I just finished a 6month TDY to the schoolhouse in October. I did the refusal of quarters thing, which meant that I would get reimbursed up to $39/day for lodging. That included my rent, utilities including internet, and furniture rental. All they did was add up the total reimbursement I requested, divided it by the number of days I was TDY, and since the number came out to < $39/day I was fully reimbursed. There is also per diem on top of this amount for food. If you get a non-a letter you get higher per diem for food, and the total you can get reimbursed for lodging is much higher ($80+ per day instead of $39). Sometimes the people working at lodging will give you the non-a letter for the entire time you're supposed to be TDY, and sometimes they will only give it to you for the period of time they actually have no vacancy.

Sort of a thread hijack -

Moving to LR at the end of January and will be headed out there to do apartment hunting in the next week.

Any recommendations on area apartments?

I am looking for as cheap as possible (sub $700), will have a 50# dog, and will be sending the majority of my paycheck to the wife/kids who are not coming with me.

I've done the apartments.com, etc... searches and the only feedback I am seeing is scary. Any info/opinions are appreciated.

Thanks.

For sub 700 I'd recommend Foothills. It is off McCain road (I.e tons of restraints and a mall) and halfway between base and downtown. Pretty sure they allow pets but might want to call and ask. Would not recommend an apartment in Jacksonville (the town where the base is located) unless you enjoy the thrill of being mugged. Might as well stay on base if you want to live near base.

Kinda sad. All this has been blown up. Letter from CC directing a more restrictive TDY lifestyle. Guess all my old skilz are for not now.

Building on the apt question, any recommendations/cautions for living areas between the base and downtown? Jacksonville sounds sketchy, how about Gravel Ridge, Sherwood, McAlmont, and North Little Rock? How bad is the commute from these areas or from downtown in the morning?

There's a lot of us that live at Lexington Park Apts, near the NLR/Maumelle border. It's 30 minutes door to door (as in inside ready to roll) every day, but opposite the main flow of traffic.

I live at the Enclave (see earlier in this thread) along with lots of other military folks. I'd recommend it while you're in the schoolhouse, probably not if you're staying in LR operationally, though. They're good with oddly-numbered month leases (for your 6-9 month training,) the apartments are pretty nice, its a super convenient walk across the pedestrian bridge to the River Market bars and during the summer, there are guaranteed to be awesome spring break-style pool parties with tons of booze every weekend.

Everything along 67/167 (the highway from LR to the base) is pretty decent, so I'd look in North Little Rock and Sherwood. JFK Blvd (Hwy 107) is the main road up through North Little Rock and Sherwood to the back gate and the options are pretty decent along that whole corridor too. I wouldn't stray too far from that, though, unless you're okay living further from base (west Little Rock, etc.) My commute's 20-25 minutes and I'm right across the river from downtown. I wouldn't want to live much further, but people do.

The cool thing about living anywhere south of base is you're opposite the flow of traffic during rush hours (that is until you're trying to show for a 4-6 pm sim brief.)

Any MC guys know how long it's taking to get through the C130 initial quals for Navs these days? Thanks

Took me 5 months on the dot (Phase 1 and 2 only, going to W's)

Whats the process for getting housing for a TDY? Obviously if you want on-base housing you contact billeting, but what if you want to live off-base? Do I still need to go to billeting? Can I just find a place off-base without contacting billeting, and still get partial perdiem? Or do I need to go to them and officially "refuse quarters?" Any info appreciated.

Any updated info on The Links? Are they still not prorating rent? Is it safe to leave a motorcycle in the parking lot there?

Are there better options for furnished places near the base?

Not much has changed except Billeting now charges $39 per day, so if you want to refuse, you have a few more bucks to work with.

As for Per Diem...the FTU has generated a letter directing a combination of a Proportional Meal Rate and a Government Meal Rate...it goes like this:

3. In accordance with para U4155 of the JFTR, I direct all TDY students receive PMR per diem while

billeting in government quarters for half of their TDY duration and receive the Government Meal Rate

(GMR) for the other half for their TDY at Little Rock AFB. Those refusing government quarters will

also be paid at the same rate; 50 percent PMR, 50 percent GMR. All other cases will be at the rate

determined by the order issuing authority and finance.

Getting a non-A letter doesn't seem to be as easy as it used to. The billeting lady says they have been blocking off rooms for TDY students.

Sorry, no information for you on the Links. Just trying to keep updated information on here.

Edited January 7, 201213 yr by MacGyver

Where do you get this letter? Stud Admin?

A non-a letter? Those come from billeting. The letter directing partial per diem is in student admin or I think there's an electronic copy in that quasi-FCIF/gradebook thing.

Anyone have any info on the short course for J-models at Little Rock?

I am in AFSOC at HRT and have been assigned to MC-130Js. I've been told I am doing the short course which I heard is 4 months long, yet AFSOC has my rip as a PCS to little rock then to Kirtland as a TDY enroute to Cannon.

^ pilot by the way. RIP says I'm going through the AC portion of the J-school, even though I've never flown a 130.

Good luck and hang onto your seat. You'll see everything only once. The transition courses (PXA/PXB) will leave you wanting more instruction.

The J-schoolhouse doesn't have the same over 180 day TDY exemption letter as the Legecy shoolhouse does. No exception letter as of a year ago that I know of, thus it's a PCS.

As long as you were an AC in another airframe, you'll crossflow into the J in the left seat. I assume you're already a herk pilot. Get ready to drink from the fire hose. The short course is really short with plenty of CBTs that you ACTUALLY need to complete.

Any folks moving into the AFRC jobs over at 22 AF/Det1? What is the timeline and plan for that transition?

If you're just out of UPT and headed to Little Rock for the schoolhouse, wait to do your annual ADLS training until you've started. The registrar is only taking the certificates with completion dates that fall within your course dates.

Is that just for the legacy or the J school house or both? So they have to be good through your grad date? That's just great got to love it if you have to do them all over again.

Any folks moving into the AFRC jobs over at 22 AF/Det1? What is the timeline and plan for that transition?

Yes, there are now quite a few AFRC guys here now. A lot are ex-62d guys that got out of AD and are now doing the same job, but with AFRC patches. Are they close to taking over, nope. They have a long way to go before they can take over the legacy FTU. Word on the street is 2014.

Anyone leave their spouse at their prior base while they were at LR schoolhouse...I'm not sure how this works since its a PCS. Wife wants to stay in place rather than PCS twice in one year.

Tell her its the Air Force and moving is a part of life. Besides, LR isn't that bad and she might actually have a good time. We are you guys coming from? If she stays, you both will have to pay for two places. If you're going through the initial qual full tac course, you'll be here for 6 months.

Why voluntarily spend 6 months away from your wife? Also, I'm pretty sure you'd miss out on some money for both PCS's if she doesn't move.

Here is one for you guys. Apparently the ANG does not authorize rental cars at L.R. even though the Student Guide specifically states that due to Base Transportation's high workload, students should be given a rental car during the flight line phase. In light of this I asked our WG Training manager if the WG will reimburse taxi fares to and from the squadron (I know, a horribly painful and hardly possibly option, but we're trying to make a point here). Her response, I shit you not: "its less than 2 miles from the dorms to the flying squadrons so we don't reimburse you for that, our suggestion is to find a buddy." I guarantee that idiot hasn't walked two miles in an entire career's worth of TDY's... Anyway, has anyone (ANG) had recent success getting a car approved for the flying phase? I realize that most people will have a personal car to drive but that isn't always possible for everyone.