Housing between NAS Pensacola and NAS Whiting

[Willfly4crayons]

As I understand, API and NIFE is done at NAS Pensacola. Then Primary can be at NAS Whiting Field or NAS Corpus Christi. From some other threads I've gained that most married Marines (especially with kids) will likely be sent to NAS Whiting. Looks like an hour drive between the two. To prevent extra moves between API/NIFE and Primary, has anyone found it beneficial to live midway between the two? Or can tell me if it's even worth it to drive 30 mins with the training schedule?(unsure of what the hours are like)

Also, when visiting NAS Pensacola for NAMI we got to tour a hanger of T-6's. What's the purpose of them being there if all Primary Training is at NAS Whiting or NAS Corpus Christi?

 

[BarryD]

Also, when visiting NAS Pensacola for NAMI we got to tour a hanger of T-6's. What's the purpose of them being there if all Primary Training is at NAS Whiting or NAS Corpus Christi?

SNFO Primary (and Intermediate Strike) is done in the T-6A at VT-10 at NAS Pensacola.

 

[villo0692]

I just graduated NIFE and checked into TW5 in Whiting, and I can tell you, that drive kind of sucks (I live in NAS Pensacola in Officer Housing), so if I could do it all over again I would move to a place that’s in between. Will be moving to Ferry Pass within the next month. At the end of the day, you will spend a significantly longer time in Primary. I didn’t move to Milton because in my opinion it’s kind of ghetto

 

[Willfly4crayons]

I just graduated NIFE and checked into TW5 in Whiting, and I can tell you, that drive kind of sucks (I live in NAS Pensacola in Officer Housing), so if I could do it all over again I would move to a place that’s in between. Will be moving to Ferry Pass within the next month. At the end of the day, you will spend a significantly longer time in Primary. I didn’t move to Milton because in my opinion it’s kind of ghetto

Gotcha! Thanks for the insight. You really end up spending more time at Primary still? Even with the 11-12 month wait to class up into API?

Maybe I'll have to check out the Ferry Pass area too. Mainly, I don't want my kids to have to move schools more than necessary.

 

[villo0692]

Gotcha! Thanks for the insight. You really end up spending more time at Primary still? Even with the 11-12 month wait to class up into API?

Maybe I'll have to check out the Ferry Pass area too. Mainly, I don't want my kids to have to move schools more than necessary.

I mean I think they got that junior officer course going on right now, where they have to go more often. It took me 11 months from checking in, to graduating NIFE. However, only about 3-4 weeks of that time I spent flying (thank you weather cancels), which I’m sure many here can agree, can be really fun…yet physically exhausting. The last thing I wanted to do after each flight was to drive my ass all the way from Gulf Shores to NASP, to do it again the next day, so proximity, at least from my point of view, has a bit more of an incidence in Primary (way more flying than in NIFE). My two cents

 

[ChuckMK23]

3205 E. Olive Road - still there! Cheap rent ?

 

[Willfly4crayons]

I mean I think they got that junior officer course going on right now, where they have to go more often. It took me 11 months from checking in, to graduating NIFE. However, only about 3-4 weeks of that time I spent flying (thank you weather cancels), which I’m sure many here can agree, can be really fun…yet physically exhausting. The last thing I wanted to do after each flight was to drive my ass all the way from Gulf Shores to NASP, to do it again the next day, so proximity, at least from my point of view, has a bit more of an incidence in Primary (way more flying than in NIFE). My two cents

I could see that forsure! Thanks for sharing your experience. Hopefully I'll get to stay in Florida and not be sent to Corpus. That would render this whole idea of 'living halfway' useless.

 

[Willfly4crayons]

3205 E. Olive Road - still there! Cheap rent ?

Going to need a few more bedrooms haha. I have small village

 

[jointhelocalizer]

I lived in Ferry Pass and it was a very happy medium between downtown and work. Palafox was 15 mins or so away. NAS Whiting was 25 mins away. If you are traveling early in the morning, you can make it in 20 if you drive offensively like most Floridians.

