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JKMV12

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Melbourne, FL
Technically where in the United States?

I am applying for a scholarship with the Department of Defense called the SMART scholarship. For those of you who don't know what this is, basically they pay for all tuition/educational expenses, $1000 for books, $1200 for health insurance, and additional $25k to $41k a year :D (taxed :( ), as well as summer internships and a guaranteed job after graduation. How ever many years i get the scholarship (max of 5) is how many years i have to work for them after i graduate. I am pursuing a Mechanical/Aerospace degree at the Florida Institute of Technology and expect to graduation with both bachelor's degrees in about 4 years...possibly 5 (which works out perfectly).

Now to my question. Where ever i choose to do the internship is also where i will work. I will be at this place for up to 10 years. I don't know where i should go. All of the places are either army, navy, or air force bases. My question is: based on your personal experiences, where would you suggest i go? At the very least what are some factors i should consider when deciding. I am 19 and have lived in Melbourne my whole life so i don't have a clue. This is major life decision and i don't know quite what to do. Any help would be most appreciated.

Here is the site for the scholarship if you are interested in learning more.

http://smart.asee.org/

Thanks, John.
 
Hey bro,
If you really want to live in a place that will lend to a variety of experience and have great weather, find a base in California. There are many installations in both Northern and Southern California. The weather is great, it is teeming with beautiful women, and opportunities for gigging are great. If you can get in near San Diego you will have year round warm weather and be close to LA. If you want some connection to the music scene. There is also a decent scene up north in the bay area. San Francisco, San Jose, and the beautiful Napa Valley offer scenery and plenty of access. California offers a lot of different variety if your lifestyle changes and you find yourself wanting to move in a different direction you can move on to the next city and get a totally different vibe. Real estate is expensive, but you get what you pay for. I don't know if that helps, but my vote is to find a spot in CA to set up in. Did I mention there are tons of hot women. :wink:
Peace.
 
Daryl said:
Hey bro,
If you really want to live in a place that will lend to a variety of experience and have great weather, find a base in California. There are many installations in both Northern and Southern California. The weather is great, it is teeming with beautiful women, and opportunities for gigging are great. If you can get in near San Diego you will have year round warm weather and be close to LA. If you want some connection to the music scene. There is also a decent scene up north in the bay area. San Francisco, San Jose, and the beautiful Napa Valley offer scenery and plenty of access. California offers a lot of different variety if your lifestyle changes and you find yourself wanting to move in a different direction you can move on to the next city and get a totally different vibe. Real estate is expensive, but you get what you pay for. I don't know if that helps, but my vote is to find a spot in CA to set up in. Did I mention there are tons of hot women. :wink:
Peace.
Hey Daryl,

Thanks for the input. I am considering California. Connections to the music scene would be nice...esp metal. Expensive real estate won't be too much of a problem b/c the DoD will basically be paying for it (that $25k-$41k :wink: ). I'll try to find a 'rent to own' deal. And yes...beautiful women is always a plus.

I am also considering Hawaii...which if i go there i will be working at Pearl Harbor. i think that would be a kool experience. Maryland also crossed my mind b/c my dad is originally from Baltimore...he has some great memories from there. I think ultimately i will look for an air force base b/c one of my degrees will be in aerospace. It is hard planning this far ahead. Your input is appreciated.

Thanks, John.
 
I had a buddy that was in the Navy stationed in Hawaii and he said that at first it was cool, but when the rainy seasons came, it sucked. It sucked bad. If you want to live in a place long term I would definately consider a place that is not geographically isolated as the islands of Hawaii are. I don't know about you, but rain three quarters of the year is not my idea of paradise. My grandfather lived in Baltimore, Maryland and enjoyed it a lot, but then again that was a long time ago. California offers the I5 corridor that connects to a direct route down into Mexico and leads all the way up to Canada. You are a reasonable drive to Las Vegas. You are a reasonable drive to skiing, snowboarding, snowmobiling at Mount Shasta. Not to mention access to the beautiful coastal highway 101. Sufing at Mavericks, fishing everywhere, windsurfing in San Francisco bay. etc... I could go on, but I'm sure that you will be doing your homework on it because this is your life and your future. It is a pretty huge decision. I have lived in different spots around the country and I live in Southern Oregon now. I absolutely love it. It doesn't have the best music scene or anything, but it is extremely beautiful and it connects with highway I5 that connects with CA and WA nicely. I was raised in San Jose, CA and that place is way happening. Silicon Valley, pretty much the heart and birthplace of the age of modern computer technology. When you can drive to surfing and then drive to skiing and then end up in Vegas on the same day, that's pretty cool. (I wouldn't suggest doing that all on the same day) My point is that no matter where you go, make sure that there is plenty of opportunity to do a lot of different things. You will discover things about yourself and possibly discover hobbies and interests that ultimately fulfill you as a person. Most importantly, have some fun. I was playing in a band in Denver, CO and there were people that I knew that worked for companies that hired them right out of college. They were miserable and could hardly wait to get the hell out of CO. Don't get me wrong, Denver is a wicked party City. Great for drinking and going to concerts, but it gets old after a while. Don't put yourself in a place that will get old and wear your spirit down. Peace. :wink:
 
