I do solemnly declare that I shall only RANT on a Sunday - this may mean that I save up a weeks worth of ranting and let it all out each Sunday, you have been forewarned - be prepared. This does not mean that you can expect happy happy, shiny shiny posts throughout the week, there may be some moaning or bitching.. but Sundays are reserved for RANTING!
Let me pre-face today's rant by saying "I GET IT" I get that you are out of your comfort zone and you miss the convenience of home and the 24hour society that is the USA. You miss your friends and family, your local hang outs and life as you know it... I get it.. I am overseas, away from the family and friends, and yes I may moan and get homesick, but I approach my life abroad with an open mind and open heart...
I am going to use RAF Lakenheath and the country of England as my example, not only is this my home country, but it is the place the spawned today's rant, after I read a blood boiling post on
www.lakenheathunderground.com written by an arrogant and ignorant American!
I hate it when an unfortunately large amount of Americans (not all of you...!) stationed overseas say to host country locals surrounding the bases "you wouldn't have a job if it weren't for us" or "the locals just rip Americans off." Now they may not say it to peoples faces, instead they like to hide behind message boards and anonymous forums, or joke about it amongst their friends. But the point is they STILL say it, and people like me read or hear about it. (Please note these are the same people who say they are afraid to shop off base, or don't like to drive too far, and live on base.. so how exactly is it that locals wouldn't have jobs if you weren't there?)
YES it is true that American bases in England generate a lot of jobs, but let me clarify, if Americans weren't at these bases, the English military would be.. just like they are at Honnington, Coltishal and other surrounding RAF bases. With the Brits drawing down in many countries and pulling back their personnel who are stationed in countries like Germany, I'm sure they would LOVE to have a installation to put them. The people who work for the MoD on RAFL would work for the MoD regardless, not just because the Americans are there..
I worked on the "the economy" before I worked for the MoD and then again after, the people I worked for after (living in Suffolk) were no way affiliated with the base, their jobs were no way part of the American sector.. they didn't "know" any Americans other than my husband and had NEVER been on base.. yet they lived 5 minutes away from a base housing area.. they really couldn't give a flying F about the Americans in the local area..
Not all English people make it their sole goal in life to "rip Americans off" - people complain that it is so expensive to shop off base.... and that the 4th of July vendors on base should have lowered their costs because Americans get paid in $ therefore should be able to pay in $... let me tell you this... fairgrounds are expensive wherever you go.. go to a fair when there is one in Mildenhall or Thetford and you will see the exact same prices to ride the rides and eat the food.. they do not put their prices up because they come on base... However when there is a bazaar.. YES the prices are inflated.... but this isn't just in England .. it happens at the Bazaars here in Germany... and the vendors do it (just like AAFES do.. but don't get me started on AAFES!) because they KNOW Americans will pay for it.. instead of driving a hour away and shopping there for 1/2 the price... it's called convenience and that's what you are paying for!
You are paid COLA to
offset the cost of living overseas ... it is not to cover everything it is there to help.. hence those wonderful COLA surveys they send out for you to plug in all your off base expenses..
Even the English think things are expensive.. but I can guarantee if you shopped at Sainsburys, Tesco or Asda you will see prices are comparable if not cheaper than the commissary, stuff is fresher, local and often better quality... but people don't because they are unsure what brands are "good" - just ask! You won't see the average Brit eating out every week.. or even once a pay day.. the younger society maybe, but that is because they don't own a house or a car and have the disposable income to do so. Those with a mortgage, children and a car rarely enjoy the luxury that is a restaurant meal...!
If you budget your money and live within your means, instead of living a champagne life on a beer budget, you might find it a little easier to cope..
The only place I think that would suffer if the Americans pulled out is Lajes Field, Portugal. BUT they would recover in no time, because some other country would take over the base. And I only say they might suffer because unlike England, the Portuguese who officially work on base are allowed to shop at the BX and shoppette, and bring a lot of family members on to shop, and items from the commissary and BX can be found downtown for purchase.. and a lot of local nationals are working as cleaners/Nanny's/gardeners in base housing. Plus with the amount of money spent by Americans renting houses and at restaurants, bars and strip clubs on the island the economy would take a nose dive if "they" left.. but then on the other side, on a island that small, there are STILL families that have NOTHING to do with the base and live their life as they always have and always will.. I loved to see the dairy farmers with their cows and the pony and traps riding down the road.. absolutely oblivious to the Air Base's presence.
NOW - Drive an hour away from your assigned installation, go eat the GREAT local cuisine (ask the people of the town, they often know the best places), go immerse yourself in the culture and the history, go see or do something entertaining, go for a long walk around the area and TALK, talk to someone, anyone who lives there AND then tell me that they hate you, that they were rude, that they tried to rip you off and that their job would be gone and the economy will crash if you (the US) leave England!
