Defence Force Families

[alioops]

Hi all

I swear there used to be a thread here for defence force families but i cant find it anywhere so I thought it is time to start one.

DH has been in the army reserve for 5 years but will be going full time army as of July. In the reserves he is an infantry soldier and when he goes full time he will be a metal smith as he is a qualified boilermaker. he has been told that we will be posted to Brisbane, Townsville or Darwin. He has put in his preferences for Brisbane but we wont find out until he has done most of his 65 day conversion course. So those who have put in preferences for specific locations, did you get that location? I would much rather Brisbane than townsville or Darwin but if we cant get Brisbane it is not such a big deal because we can transfer again later.

I would love it if we got an online group going, that way we we get postings to places like Brissy Townsville or Darwin we will know someone I know I am not the only defence mum on BB

[AnyDream]

Hi Ali, yep we're a Defence family, DH is in the RAAF. With postings, we have had both extremes - not getting posted ANYWHERE for several years (despite being desperate to move back to family due to multiple terminal illnesses at home) and also being posted straight up to 1st preference straight off course. It really depends on where they need staff, sometimes it matches up & you're happy, sometimes it doesn't. But if you always look at moving like it's a little adventure and make the most of it, every posting can be good! You've just got to find out for yourself what the benefits of a particular place are.

Does your DH expect to deploy soon after he finishes his course? I would imagine they are after metal smithy sort of ppl in Afghanistan.

[alioops]

I was hoping you would reply MD

Yes we have been told to expect Afganistan, for up to 9 months. and TBH we could use the money from it! my car needs to be paid off as do the rest of our bills and DH needs a car too.

I am lucky that I have family all over the country and if I need to come home I can stay with some family for a while. Where are you posted now?

[AnyDream]

We've been in Canberra for nearly 5 years and have been posted back home to Adel as of the end of this year (YAY)! Do whatever you need to to get through the deployments, mine deployed frequently but for shorter periods so we were out of the deployment support loop, which was quite hard. However, if we were looking at 9 months (count 10 as they never get home when they first think they will plus there's always extra trips before they leave) there's no way I'd tough it out by myself! That's just not fun!

[alioops]

I think I will be fine, provided I can find some friends fast hence the creation of this thread

Looks like we will just miss each other if you come back at the end of the year! Oh well, maybe you will get posted to wherever we are before too long but only after all the family stuff is sorted.

Have you ever had a service residence? are they tiny? I have thrown out nearly half my house worth of stuff and have tonnes more to go. Think we will replace our bedding and crockery when we get there but there is only so much you can turf hey

Because of DH's reserve service he only has to wait 18 months for DefCredit, and wants to wait 18 months after he is approved to get it so we can get more. we think we will buy in Brissy so my Sis can rent it if they havent bought by then if we get posted elsewhere. so in 3 years we will be buying a house.

I am sure we are not the only defence families on BB. do you know of any others?

[AnyDream]

I'm sure your thread will flush them all out Ali!

Yep living in a service residence right now. Probably the best we've ever had, I looked the lady in the eye and told her we didn't ask for this posting, we own our own home and there's only so far I'm prepared to go down in standard of living. It worked and they showed us some more houses. We've been with Defence for 18 years and we've lived in some shockers in that time, worst being a house on the RAAF base which was newly renovated haha but they didn't fix the roof so it just leaked torrentially every wet season. It took months every wet season to get them to fix it, and in the meantime everything just grew over with mould. Also the power would cut out for 3-4 hours on a regular basis, the substation we were on was owned by RAAF and it only did about 6 houses so they never bothered to fix it. But Darwin is such a friendly place and we were happy there.

Thinks to think about when you are choosing a SA include storage - not just wardrobes in bedrooms, but also storage for all the extra army cr@p they bring home. So look for things like extra shed/garage space, underhouse storage, etc. If you have good storage, the rest of the house is much more usable. Also when you move around a lot you get used to getting rid of stuff frequently, less junk to tow around.

[New Dawn]

Ok I am not defence any more we are ex navy BHL has been out now for 12mths but thought I would reply because we got posted a lot and we went to Darwin 3 times....


Darwin it self isnt too bad I loved living on RAAF and Larakeyah bases as I find Darwin is split into the two types those who are in the defence and those who arent.... So I found it really hard to fit in when we lived in roseberry.... the only problem with Darwin is that it can be very drink orentaed( sp?) place so if you are not drinker or not very social like myself you can find it hard to fit in ( well I did anyway ) That and I get board after a year as I have see it all and been everywhere, But love Mindle beach market and fish and chips on the warf( sp?) in the wet and watch the storms roll in and I miss the huge storms...

As for Townsville cant help you as Navy doesnt go there we go to Carins which is lovely, and for some reason that I never did work out people from Cairns dont like Townsville and people from Townsville dont like Cairns....

Hope you dont mind a EX poping in

[AnyDream]

Tali, the more the merrier if you ask me!

