Guess what, it is a tough choice. Yes, the Navy ultimately decides what you are going to fly/where you are going to go, but the man still has to put what he wants on the card and hope that he gets it. As you can probably tell from this thread, everyone was happy with what they flew, no matter where they were. The great thing about military life is that no matter what sh!thole you get stuck in, there are a few dozen families JUST like yours with similar backgrounds, education, and interests that are stuck in the same sh!thole. If nothing else, you can all get together in someone's sh!tty back yard and drink cheap alcohol and complain and laugh about how sh!tty it is there. That's what we do here in Milton! The platform, mission, and location will make your first duty station liveable. The people at your squadron/first duty station will make it unforgettable. There probably isn't a bad duty station out there.