Fort Carson, Colorado

Overview: Fort Carson is located in Colorado Springs, Colorado. It literally sits at the base of the Rocky Mountains. The post's nickname is "the Mountain Post" and it is appropriately so called.
What I Liked: Fort Carson is located in a prime spot. One only needs to drive about an hour up I-25 to get to Denver, the capitol city of Colorado. In Denver, there is any number of things to do. One can go shopping in several malls and shopping centers. If the "night life" is what you're into, then Denver is the place. There are lots of good spots to hang out in Denver's LoDo district. Want to see professional sports? Good. Denver is your kind of town. The Denver Broncos of the NFL, the Colorado Rockies of MLB, the Colorado Avalanche of the NHL, the Colorado Rapids of MLS, and the Denver Nuggets of the NBA are all based in Denver. Just about any place you drive in Colorado offers scenic beauty. What's more, Fort Carson is within  a couple of hour's drive of many of Colorado's ski resorts. If hunting, fishing, and camping are your pleasures, then Colorado is the place for you. There are also lots of good places to go off-roading in your Jeep, SUV, or other ATV. A Soldier cannot go wrong trying to get stationed at Fort Carson. Colorado Springs is a "military town," but you wouldn't know it. There are five military installations in and around Colorado Springs. Fort Carson is the largest. Then there is the Air Force Academy. There are Petersen and Schriever Air Force Bases and what used to be known as Cheyenne Mountain Air Force Station. Unlike Fort Bragg and Fayetteville, North Carolina, one doesn't drive out the gate and see the streets lined for two miles on both sides with used car dealerships, strip clubs, bars, oriental food restaurants, barber shops, pawn shops, and military surplus stores. Yes, these businesses exist in the Springs, but one has to know where to go to find them and most of them are pretty reputable businesses. The nice thing about Colorado Springs is that even if every military installation there were to close down, the city could still keep going. Colorado Springs has a diverse economy, but its major draw is tourism. The city sits at the base of the Rocky Mountains and Pikes Peak is visible from almost any point in the city. Manitou Springs, Pikes Peak, and many other attractions are easily accessible from Colorado Springs. It is also a great place to raise a family. In fact, Fort Carson and the Fourth Infantry Division place a very high value on families and make every effort possible to support the families of the Soldiers stationed there.
What I Hated: Well, I pretty much hated leaving. That's about it. I PCS'd to Fort Gordon, Georgia while kicking and screaming. I had found a home in Colorado and I loved it there. Otherwise, I must point out that Fort Carson sits at nearly 6,000 feet above sea-level. The air is pretty thin there and breathing can get difficult when you're trying to run, especially in the winter. Would I go back? Well, if difficulty breathing is the only thing I can find to seriously complain about, what do you think? Of course I'd go back. In fact, I plan to settle my family in Colorado, whenever I get finished doing this G.I. Joe stuff.

Fort Bragg, North Carolina

Location: Fayetteville, North Carolina
General Description: Fayetteville is definitely a "military town." While I do not know the city's history, I can say that Fort Bragg and Pope Airforce Base have a huge impact on the city's economy.
What I Liked: Ft Bragg is within a day's drive of a significant number of points of interest in the eastern United States. If you drive about six hours to the west, you will be in the Smoky Mountains. About five hours to the north puts you in Washington, D.C. If you drive a scant two hours to the east, you will come to any number of beaches, most notably Wilmington and Carolina Beach. Driving about five hours to the south west puts you in Atlanta. Charlotte is only an hour or so to the southwest and Raleigh is about an hour up I-95 to the north. In Charlotte, a sports fan can take in the NBA's Charlotte Bobcats or the NFL's Carolina Panthers. If NASCAR is what you're into, then Charlotte is definitely for you. Sports fans may also enjoy the Carolina Hurricanes of the NHL. If you're into college sports, you are within an easy drive of five Atlantic Coast Conference campuses and one Southeastern Conference campus. Those being Duke, North Carolina, Wake Forest, and N.C. State of the ACC in North Carolina and Clemson and South Carolina of the ACC and SEC respectively in South Carolina. Minor League sports are also present in North Carolina. The famous Durham Bulls are up the road in Durham and Fayetteville has a few minor league franchises.
What I Hated: Fort Bragg is like a gigantic "spitting contest." By that, I mean to say that it is the home of the Airborne and Special Operations. If you show up on post and do not have at least a set of Airborne wings, then you are in for a rough time. Airborne wings are the "minimum standard," especially for males. A lot of the men are Ranger and Special Forces qualified. There are various other "hooah schools" that a man is expected to attend throughout his tenure on Bragg. I suppose my position has always been that I don't need any wings, badges, tabs, or other accouterments to be good at my job. Oh, and you had better be good at PT. Every day is a "run day" on Bragg.
Conclusion: Fort Bragg is not a bad place. I wanted to go there because my cousin was stationed there. I got there and quickly fell victim to a bad case of culture-shock. I hung in there from November, 2006 to March, 2009. It wasn't a bad experience, overall. I think that I just misunderstood a lot of things while I was there. Would I go back? Absolutely. If nothing else, I'd like another chance to prove that I can hang in and be successful.