Your Name (if you would like it to appear): Seasoned Army Spouse

Post Name:  Fort Huachuca, Arizona

Post Location:  Southern Arizona, 1 hour south of Tucson, located outside the towns of Sierra Vista and Huachuca City.  The post is at the base of the Huachuca mountains at the 5,000 ft level.  Airport is located in Tucson.  Phoenix is 3 hours north.

How long have you been here? (give years please, ex. 2003-present)   2001-2003 and 2007-2010

What is housing like? On-post? (waiting list, conditions, etc.) Off-post? Any areas to stay away from? Average price to rent or buy?

Lots of new housing for enlisted soldiers and their families, more being built every day.  Top of the line housing, two car garages, granite countertops!  There is a waiting list and there are available units in the community.  Housing is privatized and run by Michael’s Military Housing, you will have to sign a lease if living on post.  They do a great job and have events each month for the families.   Fort Huachuca is a historic post and has an Old Post section where the senior officers live.  Those houses were built in 1887-1915 and are designated as historic, there are also newer housing built within the last 5 years for officers.

Rate the PX & Commissary.

PX is small but “shopable.”   Rumors are a new store will be built in a few years.  Lots of sales.  Commissary is medium size but carries most everything you need.  Commissary is closed on Mondays.  What you can’t find on post you can find in the surrounding area.  Sierra Vista has a Target, Wal-Mart (a super Wal-Mart will be opening in the fall), Marshalls, Tuesday Morning, Ross, a medium size Shopping Mall with Best Buy, Dillards, JC Penny and many stores.  Two movie theaters.  Lots of restaurants (local and chain).   SAMS Club and COSTCO are located in Tucson.

Activities on base?

Fort Huachuca has many different events each month.  MWR hosts wrestling, comedy clubs, Chess/Bunco/trivia tournaments, All Army boxing, musical groups, Missoula Children’s Theater, Carnivals, Rodeos, Volksmarch, they partner with the community and there is always something going on.  No on-post library – there is a partnership with Sierra Vista where resources were combined for a wonderful library.  Active religious community through Main Post Chapel.   Youth Services just opened up a new building, many sports activities for children.  Arts and Crafts Center – many classes to sign up for.  Bowling Alley (Desert Lanes) is being renovated and will reopen in the fall, they have a good eating place Jeannie’s Diner.  Post Movie Theater shows films on Thur, Fri & Sat nights and Sun afternoon.  Buffalo Corral offers horseback riding rentals, trail rides, riding lessons and has stables for those who own horses.  Two pools – indoor & outdoor, swim lessons.  Thunder Mountain Activity Center (TMAC) is the place for large events and offers lunch during the week.  They also offer Right Arm night monthly with music, food and prizes.  Barnes Field House, Eifler Gym, and a facility for spouses only.  The Sportsman’s Center has local hunting information and a paintball course.  Outdoor Recreation Center offers lots of stuff for rental and now has tours to local sites.  Many hiking trails in the mountains.  Lots of wildlife on post to observe (some to stay away from – rattlesnakes and mountain lions).  One of the biggest “Bird Watching” areas in the Southwest – over 350 species of birds fly thru the Huachuca mountains.

Active Spouses Club?  Yes, the Fort Huachuca Community Spouses Club (FHCSC) meets monthly Sep thru May.  Open to all spouses of active duty (officer/enlisted), reserve, National Guard, retired, civilian or community resident.  Lots of fun events each month – luncheons with a guest speaker, bunko, bingo, travel advice, trips to local towns, fundraising (a big Holiday bazaar in the fall, golf tournament in the spring), friendships, and networking.  Many active FRGs in the units.  Murr Community Center has an internet café, ticket office, CYS signup and has bingo weekly.

Things to do in area?  This is the Wild West so there are lots of historic sites to visit – ghost towns, OK Corral in Tombstone, quirky town of Bisbee for antiques and hippies, Sonoita for wineries, a lake for fishing nearby, many clubs (hiking, caving, horses, political, you name it, I’m sure there’s a group for it).  Small town atmosphere, safe for families.  Hiking, bike riding, camping, horseback riding are popular.  Kartchner Caverns – a living cave – is 20 miles north.  The Cove Aquatic Center in Sierra Vista has swimming classes, exercise classes, a wave pool, swim teams and waterslide.  If you need a bigger city, Tucson is about an hour away and Phoenix only 3 hours north.

