Little Rock info

[backseatdriver]

Here's some rather lengthy gouge/opinions about playing the housing game at Little Rock.

IMHO, It's a better deal to show up last minute and get forced off base, then you get the full per diem rate. Once they try to move you back on, THEN refuse gov't quarters. Once you refuse, they only have to pay you what it costs them to lodge you on base ($24.50/night for lodging and $10/day per diem since you can eat all your meals at the chow hall) unless your orders say to pay you more. If your orders say "Partial Per Diem Authorized," then you get $22/day - which I think pretty much everyone gets (these numbers may have changed a little since I was there a year ago).

All that said, if you let them force you off base by showing up last minute without a reservation, you get the full per diem until you refuse quarters.

I'm not sure how it works with single guys enroute, but I know if you're out & back, you still get BAH for where you're stationed at (since in the AF's eyes you're still paying for a place, whether you are or not). If you're married you get BAH whether enroute or out & back.

thegotoguy, even if "Accompanied" isn't marked, who says you can't bring her with you anyways? It'll just be on your dime.

And to answer the original question, as has been recommended before, The Links is a sweet deal. 5 minutes from base, free golf, the lodging costs cover rent, and they have no problem with you breaking the lease since a good bit of their business comes from LRF studs. Plus, if you're TDY enroute, you can ship up to 600 pounds of stuff to an enroute location, just enough for a couch, mattress, and some other stuff - so you can even get one of the unfurnished places.

[Guest SpectrePilot]

Even if you're offbase, you can still eat in the chow-hall. You're not technically supposed to, since you're drawing perdiem, but it's the best place to get a full meal at a convenient location. Plus, if you're hitting the gym hard--ain't much else to do-- you can stuff yourself for cheap!

[Guest Lightninbo]

str1ck... as I thought,no one wants to answer their phones after the holidays. my unit has managed to get me into academics for the first phase... but thats it.(no sims or flying) They say I will have to come back to my home unit to get the rest of my flight training. I graduate rnd on 20jan and start the rock on 27jan.... Im hoping something will give in the next few days.

[Guest thegotoguy]

Thanks for the help all.

Linda, yea, it's an out n'back to Corpus.

I will be keeping BAH from Corpus whether I live on or off base at the Rock since I have dependants so that should be nice. Is there really that big of a benefit ($$) from living off base with car gas, utilities, etc. when off base if I were to stay for instance at the Links. I guess Im leaning towards staying on base mainly for the convenience factor.

Out.

[Guest roy moore]

Stay out of the Comfort Inn. It is not very nice.

[Guest borcherk]

Just an update! We are at the rock now and they are allowing people on TDY orders with spouse to take on base housing. You will be responsible for the BAH rate w/dependant but you have no utilities, instant friends and no commute. We are very happy with it.

Also, active duty, not guard/reserve single folks are also being allowed to live on base.

This is all due to the fact that it is privatized and they want to fill some empty homes.

PM me with questions.

[Guest EC130J]

I am in the guard and just finishing up pilot training at laughlin AFB and have follow on training at the rock. Does any one know how long C-130 J training is? Any suggestions for living quarters for married folks? Anyone know where to find the class dates for fiscal year 2007? What about dates you get off for Christmas?

[Guest KoolKat]

E model training is typically about 6 months...J's are probably about the same.

I'm not sure about the married quarters thing. It's generally a TDY, so most guys don't even bring their wives (from my experience.) You can always get an apartment, they all have military clauses.

Not sure about the class dates, the RNLT date is going to be on your orders, obviously. They give you a timeline sheet the first day...if that would help.

I can't tell you the exact dates for xmas, but I do remember it was a couple weeks. That was nice.

Sorry I'm not more help. Some others may have more specific answers, but it's something for now...

BENDY

[GW]

J model school, I'll answer your question with a question. Which course are you going to? Will you be here for both qual and mission phases? Your sign in name leads me to believe you're from KMDT, in which case you should be here for the Qual phase only.

The qual phase lasts about 3 months, and is run 100% by civilian contractors (I'll save my comments on that fact for a different post) in the two simulators here at Little Rock. You never actually fly in the plane it self, but you get a check ride from the 48th IPs in the simulator who sign a conditional form 8 (for landings if I'm not mistaken) and then you're done.

The mission phase lasts about 3 months as well, but one actually flies a plane in this one, mostly formation/assault work.

