Brett,

I was interested in your comments about military families living off-post or "on the economy" as we called it. In 1977-78, I spent the 1st 13 months of my marriage living in a Korean neighborhood while my husband served w/ the U.S. Army. For us, it was ideal. We had a lifeline to PX & Commissary, if we needed them, but we got some of the cultural experience of the country as well--shopping in the open markets & riding the local buses. If was also good for the neighborhood women to see me carrying out the trash to the road w/ everybody else. That year in Korea was a highlight of my life. Many folks who live on-base just spend their time in "Little America."

bbc