Cherry Point MCAS, North Carolina

[Low&Slow]

I know this is a military "pilot" thread, but I figured it's probably the best place to find people who have more than likely lived in, or at least visited, the area. If it's in the wrong forum, please have the webgods move it to a more suitable/acceptable location.
I'm an Army airframe mechanic (MOS 15G) looking for full-time, permanent work and I have been given an opportunity to accept a civilian position as a federal technician working on the UH-1 and AH-1 upgrades, V-22, AV-8B, F-35, and lots of various helicopters at Cherry Point, MCAS. The last time I was there was 1978. I was in grade school at Pope AFB and we took a field trip to Tryon Palace and ate lunch at a park on the river.
I'm very interested in accepting the position, but it will require a 900 mile move from Michigan and I don't know anybody closer than a 3 hour drive. The recruiter said that I have until this Friday to accept the position or refuse it.
What is the area like? Would you live there? Where would you live in that area knowing you had to work at the airfield on post?
I presently hold an active Army ID card so I should be able to utilize the base facilities if needed (PX, Commissary, etc), but is there decent shopping in the area off-post?
How bad is the tourism in the summer? I don't like crowds, traffic, cities, or neighbors and prefer rural living, how likely is that to happen for me? Are there any opportunities for flying as a CFI or anything else?
My wife will be left in Michigan to get the house ready to sell and find a realtor to put it on the market. Her living there and me living in NC will be very expensive until we get the house sold and she can come down to join me in looking for a place for both of us and our two HS aged daughters. It will be a struggle for sure, at least until the house in MI gets sold. Any other advice or considerations I should think about?

 

[Cptnchia]

I live 30 minutes south of Jacksonville. Lots of Marines in my neighborhood. I'll PM my cell if you wanna call.

 

[Andrew_Neal]

Well I'm OCONUS at the moment but I'm based out of Cherry Point. I'm an avionics guy on the H-1 upgrades... minus the AH-1Z, we haven't received them yet. Heard they got a F-35 down there at FRC though, that's exciting.

Anyway the base is in Havelock, which is sort of a crappy town - not much of anything to do. The base itself is about average as far as Marine Corps Air Stations go, not too bad, but not amazing. Not really a tourist destination, so no worries with that - just a lot of young Marines. Highlights of the surrounding area include New Bern (20 minutes, this is where you'll probably end up living), Morehead City (shopping and restaurants, no mall though - just department stores), Beaufort (my personal favorite, great seafood, small coastal/fishing town), Wilmington (cool downtown area, 2 hrs away), Raleigh (closest big city, 2 hrs), Jacksonville (stores, food, traffic, Camp Lejuene, 1 hr away), Atlantic Beach (20 minutes, small little bar & beach that's crowded during the summer).

There are other little gems here and there, not my first choice in places to live and raise a family but it's grown on me a lot since I moved here. The hunting and fishing is great. I'll probably be taking a position at FRC doing avionics after I EAS from the Marines, and until I finish my degree. See you there!

 

[Low&Slow]

...I'll probably be taking a position at FRC doing avionics after I EAS from the Marines, and until I finish my degree. See you there!

Where are you going to school? I was under the impression that there aren't any Baccalaureate granting universities in the area.

 

[Andrew_Neal]

Where are you going to school? I was under the impression that there aren't any Baccalaureate granting universities in the area.

The closest major university is probably whatever is in Raleigh. ECU, NC State, etc. NC State offers extended campus courses at Craven Community College for those who don't want to commute. There are also several universities that have extended campuses on base as well. I go to Park University's extended campus there on base, working on my B.S. in Computer Science with a software engineering specialization. I've had classes with a couple FRC and PKL/JK Hill guys that work there at Cherry Point.

 

[Low&Slow]

Well I'm OCONUS at the moment but I'm based out of Cherry Point. I'm an avionics guy on the H-1 upgrades...See you there!

Not sure when you're coming back, but if it's not within the next six months, you won't see me because I'll be OCONUS by then. But, I'll see you when I get back.

