How long can any one service member stay at one base?

There is no set number of years they can keep you on a base. There are a set number of years they have to keep you at a base (stabilization), after that time is up they can move you, but they dont have to. Four years isnt long to be stationed somehwere. I'm at 20 years this year and have only been to three duty stations. I was at Fort Bragg for 11 years prior to my PCS late last year.

Technically, that is incorrect. The army can keep you at a base your entire career. However, they will typically, at a minimum, move you to a different MACOM every few years. An example: As a PSYOPer, I could stay at Fort Bragg, in theory, 20 years, and retire. However, if I did so, I might be in a PSYOP group (sorry - MISO Group now) for 3 years in a BN. Then, they move me out of that group over to the 82nd, USASOC, or the JFKSWC, or somewhere else outside of my normal command. I then stay there for a few years, and then come back to the PSYOP group. All those units are located at Fort Bragg (common knowledge and you can even look it up). I never left Bragg, but I changed MACOMs - technically counting as a "same station PCS". Other MOSes, will typically move every 3 - 4 years, though, I have had Soldiers who were at a base for 6 or 7 years - with a MACOM change.

Call/email your branch manager, that's what they are there for. How long someone stays at any particular duty station has a lot to do with so many different things. If you are ready to leave send an email to your branch manager, wait 72 hours for a response, if you don't hear back, call your branch manager.

It's called the 18th Airborne curse. It you raise a stink, you will find yourself on orders to Korea with a return trip to Drum. Back in the 90's that seemed like standard SOP. Don't you appreciate the 3 weeks of nice weather every year?

I was able to pull of an entire enlistment at NSGD Sugar Grove, WV, Great Place for 4 years but that is an exception rather than the rule. Most tours 3 yrs but there are some that are 2 and 1. If you did an accompanied tour at NSGA Adak, AK it was 2 years, Unaccompanied was 1. Diego Garcia is isolated duty and unaccompanied so it is only 1 year.

Well that is nice to know if you want to stay at Fort Drum. I was at Fort Hood for 3.5 years and my branch manager said, "you need to go" while others holding the same rank and position have been at Hood for over 5 years.

I have been at Drum for over 8 yes now with no end in sight.

I was on Ft Stewart from 2004-2011. I was a PSG, OPS NCO, 1SG, and BN OPS NCO.

I was stationed at ANDREWS AFB for 9 years.

Assignments are based on many factors: your MOS, your rank and experience, personal needs and requests (to include career path), time left until ETS/Retirement and the infamous needs of the Army. At the larger bases with numerous and mutliple types of resident units (ie FORSCOM, TRADOC, Joint, etc) it is entirely possible to PCS between units and never leave the base. Typically however, the Army tends to keep people at a current assignment for about 2-3 years. This is likely to expand to 3-4 years in order to reduce the costs of PCSs.