School System?  Fort Huachuca has the best school system in the area – the Fort Huachuca Accommodation School District.  There are two elementary schools and one middle school on post.  Both elementary schools are in new buildings and the middle school building will be replaced within a year.   Sierra Vista has a large district and has the one High School locally.  Tombstone also has a High School (about ½ hour northeast).   There are four Charter schools and three private religious schools in Sierra Vista.

Any colleges in area?  Post Education Center has classes from Wayland Baptist University, University of Phoenix, Cochise College and Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University.  There are more classes available at the Cochise College location in Sierra Vista.

Jobs? (on post and off)  There are Non-Appropriated Fund (NAF) jobs available, many defense contractors are looking for qualified people, visit ACS for local jobs.   ACS can help you with your resume and they host job fairs from time to time.

Favorite aspect of this base/surrounding city?  The post is located in a beautiful part of the state – high desert, mountains surrounding the area.  Small hometown atmosphere in a town of 45,000 people.   Great relationship between post and local community.  Great people.  Pro military.  Great weather!  Beautiful sunsets and rainbows during the summer monsoon season.  Temperatures range in the daytime from the 90’s in the summer, to 50’s in the winter.  We do get snow in the winter a few times but it is usually melted by the afternoon.  Temperature does drop at night, as much as 20’s degrees when the sun goes down.

Least favorite aspect?   Illegal aliens coming across the border – especially the drug runners.  On post has a Health Center, Sierra Vista has a hospital but lacks specialty doctors – you may have to travel to Tucson.

Local websites? (base, chamber, newspaper, schools, etc.)

http://www.huachuca.army.mil/site/Visitor/index.asp Fort Huachuca Visitor page

http://www.us-army-info.com/directory/Installations/Fort_Huachuca,_Arizona/index.html Info about the post and community

http://www.fthuachuca.k12.az.us/fthuachuca/site/default.asp Fort Huachuca Accommodation Schools

http://sierravistapublicschools.com/ Sierra Vista Public Schools

www.palominas.com Palominas Public Schools

www.tombstoneschools.org Tombstone Public Schools

http://www.mwrhuachuca.com/schoolliaison.html Fort Huachuca School Liaison Officer

www.ci.sierra-vista.az.us City of Sierra Vista website

www.svherald.com Sierra Vista Herald Newspaper

http://www.mwrhuachuca.com/event_calendar.html MWRs Event Calendar

Facebook Pages:  U.S. Army Fort Huachuca, Ft. Huachuca Community Thrift Shop, FMWR Fort Huachuca, Huachuca Hospitality House (The Hospitality House is a place for soldiers and their families to get away from post and relax, explore God, play games, eat good food, and have fun! )

Any other tips?  You are at a high elevation and in the desert so you will need to drink more water than normal.  There is also a low humidity, so you will need more moisturizers.   Monsoon Season (rainy season) happens during the July to September timeframe.  This area gets 90 percent of their water during this time (8-9 inches of rain).  There are usually daily thunderstorms with lightning.  Flash floods happen during thunderstorms, don’t cross roads with running water!  It may not be deep but can sweep your car off the road.  Arizona has the “Stupid Motorist Law” which is motorists can be held liable for the costs of any emergency response to rescue them.   If the road is barricaded or has a few inches of running water across the road DO NOT CROSS!!  If you are hiking in a dry wash and there is a storm nearby – get out of the wash.  Flash floods travel fast and fill up dry washes fast.

Base Name:  Ft Lewis WA

Base Location: Tacoma, WA

How long have you been here? (give years please, ex. 2003-present)

2009-2010

What is housing like?

On-post? (waiting list, conditions, etc.)

Off-post? Any areas to stay away from? Average price to rent or buy?

Off post near base- unsafe neighborhoods, looks horrible, scared to even drive through some places!

