Blog

Flying Space-A to Ramstein, Germany: 11 Things You Need to Know

Ramstein Air Base is in the Kaiserslautern Military Community (KMC), the largest U.S. military community in Europe. It’s 90 minutes from Frankfurt and about 4 hours from Paris, making it a great starting point for exploring Europe or other places in Germany. Here’s what you need to know if you’re …

Read More

Expat Military Retiree Profile: Living in Vilseck, Germany

Many military retirees had an overseas duty station during their career, but returning to an OCONUS location as a civilian is a whole different experience. Michael Carpentieri, an Army Reserve retiree, took a DoD job in Germany when the opportunity arose unexpectedly, and he enjoys the best of both worlds: …

Read More

One Day in Arches National Park (With Kids)

Military families who love the outdoors love Colorado Springs, not only for the incredible mountains surrounding the city, but for the proximity to many National Parks! In this guest post, Christine Maxwell from Her Money Moves shares tips from her family’s one-day tour of Arches National Park, including how to …

Read More

Retiring in Thailand: Expat Life in Ubon Ratchathani

Daniel Fraley, an Air Force retiree, has no regrets about his decision to retire in Thailand — except that he didn’t do it sooner. He and his wife, Somjit, enjoy a low cost of living, proximity to family, and extensive travel! In this Q&A from our Expat Retiree Interview Series, Daniel …

Read More

Collage of images in Japan, Germany and Ecuador

The Expat Military Retiree Interview Series: Veterans Living Overseas

Welcome to Poppin’ Smoke’s Expat Military Retiree interview series! In this series, we feature profiles of veterans who moved overseas after retiring from military service. For those who love to travel, can’t imagine “settling down” after the constant changes of military life, or whose favorite duty station was in another …

Read More

A red shrine in Japan surrounded by trees

Flying Space-A to Japan: 9 Things You Need to Know

Japan is one of the most unique travel destinations in the world and well worth the time and effort to get there. Military travelers are very fortunate, because we have the privilege of taking Space-A flights (aka “MAC” flights) to Japan, allowing us to save hundreds – or even thousands …

Read More

European Lodging and Transportation Tips for Space-A Travelers

You’ve flown Space-A to Europe. Now what? Patricia Kuenzi, Space-A expert and avid European traveler, shares her tips for pre- and post-flight lodging, ground transportation, and many other tricks for making the most of your time in Europe! It’s generally easy for Space-A travelers to travel from the Continental U.S. …

Read More