Anybody here ever stationed in New Mexico or Arizona?

Ah WSMR, what an interesting place. If conditions are right out in the training areas, it's an alien landscape where the boundary between earth and sky literally blur.

SGT Dave Tracy - there are some places on the north range near Greasewood where there are lava fields that look like something out of a science fiction movie.

What always gets me is just how freaking BIG WSMR is. It takes a couple of hours to drive from south range to north range.

LTC (Join to see) - It is huge. Combine it with adjacent Ft. Bliss and its training area, and it's perhaps one of, if not the, largest military footprints in the world.

Spent a couple of weeks in Albuequerque,NM near Kirkland AFB and wondered how service members thought of the being in NM and if the facilities in AZ were any better or worse.

Kirkland, Davis-Monthan, and Luke AFBs are very different with regards to Majcoms. As to locations, I’ve visited Albuquerque many times and it kind of reminds me of Tucson which I prefer over Phoenix. I think the desert around Tucson is more beautiful and like Albuquerque you are within an hour to snow skiing up in the cooler pines. The Boneyard is a must tour, as well as the Titan Missle Museum. Then there is Old Tucson Studios where many western movies were made, some with John Wayne; and still an active studio. Great hiking and the annual bike competition prepping for big events elsewhere. Just outside of Tucson is an interesting experiment, some think it failed, some still out on the decision....none the less it’s still used today experimenting; the Biosphere...a must see tour. And don’t forget college sports albeit Univ of Arizona is not Arizona State quality in Phoenix. A lot to see and enjoy in Tucson without the crowds and expense of Phoenix, and even though Tucson is a bit cooler than Phoenix it is noticeable. Living in Tucson affords easier drives to places like Tombstone and many mining towns.

Phoenix has its attributes as well although I much prefer Tucson. If you like major college sports and professional sports then Phoenix offers both quality sports teams. Sky Harbor airport is a major hub for travel to just about anywhere. South Mountain with its many trails, horse stable and cookouts is the largest city park in the nation; yep larger than Central Park in NY. There has been an ongoing rail system that takes folks around to mostly tourist areas and ASU campus to downtown Phoenix near the ballpark. Frank Lloyd Wright has footprints there as well as great golfing. To escape the heat you head north to the mountain towns with skiing in Flagstaff. Some beautiful country north of Phoenix. Great winters, miserable long hot summers with 100+ degrees still come midnight.

Hope this helps, with the insight of both Tucson, which I prefer, and Phoenix where I served much longer and retired from.