DEROS in your future?

Ft. Lewis - like rain?
Ft. Stewart... no idea.
Ft. Carson? Well, if you like oxygen deprivation it's fine, but one specialist we got in Germany from there knocked something like 2 minutes off her run time because she could finally breathe... (and her oxygen deprived time was pretty good as was...)
Ft. Drum - do you really want to live in New York?
Ft. Rucker - Same thing as Stewart, but because it _isn't_ home to an infantry division and is home to Army Aviation it's likely more relaxed. But you'll probably have to deal with the constant drone of aircraft.

Ticonderoga, Bragg, Woody...in that order.

When i arrived at Ft Lewis my CO asked me "Where you from Sgt?"

I Told him Georgia.

He replied" You remember the sun?" I said yes.

He grinned oddly and said "That Memory will fade."

He wasn't kdding. The next day we started 189 days straight of rain.

Ft Carson? It's beautiful but a tad expensive to live.

Ft Drum ain't much better and its colder than anythiing. Icecubes buy electric blankets at Ft Drum.

Ft Stewart is awesome but be ready for the South Georgia Summer heat and humidity. If you own a dog, it will sweat in June. Its a Rapid Deployment Base and they stay on alert a lot there. Hunter airfield is not far either. A lot to do there however and living cost isn't as bad.

Rucker I know nothing about.

I'd KILL to get to Carson.

Oh, wait, we're talking about YOU? I'd kill for YOU to get to Carson.

Lewis IS rainy and overcast. BUT it's the Pacific Northwest and therefore that trumps the rain and gloom.

Haven't been to Drum or Stewart though I wouldn't turn my nose up at either - we have good friends at both locations (not to mention there are Chinooks there so they are possibilities).

And Rucker...? Well, it's Rucker. They don't call it "Mother Rucker" for nothing. Granted, we made some lifelong friends there but I can't say I'm eager to LIVE there again...cockroaches the size of cats, lovebugs that ruin your paint job, TRADOC, horrible heat and humidity, spiders the size of cockroaches...blech.

Good luck with your decision!!!

- hfs

Fort Lewis sucks.

f

Leaving Mother Rucker in Febraury and heading to Carson. Have heard nothing bad about Carson. Stay away from Rucker at all costs, especially if you will be in a TRADOC unit. There is nothing good about Ft. Rucker. nothing. Lewis and Stewart are nice because of the locations. Lots of travel and good times. If you like to hunt go to Drum.

My wife and I fell in love with Sacketts Harbor on Lake Ontario, about 15 minutes from Drum. There is a condo association renovating 19th century stone barracks at Madison Barracks, with a marina just next door. Rents very low, buy-in prices still reasonable. Absolutely beautiful.

We intend to retire there, and treasure our many visits.

Winters are cold and snow Northeast, with permanent Lake effect thrown in. You have to like winter, skiing, snowmobiling, etc. Great expanses of widerness in Adirondacks just a short step away. Great hunting and fishing opportunities. Toronto and Casinos a short hop away. The St. Lawrence Seaway, Alexandria Bay, etc. Great boating location.

Drum, if you can put up with the winter.

Fort Lewis and Seattle in General, is home of the 2 hour drive. Want to go to a real beach, 2 hour drive, want to go skiing, 2 hour drive. Want to bake in the 100+ degree heat in the desert that is referred to as "Eastern Washington"...2 hour drive. Want to drive from Ft Lewis to downtown Seattle at 9 AM on a monday morning...2 hour drive.

Real estate prices are also skyrocketing, even in the Ft Lewis area. If you are a smoker...forget it..smoking is against the law within 25 feet of a building.

It is currently day 23 of rain...no exaggerating...nothing at all exciting...drizzly and dreary. The local media has got itself worked up in a tizzy proclaiming "Potential mudslides threaten to detroy this that or the other thing".

Things like "scrapping ice off your windshield", "shoveling snow", "needing AC" are somewhat rare occurrances.

Having been to various military installations, I would not describe FT Lewis itself, or the immediate area around it as "nice". There are some reasonably affordable(For the Pacific Northwest) communities east and south if one is willing to commute 30 minutes or so.

Two comments about Rucker:
Alabama people do appreciate the military.
It's about an hour north of Panama Beach Florida.
OK, add an anti-Rucker - it's only about two or three levels (as in 5 to 2 or 4 to 2) inland from the Gulf of Mexico. (Hurricanes.)
My brother (CWO, Ret) lives in Dothan and has a condo in Fla.

What? No Ft. Huachuca?

Ft. Drum! I'll stop by for a visit!

Hands down - Ft. Stewart. Trust me on this . . .

If you pick Ft. Lewis, you'll be close enough for me to buy you a beer without hopping on a plane for the meet-up. Speaking of beer, the Pacific Northwest is is the best place in the U.S. for those who appreciate good beer. My little town is down right poverty stricken because we only have ONE brewery. Most bars in the Northwest feature 20 or more types of beer on tap. Of course, to make up for it, we have four coffee roaster companys in town. My good friend Bill retired from the Army at Ft. Lewis and has stayed in the area, despite growing up in California (or perhaps because of it). All that rain in the winter and spring means a really green summer and fall. Besides, it keeps the riff-raff out. :-)

Rucker? TRADOC land for aviators? If you fly, then Stewart is really Hunter and that's a different kettle of fish. On post housing is bad at Stewart and worse at Hunter, but off-post housing is much better in the south Savannah area. Hinesville is OK but tiny. Savannah is a much nicer place to hang out (and shop).

