Posted on Jan 31, 2014
What was your best and worst duty stations/assignments, and why?
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Would like to know each other's experiences in different units to connect how different units run and operate wether it would be OCONUS OR CONUS
Duty Stations
Army
Germany
PCS
Posted >1 y ago
Responses: 70
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Every duty station will be different for each person. I spent 13 years in Germany and absolutely loved every minute of it. I am now in FT Lee VA which is also awesome, because after being in Germany for 13 years I am now only 4 hours from home. Close enough to go see family and them come see me, but far enough away that they will call before they waste a "surprise" trip to see/bother me! LOL
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CH (LTC) Robert Leroe
Ft Lee seems like a great place; I drove through the area and was very impressed.
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The one you are about to go to followed by the one you just left!
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Make a bigger move and see Europe. I PCS'd from Germany just over a year ago and really miss it. My plan is to reenlist while on my up comming deployment with PCS orders to return to Germany once I return from deployment.
It was the best 3 years I had there and hoping to have 3 more great years.
Dont just restriced yourself to staying stateside if you can. See what you can see of the world as it might be the only chance you will have.
It was the best 3 years I had there and hoping to have 3 more great years.
Dont just restriced yourself to staying stateside if you can. See what you can see of the world as it might be the only chance you will have.
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another one for campbell. high optempo, but i learned more at campbell then anywhere else.
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Only a handful of Soldiers can get stationed at the remote USAG-KA/RTS (US Army Garrison Kwajalein Atoll/Reagan Test Site), in the Republic of the Marshall Islands. It's about 2100 miles southwest of Hawaii. I had worked out there as a civilian contractor several years ago. I had learned to SCUBA dive out there. It also has a lot of history since it was where the major fighting of Operation Flintlock occurred 70 years ago.<br><br>http://www.smdc.army.mil/RTS.html<br><br>http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Flintlock_%28World_War_II%29<br><br>Here's a couple of my many pictures of my time on Kwajalein. I included one of an old Japanese bunker.<br><br>Anyway, if I was still in, I would have to say Antarctica.<br><div class="pta-link-card"><div class="pta-link-card-picture"><img src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/f1/Alabama-iii.jpg/300px-Alabama-iii.jpg"></div><div class="pta-link-card-content"><div class="pta-link-card-title"><a target="_blank" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Flintlock_(World_War_II)">Operation Flintlock (World War II) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia</a></div><div class="pta-link-card-description">Operation Flintlock was the campaign against the Marshall Islands in the Pacific campaign of World War II, from January to February 1944. The operation involved the invasions of Kwajalein and Eniwetok...</div></div><div style="clear:both"></div><div class="pta-box-hide"><i class="icon-remove"></i></div></div><div class="pta-link-card"><div class="pta-link-card-picture"><img src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/f1/Alabama-iii.jpg/300px-Alabama-iii.jpg"></div><div class="pta-link-card-content"><div class="pta-link-card-title"><a target="_blank" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Flintlock_(World_War_II)">Operation Flintlock (World War II) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia</a></div><div class="pta-link-card-description">Operation Flintlock was the campaign against the Marshall Islands in the Pacific campaign of World War II, from January to February 1944. The operation involved the invasions of Kwajalein and Eniwetok...</div></div><div style="clear:both"></div><div class="pta-box-hide"><i class="icon-remove"></i></div></div><div class="pta-link-card"><div class="pta-link-card-picture"><img src="http://www.smdc.army.mil/KWAJ/RTS/RTS_banner.gif"></div><div class="pta-link-card-content"><div class="pta-link-card-title"><a target="_blank" href="http://www.smdc.army.mil/RTS.html">Reagan Test Site</a></div><div class="pta-link-card-description">
The mission of the Ronald Reagan
Ballistic Missile Defense Test Site (RTS) is to provide a Major Range Test
Facility Base (MRTFB) activity on Kwajalein Atoll & Wake Island to support...</div></div><div style="clear:both"></div><div class="pta-box-hide"><i class="icon-remove"></i></div></div>
The mission of the Ronald Reagan
Ballistic Missile Defense Test Site (RTS) is to provide a Major Range Test
Facility Base (MRTFB) activity on Kwajalein Atoll & Wake Island to support...</div></div><div style="clear:both"></div><div class="pta-box-hide"><i class="icon-remove"></i></div></div>
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Fort Irwin (NTC) was both. At the time it was just miserable. The heat, the field time, the heat, and then there was the heat. 10 years later, we were going to fight in the desert. All those lessons learned came paid dividends.
