Any advice on pcs’ing to FT Bliss?

CW2 (Join to see) Ft. Bliss is one of those highly polarizing posts; it seems people either loved it or hated it. My advice is seek advice and opinion, pro & con, from those who were stationed there within the last 10 or so years, because Bliss today is nothing like it was 15, 20, 30 years ago.

If you chose to live off post, best to avoid NE and central El Paso; there's some nice places in far east EP and westside. I lived on-post in upper Beaumont next to the (soon-to-be former) hospital, and I loved it. Uncle Sam spent a boatload of money at Ft. Bliss, and some of that were to building new homes and rehabbing old homes.

The post's amenities there are great! The PX complex on main post is superior to most if not all others in the Army. When I arrived, they were in the process of building it out into the mall/entertainment complex it is today. It was an impressive project to watch come together! The commissary is great; a vast improvement to the old one--which is now the museum--and superior to many I've seen at other posts. Also, while it wasn't finished when I left, a new aquatic center is now up and running right across the street from Soto gym; itself a newer and very nice complex, and where 1st AD's footprint is on the Biggs side of Ft. Bliss (I think they call it "east Bliss these days", someone correct me if I'm wrong), they have a nice mini-PX near the gym and aquatic center.

If you want to do things off post, El Paso is a big city surrounded by lots of desert. There's all kinds of arts and entertainment suitable for bored single soldiers or families along with all kinds of outdoor activities; with the possible exception of fishing, as you'll have to drive for a while to find a body of water...and the Rio Grande don't count! And many places like Dallas, San Diego and Las Vegas are all less than a 12 hour drive.

I've said it before, and I'll say it again, if you are bored at Ft. Bliss, you are choosing it!

Now, the less than positive.

The weather: In summer, its hot. Hotter than hot. Stupid hot. Satan's Speedo hot...but it's a dry heat (for what it's worth), and it's not called the "sun city" for nothin'. It will bake your car's paintjob. Wear sunscreen--or else--take a knee and drink enough water to float a battleship daily! It can get seriously windy too; every once in a while you'll see a legitimate haboob rolling across the desert. If it rains, the desert turns into a vast--though temporary--lake with a million damn frogs (yep) getting it on with each other until the land can soak it all back in. Not as bad in EP proper, but out in the training areas...just, wow! In winter, it does get cool, and it gets about a day, maybe 2, where a dusting of snow falls...and you'd think the apocalypse officially began! The post will shut down, and people will lose their ever-loving minds. Good luck!

You're close enough to Mexico to see it--sometimes literally as I could out my back window--but they don't let you go there. At least not when I was stationed there, because of all the cartel activity. A couple guys I knew who where were there in years past, said it was great going to Juarez back in the day; that day is now over. At the time I was at Ft. Bliss, Juarez was the most dangerous city in the world exclusive of bonified combat zones. Doubt it's improved enough to let soldiers go back. Also, car thefts can be an issue. If you lose your hooptie, abandon ye all hope as it is now in it's component parts south of the boarder. Don't get me wrong, El Paso itself has a great reputation as a safe city, but your auto insurance carrier may stridently disagree.

In the end, Bliss is like anywhere else: What you make of it. As I said, I enjoyed my time there, and by extension, my time in El Paso. My unit on the other hand left much to be desired, but that's a different story for a different time.

Good luck.

They have the nicest PX I've seen in 24 years of service. I called my brother in the Air Force to tell him how nice it was.

You will go to either 2nd or 3rd Battalion. There are lots of things to do in the area, White Sands is about an hour north. I live on the west side of town. It has grown since I've been here as has Ft Bliss. The entire CAB area is new (completed in 2011) and much of the base has been upgraded. Prepare for moderate winters, windy in the spring and hot summers.