Space A Magic

Visit http://www.baseops.net/spaceatravel/ for more Space A information!

I know for many of us, flying Space A is a big unknown.  I've only flown twice myself, as a military dependent many years ago.  We waited many days in Dover, Delaware trying to catch that perfect flight to Germany to visit my grandparents.  It's clear in my mind that we went to the terminal every day, only to be told there was no flight that day or that a previously scheduled flight was cancelled.  We made the best of it, enjoying the shore and some beach time and luckily, my parents had budgeted to stay in a hotel off post nearby.  We waited just about a week.  The flight we ended up taking was a military craft with the seats suspended inside.  So this is what the guts of a plane looks like I remember thinking.  But what sticks out the most in my mind was a mid-air refueling training mission (yes, they did warn us), and WOW, it was enough to make you think you were riding a roller coaster...up and down...up and down...enough to make you blow your lunch which the air crew handed out in little boxes a few hours before.  One of our readers, Jo recently flew Space A and offers these tips for us below.

The first and most important thing to remember is that Space-A is a privilege, not a right. If you aren't on an open schedule (meaning, come and go as you please) then it's VERY important to have a back-up plan).

Where are you trying to go? What is your closest AF Base that can get you there or somewhere you can transfer from? Some bases have regularly scheduled flights (ex: On Monday, Wednesday and Saturday there is a flight departing XX base, and it stops at YY and ZZ).

Visit this link to get an idea of where some of the bases' frequent stops are located.

Have all your valid and required paperwork to travel. Are you flying with or as a servicemember? They/You will need to be on leave before they can even 'register' for Space A. If you're flying and your spouse is currently deployed, you will need a letter from his CoC stating you are allowed to fly Space A while the servicemember is out in theater. This letter needs to include your information, along with any traveling dependents and your spouse's information as well.  You will also need to bring proof that you are command sponsored, meaning that you were included on his orders to his current duty station.  The S-1 or admin folks of your husband's unit can type that up for you.

REGISTER - Once you have an idea of where you would like to go, register with the bases that you may be flying out of. You can register in person, by fax or via email. Sign-Up email addresses can be found here.

If a servicemember is traveling, they CANNOT register until they are ON leave. The email you send needs to include leave start and end date. If you are traveling sans SM, scan and email a copy of your CoC issued travel letter. Email any and every base you may be using. Better to be safe than sorry. Registering early is important because if there are three Active Duty (AD) Category 3 personnel on leave trying to fly, the person who registered FIRST gets priority. Once you register, it is active for 90 days (or 60 days, so double check) so you won't need to register every single time you fly so long as it's within that timeframe.

You should receive a confirmation letting you know that you are registered. If you don't receive it in 24 hours, call the base. It's possible that they may have an incorrect email listed. Be proactive and don't make assumptions. Again, it's better to be safe than sorry.

All that squared away? Great! Now you're probably wondering "well, how do I know when the flight is?". Most bases do not provide a flight schedule earlier than 72 hours out. Some have automated answering services that give you a destination and how many tentative seats there are and a "showtime". Showtime is when you need to be checked in by. Continue to call everyday within that 72 hour gap to make sure the flight info is accurate. They are subject to change (this happened to us) and you could get stranded somewhere you didn't intend on staying.

Please pack a sweater or blanket in your carryon, especially if you are flying overnight. You won't know what type of aircraft you'll be on and a C-17 can get very cold. We shivered our entire trip to the east coast. Lesson learned for us.

Show up! Make sure you have your proper IDs, Passport (if going overseas), and bring your CoC issued letter or Leave form. Although you may have submitted it, keep it on you. I'd also print out a copy of any confirmation messages or emails you may have received showing your 'registration' date. Once you arrive at the AMC Terminal you will mark yourself' present' so they know you would like to take a flight out. Afterward, you'll wait until they call your name. This is done by category. If you are flying with an Active Duty (AD) servicemember, then you'll be category 3 and for the most part, you're at the head of the line. The only categories flying ahead of you are Emergency Leave or those on PCS orders.

Have a safe flight! flying Space-A may not be the most convenient in terms of time, secured seats or comfort but it's free! I'll deal with all of that vs paying an outwards of 1000K for a flight overseas.

Thanks so much Jo for your input.  Stay tuned where Jo will talk about her family's personal experience in an upcoming blogpost.  The only think I would add...and try to pound in your head, you absolutely have to be flexible and need to have the time to do this.  If you want to try to use it during the summer, I would definitely re-think that.  It is the heaviest PCS travel season, and you could be trying to get on a flight for days.  If you have the time and patience, go for it....if not, find an alternate means of travel.  I believe MAC flights also only take you to the first point of entry in the US.  You need to keep that in mind when planning the rest of your transportation to your final destination.  Will you grab a commercial flight the rest of the way?  Rent a car?  Have family come get you?  Have it all planned out including alternate ideas.  MAC flights may only get you so close, and the rest of the plan is yours to figure out.

Something interesting I have found when friends have traveled from Germany, is that every plane can be different.  Do you know the G5s have space sometimes?  Yes, I know it's a $50 million aircraft!  Yes, I recently read about a military wife who rode a G5 plane from Korea to the US....plush leather seats and personal service usually reserved for generals. How she snagged that, I don't know.  I owuld post the link with her happy smiling child...but I can't find it, sorry!  Coming out of Ramstein, be prepared for flights loaded with wounded going back stateside...some in fairly grave condition.  I had a friend who passed on one of those flights, because she was afraid to expose her children to so many injured soldiers.  I am not saying that was right or wrong, just something to think about when accepting a flight or not.  You may even have a flight with NO SEATS.  Yes, I had a friend fly on a military craft that didn't have any, and there must have been many veteran Space Aers on the flight, as they rolled out their sleeping bags and hung out using their pillows as luggage!

One more resource to throw your way, be sure to check out the AMC's Space A Facebook page.  It's a great resource and what a great way to get your questions answered should you have any.  If anyone has any other sites or stories to share, please do so below.  I would love to hear them!

The Ubiquitous German Stau and what to do about it!

After this past weekend, I realized I am spoiled.  I am spoiled because I live in a semi-rural area in Belgium where the biggest gridlock I see is trying to get into the front gate of the base....or perhaps on the dumb occasion I decide to drive to Brussels on the ringroad during rush hour.  Imagine my dismay when I saw the brake lights this past week on a German autobahn going South.  Oh crap, how could I totally forget the life of a German autobahn driver?   Ooops, I used to be so on top of this stuff when I lived here...out of sight out of mind I guess!  I read in this month's ADAC magazine (ADAC runs something similar to the American AAA motorists' program) that in 2010 there were 185,000 staus with a total length of 400,000 kilometer.  To put that in perspective, this length would get you to the moon at least!  And why all this stau stuff and what can you do to help yourself?

First of all, like many places in the world, we are building more cars than we have the capacity to handle.  Go to any Chinese city these days and see hosts of shiny blue BMWs and sleek Mercedes not moving instead of the ubiquotous bicycles that fanned across the nation just a few years ago.  The same is going on in Europe, in particular Germany that sits in the middle of everything.  There just isn't enough autobahn capacity to handle all the car traffic, period.  I also read that the German authorities are looking at widening the autobahn lanes, not by building yet another lane, but by using what's already there...the break down lanes.  Believe it or not, there are cameras all up and down the autobahns, and those folks watching these cameras can immediately see if there is a breakdown or other hinderance in that lane, and if it's clear for a certain stretch, lights would flash, letting drivers know that this is now an open lane.  Yes, that's the plan, and yes, they'd have to install that light system.  I have no idea when and if it will be implemented, so don't ask me.  I am just parroting what I just read the plan seems to be.  Of course they gave it a good solid German name too these "new lanes", "Temporaraere Seitenstreifenfreigabe" or just TSF for short.

So here we are back to the problem.  What can you do about these staus?  Honestly, there are a few things you can do before you ever hit the road. 

-Check Schulferien before you travel!  This site lists the various school holidays of German schoolkids by region.  The German states try to stagger their vacation time, so that not all German kids are streaming South or wherever they are going, all at the same time.  Nifty, huh?  Now instead of millions, you may only have thousands...but still, it's too many.  Please don't even think of traveling on a German autobahn at the front or back end of these holidays...just don't torture yourself like that or even your family.

