Everything is what you make it...you can be happy anywhere or miserable anywhere. I spent 5 years at CBM and there is plenty to do if you aren't afraid to get out and look for it. Memphis, Birmingham, Tuscaloosa, are all great cities within daytrip range. New Orleans is an easy weekend get away...too bad you will be studying. There is also the river. We were fishing, skiing, camping almost every weekend. I'd say CBM has more to do around it then any of the other choices.

As far as nursing...plenty of jobs available. My wife, also a nurse, had a job lined up in the cardiac ICU unit before my latest PCS was turned off.

Not to sound like a d^&K...but if your fiance is still unhappy...leave her where she is while you concentrate on the important stuff...you wont have time to babysit an unhappy significant other. I saw too many kids fail or quit because of unhappy spouses.

BTW...great advice from Prop...

Yes but when asked where I would like to go by my squadron, That was my response. If they can get it, why not?

Amen!!!! Just be happy you are going to get first class flight training. CBM.... Tons of SEC college football... etc... crap man... I went to willy and there were WAY to many distractions......

As for the unhappy spouse... UPT is a year of 60-70 hours weeks... at least at first.. and is stressful beyond belief... the last thing any stud needs is a spouse or significant other complaining they are not getting enough together time.....

Keep in mind a large metropolis is far from ideal for a UPT location. Students flying in lots of airplanes requiring lots of airspace. There are hospitals at all 3 bases (Vance has 2). My wife is a nurse and worked while we were at Laughlin. To be frank...she hated it (working at that hospital), but she made some good friends and drew a paycheck none the less. Remind her it is just temporary and anything that can get her out of the house while you are at work for 12+ hours a day is good.

There used to be ten bases
 

It's a booming metropolis compared to Big Spring, TX. :p
The most desired bases were Williams (PHX), Reese (LBB), & Moody (Valdosta GA).

not trying to flame
 

If I didn't want you to do well in your future career, I'd keep this next bit to myself:

You are at a point in your career where you should minimize voicing your preferences. A great response to, "Where do you want to go to UPT?" could be, "Doesn't matter sir, the place that has the first open slot". Trust me, that type of attitude will win you a lot of kudoz from your superiours. After getting winged, your skeds O would love to hear, "I'll take whatever I can get". And at first, you will get the sh!t deals. But your reputation for being a team player will spread, and the good deals will start to roll in (and if they don't you'll have the job satisfaction of being a go to guy).

There will be times down track where sticking up for yourself and voicing your opinion will be important for you and your family. Until then, just enjoy the ride and take whatever you can get. You've scored a home run by getting selected to fly Guccis (guessing from your profile pic). Going through IFS or getting the absolute worst pilot training duty station is such a minor bump on the road to wings (hell, they ain't even bumps).

Hope you take this the right way. It's better coming from some random punter from the street (me) than an IP in UPT, or AC at your fleet squadron.

Cheers,

DB

Preach on it Herc! "Sweetheart, in order to put you first in my life I have to put you second to this training". Had an IP during pre-flight indoc pass this little gem to a group of us youngins.

Damn straight... I dont know about now.. but back in "my day"...three bad rides in a row and you were on you way out the door, you cant afford bad days in UPT, you dont just get "do overs" because you are not doing well today... there is a syllabus and not too much flexibility. You are expected to meet performance goals in each block and if you dont...bad things happen. ..... distractions will KILL you if you dont manage your time.... and yes.... a WIFE who is not 100% onboard with what you have to go thru the next year or more is a distraction. i was blessed with a woman who totally understood and helped me study when I was with my group. But in my class of 66.... 27 graduated... and MANY of those who were married were in those who did not make it.

Some one up above had it spot on... take friday night and saturday off... study your ass off..... be prepared... and any thing that gets in the way of being prepared has to go...

You guys really do a lot of preaching on here.. wow. All he said was this was his preference of bases........ relax. Everyone just likes to get on here and rant at people how to be.
At bid night he should say "whatever you have sir, UAV's are fine sir.. I have no preference"

Read the entire thread...the responses above are directed at the poster who has a fiance "who is freaking out" about where they might end up going to training.