So there is the potential to be down here for 6 months (longer if the Wx sucks and they get behind) or you could be down here for 3 months, or even worse you could be down here for 3 months go home for a while, and then back for another 3 months to complete the mission stuff. It all depends on what your mission is and what your training officer has available, not surprisingly my advice is to call your training officer back home and ask the same questions.

GW

Edit: I just reread your post and I realized you are asking about FY07 class dates, I'm pretty sure the NGB has not handed those down yet, so your training officer might in the dark as well. Call and find out.

[ 07. May 2006, 10:04: Message edited by: GW ]

[Guest dtfl]

The qual phase lasts about 3 months, and is run 100% by civilian contractors (I'll save my comments on that fact for a different post) in the two simulators here at Little Rock.

Out of curiousity - what is wrong with them? I work with 3 of the LM instructors and they are indeed J model LMs. I know they have some non J Pilot types...

[Guest JArcher00]

They always refer to "back when we flew the E or H models" which are 99.9% different J and they obviously have never flown the real thing so they just preach what they read. It is nice that some guys who just retired flying the J from the ground up are now making their way into the instructor slots, not at the sim in LR that I am aware but at the sim in Kessler. From the LM side, those guys seem to be great because they are doing the LM job in the J now as well as teach so they know. Do not expect to get any sort of real mission training for what you will do in the desert--obviously I can't speak for the EC guys but the regular slicks. You will get all the "real world" crap when you get home or on the way to the desert or in it. LR is good for the sign off that is all.

[Guest KoolKat]

"You will get all the "real world" crap when you get home or on the way to the desert or in it. LR is good for the sign off that is all."

E Model: Check.

BENDY

[GW]

Originally posted by dtfl:

Out of curiousity - what is wrong with them? I work with 3 of the LM instructors and they are indeed J model LMs. I know they have some non J Pilot types... [/QB]

dtfl-

RedDog was correct in his assessment. No problems with the LM instructors, my complaint is with the civilian pilot instructors in the CAE school house who have never flown the J model, but have years of E/H experience that does not necessarily translate. As far as I know there is only one (that not a typo folks that's the number 1) civilian instructor with any J time.

GW

Clarification: in my last post I said you get a conditional Form 8 for landings, that is not a true statement. You get a conditional form 8, but not for landings, it's just conditional that you fly with an IP in the plane for the first time because you've never been in the damn thing before so they wisely require an IP in the other seat.

Edit: typing buffoonery & clarification

[ 14. May 2006, 22:12: Message edited by: GW ]

[JS]

Originally posted by GW:

Clarification: in my last post I said you get a conditional Form 8 for landings, that is not a true statement. You get a conditional form 8, but not for landings, it's just conditional that you fly with an IP in the plane for the first time because you've never been in the damn thing before so they wisely require an IP in the other seat.

I was told the Form 8 was unconditional because the sim was totally certified for everything including landings. I flew with an IP for my first ride in the plane back home, but I thought that was just a local policy (I could be wrong and it could be due to the Form 8).

[JS]

Originally posted by GW:

.... in the two simulators here at Little Rock.

Did they actually get their second sim at the Rock? Last I heard it was not there yet. Is it operational?

[JS]

Originally posted by EC130J:

I am in the guard and just finishing up pilot training at laughlin AFB and have follow on training at the rock. Does any one know how long C-130 J training is? Any suggestions for living quarters for married folks? Anyone know where to find the class dates for fiscal year 2007? What about dates you get off for Christmas?

To reiterate what GW said, if you are in the Harrisburg EC-130J unit, you will be at the Rock for 3 months of PIQ training only and do local mission training back in Pennsylvania.

Since the entire course is in the Sim, they are usually pretty good about ending the sims a few days before Xmas and not picking back up again until Jan 2nd or 3rd, so I would not worry about having days off for the Holidays.

The best way to find that info (your unit should have the dates) is to call the J-model schoolhouse directly. The registrar people are pretty friendly and helpful:

Registrar: 501-987-7068

Academic section 501-987-5150 (listen for extension options)

DSN 731-XXXX

Good luck.

[JS]

Originally posted by EC130J:

I am in the guard and just finishing up pilot training at laughlin AFB and have follow on training at the rock. Does any one know how long C-130 J training is? Any suggestions for living quarters for married folks? Anyone know where to find the class dates for fiscal year 2007? What about dates you get off for Christmas?