-Try not to leave on a Friday or come back on a Sunday or vice versa.  Try to stagger your own holiday if you can and leave during the week, the closer you can to Wednesday is best.  I realize some vacation rentals are not set up for that, so find another one that is.

-Consider leaving in the middle of the night.  Believe it or not, there really is less traffic at those times.

-Check Staumeldungen with up-to-the minute traffic updates.  Keep your German radio on.  You will hear some God awful airhorn noise through the radio every hour on the hour, which actually will interrupt a CD or even cassette tape you are playing (at least in a German car) and give you the latest stau information via a person quickly running through all the German staus of note (for that radio station's region).  Many times, this person will talk incredibly fast for English speakers, but listen to key cities and also the autobahn designations, such as A8, A81 or the like...they won't say North or South like I blogged about before, but they will tell you which direction by signifying a city direction.  So they'll say "A8 Richtung Stuttgart" which means on the A8 Autobahn going North if you haven't hit Stuttgart yet, as the A8 comes from the direction of Munich....they'll even tell you how long the stau is and sometimes you'll hear the word "zwischen" which means between or "Kreuzung" which means a crossing of one autobahn over another...listen to what cities or towns they mention...those are the exits.  It may take some practice, but you'll get the hang of it.  

-If you have a smartphone, then download the Stau Mobil App, which is free.  You'll see what's going on without having to wait for anyone to tell you.  

-AFN radio also tries to mention the major ones when they hear about them, plus I think they encourage their listeners to call in.  Of course if you have a GPS that handles gridlock for you, by all means use it and its bypass recommendations.  ADAC Magazine also mentions that the majority of the time, you are better of staying on the autobahn rather than leaving it...unless it's a really bad one, such as after an accident that closes down all lanes...sometimes in both directions!

If you are an ADAC member, you can look for ADAC yellow marked vehicles....the autobahn angels I call them.  I've seen them pull all kinds of spare parts out of their hatches!  Did you know they also have fun stuff for kids, food and water too for ADAC members?  If you are really stuck, don't hesitate to call them if you have ADAC roadside asssistance, even if it is to request any of these routine-sounding items.  You are paying for the service.

Do you have any tips you'd like to share about avoiding staus and also how to deal with one when you're in it?  Honestly, I have great memories of a pick-up frisbee game on a stau to Austria many years ago...I think we were at a standstill for about four hours, but I got to know my fellow stau companions and had a great time while we dealt with the delay.  If that would happen today, with all the hurry up and wait we do these days, I don't know if I could handle that.  It ended up being a rockslide, and thankfully no one was hurt.  Let's hear your stories!

Bringing your iphone (or android) to Europe

It was inevitable.  Either you are pegged to go on a business trip somewhere in Europe, moving overseas or will be taking a little vacation across the big pond.  I've gotten a bit of mail from folks asking if they should bring their iphone or not and what pitfalls there might be.  First, you might want to read my general article on cell phones overseas in Europe.  There are quite a few differences from being stateside.  The biggest being that we use SIM cards over here, so if your iphone is CDMA technology, you are hosed...partly....although you should still be able to use it in the wi-fi mode, along with any ipod touch you may bring along.  Note to self, in today's global economy, don't bother getting a CDMA cell phone as the Americans are the only major players still using it!  Here are some things on making the transition smooth with your iphone when coming over here.

Check with your provider and find out what the roaming charges are.  If you are only coming over for awhile, then you'll keep your cell phone plan at home....literally.  Most providers have outrageous international roaming charges, but to do your due diligence, just find out what they are.  We've all heard about the lady with the almost $40,000 roaming cell phone charge and don't want to be in her shoes!

• Make sure you TURN OFF the roaming feature before you even begin your journey and get on that plane!  Even if you don't use the phone, you may be still charged data fees (which are higher) when your apps decide to do their updating and background work.
• The next step would be to put it in "Airplane Mode" and only switch that off when you plan to use it.  It's an extra safety net.  It will basically turn your iphone into an itouch and allow you to use any nearby wi-fi networks.
• Turn "Fetch New Data" OFF in all your apps.  You also don't want your email and contacts to constantly try to sync.  To turn off the Auto-Check functionality tap on Settings, then Fetch New Data, change Push to “OFF” and Select to Fetch Manually.
• You might want to reset your Usage Tracker to Zero tap on Settings.  Then General, Usage and then Reset.  This way, you'll be able to track your exact usage.

If for some reason, let's say you are coming from the UK and your carrier has some kind of partnership or lower roaming fees with a certain provider on the mainland, turn off the automatic feature setting when searching for a Carrier, under your iphone Settings Menu.  That way, if there are multiple carriers operating in an area, you can choose which one you want to connect to.

Make sure you have the Free Wi-fi finder app on your iphone and also have the offline database already uploaded on your iphone ahead of time, so you can check it out offline.  It doesn't list all the free wi-fi hotspots in Europe but many of them are there.  More keep getting added from folks like me who discover free wi-fi in our travels.  Also know that many coffee shops, parks in Paris, hotel lobbies and other public places have free wi-fi.  I don't know if it's standard Europe-wide but every McDonald's I've been in has free wi-fi.  Don't discount hospitals and other public buildings either.  I even went to a comedy show in Amsterdam, Boom Chicago...granted, the free wi-fi was for us to use Facebook and Twitter as we were waiting for the show to start...and during the show to make fun of some guy's Facebook page they had singled out of the audience, but hey, I could still check my stuff while I was in there!  I've even found free wi-fi in some stores, especially bookstores.

Most of the US bases or posts, even the NATO bases have wi-fi hotspots. All over Germany, in a pinch, I've paid the $5 for access at the onpost foodcourts, which is good for one week typically at that price (credit card needed).  Many of the USOs will have free wi-fi.  Be sure you note which communities have them (not all do unfortunately).  Here in SHAPE, Belgium you'll find free wi-fi at the SHAPE Library, the Rendezvous Cafe next to the GB Shopping Center and also at the SHAPE Club.  Be sure to also look online at locations you'll be visiting and see if you can locate any that way.  As long as the wi-fi is free, you can use your iphone or itouch for free at those hotspots.  Now what if you want more options when it comes to wi-fi?


There is an alternative out there if you strictly want to use your iphone with wi-fi...ANYWHERE in Europe..anywhere with cell phone tower access that is.  Even if your phone is still locked, you should be able to use it in wi-fi mode.  There's a little device you can rent, and if you are over here for a longer period, it will pay for itself many times over!  It's called Tep Pocket Wifi and provides wireless internet wherever you go.   They can even deliver it to your hotel or wherever you'll be on the mainland.  It works just like a wi-fi hotspot, but it's personal and fits in your pocket. Not only can you use it with your smartphone but also with your laptop and tablet PC.  Up to five devices can share the hotspot and you get reliable 3G coverage where available.  Who said Europe was backwards when it comes to technology?  Hey, we've got the high speed Germans who like to be at or near the forefront, so you know we are going to have good options.

Be sure to download the app TextPlus.  This app will give you a free stateside phone number where you will be able to send and receive FREE text messages.  With the free version, you can send up to 20 free texts a day.  If you want to send more or would like to do group texts (oh that sounds dirty doesn't it?) where you can send one text out to multiple people, then upgrade for around a dollar or so to the Silver or Gold version.  Please remember that many of the apps I'm mentioning are available in the android market too!

When I first bought my iphone, second-hand mind you...I used it for an entire week just via wi-fi while I waited for my SIM card to arrive.  One great thing about being around soldiers...a lot of soldiers have been looking to upgrade to the iphone 4, so want to get rid of their 3s...I can see the same thing happening when the next version comes out....so, if you are near a barracks or some soldiers, get the word out that you have QUICK CASH for their used iphones!

Now, if you are coming over here for a longer time period and would like to use the cell phone part of your iphone or handy as it's called over here, you're going to need it to be unlocked.  If you are under contract in the US with a carrier there, they are obligated by law to unlock your phone at the two year mark.  It's funny, but most cell phones over here, to include the iphone are sold UNLOCKED.  We don't have all these issues of AT&T and other carriers hogging all the prime cell phones and iphones.  We are also a few years ahead of the US in general with cell phone technology.  Why that is, I just don't know.  Maybe one of you can explain it to me, cause I'd sure like to know...it's been that way ever since I can remember...the newest models always come to Europe first...then the US...hmmmmm.

