Do you enjoy your current duty station?

2014-07-16T08:46:25-04:00

I am curious on how many service members really enjoy there current duty stations. Is it better than your last one? I for one love my station and am blessed to be here. Despite the traffic and DC in general. I love it! Working with other service members and going to places I would have never been able to see. You can't beat it. I don't want this to turn into a total bashing of your old unit. Just would like to know what you really like about your station or unit for that matter.

Response by SFC Private RallyPoint Member made Jul 16 at 2014 3:44 PM

2014-07-16T15:44:40-04:00

I don't hate Monterey, but every day that I come to work and it's cold and windy, sky all gray and foggy and it's the middle of summer makes me miss my sunny hot days back in Puerto Rico

Response by 1SG Steven Stankovich made Jul 16 at 2014 4:11 PM

2014-07-16T16:11:47-04:00

In my humble opinion, everyone should enjoy their current duty station with those exceptions like those forward deployed...or those who are incarcerated. Seriously though, if you do not like where you are at, you have two options. Lobby with your PDNCO for a move or get out and explore what your community offers. I am currently stationed at SHAPE, Belgium. There is so much history right around SHAPE and within day trips of my house. I love traveling with my family and the taking in the history of Europe. My advice is to get out and explore. See what is out there. If you live like a barracks rat, then ALL your duty stations will be the same...

Response by LTC Paul Labrador made Jul 16 at 2014 6:42 PM

2014-07-16T18:42:07-04:00

For Ft Bliss/El Paso, I put it under the "Not bad/Could be worse" category.

Response by MAJ Robert (Bob) Petrarca made Jul 17 at 2014 7:59 AM

2014-07-17T07:59:33-04:00

Yes, it has all the comforts of home. Well, truth be told, it is home - Joint Base Livingroom-Kitchen, Coventry, RI. Occasional deployments to Walmart and no general order number 1.

Response by 1LT Private RallyPoint Member made Jul 17 at 2014 10:03 AM

2014-07-17T10:03:55-04:00

I'm at Bullville, NY at a small Engineer reserve post. It's only my first post but I am enjoying myself and the soldiers that I get to work with. Plus its free entertainment with CPT Private RallyPoint Member and LTC Private RallyPoint Member

Response by PO1 Private RallyPoint Member made Jul 17 at 2014 11:14 AM

2014-07-17T11:14:06-04:00

I can't complain. I'm on humanitarian post helping my ailing father for another month or 2. Navy was gracious enough to transfer me here to Atlanta from Washington State, so I owe her BIG

Response by SSG V. Michelle Woods made Jul 17 at 2014 11:31 AM

2014-07-17T11:31:37-04:00

No :-(

Response by MSG Private RallyPoint Member made Jul 17 at 2014 12:38 PM

2014-07-17T12:38:53-04:00

I love working in DC, especially in my field. Traffic sucks in the evening, but that's okay. If it's up to me, I'll go from the Pentagon, WHCA, Fort Meade and Fort Belvoir, just to stay in the general area.

Response by SPC Daniel Edwards made Jul 17 at 2014 2:07 PM

2014-07-17T14:07:46-04:00

I am at my second duty station. My first one was at Fort Polk. I hated it there but not for the reasons you might be thinking. I am from the city, so I am used to always having something to do and having a place to go and chill and it not being a 1 hr drive down a road with practically no life on it.

But it had its other problems too. I lived in North Fort so I was always close to the box when units were training. It was especially hard when explosions happened after my deployment. A few of them did wake me up at night but nothing serious. What irritated me tho was when Rat Terrier mix tried growling at it in the middle of the night.

My new duty station (a marine supply base) is WAY quieter. The only time you would hear anything is when the recreational gun range is hot. Very peaceful here.

Response by SSG Ed Mikus made Jul 17 at 2014 6:54 PM

2014-07-17T18:54:28-04:00

I love my duty station! my job is lame but the place is wonderful, as for a compassion to my last, well i am without my family here so the last one was better, and the job i held there was far better, and the place was on too, but i would still call them a tie.

Response by SGT(P) Private RallyPoint Member made Jul 18 at 2014 5:32 AM

2014-07-18T05:32:39-04:00

I'm liking Fort Gordon so far, asides from the morning traffic.

The unit is good, I work with decent people and since I'm a little older than most, I get left to my own devices a fair bit...so, it's a good thing.

