6 Steps to Get the Most from Your First Duty Station
Congratulations! You have made it through your initial and individual training and arrived at your first duty station. You may still feel new to the military, but you should be filled with the pride of finally being able to practice your military profession. A great experience at your first duty station is a critical step to propel you and your military career to lifelong success.
We’ve gathered some pointers to help you get the most out of the military experience. For those longer serving military members, this article is a reminder of all that your military installation can do for you.
1. Learn and follow the regulations of your installation.
All military installations have specific rules regarding traffic speeds in housing and around schools, the procedures to enter and exit the base through base security, military uniform policies, civilian clothing standards of acceptable wear, and what roads close for morning Physical Training. The fines for violating these regulations are swift, stern, and there is no arguing that you “didn’t know.” Learn and follow them to the letter.
2. Get a map and drive the installation.
Learn where all the facilities are on the installation: the Exchange, commissary, military treatment facility, where morning “sick call” is held, the AAFES gas stations, and the nearest gym. You also want to know how long it takes to enter and leave the gate so you don’t miss morning formation or appointments (if living outside the gates). Learning where the major installations functions are will help you become more comfortable and acquainted immediately.
3. Use the MWR and AAFES facilities.
The Directorate of Family Morale, Welfare, and Recreation is an installation organization that exists to support military families. Both MWR and AAFES can help save you money that the civilian economy won’t. Learn where the gyms are, what ticket discounts are offered, and compare prices at the commissary for your grocery staples. Knowing how to get the most from these services can help save you money, deliver great recreation options, and allow you to maximize your military benefits.
4. Explore the local area and community.
It can be tempting on weekends and after a long day to sit on the couch and watch a movie, but know that you are missing out. Get out into some of the great areas around your new home. Stationed in Colorado? Get into the mountains for hiking and skiing. Stationed in Florida? Go to the beach or try ocean fishing. Stationed in Tennessee? Seek out Civil War battlefields. By getting out and exploring your new surroundings, you can create some great experiences. Take advantage of your location.
5. Give back to your “new” local community.
Try to find a few hours a month to volunteer helping school kids with homework on a Saturday morning, building a new house for an underprivileged family, or constructing a new nature trail with support organizations. School kids and members of the community will look up to you and admire you for your service and dedication. Take a few extra hours to repay their trust.
6. Get in with a great group of people.
It’s hard being new, but most military people know that. Find a group within your military unit that will give you a “team” to develop professionally as a military member and allow you as a group to experience all that the installation, the surrounding area, and the military have to offer. Moreover, get used to these people; you will be friends for life.
Your first military duty station will build experiences, habits, and connections that will last a lifetime. Take advantage of all that the military has to offer and always look to find the good, the unexpected, and the value wherever you are stationed. Something new and fascinating is just waiting to be discovered.
Chad Storlie is the author of two books: Combat Leader to Corporate Leader and Battlefield to Business Success. Both books teach how to translate and apply military skills to business. An adjunct lecturer of marketing at Creighton University and Bellevue University in Omaha, Nebraska, Chad is a retired U.S. Army Special Forces officer with more than 20 years of active and reserve service in infantry, Special Forces, and joint headquarters units. He served in Iraq, Bosnia, Korea, and throughout the United States. He was awarded the Bronze Star, the Combat Infantryman’s Badge, the Meritorious Service Medal, the Special Forces Tab, and the Ranger Tab. In addition to teaching, he is a midlevel marketing executive and has worked in marketing and sales roles for various companies, including General Electric, Comcast, and Manugistics. He has been published in The Harvard Business Review blog, Business Week Online, Forbes, Christian Science Monitor, USA Today, and more than 40 other publications. He has a BA from Northwestern University and an MBA from Georgetown University.