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My best was every single one of them except the worst one, & it wouldn't have been bad except for getting caught up in some drama caused by a Senior NCO. If we're just talking about location I thoroughly enjoyed the Tampa Bay area (when I was in town) on my Joint Assignment.
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Best duty station was Heidelberg, Germany (now closed). I loved it so much and even met my wife there. Germany as a whole is beautiful and there's endless things to do and see. I might retire there when it's all said and done. I am currently in Hawaii (schofield barracks) and I have mixed feelings so far. I know I'm in "paradise" but it's overrated if you ask me. I've only been here 6 months though so there is still time to change my mind. The traffic is the worst I've ever experienced.
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SGT (Join to see)
I completely agree with you on hawaii. Been here almost 3 years (fixing to pcs to bliss) I didn't want to come here, and I cant wait to get away. Traffic is horrible. The units are all complacent, no deployments. Prices. And you're on an island... cant wait to get off this rock
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Despite what other people say, I really liked Ft. Drum. Yes, it was cold and it had a ridiculous amount of snow, but the summers were awesome. The fishing was fantastic! Canada was less than an hour away and I was only 5 1/2 away from home. There was a lot of camaraderie with the folks in my unit. Good times.<br><br>On the other hand, Ft. Eustis, A.K.A. "Planet Eustis", was a different story. Very disappointing. Barracks life was terrible where you actually had to put two NCO's into a room. Morale was crappy; camaraderie was non existent. Planet Eustis left such a bad impression that I just finished up my degree, received my civilian credentials and ETSed back into the civilian world.<br>
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SGM (Join to see)
CSM Charles Hayden - Funny. But it might teach the Army a thing or two if more and more smart young troopers like SGT (Join to see) get discouraged, get their degrees, and get out of the Army. The better job we do of keeping the best and brightest young NCOs, the better chance we have of winding up with the brightest senior leaders like you were and still are!
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CSM Charles Hayden
SGM (Join to see) Roger that, and yet, Sisyphus continues his task. I recall several OCS commissioned officers that were advised to ETS and get a degree and then if they were really committed to re-enter the military!
A book?, earlier on RP was written by a AF Academy grad, whom upon being challenged by his career field officer, said, "I will show you!" He then exited, pursued his chosen field and wrote a book re: the services being such hide-bound career managers. No regard for the overall program, simply inflexible to the service members. The conclusion was that the 'best and brightest' would not put up w/ the BS and simply exited the military. The Chiefs must have read or been briefed on that book, yet no changes are forthcoming! 'They' know better!
A book?, earlier on RP was written by a AF Academy grad, whom upon being challenged by his career field officer, said, "I will show you!" He then exited, pursued his chosen field and wrote a book re: the services being such hide-bound career managers. No regard for the overall program, simply inflexible to the service members. The conclusion was that the 'best and brightest' would not put up w/ the BS and simply exited the military. The Chiefs must have read or been briefed on that book, yet no changes are forthcoming! 'They' know better!
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SGM (Join to see)
CSM Charles Hayden - "They" always know better, don't they? I've got my own rock(s) and my own mountain, so I understand your point. I bet the chiefs didn't read it, if it wasn't on the Chairman's "reading list." They might have heard about it, if one of their strap-hangers dared broach the topic with them. Ah well, it's true the message seldom gets back as intended. Eventually, the numbers start telling a story, though, and the Army has too many senior NCOs and junior enlisted without enough mid-grade NCOs and someone starts asking "why." Then the academics get engaged and start throwing incentives at the problem. Maybe the barracks issues get resolved - or maybe they don't; who knows.
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<p>Great responses here already with Fort Belvoir, or anywhere in the Military District of Washington, for the "big city" feel, and Fort Carson, which is a beautiful area. I have lived at both and enjoyed both locations. </p><p><br></p><p><br></p><p>Get out there and experience the world. It is all in what you make of it...</p>
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SFC(P) (Join to see)
I have to say that the DC area is great and there is no other better place to network than DC
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