Aces High Bulletin Board
General Forums => The O' Club => Topic started by: Tarmac on July 31, 2007, 08:04:12 PM
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Hey all. I haven't been on the BB much lately as I've been pretty busy with my new career in the USAF. I'm wrapping up tech school in a few weeks, and after SERE school I've got orders to Ft Bliss, TX.
Anybody ever been stationed there? Lived in El Paso? I'm just looking for general opinions of the place so I know what to expect. I have a buddy with orders to Ft Campbell, KY, and I might be able to trade orders with him but I want to make an intelligent decision here.
So what's El Paso/Ft Bliss like?
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Fort Bliss information (http://www.city-data.com/city/Fort-Bliss-Texas.html)
not sure if this is what your looking for but here is some info
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A whole lotta nothing out there. El Paso is the world's biggest truck stop. I have an aunt and uncle out there who have a son that just went throuhg USAF bootcamp. If ya need somewhere to go, if you go to El Paso, I'll hook you up with them. Nicest people you'll meet and they'll treat you like family...like Texans are suppsed to!
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lots of information about Terry Allen there at one of their local colleges. That alone would be worth a tour there.
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It's windy, it's hot, it's dry, it's windy, it's dirty, it's dusty, it's windy, it's smelly, It's hot, it's cold, it's windy, it's crowded and it's right across the river from Mexico. Did I mention that it's windy there?
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It's hot.
It's dry.
It sux.
Two words: Yucca plant.
Say the heck out of Ciudad Juarez. Really!
Think I actually preferred Iraq and getting shot at.... at least the pay was better.
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Hey, you have'nt lived until you've made a drunken trip to Juarez. :D
Lot's of GREAT mexican food, and not many cats for some odd reason.:noid
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Fort Bliss or Fort Campbell, and you can't decide which one? You deserve Fort Bliss... no, really.
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Originally posted by rpm
Lot's of GREAT mexican food, and not many cats for some odd reason.:noid
barf!
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Originally posted by VWE
Fort Bliss or Fort Campbell, and you can't decide which one? You deserve Fort Bliss... no, really.
But if his buddy is willing to trade Campbell for Bliss... wouldn't his buddy be equally deserving?
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Originally posted by rpm
Hey, you have'nt lived until you've made a drunken trip to Juarez. :D
Lot's of GREAT mexican food, and not many cats for some odd reason.
SURVIVING and RETURNING from a drunken trip to Juarez is the real trick though.
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quote:Originally posted by VWE
Fort Bliss or Fort Campbell, and you can't decide which one? You deserve Fort Bliss... no, really.
Originally posted by texasmom
But if his buddy is willing to trade Campbell for Bliss... wouldn't his buddy be equally deserving?
Definitely a point.
Fort Cambell: Nashville, Memphis, bluegrass, green...as in trees and growing things. Rain. Country girls. Horse farms. Rolling hills. Land between the lakes.
In the wintertime when there is ice, Abrams MBTs and Bradley IFVs become the biggest toboggans you've ever seen... usually slide/roll one into a lake or pond every year.... makes for a fun recovery operation.
Fort Bliss: sand and yucca and sand and yucca and White Sands and fallout zones. Dust. Dust storms. El Paso, Juarez, and....that's about it for 200 miles in any direction.
Both have their problems with crime and lowlifes. Typical for perimeter of any Army base, although it's probably a bit closer and more pronounced at Bliss.
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I can tell you a couple of things...
There is a GREAT steak house east of El Paso (maybe 20-30 miles) called the Cattleman's (a working ranch I believe). Best place I've EVER eaten at. I would go to El Paso just to eat there. I think the movie Courage Under Fire (the desert scenes) were filmed at at this ranch as well.
My last job (automotive) we had a plant in Juarez. There was a local sports club that we used to freqent after work with the local engineer called Cananna's (not sure I'm spelling that right) Its right on the main drag just a few miles from the boarder. Nice place. I don't know if its still there or not. I used to go down there about every six weeks or so back in '94 thru '97. There are areas in that city you do NOT want to find yourself in. We were told to stay within 3 blocks (east & west) of the main drag. Any farther than that and there would be a chance you wouldn't come back. I don't know if that is still the case or not.
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(http://FilthsHangar.homestead.com/el_paso.jpg)
Its a dry heat.
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As one who has lived in the desert for 50 years, take Ft. Campbell unless you really really like heat and really really can't stand cold. Not that it doesn't get cold in El Paso, it does.
I've been to El Paso and I've been to the Ft. Campbell area. I would go to Ft. Campbell if that were my choice to make.
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Originally posted by texasmom
But if his buddy is willing to trade Campbell for Bliss... wouldn't his buddy be equally deserving?
Ahhh, no... if he can't do a little research about the two places then he deserves to learn from his mistakes. :D
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Did they forget to mention the Killer Bees around El Paso?
:O
Mac
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Busy week, took me a while to respond again.
