Where jobs are available to wives on/around an Army Base?

My wife and I are trying to decide between Army reserves and full time active. She's concerned about jobs available to her. She is now working for the state in the disability benefits program working on claimant's cases. I'm hoping many people will reply with positive experiences as I'm leaning towards full time. Can wives work at the bases, too? We're looking around the big cities like New York, D.C., etc.


Thank you, again!

Where jobs are available to wives on/around an Army Base?
Check this link out... http://www.milspouse.org/... hopefully it will help. (MilSpouse.org is your resource library for military spouse employment, education and relocation information. Here you will find links to employment related information and other resources for military spouses and military families.)
Reply:On the installation; There are civilian jobs within the operations of the post Headquarters such as clerical positions, the post engineers (those responsible for the up keep of the base) hires civilians in large numbers and the post housing hires civilians to manage and maintain temporary quarters. Additionally the Post Exchange (PX) and Commissary is operated by civilian employees. If the base has a Mall Complex your wife can possibly can rent a space and create her own business opportunity. Most bases have the major fast food chains located on them that hire the military dependents as well as the base library, child care facilities and recreational facilities.





Off the base; Most of the major military installation have ('Army Town') towns or cities bordering them like outside Fort Benning is Columbus, GA, Fort Hood is Killeen, TX, Fort Dix is Wrightstown, NJ, etc. when employment opportunities abound from A.J. Wrights to health care to whatever, if she's willing to apply herself and hurt for the position she desires there isn't any reason why she can't find it.
Reply:Sure your wife can get a job working for AAFES(PX, etc...) or Deca(commissary). She could even get a DoD job, she can even try getting a job as a substitue teacher. But there are plenty of options open to her. And depending on where you are stationed places like Home Depot or Wachovia are big on hiring military spouses.
Reply:spouses can find a job on or off base. The problem is finding a job they;d be willing to do at a salary they are willing to take.





In some areas, the only thing available is retail. In others you can be a professional quite easily. It will take hard work and commitment on her part to be able to work wherever you are stationed.. keeping in mind that if you ever get sent OCONUS, her opportunities will be severely limited based on SOFA, which relegates most jobs to Host nationals. and she must understand that in many places she will be over qualified, and on others she will be underqualified.
Reply:Yes she can, I believe there is someplace on base that you can go and see a list of all the job postings.
Reply:you wife can get a job at the commisarry, the px, and all the army community services shops she can work at a day care, or work off base if she wants. some times there are slim pickens when it comes to jobs for spouses, but it depends if you get sent to a small or large base
Reply:I can tell you right now you are going to be dissipointed. The chances of you ending up in a large East Coast city are slim.





With that said like someone said above there are a ton of places to work on base and off base but in the area. bases are generally their own little community so they always need the same kind of people that regular towns need.
Reply:Well are you US military because the bases in NY are nowhere near NYC and getting stationed at DC is unlikely unless you are a key person or a PSD agent. Honestly they are sending you where they need you and jobs are hard to get but the fact that she already works for the state will work for her, I know a few wives who are able to transfer from base to base.





What MOS are you that will affect a lot as well. Also when you are deployed for 15mo will your wife want to stay at base of go home closer to family. I mean there are tons of variables but you are likely not going to be stationed near a big city in the army. You will also have little choice of where you will go.
Reply:There are always jobs on the base, they are not always good jobs. If your wife has an education that will help. It is really hard to get in to the GS jobs. Veterens have preference. There are always jobs in the surrounding community as well. Some army communities are VERY good about about hiring military spouses and some are NOT. It just depends. When I was looking in SC I sent out resume after resume off post and only had one interview. I ended up having to work at the PX for a few months until something better came along. Now we are in TN...I have had many interviews but still job hunting after 4 months. May have to take something at WalMart or something until I can do better. It is NOT easy finding good work as a military spouse. You have to start over everytime you move...it can be frustrating. The key is to make sure that you can support the two of you, then if she gets a job great and if it takes awhile...that is ok too! Good luck.