What was you favorite base/post, that is no more?

2014-09-07T21:28:16-04:00

What was you favorite base or post, that is no longer around?

Even though I still live near it, I miss my first base I was ever stationed at, Griffiss AFB NY. I miss watching the B-52's doing touch and go's and hearing those engines roar. The whole closure pisses me off. BRAC said New York State would loose either Plattsburgh or Griffiss, and the bases ended up turning on each other, this one is better and back and forth and we ended up loosing both bases.

I was stationed at Carswell AFB in Fort Worth for my medic clinical training in 1990-1991. They had just built a new BX, Commissary, repaved all the roads and redid the hospital and a few years later they closed the base. At least it lives on as JRB Fort Worth. I believe the hospital is now a woman's prison.

Note: Image added by RP Staff

Response by SFC Mark Merino made Sep 7 at 2014 11:47 PM

2014-09-07T23:47:33-04:00

Tustin, CA---Marine Corps
Fort Ord, CA-Army

Response by MSG Wade Huffman made Sep 8 at 2014 7:22 AM

2014-09-08T07:22:58-04:00

Fischbach Army Depot in Germany. It was my first duty station, and was pretty darn remote. In some ways I hated it while there since we had very limited facilities, but in hindsight, it was one of those 'Best kept secrets'. Small, remote assignments definitely have their advantages!

Response by CW2 Jonathan Kantor made Sep 8 at 2014 7:51 AM

2014-09-08T07:51:28-04:00

Augsburg. It was my first assignment, it's where I met my wife, and it's a beautiful town.

Response by Maj Chris Nelson made Sep 8 at 2014 9:11 AM

2014-09-08T09:11:09-04:00

Aschaffenburg Germany. First duty assignment. They closed down the community back in 1992 or 3 I think. I went back to visit in 2005.....was cool to see the changes, but at the same time.....not so much.

Response by LTC Paul Labrador made Sep 8 at 2014 6:16 PM

2014-09-08T18:16:09-04:00

While it's not gone yet, Yongsan in Korea. Will likely be turned over to the ROK around 2018....although I've heard the embassy housilng is likely to stay as well as The Dragon Hill and USFK headquarters.

Response by SSgt Private RallyPoint Member made Sep 8 at 2014 6:20 PM

2014-09-08T18:20:45-04:00

SCPO Private RallyPoint Member My first would be Rhein Mein AB, followed by Chanute AFB. I also applied to Griffis, Plattsburg and Pease AFBs. Maj Chris Nelson CW2 Jonathan Kantor SSG V. Michelle Woods SFC Mark Merino MSG Wade Huffman

Response by COL Private RallyPoint Member made Sep 8 at 2014 7:01 PM

2014-09-08T19:01:00-04:00

Gotta be my first duty station, Friedberg, Germany. I've heard that the small town where it was located is now a shell of what it used to be. It was a great place and a great unit to be in. 1st Brigade, 1st Armored Division.

Response by Cpl Private RallyPoint Member made Sep 8 at 2014 8:00 PM

2014-09-08T20:00:04-04:00

MCAS Tustin was my favorite. I'm not sure these were my favorite, but all 4 boats I've spent time on are now decommissioned; Guadalcanal, Guam, Saipan and Nashville.

Response by MAJ Robert (Bob) Petrarca made Sep 8 at 2014 8:12 PM

2014-09-08T20:12:59-04:00

Quonset NAS and Davisville Naval Construction Battalion Center, RI home of the Sea Bees. My uncle used to take me there as a kid I used to love all the artifacts and war stories.

Response by PO1 Private RallyPoint Member made Sep 8 at 2014 8:15 PM

2014-09-08T20:15:32-04:00

Camp X-ray, Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. Just kidding, not my favorite but definitely no more in existence. I was working for Camp Delta for 6 months. Actually my old command at Naval Weapons Charleston, SC, has realigned with Air Force due to BRAC initiative. Very laid back command by coastal Carolina, and I'll forever miss it :-(

Response by SPC David S. made Sep 8 at 2014 8:55 PM

2014-09-08T20:55:36-04:00

Ft. Monroe as a military brat. As I kid me and couple of other kids would run all around the the Fort which also had a neat moat. You could see the aircraft carriers from Norfolk. Ft. Wool was just on the other side. It was a very tiny Post but really neat. Good news it is now a national park.

Response by LTC Jason Mackay made Sep 8 at 2014 9:47 PM

2014-09-08T21:47:13-04:00

Heidelberg, Germany.

Response by SPC Darin Taylor made Sep 9 at 2014 7:22 PM

2014-09-09T19:22:44-04:00

I will always have great memories of Clark AFB, Philippines. I was stationed there in 1985 as an Aircraft Maintenance Specialist.

