Fairchild AFB, WA

[The Kayla]

We're PCSing to Fairchild in 16days (just had orders cut yesterday, I think?)!

Any and all information will be accepted--what's the base like? what's the deployment temp like? etc etc etc.

I fly out tomorrow to start the house hunting process woohoo!!!

Thanks!

[Day Man]

go to your circle. beyond that, I'm not the ranking officer...

[Prozac]

Kayla, if I remember from previous posts, you're a spouse right? Husband a flyer? Tankers or helos? Looking to buy or rent housing? Winter ready vehicles? Are you guys hunting and fishing types or looking for a more urban/suburban lifestyle? Spent almost 4 years there and am from the state originally. Spokane has lots to offer but you'll have to look past some warts too.

[HuggyU2]

I've only been there TDY,... but I have really enjoyed it.

I'd go there in a heartbeat.

Edited October 4, 2012 by Huggyu2

[sky_king]

From what I remember, the onbase living quarters were generally pretty small and dark. The locals are pretty friendly though as long as you answer them when they ask questions.

[Stitch]

What'dda wanna know? If you got little ones avoid living in District 81 if possible. Mead schools, while a little bit of a drive to the base, are the way to go. You gotta pick what you feel is best, but Spokane's South Hill; above oh say 18th Ave, is a nice area but a tad on the expensive side. Darn near anything you could want (shopping, restaurants, bars, etc…) is on the South Hill you could stay up there for weeks if you had to.

Commissary & BX are small but nice.

Base housing is nothing to write home about but acceptable.

Summertime awesome with 40 some lakes; some huge, some real small, within a short drive from the base.

You'll be here just in time for the Harvest Festival at Greenbluff pretty cool event where all the orchards up on the north side of town have events like corn mazes, deals on fresh picked tree fruit, awesome fresh cooked pumpkin doughnuts, food, you get the idea. Real family friendly kind of stuff.

PM me if you have specific questions.

Edited October 4, 2012 by Stitch

[Azimuth]

Great area, however coming from a TFI unit as your first tanker assignment, both of you aren't going to like the ops tempo. The club has closed, never had a golf course (however there's great golfing off base), newer BX and commissary, brand new gym, nice outdoor running track the three months Spokane has nice weather. Hospital was renovated while I was there.

I know they were building/renovating base housing when I left there in '10. If you want to live in Spokane, I'd recommend upper South Hill. A lot of people live over in Eagle Ridge off I-195. I wouldn't live in Airway Heights, though it has improved since I first got there in '06. Spokane Valley is too far of a drive IMHO. I would stick to the far northwest(Nine Mile Road) side or the south side (South Hill) personally. Gas prices are about as ridiculous as the north east, so the commute might factor in how far away you want to live away from the base.

Edited October 5, 2012 by Azimuth

[Guest]

From what I remember, the onbase living quarters were generally pretty small and dark. The locals are pretty friendly though as long as you answer them when they ask questions.

LOL

So the locals are small and dark?

[sky_king]

LOL

So the locals are small and dark?

No, the locals are about 6'9" and 450 lbs.

[Guest]

But funny accents, right?

[Seriously]

But funny accents, right?

And easily offended sensibilities.

[Guest]

Shitter's full.

[The Kayla]

Great area, however coming from a TFI unit as your first tanker assignment, both of you aren't going to like the ops tempo.

Hey, you would actually be surprised.. Dave has been deployed a lot since he's been out here (roughly two 2-3mo deployments a year), and honestly? Deployments are part of his job, so you won't really hear/read me bitch about them. I was just curious, that's all. I already know he's going to be gone a lot the first year we're there, between SOS/IP and the 365 he's going on... It is what it is, no use bitching.

I flew out last thursday, and bought a house by 4:30 Saturday in Eagle Ridge. I'm pretty happy and excited. The community that we bought in is pretty awesome. The neighborhood is outstanding.. and very close-knit. Dave is originally from WA, and his parents live about 1.5hrs away. So, close enough to help out, but so far that they won't be bothersome.

Does anyone recommend a PCM at the base hospital for my son and myself? Also, are the PCMs good about re-referring referrals? Example: My son has a referral to see a pediatric urologist and nepherologist (kidney). Will the new PCM just hand me the new referral, or will he/she have to run their own tests to see is he warrants the referral? (I know, I'm asking a pretty specific question.. but any advice/experience will be helpful to hear so I'm better prepared).

All and all, we're pretty excited about this PCS.. :)

[Guest]

Cool story Sis.