Anyway, SIM cards are sold like candy over here.  You can find them at most electronic stores, bookstores and even convenience stores.  Many of us over here don't have cell phone plans but buy minutes as we need them.  Cell phone plans tend to be a lot more expensive over here and are hard to get out of.  The average European will have whatever cell phone, which they bought unlocked and then buy the SIM card w/minutes separately.  I have SIM cards for every European country I typically travel to (along with their in country cell phone numbers).  Again, you can only exercise this option if your cell phone is UNLOCKED!

I've noticed in Germany, not all carriers reach all towns for some reason, so I always recommend people check their new area as well as what carrier their spouse might have for their military issued cell phone.  Many military units have iphones and blackberries they give to their key leaders.  If you use your own personal cell phone, most folks will then add minutes online through their carrier or buy the little tickets at the checkout.  These tickets will give them a code on their store receipt, which they then punch into their cell phone to reflect the new purchased amount.  You have a whole year to use up those purchased minutes.  These minutes cover voice and text messaging.  Many will even let you upload minutes thru Paypal or your local bank account too.

Now for those who want a bit more, then buy a SIM card through a carrier that offers it with data....usually 2 GB limit per month.  Here in Belgium, I use Mobile Vikings.  How do you know you went over your data limit?  Just by a gentle reminder.  Like everything here in Belgium, things are slow and not taken too seriously.  The only catch with this is that voice calls are more expensive than usual.  In that case, I mostly end up text messaging and using the data portion.  It offers roaming throughout the continent, but since those fees are a bit higher (even when receiving calls which are typically free with options, not data), I end up using my supercheap prepaid regular phone for use outside of Belgium for my voice calls.  Now, I still access free wi-fi on my iphone where available and end up carrying both with me on my travels.  Or, I'll just switch out the SIM card for an in-country one....I hope that makes sense!

If you will be in Germany at least 30 days and want a SIM card (and its respective German cell phone number) that will handle data and the use of your smartphone, check out FYVE and Smartmobil where you can get these services without a contract.  You will need a German address for these choices though and will need an UNLOCKED device.

If you have extra money to throw away and the thought of purchasing a SIM card in a foreign country scares you....or maybe you are one of those people who likes to travel but have everything set in place before you go, then go with Smart Free to purchase a European SIM card.  It's expensive, I'm not going to lie...more than I would pay, but again, it gives peace of mind BEFORE you leave.  That's why I am mentioning it here!  I've also known a few business people who were happy with Telestial.




One more thing...there is one more option for you if you like to fly by the seat of your pants...okay, so the other end of the spectrum then!  As long as you are tech savvy or know someone who is, then this is for you!  I've found yet again, that there are many soldiers out there who have mastered the art of jailbreaking iphones, and just getting the word out that you have one that you want jailbroken, can really free up your choices in Europe if your phone is NOT unlocked.  To indulge in all these goodies, your iphone has to be both UNLOCKED and JAILBROKEN.  Read this article here for the how-to on using your iphone in Europe after the jailbreaking process.

So now what?  Well, there are a whole lot of apps that can be a huge help in your travels throughout Europe.  But, since I'm done for today, I will end here and blog more about those choices later!

Guest post: Fresh off the plane to Germany!

So a few days ago, I asked if anyone would like to guestpost.  Well, I asked, and I received!!!  Thank-you so much.  This post is actually fresh off the airplane.  One of our readers packed up kit and kaboodle and flew overseas to Germany.  After the first few weeks, she decided she had better write this stuff down.  Without further delay, this is what she had to say.

I’ve been having problems with finding current info on Stuttgart so I thought I would share my experiences so far, one week in. OK so here's how it went.

Dropping off the car was easy and took about an hour. You just have to have what they say on the website www.whereismypov.com or on the automated phone system and you'll be good there (you can get the numbers from the website). If you have a loan on your car, make sure you go ahead and get a letter stating that it’s ok to take it out of the country. We had no problem with Pentagon Federal letting us take it out of the country. They took forever getting the letter out to me and I had to request it twice. If you carry a note on your car, please be sure to read this post.

We rented a car for a week in DC and shipped our car on May 23^rd, a few days before we shipped it out of Baltimore. It isn't due in Germany until July 5thish. It took us about an hour to get it shipped and it’s an hour drive to the Dulles airport. I would not suggest shipping your car the same day as you fly out. At least in Baltimore/DC.  If you are flying out of Dulles then get there extra early. We waited in line for two hours and barely made our flight. We got to the car rental return at 4pm and our flight left at 6:54. If we had had another hour then it would have been perfect. We did fly out close to Memorial day weekend so that may have been the problem. Also, an hour layover once you get overseas is NOT long enough. You have to go through passport checks and security again...I got patted down! Fun. I would suggest at least a 2 hour layover, we ran to the airplane and were the last ones on...the plane was already boarded. Give enough time for food and drink and running around. 

Maybe you are used to foreign airports but I was so lost, the airport in Frankfurt did not flow like an American airport and everything was confusing. At least everyone I encountered spoke English. Once we were on the plane they served us drinks and dinner. We ended up not using the CARES systems but with the car rental, those car seat vests came in handy.

We have 3 car seats and we shipped them with the car since we didn’t want to mess with them at the airport…and because 3 car seats just don’t fit in one backseat. The boys slept pretty well...until my 2 year old threw up all over everything within a 2 foot radius. It was horrid. BRING EXTRA CLOTHES FOR EVERYONE (and wipes)!! I actually packed some full sized kitchen garbage bags on a prompting thinking it was stupid to do. Now I'm glad I did. It holds vomitous clothing very well. Once that was all cleaned up we had about 3 hours and 45 minutes left. The flight didn't feel that long. Overall it was a good trip. 

I was stressed out and my husband probably didn't like me that much during our travels but we made it. Driving across the country was worth it, we drove from Fort Carson Colorado to Baltimore. Even though it took 3 weeks because we visited family all along the way, it was slow and relaxed and the boys did really well. Taking off a few hours of flying time was well worth the time in the car.

Make your temporary lodging arrangements as soon as you can. They are full here and I heard them at the front desk telling someone they could only stay a week since they are booked up. Staying in the Panzer hotel is cramped. We have a one bedroom and would have to have 7 people in our family to qualify for a 2 bedroom. You would be fine in here with just 2 or 3 people. I have heard that the hotel on Patch is better for families.  All we have is a convection microwave oven that is very German and I had to borrow the owners manual from the front desk to try and figure out how to use it. I think I figured out the dishwasher. We bought a car for $3000 on the lemon lot on Panzer. It is in the PX parking lot in the very back close to the Panzer Hotel. Don’t let the name fool you, it has very nice cars. You can also look on www.bookoo.com for cars AND houses. Along with everything else you might need. It’s like craigslist but this is more popular here.

The only thing I can think of that I am wishing I had sent in my fast shipment (unaccompanied baggage) is something to put the baby in (bouncy seat). I REALLY wish that we had sent our fast shipment a whole lot earlier. It takes the same amount of time to ship your unaccompanied baggage and your household goods (HHG) so they are only arriving one week apart. No one told us when to ship so we messed up there.  We still have 2 weeks until our fast stuff gets here and another 3 weeks until our slow stuff gets here.  We are trying to figure out how to get our iphones unlocked so we can use them. Take my advice, unlock them before you get here or wait to buy something once you get here.

No one will unlock it here and the German internet is really weird....so far....at least in the Panzer Hotel. All incoming calls and texts in Germany are free no matter what service you use. I bought a phone for 14 euros and am doing the prepaid thing here until I figure out my iphone. I am not going to do a contract, too much involved I hear and the prepaid thing has been great so far. If you go to TKS (a phone contractor located on most of our posts in Germany - they provide home phone/cable/tv service & cell phone service/prepaid....basically a middleman that provides this stuff in English with itemized bills).  You can do prepaid or a contract. For unlimited data it is 10 euros a month. If you are just going to use the phones here then all you have to do is walk into a store and point out the phone you want and its active once you put in the number from the phone card. It ended up being about $115 after we bought 2 phones and 2 phone cards.  Please be sure to read this article on the cell phone system and phone choices in Europe.