Response by 1SG Private RallyPoint Member made Sep 11 at 2014 12:38 AM

2014-09-11T00:38:26-04:00

Fort Benjamin-Harrison, Indiana.
I went to personnel school there in 1994. Tiny post, with half the land area occupied by the golf course. We did our "FTX" in a two-acre park.

Response by PO3 Shaun Taylor made Sep 14 at 2014 9:03 PM

2014-09-14T21:03:07-04:00

MCAS El Toro.

Response by SSG Private RallyPoint Member made Sep 15 at 2014 2:00 PM

2014-09-15T14:00:32-04:00

Minick Kasern, Bad Kreuznach Germany

Response by PO2 David Wagner made Sep 16 at 2014 1:57 AM

2014-09-16T01:57:51-04:00

USCGC Eastwind was my favorite. I was onboard 1964-66 and we made Operation Deepfreeze '65 and Operation Deepfreeze '66 to McMurdo Sound, Antarctica. In between those two cruises we did Arctic East to Greenland. We broke so much ice with a ship that had been commissioned in 1944, that it was decommissioned in 1968, two years after I got off due to excessive hull damage.

Response by PO2 David Wagner made Nov 21 at 2014 11:53 AM

2014-11-21T11:53:10-05:00

The USCGC Eastwind WAGB-279. I made to two Operation Deep Freeze missions aboard (10/64 to 5/65) and (10/65 to 4/66) and one Arctic East mission 6/65 to 4/66). She was sadly decommed in 1968.

For more info on her illustrious career: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USCGC_Eastwind_(WAGB-279)

Response by PO3 Private RallyPoint Member made Nov 21 at 2014 11:57 AM

2014-11-21T11:57:01-05:00

Fort Worden (Battery Kinzie) "I got no where else to go!"

Response by CW5 Private RallyPoint Member made Nov 21 at 2014 2:45 PM

2014-11-21T14:45:26-05:00

Turley Barracks, Mannheim, Germany

Response by PO2 Corey Ferretti made Nov 21 at 2014 2:57 PM

2014-11-21T14:57:22-05:00

Subic Bay PI i was not stationed there my mom was. From what i can remember of that base it was fun. I remember monkeys on the fence big snakes getting pulled out of drains and big freaking lizards

Response by PO2 Jonathan Scharff made Nov 21 at 2014 2:59 PM

2014-11-21T14:59:14-05:00

Mine was definitely Governors Island, NY. Went to ET A-School there in the early 80's when it was still a Coast Guard Island. Totally changed my perception of NYC. It was really something to be part of the exciting pace of Manhattan, but then be able to take a ferry a short ride to a secluded island. Sad its no longer a CG base, but at least its a park now.

Response by LTC Jason Strickland made Nov 21 at 2014 5:15 PM

2014-11-21T17:15:28-05:00

Fort Ord, CA - home of the 7th Infantry Division - light fighters! We had to camp up, fix bayonets, and don our "mop tops" for every single, stinking event.
Great to see that SFC Mark Merino was a fellow "Master of the Night."

Response by PO2 Bill Plumb made Nov 22 at 2014 4:12 PM

2014-11-22T16:12:20-05:00

Their is only one that is no longer active, USCGC Acacia, was there 61-62 as a BM3, transferred when I made BM2

Response by LTC Stephen C. made Nov 23 at 2014 6:27 PM

2014-11-23T18:27:30-05:00

Fort McClellan, AL was a beautiful post, because of the structures and surrounding topography. Buckner Circle, which included many of the original headquarters buildings, the post chapel, senior officer and senior non-commissioned officer housing and the officers' club, was simply unrivaled, in my opinion. Unfortunately, BRAC took the post. The Alabama Army National Guard took over the northern part of the post, and the southern part was released to civilian use. The Guard has done well taking care of their piece, but the civilian side has not fared as well and Buckner Circle is on the southern side. The photo is of Remington Hall, the officers' club, before it fell into disrepair.

Response by MAJ Michael Scharff made Nov 29 at 2014 8:53 AM

2014-11-29T08:53:49-05:00

Ansbach, Germany, 1st Armor Division.

Response by TSgt Jackie Jones made Dec 3 at 2014 12:07 AM

2014-12-03T00:07:40-05:00

NAS Keflavik, Iceland. Best people and most interesting place to be for two years. I want to go back as a tourist!

Response by MAJ Ronnie Reams made Jan 5 at 2015 6:30 PM

2015-01-05T18:30:25-05:00

PSF

Response by MAJ Private RallyPoint Member made Jan 6 at 2015 8:17 AM

2015-01-06T08:17:06-05:00

Fort Sherman, Panama - Home of the Jungle Operations Training Center and located at the entrance to the Panama Canal across from Colón, Panama. Being able to dive the old British hospital ship that was sunk by a German torpedo just inside the entrance (Apparently it was struck in the Caribbean and limped in to safety), train in the jungles, visit Colón...and much more.

