I may have the chance to be stationed in Fairbanks Alaska. More than likely If I ask for it, I'll get it since it's known as a dark cold place in the middle of nowhere for military. Should I give up another 3 to 4 years of my social life to be stationed there to enjoy the great resident rates? Fairbanks is only 30000 people and I can tell ya that is no party town size. A lot of me does, at the same time, a lot of me doesn't as I am going crazy being in the middle of Missouri right now.
30,000 is pretty small and unless you grew up there will probably have mane cliques and social groups that are hard to really get into like most small towns
I have a friend at the base up there and he loves it. They are always up to outdoor activities, hunting,snowmobiling, atving, watching the northern lights. It might help your social life and it's not like you'll be a lone there is a whole base of people. Go and do it while you can. The only thing you'll regret in life is the stuff you didn't do.
I have friends stationed there. I'd go for it but would rather have Anchorage. Fairbanks weather is far more extreme being in central Alaska vs on the coast... But if it came to Fairbanks vs a lower 48 stationing I'd jump on it. But I already had intentions of moving there anyway.... And I love backcountry adventure hunts. Before moving, have you done any of these hunts to see if they even appeal to you? It's definitely not for everyone, hunter or not.
I'm sorry but if someone can't find friends in a town of 30,000 people there is something wrong with you. I consider 30,000 people a decent sized city... It should have everything you need to find and establish friends. Unless the people you are looking to become friends with are still living in their high school days, I don't expect a problem with cliques and social groups.
Yup I grew up in a town of 21,000ish As always with the army, time is never a choice. I have to decide within the next few weeks, in that time I can't squeeze in anything as even if I wanted to, the army would have to give me permission to travel, that's after they require a 2-3 week advance notice. You can find friends, but nothing like 100,000. Having grown up in a town smaller than that, cliques form and it's a small town. If you go to big cities it's much easier to meet new people and socialize. I know that there are more than just bars and clubs to hang out at, but going to my small town bar/club where there is no one there, vs a town of 100,000? Huge difference. Top that off with military being male dominated. There is also the chance I could go to Ft Carson, CO. But I would more than likely deploy for a year. I would definitely agree Richardson is a much better option, if it were Richardson, Id jump on it. But the Army isn't really about giving you options you want = )
True. I spent my entire life in a city of 2,000... So it's a bit different because 30,000 is huge to me. I still don't think there would be a problem finding friends or having a rough social life.
30,000 is tiny... My city is 300,000 and it feels tiny sometimes. And most people that live in small towns and do not leave still hang out with their HS friends. Small towns are very cliquish.
One day id like to settle in a small town, but not as a single guy. 30,000 it's big enough for me to live in, but not enough of a social scene. When I went back home to visit a year ago, my friends basically went out to the bar and talked, then came home and watched movies as a group. Fun yes, but nothing like the party in the cities.
Man... put in for Alaska! It's the assignment of a lifetime IMHO. I put in for it out of basic and again after a tour in NH... got sent to Puerto Rico!
The good thing would be, is that I could just think of it as "college time" as in I could simply study hard and continuously take courses to get into another good grad school when I get out. It's just I was in Afghanistan all last year, here in a town of 5000 this year, and then thinking about another 4+ years in a small town where I may or may not have a good social life?(aka girls) Makes me think twice.
= ) Thats definitely true. I've been in big cities and small cities so I know city life isn't usually crazy like that pictures and what people think.
That is what some people have been telling me. I think I'm more scared of the sub zero weather than anything.
You're in the Army for cripes sake!!! What's a little weather??? Suck it up buttercup and put in for a great assignment! And like others have said... you may come home with a wife. Or... you may muster out and stay there with a wife. Or... you may never meet a girl there - (and you invest in yourself via additional education) that's a chance you take wherever you get stationed. All joking aside... all the people there deal with the weather and make out okay - so you'll probably make out okay too!
