Ten Handy Web Sites for Military Families Moving to Germany

It's amazing how fast a year can fly by. A year ago, I was preparing to send my husband off to his first six month deployment in Iraq. Before he left, he gave me the news that we were going to be moving to Germany right after he got home in August. I have to admit, as much as I love Europe, I was actually a little crestfallen at the news that we were headed to Germany. Since he was deployed for the first half of 2007, I knew that I would need to do a lot of planning for our international move by myself and that intimidated me a little bit.

Germany is actually the third country I've lived in besides the United States. As a small child, I lived in England as an Air Force brat. As a young adult, I spent two years as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Armenia. Obviously, I didn't have any part in planning for the move to England, and when I moved to Armenia, I just sent in my paperwork, packed a couple of bags and went. But this move to Germany was different in many ways. This international move was the first one that required me to do some planning on my own. Of course I was nervous about it. Being a firm believer in the old maxim that knowledge is power, I quickly got to work on the Web, researching how to move to Germany.

Military.com's message boards (www.forums.military.com)

My first stop on the research trail was Military.com's message boards, a site that began in 1999 and has now grown to over 10 million members. Military.com's message boards are very extensive and there are forums intended for just about anyone connected to a servicemember, from spouses to parents and friends. I found the Spouse and Family forum very helpful, especially at first, and spent a lot of time reading the posts on the Relocation Discussion board. There, I found a huge thread about moving to Germany, as well as plenty of smaller threads about issues like getting no-fee passports, being screened for the Exceptional Family Member Program (EFMP), and the process of getting command sponsorship. The Spouse and Family forums also have boards for other topics like military marriage, Tricare, and military spouse career development.

It's important to remember that the information you're getting is from people who have been there and done that, but not everyone's process will be the same. My husband, for instance, is a Title X member of the National Guard, which basically means that he's a member of the National Guard, but works full time like someone in the Active Component. Apparently, the Guard does things differently than the Active Component does, so I sometimes found myself confused when my procedures were different than other peoples' procedures. When in doubt, it's usually best to go with whatever information you're getting from an official, local source. Procedures often change and you don't want to be led astray by the wrong information.

I recommend Military.com's forums as a good place to get information, especially before a move to a foreign country. Lots of members are very willing to share their experiences if you ask. However, I would not be truthful if I said I was still an active member on the site. Personally, I found the board moderators a bit too strict and abrupt for my liking. I still get information from the site, but I don't post there anymore because I think it's overmoderated.

Military.com's main site (www.military.com)

Military.com's main site is also very useful if you're moving to Germany or anywhere else. The site has a great installation guide, which allows users to browse for installations all over the world. You can look for your new German location by service branch, alphabetically, or by location. Once you find your new home either on a list or on a map, you can click the link for more specific information on what to expect when you get there. The installation guide is not always as up to date as it could be, but it's handy for initial information. Military.com has loads of other resources besides the installation guide, but to use all of the services, you will have to create a free account and log in.

The U.S. Department of State (www.state.gov)

The State Department's Web site is critical for information about passports and travel advisories, particularly to other countries. If you're moving to Germany courtesy of the U.S. government, you will need to get a "no fee" passport. But if you want to do any traveling for fun, you will also need a tourist passport. The State Department's Web site is where you can learn about the process of getting your passports as well as find out about any warnings to American citizens traveling to other countries. It's also where you can find out what to do in case you're faced with an emergency while you're overseas.

Germany Information Site (www.germanyinfosite.com/)

This is a very helpful site that was created by an enterprising "proud military spouse" and is geared toward all newcomers to Germany, both military and civilian. The site's owner requests a $1 donation for anyone who uses the site, but the donation is not required to access the information. What I like most about the Germany Information Site is that the owner has posted pictures of typical German housing. Military members who live in Germany often have to live on the installation, unless the government housing is full or otherwise unavailable. Most of the government housing in Germany consists of stairwell apartments, townhouses, or duplexes, which may be considerably smaller than what you're used to having in the States. The pictures on this site can help you decide what you want to bring with you to Germany and what will fit in the housing you're likely to get. My husband and I got lucky in this respect. When we arrived at our duty station, all of the housing was full or being renovated, so we ended up renting a very nice and quite large single family home on the economy. But we also left a lot of our stuff in the States because we thought we'd end up in an apartment.

