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How bad/good is Bahrain living?

electric_warrior

New Member
pilot
Hey all,

I'm trying to make the choice between a 2 year dissoc. in Bahrain (staff) vs The Boat (Norfolk). I plan on getting out @ MSR. Mainly curious to hear what long-term QoL is like from anyone with experience living in Bahrain (preferably married types). Also curious to learn more about what the daily grind/work schedule is like for an overseas "staff" job? (I'm sure it varies by location). How much time off is there? For someone looking to get out, are the overall QoL and job demands of Bahrain staff worth being spared the pain of a boat tour?

Thanks for any advice!
 

DONOSAURU5REX

Well-Known Member
pilot
Hey all,

I'm trying to make the choice between a 2 year dissoc. in Bahrain (staff) vs The Boat (Norfolk). I plan on getting out @ MSR. Mainly curious to hear what long-term QoL is like from anyone with experience living in Bahrain (preferably married types). Also curious to learn more about what the daily grind/work schedule is like for an overseas "staff" job? (I'm sure it varies by location). How much time off is there? For someone looking to get out, are the overall QoL and job demands of Bahrain staff worth being spared the pain of a boat tour?

Thanks for any advice!
I imagine you are talking CVN so I'm guessing you have an idea of what you are getting into there. If not, which boat? My buddy was on staff in Bahrain (enlisted) and lived in a really nice, huge apartment by himself. From what he told me the base is stacked and there are some things to do off base, but lots of restrictions. Good news is when he did get time off he would just hop on a plane and travel for a few days. Of course this all depends on your command, but he didnt mind it.
 

Uncle Fester

Robot Pimp
None
Super Moderator
Contributor
Go to Bahrain. It's fairly painless as 5th Fleet goes. NSA has good amenities considering how small it is (I've seen CONUS bases that are worse, put it that way). 40-ish% of the folks there are accompanied. Everybody lives out in town, barring a few junior E's. The housing selection is nice. The country is relatively liberal and westernized. You can get booze and pork. The locals don't hassle you; they'll protest the royal family and MOI (cops) but are ambivalent at worst about Americans. Only real downside is asshole Saudis streaming across the causeway every Thursday. Also there's not a whole lot to do on off days, though that usually means everyone winds up getting together at somebody's house. Plus, epic Friday hotel brunches. Work/life type stuff kinda depends on your boss and billet more than anything else. If you're not on a watchfloor billet, it'll probably be an 8-4, Sun-Thurs office job. I'd say QOL-wise, it's closer to being stationed in Germany or Japan than, like, Djibouti or DG or somewhere.
 

zippy

Freedom!
pilot
Contributor
You're going to have to go to something like a regional either way to get current most likely... IF you're looking towards airline life. Go enjoy Bahrain, save a bunch of money and prepare for the next Chapter. You won't miss out on shitty boat life.
 

Pags

N/A
pilot
Both have challenges when it comes to getting out at MSR and the subsequent job hunt. But, you'll be home most nights in BAH with the family as opposed to being haze grey and underway. Also, living overseas is an awesome experience that is much harder to do as a civilian. Finally, BAH is close to Europe and other decent travel locales for when you get tired of the Kingdom.
 

villanelle

Nihongo dame desu
Contributor
Just spent a week on vacation with some dear friends who are now in Bahrain. These people are no strangers to overseas tours. This is number 5 for them and they are hoping for a #6 in the future, so they aren't people who are going to hate any place that isn't 'Merica. They most definitely do not love it.

They do have a large, lovely home, and a housekeeper that comes in twice a week as well as a gardener who does a lot to make their lives easy. They have also traveled some pretty cool places. The wife and kids (ages 12-18) aren't exactly unhappy, but it's the first place they've been very ready to leave. They don't care for the people, the women (wife and daughters) don't love the local views on women, they say there's not much to do, and the weather is brutal.

Again, these are people who are pretty damn worldly. When they first arrived, they were trying to convince us to go there next. After a couple months, they changed their tune.
 

electric_warrior

New Member
pilot
Thanks for the input everyone. Very helpful! Mainly curious about internet quality (considering how much time we'll spend indoors) as far as Netflix streaming, skyping, etc. Also wondering how easy/cheap it is to get airfare to Europe for long weekend getaways. I feel like a Eurotrip every couple months could hugely allay the boredom.
 

villanelle

Nihongo dame desu
Contributor
Thanks for the input everyone. Very helpful! Mainly curious about internet quality (considering how much time we'll spend indoors) as far as Netflix streaming, skyping, etc. Also wondering how easy/cheap it is to get airfare to Europe for long weekend getaways. I feel like a Eurotrip every couple months could hugely allay the boredom.

This came up on our trip, and our friends commented that their internet is pretty bad, and that they get better internet on their phones than via their home service. I've Facebook called them a few times and it was doable, but a little glitchy.

Not sure about Europe travel (though 10 minutes on Skyscanner would probably give you a decent idea), but they've been Nepal, Jordan, and South Africa, and maybe a couple others, and I doubt it was super expensive as they have 4 kids so they need 6 tickets.
 

LFCFan

*Insert nerd wings here*
It's not a place I would voluntarily live again, but it is a lot better than the Boat.

Sums it up pretty nicely. I will say that NAVCENT is a lot of work, and there are times when I wish I was on the boat instead of here. It can sometimes be similar working hours minus the camaraderie. Then again, I was never ship's company, so I know I missed a lot of pain that would come with a disassociated tour for an aviator. But as someone said above, it really depends on your boss and billet.

The only other pro to keep in mind is that two years of tax free is probably a good financial decision for someone about to get out, provided that you don't blow it all on rugs.

For the people reading this thread who are single: Don't come here, especially for two years. Just...no.
 

snake020

Contributor
The only other pro to keep in mind is that two years of tax free is probably a good financial decision for someone about to get out, provided that you don't blow it all on rugs.

I thought they canned tax free and hazard pay for Bahrain?
 

SynixMan

HKG Based Artificial Excrement Pilot
pilot
Contributor
For the people reading this thread who are single: Don't come here, especially for two years. Just...no.

Cuz you'd be getting so much ass on the boat? I'm not saying dating prospects aren't a concern, but c'mon dude.
 

electric_warrior

New Member
pilot
Sort of off-topic, but can any airline guys comment as to whether or not a boat tour would be preferential over a staff tour in terms of having "leadership" talking points or "checks-in-the-box" for airline hiring/interviewing? As I prep for the dreaded dissoc. non-flying tour, and want to ensure I maximize every opportunity from the Navy to suit the transition. Do airlines only care about "flying" related leadership experience?
 
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