"... I'd rather be a dog faced soldier"

Rock of the Marne

what soldier's dad said, altho' i left lewis in '82. great trout fishing. (tacoma is like wheeling, WV with a water view.) oh, and you get to play on the dry side of the cascades at yakima firing center.

carson was nice but that was 10 years earlier ... prolly a *lot* more people there, and i can remember a guard mount at 16 below. i now live in key west; you know what i think about winter.

Ft. Lewis -- Well, the political climate *and* the weather in the PNW are both dreary sometimes - but it is a beautiful state! After all, it takes a LOT of rain to make the 60-80 foot douglas fir and ceder trees in my backyard happy, and to keep the glaciers on Mount Rainier gleaming.
*grin*
Since I'm not military, I can't speak for the base itself, though.

I second the comments by homefrontSix and Stephen Swanson. If you come to Carson I'll buy you a beer or a dozen myself, and there is definately some great beer here.
As I am retired now and was never stationed at Carson I can't speak much about the post except for the PX, Hospital and such, but it seems to be pretty decent. Great view of Cheyenne Mountain from anywhere on post, and great scenery all over the place. Weather is sometimes cold, but I grew up in Florida, so if I can take it........
Live in Colorado Springs now and work at the Air Force Academy Hospital. Those zoomies sure do appreciate a hard working, retired Army NCO.
It's worth the visit even if you decide on another post.

Of all of the options that you name, I can only speak for one. Ft. Carson is great. Like HFS, I'd kill to help you get there.

You'll choke to death gasping for air in the run up to your first Physical Fitness test, but after you get acclimated you'll be okay.

What??? No Germany?

Fort Carson rocks! I still own a home there. Home of 10th SFG(A), best skiing in the world, and awesome microbrew. The housing market has evened out now. You can find a decent 3-4 bedroom home for around 200K...but when you leave you will make it all back. The Springs is growing, but not so fast as to make it insane...it has a bigger city feel but is still comfortable. Since Colorado Springs sits on the Rocky Mountain "front range", it gets snow in the winter, but the temperatures are very bearable...I could walk to my mailbox on a snowy day with just a T-shirt on and not freeze to death. The summers are warm. They have good food, shopping, and entertainment too...clubs, symphony, sports (Air Force Academy football with Coach Deberry...woohoo, Denver sports an hour up the road, etc.)

Agree on Fort Rucker being a no-go. If you go there, you will be able to afford a big house with land, but the cockroaches, spiders, and snakes can be a detractor if you're not accustomed to the South. I lived there for a little while...not much in the way of "culture" except for the Andalusia-Opp "Rattlesnack Roundup", although you can drive to Florida and go to the beach on the weekend.

Fort Stewart would be my second choice, only because I'm partial to the South. Savannah pours green food coloring in the river on Saint Patty's day...that's cool enough to check it out. Savannah is gentrifying their downtown...trying to get some culture...don't know much else about it.

Good luck...my vote is on Carson.

Ft Carson was my first duty station. Seeing Cheyenne Mountain for the first time was awesome (I grew up in Louisiana), and even better, it serves as Ft Carson's weather channel.

I did PLDC at Ft Stewart under TDY orders, and my opinion is probably poisoned by that experience.

I have no first hand experience with the others.

Good luck!

Hey, forget all these obviously biased commentaries on these places and just pick the one closest to your dear old mom (and sister). We miss you, and what can scenery offer you that is better than family? Much love!

Was just going to suggest you stay here in Germany where the beer's the best anyway, but will not attempt to compete with Mom and Sis ;-)

Carson rocks. Out of the list you posted, I'd say Carson or Lewis with Carson slightly ahead...

mike mariani,

Tacoma has gotten "expensive". $200K will get you a 700 sq ft house built in 1910 and last updated in 1950 in need of a roof and a furnace.
It's wall-wall postage stamp lots all the way to Redmond(Microsoft) now.

I thought you were USAF, not Army, Greyhawk?
Are you cross-training, or do you have a "Joint" assignment coming up?

Soldier's Dad - Close, although not quite true, about the postage-stamp sized map from Tacoma to Redmond. I live in Issaquah, just south of Redmond (okay, a little east), and it's pretty open here south of I-90. We bought a 3/4 acre lot 4 years ago to build our house - no development, no monthly homeowners dues and associated control-freak silliness. But you're right, the 200K home is not a new one - unless you head 15 miles east of me (30 miles east of Seattle).

But your sister has a compelling argument!

Er, I meant *your* sister, Grayhawk ... not Soldier's Dad's!

Stewart: hot and sticky

Drum: Like snow? Lots of snow? Feet of snow?

Winter wouldn't be winter without lots of snow, yes, even feet of snow.

Dear Bigsis and GH, FYI I am NOT old. Just wrinkled! Love you all. PS, It would be nice to have you & family close. Got anything in Key West or Southern Cal? Might be a nice place to visit you in cold weather.