Fort Campbell is a long shot, as I'd have to talk my buddy into it and the only big upside for him is that Bliss is closer to his family. I'd almost feel bad if he took it.
Anyhow, I've been hearing lots over the past week about crime, car theft, gangs, Mexicans, and all sorts of other undesirable stuff. Great. There's a slight chance that I can get my orders changed for Ft Hood, and maybe I'd even go for Korea. I'll see, but any input is appreciated.
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Ft.Hood is not a step up from Bliss.
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Originally posted by rpm
Ft.Hood is not a step up from Bliss.
Well, Fort Hood is a really small step up from Fort Bliss at any rate. A bit closer to some civilization (both good and bad). Korea not a great tour either, especially hard if you have dependents, but the pay and tax rate is a lot better than Hood or Bliss, if that is a factor. Housing is "iffy" as are MWR's depending on where you are at.
You said USAF? Why can't you pull a decent Air Force billet? Or at least a decent Army base billet? Don't no one there like you? You make a life long enemy with rank?
If someone told me my choices were Hood, Bliss, or Korea,... I'd be asking about Iraq, Kuwait, Qatar, Afghanistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Uzbekistan.
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Originally posted by rpm
Ft.Hood is not a step up from Bliss.
Well, being a relatively short drive from Austin, its a helluva lot better of a location to be in when you have a day or two of leave (read: PARTY! :))
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Originally posted by rpm
Ft.Hood is not a step up from Bliss.
I love it here at Fort Hood. TxDad retired here a few years ago. It's out a little ways from anything... but at least it's close enough that you can day trip to fun places. :)
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Originally posted by texasmom
I love it here at Fort Hood. TxDad retired here a few years ago. It's out a little ways from anything... but at least it's close enough that you can day trip to fun places. :)
I actually really like Belton. Its a nice town, rich with history, cool lake. Good place to live IMO.
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Originally posted by texasmom
lots of information about Terry Allen there at one of their local colleges. That alone would be worth a tour there.
Read a lot about him in a book called "An 'Army at Dawn"--seemed like our only competent commander in early North Africa. Fascinating guy
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To be honest with you, a year ago I would have said the Killeen area was a great place. Since then I have seen the amount of crime that area has personally. It's become a disgrace.
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Originally posted by rpm
To be honest with you, a year ago I would have said the Killeen area was a great place. Since then I have seen the amount of crime that area has personally. It's become a disgrace.
Didn't happen to pick up a lot of folks from New Orleans after Katrina, did you? Seems to be some correlation between an influx of refugees and crime.
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Originally posted by rpm
To be honest with you, a year ago I would have said the Killeen area was a great place. Since then I have seen the amount of crime that area has personally. It's become a disgrace.
Yeah, I remembered that soon after I replied earlier. Sorry, man, that's gotta be a tough pill to swallow.
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Originally posted by bj229r
Read a lot about him in a book called "An 'Army at Dawn"--seemed like our only competent commander in early North Africa. Fascinating guy
I read about him in that one too.
Fascinating indeed. He really loved his enlisted guys. I could write a ton of threads about why I admire Terry Allen. :) Get 'terrible terry allen' off ebay for a few bucks. It's worth the read. :)
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Originally posted by rpm
To be honest with you, a year ago I would have said the Killeen area was a great place. Since then I have seen the amount of crime that area has personally. It's become a disgrace.
:( Sorry hotdgmn
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Originally posted by tedrbr
You said USAF? Why can't you pull a decent Air Force billet? Or at least a decent Army base billet? Don't no one there like you? You make a life long enemy with rank?
If someone told me my choices were Hood, Bliss, or Korea,... I'd be asking about Iraq, Kuwait, Qatar, Afghanistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Uzbekistan.
I'm in the TACP career field, so I knew I'd be living on Army bases when I signed up. As for the base, I think I just got unlucky with Bliss, and Hood is the biggest TACP base which is why I have a chance of being able to switch there.
However it works out, I'll make the best of it.
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If I could pick any Army post, I'd have to recommend Ft Lewis (My 1st duty assignment). The place is beautiful and Seattle is just down the road. Course the rain can get old.
Fort Blister? errrr Bliss, hot, dry, windy and those are the good things.
RPM: Killeen has had issues since the optempo was jacked up. Crime is really getting out of hand. I agree, a real shame. :(
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Thanks for the replies and advice. I got myself stationed here at Ft. Hood. I've been here for a couple of weeks, and am still working on getting settled and exploring the local area. Money's going to be a bit tight until the government hurries up and pays me what I've got coming, but if anybody's got any advice for stuff to do around here I'd love to hear it.
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Heya Tarmac: Welcome! TxDad & I live around here too (he retired here). Afraid I can't help you much on things to do around here though, everything we do revolves around our kids ~ stuff you probably wouldn't be too interested in.
one tip: steer clear of the Yank Sing restaurant over at the WS Young exit.