This site also includes information about some of the other issues military families will face in Germany, such as the process for getting a driver's license and signing up for phone service, Internet service and cable TV/AFN. Again, this site could probably use some updating, but I found it very helpful as I was planning our move.

Welcome to Germany.info (www.germany.info)

This site is run by the German consulate in Washington, DC and will be particularly helpful if you wish to bring certain items to Germany, or if you're interested in working or studying in Germany. This site is also very useful for those who wish to bring pets to Germany. Here is where you can get the latest information about all manner of German regulations... and there are many of them! As just a U.S. military member or dependent, you are generally exempt from many of the taxes that Germans pay; however, if you wish to do business in this country, it's a different story! Check out this site for the latest rules about bringing animals to Germany, especially dogs. Germany bans several dog breeds outright and restricts quite a few others.

The German Way (www.german-way.com/)

This site was created by Hyde Flippo, author of the books When in Germany, Do as the Germans Do and The German Way. Flippo's site is a great source of information about German customs and mores, plus even more information about what it's like to actually live in Germany.

United Service Organizations (www.uso.org)

The USO was a big help to my husband and me when we first arrived in Germany. One of the posts near us has a USO office, where members of the military and their families can use computers for free, watch AFN, and get information about travel and entertainment. As you plan for your move, it may be worthwhile to find out where the nearest USO will be located. That way, when you arrive, you will have a place to go for Internet and email access while you get set up in permanent housing.

Relocate to Germany (www.relocatetogermany.com)

As I mentioned before, sometimes folks who move to Germany end up living in government owned stairwell apartments, and sometimes they end up living on the economy. Finding a home in Germany can be challenging and the housing offices can often be swamped trying to help new servicemembers get situated. Relocate to Germany is a Web site run by a firm that specializes in helping Americans find housing in Germany, especially in the Stuttgart area. You may not need to use this service yourself, but it does have examples and listings of German housing. The site also has an online German/English dictionary, currency and measurement converters, and travel information.

Stars and Stripes (www.stripes.com)

The Stars and Stripes newspaper is a great resource, especially for military folks who live overseas or those who are about to move overseas. I used the Stars and Stripes to learn about what's going on at overseas military communities and the issues I would be facing upon arrival. It's also a great place to look for used cars, housing, and certain items that Americans who live overseas need, like transformers for electrical appliances. The Stars and Stripes Web site also includes an online version of their "Welcome To Europe" guide, which has useful information for newcomers to Europe as well as information about entertainment and travel.

Oconus.com (www.oconus.com)

As an American living in Germany, you may find yourself doing a lot of online ordering to get products you want or need overseas. Oconus.com is helpful because it serves as a directory of merchants who will ship to APO/FPO addresses. This site also works with merchants to educate them about APO/FPO shipping and making their Web sites friendlier for APO/FPO customers. Besides serving as a directory for online merchants who are APO/FPO friendly, this site also has helpful links set up for members of every service branch as well as spouses. You can find your way to a lot of information just by using this site's resources.

Final thoughts...

Germany is a beautiful country with a lot to offer. If you're planning to move here on a military or government assignment, count yourself lucky. You will have a great opportunity to travel all over Europe and get to know a unique culture. Planning an international move can be a bit intimidating, but there is a lot of information and support available to you, especially if you know where to look. The ten sites I have included in this article are by no means the best ten sites out there or the only ones that offer good information on moving to Germany. They're just sites that I used as I was planning my move.

In any case, Herzlich Willkommen and have a pleasant and safe trip!