What to Know When Living on a Military Base Living on a military base is a unique experience, and for those new to this lifestyle it can take some time to get accustomed to varied customs and features that characterize these environments. With that in mind, let’s go over some aspects of base life that tend to come as a surprise to those who first encounter them, and what you need to do to adjust to the particular living demands imposed on you. Emergency Management Your base will have an emergency plan in place to deal with natural disasters and other potentially life-threatening events. Depending on the specific situation, you may be asked to evacuate the base, move to an appropriate safe haven/shelter, or remain in your housing (sheltering-in-place). You have an obligation to familiarize yourself with the emergency notification alerts in use at the base so you can avoid undue delays or incorrect actions during disaster response events. You may also be required to register your phones (landline and cell), as well as your email addresses, to ensure that alerts can be sent when necessary. Also, write out an emergency plan that instructs your family members on appropriate actions to take during these events, and assemble a portable emergency kit with at least three days’ worth of basic survival items. VisionPro Wireless Emergency Call Systems® are in place on a number of military bases across the U.S., providing convenient wireless communication during emergency events. Government Regulations and Your Home Your living quarters are subject to government oversight. What this means is that you’re not necessarily going to be allowed to customize your home according to your particular preferences. You must comply with the housing policy of the base where you reside. These rules will vary depending on where you’re located, but it’s likely that you will be required to follow regulations regarding the condition of your lawn, the position of your fences, disposal of your trash, the activities of your pets, and other matters. Even your right to modify the interior of your home is restricted. Admittedly, this kind of policy isn’t exclusive to military life; even in the civilian world, homeowners may be required to conform to local ordinances. Yet many people who move to military bases are taken off guard by the array of rules that they must live under even while in their home. It’s your responsibility to learn all the applicable housing policies. Payday In the military, payday is the 1st and 15th of the month, or, if these dates fall on a weekend/holiday, on the business day immediately before. For example, if the 15th is a Sunday, then payday happens on Friday the 13th (if this date is not a holiday). So what is the significance of this as far as your day-to-day life on the base? While a variety of pay schedules prevail out in
the civilian world, everyone on a military base has the same payday, which triggers a predictable flurry of activity whenever the money arrives. Among other things, this means that the commissary can be an extremely busy place around this time. You may have to get in the habit of planning your schedule around non-peak times at the commissary and other venues.
Military ID You will often be asked to pull out your ID card to verify your identity, so you need to have it with you at all times. It’s not just for returning to the base after a trip—you also need it for the doctor’s office and to access a number of other benefits to which you are entitled. It goes without saying, then, that you should ensure that you don’t lose this all-important piece of identification. Also, try to keep it in good condition, as it is considered government property, and you must return it when requested. If you lose the card, you need to report it immediately and begin the process of obtaining a new one. Learn to Cope with Isolation Living on a base often means living away from friends and family who belong to the civilian world. Often you end up living a considerable distance away from them, and the nature of your relationship will likely begin to reflect that fact. Even if they live reasonably close by, they’re subject to the visiting restrictions that the base imposes on non-military persons; often you can have visitors over, but the process may be a hassle—they can’t simply “drop by.” That’s one major reason why life on a military base can seem like another world, with all the feelings of loneliness and isolation that come with it—but it doesn’t have to be that way. Remember that
you live among many people in more or less the same situation. Make an effort to avail yourself of opportunities to mingle with others—not just those living on base, but in the surrounding civilian community as well. Reveille and Retreat Here are a few customs that really have no parallel in civilian life. Keep in mind that military personnel and civilians on the base are typically required to obey protocol during the times where reveille and retreat occur. Reveille – During the playing of reveille in the early morning, military personnel are required to stand at attention and face the flag (or, if it is not visible, the area where the music seems to be coming from) as it is raised. Civilians in the area are expected to stand at attention with their right hand over the heart. Hats and other headwear should be removed. Vehicles should not be driven for the duration of reveille, so you’re required the hit the brakes and wait if you are behind the wheel at the time. If reveille is followed by the national anthem or "To the Colors," uniformed personnel should salute the flag during the full duration of the song. However, protocol is different on bases where the flag is flown around the clock. When this condition prevails, reveille (without the playing of the national anthem or “To the Colors”) does not oblige anyone to stop and stand at attention. 1 Retreat – This is the retirement of the flag at sunset. The same procedures used in reveille hold true here.