Fort Polk resides in Louisiana where the hot summers and mosquito problems can make the area unpleasant. You may or may not like the summers, but the rest of the year offers some of the best mild temperatures in the United States. Lovely Fort Polk in blazing hot Louisiana is about as inviting as the mujahideen, unless youre a tropical disease virus. This is where NORAD and USAFA is located. United States Southern Command. What someone that serves the military and is single wants is drastically different from a service member with a wife and kids. The Panama Canal also falls under the protection of this base. 6. Fort Polk/Fort Irwin. Keep in mind that you may not get anything on your list (my wife and I didn't). I turned town an assignment to Eielson for Andersen.. got rewarded with an assignment to Minot afterwards.. No more Tattoo Taboo: Air Force and Space Force to allow neck and hand tats, How will I do when that time comes? Alaska Airlines. On base, youll find dental care, vet services, dining, and other recreational activities for a low-key day off. Related Article Best Army Bases for Families, Couples and Singles. Joint Base San Antonio is in the suburb of Lackland, Texas. What I am seeing from the majority of reviews indicates that Ramstein is very unsanitary. There are, of course, many things we cannot control for when joining the military, but some bases are just worse than others. As far as Navy bases in Florida go, its tough to beat that. Location: Bremerton, Bangor, and Keyport, Washington. In our survey, it ended up with one of the highest school rankings 8 out of 10 the lowest crime ratesreceiving 9 points out of 10, far greater than the nationwide average of 6 and lowest unemployment rates 3.9 percent compared with 6.1 percent nationally. It has all the usual complaints of a remote base town with one notable difference: it is regularly ranked among the nations worst for air pollution.Most common escape: We could talk about the nearby cities of Visalia or Fresno, but who cares about that when the most beautiful place on earth is literally in your backyard? When you fill out your "dream sheet," you are forced to list 10 stateside bases as well as 10 overseas bases. Driving along the roads, dont be surprised if you see herds of moose or elk wandering along the side of the road. We converted the statistics so lower crime rates would result in higher scores for bases. Sign up here for our daily Thrillist email, and get your fix of the best in food/drink/fun. The IAF has ordered 689 aircraft in which there will be Su-57 (144), Tejas Mk.1 (99), Rafale (35), Su-30MKI (8), and other helicopters and aircraft. Some residents have taken to calling the area Smell Segundo. The main issue, however, is really the money. Below, we rounded up the best military bases categorized by interests. Youll never regret a day at Lackland if you are single and looking to mingle. The secludedness makes you feel like you have an island to yourself with phenomenal beaches and splendid weather. You wont want to miss a minute of taking in the natural beauty of Hawaiis third-largest island. "It's easier sometimes to ask a friend to get you something when they are TDY.". Related Article Top 15 Military Schools For Boys And Girls. For the most part, you will have to live off base and may feel that Italian houses are not up to par with Western style housing. Though military life is extremely hard on families there are thousands that make it work every year. A nearby town or city with fun things to do. This is a USAF KC-10 refueling a Navy FA-18 Hornet. The coastal military base provides that Florida weather with plenty of charm. The average GreatSchools.com ranking of schools within a 10-mile radius was 4 out of a possible 10. Some military families go so far as to live in New Hampshire and commute to work. Though the weather isnt terrific its still a fantastic place to get stationed if you have to go outside the United States. The Grand Canyon and Carlsbad Caverns National Park are also within reason. The commissary isnt great and the types of food are limited. Families love living here for many reasons, including affordable housing. So if youre unimpressed by Louisiana, at least you can benefit from some military-issued, updated hospitality. Welcome to Fort Drum. Base: Fort BlissUnlucky call sign: Fort Piss, Hell PasoWhy it's not great: The base with the most misleading name, Fort Bliss is located in the border town of El Paso, Texas. The Americans there are rude and begging to leave. Surfing, hiking, ziplining the list is endless. source GAIA package: Sx_MilitaryTimes_M6201410307210028 . Nevertheless, it is great during the winter. