The military facility is in the Fort Walton and Destin area with direct access to the Gulf of Mexico. While the costs of living in Alaska can be relatively high, Air Force families find it reasonable, much in part to the commissary and shopping found on the base. This on-base perk also has beach volleyball courts, cabanas with grills, and a full bathhouse. Some of the 15 installations below are standbys and some may be in jeopardy. This list is subjective, of course there are too many duty stations to post here so do your research before submitting your wishlist. San Antonio is one of the most underrated cities in the United States with mild year-round temperatures, entertainment options, and a thriving nightlife. Besides Las Vegas, residents have Los Angeles as a reasonable drive away too. Along with having the great wilderness as your backyard (more on that, below), its a great assignment for military families. Base: Fort DrumUnlucky call sign: Fort Drunk (due to the number of alcohol-related incidents on base in the 1990s)Why it's not great: As the old joke goes, Fort Drum has two seasons: winter and July. 1. The cost of living here hovers slightly below the national average, and the schools are well ranked. When youre stationed in a stunning location like Hawaii, get outdoors as much as possible. Air Force Link does not provide printed maps but assistance can be provided in acquiring prints through your servicing DAPS. What someone that serves the military and is single wants is drastically different from a service member with a wife and kids. Just up the road from base youll find the beautiful Harborside Fountain Park with its waterside plaza where you can watch ferries depart to and from Seattle. The median home cost there is a whopping $766,000. There are just under 60 active U.S. Air Force bases in the country. Vermont 2. Having an open mind and a willingness to explore on and off base will make your duty station experience all the better. Terms of Use Location: Bremerton, Bangor, and Keyport, Washington. Cost of living and housing prices are through the roof around Los Angeles Air Force Base, helping to land it at the bottom of our list of Air Force bases. Families also find the base to be loaded with conveniences such as shopping centers and malls. However, many despise the climate as usually being wet, cold, and gloomy. Even though limited and collaborative Air Force 1s make the headlines, nothing beats a crispy pair of all-whites. The perk? Edwards. Wright-Patterson AFB just makes the cut among many other competing military bases for top honors. Yosemite National Park is just a couple hours north (and its great hikes! Ranking the premier Air Force bases in the United States is not an easy task as there are several worthy of top honors. So we weighted each category. - Largest air force in Asia, and is better known for comprising some of the deadliest self-reliance combat aircrafts. Yeah, most havent. Plus, its located at the base of the Rocky Mountains, so the mountain views dont get much better from a military installation than Fort Carson. You're in a tropical paradise with great weather and. Related Article Top 15 Military Schools For Boys And Girls. GreatSchools evaluates schools on a 10-point scale based on a combination of their standardized test scores, whether students are improving from year to year, and college readiness, defined as how well students take and score on SAT and ACT tests, and their graduation rates. Base: Naval Air Station LemooreUnlucky call sign: Armpit of the Navy -- supposedly because of the smell and air qualityWhy it's not great: Never heard of Lemoore? The optempo is not too bad, family time can be enjoyed, a beach is a short drive away, and there is always Disney! The coastal military base provides that Florida weather with plenty of charm. Fayetteville, North Carolina, home to Fort Bragg, listed as No. Fairbanks is near the base which also provides an outstanding commissary and exchange with a mall and shoppette. Finding Balance in the Social-Media-Spiraling Society, Marco Polo App Improves Communication for Military Families. Nevada 3. At Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Air Force and Army installations that merged in 2010 to form a single post, Task Force True North was recently created to address suicide, Air Force Col. Gregory . Thanks guys!). From mountain climbing to whitewater rafting, youll find some of the best outdoor adventures here. The current version has been updated to reflect the change. The military base is also close to the Grand Canyon and Joshua Tree National Park for family vacations when the time allows. Combining Fort Sam Houston the Lackland and Randolph Air Force Bases, Joint Base San Antonio is home to some of the best and brightest service members in the country, including the 5th Army, 25th Air Force and 37th Training Wing. To come up with a school quality score, we used the website GreatSchools.com, a respected resource for ranking and comparing