We found a house by looking on the bulletin board at the commissary on Patch Barracks. It wasn’t listed with housing and no realtors are involved so it’s allowed.  Housing seems to have a lot of drama so I’m glad that we found a house so quickly without using them. I have heard that once you find a house that you like you should jump on it. They don't last long. I would say the average size of a house here is about 1400 sq ft. We like everything about the house except that it is a little far from work. The Stuttgart housing website seems to be out of date but as of now they told us there is nothing available on post and didn’t give us an option of being on a waiting list…not sure if that’s because of my husbands rank or not (E8).  You can now find the Stuttgart Housing Office on ahrn.com.  Just sign in with a government or .mil email address to access overseas listings.

As far as home phones go…my observations so far are that Magic Jack is the least reliable with the crappiest reception but the cheapest and calls to and from the states are free. Vonage only works if your internet is working (along with Magic jack) and so that is why Skype is my next option because even if your computer is down, it will still forward calls to whatever phone number you input. Skype is costing me around $60 a year for a stateside number and then you have to have Skype credit or a calling plan for Germany in order to forward your Skype number to your German home or cell phone. The down side to Skype is when you call out you have to use your computer. Although, you can buy a Skype phone.  It looks just like a cordless phone and runs off your router, so you can use it even when the computer is off.  So my plan is that I'm going to get a home phone through TKS and they offer unlimited calls to the US. So people from the states will call you on your Skype number so its free for them and you will call them on your TKS home number so its free for you. Otherwise you would never get calls from the US.....maybe that’s not a bad thing though :) It's about 50 Euros a month for home phone and internet...another 20 Euros for Cable TV. 

Awesome and what a wealth of information!  Thank-you again!  As you can see...there are a lot of things to think about during the move, but you can make it work if you are well prepared.

My next post, I will cover something on iphones.  I just recently bought a second-hand iphone over here...I paid under $200 for it...in fact, it was closer to $150...and used it a whole week on all the free wifi networks and my wifi at home....it is honestly the best thing since sliced bread over here...that's just me talking!  There are some amazing apps you can use over here, and I have already made good use of the thing...more on this later!

Video: Navigating a Volksmarch (what is it and how do I do one?)

I think my husband holds the record for the most volksmarches in our family...he's done hundreds of events and well over 2,000 kilometers...and that's being conservative.  So what is this volksmarch?  And why can it be so important to you?

Well let me tell you.  I'll explain it all below.  At the end, I've written some tips out in plain English.  If the video moves a bit too fast at that point (I tried to slow it down), pausing it should allow you to read what I wrote at the very end.  Lots of resources and websites to get you started in this great and relaxing sport too!  Come join me as I walk through a forest and the streets and farmpaths of a small town in Belgium.

Ask VMW: Uggghh...help with jetlag overseas!

Can you share what you do to get adjusted to time changes below?  I received not one but THREE questions last week addressing jet lag.  I'll share what I do, and then it would be great if my readers shared what they did:-)

"I am pulling my hair out!  I have a 10 year old, a 6 year old and a cat.  The kids are driving me crazy, waking up at night and not getting rest.  I dread every night since we moved to Germany.  How do you handle jet lag??

Ohhh...those time changes and jet lag....you get a taste of what flight attendants go through but worse if you have kids in tow!  Going from West to East is always the worst, as you are going backwards in time.  Most planes arriving in Germany from the West arrive early in the morning between 0600 and 0800...and then you have your whole day ahead of you, fighting the sleep monster.  Your best bet, once you get to your final destination (which usually involves a busride, a car ride where hopefully your sponsor picked you up, or even a train ride) is to STAY AWAKE until early afternoon.  I do this by staying outdoors....walking around to get familiarized....even if it is just on post....fight the urge to go lie down in the bed and "rest" cause in seconds you will be sound asleep and definitely snoring from your exhaustion.  Once you have been up and eaten some lunch, take a 2-3 hour nap at most.  Set your alarm to wake yourself up!  If you let yourself sleep until you wake up naturally, you'll wake up right before bedtime and then fight the vicious cycle for the next few weeks of waking up in the middle of the night...often..., not being able to get yourself to sleep and just generally being in a bad mood from lack of proper sleep.

If you do it this way, you may have only one or two restless nights as opposed to weeks of it!  As for your children, that's a bit harder to control.  Let them take a nap as soon as they fall asleep but don't let them sleep all day.  Take them out to a playground or to the foodcourt play area if it's not nice weather....eat a bunch of small meals and snacks rather than big ones.  Make sure you have a bedtime routine at the usual bedtime, and if they do wake up at night...you can sit with them but make it absolutely BORING and keep lights off and interaction low....this can be difficult but a few nights of difficulty will make many weeks of blissful nighttime sleeping!  Resist the urge to be a nightowl or let them go wild!  As for the cat, if he's like ours, he's nocturnal and will figure it out.  I've actually kept our cat awake during the day by waking him up when he takes his little catnaps...and then playing with him.  That helped us.  Oh, and welcome to Germany!

Ask VMW: How does overseas banking work?

I don't think I've ever walked anyone through the process...the things we take for granted!  Here's the question:

"I LOVE your blog and can't wait to come over.  I don't understand though how we are supposed to do your banking if we get paid in dollars and then have to pay bills in euros?  This is stressing me out!"

Thank-you!  You may have to get a cup of coffee to machete your way through my answer.  Rest assured, once you have been here a few months, this will all become second nature, so bear with me as I try to explain!

I can only tell you how we do it and what I recommend.  Hopefully, some spouses over here will chime in with what they do.  We always keep our stateside bank where my DH's paycheck goes...NEVER mess with that account is my first tidbit of advice as Army Finance is notorious for screwing things up, so try to mess with it the least you can!  How many times has someone told you their pay is screwed up?  It just took us months to get our corrected W-2....that's just the way it is for whatever reason.  Those finance folks work hard but sometimes their systems even they don't like to deal with...or can't....not their fault a lot of the time.

We always open up a local bank account, even in the US...this is mostly for ATM access and having a "friendly face" in the neighborhood where you can do transactions in person (that's just me).  Overseas, you'll deal in euros except on post.  The PX and commissary will be just like stateside with stateside products (and the usual international commissary aisles).  The  PX will have some local candy/chocolate, a German gift section and some 220 volt appliances...don't get me started on that...you can use your US credit cards, checks and cash.  AAFES even has their own credit card, the Military Star Card.  Back at customer service, you can even cash personal checks and get the money in Euros or Dollars.  In Germany, Bank of America (Community Bank, they call it) has the current contract for however many years...meaning, they are the Dept of Defense bank overseas for now...at least in Germany (here in Belgium, on the NATO base, a different bank won the contract and it is a European bank).  Banks bid every few years (5 or 10?) to get that contract to be on our overseas posts and bases.  I've forgotten...anyway, it is NOT the same bank as in the US as my MIL found out.  She still had to pay ATM fees for using her stateside Bank of American ATM card, but somehow went there in person and got the charges taken off...she's like that.    Even though it says Bank of America out front, it is somehow a different bank...maybe someone else can explain it.

But anyway, there is always a credit union on post too, but I've found they have less services and it's not as easy to transfer back and forth euro to dollars and vice versa.  One example is Andrews Federal Credit Union.  As with any credit union, I think their loans are cheaper.  We used Bank of America for ease of use and their online banking choices.  We would write a check from our stateside account and deposit those dollars into our account there.  Then we would pay our German bills from Bank of America.  When I got my bills in the mail from the German company (cable tv/phone, cause we were living in housing, so no rent, but this is also where your rent money should come from)...I would take the little orange payment slip to the bank, fill it out along with a withdrawal slip like any US bank...go to the counter.  They would then tell me what the current $/euro rate is and would say okay for your 60 euro bill, that's x amount of dollars.  I would have them add the fee (think it was $2 per bill to be paid), so I would have ONE transfer out of that account OR one check to write in dollars.  They would do the bill paying for us, which typically took a few days to get to the biller...so don't wait til the due date.  Get it done before that!