BTW Darwin is a good one to get these days cos you get TWO trips home every year and all the houses are airconned these days (unlike the bad old days when were there, no aircon and only 1 trip every 2 years ). We were on the RAAF base and it was excellent - right in the middle of everything but I reckon Larrakeyah would be better. Steer clear of DEB (old navy base in Berrimah) as it is a mossie infested swamp land! Aaah I'd love to be at the mindil beach markets sucking down a mango smoothie, a chicken satay and a bowl of laksa!

[alioops]

Well DH is away and has been calling nearly every night. He is really missing the girls and with my pevis the way it is (Yep it sure is hell with 2 toddlers on my own!! MD You know how bad it was with a school age!!) he wishes he was home. I am coping better than I thought I would but when he gets home I dont think I will be doing ANYTHING!!

[AnyDream]

Aw Ali, I'm sure he would wish he was at home even if it wasn't for your pelvis LOL. I did a whole lot of nothing when mine got home too LOL. How long until he's home?

[alioops]

30/4. too blooming long!! He has done a request for leave for 13th 14th 15th march so he might be home for my birthday if it get approved.

[DaintreeDream]

Hi Ladies!

Looks like DH might be wanting to head down this path again...

He was in the army for 10 years, he has been out for a few years.
Now he has had the urge for the past year to join the airforce, mainly for stability.

So, what is it like being a 'family' in the forces? Now that we have the little ones to worry about?

We are thinking he will get posted north, maybe Darwin or Townsville...hmm?! I am a bit unsure of this idea.

Don't really know at this stage what I want to achieve from this post, just thought I would start with a .

[grub17]

hi daintree dream,

i just assumed from your name you were from cairns or the daintree?? but tvle as posting is very popular because it is a great place to live for the family.

it depends what area of the raaf DH will be going in - but for me i've always found the raaf very good. and my sil had a bf in the army - my impression was the airforce was 1000s times better in terms of stability and family. Mainly because they aren't getting deployed as much and have a completely differnt culture.

postings are about 3-4 years per location.

I can't speak about darwin but we may be heading there in 2011 and i'm hearing some very good things.

not sure if that helps and it's only from my limited point of view.

[DaintreeDream]

I'm from Melbourne, we are hoping one day to move to Cairns, or somewhere up there maybe the tablelands...

I am not really keen on Darwin, I think maybe because it just seems so far away but I have heard some really good things, well I have actually only heard good things so far, except for some of the housing, but I am not sure if that has improved?

I think if DH goes ahead with it all my prefernce would be Townsville, but lets just wait and see what plans they have, it not up to me!

DH is looking at airforce over army as now we have a family he is not so interested in being deployed, he has been there, done that and now wants to avoid it if at all possible.

We have been talking about it all alot over the last couple of weeks and the paperwork is filled out for the transfer, just have to make that final decision that this is what we feel is best for our family and that it is what we want to do.

I am not 100% convinced just yet though.

[AnyDream]

DD, what job is your DH looking to do in either army/airforce...there are some musterings in the RAAF that deploy, regularly.

Darwin is a fantastic place to live, if you don't mind the heat. The housing is just as hit&miss as it is anywhere else (have seen far smaller houses in worse condition in other places, some of the Darwin housing is gorgeous)! But the DHA there does not have a good reputation when maintenance issues arise - you can always get around that by contacting the DHA head office. These days you get remote locality travel & I think there is an extra allowance too. The RAAF tends to be more stable in terms of longer postings (lots of Army folk move year after year whereas you can expect a decent run of 3+ years in the RAAF) but there will be times, even without deployments when your DH will either be away (working on attachment, training or on exercise) and it's not always in your control when or for how long that is.

[DaintreeDream]

He is looking at maybe supply or communications tech.

...but there will be times, even without deployments when your DH will either be away (working on attachment, training or on exercise) and it's not always in your control when or for how long that is.

I realise that there will be times that DH will be away and that deployment is a possibility no matter what area he works in, this is what we are currently discussing and deciding upon. I am not sure that this is something I want with a young family that is still growing.
My head really hasn't stopped ticking, there are cons and pros, just have to decide which one outweighs the other for us IYKWIM.

[SamiH]

I'm from Melbourne, we are hoping one day to move to Cairns, or somewhere up there maybe the tablelands...

I am not really keen on Darwin, I think maybe because it just seems so far away but I have heard some really good things, well I have actually only heard good things so far, except for some of the housing, but I am not sure if that has improved?
.

hi everyone

I dont pop in nearly enough - but do read

DD - when we were in Darwin - we had THE MOST visitors EVER for some reason - it seemed like every month friends or family decided to come up - they never knew anyone who lived there before so had never thought of it as a holiday destination IYKWIM??? So yes, it is a long way away (I come from Melb area originally) - and it is remote, but we didn't find it all that bad .

We have just clocked up 6 years in Canberra, and I think I am about done - which sounds so dumb as things have been settled - I dunno, just a tired womans ramblings LOL We had no idea we would be here so long, ready for a new adventure for some silly reason .....

[AnyDream]

DD, it might be worth having a look at the Defence Special Needs Support Group's website and maybe chat to some of the reps from the Group to get an idea of what extra planning/challenges you might face from their perspective.