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Kirby Turbak. Savings may be hard to come by, as local shopping and driving are both very expensive. Base: Cannon Air Force BaseUnlucky call sign: AfcannonstanWhy it's not great: Blame the fact that Clovis is more West Texas than New Mexico, that there are limited on-base amenities, or that its completely surrounded by cattle farms and dairies; but airmen know Clovis as a remote base town memorable for the wafting smell of cow manure and the downright biblical wave of pestilence known as fly season.Most common escape: Lubbock and Amarillo, Texas, are the two closest cities, but we cant bring ourselves to see how this is a good thing -- unless you enjoy taking down 72oz of free steak in an hour. Related Article US Military Bases in Germany. Single soldiers, in particular, will love Better Opportunity for Single Soldiers (BOSS), an organization where soldiers can volunteer and participate in leisure activities together. However, what helps Guam is that its a territory of the United States with English as the predominant language. Base pay starts at $1,650 per month and will increase to $1,785 per month after four months. All Rights Reserved. But Westervelt said if someone really wants an off-base home, her office can usually find something for them within 20 or 30 minutes of Hanscom. This content reflects the personal opinions of the author. Columbus is a career-ending base, where many have retired [or] separated due to just being stuck at the base.". A static Curtiss P-40E Warhawk is displayed outside of the front gate at Dyess Air Force Base, Texas, Nov. 3, 2020. Everyone has to settle down eventually, right? Housing is affordable with high-quality schools and excellent features on the base. Here are some of the worst overseas bases. Nellis Air Force Base is right outside North Las Vegas need we say more? Base: Minot Air Force BaseUnlucky call sign: Why Not Minot? It seems like a rhetorical question, but: Freezins the reason.Why it's not great: Remember the ice planet in Intersteller? And the last four categories pollution levels, climate, unemployment rates and sales taxes got no additional weighting. In the summertime, you can even hit the beach on the shores of Lake Ontario for some exciting ice swimming!!! Base: Fort DrumUnlucky call sign: Fort Drunk (due to the number of alcohol-related incidents on base in the 1990s)Why it's not great: As the old joke goes, Fort Drum has two seasons: winter and July. Housing on post often has long waitlists and living off base means more crime. American Airlines. The base's commissary is small, its only medical facility is a clinic, and its small exchange is just a shoppette. "That's more money I can spend on my daughter now, on after-school events," Vargas said. If youre traveling near the Delta Junction area, keep your eye out for rare sightings of wild buffalo. Should you make a base of preference, that will be your assigned duty station for the next two years. In fact, one airman told us that he learned how to cook at Cannon since there werent any good restaurants. When you arent working, swing by MWR to snag clearance tickets to Miami Dolphins games and other attractions like concerts, shows, and sports events in Miami. This is the second year Altus Air Force Base and Sheppard Air Force Base, Texas, contracting offices have teamed up to participate in a deployment exercise.U.S. For those who are vegetarian, Godspeed. It is minutes from downtown Tampa near the bay leading out to the Gulf of Mexico. You'll find the living to be a bit of a slower pace, but there's plenty of opportunities to travel to the bigger UK cities as well as other destinations throughout Europe. This versatility has earned Delta Force a reputation as one of the top 10 elite special operations units in the US Military, and it is considered a highly classified Tier 1 unit. This is a USAF KC-130 Tanker refueling 2 F-35's. The military facility is in the Fort Walton and Destin area with direct access to the Gulf of Mexico. Armstrong. The median home value here is around $150,000 and has historical roots. The U.S.'s northern fortress of military strategic solitude, Minot Air Force Base, has long been a prime destination for career-ending mishaps. Altus, Oklahoma Cannon, New Mexico Dyess, Texas (to replace with Grand Forks) Eielson, Alaska Ellsworth, South Dakota (convinced-removed) Ft.Polk, Louisiana Holloman, New Mexico Malmstrom, Montana Minot, North Dakota (edit-How did I forget??) One review stated that the school system is out of date (but I am unsure as to what that means). Average winter temps hover in the low teens in a place where cows outnumber people three to one.Most common escape: Only ninety minutes away is the Worlds Largest Buffalo monument, in case your version of escape is looking at a larger version of your natural surroundings.Surprise silver lining:For a while Minot was at the center of the North Dakota oil boom, jolting the local economy into overdrive, providing loads of jobs for military dependents, and causing rent prices to soar. Dayton also supports its military demographic with plenty of exclusive discounts and promotions for service