Quiet out here... 

*Tumbleweed rolls by* 

Yea, we gotta quit sending the trouble makers to the quiet box ;) 

I'm recovering from my nightmare of going to London and getting our visas and biometrics yesterday. An hour and 45 minute drive took 3.5 hours and we had an appointment so it should have been a quick process. Nooooooo....there were issues and we were there 3.5 hours!!! I was so afraid I was going to run out of baby food and formula and have to ask a breast feeding mom to feed my child. ;) (joke) We are going to the states in 3 weeks for a visit!!!!!!!! I haven't been back in 2 years. 

I was so afraid I was going to run out of baby food and formula and have to ask a breast feeding mom to feed my child. ;) (joke)

lol!! Call me naive, but I almost believed u there. I knew having a baby can be crazy but I never imagined THAT crazy!! hehe

Biometrics? We didn't need to do that....? 

I had to do the Biometrics prior to us going over there. It was a freaking nightmare! First off we had an appointment to go have it done in Jacksonville Florida....so we drive from Valdosta Ga to Jacksonville (130 miles one way) to make the appointment.

Once we got there we were greeted at the door by Homeland security and told to go home! He said there was an unannounced alarm earlier in the morning and nobody was in the office. We told him that is sure was nice someone didn't think to call us prior to us driving down there....they could have done a mass email/automated message to all appointments for that day. Totally wasted trip.

So, we drive back to Valdosta. Later in the week we made an appointment to have it done in Atlanta. Apparently the office in Jacksonville didn't have any slots open for awhile to have the biometrics done. We drive from Valdosta to Atlanta (230 miles one way) only to finally get there and sit for 4 hours! I had an appointment yet somehow all the WALK INS for people trying to get US Citizenship had priority over ME! I'm a US Citizen with an appointment! So finally after the hours go by it's finally my turn.....ya know what? The whole process from that point took about 20 minutes. I wasn't a happy camper.

To add insult to injury biometrics no longer were required to enter England by the time we finally got there! Total waste of our time, effort and money having it done.

That sucks they are doing it again....make up their dang minds I say! 

It's the new process now, so if and when your visas expire you will have to go get it done. 

We are on a 4 year tour but our Visa's are for 3. We didn't have to do that process to get here. Sucks if we have to do it next year. 

Crap, we have the same problem Dawnmom. We got 4 years here but visas are only for 3. The military wastes a whole bunch of money having to pay for it for 3 years and then again for just 1 more which is just as much as the 3 years. I'm not sure why this isn't taken care of and demanded by our government. Especially the people with a ton of children. Hopefully it changes by the time we have to go do it in a couple of years. 

What happened to the other MOD? That was quick. 

We might extend so I guess we should prepare ourselves as well.

What happened to the other MOD? That was quick.

She decided to resign and then deleted her account before we could see if there was anything we could do to change her mind. 

Peace, you had your baby!? Wow, time flies when you're not the one pregnant ;) CONGRATULATIONS!

It is stupid that we get 3-year visas for a 4-year tour. For a big family, it costs a fortune and even though it's reimbursed, it still hurts initially. 

No, lol. I have a 7 month old and will have another baby end of August, early September. Ridiculous huh!?!? I was breast feeding and on BC at the time! Guess it's meant to be. My husband had a vasectomy last month though ;)

Don't your husband's have a government travel card? The squadron put the money for the visa's on the card and that's how we paid. 

I think we paid cash (booo). Don't have to worry about it again though-unless the miracle happens and we get another three years :-)

Oh, and our last was "meant to be" too :D 

My VISA was for 4 years......but we paid out of pocket for my Passport/VISA as I wasn't command sponsored at the time. 

@Peace and Jeni

My last was meant to be also. The hubby was going to have the big V done in Guam but we got orders to Lackland so he put it off so he could have it done at Wilford Hall, instead of in a physicians office at the clinic in Guam. I was nursing my toddler and on the pill. We say God really wanted us to have 5. 

we dont have to go to London anymore for the biometrics.. at least thats what I was told 2 weeks ago in person and through email :-)... although we get reimbursed for the applications fees, they told us they are no longer reimbursing for the postal fees now when they are done now... We are going next month as our visas have already expired, I am glad seeing the people who are now doing them have told us that it will only be a few minutes!! 

I hope getting a UK Visa isnt as bad as it was for me to get a US one...only had to get my GP to sign to say a I didnt have leprosy as well as a horribly humiliating medical and numerous vaccinations Ugh! 

we paid out of pocket for my US Visa and I was command sponsored...didnt know they'd pay! 

Oh dear, poor you.. (roll eyes)

Hey buddy! It wasn't cheap! So chill with the sarcasm.

we paid out of pocket for my US Visa and I was command sponsored...didnt know they'd pay! 

Dang! That sucks, what a pain all this VISA stuff can be.