Now here in Belgium, since we pay rent, we also chose the bank with the current contract on SHAPE...it's an Italian bank operating in Belgium.  They have online access and a little pin # generating machine....so every month, I write a check from my stateside account, go to the military finance cash cage, get the dollars in cash (for example $3k, which is the max you can cash per week)...hand carry the stupid cash to our Italian bank which is on the other side of the base and deposit it.  We chose this bank because it is NATO friendly and it didn't charge any fees.  Most Belgian banks charge fees for anything they do for you.  You can see it is a bit more of a hassle here, but that's what we chose to do.

Let me remind you NOT to get euros from the military cash cage.  Why?  Because their exchange rate is typically lower than what Belgian banks will give you.  You can deposit dollars at your Belgian bank...they will give you the dollar to euro rate and 100% of the time, it is a better rate than the cash cage.

Then, to pay our bills I go online at my convenience and before it's due and pay from our euro bank account...I can also set up automatic payments and recurring payments.  The European banking system is much more secure than ours and for each transaction, after signing into your account w/your user name and password, you also have to use your electronic pin generator (it looks like a small calculator) to generate a pin for that ONE transaction....you can only use one pin one time.  Without the pin generator, you can't pay bills online, so if you go back stateside on vacation and need to pay a bill, you've got to take that with you...strange huh?  I can also make any payments in any country that is a member of the European Union (EC) with no additional fees.  So, go ahead and book that French villa you've been wanting to book (we did) and pay your deposit with no hassles!  And speaking of fees, I can use ANY bank's ATM in Belgium to access our Euro account with no ATM fees!  So far, in France and Ireland, we also did not have any ATM fees...from either bank.  Don't you wish you could say that for the US too?

So, that's how we do it.  Some people get euros directly from the cash cage and go to the company that generated the bill to pay or the landlord's bank....but, that's even more hassle IMO, plus the local banks have BETTER euro rates than the military cash cage as I mentioned before.

You'll figure out what works best for you...I just didn't want to be tied down to payday and have to pay bills then, cause the lines can be extra long at both the banks on post and the cash cages, so I write my checks and deposit our monthly money whenever I have the time and am going that way...you just can't forget to keep replenishing your local account!  It's easy to check that online of course.

In both Belgium and Germany, there is one other way to pay your bills...the local post office!  Yes, even the post office has accounts you can open and use....or, you can take a copy of the orange billpaying slip and your euros to the post office, and they'll take care of paying the bill for you.

Last note...keep EVERY SINGLE receipt and scrap of paper from your bills and bank!  It is not unheard of before you PCS, while outprocessing, to hear from a biller saying you did not pay such-and-such bill...without that receipt, you might as well have never paid, and you won't be allowed to outprocess without showing proof OR paying it again...uggghhh.

Do you have any banking or bill paying tips to share?

Ask VMW: I didn't account for this long overseas hotel stay before we get housing, help!

Sometimes there is a reason why soldiers get deferments on having their families join them overseas initially.  This just means that the servicemember goes overseas first and then his family joins him once he gets housing.  I received a question the other day regarding the long hotel stay in Germany and the isolation being felt as a newcomer.

"We have been over here for a month in the hotel and were told that it could be another 1-2 months before housing has an opening. Also that since my DH is enlisted we cannot live off post. About a year ago it changed is what we were told. So since there isn't any on-post housing available and we aren't "allowed" to live off post, we are stuck in the hotel. Do you know anything about the housing situation?  Is this normal?  I feel isolated and do you have any advice on where I can go with my baby to connect with other wives?  No one has welcomed me either from our Family Readiness Group.  Please help."


You are absolutely correct.  We were still in Germany when this policy came into effect of not allowing E-5s (Sergeants) and below to live off-post.  This is why orders are automatically deferred to assignments in Germany for the most part...now you see why this can be such a problem...being in a hotel months on end with family is not a fun deal.  Unfortunately, since you are already there, you may have to stay in the hotel for a bit longer.  But with that being said, here is what I would do in the same situation cause I would try my darndest to make lemonade out of those lemons I was dealt.

Contact the housing office and get a better idea of where you are on the waitlist.  A two month wait is not unusual.  We were in the hotel for five weeks, and we even had designated command quarters.  I have friends who waited two to three months, so this is absolutely in the normal range.  During the summer months, the wait could be even longer, especially now as they shift the officers off-post.  The reason being given is that they can afford the higher cost of off-post living (this article explains the new policy).  Officers are not being asked to move, it's just that enlisted personnel who are incoming will take that housing instead of another officer.  Obviously, there is much debate among servicemembers in Germany on whether this is right or wrong...there may be no one correct answer.

I would not have my DH go to his 1SG or commander unless the stress is starting to affect his working ability.  Most leaders don't know what their soldiers are doing in their home life and how things are going...but they should.  At one point, someone in the command should've sat down with the soldier, just to find out how inprocessing is going and how the adjustment is going...if not, he should ask to talk to his command...just don't whine.

Many posts have temporary housing when there is a long wait for regular housing...ask about that if you don't mind moving to it...it looks just like the regular stairwell housing, may not be renovated yet, but everything is in there furniture-wise with loaner furniture.  You can get loaner dishes/cutlery, baby stuff like highchairs, etc from the lending closet at your on-post Army Community Service (ACS) or equivalent for free.

Speaking of ACS, you should go there and just see what programs they have.  They should have a lead into baby/mommy mornings...most ACSs have this...most also have a trip where they take you on the economy...show you how to use local transportation and a familiarization class off-post, even basic language classes...you and your DH can sign up together.  They may have other free programs as well....even job search assistance and resume classes.

See if there is a MOPS chapter...it is religious based but non-denominational.  Check with your on post chapel to see if there is one there. This was a lifesaver for me, as it's a place for mommies and their little ones to get together....moms do fun things and crafts and eat while someone does fun stuff with the little ones...it gives moms a much needed break, and you will find more and more of these chapters overseas on military posts.

As for the Family Readiness Group, see if there is a monthly FRG meeting at your husband's unit.  There should be one.  It is mandated by Army regulations.  Both you and your husband should attend at least one (coerce him if you have too...it's important for the both of you....many guys just don't like to go).  Many FRGs have welcome gifts and introduce new people.  Some FRGs are stronger than others.  It's a shame really, as it is a commander's program and the commander dictates how active/important this organization is.  We looked out for each other at every duty station I've been to and helped the new folks adjust.  Find out who the other wives are in your husband's squad and team....one of them should be reaching out to you...and if not, get DH to get your contact info to the ladies or vice versa and just call one of them and ask to meet them at the foodcourt...say you are new.  Sometimes, you just have to take the initiative to get the floodgates open.  I know it's not easy, especially when you are new, but some wives have honestly forgotten how difficult it may have been for them when they arrived.  I know when things are rough, my brain sometimes tends to forget too.  Go into it, knowing you have done all you could to try to connect with others, and I know something will come out of your efforts!

Please continue to get support from your friends back home, your family and also the many wonderful Facebook pages and message boards online.  I have met a few of my readers in my travels, as well as here in Belgium, and I count many of them as my friends.  It's all about helping each other out and extending out that Army family.  My favorite saying that I wish the Army would adopt somehow is "Keep the family, then keep the soldier".  It is SO important these days that the Army realizes that if they don't care or provide for the needs of a soldier's family, he will eventually get out of the military, and the military will lose a valuable asset they might have kept had they done this in the first place.  Sorry to get on my high horse....my little vent in the big picture of things!  I'd like to welcome you to our Army family and feel free to stop back by and let us know how it is going if you like!

Ask VMW: I have questions about the German radiators, heating and some other things

I recently received a question from an American renting a home in Germany.

I have a couple questions about saving energy in German homes. I’ve asked my landlord this, but there may have been a language barrier,and she didn’t quite answer my questions, so maybe you can help.  Underneath my kitchen sink, there’s a little tank and a water heater. I keep it on all the time. Is there much savings to shutting it off when I’m not home during the day? Should I be shutting it off when we’re on vacation? Also, during this time of year, I shut off our home heat during the day, and turn it on in the evenings.  Also, each radiator has a dial that starts with a snowflake, then 1-5, an infinitely symbol, then a 0 (zero). What’s the difference between the snowflake and the 0? And if we want to take a vacation during the winter, what setting should it be on so the pipes don’t freeze, but yet we’re not wasting energy?

