If you've never commuted before, you can't really understand the impact it has on your job satisfaction. Like the previous poster stated, it is absolutely a completely different job if you live in base versus commuting. I had one of the easiest commutes imaginable, and it still sucked most days. Living in base is a game changer, no question. If this is your first 121 job, talk to commuters and talk to those who drive to work. Make up your own mind, but my personal experience is that it was by far the worst part of the job (worse than draconian work rules, being junior manned, crap first year pay, etc.)