schools used by real estate agents and real estate websites such as Zillow and Realtor.com. One of the many pros to Air Force employment is affordable living costs. Related Article Best Army Bases for Families, Couples and Singles. Located on the other side of the Mojave National Preserve in California sits this Marine Corps base which is home of the Air Ground Combat Center. Here, the commissary is one of the very best and most extensive in the country. Link Copied! Its competitive to get stationed at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson but worth giving it a shot. What would you add to this? Located in scenic Tacoma, Washington, Lewis-McChord has everything a family might need to feel at home. Plus, the Kitsap Peninsula isnt far from multiple day trip options, including Seattle, local mountain ranges, water trails, and even Canada. "It's better for my family.". Outdoor activities are also abundant given all the natural features in the area. South Carolina So if youre unimpressed by Louisiana, at least you can benefit from some military-issued, updated hospitality. The base, located near Dayton, Ohio, has everything that growing families need to make their living experience comfortable and enjoyable. Air Force Times evaluated statistics in a dozen categories: school quality, cost of living, housing costs, commissary size, base exchange size, size of on-base health care facilities, crime rates, commute times, pollution levels, climate, unemployment rates and sales taxes. Russian forces continue to fail in the Donbas, This is why every veteran should take up archery, Russian offensives continue to fail in Ukraine, Jean Lafitte National Historical Park and Preserve, Check out online forums like Reddit for open discussions. Becoming a military family can be an adjustment for families. He will be back at full force in 2021. (We also plied them for their military packing pro-tips. Life here is charming, but it can be dicey at times. When you view any duty station as your new home, youll be able to better embrace the local culture and unique base aspects. Base: Fort PolkUnlucky call sign: Fort PukeWhy it's not great: The Army has some pretty terrible duty locations, but they were more unanimous than any other branch of the service on which post qualified as THE WORST. Many stationed here have used the opportunity to find cheap flights to explore Australia, Korea, Thailand, and other Asian locations. Compared to Pakistan Air Force's 2.5 pilots per aircraft, the IAF is at a ratio of 1.5. Near Washington, D.C., Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling is unpopular among airmen. Now that Halliburton has closed its Minot facility, jobs arent as plentiful and rent prices are steadily decreasing. The Best And Worst Airlines in America in 2021. Youll never regret a day at Lackland if you are single and looking to mingle. Everyone has to settle down eventually, right? A cool thing about Minot its less than 55 miles to the Canadian border. It is one of the finest Air Force bases in the country similar to Scott Air Force Base and Joint Base San Antonio Lackland because of low housing, superb medical facilities, and a large commissary. The military base has multiple things going for it as mentioned above. Most common escape: Charleston, Wilmington, Charlotte, Raleigh, and Myrtle Beach are all within a couples of hours' drive. In the surrounding areas, you can see everything from pre-Civil War forts to the southernmost point of the continental U.S. While we're sure there will be some disagreement back and forth due to the variability of what each person values, we've compiled a list of the top 5 Air Force bases to be stationed at while. Best area perk? "Everything closes early on base and around town. One soldier put it this way, If God had to give the Earth an enema, he would attach the hose to Fort Polk. Yeesh. Sarah Sicard The amenities at the military base are excellent and Colorado Springs is an excellent community to call home since so many residents are either active duty or retired military personnel. Belarus (Overall ranking: 41) A Belarussian Sukhoi Su-25 jet lands on the. As the second-oldest city in South Carolina, history lovers will adore Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort located 70 miles southwest of Charleston. Enjoy one of our high quality American, State . 