What's your favorite place you've been stationed?

Germany

Split evenly between my first two.
Incirlik AB, Turkey...Really good food immediately outside the gate, going down to the Med on weekends, good command group, and just a great hard working fun loving squadron (even through we were officially the 39th SPF (Security Police Flight)) overall.
RAF Alconbury, UK...You are in a foreign country with "English" as it's primary language. Pubs, London, easy access to go everywhere and anywhere. Parents were stationed there for the first year I was, so was able to go home for Thanksgiving and Christmas that year. Really tight Flight, we did everything together.

Alaska. We were stationed at Elmendorf AFB (now Joint Base Elmendorf Richardson) near Anchorage. The climate was sub-arctic, but quite manageable as long as you prepared. The Summers were great and the winters were bearable. Maximum day/dark was about 18 hours light/dark. Very long summer days gave lots of time for fishing and other outdoor activities. The long winter nights inhibited some outdoor activities, but most ski slopes and ice skating rinks were lighted. At the time, the Anchorage School District was one of the best in the nation. Kids got a good education along with lots of outside activities. Also, help with learning disabilities unavailable in the Lower 48.

The flying was great! Our mission during the cold war was to fly resupply of things and people into about 12 remote radar sites across Alaska and Western Canada (part of NORAD). This was a "real world" job, not just training. All of the supplies and personnel for most of the sights came in or out on the C-130s. We also trained with the Army and Air Force units in Alaska including air drops and dissimilar air combat. Some of the training areas were the size of Iowa where you could do about anything your aircraft was capable of from 300 ft above the ground to 20,000 ft. We had our own mini-Red Flag with the fighter squadrons at Elmendorf and Eielson AFB. Also covered medevac to the Lower 48.


My son returned to Alaska after high school in Florida. He's still "Livin' the dream."