 

[Cptnchia]

We should do a SE NC meet&greet when you guys are both in town. I think there are some others here who live in the areas

 

[Andrew_Neal]

We should do a SE NC meet&greet when you guys are both in town. I think there are some others here who live in the areas

Sounds good to me. I'm new to the forum, haven't really done a whole lot of meeting or greeting outside my Marine Corps circle of aviation.

Not sure when you're coming back, but if it's not within the next six months, you won't see me because I'll be OCONUS by then. But, I'll see you when I get back.

I'll be back very soon. Few weeks, actually.. give or take. About time too, these aircraft are tired of getting flown out here in this sandy place, and I'm getting tired of fixing them out here in this sandy place.

Who likes to fish?

 

[Low&Slow]

Had a couple of very tragic events recently in my personal life. Probably won't be able to leave to take the job in NC as a result. I was REALLY looking forward to moving/working there and getting my CFI/CFII nearby. Hopefully they'll be hiring when I get back from the other side of the planet.
However, if these issues are still significantly affecting me by the time we go, my CoC said I will probably get a hardship removal from the deployment. That would suck if I got removed from the DMD because I still won't have a job and I need the deployment money until I can find one. But on the other hand, I can't leave my family to deal with it without me if they are still significant problems.
2014 has been a hard year for me, hopefully things turn around in 2015.

 

[Andrew_Neal]

Had a couple of very tragic events recently in my personal life. Probably won't be able to leave to take the job in NC as a result. I was REALLY looking forward to moving/working there and getting my CFI/CFII nearby. Hopefully they'll be hiring when I get back from the other side of the planet.
However, if these issues are still significantly affecting me by the time we go, my CoC said I will probably get a hardship removal from the deployment. That would suck if I got removed from the DMD because I still won't have a job and I need the deployment money until I can find one. But on the other hand, I can't leave my family to deal with it without me if they are still significant problems.
2014 has been a hard year for me, hopefully things turn around in 2015.

Hope things have gotten better. Things happen, and being in the military makes it even more stressful - or at least it has in my own cases. However, the military has also helped me through a lot of hardship. I've gotten past, gotten over, healed and recovered from far more than I ever thought I'd be able to do. I believe the Marine Corps and the friends and relationships I've built along the way played a large part in pulling me through everything that's happened over the years.. from Bootcamp buddies killed, marriage hardships, deaths in the family and even financial issues - the Marine Corps has helped me get back up. I hope the same support system is available to you, don't be afraid to reach out.

 

[DaveC]

I lived in New Bern as a flight instructor. Great little town, there's a bit of a tourist scene in the summer but it's mainly seasonal and permanent residents. If you like being around the water you'll love it there. Too bad my employer sucked because I actually wanted to stay there. If I have the chance after my Army time is up I'll try to move back.

 

[Low&Slow]

Thanks Andrew.
I was getting ready to move down to the CPMCAS area this past January when I got an offer as an airframe mechanic/technician near me in Michigan that paid better and had better benefits. I had to make a go/no-go decision about which job to take and decided to stay in Michigan. It made sense and it was a real blessing to be able to stay home and support my family emotionally as well as financially.
I still think about the job in Cherry Point now and then. It's the better job/career choice long term, and it's at a depot level facility, which I would LOVE. It would be an awesome working and learning opportunity to improve my skills and craft abilities. Very minimal amounts of snow, shorter winters, not too far from lots of stuff to see and do.
Maybe I'll eventually make it down there someday, but for now I'm going to keep the job I have for a few years and try to get a career started as a pilot.
Right now I'm OCONUS though, so my life is kind of on hold for now.
We're still working on the other issues. We've had some closure, had professional counseling, and made some progress, but I think it's going to be a long term healing process before we can really put what happened behind us.
If I posted what happened out in the open on here, I think it would probably horrify and/or anger people. That's how I felt about it anyhow. It's one of those things that only happens to other people or in the movies.
Anyhow, I appreciate your concern. We're doing okay, and we're making progress. Thank you.