We lived further away in Puyallup but finally could not afford it any longer. Was 1200 a month plus utilities and the drive was a bit on gas.

On post- I do like our housing; some of the even newer buildings are beautiful. Wish every place came standard with a fence though.

Save up your money for deposits!!

Rate the PX & Commissary.

Yes it is cheaper than going off post but would love the commissary to explain that “surcharge” that sure looks like tax.

Activities on base?

I always here about something going on.

Active Spouses Club?

I am sure there are but I stay away from them. Drama is in the water here.

Things to do in area?

I would visit the mountains, the aquariums, and the parks. Lots for families.

School System?

So-so. I have seen better. But what choice do you have? ½ day school is ridiculous though.

Any colleges in area?

Yes

Jobs? (on post and off)

Not sure, I work from home.

Favorite aspect of this base/surrounding city?

Scenery is beautiful

Least favorite aspect?

This base is a horrible duty station.

Local websites? (base, chamber, newspaper, schools, etc.)

Local thrift website.

Any other tips?

Do not choose this base unless you have no other choice. The “support” here is drab, the women here are drama and trouble, and always putting their personal lives on the local website (hence I did not link you). It is the worse duty station ever. We would never come back and never recommend it to anyone with children. The high price to live here is crazy. Another person’s review said to save 3-4 thousand dollars for down payments, she was correct. We arrived with 6,000 $ and it took all of that to get housing and rent a car to even view the houses. This base does not help with move in or deposits. You arrive and you are on your own. Horrible base!!!

Your Name (if you would like it to appear):

Amber

Base Name:

Presidio of Monterey, DLI

Base Location:

Monterey, CA

How long have you been here? (give years please, ex. 2003-present)

May 2009-present

What is housing like? On-post? (waiting list, conditions, etc.) Off-post? Any areas to stay away from? Average price to rent or buy?

My family chose to live off post.  It’s expensive, but we got really lucky and managed to rent an apartment right on the beach and our BAH covers it and all our utilities.  There are lots of military living in these apartments.  If you want to live off post, you’ll have to do your research.  On post housing is okay, they are remodeling right now, and the new houses are beautiful.  The older “established” houses vary, some are okay but some are falling apart.

Rate the PX & Commissary.

PX is okay, the Commissary is better.  Pretty good prices, close to those of my previous favorite grocery store, Winco.

Activities on base?

Hardly any community events, it’s a training post so there isn’t a whole lot of community.  Kids can take preschool/sports/activities through Army Community Service.

Active Spouses Club?

No, there is more of a community if you live on post, but even that is lacking.  The FRG isn’t up and running (even though they are trying), and for off post families there’s almost no communication.  I am currently inquiring as to how this can be made better.

Things to do in area?

Tons!  Especially if you love the outdoors. Whale watching, kayaking, hiking, boating, all kinds of water sports.  If you have kids, there’s a kid’s museum and of course the aquarium that are great.

School System?

If you live off post, your kids can’t go to the same elementary school.  Foothills Elementary is pretty good.

Any colleges in area?

Yes, 4 year and community college.

Jobs? (on post and off)

I’m not currently working, so I’m not sure.

Favorite aspect of this base/surrounding city?

It’s beautiful here, and a once in a lifetime chance to live right on the ocean.

Least favorite aspect?

The fog, and how expensive it is.

Local websites? (base, chamber, newspaper, schools, etc.)

Try Military.com Installation Guide

Any other tips?

People drive very slowly here, and there are bike trails across all the streets.  Make sure to stop for the bikers, because they won’t even pause!

Your Name: Samantha Webb

Base Name: Fort Lewis

Base Location: Washington

How long have you been here?

2007-2009 (current)

What is housing like? On-post? (waiting list, conditions, etc.) Off-post? Any areas to stay away from? Average price to rent or buy?

After all of 2ID left for deployment housing is super easy to get in sometimes you don’t even have to wait a month. Once they get back and more people are transferred here it will take 3 months to a year…most likely a year. Old Hillside is garbage! My parents lived there and they got rodents and bugs from the neighbors who had the police out to the neighborhood at least once a month. The houses are filled with mold and the cheapest carpets and cabinets you’ve ever seen. They have been newly renovated though…if that is a plus.

