FT Bliss vs FT Campbell?

2013-12-22T17:10:14-05:00

I'm PCSing soon and these are two of my options. I'm not looking for anyone to bash on one or the other. I'm just simply looking for past experience or maybe current experience from what you've encountered while stationed at either of these duty stations. How's housing? What's off post like i.e. neighborhoods, shopping, recreation, family activities, social life? How's the Esprit De Corps?
-I've gotten some info from the Facebook pages and other sites, but would truly rather here personal experiences. Thanks in Advance.

Response by SFC James Baber made Dec 22 at 2013 5:13 PM

2013-12-22T17:13:19-05:00

Campbell in a heartbeat, much better housing opportunities, activities

and family oriented things to do.

Esprit de Corps is very much alive at Campbell compared to Bliss in my opinion.

Response by SFC James Baber made Dec 22 at 2013 5:15 PM

2013-12-22T17:15:06-05:00

Also forgot to add El Paso is always in the top three yearly for crime across the nation, so that should be a good hint to cover many of the categories you mentioned (neighborhoods, recreation, family activities, housing, etc.), it all dominoes into that area.

Response by LTC Yinon Weiss made Dec 22 at 2013 5:23 PM

2013-12-22T17:23:12-05:00

<div>Thumbs up for Fort Campbell.</div><div><br></div>I left Fort Campbell a few years ago, but really enjoyed my time there. Clarksville is a great town and growing quickly. The neighborhoods were pleasant, modern, and seemed well designed. You can find an affordable suburban home with plenty of space and easy access to the base, or live a bit further out and get a nice place in the country. The weather was also fairly reasonable most of the year.<div><br></div><div>From my short visits to the Fort Bliss area, I didn't find many of the above options. I guess Bliss would be better if you enjoy the desert environment (which certainly some people do). I would not say that Clarksville is the greatest for going out for single soldiers, but one of the things I liked best about Campbell was that it was close enough to Nashville for night life (under an hour drive) and also close enough to great National Forests for hiking, camping, etc. </div><div><br></div><div>Another indication is that many of my friends from Campbell who retired stayed there. I think that speaks volumes as well. </div>

Response by SFC Private RallyPoint Member made Dec 22 at 2013 5:38 PM

2013-12-22T17:38:42-05:00

SGT Smith from my personal experience. Campbell...yes you are goings to work hard but you'll leave a well rounded Leader. The ups is the surrounding community and the Post itself. You'll enjoy the "Tuckassee area has a lot to offer

Response by LTC Private RallyPoint Member made Dec 22 at 2013 6:02 PM

2013-12-22T18:02:42-05:00

I loved Campbell, I never met anyone who loved Bliss who wasn't from near there or a native Spanish speaker.

Response by SGT Carissa Lara, RCS made Dec 22 at 2013 6:12 PM

2013-12-22T18:12:15-05:00

I was at Bliss a few years ago. There is a lot of crime and there is not a lot to do in El Paso when it comes to recreation and social life. To get anywhere outside of the city of El Paso you have to drive a couple of hours.

I've never been to Campbell but I would not recommend going to Bliss if you have the choice.

Response by LTC Jason Bartlett made Dec 23 at 2013 2:42 AM

2013-12-23T02:42:53-05:00

Fort Campbell #1 choice spent 9 years there loved it. Think of El Paso in the middle of the ocean and a 8 hour boat ride to civilization. They have actually cleaned it up since i was there in the late 80's and El Paso is the 3rd safest city with a population of over 500000 for like three years running (wanted to give them a little credit, been TDY there a couple times in the last few years). However across the border is a different story lots of issues (drugs, gangs, act…) with Juarez, Mexico. Depending on the car you drive (trucks are the most stolen Veh) you may find yourself without it shortly after arriving at Fort Bliss :)

Response by 1SG Private RallyPoint Member made Dec 23 at 2013 12:19 PM

2013-12-23T12:19:51-05:00

I came to Bliss after spending seven years in Germany and had similar thoughts/opinions others have mentioned. I got the assignment in the summer of 2011 when the problems in Juarez were making national headlines so I did have some concerns. After 16 months I have yet to see any crime here. That could be contributed to my off duty lifestyle but I was lead to believe otherwise because of the problems across the border. Border towns in Mexico are off limits for all DoD personnel but that includes towns in the other states as well. According to FBI crime statistics, El Paso is the the safest city in America with a population over 500,000 for three years straight. Besides your typical police force, there are a number of federal agencies here but I've never seen or heard of them in action.

