It’s not easy to take a census of military members in Chicago and that’s because it’s a population that’s always coming and going. Chicago is home to Naval Station Great Lakes, and while it’s a huge base, its main purpose is “sailorization,” or training men and women to be in the navy. Rest assured that if you’re thinking of a career in the military (or you just like a man in a uniform) Chicago is a great place to be. Here’s what you need to know about storage as a military member in the Windy City:
Military Recruits and Storage
If you’re headed to Naval Station Great Lakes for training, you’ll be in good company. About 40,000 men and women go through this process at the base every year. In fact, the base has sent the Navy more than two million sailors since opening. The base sits on 1,600 acres and has 1,153 buildings including a post office, fire department and a public works department, so it must have room for all of your belongings, right? Unfortunately, this isn’t the case. Recruits live in some not very glamorous barracks, which are called Ships (they’re named after important ships in naval history). Each ship contains classrooms and a place to sleep, shower, iron uniforms and get inspected by officers on a very regular basis. These inspections will pretty much prevent any chance of you storing your extra stuff where you sleep, and the 1,300 people you’re sharing your Ship with should make it just about impossible. This is why
storage in Chicago is a total game changer when it comes to leaving home without leaving all of your stuff behind. Local storage facilities understand the temporary nature of training, so renting a storage unit isn’t a huge commitment. Month to month leases make coming and going a total breeze. After all, training to be in the military is tough. You deserve something easy.
Military Staff and Storage
Fortunately, military officers who are stationed at Naval Station Great Lakes aren’t subjected to the same intense, spartan living conditions as recruits (mostly because they’ve already been there themselves), so if this is your situation, your storage needs are going to be a little bit different. If you’re opting for single status housing, you can request a room in the barracks, in which case you might want to use storage as a temporary solution for any furniture you’ve got with you. If you’re a military family, housing is available through
Forest City Residential Management and is privatized. As the base population is always changing, getting the floor plan you want can often mean putting your name on a waiting list. Temporary housing is available at the
Navy Lodge and can offer a place to rest your head during this time, but storage can offer you a place for your furniture, household items and extra clothing. Be sure to contact the base’s Naval Housing Office with any questions about getting your belongings to Chicago and of course, contact your storage facility manager with any questions about your unit.
Special Military Storage Considerations
If you’re a military member, moving around has likely been a part of your career in some capacity. Deployment, temporary relocation to another base or even permanent location to another base are all situations which influence your life and therefore influence your storage needs. Whether you’re headed overseas or you’re just off to another state to train some troops for a few weeks, there are a few things you can look for in a storage facility to make at least one part of your life a little bit easier. Search for storage facilities that offer
online bill pay, that way you can manage your lease from all over the world. Consider
24 hour access that way your erratic schedule doesn’t affect access to your belongings. Look for a storage facility with top notch
security and save yourself the hassle of worrying about a break in happening while you’re deployed. Also be sure to include someone else on your lease if your career has got you traveling often or subject to deployment. A good storage facility won’t let just anyone onto the premises, so make sure your spouse or someone else close to you can get in if the need arises. And last but not least, carry your military ID with you and ask for a discount.
