On Tuesday, November 11, we celebrate Veterans Day in the U.S. There really is nothing more important than thanking our veterans who have served this country in World War II, the Vietnam War, in Afghanistan and Iraq, and other military actions throughout the world. They have made the ultimate sacrifice to ensure that we – and our families – live peaceful lives in the country that we love. The millions of active duty and reserve Americans serving in the U.S. Army, the Navy, the Marines and the National Guard also deserve our wholehearted support on this day and every day throughout the year.
We also honor the thousands of apartment communities across this great land, which house many of our country’s active duty military and veterans. Service men and women who live in apartments realize that this type of housing often offers them the best opportunities and lifestyle for themselves and their families.
In some cases, living off base is the more affordable option for military families. They receive a Basic Allowance for Housing (BAH), which is determined by the cost of living in each area. After comparing costs, many military families choose to live off base and have most or all of their rent and utilities covered by the BAH. Sometimes, they even have money leftover at the end of the month.
Plus, living in apartments offers military personnel the selection and freedom they are looking for. Some families don’t like the townhouse-style living on-base, which can include noisy neighbors and other issues. On base, single junior-enlisted service members are required to live in barracks, where they share a room with at least one other person and have to use a communal bathroom and telephone.
Military families also say living in apartments provides them with more of a “normal” lifestyle, one in which they are not constantly surrounded by other military personnel. They have the freedom that living in apartment communities provides, choosing where to shop, which park to take their kids to, and where to eat. They simply are able to create the type of life they would like. As one military spouse wrote on MilitarySpouse.com, “Living off base allows you not just to live in a new state, but also to live among locals and assimilate into the culture first hand. And, you may not experience the same levels of restrictions; design, pets and inspection processes that you will face while living on base.”
Many of the apartment communities around the U.S. that specialize in housing our nation’s active duty service men and women as well as veterans will hold special celebrations over the next few days honoring these heroes of our nation. In addition, many cities around the U.S. are honoring all veterans and active military this Veteran’s Day – wherever they live. Some of the most notable events that apartment residents will want to check out include:
- Free Veterans Day Concert on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. Eminem, Bruce Springsteen, Metallica, Rihanna and other top artists will perform.
- San Diego, Calif., which sports the largest veteran population in the U.S. with 260,000 veterans, honors its veterans with the annual San Diego Veterans Day Parade, beginning at 11:00 a.m. on November 11.
- Jacksonville, Fla., also has a massive Veterans Day Parade, featuring more than 4,000 participants such as veterans groups and high school marching bands.
If you live in an apartment in one of these cities – or the other great cities offering special Veterans Day events, we urge you to get out and support all that our nation’s military has done – and continues to do – for us.
And, if you are a veteran or active member of the military looking for a new home, let ApartmentSearch.com do the looking for you. We help you quickly narrow down your search by price, location, number of bedrooms, acceptance of pets, furnished versus non-furnished apartments and other factors. And, when you tell your new apartment community that you found them on ApartmentSearch.com, you can earn up to $200 in rewards.