Response by CW5 Sam R. Baker made Jul 18 at 2014 8:41 AM

2014-07-18T08:41:31-04:00

The best duty station is the last one you were at usually! I have to say that I love Fort Campbell and the Screaming Eagles, but if I had to take 27 years of service, the best assignment so far to date was Soto Cano Airbase, Honduras followed by Camp Zama, Japan.

Response by SPC Private RallyPoint Member made Jul 18 at 2014 2:17 PM

2014-07-18T14:17:50-04:00

I highly dislike my current duty assignment and would love to go back to either of my previous assignments. A lot of people do enjoy it here (I work for NATO in VA) because it is laid back and not very stressful, it is not like normal Army units, but that is what I don't like. There is not enough work load to keep you busy throughout the day so days drag on and you can easily become bored. I am not a fan of living in VA either because the traffic is horrible and the people are rude and careless. We are such a small Army element on a dominantly Navy installation that it is hard to keep in touch with the Army world. Our BN is overseas and so is our BDE so we don't get much support and it makes tasks difficult to complete sometimes. If you are looking for an easy ride or an assignment with not much Army influence this place could be great. I joined the Army to be in the Army and live the Army lifestyle, not the case here and this assignment has seriously influenced my decision to ETS.

Response by SSgt Private RallyPoint Member made Jul 18 at 2014 7:40 PM

2014-07-18T19:40:02-04:00

SSG Steven Borders I loved Ramstein AB, Rhein Mein and even Little Rock AFB, at least as a Meteorologist.

Response by TSgt Private RallyPoint Member made Jul 18 at 2014 8:02 PM

2014-07-18T20:02:14-04:00

Barksdale isn't bad, although it's worthy enough to tell people to come visit. Shreveport/Bossier is a nightmare with insanely bad drivers. There are casinos though if you don't mind doing that type of stuff. Also a lot of hunting/fishing around here.

Response by SFC Private RallyPoint Member made Jul 19 at 2014 10:55 PM

2014-07-19T22:55:39-04:00

I hate my current duty station, kind of wish I never got orders to come here. Then again how many people enjoy Ft. Hood?

Response by PO1 Private RallyPoint Member made Jul 20 at 2014 9:35 PM

2014-07-20T21:35:24-04:00

I am currently stationed in San Diego at the 32nd Street Naval Base, and I absolutely love it out here. I am at a sea going command, and I have nothing but good things to say. The optempo can get very high, but overall it has been a very rewarding tour. My only concern is the California school system. There is a stark difference between San Diego schools and the other schools my kids have gone to. I am going to be transferring in December out to the DC area, JBAB specifically. It is good to hear that you are enjoying yourself there. Any hints and tips with regards to transferring to the DC area?

Response by Capt Jeff S. made Jul 20 at 2014 9:35 PM

2014-07-20T21:35:38-04:00

Not all duty stations are the same, so when you go somewhere new, try to find the good in it. I never visited a duty station that I didn't find something to like about it.

At MCAS(H) Tustin (now closed), you could walk out the front gate and be in town. I used to run to Newport Beach, hang out, and run back. MCAS Yuma was hot, but the desert has a certain beauty and the people out in town were very friendly to the military personnel there. People hated GTMO, but it has a sailing facility, great SCUBA diving, challenging mountain bike trails, a tough 500' hill to run up and through Marine Special Services you can check out Kayaks and paddle around the bay! NAS Pensacola is a great place to be stationed. MCRD San Diego is a jewel for those not going through bootcamp. It used to be a sleepy military town with low crime, but that has changed. Nonetheless, there is so much to do around there that if you can't find something fun to do, there's something wrong with you LOL. People hated Okinawa, but I loved it. Had decent SCUBA diving (but lots of stuff out there that could hurt you. Deadly Poisonous Jellyfish, Stonefish, Sea Snakes, etc.) Almost put my hand on a stone fish! There is a nice perimeter trail with challenging hills and I ran one of my fastest times on it. Joined the Hash House Harriers and would go running with the Japanese and American troops. Great times. The TAD money was a nice bonus. After 6 months, had accumulated a state of the art stereo system with Reel-to-Reel, DBX, Linear Tracking turntable, Nikonos underwater camera equipment with 3 different lenses (28mm wide angle, 50mm and 80mm zoom), and complete SCUBA outfit with custom made wetsuit and regulator, octopus, all the gauges, etc. I could go on and on about all the different places but you get the drift. If nothing else, I could always amuse myself people watching.

