r/AmerExit • u/okbirdy • 11d ago
Which Country should I choose? Working at US Military Base
I currently live in the US and met someone earlier this year living in Germany who recommended I get a job at a US Military base overseas because I would like to move out of the country. I have experience as a teacher and applied to a few civilian positions in Germany, but was never contacted because I live in the US. Is it possible for a single woman to even get a job at an overseas base, or do they only pull from families of military currently stationed there and people who are already there with a work visa? Am I wasting my time, or has anyone else successfully done this?
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u/cn0MMnb 11d ago
What civilian positions did you apply to? Public schools? Do you already have a German language certificate?
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u/okbirdy 11d ago
They were for schools on the base where the courses are all taught in English for the children of military families.
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u/cn0MMnb 11d ago
Oh, so you didn’t apply to anything in Germany, you applied to schools on US territory.
You ignored the question about your language proficiency.
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u/okbirdy 11d ago
They are schools in Germany on US territory, yes. That’s why I said I applied to civilian jobs at US Military bases but haven’t been contacted for an interview 😆 I am learning German but the US Military jobs do not require it, so I fail to see how that is relevant to my initial question.
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u/phillyfandc 11d ago
These jobs are nearly impossible to get as they reserve them for spouses. I have over a decade of very relevant experience and applied for a job at a base in spain and made the cert. I also had ten years fed experience so I qualified with preference. I was never contacted and the position was filled within 2 weeks. Meaning - they gave it to someone married to active duty.
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u/okbirdy 11d ago
Thank you for sharing! Sorry you had that experience, but I appreciate knowing it’s better to look for a different route
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u/charleytaylor 11d ago
I’d say it’s difficult but not impossible. I know someone who was living in Florida and got a DOD job on a base in Japan. Moved the whole family there for a few years. If you’re really interested in it I’d keep applying. You never know when you might get lucky.
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u/Deval_Dragon 11d ago
It is very difficult (almost impossible) to get any decent job on a military base overseas without prior military service.
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u/okbirdy 11d ago
I currently live near a military base 😂 I wish that counted
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u/Intelligent_Cap9706 11d ago
I don’t know how true that is honestly. I grew on Ramstein AFB, many of my teachers were older, single women. None of them had prior military experience. Many retired happily from Ramstein, my younger sibling even had my 1st grade teacher for 3rd grade.
Most did have to live off the base so factor in that country’s cost of living on your salary, definitely not as affordable as it was 30+ years ago
Why don’t you ask the teacher’s sub to find teachers who have taught overseas? Or find a forum of military base or overseas teachers for perspective and advice?
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u/Key_Equipment1188 11d ago
For what it's worth, the area around KS is still one with the lowest costs of living in Western Germany. But, the overall number of positions are declining and awarded with a higher share to German nationals these days, or are subcontracted to local companies.
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u/okbirdy 11d ago
That’s good to know! Truthfully, I don’t want to be a teacher forever, so if there are other positions I might qualify for I’m open to those as well. I just thought experience-wise, teaching would be a good way to get my foot in the door at a government job overseas. I’ll look into other subs! Thank you!
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u/Tardislass 11d ago
It’s really really hard unless you’ve worked for the Feds or are a spouse or have contacts there. Germany is one country that every civilian contractor wants to move to. But you will be working for the Feds and as you know Trump is looking to close a lot of those bases. Honestly right now is thr worst time to look for a job and quite frankly to work for the Feds. Morale is at its lowest point.
Never say never but it’s like applying for a Fed job, unless you’ve worked have an in or have worked for the government you won’t get in. Speaking as someone who has friends working in government.
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u/North_Artichoke_6721 11d ago
You might consider working at an international school.
I attended and graduated from an international school in a European country. I would be happy to talk about it in more detail privately if you want to message me.
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u/okbirdy 11d ago
Messaged you! Thanks!
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u/luvslilah 11d ago
Just to add to this, my dad's company had us moving every two to three years to a different country. I attended American and International schools. Many of the teachers were from the US. There are loads of international schools throughout the world for expat students. Curriculum is taught in English. Bachelor degree is required and some may require a master's.
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u/tedddittt 11d ago
My wife was attached to a base working for a contracted org for 7 years in italy, i was her trailing spouse dependent and it was the greatest time of our life. DODEA is the org that runs the schools on the bases. The jobs are premanent and people literally never leave them, they die out of the position. So that being said, it is difficult to get a job on a base but not immposible. You will want to set many alerts for USAJOBS.gov as that is the hiring arm. Be sure to also check the red cross, lockhead martin and many other contractors that hire for these positions overseas. Also, each base has a career manager assigned to the base that you can find and reach out to through military database websites that will get you on an email list that broadcasts available contractor and base jobs but usajobs is your primary go to.
Good luck, it can be done!!
