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Old 10-18-2008, 06:29 AM
 
6 posts, read 15,045 times
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hello from athens , greece

i am going to lackland AFB for DLI for two months next year (july and august 2009) and i am wondering if someone could give me information about the following:
1. is it permitted to stay with your family inside the afb lackland
2. if not,which are the best areas nearby;can i find easily a house with furniture and.....away from traffic
3. inside afb is there a place for kids (my kid will be 11 months when i will arrive.....)

thank you for your time
i hope i can help you too if you have questions concerning my hometown....even though it is ..some thousand km from sa
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Old 10-18-2008, 06:43 AM
 
Location: San Antonio
7,629 posts, read 16,453,477 times
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WELCOME from SA!

I am excited for you to get to come to the DLI, there are many here with their families, altho I think most of them come for longer than 2 months for their courses.

I am not aware of housing available for families for 2 months on Lackland, but the DLI might have something I am not aware of.

There are "corparate" type of housing in the area, but it would require that you have a car. Transportation around the Lackland area would be difficult without a car (we are VERY spread out here in Texas, unlike lots of European areas). Will you be authorized a rental car??? If so, you might want to look into getting your Interntional Drivers Liscense before you come. The "away from traffic" part might be the most challenging, but I will DM you some sights for housing in the area that is fully furnished (Corporate Housing) for a few month stay.

There is a large BX, Commissary and there is a Child Care Center on Lackland. There is probably everything that you would "need" for a 2 month stay, but of course, there is so much else to see and do in San Antonio if your studies allow.

We are retired AF working on Lackland currently, so if you have anything you need help with, please do not hesitate to DM me and I will do what I can to assist.
Welcome to SA!!
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Old 10-18-2008, 07:33 AM
 
Location: San Antonio, TX
8,399 posts, read 22,987,315 times
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Lackland has TLF (Temporary Lodging Facilities) for families, but DLI students are not authorized to use them, according to the Student Handbook (http://www.dlielc.org/Handbook/index.html - broken link):

"If you bring children, you will not be assigned quarters on base. Temporary family quarters are not available. DLI does not reserve family quarters."

According to it, you must stay offbase:

"Students who bring their families must plan for complete living expenses in the local community. If you bring children, expect to spend several nights in a motel before moving to an apartment. For a family of three to five, a motel room will cost from $50 to $100 per day. A variety of restaurants are available in the city if you have transportation, but expect to spend about $20 per person per day for three simple meals. A typical two-bedroom, furnished apartment rents for approximately $700 or more per month. There is usually an additional charge if the rent is not paid by the fifth of each month. You will probably be asked to sign a lease and pay the first and last months' rent at the time you move in. You will usually be required to pay a "security" or "damage deposit" of $150 to $250 at the time you move in. In addition, you may be asked to pay a "cleaning deposit" of $50 to $100 or more at the same time. If the apartment is left clean to the satisfaction of the owners and there is no damage at the time you leave, you may receive all or a portion of these deposits back depending on the leasing agent’s rules. Before you sign a lease, we strongly urge you discuss it with a Military Training Manager at Lackland."

So you will need to find a temporary furnished apartment offbase, and there are many to choose from; but note they are not cheap (we paid $1200/month for one back in 1999) and you will need a car as most of the nicer ones are not within walking distance of base.

There is nothing on child care if that is what you are looking for; but if you mean are there facilities for your wife and child to use while you are in school, then there are numerous covered playgrounds around base (the heat in July and August can be pretty extreme). There are other facilities that may be available to you, but I would recommend contacting DLI to get info on them. Offbase, there is SeaWorld which is only about 15 minutes from base, and you can get discount tickets on base. There is also a myraid of other sights and things to do in and around the San Antonio area.

Don't worry about your time here, DLI has been hosting foreign students for years with great success. I would recommend reading the handbook, then contacting DLI if you have any further questions.

And I hope you have a great stay in San Antonio!

