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Hello anyone/everyone,
My wife and I are going to PCSing coming up in 2014.
We are both medical in the Air Force.
We're trying to make our Dream sheet.
(I know that just because I put it doesn't mean I'll get it).
We are planning on settling down with some kido's after we arrive at our next base
We were looking at a few different bases.
1st is Travis in California, we want Travis because it's fairly close to my wife's family and she has some great friends already stationed there.
2nd- Colorado - either Peterson or Buckley. I have always like the idea of living in Colorado but I have only visited family there so I don't know much about the area.
3rd- Fairchild, Washington - I don't know much about Washington at all but my wife says its beautiful and loves the rain.
4th - F. E. Warren Wyoming, another place I only visited on a vacation. but i loved the scenery and the atmosphere.
5th and 6th are Ohio, Wright Paterson and Texas, Lackland. we have be at both bases so we have an idea of each of them and how they are.
What I'm looking for is just general information about any of these bases or any bases you would really recommend.
PS
My wife really wants braces and has been denied them by one or two points at our current base, so bases that have been pretty easy to get braces at would be good to know. After the budget cuts relax a bit. Hopefully.
Hello anyone/everyone,
My wife and I are going to PCSing coming up in 2014.
We are both medical in the Air Force.
We're trying to make our Dream sheet.
(I know that just because I put it doesn't mean I'll get it).
We are planning on settling down with some kido's after we arrive at our next base
We were looking at a few different bases.
1st is Travis in California, we want Travis because it's fairly close to my wife's family and she has some great friends already stationed there.
2nd- Colorado - either Peterson or Buckley. I have always like the idea of living in Colorado but I have only visited family there so I don't know much about the area.
3rd- Fairchild, Washington - I don't know much about Washington at all but my wife says its beautiful and loves the rain.
4th - F. E. Warren Wyoming, another place I only visited on a vacation. but i loved the scenery and the atmosphere.
5th and 6th are Ohio, Wright Paterson and Texas, Lackland. we have be at both bases so we have an idea of each of them and how they are.
What I'm looking for is just general information about any of these bases or any bases you would really recommend.
PS
My wife really wants braces and has been denied them by one or two points at our current base, so bases that have been pretty easy to get braces at would be good to know. After the budget cuts relax a bit. Hopefully.
The only one I know much about is Buckley, as I was Army but happened to be stationed 15 minutes from it and it's the only base in the area. It's in Aurora, Colorado, and is primarily a Signal/Intelligence operation (big ol' radomes and no major flightline). Aurora is basically adjacent to Denver and depending on where you live in Aurora, is total ghetto all the way up to one of the finest, and most affluent, suburbs in the area, so if you have kids, do some basic research on what school district you live in (Cherry Creek is one to focus on) or be prepared to pay for private school
Buckley was an ANG base until I guess about 15 years ago, and was ramping up from that identity. While I was there, it was slowly adding services you expect from an active post and was just about at the point of opening a housing area. The gym set the gold standard for on-post gyms, they had some strange deal where it was an emergency ops center for exercises so it's much larger than you would think for the population served. Health care not provided on base is very close, the University of Colorado Medical school (which includes the long-closed Fitzsimons Army Medical Center and a VA section) is enormous and has nearly every specialty imaginable.
Denver, if you have a job, is absolutely fantastic. To this day, I consider it one of the best places I've ever lived. It's a major metro without the pretension, near all manner of outdoor sports-rock climbing, skiing, hiking are the obvious winners here. The weather is cool-ish year round, but with a lot of sunny days (like, snow on the ground and sun shining on you kind of place).
Denver also gets a lot of 'Denver dreamers'-18-25 year olds who think they will get a job waiting tables and *somehow* make it work because they have always wanted to live in Colorado, but there's too many of them and there's a somewhat larger unemployment/homeless problem than you'd expect. The economy goes in fits and starts, but again, if you have a job, good place.
The PX and Commissary are both reasonable size for the population of the base.
The only one I know much about is Buckley, as I was Army but happened to be stationed 15 minutes from it and it's the only base in the area. It's in Aurora, Colorado, and is primarily a Signal/Intelligence operation (big ol' radomes and no major flightline). Aurora is basically adjacent to Denver and depending on where you live in Aurora, is total ghetto all the way up to one of the finest, and most affluent, suburbs in the area, so if you have kids, do some basic research on what school district you live in (Cherry Creek is one to focus on) or be prepared to pay for private school
Buckley was an ANG base until I guess about 15 years ago, and was ramping up from that identity. While I was there, it was slowly adding services you expect from an active post and was just about at the point of opening a housing area. The gym set the gold standard for on-post gyms, they had some strange deal where it was an emergency ops center for exercises so it's much larger than you would think for the population served. Health care not provided on base is very close, the University of Colorado Medical school (which includes the long-closed Fitzsimons Army Medical Center and a VA section) is enormous and has nearly every specialty imaginable.
Denver, if you have a job, is absolutely fantastic. To this day, I consider it one of the best places I've ever lived. It's a major metro without the pretension, near all manner of outdoor sports-rock climbing, skiing, hiking are the obvious winners here. The weather is cool-ish year round, but with a lot of sunny days (like, snow on the ground and sun shining on you kind of place).
Denver also gets a lot of 'Denver dreamers'-18-25 year olds who think they will get a job waiting tables and *somehow* make it work because they have always wanted to live in Colorado, but there's too many of them and there's a somewhat larger unemployment/homeless problem than you'd expect. The economy goes in fits and starts, but again, if you have a job, good place.
The PX and Commissary are both reasonable size for the population of the base.
Buckley AFB...Isn't that accross from what it used to be Lowry AFB?
My son, retired Navy, was stationed at Buckley years back.
It was his best 2 years assignment ever.
However, as a previous poster stated, where you lived in Aurora made a big difference even back then.
We visited and although there were many motels closer, he STRONGLY recommended we stay farther away .
Where his house was it was a very nice residential area.
However, 6 blocks away , and from that point to the " main drag" was definitely "sketchy" at best.
Gertmev, I don't think I'd mind being at ANY of your choices. I chose to retire about 15 minutes from Wright-Patterson AFB and like the area a lot. Low cost of living is a big draw for the area. We don't have the scenery of, say, Colorado or Washington state. But there really is a lot to do within a reasonable distance of the base. I haven't been stationed at any of your choices, but I've been on Travis a number of times and like the area. It tends to be breezy most of the time, I remember. Best of luck with your "dream sheet" and hope you get a great join-spouse assignment!
Erase your dreamsheet completely, and replace it with all overseas assignments.
^This. We are at McChord now and absolutely LOVE it. But if my DH had the chance to get an overseas assignment, I'd sell a kidney. ;-) Probably not going to happen at this point so close to retirement though.
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