4 Resources for Researching Duty Stations without Spouse Groups

Wow, wow, wow. That's all I can say right now. I realize that I completely forgot to touch on this on the blog a few weeks ago but Justin recently found out which branch of the Army he will be in along with the rest of the Class of 2018. In just 51days we- I say we but Justin will be the one there and actually picking the envelope- get to choose our first duty station! This past Friday, all of the branch allocations were released meaning we have an idea of the types of units are at which posts and how many slots are available at each of those posts. If you're overwhelmed, join the club because that makes two of us!

Justin and I spent almost all of Saturday evening researching our options. You would not believe the amount of digging it takes to find out basic information about posts! After posting on Instagram and chatting with a fellow gal about finding information, I decided that I need to write this post and get it up ASAP for those of you in similar positions. 

Let me just preface this by saying that I had to REALLY dig for this information. I'm also fumbling through all of this as I go so I'm by no means an expert. I just wanted to share some of the resources I did find in case you're researching duty stations as well! 

Anyways, choosing your first duty station is a HUGE deal. I'm low key freaking out about where we're going to be. This is where our life is truly going to get started and where we'll most likely buy our first home. Big deal, right? I wanted to make sure we are making as informed a decision as possible so looking up each possible post and discussing it was a no-brainer for me. I hope you find some of these resources as helpful as we did!

MyBaseGuide

There is a reason this is the first resource for duty stations on the list and it's because these guides are seriously AMAZING. I first found out about them through work and recently browsed through West Point's hard copy version so once I finally remembered the name, Justin and I got right to looking up every option on our list. These super comprehensive guides cover a wide range of topics from the post itself to the housing and job markets in surrounding areas.

Military Installations

This website is a full-fledged Department of Defense website which means you know the information is most likely going to be accurate and up-to-date for the most part. If you're looking for quick snapshots of information or maybe some touch points for trivia, this is going to be a great resource for you. There are also a lot of useful phone numbers listed that may come in handy as your move gets closer!

Army Wife Network

This resource is actually pretty cool for a couple of reasons. One, they have a comprehensive list of Army posts with links to their respective websites.  Two, they feature a new post each month and write a more in-depth article about them! Definitely check out this list because if you're considering a larger post, like Fort Hood, then there is already a feature post for that installation!

Soldier's Wife, Crazy Life

If you're looking for some real, personal opinions and experiences from other military spouses, definitely check out this guest post series on the blog Soldier's Wife, Crazy Life. While the information here isn't as in-depth as some of the other resources, the information is all coming to you first hand from someone who actually lived there! There is something super valuable about getting a first-hand account of something versus reading it in the brochure. 

Do you have a favorite resource for researching duty stations?

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