you and your family. Here are some helpful Ft. Bliss housing resources for military family families relocating to El Paso.
Because maybe their family is dead and they don't have no house to go back to. So an option could be maybe creating places for homeless veterans so they have a place to go to if they don't have a family. And it should be free so they can get back on their feet and buy a house and get a job. That is really the least that our country could do for them for bravely protecting the country that we live
Housing soldiers was a common practice militaries used for shelter. It was a form of home invasion by the government, and prohibiting this gave citizens more sense of security to their property, and not involving them in the war which they aren’t fighting. Although, the only time that soldiers need housing is when we mobilize soldiers, otherwise they should be at bases. As much as this was relevant in the 1800’s, we haven’t had a need to use civilian’s homes for military purposes. There isn’t much to say about this amendment anymore.
Dedicated to providing “a home a way from home” for families of military and VA medical patients, the Fisher House Foundation supports 70 permanent Fisher Houses that are located in or near various military installations and medical centers. The organization also supports multiple ancillary programs including Hotels for Heroes and Hero Miles.
According to the latest statistics, military veterans account for 23% of the homeless population. In addition, the Department of Veterans Affairs reports that 200,000 military Veterans could become homeless at any given time (from VA Dept. Web). This should be our concerns to prevent such latest prediction becoming one of the realities of our times. Moreover, a report from the VA Department of Housing and Urban Development reveals there are over 67,000 Veterans who struggle with
Karl Malantes explains in an emotional interview with CNN that, “When the peace treaty is signed, the war isn’t over for the veterans, or the family. It’s just starting” (“Veterans Quotes”) Homelessness for soldiers who are lucky enough to return home is a huge epidemic in the United States. According to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, they estimate about 50,000 veterans are currently homeless (“FAQ About Homelessness”). The official definition of homelessness states “an individual who lacks housing or that must reside in a private or public that provides accommodations” (“What is the Official Definition of Homelessness”). Veteran Homelessness is correlated with gender and race, it has a great amount of causes including
Being in a military family is very hard when it comes to moving, after knowing friends for a certain amount of time and having to start all over. My next three years of my life were spent in Japan and this was very different from the United States, if not already obvious enough. I had to begin learning the language of the land, which was quite difficult having been so young. I had
Every night more than sixty-five thousand veterans are looking for a place to lay their heads, they are homeless. For over a decade these men and women of our armed forces have been returning home from the conflicts overseas; each year their presence in the homeless community has increased significantly. The reintegration from a structured military lifestyle to a lax civilian life can make adjusting difficult for service members. These men and women, who have fought for our way of life, return to the States to find themselves fighting for a place to call home. The number of homeless veterans increases every year due to the financial strains, engagement in risky behaviors and mental health disorders that soldiers are faced with while trying to reintegrate in to civilian life.
According to the 2012 Annual Homeless Assessment Report released by the Departments of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), an estimated 62,619 veterans were homeless on any given night in 2012. The good news is that the estimate represents a 7.2 percent decline from the 2011 estimate and a 17.2 percent decline compared to the 2009 estimate ("Veterans," 2013). Although progress is being made, there is much to be done. There are veterans with the same needs as the general homeless population, but also veterans with severe physical and mental health disabilities, related to their service, that necessitate permanent housing with supportive services.
Researchers have found that the military service alone is associated with homelessness, but it may be associated with other factors that contribute to homelessness. According to Woolsey and Naumann (2015), the study proposed to seek and synthesize evidence from studies and reports related to homeless veterans, requested by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office, Chief Evaluation Office, and the Veterans’ Employment and training Services to be published by the end of 2014. With a central focus on identifying the risk factors for homelessness among veterans. Under those circumstances, the literature review encountered risk factors for homelessness among veterans, such as Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, lack of access to stable housing and employment
The failure of the United States government to sufficiently care for their men and women in the military can be seen in the number of homeless veterans. In fact, the U.S. Housing and Urban development (H.U.D.) reports there are over 39,000 members of the armed services living on the street (2016). The main causes of vagrancy among veterans include lack of housing, jobs, and access to health care (National Coalition for Homeless Veterans, n.d.). Men and women ex-soldiers run a higher risk of becoming homeless if they are: suffering from a mental illness or substance abuse problem; lack support systems; or are disabled (Ainslie & Cooper, 2016).
To follow with medical assistance, the 2012 Research Brief stated that “After entering the program and obtaining housing, veterans and non-veterans both decreased their use of outpatient and inpatient health services. Only half of veteran participants reported using the VA for medical services and less than one-fifth reported using VA psychiatric or substance abuse services. Veterans often use the services of community providers, therefore the VA should continue to work with community provider to serve homeless veterans.” Housing is another issue that seems to make headlines; War veterans that come home do not always get jobs which cause delays on payments on their houses which results in foreclosures on their homes because they cannot afford the payments.
Also, basic food allowance is not enough to support these veterans and their families with regards to the changing economy. These allowances, however, depends on the individual geographical location, pay grade and dependency status, still thus making these veterans not to meet up with their day to day expenses. Meanwhile according to Ho who said “federal officials are working with local agencies to emphasize the need for more affordable housing, putting a bigger emphasis on transitional and low-cost units over expensive single-family homes”
In the military, the life is not actually too different from what you do now. (Army Daily Life. (n.d.),Paragraph 1) Each base has a store called a commissary which has lots of different groceries and things you need or want for low prices… sort of like a Walmart in the civilian world. (Army Daily Life. (n.d.), Army Shopping, Commissary). One thing that is bad about the military is that you do not get to choose where you live. You have to move among different bases a lot more frequently than that of someone who goes to college. (Sweeney, H., & M. (n.d.), Cons to living on base, The base realignment and closure commission) Another thing that is not good about the army is that some barracks are not as modern as others and might not have exactly everything you need or want to live comfortably. (Sweeney, H., & M. (n.d.), Cons to living on base, Some Military Housing Not Up to Snuff) Also, you are required to live in the barracks, unlike in college you can live at home if you are close enough or you can live in an apartment. You also have to share that living space with at least someone else. (Sweeney, H., & M. (n.d.),Cons to living on Base, Unaccompanied Housing Quarters) With colleges, they most of the time make you share a dorm room with another person, so it may be somewhat similar to that experience with the barracks. So it may be