There are nearly 200 countries, 31 of which have no Military. This is clearly a (Sub Forum) in which any Veteran or current service Member of any Armed Force may share. Majority of threads may have USA content but is not limited to such. Cheers!
I would love to hear from Aussie vets. My jungle warfare instructors were Aussies. At that time, they had more experience fighting and training in non=conventional warfare. They could out drink us too. Much respect.
I am retired U.S. Army of 29 years currently living in Florida, contemplating the ex-pat life in Dumaguete. We (the Mrs. and I) plan on visiting in December 2020 (if COVID passes). I have many Veteran oriented questions and would appreciate knowing the answers before I arrive. This would make the trip alot easier.
I remember the days of Subic Bay and Clark Air Force Base. I know that the U.S. Forces have left those installations but wonder if there may be old Military housing there still occupied by Americans? This could make a transition to the ex-pat life in P.I. a lot smoother. Also: I'm aware of a V.A. clinic in Manila. Are they worth a d*mn? My experience with the V.A. system in the U.S. is not real good. I use them for all my medical care (prescriptions, surgeries, routine checkups, etc.) but every step is a fight and takes months longer than it should. I use Tri-Care for my wife. How is Tri-Care overseas? I'm told the healthcare in P.I. is cheap enough that I'll end up just paying cash, and not wanting to play the health insurance game anymore. True? false? Visas: I'm finding out there are many different types of Visas. Our first visit will be on a tourist Visa, but may want to stay beyond the allowed time. What is the next level of Visa, how do I get it, can I get it from the U.S. embassy there, etc, etc.
Earl78 To get you a good answer Need you to answer one big question. Is your wife a Philippine born Filipina? That will make a big difference in your Visa type. Getting a Visa from the US embassy is not going to happen. You will need to go to a Philippine embassy in order to get a Philippine Visa in the states. The old bases have been converted to commercial use by the Filipino government and the US has not say or control over their use. The US VA OPC in Manila? In my opinion the staff are good and professional. The problem with the care there is that their hands are handcuffed behind their backs and their feet are tied, by the US government. So do not put a lot of trust in VA medical help here. True, the VA “the health insurance game” is called FMP (Foreign Medical Program). This means that you PAY for your medical help and then TRY to get the FMP to reimburse you. That process will take something like 3 or 6 MONTHS to complete. Hope this helps.
There are some hospitals that you will not have to pay anything if your being treated for a service connected condition, they fill out the claim and sent it in for you. The VARO in Manila has a list of participating hospitals. If you are using Tri-Care, some will just have you pay your deductible and then file the rest of the claim for you, others you pay and file your own claim. I remember before a retired Marine went to Subic and wanted to buy a home on the old base. The best he got was a 50 year lease for the homes that remained. Not sure if that exists anymore, but might be something you could check on. They also have a new expressway from Subic to Clark, travel time is almost nothing. As I said, ask away, you will get many answers. Hope we are helping.
