1. Your name (as you would like it to appear): None given
2. Army Post Name: Fort Polk, LA
3. Army Post Location: Leesville, LA
4. Dates When You Lived Here (please include year): Dec.2005-Nov.2007
5. How is housing? On-post? Off-post? On post isn’t too bad, North Fort is the best of the older housing to get into. Of course there is new housing for those requiring a larder house. If you live off post, I would stay away from Leesville. BAH is low there but I think for a decent house in a decent neighborhood you’ll be paying out of pocket. Try to find something in DeRidder or Anacoco.
6. Rate the PX and Commissary. I’m from not far from the area so I still visit every once in a while, they just built a new PX that is really nice. The commissary is old and small, it’s been there for at least 30 years but I hear there is talk of maybe building a new one also.
7. Are there activities on post? Is there lodging on post? There is lodging on post, but I’ve never stayed there. I was never involved with any of the activities on post other than FRG. I know they have some softball teams for adults and probably some from children as well. They have 2 or 3 pools on post.
8. What is there to do in the area? There isn’t much in the area, a few mom n pop restaurants and walmart. They are building a Chili’s on post. To do any real shopping at the mall or any other stores you have to drive either a45 minutes North to Alexandria which also has a zoo or a little over an hour South to Lake Charles.
9. Rate the school system. I don’t have children.
10. Are there colleges in the area? Please list. The have a branch of NSU right outside one of the gates. Lamar Salter campus about 15 minutes away. The Education Center has Central Texas College and a few others. Lake Charles has McNeese State Univ.
11. How is the job situation? What types of jobs are in the area for spouses? There are very few job opportunities in the area, it’s very small and doesn’t have much to offer.
12. Favorite aspect of the post and surrounding area? It’s small, but quiet and lots of outdoor activities to be done. There’s plenty of boating, fishing, hunting, etc. I loved how it really felt like a community living on post which is actually something I have yet to find at the other post we’ve been at.
13. Least favorite aspect? Not much to do as far as shopping.
14. List any local websites. N/A
15. Any other tips or information? Enjoy your time there, make the most out of it and take some fun trips around the state. Visit New Orleans, Baton Rouge, Houston, Dallas, etc. Get out and do something.
I’ve been in the Army 16 years and Ft. Polk is BY FAR the worst place I’ve been stationed. I have attempted to remain positive but have yet to identify a silver lining in the last 4 months. I’ll hit the low lights: As an OCT I only get 48 days off a year and 2 weeks off for Christmas, normal weekends do not exist. When you do get a 4 day weekend in between rotations it doesn’t line up with a school holiday so you don’t get to spend that time with the family you never see. My wife took a massive pay cut moving here and if you’re a working spouse your only options are retail (Walmart, McDonalds, etc), Teaching in an under performing school, or being an exotic dancer. My children are struggling in the schools which seem more focused on dress codes than educational attainment. The weather is either oppressively hot and humid, rainy, or both. There a insects here that I’ve never even seen before. There are little to no activities for the kids besides a couple of parks in DeRidder and the most ghetto skating ring I’ve ever seen in Leesville. Professionally Solders who get stationed here have a lower promotion rate than the Army at large. It is my honest opinion that you’re better off deploying anywhere in the world than being stationed here.