And here's my answer...

Thanks for your questions!  Yes, you can still find German homes with the separate water tanks wherever you need the hot water!  I remember being at my German grandparents'  home and turning on the big water heater to the tub about four hours before you wanted to take a bath....so you had to plan ahead...forget to do that, then no bath.  Of course this only filled up the tub halfway...used to hate that.  Anyway, yes, they do draw electricity when you don't need them.  If it's a small tank, I'd go ahead and leave it on during the day.  Yes, it'll take some money to heat it, but in my opinion it would be worth it.  As you can see, it can be a hassle turning it on and off all the time and just remembering to do it before you need it.  Is it just the regular tank or one of those instant on tanks?  I am assuming regular.  If it's an instant-on, go ahead and turn it off.  Those will have hot water immediately as soon as you turn it on, or some have a setting where it won't draw electricity until you use it.  Otherwise, if it's not, you'll be sitting there, waiting for the water to heat up before you do dishes or whatever.

Onto your house heat.  Make sure your house thermostat is set at a reasonable amount.  Germans like to keep their homes cooler, by closing off doors and wearing sweaters in the winter inside...that's how they save.  You'll notice electricity is much more expensive over here.  And, if you have oil or natural gas, that can be pricey as well.  Americans living in Germany tend to have higher heating bills, cause we crank up the heat, leave doors open and walk around in shorts and flip-flops inside in winter.  Many Europeans will shut off their radiators , or rather set it to the snowflake setting at night and also when they leave the house.  This is too much work for me, so I just keep mine at 2 or 3 unless I am in the room, where it'll be at a 4 at most if we are really cold.  The difference between "0" and the snowflake setting on your radiator, is that there is still a small amount of circulation on the snowflake setting...just enough so no pipes freeze.  NEVER turn off ALL the heat in your home in winter.  There is too much potential for pipes to freeze and then bursting.  Your landlord will have a fit if that happens, and you'll end up paying for that damage I'm sure.  If you decide to close off some rooms you won't use in winter, then keep them on the snowflake setting as well.

I hope this answers your questions!  BTW, the heat registers are called "Heizkoerper" in German.  If you feel like playing with Google Translate (or whatever you like to use), here's a site that talks about energy saving, http://www.strom-magazin.de/

Ask VMW: How many cars can I ship overseas? Fuelcards?

I don't think I've ever gotten a question about shipping cars and fuelcards....definitely something you need to know if you are moving overseas!

 I was wondering does the military ship one or two vehicles and I read something about a fuel card how does that work?


The military will only ship one vehicle on its dime.  Some folks do ship a second vehicle, which would cost anywhere from 500-1000 euro typically.  You have to make all those arrangements on your own though.  Most folks buy a second beater-type car to get around in instead.  Each post usually has a lemon lot, and in the summer it'll be full of vehicles...everything from American cars to European-spec cars that can only be driven in Europe.  Most of the little cars are stick-shift, so if you haven't learned, it's about time that you do:-)  It'll broaden your options.  And no, it's not called a lemon lot because there are lemons there...it's just called that.

You get authorized a certain # of liters of fuel for one vehicle.  This just means that you can buy a special fuelcard at a special price on post.  You can also buy more fuel, but it will be at regular off-post fuel prices.  Fuel in Europe is priced very high (which is why I don't even fret over American fuel prices...they are so low in comparison!).  I believe it is because fuel is taxed very high here.  Here in Belgium on post, you can buy 200 liters of regular unleaded for about 140 euro...actually the prices have gone up since I bought a fuelcard, so it is probably a bit more.  I buy one every few months unless we travel a lot by car.  Remember, in Europe it's priced in liters.  In the US, we pay per gallon, so to figure out the price difference, you have to do a little math.  We also can only use the fuel card at the Belgian Total gas stations.  As I said, you can buy gas anywhere, it's just that we have the contract with Total for our fuel rations. 

You get a fuel ration card, typed up on cardstock paper when you inprocess.  For us, we get 400 liters max a month.  If you have a gas guzzler and use it to drive around a lot...you could run out and then have to buy gas on the economy.  You bring your ration card with you to the rationed items store on post to buy your fuel card...regular, super or diesel is available.  You can also buy these fuel cards from the PX.  If your non-military spouse also works full-time, you can request to get more fuel rations if you need them.  Once you use up that particular fuelcard, you have to buy another one.

If you travel into France and other European countries, your fuelcard is useless, and you will pay regular fuel prices like everyone else.  If you have a leave form, you can visit the MP station in Germany and get a fuelcard to use in Germany....I believe also in the Netherlands and Italy....possibly Spain....all the countries where we have bases.  It's an extra hassle, but if you spend a lot of time in that other country and have the time to stop by one of our bases there, it may save you lots of money.

If you are PCSing to Germany, the process is a bit different, but you will still have a fuelcard.  They don't use fuel coupons anymore.  Your fuelcard is tied to that particular vehicle, so your buddy in another car will not be able to use it.  In Germany, you'll have more rations as well.  I have never run out while stationed there!  Super is the only available gas choice if you buy gas from AAFES, as many AAFES stores have their own gas stations (at the shopette).  You just pay with your regular American dollars.  Diesel is only available off post.  If you get a Military Star card (AAFES version of their credit card), you'll get 5% back on your purchases.  You can obviously also use your own choice of credit card with its own collection of bonuses and incentives.  If you want to gas up off post, you can use your fuelcard at Esso gas stations only IF you put a money advance onto your fuelcard.  So for example, you can put $100 on your fuelcard and then fuel up at Esso.  You won't pay the going rate posted on the pump, but our special discounted rate.  Once you get your receipt, you'll see how many liters you have left to pump on your advance, and you can also check this online.  Add money as needed.  It's kind of a pain to keep track of, and at any time if you pump OVER the amount on your fuelcard, you will pay the full fuel price for your entire transaction.  What I like here in Belgium, is that you can never go OVER what is on your fuelcard. Once it's done, it's done....and you have to buy another fuelcard.

I do want to mention a quick word about American cars over here in Europe.  Most of us do have American brand cars that are not sold in the European market.  You'll see Ford and some others over here, but they'll have model names you never heard of and European car models are much smaller than ours across the board.  Keep this in mind when you are thinking of shipping your extended cab super-size truck over here!

European roads are narrower.  Here in Belgium, they are absolute goatpaths unless you are on a major thoroughfare between major towns and cities.  I have a minivan and frequently have to stop or get over on country roads...and we have some big ditches along our roads!  Parking can be a pain.  Yes, the spots are a bit shorter, but worse, they are narrower.  I've had to squeeze out of my driver's side door, or go out the back and many times, I choose to park farther away so I have no other cars around.  Of course, practice your parallel parking, and when we drive downtown somewhere, we usually take my husband's little European specs car with us that fits in tight spaces.  Some parking garages will also be tight, not only in the spaces, but as you navigate around inside the lanes!

Yes, I've heard Americans say they love the room of a large car and that's fine....just be prepared to deal with a few hiccups.  Be prepared to stand out too as an American.  In light of recent world events, we are no longer allowed to wear military uniforms off post, even if just going home.  A regular sized car would make our footprint not quite as big.  We made the decision to take our van over here because we had a huge dog at the time, kids and had lots of visitors we would take on our travels...that was our choice....and it works fine I think.  Anything bigger I would've felt uncomfortable having over here.  Do what you think is right for your family and your situation!

Ask VMW: I have four dogs & a parrot and want to move overseas, advice?

Today I received a question that deserved a really long answer...read on!

Hi so I don't really know where to begin.  My husband is up for reenlistment and we have heard rumor of there being some openings for his MOS in the Netherlands, I think Schinnen or Germany.  We  have a baby, 4 dogs and a parrot all of which we could not part with.  We are unsure how this tour will affect us financially.  We both really want to go overseas but are not sure how this will affect us bringing our pets and vehicles.  Will I be able to take my pets?  My husband is an E4.

Schinnen is actually a very nice place to be stationed...centrally located and a nice base in the NATO environment (which is a bit different than everyone else over here at US bases).  We are at a NATO base too and just love all the international interaction!

Wow, you have your hands absolutely full and spilling over!  I'm going to be honest with you, as I don't beat around the bush.  I blame my German ancestry...again, there is never any right or wrong answer when I respond to people's requests.  Four dogs and a bird will be a HUGE challenge.