Off-post: If you want to feel safe and secure in your neighborhood rent or buy in Dupont (super expensive but totally worth it and it’s right outside one of the gates!), Lacey and Puyallup are about a 15-20 min drive from Lewis. I recommend Lacey because traffic heading South on I-5 goes so much faster than going North. You can be at a stand still going North but but going 50 mph going South! If you like the country feel I recommend Spanaway or Yelm both close to East Gate. Very nice towns. Do not under any circumstances trust the city of Lakewood, South Tacoma, or Tillicum. They are garbage…prepare to have your vehicle and home broken into if you live there.

Rate the PX & Commissary:

I don’t buy name brand stuff very often and that is pretty much all the PX sells. It is a little cheaper than buying it at the actual store though. Don’t buy beauty products there! They sell the smallest size and raise the price to include taxes even though you don’t have to pay them…they are pocketing the extra money. Video games and pretty much any thing electronic…shop around! Walmart almost always has the lowest prices (there is one in Lacey, Lakewood, Yelm, and Spanaway)! As for the commissary don’t even waste your time going on pay days! You will get mauled if you take too long looking at something. Go on Saturday mornings they open the doors at 8:30 but you can’t checkout til 9 usually retirees go then. They do sometimes offer sales on things that are very useful. Soda and meat is cheaper there. Beware of the produce it is almost always got only a couple days of freshness left.

Activities on base?

The MWR does offer lots of cool outdoorsy things to do, there is a movie theater ($2 movies!), roller skating rink, bowling alley, a ton of gyms, lots of libraries, CYS for kids and teens offers a lot of cool almost free things to do. On Sunday for deployed soldiers family members you can bowl for free and CYS gives kids and teens 2 free classes a quarter I believe. There is raindrops and rainbows for toddlers and infants too.

Active Spouses Club?

It is all drama! But they offer lots of clubs if you make any girlfriends.

Things to do in area?

There are a ton of things to do. Seattle is full of history and museums. You can see the ocean in Ocean Shores. Tacoma has a zoo. There is Mt. Rainier and Mt. Saint Helens. Portland, Oregon isn’t too far away either for a weekend trip. San Juan and Whidbey Island are beautiful places. You can see the Capital in Olympia. There are pumpkin patches in Tenino and a Christmas expo at the Tacoma Dome.

School System?

Lakes high school and Clover Park in Lakewood are terrible high schools! The elementary schools on post are good. I hear the best schools are in Puyallup and Olympia. I wouldn’t say Yelm is bad either very small town! I heard Lacey has all day kindergarten if that is important (post offers half day).

Any colleges in area?

There are plenty Pierce College (Lakewood and Puyallup and on-post), Washington State University, Pacific Lutheran university, Clover Park Technical College, Saint Martins College, South Puget Sound Community College, and Evergreen College.

Jobs? (on post and off).

Don’t every work for AAFES they will work you till you die. Off post its easy enough to find a job.

Favorite aspect of this base/surrounding city?

I love the weather. I am from NW Missouri and I can tell you the weather there is terrible. There are beautiful summers here and fantastic winters. It gets really hot for about one week every summer. You don’t really need air conditioning though. It snows a couple of good snows every year but the snow is usually gone by the next day. In the winter, it will rain a lot! But that beats the heck out of cleaning a bunch of snow and ice off your car every morning!

Least favorite aspect?

The speed limit on the freeway (interstate) is 60 mph. No one can drive! Seriously, if you try to drive with the people here be prepared to slow down for crazy things.

Local websites? (base, chamber, newspaper, schools, etc.)

I have named a ton on things you can google search the cities! I highly recommend Dupont if you can afford it but Lacey is great (Madison Apartments Lacey, WA)!

Any other tips?

Make something good of your life here and you will love it. Definitely check out all the cool things in Seattle!

