Your favorite duty station

[xj220]

Jax - I had a lot of fun here and there's certainly enough to do in the area. The biggest gripe is the distance and driving all over the place. The beach is good and there's enough bars and places to go to mix it up.
Whidbey - As a Seattleite, I find it ok up here. I'm happy to be in the northwest, but as a single guy the Oak Harbor/Anacortes metropolitan area leave much to be desired. That being said, outdoors wise it's great and Seattle/Vancouver are only 1+30 hrs away. The weather really isn't that bad and when it's nice, it's better than anywhere else I've been in the US. If they had a base in the Seattle area, I'd kill a man to stay there my whole career.
Pensacola - Seems like it's gotten a lot better since I was there but it's still Pensacola.
Corpus - Fuck that place. I don't want to go back. Period. Some guys liked it, I didn't.

 

[scoober78]

Whidbey. I may not ever leave.

 

[llnick2001]

San Diego is worth a tour, but I have no desire to stay forever. Enid, OK was terrible, though I've never seen locals more supportive of the troops.

 

[MIDNJAC]

San Diego...accept no substitutes...cost of living is admittedly a bit high...but you get what you pay for. I had all 5 of my operational squadron tours here...back when there was a place called "Fightertown USA" (e.g., NAS Miramar back in the day...). But MCAS Miramar doesn't suck either, although the culture is admittedly different...as it is everywhere. Probably for the best (that's what I'm saying on advice of Counsel).

I loved my time at Miramar. Both for the historical coolness (I remember being a little kid visiting with my dad and watching the Tomcats flying around), as well as for how awesome SD is. I really like VA Beach too, but I don't think much could top NKX.

 

[Swanee]

Anyone have any gouge on Beufort?

 

[MIDNJAC]

Anyone have any gouge on Beufort?

No gouge in particular (I'm sure some of the Marine Hornet types will give you that) but I have heard nothing but good things about it.

 

[bunk22]

Best was San Diego of course, mainly because it's San Diego. Worst, here in Kingsville...best flying but worst duty. Corpus Christi sucks ass too, no culture, fat nasty folks everywhere, horrible drivers, etc.

 

[Renegade One]

I remember being a little kid visiting with my dad and watching the Tomcats flying around...I don't think much could top NKX.

I was probably in all those aircraft.

 

[Uncle Fester]

Still say you can't top NASNI. I was stationed at 32nd St, and every time we had to go across to Coronado, it was like visiting our City Cousins.

I would strive to get back to Jax (though as Mr Bates points out, there are many different Jaxes within the city limits). I was one of those who loved P'cola, though I can also understand those who don't.

 

[e6bflyer]

Whiting was great flying, great beaches, but being in the Pensacola area for too long kind of wears on you. It is a long drive to anything outside of Pensacola, and you can only hit Sam's Fun City so many times before the kids start asking about Disney World (if you know what I mean). In all seriousness, though, the beaches were great, the weather was alright, and the people were decent southern folk, it just doesn't have much to offer in the way of entertainment options and is fairly isolated.
NS Everett was, so far, my favorite place to live. We lived in Snohomish and really thought the PNW is phenomenal for the reasons listed above. Unfortuantely, being on a carrier means you probably won't get to see much of it, but your family certainly will.

 

[MIDNJAC]

Like has been said, PNW is God's country, but I prefer to keep that a secret so one day I can go back there to settle down and not find that the socal/yuppy migration has been completed. Then again, I think Bend has really jumped on that grenade......they can have everything east of the Cascades, just stay out of the Willamette Valley, and western WA. Thanks

(edit: I loved socal like a home too, people included, I just found the OR transplants to be annoying)

 

[phrogpilot73]

Anyone have any gouge on Beufort?

Back when Angel Flight was around (HH-46D SAR in Beaufort), the Phrog guys would routinely say that Beaufort was the best kept secret in the Marine Corps.

For what it's worth, I would always finnagle my way down there for the airshow. I thought Beaufort was awesome, and was planning on orders to Angel Flight until they decomm'd it.