Anyone currently stationed in England? Can I use PX/Exchanges, Commissaries, lodging while traveling? Retired dependent. Any suggestion on places to stay in London? TIA

No, as a retiree you will not be allowed to use the BX or commissary. Yes, you can use lodging, but the US doesn't have any in Scotland or Wales or in London.

no as a retireee you cannot use any facuilites OCONUS.

I'm stationed in the UK with my husband and I saw you had another question regarding medical facilities. I am at RAF Lakenheath, which has the only hospital in the UK. Retirees and their dependents can be seen there on a space available basis, and there is availabilty. Not all the time, but it is not impossible to be seen.

Regarding driving in the UK, if you mom intends to drive here, you need to first check to see that the hire agency will allow her to drive. Some agencies will not authorize those over 70 to drive their vehicles.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: dekeoboe,

quote:

Originally posted by Mrsjvb:
no as a retireee you cannot use any facuilites OCONUS.

Maybe you should check your facts out before posting. What is your grudge directed at me? A mod? hummmm..... Maybe take the gold leaf off for a minute! Do you have something against retirees? I am only seeking info and your posts and moderating are very hostile. I thought as military we were all in this together, active or retired. You'll be in the same boat one day or passed over... All I have done is ask questions, isn't that what this Board/Forum is about! I have tried to PM you but I am unable to. Thank you to thouse that are being helpful and civil. I'd hate to think one bad apple does this on a Forum as a Mod.

Where is my post from the Spouse Froum that you locked and stated that you moved? I don't see it here where you said it was going!!!

quote:

Originally posted by dekeoboe:
I'm stationed in the UK with my husband and I saw you had another question regarding medical facilities. I am at RAF Lakenheath, which has the only hospital in the UK. Retirees and their dependents can be seen there on a space available basis, and there is availabilty. Not all the time, but it is not impossible to be seen.

Regarding driving in the UK, if you mom intends to drive here, you need to first check to see that the hire agency will allow her to drive. Some agencies will not authorize those over 70 to drive their vehicles.

Thank you, dekeoboe for the info you provided. We will have a rental with a 2nd driver, me and will double check what you wrote.

We may use the bases from time to time for lodging or whatever but also want to know where they are in an emergency.

Can you tell me what Bank company is at Lakenheath? Are there other banking facilities at the other bases?

Are there MWR Travel offices? If so, can we get info on locations, destinations into Europe and UK?

Thank you for your help. Can we PM?

quote:

Originally posted by dekeoboe:
No, as a retiree you will not be allowed to use the BX or commissary. Yes, you can use lodging, but the US doesn't have any in Scotland or Wales or in London.

I have emailed with some of the UK military lodgings in London and Scotland. Do you know anyone that has stayed at them? The one in Scotland seems nice but very expensive. Also do you have any info on the Union Jack or Victory Servicemens CLub in London? Are they nice? Thank you for your post.

Your posts were closed in the spouse forum because you cannot have multiple posts on this forum in other areas asking the same question.

Medical treatment at the base is going to depend on where you are and the SOFA agreement with that country. Some you are limited to what you can use while others you are not. Check with Tricare for your area to get information for when you are traveling and what your options for care are if needed.

quote:

Originally posted by 21936790:
Maybe you should check your facts out before posting.

and maybe YOU need tocheck the Terms of Service, hmm?! more than one moderator, not just me, has locked you posts that are all in the worng spot.

THIS is the only Forum your question belongs in. Period.

keep up the 'tude and you will find a nice suspension as a Bon Voyage presenet.

Remember, because you are not authorized to use AAFES, you cannot get gas on base. Gas off base will be expensive.

RAF Lakenheath has Keesler Federal Credit Union and Community Bank. All the other bases also have Community Banks, but I don't know if they have any other banks.

There are ITT offices on all the bases and they should be able to handle your travel questions as well as get you tickets, if that is what you are interested in.

I have not stayed in any of the UK military facilities, the Union Jack or the Victory Servicemens Club, so I cannot comment on them. If you have a car in London, parking will be very expensive. There is also a congestion charge just to drive in London proper.

quote:

Originally posted by 21936790:

quote:

Originally posted by dekeoboe:
No, as a retiree you will not be allowed to use the BX or commissary. Yes, you can use lodging, but the US doesn't have any in Scotland or Wales or in London.

I have emailed with some of the UK military lodgings in London and Scotland. Do you know anyone that has stayed at them? The one in Scotland seems nice but very expensive. Also do you have any info on the Union Jack or Victory Servicemens CLub in London? Are they nice? Thank you for your post.

The VSC and UJ clubs aren't that bad and their prices aren't all that terrible either, for London. Facilities can vary from basic to quite nice depending on where you're put (best to email them to enquire and then book in advance the UJ can be full at certain times). If you are a member of a Club in the US it might be worth checking to see if they have any reciprocal arrangements with a London or Edinburgh club - at least one all-ranks US club has an arrangement with (IIRC) the Royal Overseas League who have a nice, if slightly "tired", clubhouse in St James's for example.

As always I remind anybody from America coming to drive in the UK to make sure they know what sort of gearbox their hire car will have. If you can't cope with a manual, make sure you specify an automatic or you will be an object or derision as you bunny-hop down the road.


Sorry to see you've had a run in with the mods, but it's nice to see that Tin-Hitler complexes aren't an entirely British phenomenon.

Your post in Veterans was also closed for the same reason. And Dawn is almost right. Most OCONUS countries do not let retired military use PX/BX and Commissary. That is by treaty (Status of Forces). It was asked and answered in your post on Veterans.

If you are going to fight with Mrsjvb, it is one you can not win. She outranks the Leads and the Chief Moderators here. Plus we all love working with her. So back off.

the other post asked about treatment, unless its a medical emergency shes not likely to be seen, and if its a true emergency you can go to any british hospital (NHS) and they will see her, for when your touring around.



as said you cant shop on base. you can use lodging but you will be bottom of the priority listing, and its pcs season in the uk and i know mildenhall was full up the other day.

there are a couple spots up towards scotland that you can stay in or used to be able to if they havent shut them down in a couple years.

i would strongly advise against driving in london, its a pain and congestion charges will kill you (husband before we got met got hit with 4 in the space of an hour silly man)

also think about if you have an elderly person travelling the time of the year you come, the weather here can hit you hard if your a bit more frail that comes with health problems too.

quote:

would strongly advise against driving in london, its a pain and congestion charges will kill you (husband before we got met got hit with 4 in the space of an hour silly man)

Good point, only the very rich or the very dim drive in central London if they can possibly help it, even if you can work out how to pay the congestion charge you'll still end up driving 'round in circles because there's nowhere to bloody park. Train in and train out then use buses or the tube while you're there. Oh and get a little pocket street map as well as a tube map as the latter, while being a classic work of design, is not geographically accurate. Many tourists use the tube map as a means of getting around the cities only to discover that after changing trains about three times and waiting for ages they have actually only covered a couple of hundred metres topside.