Cool question. Glad to see that you are moving forward in life. I have spent many a year as a government aviation contractor and am currently in school for my masters in electrical engineering courtesy of uncle Sam so i know exactly where you are coming from. There are a great many options but first i would say look at air force. I did my time in the army and contracted with the air force as a civilian and can tell you that the air force has more cash flow meaning more nice buildings and better working paraphernalia such as test sets and tools. Also air force bases tend to be flocked by civilian companies like Boeing and Raytheon and such that do government work. So job options are more plentiful. That being said you may consider places like San Antonio, i came here for work and made it my home, or Knoxville TN or any place with a significant air force community. Also in your search be sure to look at the few square miles around the base to see who else is there providing work in case you desire a change but don't want to leave the field of work. Hope that helped a bit.

Peace, Joshua
 
Another vote for San Antonio. It's a good metal town as well. Living will be much cheaper in Texas as well since like Florida there is no state income tax. Housing is cheaper as well.
 
Hmm,


It appears Daryl has been to CA many times, but not lived here. Everything he has stated is completely accurate, but that's not what living here is like. Where the military bases are, is a desert, and it gets hot as hell. Also, I can't think of a place where a more thoughtless, selfish, superficial populace exists. However, the upside is, that all of your "quirks" will be tolerated all over. People will look at you, but not say a word, ever.

Everyone is squished in here like sardines, its overpopulated for miles.

Northern CA is a little better, but not much. Cooler weather, not so dense, nicer beaches.

There is a ton of crap to do here if you need diversion, all the time. Even weird stuff. We have everything but an NFL team, but be prepared to lay down some cash for it! Even Disneyland is up to $70 a person. Laker tickets are $100+ a game. Numerous opportunities to spend money, and spend you will! esp. if you want female company.

In order to do anything, a car is required, and all 10 million of us have one, and favor using the roads at the same time.

But, in spite of all this, I don't hate CA. In Los Angeles, you get every concert, and tons of kid groups play all the time, bands are always forming. You can go to Hollywood and see all kinds of millionaires, weirdos, and hot chicks. If you are in the right place, the beach or skiing is an hour away, or less.

Me personally, I would go to Germany! It's the most "metal \m/" place there is. They have; the killer beer of the world, stupendous mass transit, everybody loves car racing and Formula 1, and it is much safer than urban USA. But, only a few places in the world touch CA, so if you need that, choices are limited. As you might have guessed, Germany can get COLD!

Good luck!
 
Oops, sorry!

Ok, Daryl lived in Nor Cal, which is diff than SoCal, and its different now from 5, 10 or 20 years ago.


Later!
 
speedemon said:
Hmm,
It appears Daryl has been to CA many times, but not lived here. Everything he has stated is completely accurate, but that's not what living here is like. Where the military bases are, is a desert, and it gets hot as hell.

Dude..There are a lot of bases that aren't in the desert.
Here is a link: http://militarybases.com/california/
I do agree that Socal is pretty cramped and expensive, but up North it really is a totally different world. I lived in CA just about 3 years ago. I lived in Santa Clara. I played in a band there. I know your opinions are based upon living in SO.CAL, but that doesn't exactly make you an expert on CA. NOR.CAL is way better than SO.CAL if you want to enjoy interactions with people and still experience a diverse scene. Much more chill and friendly people as well. Plus, you can't deny how easy travel is with the I5 and the coastal 101 highway. San Jose, San Francisco, Capitola, Santa Clara and Santa Cruz are some of my favorite places to find restaurants and entertainment. With the Napa Valley there are tons of great wineries and microbrewed beers that can rival the German brews. (it's all about the ingredients and CA grows them better than Germany can) You have to know where to go, but it is really a great place to explore. The only reason I don't live there anymore is because I get to live a chill life in Oregon. Beautiful rivers, lakes, forests, and I can fly down or drive down whenever I want and I can get away from the hustle and bustle just as easy. I don't despise any part of CA. Except Barstow and Temecula. You know what I'm talking about Speedemon. What an armpit!!! :lol:

