Anyone ever work on base as a civilian employee for the military?

[XemaSab]

WHat's it like? :shrug:

[XemaSab]

1. .

:kick:

[Haole Girl]

2. My father does

He was in the military 20 years. Retired now, but works on a base. What, specifically, are you wanting to know?

[XemaSab]

3. How is living on base different than living in a civilian community?

Are there typically activities on the base, or are you on your own as far as fun?

Is the base like a little town, or is it just housing and nothing else?

[Haole Girl]

4. Oooohhhh.... living on base

Lemme tell you, base housing was not fun. Not when I was growing up. They are very strict. Lots of rules. For instance, only white walls. They used to have "white glove inspections" when we'd move out. It taught me how to clean like nobody's business! lol Sorry I can't help you with the way it is now... those are just some of my memories from 30 years ago!

Good luck with whatever you decide.

[Danger Mouse]

6. Is this for a potential job?

:)

[MrSlayer]

5. I worked at the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard.

Before they closed it down. Outside of the security clearance needed to get in every day, it was like any other construction job.

[LeftyMom]

7. My best friend's Dad does. I can ask him if you need any info, since he's in NorCal

he probably has dish on wherever you're looking at.

[GOPisEvil]

8. I don't think you'd be able to live on base as a civilian.

[OmahaBlueDog]

9. Mrs. OBD's dad did

He worked for the DoD in Japan during the late 60s, early 70s. They lived on a base outside of Tokyo.

They lived on base housing, and Mrs. OBDs siblings went to the on-base school with the other military (Air Force, in this case) kids. They were allowed to shop at the PX, and IIRC, also use the base madical facilities.

One thing they talk about is how some families would not set foot outside the base. Mrs. OBD has fond memories of going off the base -- both to shop locally (like buying eggs from a local farmer) and to travel around Japan and see the sites.

Mrs. OBD (who was young at the time) claimed Mt. Fuji as "her mountain." Please don't tell Japan.


edit - minor grammar disaster

[dgibby]

10. If you're stateside, you won't be living on base in all likelihood.

If you're stationed overseas, it will depend on your location, conditions off base, safety issues (ie, war zone, etc). If you are living on base, you'll have the same privileges of military personnel who's rank/rate equate to your GS rating.

Amenities depend on the size of the base and/or location. Most overseas bases are self-contained. These include recreational facilities, movie theaters, px, commissary, health care facilities, housing, gas stations, etc. Type/size of housing depends upon martial status, # of dependents, rank/rate/GS rating.

I'm retired Navy, so everything I've said here is based on my own experience, and Navy rules and regulations. When I was in Puerto Rico, I lived in the BOQ, but could have opted to live off base. Since I was single, I wasn't eligible for family base housing. The single civilians stationed there Red Cross Reps, BOQ manager lived in quarters in the BOQ also.


Hope this helps.

[Capn Sunshine]

11. I did light years ago

in Honduras and Mexico as a DOD civvie . Not sure you want to hear about it because I assume you're thinking stateside but my DU name comes from those times.

[MajorChode]

12. DOD is one of the worst federal government agencies to work for

Quite often your boss (at least at some level) is a military officer that really doesn't give a shit about civilian working conditions. Pay grades are typically lower than other agencies for the same work. You will also have to put up with a lot of chickenshit military rules if you work on a military base.

The upside is you usually get to use most of the military amenities such as golf courses and other morale improving assets on military bases.

[Capn Sunshine]

14. Second that , amigo

Although I was on loan a lot, it was the DOD that drove me to drink daily.

[jeff30997]

15. My BIL used to teach on Military bases...

He loved it so much that he enlisted and is now in Afghanistan.:(

[jeff30997]

13. I used to work at Area 51 and...

Edit: NO,jeff30997,err,I mean me,I never worked at a place called Area 51 that doesn't even exist.

[cabbage08]

16. I imagine it depends on the location

Where are you looking and what type of job?

[haele]

17. Yes - several

Make sure you have a separate office you can "telavoid", err, telework, to on occasions. Be flexible and pay attention to everything that goes on around you - your tasking will change, even if you think there's no way possible it will. Bone up on the financials associated with your contract - it's always good to have a heads up if there's going to be something wrong with the money as it gets doled out to your company.

8 times out of 10, the govies and the military will treat you like a back-up govie or military person, which means that you will find yourself at odds with your contract on occasions. Make sure you have everything, and I mean everything, no matter how trivial, recorded - and don't cheat unreasonably on your hours. Lack of evidence of measurable work and chronic absenteeism will get you fired or allow someone else to end up with your contract, no matter how "critical" your work seems to be (or not to be). Half an hour extra coming back from lunch on a slow afternoon is one thing, taking the day off to go to a ball game but marking it down as work is another.
If you telavoid at home because you have an appointment in the afternoon or something like that, make sure you can be reached at any time and that you do accomplish something that day that would seem like you have actually worked.

Be aware of the ethics - gratuity and conflict of interest situations. Accepting a soda occasionally from your govvie boss is one thing, but there is a limit. Being present when another company's contract is being considered, or overseeing or evaluating your or another company's contract or tasking, especially if there's a potential for conflict of interest, is often a problem. Other companies can take legal action against your company for scuttling their contract if they are aware that you had official input into the denial or cancellation of their work. There's all sorts of "non-disclosure" statements you have to sign if you are going to be representing a government position, and again, you have to document everything as objectively as possible in those cases.

Be aware that at least half the time, you are redundant and most of the time, you actually cost the government more than would a full-time govvie or military worker, because of the nature of the contract you are working for. That's why most DoD contracts are written as "one year and follow ons", and you aren't really guaranteed that five year contract your company thought they won. You and your contract will be in the first group of cuts they consider letting go at the end of the fiscal year when there's always a money issue in the DoD.

Other than that, it's generally a good gig, especially when you're working something that has positive applications and importance to the world other than as being part of the MIC.
Just try to make sure you always have a resume ready to go out. You will probably change companies on an average of every three to five years as a government contractor.

Haele

[Tommy_Carcetti]

18. I worked as a lifeguard on a Naval Base for two summers.

One summer was at the main base and one summer was at the annex.

At the main base I found a good number of my co-workers to be shallow, cliquish, nasty and simply unsufferable. At the annex base the co-workers weren't quite as bad, but my boss was one of the worst persons I ever met. Just a horrible, ugly, vindictive woman who clearly was unhappy with her life so she took it out on others, and mainly, me.

But honestly I don't know whether the fact this all occurred on military bases to have anything to do with it, or was simply a coincidence. All my other lifeguarding jobs were terrific.