Oh, about your other question regarding living quarters for married folks:

Since PIQ is a 3 month TDY, there are not many options for good married housing. The default you can expect is to be put up in a dorm room on base. The ones I saw were former double rooms with shared bath, but they were converted into a single with a bedroom and a study/living room. Not too roomy for a wife, but you can make do for 3 months if you want.

You can also refuse gov't quarters when you get to billeting. You are entitled to get paid the on-base VOQ rate ($27/day) and apply that for an off base apartment. The Links complex offers furnished apartments and there are several unfurnished places off base too. This might not be a great option because you are only there for 3 months.

Finally, you may be put off base into some contract hotel - and that is a crap shoot as far as how accomodating your hotel room will be for a married guy.

PM me if you have other questions about housing there.

[HercDude]

THREAD REVIVAL

I got back from AC school a couple weeks ago and thought I'd pass on some good words about Overbrook Apartments. It's located in a great spot right off of JFK Blvd, almost exactly 1/2 way between the base and downtown. Unlike my stay at the Links during co-pilot school, at Overbrook I dealt with competent management and tenants who gave a damn about the complex. Some people have been living there for over 10 years, which is weird, but they take care of the place. Management didn't have a problem with us bringing the dog, prorating rent, or breaking the 6 month lease. After I moved out I heard that they now do 3 months leases just for military folks. They don't have furnished places, but Dixie Rents hooked us up with decent stuff. For the money I haven't seen a better apartment in the LR area if you're bringing the wife/kids/dog/midget/etc.

[Guest wilco]

I can only say that I am from Arkansas and the rivermarket downtown is pretty sweet. pig sooie and stay off of the jacksonville hwy 67-167

[Guest redonohoe]

You can actually sign a short term lease with on base housing during your time at Little Rock. I signed one today with my roomate. The nice thing about it is utilities are included unlike most other apartments in the area and you are on base for those advantages. BTW I've been for a while tonight so if this doesn't make sense I'll clear it up in the morning.

[Guest misfitz]

I have thoroughly read over the topics I found through the search function and I got a lot of good information, however, I just have a couple more specific questions, if anybody can help me out...

1. I didn't see much about this Little Rock TDY NOT being a TDY en route. It won't be for us, my husband will still have to go to Kirtland and that will be our TDY en route. So basically we will have to stay on base or find a furnished apartment, as our current plan is to put most of our stuff in storage until we finally PCS. Does anyone know of/have recommendations for any furnished apartments other than The Links?

2. I've seen that spouses can stay in billeting, but I haven't seen anything about TLFs. Are these not available to students and their families? We have a dog and a cat and are trying to see if it's at all possible to take them with us.

Thanks!

[HerkDerka]

Originally posted by misfitz:

Does anyone know of/have recommendations for any furnished apartments other than The Links?

Nowhere as cheap.

Originally posted by misfitz:

I've seen that spouses can stay in billeting

Don't. They're tiny enough for just one person.

Originally posted by misfitz:

but I haven't seen anything about TLFs. Are these not available to students and their families?

Yes. Make your reservation early. The TLF building is new and pretty nice.

Originally posted by misfitz:

We have a dog and a cat and are trying to see if it's at all possible to take them with us.

Call Little Rock housing. Definitely not in billeting, but maybe in the TLF.

HD

[Guest Evan Brooke]

My husband and I just arrived at Little Rock AFB! We decided the best option for us was to live in unfurnished housing on base and rent furniture. There are like 6 furnished houses, and most of our friends got those before we did. The new TLF is fabulous, like little apartments, or like a Residence Inn, but they were booked until sometime in December.

So with our TDY money, the best decision financially (and socially) was to live on base and rent furniture from Dixie Rents. We got a really great deal with furniture and Washer/Dryer. (Ask for Melissa, she'll give you a military discount!) Plus, all our friends are in the same area doing the same thing and it's a total party here on our street. It's convenient for the guys to get to work, they never have to wait in the line to get on base in the mornings.

Email me if you have any more questions... we just arrived here 3 weeks ago and we know what's going on here in Little Rock!

[Guest misfitz]

Thank you both for your replies! :D

But could we get base housing if this is just a TDY, not a TDY en route? How would that work with our BAH from Corpus?

[ 27. November 2006, 19:56: Message edited by: misfitz ]

[HerkDerka]

Doubtful.

HD