10 Best Finger Lakes Wineries Worth Visiting (With Map), The Finger Lakes region in New York is home to more than a handful of small-scale wineries. If you really hate it well, at least you wont be there forever, right? Being that its the only active-duty base in the Northeast, housing on post is limited, forcing service members and their families to live elsewhere. Or read on to see the results of the overall list, ranked from best to worst. The hospitality doesnt go unnoticed by military personnel making it a great place to feel welcomed. Did you know that there are nearly 800 Air Force bases around the globe? Iowa 10 Best States for Military Veterans and Retirees for 2022: 1. You also wont be far from beautiful natural attractions like the Florida Keys and the Everglades. Greece. You will be able to take your time exploring and learn all the good local spots, too! Find out about these awesome picks. best Clark Air Base 1980-1985 and 1989-1991 sad to see it close. At No. Single life has its advantages and disadvantages. Best Military Bases OCONUS: Okinawa, Japan. Marine Corps Base Hawaii; Oahu, Hawaii While every branch of the U.S. military has a presence in Hawaii, the Marines definitely made out with the best real estate. However, couples will love everything millions of vacationers find a reason to visit Hawaii each year including spectacular scenery and fantastic weather. The USAF features a broad mix of aircraft types as well as balance strengthened by overall numbers (quantity). Elmendorf-Richardson sits near Anchorage, Alaska, and draws in military families from all over the country because of its beauty and excellent medical and dental care, employment assistance, and educational programs. "For such a small base, we do have quite a lot of amenities," Oakes said. Beaufort was also named as the Souths Best Small Town by Southern Living Magazine. Here are the top Air Force bases in the nation: Located in St. Clair County, Illinois, Scott Air Force Base tops the list of the best Air Force Bases in the U.S. overall. If that is not enough, consider that Elmendorf-Richardson has its own ski area. MacDill AFB is another prime location for the single crowd. (tied) Hanscom Air Force Base, Massachusetts. Eating organic and local has never been easier, which is great news for anyone who has watched any documentary on factory farming, ever. And despite the lure of perfect weather here, if you decide to move on base, the housing waiting list is only about a month for 3-bedrooms or less! Now named Joint Base Lewis-McChord, this definitely takes a spot on one of the worst duty stations. Mississippi 8. Best area perk? 2002-2023 LoveToKnow Media. Nobody else in the entire Marine Corps cares that it's so difficult for you to travel home. A home in Bedford will run you a median cost of $546,500. The Grand Canyon and Carlsbad Caverns National Park are also within reason. While relocating to Las Vegas is maybe a good or bad thing its impossible to resist the urge for young singles of the USAF. Located in the southern part of Colorado Springs, this mountainous area is perfect for outdoor enthusiasts. Do says that for airmen stationed in Columbus, it's tough to afford to eat healthily and stay fit. The median home value here is around $150,000 and has historical roots. On your days off duty, you can explore more than 40 of the areas museums or take a history and heritage tour to learn about the rich culture that is NOLA. Holloman AFB is between White Sands National Park and Lincoln National Forest. Related Article How To Join The US Air Force. Pikes Peak, among the many 14ers in the state of Colorado, is right in your backyard. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Isaiah Miller). It has all the usual complaints of a remote base town with one notable difference: it is regularly ranked among the nations worst for air pollution.Most common escape: We could talk about the nearby cities of Visalia or Fresno, but who cares about that when the most beautiful place on earth is literally in your backyard? So, its like Aladdin, except without a genie to help you.Most common escape: Ruidoso, New Mexico offers all sorts of outdoor activities plus a casino and horse racetrack. From an amazing median home cost of just over 57K near Scott Air Force Base in Illinois, to having access to major league sports teams in every field at Luke Air Force Base in Arizona, there's some amazing bases across the country that have a lot to offer. There are dozens of excellent schools to choose from in the Goldsboro district, including two high schools rating 9/10 on the GreatSchools index. Therefore, if you really like city life then youll find many of the USAF bases on the list problematic for their rural settings. Luke AFB is a major training facility for the military branch and has excellent amenities. The MTFs awarded . Best area perk? Base: Camp LejeuneUnlucky call sign: J-actionvilleWhy it's not great: The deal breaker here isnt the backwoods location or the fact that legitimate social functions are called pig pickins. No, the complaint we heard most often from Marines is that waaaaay too many Marines live here. Joint Base San Antonio is in the suburb of Lackland, Texas. Housing near Lakenheath is among the best with plenty of new and trendy options. Landing at a tight-knit, family-friendly base can make all the difference in life quality. Unlike other services, where most complaints stem from life on and off post, most issues with the Air Forces bases come from being the cost of living in the areas and high rates of crime. 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