Cortney Forsythe knows all too well about the constant changes that come with military life.
She, her husband, who is a chief warrant officer, and her three kids recently moved on post here at Fort Drum. It’s the family’s third different post, and third different home in less than a decade.
The very things many of us take for granted in our homes just by knowing it, can be a guessing game for military families.
What You Need To Know
- Fort Drum’s Mountain Community Homes (Active Lend-Lease) maintains the housing on the installation
- Families say it is always tough being on the move and missing a loved one for such long periods of time, so having quality housing is one less concern
- Fort Drum is now ranked fifth out of the 43 Army installations for housing quality in a survey taken by families
“One of the things that’s actually kind of funny is the outlets. Sometimes, they are upside down and sometimes they are right side up. So figuring out where you can plug things in, depending on the electrical plug, is just one of those weird quirks,” Forsythe said.
Weird has kind of become normal for military families such as the Forsythes.
Moving to a new post and into a new home, you never quite know what you’re going to get. It’s tough, especially as they already have enough on their plates, dealing with the day-to-day of the soldier’s mission.
“It’s really important to have quality, so that we know we are moving into a place where we don’t have to worry about the fridge breaking, the stove breaking or a door falling off the hinges,” Forsythe added.
There are thousands of people in our nation’s military in her situation. There are also thousands that have faced those problems, and much worse, including just a few years ago here on Drum, where mold became an issue that affected numerous families.
They are all issues that Drum’s housing company, Mountain Community Homes, has pledged to take care of for good.
It’s also progress that can already be seen in an Army-wide tenant survey taken by families living on Drum.
Drum’s housing quality now ranks fifth out of the Army’s 43 different installations. Mountain Community Homes says it could receive an outstanding rating soon — for not only quality in home care, but for providing families with recreation, activities and opportunities to grow with each other.
“Getting to know your neighbors and building your Army family. Our neighbors are more than just neighbors, more than just someone next door. They’ve become our family because we don’t have our families close by,” Forsythe added.
It’s truly making their house, a home.
Mountain Community Homes says about 40% of families living on post took the survey. It says the target goal is about 30%.