OK, I'm hoping I could be helped out here. Soooooo, I'm married (don't know if that affects this..) and our 'dream' is to get an overseas base when I get out of tech. I know that in Basic I will fill out a dream sheet. My recruiter told me that if I will make 8 choices, and that if I want overseas..put nothing but overseas down. Now, I've been reading around and I see that apparently you choose 8 overseas and 8 stateside bases in basic. So, if he told me in order to reach my goal to put nothing but overseas, how will i do that. I do know that it is all up to the AF where I do end up going...but someone, anyone...PLLLLEEEEAAAASEE straighten this out for me. How does the dream sheet work???

This is one of those few situations when I'd say don't listen to your recruiter. The "Dream Sheet" lets you document where you'd PREFER to serve. If you want to go overseas, there's a block to check, indicating that you're a VOLUNTEER for overseas duty: Long Tour, Short Tour, Extended Tour. If it should happen that there's no requirement anywhere overseas for your AFSC, and if you haven't made any stateside selections, you've just kissed off any chance to have a voice in your stateside assignment.

Yes, the AF has the final say, and your assignment will be wherever the AF needs you, but you can actually have an effect on your assignment--but ONLY if you complete your Dream Sheet.

See with my AFSC(Fuels) Im hoping to be able to go overseas...how hard or easy would it be to get overseas for fuels??

Rightoff the top of my head--and I'll stand corrected by anyone who has better poop--I'd say that it's do-able. Of course, you need to bear in mind that there are places overseas where your spouse can't go. Other places where spouse can go, no sweat. And others, still, where spouse can go, but it can be a little inconvenient.

Still, I'd say: "Do-able."

Spot on advice from the Major. As far as I know anywhere they have a flightline they are going to need people handling fuel so you should be in great shape. Good for your wife wanting to go overseas, her adventurous spirit will increase the chances that your relationship survives the rigors of military service. Good luck.

quote:

Originally posted by wgraham969:
Rightoff the top of my head--and I'll stand corrected by anyone who has better poop--I'd say that it's do-able. Of course, you need to bear in mind that there are places overseas where your spouse can't go. Other places where spouse can go, no sweat. And others, still, where spouse can go, but it can be a little inconvenient.

Still, I'd say: "Do-able."

Major, with all due respect. It's "Do-Able" that I'd be transfered overseas to Turkey and Italy as a programmer. Will it happen though?

My recruiter did fuels before he cross-trained, and he said he went to over 10 different countries.

quote:

Originally posted by BlackMagix:
....
Major, with all due respect. It's "Do-Able" that I'd be transfered overseas to Turkey and Italy as a programmer. Will it happen though?

Not quite as likely. When you look at the number of programmer slots in Turkey and Italy, and compare that to the number of POL slots in Turkey and Italy, you'd find a huge imbalance. Everywhere that there are either vehicles or aircraft, or both, you're gonna find POL. You can't say that same thing about programmer slots.

My verdict? Stil do-able.

Ok, but when I am sitting that room: How many choices will actaully make??

Well POL is just like any other job in the military these days. They keep only enough to fight wars, and the rest gets contracted out. I'd say at least a third to half of the bases are contract.

POL is a great job to get stationed overseas. You've got Lakenheath and Mildenhall in the UK. Lodges in the Azores, Ramstein, Sembach, and Spangdahlem in Germany, Incirlik in Turkey, Aviano in Italy. You've got Yakota, Kadeena, and Misowa in Japan. There are even more opportunites, a lot of bases only have 5 POL troops so look out for those places too. That also applies to the states.

Well you should probably fill out both sides of your dream sheet, 16 choices, and hope for the best. Now I've seen a quite a few groups come out of tech school. Usually they fill overseas spots all at once. Entire classes get sent overseas, while entire other classes don't. Its where the needs at.

I was sent stateside, then as soon as the EQUAL Overseas listing came out about 6 months after I was there, I put down whatever bases I saw and I got one. So I was only stateside 1 year then got sent overseas.

If you absolutly want to go overseas, you can volunteer for a remote assignment. There are tours you can do without your family usually for 1 year that when you leave you get BOP. Base of Prefrence basically lets you choose your follow on assignment from your remote tour. You are very likely to get a place you want to go. I would suggest putting Incirlik in Turkey, and putting down the remote code, its a 15 month. Or you could put down the Korea bases, there are two big ones Osan, and Kunsan. There are also smaller places in Korea. You can volunteer for these if you get a stateside assignment too and you have a good chance of being chosen.

I hope your wife really wants to be overseas. A lot of problems arise from spouses who can't deal with being so far from home. Its really expensive to fly home from here too. You can fly space available, but that can be stressfull and you still might have to buy tickets stateside. But overseas assignment can be very rewarding with the right attitude.

