(Photo courtesy of Google images)

WARRENSBURG, Mo.--For many people, relocating can be a tough process that they rarely experience.

But this is a process that military families know all too well. Making the transition can be easier with adequate base facilities and a social network of others who help to build moral support.

All across the world, military installations host new incoming families every day. These families often spend less than four years in an area, before they are given a new assignment in a different location.

“Military children are exposed to other cultures and other ways of life, making them open-minded and aware of the world around them,” said Jeane Davis, a military spouse.

These installations, like Whiteman Air Force Base, can offer newcomers a safe haven in a unfamiliar area and the company of others who understand what they are going through.

Many cling to family ties to help get them through the toughest transitions and the social networks available at the installations. Being surrounded by others who live the same lifestyle and understand how difficult it can be to start anew can make the transition easier.

But the transition is not always easy for everyone. Many couples have children who also have to start fresh every few years. For elementary students, there may be a school system on the installation, making it easier to adjust when surrounded by fellow military children.

However, middle and high school students are often sent to schools in the surrounding community, which can make the transition harder.

Maj. Troy Faaborg, of the USAF is the father of two sons,Noah,10, and Jonas,8.

“Their first school was a military school where everyone was constantly coming and going," Faaborg said. "It’s becoming more difficult as they get older and aren’t around that.”

Although this can prove to be difficult, some argue that it is a lifestyle that shapes who these children are and who they will become.


“Now that our children are older, we’ve had chances during our family get-togethers to talk about different memories from their childhood,” said Larry Thomas, a retired Air Force member. “They have never given us any negative feedback.”

Many begin to take an active role in the surrounding community when their families attend school and extra-curricular activities.

“The hardest part about moving around so often is having to start all over and figure out the network of people and the way to get things done,” Faaborg said.

“You are always a little apprehensive about new installations, new bosses, new co-workers,” Larry Thomas added. “But that is usually fairly temporary. When you have your wife and family supporting you, it’s easier.”

Although strong family ties are ultimately what helps a military family adjust, it also helps that the installations are self-sufficient, containing everything families would need. They often have schools, hospitals, base-exchanges, grocery stores, police and fire departments, gyms and many other facilities to make life easier for families.

“When on the base, you are in your own little world, your own little community,” Larry Thomas said.

To an outsider, it is because of this, that these families may appear to be alienated from the surrounding community. However, many feel the need to venture out into the surrounding area to experience the local culture and get involved in the community through organizations, volunteer work and local sports.

These communities usually welcome military families who bring increased revenue and an ever-changing face to the area.

“Warrensburg is very close-knit with the military community,” said Karen Thomas, a military spouse. “Many places offer a military discount.”

“I think that they typically like us because the base brings new life and change to the area, along with the university,” said Jennifer Faaborg, a military spouse.

Although the installations are usually self-sufficient and offer almost every amenity to residents, an overarching commonality between most military families is the need to venture out into the surrounding area and, for some, get involved in the community.

As many Airmen nearby have heard, “Home is where the Air Force sends you.”