As we’re sure you know, military men and women find themselves relocated to various bases for training, pre-deployment, post-deployment and long term stays. Sometimes you’ve got your whole family with you in privatized housing, and other times you’re bunking in barracks. We don’t know about you, but we think your storage facility should be just as flexible and accommodating as you’re required to be. Here’s what you need to know if you’re in the military and you’re in search of storage in Greensboro.
How Your Particular Base Affects Your Storage Needs
There are 66 storage facilities in Greensboro. That’s about 36,300 units. Now let’s put that into the perspective of how many military members are in the area.
Fort Bragg is an army base that’s so big it’s pretty much its own city. There are 52,280 active duty soldiers on base along with 12,624 reservists, 8,757 civilian employees and 3, 516 other contracted employees. Add in the whopping 62,962 family members of all those active duty men and women and you’ve got one big military installation.
Pope Army Airfield is home to 2,500 military members which includes active duty, reservists and civilians as well as 4,235 family members. And don’t forget about
Camp Mackall, which sees a steady (but changing) population of recruits training to be US Army Special Forces soldiers.
Overall, we’re looking at an estimated 150,000 people. Of course, when it comes to military families, it’s safe to assume that one storage unit per family should suffice and even then, the large floor plans offered through
Corvias Military Housing's privatized housing will allow many families to get by without renting a storage unit at all (hey, some people travel light). And of course, there are plenty of Camp Mackall recruits who will show up with everything they own conveniently packed in a duffle bag. This means that while you’re not going to be competing with 150,000 other people for 36,000 storage units, you might find that availability can often be limited. Our advice is to reserve your storage unit as soon as possible if you’ve got your heart set on Greensboro. If not, check availability in other towns like nearby
Fayetteville. And if you’re headed to one of the bases on your own, consider going in on a unit with another military member. You might just find that your bunkmate is looking for a little extra room too.
Cost of Units in Greensboro
In the Greensboro area, demand can sometimes overwhelm supply. 50% of military members who rent storage units nationwide cite not having enough room in their residence (i.e. military housing or barracks) as the reason for renting and 20% rent storage units because they’re temporarily away from their permanent residences. In addition to being a military friendly city, Greensboro is also a big college city. If you happen to be looking to rent when classes are in session, you might find yourself scrambling to find a spot or potentially paying more. But before you start thinking that you can’t afford a storage unit, remember that most facilities, like
AAA Self Storage (which has five locations in Greensboro) offer military discounts. Just remember to keep your ID with you.
If You’re Deployed
Here’s a scenario: You’re a reservist with a storage unit in the Greensboro area and you’re suddenly called to serve. While you’re overseas, you miss a few storage unit rental payments. If you happen to spend all of your time reading up on
North Carolina lien laws, then you probably know that they basically allow facility managers to auction off the contents of a storage unit if rent goes unpaid for a period of time. Renters are warned about this and are offered a hearing to contest it. For you, there’s the added component of military rules. The military doesn’t like to see soldiers defaulting on payments with anything. Soldiers often see docked paychecks in addition to other punishments over failure to pay rent on apartments, and yes, storage units too.
We know what you’re thinking. How are you supposed to deal with all of this if you’re fighting overseas? Fortunately, there’s a thing called the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act which prevents military members who rent storage units from being treated unfairly. If you’re a military member in North Carolina who’s renting a storage unit and you default on a payment as a result of this, you actually shouldn’t be punished. Take for instance the soldier from Fort Bragg who
fought and won a settlement from a storage facility that unjustly auctioned off his property.
Storing Guns
Some storage facilities allow you to store guns and ammo (but they definitely don’t all allow it, so ask first). Keep in mind that if you do this during the hot Greensboro summer season, you’re going to want to make sure you get a
climate controlled unit. For most military members, keeping a personal weapon on base shouldn’t be a problem so long as you register it and follow the rules. At Fort Bragg for instance, you can have a personal weapon as long as you store it in the unit arms room or a secured container or gun rack in privatized housing. You must never, ever store your gun in a the barracks, a vehicle, an office or in transient quarters. Many military members also contact Greensboro gun stores about storing weapons there. Whatever route you go, remember to ask questions, understand your options and of course, choose what’s best for you.
