All Branch Topic (ABT) Quality of schools for military kids

[hleighw]

My husband and I are considering going the HPSP route for dental school. We have two kids, and the impact on their quality of life is one of our top priorities.

The Navy recruiter I spoke with said that in the Navy, it's more likely than not that my first duty station would last 3-4 years, and that the standard for the teachers who're hired at military bases is higher than elsewhere. Naturally, I take everything the recruiters say with a hefty grain of salt, so can anyone speak to this?

Any information in general on how military life impacts kids in positive, negative, or neutral ways is very welcome, and thank you in advance!

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[8th]

I can't speak much for the quality of DOD schools, however the vast majority of military children attend local public/private schools in the city their parents are stationed. My wife was a "military brat" and she loved and hated her experience moving over 7 times with her family. She said she got to see a lot of the world (UK/Germany/East coast/West coast), but she said she never made lasting childhood friends.

Speaking on the duty station, at least in the Navy you will likely not be at your first duty station for 3-4 years. If you are not planning on making the Navy a career you will want to do a credentialing tour (1 year non-credentialed additional training at a large command). Then you will usually be sent on some type of operational tour (ship/overseas (Japan)) for 2-3 years. By then your commitment is about finished.

Very few people are able to get orders at the same command they did their credentialing tour, so most junior dental officers will move after their first year of payback.

The exceptions would be if they were in San Diego or Norfolk doing their credentialing tour, there are a lot of other adjacent commands, like ships, that they may be able to get orders with.