There is lot of housing construction going on that looks very nice. There is also some housing units off post that are closed community leases. After spending some time here, buying a home was best for me. There is a large housing boom here due to a number of factors. Buying an affordable home in a good neighborhood is not difficult here. Major highway constructions have been completed and my commute is about 20 minutes.

Schools when I arrived were challenging, El Paso built up so fast that some schools were maxed out on the first day they opened. This is no longer a problem from what I have read. UTEP has a lot of programs and they host the Sun Bowl if your a college football fan.

Personally, me and my family love it here. The weather is great, over 300 days of sunshine a year. It is hot in the summer but it's a dry heat to which I find much more bearable than the humidity of the SE United States. Winter is moderate and compared to my previous assignments relatively short.

If you like Mexican food, there is plenty of that here from cheap to moderately priced. If you like to fish, hunt, ski, or camp then Ruidoso, NM is a two hour drive. If you like hiking, plenty of that here. There is Bataan Death March event that mirrors a marathon or half marathon. Just about every imaginable store and restaurant is here from Costco and the Apple Store to Famous Dave's and Olive Garden.

As for the PX, I have never seen or heard of a shopping center on a military base like the one here. Perhaps I was stationed in Germany to long but I've heard a lot of folks here that came from stateside assignments say the same thing. It's called Freedom Crossing and has everything from Under Armour to a irish pub.

There isn't a storied "Band of Brothers" unit here on par with Fort Campbell, but from my foxhole in my unit morale is high. The enforcement of family time on Thursdays is absolute from the CG down.

As noted already, if you want to go somewhere outside El Paso its a significant commute. Dallas is nine hours, LA is 11 1/2 hours, Vegas is 10 1/2 hours. In my opinion, driving to those destinations is an opportunity to see that part of the country and develop a appreciation for it.

I've never been to Fort Campbell so I can't give you a complete comparison. I'm sure it has its merits as well.

Response by CPT Private RallyPoint Member made Dec 23 at 2013 12:47 PM

2013-12-23T12:47:38-05:00

I can't speak for Ft. Campbell, but I m currently at Ft. Bliss, and this is one of the nicest bases I've seen. I'll try to break it down into some categories for you:

Housing: On post housing is nice, and very roomy. They have very large residences, and a lot of amenities in the neighborhoods; with good school systems, parks, and plentiful MWR events. However, depending on the time of year, there can be a substantial waiting period. They are in the process of building/completing 2 new development areas that I know of, which should help increase accessibility to on-post housing. There are many good, affordable options off-post as well. The BAH for this area more than covers rent or mortage on a nice home or apartment, while being able to cover utilities/cable/internet as well. If you're looking into off-post housing try looking in the Northeast of El Paso, above Base, or on the West Side near Sunland Park. Commute to post is never bad, and almost anywhere in El Paso you can get to base in 15-20 minutes top via I-10 or US-54. Gate traffic is never bad either, and I've never waited behind anymore than 4 cars, except on the rare occasions of a post-wide run.

Base: There is a lot of fun stuff to do on Base; the central hub for entertainment on Ft. Bliss is Freedom Crossing, which is (as far as I have been told) the largest PX/Business area out of any post. They have a large food court, a HUGE PX and Commisary, lot's of restaurant offerings, such as Buffalo Wild Wings, Smash Burger, Texas Roadhouse, and more... They have a very nice movie theatre, bowling alley, and several other amenities. They host a lot of free concerts, holiday activities, and family events as well, it really is a fun and vibrant community.

El Paso: El Paso is a very large city, with the greater metro area being the home to around 800,000 people, It is the 19th largest city in the U.S. and has been on the FBIs Safest Large Cities in the U.S. for over a decade, and for the past 3 years has been the #1 Safest city in the U.S. with a pop. over 500,000. I have never seen any crime here, or worried about my safety while going out. There are a ton of fun things to do around the city, and even more fun stuff to do in the regional area, especially if you enjoy the mountains or other outdoor activities. I suggest checking out some local tourism websites to see the plethora of activities El Paso has to offer.

Weather: El Paso is situated in the High Desert, we're at around 4800 ft. elevation, so it takes a bit of time to acclimate to the lower oxygen. However, the elevation gives the luxury of cooler temperatures compared to the rest of Texas. With low humidity, and Summer high's around the mid-90's, with only a few days a year spiking into the 100's the climate is pretty mild, and almost every day around here is very beautiful and Sunny. As far as weather goes, the American Southwest is one of the best places in the country to live (my personal opinion - but I absolutely hate humidity, who likes sweating when it's 75 degrees outside because of 100% humidity?)