Cheers! M2
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Old 10-19-2008, 03:21 AM
 
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the dli handbook is very usuful. it contains a lot of informaion....
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Old 10-19-2008, 08:53 AM
 
Location: San Antonio, TX
8,399 posts, read 22,987,315 times
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Glad to hear it; but if you have any questions that are not answered by the book or the school, feel free to post them here. Several of us are retired military but still work on Lackland, and of course everyone can give you information on San Antonio itself!

And bring a bottle or two of Ouzo with you, or other Greek cultural items, as the most important thing about attending this multinational institutions is that the participants learn about the other countries. I was in NATO several times during my Air Force career, and one of the things I enjoyed most about it (besides the travel) was learning about all the different countries, cultures and militaries! There is no better education than firsthand experience!

Oh, and in case you and your family get a little homesick which here in Texas, there is Greek restaurant very close to base called Mina & Dimi's Greek House (7159 Hwy 90 W)! I think they serve a pretty good Souvlaki; but unfortunately having never been to Greece, I can't compare it to the real deal! Actually, if you do try it, I would be interested in hearing what you think about the food!

There are also other greek restaurants in San Antonio, a listing of which can be found here (http://www.saeats.com/saeats/action/search/findByCuisine.do?cuisineCode=129 - broken link); but be sure to check out our own cuisines such as TexMax and BBQ!

Cheers! M2
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Old 10-19-2008, 03:15 PM
 
6 posts, read 15,045 times
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Good evening from Greece!
Now that you have retired from AF you have the chance to visit Greece and taste the quality of souvlaki by your own!

Certainly I will bring ouzo and other items with me because as you have mentioned it's very important for someone who is travelling abroad to have experiences from other cultures.

I have also served in Nato for a short time , I have been in many places in Europe but I have never visited USA...

I have read that the areas which have the following zip codes 78254,78251,78253 are near the base and the 'best' to stay.What's your opinion about it?Do you have to suggest another one?
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Old 10-19-2008, 06:10 PM
Owl
 
112 posts, read 556,046 times
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Good evening, Athens!

I've spent a lot of time vacationing in Greece and love the entire country. I think you'll very much enjoy your stay here in San Antonio; the people are very warm and friendly, such as they are in Greece.

Coincidentally, I attended a Greek Orthodox church festival today in San Antonio, and met many people from Greece. If you needed any help, I'm sure you could contact the church office, and someone there would be more than happy to give you information, etc. The web site for St. Sophia's church is below.

St. Sophia Church Home Page
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Old 10-20-2008, 02:40 PM
 
6 posts, read 15,045 times
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good evening

i could not imagine that i would find information about the Greek Orthodox church of sa in the forum...........

i would like to thank you for all the information you provided.........

in greece.................church has an important role in people's lives............so , it will reinforce my 'attempts' to persuade my parents to follow me in sa.....in order to take care my child when i will be daily in afb!!
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Old 10-20-2008, 08:18 PM
 
Location: San Antonio, TX
8,399 posts, read 22,987,315 times
Reputation: 4435
dioath03

I haven't forgotten about you, I just don't know anything about zip codes and temporary housing. We were in the Medical Center area this afternoon and passed a few furnished apartment places that I would steer clear of (the Warren House for one); but give us a little time and hopefully we can find you a nice place to live.

Do you know if you will be able to rent a car while you are here? Your Greek/EU driver's license is recognized here while you are visiting (although getting it translated into English would be helpful, you should be able to do that through an auto club like ADAC in Germany or RAC in the UK). It is more a matter of cost, although gas is cheap right now (about $2.39/gallon). You will almost definitely need a car during your two months here, as Texas is a very big place and everything is spread out!

More to come...

Cheers! M2
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Old 10-22-2008, 08:22 AM
 
6 posts, read 15,045 times
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thank you for being interested in helping me find a house near afb!

Certainly i will bye and not rent a car during my presence in sa.I am thinking about a toyota prius and through this forum i 'discovered' that the best toyota dealer in sa is mccombs (he has the most friendly salesmen but he is not necessary cheaper than the other dealers in sa).
i will have to search in advance what will happen with my driving license (procedures etc) and that's why i am looking for answers from now.......

the good news.......the great advantage is the internet.....you can find anything...


Unfortunetely, we will stay only for two months in sa......
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