Base Location: Tacoma, WA

How long have you been here? (give years please, ex. 2003-present)  2008-present

What is housing like? On-post? (waiting list, conditions, etc.) Off-post? Any areas to stay away from? Average price to rent or buy?  Off post near base- unsafe neighborhoods, off-post away from base-$1200 for a 2 br apt., no utilities included.  On post-nice

Rate the PX & Commissary.  Ok…both are cheaper than going off post and paying taxes.  The taxes are 8+%

Activities on base? A lot.  There is always something going on at the PX.

Active Spouses Club?  yes…enlisted and officers.

Things to do in area?  Tons….Seattle is an hr. drive.  Around town within a half hour drive, lots to do.

School System?  Great!!!  Clover Park School System is great.  Kindergarten only attends 1/2 a day and if you want full day, you have to pay for it though.  In the public school district which I think is dumb.

Any colleges in area? Lots

Jobs? (on post and off) I can’t find one.  I have been an AAFES employee before, eligible for re-hire and still can not get a job with them.  It is one excuse after another.

Favorite aspect of this base/surrounding city?  Beautiful mountains.

Least favorite aspect? Rain, finance, housing

Local websites? (base, chamber, newspaper, schools, etc.)  unknown

Any other tips?  Don’t move here unless you have no other choice.  Off base housing is expensive, wait time for on post housing is 6-18 months, finance always seems to mess up my husband’s pay and then takes months to fix it, don’t do the RPP program (rent assistance program) as they caused us to be evicted due to non payment of rent even though they took our BAH and sent it to our old base, non-stop rain.  If you live off base, don’t bring pets because a lot of places charge lots of $$$ for a pet deposit and then adds $$ to your monthly rent as a pet rent.  If you have to come here and you are bringing your family, make sure you have $3000-4000 with you for utility deposits (outrageous), down payments and security deposits outrageous.  The only thing good about this base, is that my husband LOVES his unit and the guys in it really take care of each other and the families involved.

Your Name (if you would like it to appear): Jessica (copenhagnangel25)

Base Location: Southern California (Halfway between Las Vegas and L.A.)

How long have you been here? (give years please, ex. 2003-present) 2007- Present

What is housing like? On-post? (waiting list, conditions, etc.) Off-post? Any areas to stay away from? Average price to rent or buy?The housing on Ft.Irwin are all in the process of being torn down and rebuilt. It is going neighborhood by neighborhood. They say it should take quite a few more years to get it all finished. But the new housing is awesome. The older housing is not bad, but it definitely isn’t the best. Some of the housing does have carpet, but most still have the tile. All the new housing i am told will have carpet. And depending on your rank, you should be able to get new housing now. Depending on when you try to come out here, the wait list is like any other post, it can be from a week to a few months. When we applied we got our house that same day.In my opinion it doesn’t really make sense to live off post. The closest town is Barstow, and that is 31 miles away, and it is not much of a town. It is really dirty, filled with drugs and homeless people. There are some bigger store like a wal-mart and a home depot, but other than that, Barstow is not worth much. The housing out there is a decent price, about $600 for a 2-3 bedroom. But the housing is all pretty much run down, and there is not really any grass or trees. On post housing at its worse is better than Barstow in my opinion, and then you also have to pay for the gas going back and forth!!!

Rate the PX & Commissary.They are both very small. The PX is in the middle of getting expanded, but not by much. They have most of the stuff you need for day to day living, but most people take a trip to Barstow or the next town over Victorville to get what is not available on base.

Activities on base?There is a really super nice bowling alley on base that is alot of fun. Its pretty new. There is a rollerskating rink, gym and swimming pool. There is also a splash park being built, how big it will be or what it will have we still do not know. There is also a small movie theatre on post, but its kinda behind in what is shown. There are tons of garage sales on the weekends. The weather out here is nice all year round (except summer time when it gets to be up to 130 degrees out…yuck) so walking is a great past time. You can loose alot of weight living out here!!!! Oh and there is a “club” on base, that has music and pool tables and things like that.

Active Spouses Club? There really are none that i know of, but the FRG’s are starting to pick up now that this base is deployable.

