Integrating into small German towns can be hard even for Germans... And big German cities are affordable with a US military salary, but you'll probably have a

Integrating into small German towns can be hard even for Germans... And big German cities are affordable with a US military salary, but you'll probably have a flat and not a McMansion with a front and back yard. But not working (no relationships with locals) and not having an expat community to fall back to is rapidly depressing.