Asia 101: Singapore offers airmen a spicy, one stop, East-meets-West feast

Airman, Feb, 2002 by Louis A. Arana-Barradas

"Still, you won't find a better quality of life anywhere in the Air Force," said Col. Phillip Mixon, a former 497th squadron commander. Because what the neighborhood lacks in services, it makes up in other amenities and housing, he said. The homes are top-notch.

Single airmen live in their own apartments. Airmen through master sergeants get 1,270-square-foot, two-bedroom flats. The top two enlisted ranks live in 1,789-square-foot flats.

"My apartment's furnished. I have two brand new queen-size beds, a dishwasher, microwave and television," said Senior Airman Mary Zinda, the squadron's information manager and youngest troop. "And you get all the dishes and pots and pans in the full-sized kitchen."

Families don't have to vie for homes based on rank, Mixon said. They might have to wait a bit in spacious temporary lodging, but they'll receive housing as it becomes available. All are large two- or three-bedroom homes. And most are single-family homes with huge fenced-in yards groomed by contractors. The others are flats in apartment buildings.

"Where else does a married staff sergeant get to live in a 2,400-square-foot home?" Mixon said. "These are the nicest digs in the Air Force." Each home would easily sell for more than a half million dollars if put up for sale, he said.

'Sing' it

To make up for the lack of key services, the airmen and their families turn to what "Sing" has to offer. And that, they say, is a whole bunch. Take medical care, for example.

"With only a handful of families, there's usually no waiting at our medical aid station," said Master Sgt. Rob Prestwood, an independent duty medical technician.

He said most visits are routine. But when needed, people get same-day referrals to a local private hospital -- one of the best in Singapore. Then drivers take them to the hospital for their appointments and bring them back.

Muranaka said he and his wife don't worry about health care for their four daughters.

"Everyone will tell you that's the best deal here," he said. "Singapore has some of the best health care in the world. And the hospital we go to is top-of-the line."

Another plus is the schools. Sing airmen rave about them. Nearly all the children in the neighborhood go to an American school that "would be the envy of any school back home," said Mitchell's wife, Kim. It has all modern teaching aids and "teachers who really care."

Because of that, their son, Carl Jr., is "way ahead of his stateside peers," Kim said. "He's doing things here as a second-grader that fifth- and sixth-graders are doing back home."

That leaves few things people must contend with that might be considered "chores." Getting around is one. Grocery shopping is another.

Airmen can't ship cars to Singapore. They must wait for permission to buy one on the island, which could take months. A good dealer-bought used car could run from $6,000 to $10,000. And gas is a hefty $4.50 a gallon. So, some chose to "hoof it." Others can't live without their wheels.

"When it's monsoon season -- and it pours rain -- you need a car," Mitchell said.