Things to do in area?At the end of Ft.Irwin Road there is an old ghost town called Calico. It was an old silver mining town back in the 1800′s. They have the place redone and have tours and old stores and reenactments and stuff. Its alot of fun to go out to and the kids really get a kick out of it. Vegas is only about a 2 hour drive, and then there is Primm which is about 30 mins before Vegas, so thats always fun. Then there is LA, disneyland, seaworld, universal studios and many more fun attractions that are all within driving distance, and many of them all give out pretty good military discounts. Big Bear mountain is about an hours drive away, and there you can see trees and water (maybe not a big deal to you now, but after being here awhile, you almost cry when you see them again!!!) they have skiing and all sorts of mountain stuff. Most people from Ft.Irwin drive out to Victorville if they want to go do shopping or out to restaurants. Its about an hours drive or so, and worth thetrip if you want to be around people.

School System?The schools on base are pretty good from what I’ve heard. The have a preschool, elementary and a middle school. High school kids have to ride a bus into Barstow. My son goes to the preschool, and I really like it alot.

Any colleges in area? Barstow and Victorville have colleges, and i know there are some satellite classes here on base. My advice to you would be online courses if you can.

Jobs? (on post and off) There are alot of jobs on post, either at the PX or commissary, at the hospital, or any other government civilian job. Barsow has some I’m sure, but again you would have to make that drive.

Favorite aspect of this base/surrounding city? I love how its such a small community. Everyone seems so nice and ready to help you if you need it. The weather is really nice, it hardly ever rains, although it gets really super hot in the summer (130) and the wind really knows how to blow out here!

Least favorite aspect? The super hot weather and the wind…….Not having more stuff in the commissary and PX so I do not have to leave base.

Local websites? (base, chamber, newspaper, schools, etc.)

http://www.irwin.army.mil/channels Ft.Irwin homepage

www.desertdispatch.com Barstow News

http://www.aerotechnews.com/Warrior/Warrior.html Ft.Irwin News

Any other tips? Make the best out of your stay here. Alot of people complain alot about being out here, and say how horrible it is. Well, ill tell you now, if all you do is focus on the bad, then yes, your stay here will be horrible. But if you look at the good and make the best of what you have, then you will probably really like it out here like I do!!!

Your Name (if you would like it to appear):  Jenni S.

Base Location:  Sierra Vista, AZ, about 20 minutes from the Mexican border

How long have you been here? (give years please, ex. 2003-present) 2007-present

What is housing like? On-post? (waiting list, conditions, etc.) Off-post? Any areas to stay away from? Average price to rent or buy?

There is lots of new housing on post and more being built.  The waiting list says 4-6 months, but we were offered housing in 6 weeks.  Rent off-post is anywhere from $800-$1300 per month, depending on how nice a place is.

Rate the PX & Commissary.  The commissary doesn’t have a lot of variety in brands, but it’s clean and fairly new.  The prices are much cheaper than shopping in town.  The PX is small but nice.

Activities on base?  Buffalo Corral for riding horses, Buffalo Soldier museum, lots of hiking and outdoor activities, bowling alley, movie theater, but no on-post library.  We use the public library in Sierra Vista.

Active Spouses Club?  No idea about this.  If there is one, they don’t advertise well.

Things to do in area?  Again, hiking and outdoor activities.  Mall, Target, Walmart, several restaurants like Texas Roadhouse, Applebee’s, Chili’s, etc.  A nice city park that sponsors a lot of activities.

School System?  I know post schools don’t do well in ratings, but I don’t have school age children.

Any colleges in area? Cochise County Community College, University of Arizona South

Jobs? (on post and off)  Not a lot of industry in the city; post is #1 employer for the area.

Favorite aspect of this base/surrounding city?  Beautiful mountain views; excellent weather.  Over 300 sunny days per year, and it’s not as hot since we are at a higher elevation.

Least favorite aspect?  Wish there was more to do that wasn’t outdoors-related.  However, Tucson is only 75 miles away.

Local websites? (base, chamber, newspaper, schools, etc.)  www.svherald.com, http://www.ci.sierra-vista.az.us/cms1/,

Any other tips? Join your FRG; wear sunscreen; go to local tourist attractions (Tombstone, Bisbee, etc.)