Oh yea, you will still deploy just like anyone else, being overseas doesn't stop that. Of course at a remote you are there on a controlled tour and are just there.

Hope that Wall o' Text helped out.

My bf in BMT right now.. He wrote me and said that he did his dream list and that he picked all the bases in FL.. we live here in FL, and that's where we want to be, or near it.. he's in security forces.. what are the chances that we'll get to live in FL or near?
oh, and we're getting married, idk if that makes a difference..

thank u

Well when you want all the bases in a certain area you have the choice to put the entire state as a choice in one slot. Or if not that I know for sure you can choose geographical areas like say south east like florida.

He may get one, or he may get close, or he may go to montana. Who knows, I think being married matters a little as far tour length.

Okay, so my recruiter was telling me that if i really want overseas than just put down overseas. OK so should I just put down 8 overseas bases? Is it possible to leave the stateside portion blank? And another question is, I kinda wanna get this confirmed: Will the give me a sheet b4 i fill out this dreamsheet with the bases I can go for fuels?? And Is that dreamsheet going to be: Pick 8 statesides and 8 overseas(total 16) Then pick a top 8 out of that? Or is it just 8/8? ANd if it is how do they know I would rather go overseas than stateside?

You get 8 choices for states, and 8 for overseas, you can leave as much blank as you want.

READ CAREFULLY HERE: I know people who put all overseas, and got stateside. I know people who put all stateside, and got overseas. SOOO choose 8 you like from stateside, and 8 you like from overseas. If you end up somewhere you don't like, follow my directions from above. Also, at tech school you can trade assignments with someone willing as long as they are same rank and leaving same time as you.

They give you a list of bases, and I think it is job specific. But you probably should figure this out before hand and try to remember. Do your research. I'll do a little leg work for ya:

Each base has a different amount of manning that you can't know without research. For example Ramstein AB in Germany has well over 100 fuels troop, while Sembach in Germany has less than 10. Keep that in mind.

Let me know your choices and I'll inform you the bases, I know whats what. Oh yea, all the numbers are the skill levels, you will be considered a 3 level, so you can only go to bases with a 3. 15 months after you get to your base you are a 5 level and can go to those bases. I'm not sure, but it might be possible to go in a 5 level spot as 3, not sure though. Keep in mind these skill levels listed arn't all correct I see some wrong ones but its mostly good.

Heres the link I got this from, they have the AFSC wrong, but its fuels, trust me.
http://usmilitary.about.com/library/milinfo/afjobs/assignments/bl2f0x1.htm