 

[Griz882]

Going to need a few more bedrooms haha. I have small village

I lived in base housing at Corpus (primary) and Whiting (advanced). It was very affordable and the one’s I had were OK. Although, the quadplex I lived in at Corpus has been torn down!

They didn’t have NIFE back then so I see the convenience of your thinking, but I did the P’Cola to Corpus and then Corpus to Whiting with a family and without too many issues. It’s the adventure man…the adventure.

 

[Mouselovr]

As I understand, API and NIFE is done at NAS Pensacola. Then Primary can be at NAS Whiting Field or NAS Corpus Christi. From some other threads I've gained that most married Marines (especially with kids) will likely be sent to NAS Whiting. Looks like an hour drive between the two. To prevent extra moves between API/NIFE and Primary, has anyone found it beneficial to live midway between the two? Or can tell me if it's even worth it to drive 30 mins with the training schedule?(unsure of what the hours are like)

Also, when visiting NAS Pensacola for NAMI we got to tour a hanger of T-6's. What's the purpose of them being there if all Primary Training is at NAS Whiting or NAS Corpus Christi?

If you're married, you can still request to go to Texas. Married/children just means they won't mess with your preferences. You won't be "forced" to switch from Whiting -> Corpus or Corpus -> Whiting if there are too many who requested to go to one location in your class.

I would recommend either getting a year-long lease close to Pensacola and then moving to Milton when you are done with NIFE. Or living closer to Milton to begin with. This is because the academic phase of NIFE is only 4 weeks and starts at 0800 every day. Primary is 6+ months long and you could be asked to be there for 12+ hours a day at any which hour.

The training wing you toured is TW-6, and it is for NFOs. For SNAs: TW-5 is Whiting and TW-4 is Corpus.

Also, API no longer exists. The entire program is called NIFE.

 

[Willfly4crayons]

I lived in base housing at Corpus (primary) and Whiting (advanced). It was very affordable and the one’s I had were OK. Although, the quadplex I lived in at Corpus has been torn down!

They didn’t have NIFE back then so I see the convenience of your thinking, but I did the P’Cola to Corpus and then Corpus to Whiting with a family and without too many issues. It’s the adventure man…the adventure.

I've always enjoyed pocketing my BAH but if the on base housing looks decent during school I might bite for the convenience.. depending on where I head for intermediate/advanced.

If they wait is long enough in Pensacola I might even check out what's for sale.. could make a decent rental after leaving.

 

[Griz882]

I've always enjoyed pocketing my BAH but if the on base housing looks decent during school I might bite for the convenience.. depending on where I head for intermediate/advanced.

If they wait is long enough in Pensacola I might even check out what's for sale.. could make a decent rental after leaving.

I’m not sure I’d get in the landlord foxhole. Being a “married with children” SNA is very, very hard…harder than being a single guy in the pipeline. I know, I did it and probably not very well. Concentrate on Flying, Family, and then, if you have time, Future. In that order.

 

[Willfly4crayons]

If you're married, you can still request to go to Texas. Married/children just means they won't mess with your preferences. You won't be "forced" to switch from Whiting -> Corpus or Corpus -> Whiting if there are too many who requested to go to one location in your class.

I would recommend either getting a year-long lease close to Pensacola and then moving to Milton when you are done with NIFE. Or living closer to Milton to begin with. This is because the academic phase of NIFE is only 4 weeks and starts at 0800 every day. Primary is 6+ months long and you could be asked to be there for 12+ hours a day at any which hour.

The training wing you toured is TW-6, and it is for NFOs. For SNAs: TW-5 is Whiting and TW-4 is Corpus.

Also, API no longer exists. The entire program is called NIFE.

Thank you! This is exactly the info I was looking for. Good to know I should be able to stay in Florida. Do people who go to Corpus class up into Primary faster than those who go to Milton?

 

[Mouselovr]

Thank you! This is exactly the info I was looking for. Good to know I should be able to stay in Florida. Do people who go to Corpus class up into Primary faster than those who go to Milton?

This information ebs and flow. As of recent events, Corpus classes up faster than Milton.