Hey JKMV12. Check out Travis AFB in Fairfield. Great location. Close to a lot of cool towns and has access to I5 and the coastal 101.

http://maps.google.com/maps?rlz=1C1GPCK_enUS354&q=moffett+field&um=1&ie=UTF-8&sa=N&hl=en&tab=wl
 
Thanks for all the input guys...i really appreciate it. Daryl, unfortunately i don't think Travis AFB is one of my choices. I'm sure it would be a great place to be though.

At this point i think i have narrowed it down to California, Maryland, Texas, and Ohio. Here are all the places i have to choose from, in order by state:

http://smart.asee.org/sponsoring_facilities/list_by_state

For CA i am considering either Edwards AFB or L.A. AFB. For Maryland i am considering Adelphi and Patuxent River. For Ohio i am considering Wright-Patterson AFB. And for Texas i am considering Fort Sam Houston or Fort Hood. An AFB would be ideal and i would prefer to work in a place that specializes in R&D but the place in Fort Hood would be interesting b/c they test/evaluate everything. That would be nice but i'd prefer designing and building as apposed to just testing. R&D is what i am most interested in.

Again, thanks for all your help.
 
Agreed Daryl,


NorCal and SoCal are not the same animal. I have spent a small amount of time up there.

Now that you have narrowed your choices, go for CA. Edwards is out in the desert, but L.A. is right in El Segundo, near LAX and the beach. That is a pretty nice area to be. You will be close to the defense industry in SoCal, as long is it doesn't move to Tennessee! Hollywood is about 30 min away, the beach under 10 min. Remember, if you come to CA, YOU WILL NEED A CAR. The other bases look pretty remote, so a plane may be as necc. as a car...ok I am joking, but they are kind of out there.

Ohio is pretty depressed (as in economy) and not close to anything cool but Canada. It's a good place to "get away from it all" if you don't like distractions.

Texas has bad weather, and many "rednecks". Fort hood is pretty remote, about halfway between Dallas and Houston, prob about a few hours drive to either. The other base is by San Antonio. Someone thought San Antonio is "happening" but no way.

Maryland is ok, depending on how close you are to a major city (Baltimore, Washington DC). Patuxent River and Adelphi both look rather remote on the map, and quite a ways from Washington DC. That can be good or bad. The nations capital is full of opportunities, historic sightseeing, and crime! The east coast can have poor weather and people have weird attitudes. The Atlantic is not as good for beachgoing and the Pacific/West/Left coast.

But, if the areas of study and work are not all the same at each base, those should be your priority over the state it is located.

Good luck!
 
I've been to all the places you have listed....


San Diego area by a long shot- perfect weather conditions!

San Fran area is awesome too- but I fear a repeat of the fire disaster 100 years ago- no way to get water in that town for days during an emergencey; ie earthquake. If you can risk that, the town is beautiful, the seafood is great, the redwoods majestic- 80s metal was born there as well as 60s jam rock.

Good Luck!
 
Since you are considering this particular place;


http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/us_fort_hood_shooting
 
If you are considering Texas..its a low cost of living..but outside of Austin, its very conservative. If you cant roll with that, maybe try southern California.
Just sayin.
 
Update,

did you decide where to go, or is that still down the road. Some added info, I don't know if this is relevant, but there is a military/defense exodus happening in CA. You can expect the budget cuts Congress is kicking about to affect CA, and the defense industry is leaving for greener pastures...that's a euphamism for cheaper wages.


Good luck!
 
I sent in my application for the scholarship and i am still waiting for the interview. I should know if i get it or not by march or april. As for where i'm going to go...i'm thinking somewhere in maryland but i'm still not sure. I also applied for a NASA scholarship/internship. If i get that i will either be going to Dryden Research Center in Edwards, California or Glenn Research Center in Cleveland, Ohio. I want to research aircraft propulsion systems such as ramjets/scramjets and ion thrusters.
 
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