Some things to think about....the flight...you will have to get them all health checked within 10 days of travel, and since only a certain # are allowed per plane, you gotta make sure they are listed in your flight record (I always recommend United Airlines) and if you fly in the summer you could be faced with travel restrictions.  You didn't mention the size of your dogs...you'll need to purchase the correct crate size for EACH dog (that can get pricey if you don't already have them) and look at spending about 100-200 euro PER dog to travel.  You would be flying into Amsterdam (for the Netherlands) and could possibly face more fees, as sometimes people are charged for extra items, such as vet checks and "holding" the pet while they wait for the vet and that kind of thing...plus you could be waiting around all day.  It usually doesn't happen, but I've seen it happen.  The good thing is that if you go to a military vet for the pets 10 day check up, it'll be free...otherwise, you'll pay for that.  Read my article on that whole process.  Also read this quick post on pets and being in the military.

I''m not sure what the lodging facilities are like on Schinnen.  If they have onpost lodging they will probably not have pet rooms or will have limited pet rooms (our lodge only has six I believe and they book up fast).  On post, Army-wide, you are only authorized two pets max....so, if you have anything over that, you'll be looking off post.  The Netherlands is a pricey country...housing is also the smallest out of any of the European countries....plus, just so narrow with steep stairs and small yards.  As an E4, you could face some challenges finding something large enough, close enough to post (the farther out, the cheaper usually) AND finding a landlord that will accept that many pets.  Please visit Head Over Heel's blog.  The author chronicles her journey from Germany to the US in a PCS move with four large dogs.  She shipped three at once I believe and the fourth one at a later date.  She prepared herself as best she could and still hit quite a few roadblocks.  But, I think she was able to finally work something out where she and her dogs...and her soldier husband are happy.  So, it can be done if you are persistent and patient.  The Europeans, particularly the Dutch LOVE their dogs, and you'll see them just about everywhere, so that is a good thing!

As for your parrot, I had a friend who had birds, and she would find a home for her bird before PCSing overseas.  Birds are just so sensitive and many don't handle the stress of going by plane.  Don't even get me started into talking about the baby birds they bring from outside the US to sell as pets...meaning the ones not hatched in the US...it's criminal how many die on the journey.  I personally would not want to take that risk.  Your bird would also need the necessary health certificates, and you'd need to find an airline or pet shipping service that even handles birds.  You'd also have to check what the import requirements are for the Netherlands for birds.  I don't know them.  Obviously you can see I am biased on birds...sorry.

Bottom line, you would have to have a lot of research and paperwork...and money set aside if you plan to take your animals!

As far as being an E4 living overseas....sometimes it can be daunting at NATO bases, because most tend to cater to higher ranking officers and E4s sometimes get lost in the shuffle!  But, that doesn't mean we don't have any.  I have a few friends whose husbands are E4s......one is struggling a bit....one is not.  It is much more difficult to find housing off post in your price range, that is a fact.  Check Schinnen's housing office online and see if E4s can automatically live on post, and if they even have on post housing and also what is the wait time to get into housing.  You need to know this stuff before you and the rest of the family comes over.  Deferred orders may be better.  He could come with half of your animals, while you come later, when he finds a house and gets settled in with the other half as an example.  If you live on post and only have two animals, perhaps there is a trusted friend or relative who could watch the other half while you are overseas.  Overseas assignments don't come as often as they used to, and they can be such an enriching part of your life...I would obviously do it over and over again if given the chance:-)

I just checked and an E4 would get 1250 euro per month max for housing.  Go to ahrn.com and using a .mil email address, see if Schinnen lists their rental housing...I know our area here at SHAPE just went online there.  You will get an idea of what is even out there.  You'll get 613 euro for utilities, which will mostly go to cover gas/oil, water & electric.  That should be enough if you get an energy efficient house.

Sorry I couldn't give you an easy answer, but you are on the right track, researching and asking questions ahead of time!  We need more military spouses willing to take responsibility to look out for themselves and their family!  Good luck in whatever you choose to do!  Talk it over with her hubby, and see what will work best for you!

Ask VMW: Is it easy to get a job overseas?

Here's a question I recently received:

I have been reading the blogs about Germany and I appreciate all of the insight! I am a newly married military wife, and we just found out our next assignment will be to Germany.  We are ecstatic to say the least but besides the bagillion questions, I have one really important one.....jobs for spouses, are there any? I am beginning to feel that knot in my stomach known as "anxiety" so any insight you might have would be greatly appreciated.


 Jobs....not as easy as in the US, but if you are persistent, you'll find something...eventually...the easiest to get are AAFES retail and commissary baggers/cashiers and such....office jobs are a bit harder.  Your first stop should be Army Community Service (ACS) at your new post, as they have the leads for all kinds of jobs in your area, to include contractor jobs and those obscure jobs that aren't really listed anywhere that you would find them.  Since you will fall under the SOFA agreement, which was made between the US and Germany after the war, there will only be certain jobs on post you are eligible for and no jobs off post if you are a US citizen (unless you get hired by a company from stateside).  I did have a friend who worked under the table in a German restaurant, working back in the kitchen.  She loved it, because she learned how to cook German dishes, except for the special sauces they made...they made those before the hired help came in!  Another friend who had a horse taught lessons to American kids at a local stable.  ACS will also help you with your resume and get you in the system to look for jobs...many people think there are just government jobs, but you'd be surprised what you'll see offered.  I know the government is trying to get rid of some of these contractor jobs, as many get paid beaucoup bucks when they could pay a government worker much less.  Good for the country, not so good for the worker....but, I still see a lot of them out there, and if you have a security clearance, you will move to the head of the line.  As a sidenote, I got a job once by volunteering.  I always volunteer anyway, but had I not volunteered, I would not even have been offered this job.  The amazing thing is that the agency went through the process of doing other interviews, but since they were so happy with my work and I was known entity, I got the job in the end....right or wrong, it pays off to volunteer and network I think.  Good luck in your search!

What you need to know about mail service overseas (APO & local)

Actual customs label listing contents as "unknown"!

Being military overseas or affiliated with the military, allows us to use the services and have a PO box through the Military Postal System (MPS).  This is a HUGE benefit, as we pay the same costs you do in the US, to mail stuff stateside....You walk into an overseas Army Post Office (APO), and it's like walking into a stateside post office...down to the posters on the wall and what we pay for stamps and such.  Yes, we also have a Belgian or local mailbox at our home.  Even if you live on-post, you will still have a local national address where you can get mail through that country's mailing system.  I'll show you how to use both.  You're going to need to use both, so pay attention.

Basically, here in Europe, our mail gets flown (by First Class or Priority) or by goes by ship (all the other methods).  I've gotten letters and Priority packages within a week from the US.  Amazon.com, as an example, is really good at getting things here the fastest out of any of the online retailers.

I sometimes get asked, well, how can you tell online retailers that you are STILL in the US (and with US postal rates) but that the package will go overseas?  Many online retailers have updated their zipcode databases to figure that out.  You see, in the old days, our addresses looked something like this:

14th IAD Box 221
APO, NY 09128

All post coming and going to Europe gets processed in New York somewhere.  This is also where it gets handed off from the USPS to the military.

Nowadays, the addresses look a bit different:

CMR 230 Box 21
APO AE 09128

So now we've got these community mailrooms (CMR) where all the units for that particular post have their mail delivered.  APO still stands for "Army Post Office" in place of the city and then "AE" stands for "Armed Forces Europe"...those bases/posts in the Pacific and other areas will have different designations, such as "AP".