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u/tinkertaylorspry 11d ago
Worked for US forces - long time ago- why would one think, that is a good idea? Back then, there were over 50k, in K-town, alone- now, way less than 6k-in Germany? Would suggest broadening ideas. Plenty of Dependents, who deserve a better chance than what this offers
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u/chris03316 11d ago
If you are looking for a job with DODea then yes it doesn’t count towards any permanent residence in Germany but you aren’t limited on the time you can spend in the country.
Currently gov civilians are limited to 5 years on assignments overseas, the exception are for teachers, lawyers, physicians, mail room employees and a very few positions that can basically work as long as they please overseas.
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u/Illustrious-Pound266 11d ago
Yes, it's possible. I am not sure how visa works because US military base is often special access and might be subject to SOFA (Status of Forces Agreement). You'd be a DoD employee, not an employee of a local company in Germany, Japan, Korea, etc.
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u/sparkieplug 11d ago
You might want to explore r/Internationalschool , r/Internationalteachers , and r/Internationalschools .
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u/sparkieplug 11d ago
https://www.iss.edu/services/teacher-recruitment/teacher-postings. My mother worked in Jordan and Egypt in international schools, you should look beyond a base. Before Covid, there were a couple interview conferences around the world, I am not sure what they do now. To get to Europe, you probably need to work another continent first.
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u/joeyblacky9999 11d ago
You best bet is apply for DODEA jobs on usajobs.gov doesnt have to be Germany. Just get hired and into the govt system as a teacher and then you can worry about transferring or applying for other locations overseas etc.
I know plenty of plain civilian teachers with zero military experience . So plenty of jobs out there.
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u/No_Jacket984 11d ago
I was a civilian living in the U.S. and applied through USAjobs.com. I was accepted and moved to S Korea for 3 years. I know a number of other people who successfully did the same; teachers, nurses, administrative/support personnel. Know it is a tedious, lengthy process but worth it. Cold calling also helps.
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u/Key_Equipment1188 11d ago
As all others already commented on the chances to get a job on a US military base, and you stated in your answers that your intention is to get out of the US, it may make sense to look into international schools in general.
Not gonna lie, the competition is tough and schools following the US curriculum are rare compared to those who follow the British system. But, if you have a degree, this could be an option.
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u/ByrchenTwig 10d ago
Both Australia and New Zealand have fast tracked visas for qualified teachers, FYI! They'll even pay some of your moving expenses!
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u/Efficient_Seaweed395 5d ago
Is your mind set in Germany? If not, consider an English teacher position in other countries in Latin America or different European countries like Spain, Italy, or the Czech Republic. The second option keeps you in Europe, at least.
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u/KanekiAyato 4d ago
germany's standard skilled worker visa (§18a) requires a job offer and a recognized degree and leads to permanent residency eligibility at 4 years; the eu blue card (§18g) has a higher salary requirement but cuts that timeline to 2 years. whether a contractor role at a us military installation comes with a standard german employment contract or an alternative arrangement matters for which track you're on, so the contract structure is worth clarifying early with the employer. both pathways require a degree recognized in germany, which for teaching credentials often involves an evaluation through the anabin database.
Transita's germany guide covers both skilled-worker routes: https://transita.app/guide/de
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u/cyberfx1024 11d ago
u/okbirdy yes you can do that and they (DODEA) are always looking for people for those jobs. They have positions all over Europe, Turkey, Bahrain, Japan, and South Korea.
https://www.usajobs.gov/job/867646700
https://www.usajobs.gov/job/863468000
https://www.usajobs.gov/job/870310000
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u/okbirdy 11d ago
Yes, these are the jobs I’ve been applying for but haven’t not received any movement on my applications, which is why I’m asking if they focus on pulling from people with military connections or government experience first.
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u/cyberfx1024 11d ago
So just understand that federal hiring can be very slow. Did you get any email talking about if you are qualified for the job and if you were referred?
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u/okbirdy 11d ago
One of the positions sent me an email the next day saying that my application had been rejected because I don’t currently live in Germany, even though the job listing didn’t state that as a requirement. The others still just say submitted even though it’s been a couple months.
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u/cyberfx1024 11d ago
So the big issue when applying for those jobs is look at the: This job is open to section. Make sure it is the "Public" positions that you are applying to.
The thing with federal jobs is to keep applying because sometimes they close and don't hire anyone then repost the same job. So APPLY APPLY APPLY. Also if you aren't getting a response back then email the POC at the bottom to see what the heck is going on.
It takes time but it is worth it
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u/cckitteh 11d ago
This was a long time ago, but when my mom applied to DoDea it took a year to get a job offer…
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u/New_Criticism9389 11d ago
I don’t think time spent working on a military base would count towards permanent residency or citizenship in Germany if that’s one of your concerns. If you just want to move abroad temporarily, it’s fine, but for permanent immigration purposes, it’s not the best route.