Response by SPC Rodney Harvey made Jan 6 at 2015 8:28 AM

2015-01-06T08:28:46-05:00

Ft. Sherman, Panama U.S. Army base.

Response by MAJ Michael Scharff made Jan 6 at 2015 2:10 PM

2015-01-06T14:10:08-05:00

Although I was never stationed there, I would think the Presidio would be a great place to be stationed! I was stationed in Ansbach, Germany, Fort Bragg, Fort McPherson, and Fort Campbell. Best locations were Ansbach and then McPherson - both now closed :-(

Response by SSG Matt Murphy made Jan 6 at 2015 4:37 PM

2015-01-06T16:37:33-05:00

Linkou Taiwan. Top of a mountain outside Taipei. 6924th Security Squadron & tri-service base. 24x7 mess hall with fishpond, linen table cloths, best dining hall in the military, no KP or any other details....and twenty minutes from downtown Taipei.....heaven for a young enlisted man.....

Response by SP5 Joel O'Brien made Jan 6 at 2015 6:33 PM

2015-01-06T18:33:12-05:00

Assigned to AFN Europe in 1973, I was sent to AFN-TV, West Berlin, which was attached to Berlin Brigade. I couldn't have asked for a better assignment!

Response by MSG Scott Swank made Jan 7 at 2015 12:46 PM

2015-01-07T12:46:06-05:00

Ft. Sherman JOTC was a great place to train and learn about the jungle while touring the Panama Canal in a rubber raft.

Response by SGT Steven Eugene Kuhn MBA made Jan 12 at 2015 4:16 PM

2015-01-12T16:16:33-05:00

What a great question SCPO Private RallyPoint Member leading me to wonderful memories of times gone by, of brothers and special moments etched in my brain forever.

I would have to vote for OP Alpha, the border patrol base in the Fulda Germany, the area where the Russians would have come across, would WWIII had started. OP Alpha is now actually a museum, yes, we are history!

I served in Germany most of my career (besides ODS) and there are many places that are held in the highest regards in my mind.

Thank you for the question!
Steven

Response by SGM Private RallyPoint Member made Jan 12 at 2015 4:33 PM

2015-01-12T16:33:28-05:00

Presidio of San Francisco, CA

Response by PV2 Private RallyPoint Member made Jan 12 at 2015 4:36 PM

2015-01-12T16:36:07-05:00

Ft. McClellan AL. It's still technically open but not in the capacity it was as I understand it.
Ft. Ord, home of NTC

Response by PO1 Chris Crawley made Jan 12 at 2015 4:44 PM

2015-01-12T16:44:27-05:00

Carswell is now NAS Ft Worth JRB. The hospital is a hospital for the federal prison system (McDougall died there after saying he would testify against the Clintons). The barracks around the hospital are a minimum security women's federal prison.

Response by PO1 Chris Crawley made Jan 12 at 2015 4:45 PM

2015-01-12T16:45:56-05:00

As for the main question, the only base that I served at twice is the only one I served at that is now closed. NAS JRB Willow Grove, north of Filthadelphia

Response by PO2 Paul Pender made Jan 13 at 2015 11:44 AM

2015-01-13T11:44:44-05:00

NAS JRB Willow Grove. Driving by it looks like a deserted Airbase. The AF side is open and bustling with some new buildings and expected to open a Drone Command soon. No drones would be flown out of there, just controlled by the video games pilots. They still don't have a plan for the 900 acres yet and not sure what will happen, so many contaminated sites on the base and wells are contaminated surrounding the base. They should have just kept it open. Would be cheaper than cleaning up this mess and a lot of friends have cancer and some who have already died, even as young as 28.

Response by SGM Debra Bradshaw made Jan 13 at 2015 1:33 PM

2015-01-13T13:33:07-05:00

Fort (planet) Ord. 7th Light Infantry Division, Monterey, CA. It was only 500 miles to home (Vegas) and close to every kind of entertainment. Mountains, ocean, sports events like golf, and had the Laguna Seca Raceway for auto racing. The only drawback was that when everything else was sunny, planet Ord would suck the fog in because it was in a bay. It's still there, looking like a ghost town but parts are rented out to DOD.

Response by LT Dale Ford made Jan 30 at 2015 7:39 PM

2015-01-30T19:39:13-05:00

Argentia Newfoundland

Response by SSgt Phil Hinkle made Feb 13 at 2020 7:13 PM

2020-02-13T19:13:24-05:00

Carswell AFB. Both of our kids were born there. I was there 88-93, MMS. We're still in the area.