All in all, Ft. Bliss is an excellent choice, and if you're looking for safe neighborhoods, fun family activities, oppurtunities for shopping, and plentiful recreational activities this is a great palce to be. As far as social life and espirit de corps, it is what you make of it. You can be as social or anti-social as you want, but there are a lot of oppurtunities to get out and meet people. Espirit de corps generally boils down to the climate of leadership in your unit. I've been blessed with a wonderful close-knit unit who is proud of the work we do, and likes making work a fun place to come to. I hope that's something you find as well, wherever you go!

Response by SSG Private RallyPoint Member made Dec 23 at 2013 7:53 PM

2013-12-23T19:53:51-05:00

Being an Army brat, I got to live at Bliss, and hated it, not a lot to do, took forever to go anywhere with anything to do, and since I've joined I've gone out there to do various PMT, and found not much had changed.

I'm probably really biased because I spent most of my youth here in the Clarksville/Ft. Campbell 6-12 grade and all of my HS years were with FCHS. I love it here, I re-enlisted to be here, and its a wonderful place to raise a family. Lots to do, If you are an avid outdoorsman, then you wont have a time of year that you cant, hunt, fish, camp, hike, there are tons of cultural features here, and even more history.

I'd recommend Campbell if you have the choice.

Response by SFC Private RallyPoint Member made Dec 23 at 2013 7:56 PM

2013-12-23T19:56:30-05:00

SGT Smith, I am stationed in Bliss (1 AD) and I was stationed at Campbell in the 90s.... go to Campbell. Back in the 90s there weren't too many 19Ds at Campbell, now there are CAV SQDRNs in the BDEs. You will have the opportunity to go to Air Assault School, Ranger School, Pathfinder School, as well as lead some of the more motivated Soldiers in the Army. The housing here is good. I don't know too much about the city, I do know if I stay here longer than two years I'll be 300 lbs! There are some good restaurants here! Campbell....in my opinion would be better professionally for you.

Response by SFC Private RallyPoint Member made Dec 23 at 2013 10:46 PM

2013-12-23T22:46:51-05:00

I have been in Ft. Campbell for 7 years now and would love to stay here if I could and my wife and I have already decided that this is where we are going to retire to the area is great and Clarksville was the second fastest growing city in the nation in 2013. There is so much to do both for families and single soldiers. They are constantly opening new places to eat they just opened up a Cheddars and a Texas Road House. The base itself the newer housing is ok but from a lot of both friends and soldiers of mine that live on post the housing seams like it was built cheaply. It was all put up very fast, while the older housing needs a lot of upgrading. The housing market off post is absolutely booming there are new developments going up every where. I have a 3 br 2.5 bath with 1470 sqft on a quarter acre lot just five minutes from post for 125,000. The base does seem crowded at times, the traffic is horrible here especially since the deployments have slowed down and more units are back at the same time. But overall Ft. Campbell is a great station and the history here and the chance to be apart of such a prestigious unit is amazing.

Response by CSM Stuart C. O'Black made Dec 23 at 2013 11:10 PM

2013-12-23T23:10:18-05:00

Fort Campbell is the third largest post but about 11th in funding while Ft. Bliss received a lot of new funding.

However, not sure the point of this post over any others? Fort Campbell, Bragg, Korea, Kansas? You say you are not bashing but what are you looking for in the discussion.

Are you trying to decide which post to chose during a PCS request? If so please ask those type of questions because this just gets into personal preferences not what the Army is about.

********With that said in reference to your post I have been to both and they are outstanding Post. You may look want to at the community to see which one better supports what you want. I would retire to both places and be happy.

Response by SSG Private RallyPoint Member made Apr 15 at 2014 2:41 PM

2014-04-15T14:41:35-04:00

Go to Campbell. Great subdivisions, on-post housing is nice well. Clarksville itself it aesthically beautiful if you're into trees, lakes and ponds and things of that nature. It depends on what you're into because there are family recreations buildings and fun zone. Plus Nashville is 45 minutes down the road. Espirt De Corps is very high. Every unit has its own BN/BDE shirt and sweatshirt and unit runs are at least one or twice a month. Wait until you participate in the Division run, Esprit De Corps at its finest.

Response by SSG Private RallyPoint Member made Sep 10 at 2015 1:14 AM

2015-09-10T01:14:21-04:00

I have been to both, but my vote is for Ft. Campbell. Cooler climate than Ft. Bliss, plus Air Assault school. I think you really couldn't go wrong with either one! Good luck!