Moving to South Carolina!!

[boxinabag]

Well it has finally happened, my wife and I are finally moving away from Texas (sorry Texas lovers). We despised it here for 3 and a half years (San Angelo, West Texas). She is being stationed at Shaw AFB in Sumter, SC! We are very excited, there will be grass and trees!!! I am also excited about only being 30-45 minutes from a city instead of 3 hours, and about 1 and half hours from the beach!

However, I am a little stressed, I have a job here in San Angelo that pays pretty decent ($40K a year) and now I have to find a new job :-/. I am a Systems Admin for 12 counties 911 systems so you would think it wouldn't be hard finding a job but without a degree it is a bit challenging (kind of upsetting actually, I find experience to be more important but others disagree). To make my search easier I will be testing for my Net+ and Linux+ soon (should be a breeze).

So I have a few questions, anyone out in that area that is willing to show us around? and does anyone know of any open positions in the IT field?

We will be moving there in late January! Other than finding work, I am THRILLED! Hopefully my car doesn't blow up on the way there XD

 

[falke401]

I am stationed at Shaw. If you have any questions just let me know. It might be hard finding a job here because it is a very small and poor town.

 

[boxinabag]

Thats the funny thing about it, it is actually bigger than San Angelo from my readings haha. But I am willing to commute to Columbia if I have to. If worse comes to worse I will join the AF Guard (I was originally going to enlist active but I can not since my wife is already active and we have a son, we would have to both give up full custody, but guard you can do without a problem..I don't understand it either lol).

How is the area (environmentally, people, gym)? Our current base is such crap it's not even funny, the flight line has not been active in over 30 years from my understanding lol (maybe not even since world war 2 lmao).

 

[harry gilbert]

Beautiful state, great food, and lots of nice people. But, they're still fighting the Civil War down there!

 

[JDStud6]

A job in Cola is much more realistic. Maybe you guys could find a place between Sumter and Cola and split the drive.

This is a longshot, but do you know anything about HBSS?

JD

 

[GOTSVT?]

Ugghh, SHAW AFB sucks!
Charleston AFB is where its at!

 

[CobraBob]

This will overall be an exciting new chapter in your lives. You'll eventually find a job. Maybe in the same line of work. Maybe slightly different. But it is all good as any job experiences you get should be positive for the future. Your option to join the AF Guard is interesting, but wouldn't it then be possible that you and your wife could eventually be stationed in different bases/states? How long is she going to be stationed at Shaw, and how long would your Guard enlistment be for?

 

[2001Bullitt]

Good luck with the move man. Hey at least you can make Mustang Week next year:beer:

 

[SID297]

Drove through there many times. I'm sure you guys will make it to the beach pretty often.

 

[chrisheltra]

ugghh, shaw afb sucks!
Charleston afb is where its at!

+1

 

[usmcrebel]

Beautiful state, great food, and lots of nice people. But, they're still fighting the Civil War down there!

mmm mmm good


we are not we won it you're just trying to take it back

 

[boxinabag]

Ugghh, SHAW AFB sucks!
Charleston AFB is where its at!

Why does it suck? It can't be any worse than this crap shoot I live in now haha.

This will overall be an exciting new chapter in your lives. You'll eventually find a job. Maybe in the same line of work. Maybe slightly different. But it is all good as any job experiences you get should be positive for the future. Your option to join the AF Guard is interesting, but wouldn't it then be possible that you and your wife could eventually be stationed in different bases/states? How long is she going to be stationed at Shaw, and how long would your Guard enlistment be for?

Thanks for the enlightening words CobraBob, I hope I do find something before we move there though.

If I were to join the gaurd I could go active guard or inactive. The benefit is being able to choose where you want to live, if the spot is available, your in. So it would be very hard for her to be in a different area than me. However, if she gets stationed over seas, I could go inactive, which basically means I don't get paid or do anything because there isnt a station over seas for gaurd.

She will be at Shaw for at least 2 years. Here 4 year enlistment is over in June, but she has already extended it to January 2013. She is trying to get her degree and once she gets it she will try to go to OTS (Officer Training School) and become an officer. I am not sure how enlistment with the guard works.. but I believe it is the same, 4 year enlistment or 6 year enlistment. I would choose 4 years.

Good luck with the move man. Hey at least you can make Mustang Week next year:beer:

Where is Mustang week held usually?

 

[96stanggt]

Shaw isn't a bad base. But as stated you'll have better luck with a job in cola. Mustang week is in myrtle beach, about an hour and a half from there

 

[floyd4ford]

Hey atleast you will have a decent Football team to pull for. lol