[Smack-Meier]

Charlie, congrats on the OTS/UPT spot! You’re going to love it. My personal experience: 5x kids on active duty, 2 of them in UPT/FTU. These are just a few of my lessons learned from my time at UPT/FTU with that family.
LL: Hoss was spot-on in the previous comment: having the admin portion of your family squared away PRIOR to day 1 of UPT ground classes will be a huge weight off your shoulders starting out. In the same vein, being new to the USAF and the base is daunting if there are snags. Trying to fight the admin machine for your family while also fighting the T-6 is challenging. Far too often, students let a problem go too long in their personal lives and it ends up affecting flying. You will have a student squadron (STUS) flight commander (likely an 0-3ish IP) that can help these type of personal roadblocks. Utilize them early and often as a resource, even if you’re new.
LL: We lived off-base at the start of UPT, and ended up moving on-base about 6 months later. The days at UPT are sometimes rough, and made rougher by a commute home. Time is at a premium, and that was time I was unwilling to spend in the car. Also, most of the older/married/family types lived on base. It created a great community, within walking distance, that helped each other out with childcare etc. It also made the PCS out of there much easier. You’re only there a year and change, and the buying/selling/renting process can be hit or miss.