Thoughts on Schriever AFB job relocation from Southern CA? (Black Forest: neighborhoods, live in)

[scorpionleather]

In my corporate office in LA most people arrive at the building between 9-9:30am and leave between 5-6pm - and sometimes stay there all night. When I travel to customer sites I noticed that as a matter of routine, base personnel wake up when it's still dark outiside and arrive when the roosters are still singing, and then finish their office work early too, around 3 or 4pm. I wonder if this would become my pattern also if I work at SAFB. Is there a long line of cars on the small roads surrounding SAFB during a peak time in the morning/evening, a mini traffic jam? I have seen that at other AFBs I've been to. In my corporate job I've altered my schedule to avoid the rush crowd but I think at SAFB I would have to pretty much arrive and leave at the exact same time.

[Charles]

Originally Posted by scorpionleather

In my corporate office in LA most people arrive at the building between 9-9:30am and leave between 5-6pm - and sometimes stay there all night. When I travel to customer sites I noticed that as a matter of routine, base personnel wake up when it's still dark outiside and arrive when the roosters are still singing, and then finish their office work early too, around 3 or 4pm. I wonder if this would become my pattern also if I work at SAFB. Is there a long line of cars on the small roads surrounding SAFB during a peak time in the morning/evening, a mini traffic jam? I have seen that at other AFBs I've been to. In my corporate job I've altered my schedule to avoid the rush crowd but I think at SAFB I would have to pretty much arrive and leave at the exact same time.

No, there really isn't a incoming or exiting traffic problem. There are two entrances and at peak time, like 7-8 the entrances are well manned for ID checks. It moves in pretty quick. Highway 94 from the Springs doesn't get heavily congested. I arrive from the north on Curtis road, not traffic there either. I usually arrive at the base around 6-615 leaving Kings Deer around 525.
The base is kept very clean with lots of landscapers constantly busy and lots of janitors keeping things like restrooms really clean.

[scorpionleather]

Originally Posted by Charles

Schriever is sort of out in the middle of nowhere. It is about ten miles east of COS airport. It is impossible to leave SAFB for errands or lunch. You either eat at the cafeteria or bring your own lunch. Depending on which way you go home north (Falcon) or east (COS) you will be at gas stations/stores about 15 minutes after you drive off base.

The same was mentioned during my interview about not being able to leave for errands or lunch. This would not be a big deal for those times when I'd like to drop off something at UPS, but this could be a more significant lifestyle change during emergencies. There have been a couple occasions when I really had to go back home from my corporate job; one time a pipe broke in the back yard losing thousands of gallons of water down the hill (and no one except me knew how to turn it off), and another time my wife got suddenly sick with a kidney infection requiring a ride to the hospital. So it wouldn't be possible to take care of these kinds of things while working at SAFB if it happened during the middle of the day? In other words is it really impossible to leave early because it is locked down or is this just more of a matter of being impractical because it takes a long time to exit the facility, or you can only enter and leave once during the day (without revealing too much)?

[Charles]

Originally Posted by scorpionleather

So it wouldn't be possible to take care of these kinds of things while working at SAFB if it happened during the middle of the day? In other words is it really impossible to leave early because it is locked down or is this just more of a matter of being impractical because it takes a long time to exit the facility, or you can only enter and leave once during the day (without revealing too much)?

It is just impractical to run routine errands or go out for lunch due to distance from Falcon or Colorado Springs- that's it, nothing else...

Those two instances you described sound really rare. Also, I've noticed the culture around here is extremely lenient and flexible about leaving early for appointments, kids activities, etc. No one questions it because everyone is in the same boat. I always allot about 45 minutes to get to a doctor appointment or (for me, living near Monument) an hour to get home in time to make a school or soccer or kids thing appointment.

[scorpionleather]

Charles I'm relieved to hear the good news because also when I heard about the environment from the new department I was under the impression that everyone is locked inside the facility til the evening. I have a Diet Coke addiction and if the coke machine is broken at SAFB now I know I can drive 45 minutes to the nearest convenience store and get back on base a couple hours later. But seriously though overall it sounds like a good place to work.

[Charles]

Originally Posted by scorpionleather

Charles I'm relieved to hear the good news because also when I heard about the environment from the new department I was under the impression that everyone is locked inside the facility til the evening. I have a Diet Coke addiction and if the coke machine is broken at SAFB now I know I can drive 45 minutes to the nearest convenience store and get back on base a couple hours later. But seriously though overall it sounds like a good place to work.

Actually there is a small 7-11 type store at the gas station on the base. It also sells huge bottles of booze including vodka.....not sure why.

[Rangerspouse]

We have a friend that works on Schriever and they find living in Falcon/Peyton communities convenient. Not exactly rolling hills there, but the commute is easy and he's home to the kiddos asap.

[godcountryfamily]

Gentleman: Not sure I like to read that tax payer's dollars aren't being used correctly. Leaving a base before putting in the time isn't exactly soldier worthy.

[scorpionleather]

Don't worry godcountryfamily, no one is talking about not putting in their time. Most defense contractors I know personally work extra long hours on weeknights and often on the weekends too. We are talking about what the environment is like in case there are emergencies to take care of at home, or how far retail stores are from the base, etc..

[Charles]

Originally Posted by godcountryfamily

Gentleman: Not sure I like to read that tax payer's dollars aren't being used correctly. Leaving a base before putting in the time isn't exactly soldier worthy.

Don't worry pal, your taxes are being put to good use.

You wouldn't happen to know when the Schriever swimming pool will be open for lap swimming for me, would you?