2F0X1 Fuels
Location Skill Levels
ALTUS AFB OK 3, 5, 7, 9
ANDERSEN AB GUAM 3, 5, 7, 9
ANDREWS AFB MD 3, 5, 7, 9
ARNOLD ENG DEV CN MLS TN 7
AVIANO AB ITALY 3, 5, 7, 9
BARKSDALE AFB LA 3, 5, 7, 9
BEALE AFB CA 3, 5, 7, 9
BOLLING AFB DC 5, 7
BROOKS AFB TX 5
CANNON AFB NM 3, 5, 7, 9
CHARLESTON AFB SC 3, 5, 7, 9
CHIVRES BELGUIM 5, 7
COLUMBUS AFB MS 7
DAVIS-MONTHAN AZ 3, 5, 7, 9
DOVER AFB DE 3, 5, 7
DYESS AFB TX 3, 5, 7
EGLIN AFB FL 3, 5, 7, 9
EIELSON AFB AK 3, 5, 7, 9
ELLSWORTH AFB SD 3, 5, 7, 9
ELMENDORF AFB AK 3, 5, 7, 9
ENRIQUE SOTO CANO HONDUR 5, 7
F E WARREN WY 7
FAIRCHILD AFB WA 3, 5, 7, 9
FAIRFORD RAF UK 5, 7
FORT BELVOIR 5, 7, 9
FT HOOD TX 5
GRANDFORKS AFB ND 3, 5, 7
HICKAM AFB HI 7, 9
HILL AF RGN UT 5
HILL AFB UT 3, 5, 7
HOLLOMAN AFB NM 3, 5, 7, 9
HONOLULU/HICKAM IAP HI 9
HURLBURT FIELD FL 3, 5, 7, 9
INCIRLIK TURKEY 3, 5, 7, 9
KADENA AB RYUKU OKINAWA 3, 5, 7, 9
KEESLER AFB MS 3, 5, 7
KELLY AFB TX 5, 7
KUNSAN AB KOREA 3, 5, 7
KWANG JU KOREA 5, 7
L G HANSCOM FLD MA 5, 7
LACKLAND AFB TX 5, 7
LAJES FLD AZORES 5, 7, 9
LAKENHEATH RAF UK 3, 5, 7, 9
LANGLEY AFB VA 3, 5, 7, 9
LAUGHLIN AFB TX 7
LITTLE ROCK AFB AR 3, 5, 7
LUKE AFB AZ 3, 5, 7, 9
MACDILL AFB FL 3, 5, 7, 9
MALMSTROM AFB MT 7
MCCHORD AFB WA 3, 5, 7
MCCONNELL AFB KS 3, 5, 7
MCGUIRE AFB NJ 3, 5, 7, 9
MILDENHALL RAF UK 3, 5, 7, 9
MINOT AFB ND 3, 5, 7, 9
MISAWA AB JAPAN 3, 5, 7, 9
MOLESWORTH/RAF UK 5
MOODY AFB GA 3, 5, 7
MORON AB SPAIN 7
MOUNTAIN HOME ID 3, 5, 7, 9
NELLIS AFB NV 3, 5, 7, 9
OFFUTT AFB NE 3, 5, 7, 9
OSAN AB KOREA 3, 5, 7, 9
PENTAGON ADM VA 7
PETERSON AFB CO 5, 7, 9
POPE AFB NC 3, 5, 7
RAMSTEIN AB GERMANY 3, 5, 7, 9
RANDOLPH AFB TX 7, 9
ROBIN AFB GA 3, 5, 7, 9
SCOTT AFB IL 3, 5, 7, 9
SEMBACH AB GERMANY 5, 7
SEYMOUR JOHNSON AFB NC 3, 5, 7, 9
SHAW AFB SC 3, 5, 7, 9
SHEPPARD AFB TX 5, 7, 9
SPANGDAHLEM AB GERMANY 3, 5, 7
SUWON ABS KOREA 7
TAEGU KOREA 5, 7
THULE GREENLAND 7
TRAVIS AFB CA 3, 5, 7, 9
TYNDALL AFB FL 7
VANCE AFB OK 7
VANDENBERG AFB CA 7
WHITEMAN AFB MO 3, 5, 7, 9
WRIGHT PATTERSON AFB OH 9
YOKOTA AB JAPAN 3, 5, 7, 9
ZUMURTALIK TURKEY 7

Ok, well im little lost. At the point where you say "If you end up somewhere you don't like, follow my diat rections from above." What are those directions??

Well, the bases I've been looking at are Aviano,Italy. Ramstein, Germany. Andersen, Guam. Okinawa,Kadena,Japan. Incirlik, Turkey. Lakenheath or Mildenhall, UK.

Another question..these would be bases where your spouse could come along right???

BTW, Thanks sooooo much for your input. I really appreciate it!

I was refering to my first post, read BOP. Basically if you get somewhere you don't like, volunteer for a remote. You go for a year, and get to pick your next base. A remote is without your wife. Ha, you are soooo a POL troop. Its a good thing

Aviano, Ramstein, Anderson, Kadena, Incirlik, Lakenheath, Mildenhall. All these bases are the ones you can bring your wife to.

Aviano is great from what I hear, especially if you want to go to Italy.

Ramstein central europe location, you can travel all over.

Anderson thats a hard one to get, small island, hope you like water.

Kadena you must like water.

Incirlik you have to live on base just to let you know. Is as close as your wife is gunna get to the middle east. TDY handles distro, permanent party does everything else. The base has no assigned aircraft, just TA. I know you don't understand any of that.

Lakenheath and Mildenhall 30 min from each other, close to London. Lakenheath has fighters loud and fast pased. Mildenhall has heavys not as loud and slower paced.

Now pick some stateside bases, I WILL laugh at you if you only put overseas an you end up at Minot North Dakota.

Thats cool. How would I go about finding out how many fuels troops are on the bases?

Well, you probably can't. Its not public knowledge that I know, or where to get it. If you called asking they would think you a terrorist. I'd say most bases you can go to would have a 50 to 100 man shop. I can say Robins, Hill, Dyess, Keesler an Beale are closer to the low manning side, everything else 3 levels go is normal sized.

So Austin, are you exited about driving a big green fuel truck?

It really depends on where they need you the most. It's all up to the Air Force and where they put you. Some people in my class put overseas but was station stateside. Some people got lucky and got there first choice.

I was one of the lucky few who actually got my first choice, but I don't know if that will happen agian.

The only thing you can do is cross your fingers and hope you get your first choice.

ok. So my bf told me that when he picked his dream list, he only put fl bases, which i think there's five, right? im not sure.. Anyway, he also had to pick some overseas ones too, right? He didn't mention anything about that in his letter.
And i don't understand. If you don't like the base they put you in, what is that you can do? I'm sorry but I'm so new to this.
thank you!