99WS7

iTrader: (13)

Been messing with my dream sheet lately and trying to get a good list together. Right now I have Kadena, Yakota, Hickman and Aviano. Next I’m thinking of putting Spaingallem , Lakenheath and maybe Ramstein. My job is Firefighter and Ive heard good and bad…more bad on the Europe bases. Not bad like its horrible there…just overall not as nice cause it can rain a lot and the weather is hit or miss. So what base are you at overseas and what do you think about it?

Z28/2002

iTrader: (27)

Our two A/Cs here are from Spang and they love it. We have 8 guys from Misawa and they say it is pretty damn nice there too.

roy

It is what it is when it comes to weather in Germany.

bradl1982

iTrader: (9)

Got here to Ramstein in Oct of 07 and didn't see the sun for like 3 months. The summers are nice though. Overall I don't like it here. Everything seems to be a pain in the *** when you're used to the convinience of the U.S. Even something as simple as getting gas ends up being a 20-30 minute process. The BX never has anything you want and it's pretty much your only source for stuff. Vehicle registration is a damn nightmare here. If you do get an assignment overseas I would suggest selling or leaving your car there in the states.

roy

You have the option of either paying for gas on or off post. I refuse to wait in line on post.
Also if the BX doesn't have it , it probably can be had off post.
This time around ,I have been here since 1996, I luv it , wouldn't trade for nothing.

SlickShoesC6

Lakenheath/Mildenhall are pretty cool. No real complaints, personally. Been there since the last day of '06, and PCS out the end of this year. It's been a pretty neat place to be for the last few years, despite being TDY/Deployed for over a year of it.

As far as emissions/testing... I've got my 240 cammed, catless C6 out here, and it's fully certified and road legal. Just have to keep your eyes open, and you'll find workarounds for everything.

hawaiiboysz

iTrader: (4)

I cant stand being in the UK anymore. But then again I am assigned to a unit that I used to go TDY to from Offutt back in the day. So I never really had any change. Lack of sun and warmth is a real down side of this place for me.

jester177

DO NOT COME TO YOKOTA. this base is run down as ****. they have one id card machine and mpf is packed for all eight hours it is open. housing is garbage and i have a garden so i can only imagine how much the tower folks hate it. but on the other hand it is a slow base so alot of politics so take that for what it is. the country is awesome though. the facilities are pure garbage filled with asbestoes the only facility that is nice is the bx/comissary but they rip you off freely because nobody can stop or compete with them.

hawaiiboysz

iTrader: (4)

I dont know if its like this w/ other bases but if you go to the UK be aware the Community bank. You get no interest and they charge you twice for converting your money to pounds then again if you want dollars. Its a total ******* scam.

PotentialZ28

i was in ramstein for 3 years and loved it. The weather is kinda gloomy except for like 2 months during the summer. If i went back overseas id try for italy or spain. Although id do another 3 at ramstein anytime.

99WS7

iTrader: (13)

pretty much the usual I hear from everyone about those places. Hopefully id get lucky with Italy or Kadena if I got Japan. Im really not even trying anymore, I used to want to go overseas bad but Im finally at a stateside base that I like (DM) so its what ever now.

z28/2002...one of our A/C's here in Al Dhafra is from Spang too...he says its not bad there.

FERNANDO

been here for a few, didn't like it from day 1. here's a quick list of my opinion. if i remember i will add things.

good:
$0 out of pocket for housing
live in part of the world most people only read about
no language barrier, for the most part
no deadly wild animals in the country, snakes, spiders whatever
cheap air fare to get off the island
no long distance calling, everything is same rate
autozone gives free shipping to apo/fpo, nothing to do with the uk but good fyi
cola




bad:
food
*****, might be a good thing for some i guess
exchange rate, betters deals off base
radio stations
no xm radio due to satellite laws
no direct tv due to satellite laws
television
roads, rough, marrow, and winding
road tax, reimbursable annual fee
mot, annual car inspection
tv tax, reimbursable annual fee
cell phone bills are high, pay as you go is the thing here
no 24hr service of anything
speed cameras
average speed cameras
65% of vehicles on the road are truckers, they closed the trains to save money, don't know if it worked
people here drive like pissed off teenagers
roundabouts kills tires quick. as much as i like them, they kill my tires
availability, mail order
variety, mail order
shipping times 10 days minimum,
base post office size/weight limits
clubs,
strip clubs,
rare free parking, even at the f***ing emergency room parking lot they charge
parking spaces are VERY narrow
shopping carts, all 4 wheels rotate, i hate it
fashion, wtf
right hand drive cars, for daily driving
small furniture
small local housing
no a/c
central heating is by water filled radiators via gas furnace thing
most people here are miserable, thank you sound like FU sometimes
brits ask you to buy things for them on base, which is there for us not them. pisses me off when i want something and they are out.
if you smoke it's rationed
if you are an alcoholic it's also rationed
25 litters of gas off base if you qualify, texaco card. on base all you want
you bag your own groceries
washing machine is in the f***ing kitchen wtf, really
dryer is in the detached garage
small garage, the t/a has 2 inches on each side of the mirrors and ***/nose
ha$$le to get a pet here

bene

iTrader: (16)

Wow, that's realistically putting it, huh? LOL. I got RIP to move to Lakenheath this summer, RNLTD is 7 July.