Online retailers should mostly have the new database, where you can actually choose "AE"...if not, you can still choose "NY", and it'll get processed.  The only different handling they will have to do with your package is to make sure it has a customs form attached.  I've rarely had a retailer charge me extra for that.  I have had some retailers though refuse to ship to APO or overseas.  In that case, you can either take your business elsewhere (which I always let them know) or if I REALLY want that thing, then I have it shipped to a relative and then over here (which can sometimes be pricey, especially when you add on insurance) or you can use one of the many secondary shipping services, such as Ship It APO.  They will will give you a pseudo stateside address and then ship you the product for a fee.  They will act as a third party.  I've noticed that Amazon refuses to ship many of their electronics, appliances and household/pet items to APO...something about not being able to guarantee a warranty or something to that effect....or at least that is the excuse.  I once had Dell computers try to tell me the same thing when I ordered online, but when I called their customer service line and got passed through four different people, I finally reached a salesperson who not only gave me a huge discount but also added an additional year warranty (which was required for overseas shipments).  It ended up being cheaper than the online price, even with my beloved coupon code.  They said to call them at anytime in the future, so keep that in mind when trying to order online or even through their government or military sales.  You can probably talk them into a cheaper price by talking to a live body.  The computer took exactly four weeks to get here, but I was VERY happy to finally get a Dell All-in-One!

Some APOs customer mailboxes are co-located with their actual post office...some aren't.  At our previous location, we had to go one place to pick up our mail and another place to actually mail it, which always entailed a kind of ballerina dance as we figured out which one to go to first.  At SHAPE, we have a beautiful modern post office where everything is co-located inside with very generous opening hours for both the actual post office and package/registered mail pick-up...thanks guys!

Mailing letters is the same as in the US....you slap on your postage or have them do it at the window, and it'll shortly be on its way.  As I mentioned before, packages need customs slips.  I try to be as accurate as possible.  I guess retailers don't....I'm sure you saw my photo above...that one said "unknown" on the customs slip!  I had to laugh at that.  They'll also measure your box dimensions and weigh it and each class has certain restrictions...you'll find those on the USPS website.  I have noticed that sometimes, if I pick one of the slower methods (and pay for that), if the box is a smaller size, it'll somehow get sent with the Priority stuff, and it'll get there in a week.  I envision some guy with a truckfull of packages, picking and choosing which ones fit in the aircraft and which don't...I don't know how they do it, but I like to think my package must have looked just right to fit on the aircraft instead of the ship....I also feel they must be pretty generous and accommodating during the holidays, as I once got a fairly large package from the US, in a week, that was paid for to go by ship....hmmmmm.....

The best part about APO mail though is that it is FREE from APO to APO...not only letters but packages too....so if you go to Poland and pick up a bunch of heavy Polish pottery and package it safely...go ahead and send it to your friend (me for instance) in Belgium for FREE.  Send packages downrange FREE.  Just don't send flammables, pork products and pornography downrange...don't laugh...there are certain restrictions as to what you can send downrange to certain countries.  I even sent a huge package from Germany to Australia for FREE via APO....it took about 6 weeks, but it got there eventually!  Now if you want to insure anything, you'll still pay for that extra service.

Now with your local mailbox....don't ignore it!  Yes, you'll get sales circulars and junkmail if you live off post...not so much on-post.  I used to love to sign up for German catalogs to see the latest gadgets and just was curious as to what German housewives were buying in Moderne Hausfrau (Modern Homemaker).  Some of my other favorites were Quelle and Otto...and for some reason I used to like getting the frozen food (and ice cream) delivery catalog, Eismann.  You can find out more about German catalogs, here.   I also ordered things from the German Amazon site (free shipping of course), which were delivered to me onpost (our German mailman knew me by name to the point of him bringing things to my office on post when he knew I wouldn't be at home...I miss him and my doggie loved his dog treats).  If you have any German bills, such as your electric and water bills...they'll come there too.  As a sidenote, the German Amazon also ships to Belgium for free.  Thanks Bro for the torch for my now-authentic Creme Brulee.  He said it was cheaper to buy it from Germany at their  Amazon site than from the US....go figure.

This next part is important.... if you send a letter or something to a place on the German economy or another European country, SEND IT THROUGH THE GERMAN POSTAL SYSTEM (or whatever country's system you are currently in).  Why did I write that in all caps?  Because I can't tell you the number of times I've seen people send important documents through the American APO and have that letter go back to the US and then back over here again, returned to sender or sometimes making it into the German system cause a sympathetic American or German clerk along the way knew what the original intent was.  Only use the APO to send mail back to the US or to other APOS please.

And to wrap this boring but necessary subject up...I don't think I can think of anything else to say.  There was something that was on the tip of my tongue...got interrupted...and there it went...sigh....ah well.  Anyway, I hope that was somewhat helpful!  As always, if you have something to add, please add it below!

Ask VMW: Which electronics to I take overseas (and ALL your electricity questions answered)

Many times, we realize we should have more information before making an informed decision.  Here is one wife who wants a definitive answer:

"I've attended our PCS briefing, and I am still confused.  They told us not to bring alarm clocks overseas.  I think I understand the difference between 220 and 110 but then I talked to this other lady, and she told me she was not going to bring her standmixer and then couldn't explain to me exactly why?  Can you?"

I am absolutely no technical expert, but I will try to explain the best I can.  I think most overseas assignments in Germany have both 110 volt and 220 volt electricity ON POST.  Off post it is still 220 volt as before (and will stay that way as Europeans will tell you it is the superior system).  In government housing you'll see your familiar 110 wall outlets (usually one or two sets per room) and then a few more of the 220 version.

The first thing you have to do is look at your appliance....either on the bottom or if it's an electronic item (and not an appliance) it'll be written on the converter halfway down your powercord...at least I think it's called a converter.  If it gives a range up to 240 volt, then you can use it in Europe.  All you need is an adapter plug to plug it into the round outlet holes.  Pay attention to that outlet...the newer ones will have two holes and a prong to handle the grounding.  Older adapter plugs (which are made out of plastic) will only have two holes and no room for that prong in the outlet.  Sometimes, when you buy them second hand (like the thrift shop on base), they will have the older ones, and then they won't fit in the wall outlet.  You can always make a hole with whatever tool, like my husband did....but you're better off buying the newer ones.  I just feel safer that way!

If your appliance or electric item says up to 120 volt, then you cannot plug it directly into the wall, even with an adapter plug!  You will permanently fry it and ruin it.  You'll hear a loud pop, spark and then some smoke and your thing will be history.  If you have a desktop computer, many of the older ones will have a 110/220 switch on the back.  Make sure it is switched to 220 first!  Rest assured, if you do fry your computer, your hard drive in most instances will still be safe.  I took my hard drive out of a fried computer and used it in this.

  I could've also bought a new computer powersource with a plug for it, but the computer was so old, I just wanted to start over.

Now what about the standmixer?  It has something to do with the cycles...something about the megahertz....even though a transformer will step down the voltage for you to plug in your appliance or electronic item, it still cycles at a different rate.  This could cause your appliance motor to run hotter or less efficient, damaging it in the long run.  You may not notice any problems at first but only later.  This is also why a 110 volt alarm clock will not keep time, even on a transformer.

As a sidenote, I once asked an electrician who was working on something in our government quarters, how they do the 110 outlets, and he said something about actual transformers....obviously larger and more powerful, in our housing...inside the walls or wherever...so technically, anything plugged in there is running on a transformer too....just a much bigger one than you are used to.

If you need to buy transformers, which you probably will if you are off post, be sure to check local wanted ads on post as well as your thrift shop.  People are always moving, and there are always transformers as well as 220 volt appliances to be had.

Yes, the PX has them as well, but you will pay a premium for them there.  They also have all the plugs and such.  Local stores such as Media Markt (like a Best Buy....in Germany and Belgium too) has TONS of different appliances and electronics too and everything to go with it.  Many times items are on sale there.  I like to get my European surge protectors there (I would get them for your computers, TVs and expensive electronics)...yes, the PX has usually one model (European style)...but I like choices.  Also remember that European surge protectors protect at a much higher level than the American ones, so don't just interchange plugs and use your American surge protectors.  They are not strong enough.

I also mentioned in one of my other blogposts, that if you have a USB cord for your item, you can charge it through your computer or laptop.  We do that for all our MP3 players, Kindles, handheld gaming systems and such....a few are not 220 volt adaptable, and it's cheaper (although takes longer) than charging them through transformers.  Transformers take a lot of juice, so when you are not actively using one, actively UNPLUG it completely or else it will still drain electricity.  Electricity is much more expensive in Europe, so I try to cut it down where I can!  I believe the charge through a USB connection is something like 5 volts, so it is safe for just about anything you can find a plug for!

I am sure I have left something out.  If you think of anything else regarding electronics, please add below.