Live where you want to live. Sure living in base and "driving to work" is all fine and dandy, but let's not forget how many bases are complete utter **** holes or, somewhere you have no desire to actually live and settle down in.

I did "live in base" for one year. I wanted to kill myself. I commuted out to visit friends and family literally every 3 day stretch off that I had. Norfolk, VA is/was a complete cess pool of ****. But hey I "drove to work" so my life must have been 1000x better right!? Give me a break.

The fact that you can live ANYWHERE you want (i.e. A place that makes you happy and you WANT to be at) is a benefit that should not ever be overlooked with this career. I have countless friends who have, at points in their lives, loved their jobs, but hated where they lived. Thankfully I don't have that problem.

I won't lie, when your junior commuting (depending on the commute) may suck at times, but once you get some seniority - please. I've bought a hotel 3 times in the last 12 months. 2 flights a day between my home and work. First leaves at 6am, last comes home at 10pm. Everyone's situation will be different, but I can't complain at all about anything as a commuter. I also know I'm a trillion times happier than "living in base". To each their own.