ORedRoc4

iTrader: (15)

**** Lakenheath end of story. That base made me hate the military, mix it in with a little bit of "living like a brit" and equals one pissed off mother ******... I'm better now that im away from there..

However, having an F-Body there in the summer was the ****. Cutout = lots of attention!

-justin

hawaiiboysz

iTrader: (4)

Holy ****!!! Fernando hit the nail square on the head!
You forgot that:
-Light bulbs burn out QUICK! even in new homes
-most newer places dont have room for another car (even if its a 5 bdrm house) parking one the street and you can get a ticket if you park on the curb. I did and if left the whole car on the street it would block half of the street.
-Brits take their time if you need something done worst then my Greek landlord when I was stationed in Greece
-Everything is over priced dont expect American sized portions
-Light conversions they **** w/ the wiring/lighting in your car to be brit spec and charge you a arm and a leg I heard of peoples cars getting real fucked up
-If you miss your turn off you are SCREWED!!! Expect a 5-10 mile detour
-Smells like animal feces everywhere and it seems worst on the nice days for some reason
-This is one of my favorites! When you call for assistance w/ your TV or phone you get a guy in India. WTF!!!
-Women are sub-par muffin tops w/ no *** and messed up teeth (seriously believe what you hear) There are some hotties but for the most part yeah remember this "Council Hoes" LOL
-They make fun of Americans and white trash blah blah blah but they need to seriously look at themselves. You'll see
-NO straight roads! Between point A and B could be 10 miles but it will take you 25 miles to get there.
There are a **** load of other things. Good luck with this place I can see why they left in the first place. Im out of here in June!

bene

iTrader: (16)

Well, sounds like I'm not extending once my time is up over there.

FERNANDO

don't get me wrong, SOME people like it enough to retire here, i know a few. i grew up in corpus christi and i was in florida before the uk. i miss the sun. i guess if all you care about is getting drunk and stabbing the local girls with your meatmissle, it could be alright. get in the guts boys...

0RedRock4
you aren't kidding about the attention factor. my white ws6 vert, i feel like i'm riding around with a celebrity, rubberneckers. thing is if i do anything it's not difficult to figure out who it is.

hawaiibousz
fortunately i don't know of any horror stories with the light conversion. some do it themselves though. i just paid and wrote it off.

she failed the mot a few weeks ago and i almost **** a brick. i added the dynatech supermaxx kit and hokker cat-back since i've been here. i was afraid of having to put the old manifolds and cats back on. it turned out to be a bacl o2 sensor, but i didn't have a dummy light, hmm.

she needs a paint job but the quotes and the quality i've seen make me shiver. it sucks that tha uk bases don't have a paint booth. i asked a guy at lakenheath and he said they did have one a while back. some guy reacted to the chemicals and they shut it down just for that one case, W.T.F.

SlickShoesC6

Holy F*ck, hahahaha! Dude, I really don't mind it, and I extended a year, but daaamn, I have to give it to you, that was spot on!!

And YES! SHOPPING CARTS, WTF!! Lol, I thought I was the only one that absolutely hated that. Man, that made me laugh. No joke about cutouts too... My C6 with a 240/.608, ARH's and a catless mid with cutouts definitely wallops, and I'm still adjusting to pedestrians that stop walking to turn and face your vehicle in town.

Rockstar status indeed... I parked in front of a local pub by my place on a Saturday a few months ago, and a flock of about 10 females left the outside seating area and came and gathered around the car, literally pushing each other out of the way for a ride. I wrote 4 of their phone numbers on my hand, all right in front of one another. It was like The Price Is Right, I was Bob Barker, and the prize was my frank.

Like you said... *****.

2002TAWS6Pontiac

yeah, lots of negative stuff, but if you like to travel and enjoy living where most people can only visit. its a cool expierence you will look back on it and actually miss it somewhat. most people do. Not everyone. I was in Germany for 2 years, now going back to England for a few. you do have to adjust to not having a lot of things that you are use to having.

Sir Charles

I was stationed at Bitburg and Spangdahlem. I didn't care for the bases but you location in Europe is awesome. 45 minutes each direction and you are in a different Country.