One thing I noticed was that whenever you go overseas, it seems like whatever culture people identified with... it gets amplified. The gym rats take out all their frustration at the gym and turn into body building freaks! The country and western types start to walk like they just jumped off a horse and their drawl gets even more pronounced. You never see them without a can of snuff in their pocket. The brothers rediscovered their soul, and the church goers really found their religion. The geeks got geekier! I never heard of Dungeons and Dragons till I got to Okinawa and never could understand their fascination with rolling dice and flipping cards over and casting spells and all that stuff they do. It was the World of Warcraft of the 80's.

Being on ship was another thing. The actual being on ship is okay for the first few months, but after about the 4th month, people seemed to be itching to go home and the petty stuff got old. Women get a bad rap for being gossips but I can tell you that guys gossip worse than women when they're on float. The best part about being on float for me was the port calls. Times were different back then and the threat to Americans wasn't as extreme so I was able to do things I would never do now. These days it's not a good idea to go out on liberty by yourself. It used to kill me when we'd be making a port call that they'd get on the 1MC and tell the troops where all the fast food places (McDonalds, KFC, etc.) were. You'd here cheers erupt and my attitude was, "I didn't spend the last couple weeks crossing the pond to eat American junk food overseas. So I would go to the locals and ask them where they liked to eat and go eat with them. Learn about their history and culture of the places you are visiting. Learn to speak phrases in their language. Use it as an icebreaker to start conversations with the locals... Oh, and always be aware that it isn't they that are the foreigners. You are in their country and YOU are the foreigner! I always endeavored to make a good impression and dispel the stereotype of the ugly American tourist. If you go with that kind of humble attitude, before you know it, you'll make friends and get invited places. As a L/Cpl in Okinawa, I was a small fish, but I met a Japanese Meteorology professor who had connections and he took me out with his buddies, one of which was the President of the Coca Cola plant, another was a Ryukyu Oil Corp big wig, another was a Pharmacist and one was the Okinawan ambassador to Australia. They took me to the Kabuki theater and paid for everything. They also gave me a tour of the island of Okinawa from end to end and I learned more from them than you'd get from any college level social studies class.

In closing, everything you experience in life is what you make of it. If you can't find something good to like about the place you're at, that's your own fault! You can't blame the duty station for your lack of initiative and pessimistic attitude. ; )

Response by LCDR Private RallyPoint Member made Jul 21 at 2014 4:19 AM

2014-07-21T04:19:08-04:00

Currently loving Sigonella, Sicily!!! Some bad with the good...living in base housing for the first time in 23 years...now I know why I never did before...cable and internet suck. But heh, the island is awesome, have met a few Italian families and done tons of traveling.

It beats Naval Medical Center Portsmouth...did two tours there and never want to go back!

Response by CPT Private RallyPoint Member made Jul 21 at 2014 11:06 AM

2014-07-21T11:06:01-04:00

Fort Hood was not bad at all. A lot of people there complain. I will say that anytime you go in uniform to any place in Killeen it's like you have sucker written on your forehead. The people there leech off of the military base being there. I can't say that's much different from any other base. It's not a problem though because Austin is like 45 minutes away. Dallas and San Antonio are also close. There is always something to do on the weekend if you just look.

The absolute worse part about Fort Hood was the TRAFFIC. People here do not seem to understand the basic rules of driving, such as using turn signals. If you ever go there, you'll see what I mean.

Every military base has it's isms. I'm at Fort Sill now, and tradoc posts do things a little differently. III Corps had a lot of influence in things we did on a daily basis all the way down in the battalion and battery level. Sometimes it seemed over managed, but that was then, and is now above my pay grade. Just something to think about. Sometimes when a tasking would come down we always felt like we were jumping through our ass to get things done last minute at the end of the duty day. I didn't experience that at other posts I've been through, but that doesn't mean it doesn't happen elsewhere.

The military base is what you make of it.

Response by CPL Private RallyPoint Member made Jun 28 at 2016 4:06 PM

2016-06-28T16:06:35-04:00

i do not

Response by SSG Jim Whitt made Jun 22 at 2022 1:16 AM

2022-06-22T01:16:34-04:00

Retired and HOME! Best duty station EVER!!