members and families. The amenities at the military base are excellent and Colorado Springs is an excellent community to call home since so many residents are either active duty or retired military personnel. At SOUTHCOM, you can expect to meet a lot of different people as its a joint base. F-5s and F-4s have been replaced by F-16s, and they developed the T-50 Golden Eagle, which is a very capable advanced trainer so much so it has also been turned into a multi-role fighter as well. Eglin Air Force Base also consistently ranks among the top 10 Air Force bases in the United States so you cant go wrong with all its offerings. reviewers. As with virtually every other town on this list, Lemoore is almost indiscernible on a map. There are just under 60 active U.S. Air Force bases in the country. While in the military, he spent time analyzing imagery from a variety of aircraft such as the SR-71. Its a great base for singles because of its proximity to downtown San Antonio and Austin which are paradises for this type of crowd. But now it's just a scrapyard for your hopes and dreams of being stationed in California. Regardless of how tough our soldiers are, no one should feel completely discounted at their military base. Naval Base Kitsap . Unlucky call sign: "Fort Piss," "Hell Paso". Military personnel get a discount, too. As cold as Minot, but without the nukes; perhaps this place could use a little radiation. Learn more here and be sure to check out more great stories on our homepage. (tied) McConnell Air Force Base, Kansas. Travis is in Solano County, California. On base, youll find everything from medical care to housing to take care of your daily needs, and off base youll discover a world rich in music, French culture, and history that cant be found elsewhere. Kadena Air Base is another location in Asia to get lost in along with Guam. Some are devoid of entertainment, run by unfit staff, have horrible food, or offer horrible amenities. Langley AFB is near Hampton, Virginia. Grand Forks Air Force Base is a hidden gem in North Dakota. Additionally, Joint Base San Antonio Lackland offers its own mall on the base and several other amenities. Melanye Martinez. You have to shop using the Euro. We saw impoverished communities served by well water near that base. At a mere 44 miles long, it can be easy to get island fever here if you arent actively seeking adventure while stationed at Marine Corps Base Hawaii. They also said that traveling was easy. We think there is so much chatter about Fayetteville because it houses the biggest population in the Army -- and the naysayers are loud simply because there are so many of them. Were sorry, Fayetteville -- you didnt deserve that. But other schools received low rankings from the Great Schools website, dragging the Washington area's school score into the average range of 6 out of 10 possible points. A well-guarded military base can imply that such areasincluding the nearby military townsare safe and secure. 5. Luke AFB is a major training facility for the military branch and has excellent amenities. Minot is a missile base located in a desolate region of the least-populated, most-rural, least-visited state in America, so its pretty similar, dontchaknow. Very cold and very sad.Most common escape: Syracuse is the closest town, although Lake Placid, Niagara Falls, and Montreal are a little over three hours away. According to the Military Family Advisory Network, 78% of surveyed military personnel still live off base and in the surrounding cities. 10. If you love it, perhaps youll be lucky enough to get extended there. There is a lot to do on the island and the people are very friendly. Joint Base San Antonio Lackland is such a great place to get stationed that it makes the list twice. The military base has multiple things going for it as mentioned above. When you arent heading out to the coastline, youll find theres plenty to see and do on base, including bowling, swimming, working out, movie-going, and dining. If you have time to research, do the following: The above list is by no means an exhaustive list of the potential options for duty stations. There are about 26,000 US military. Upon landing, assuming you dodged the tornado, you can find exactly one Applebee's to toss your 51-dollar per diem at. From mountain climbing to whitewater rafting, youll find some of the best outdoor adventures here. While families may find Hawaii expensive and difficult to spend time with extended family, most military couples love getting stationed on one of the islands. This city has one of the highest veteran populations in the U.S. and is home to . Come along for the ride! The unassuming military base in small-town Illinois is a hidden gem based on those who have served at the location. Yeah, most havent. Plus, its located at the base of the Rocky Mountains, so the mountain views dont get much better from a military installation than Fort Carson.