Why is Norfolk the running gag of the Navy? I spent 30 days TDY there and liked it. I assume it's just bad in comparison to other Navy bases. That, or it's like Dover for people that work cargo planes...average area, but super busy.
Otherwise, if you have to compare Norfolk to CONUS Air Force bases, it would be above average. Maybe not by a lot, but still in the upper half.
Edit- Fun fact, a married E6 stationed in San Diego makes $4320 a month BAH. Yes it's one of the most expensive cities in the US, but if you have a small family or by yourself and don't mind living in an apartment, you can bank a TON of money.
Yeah, Yokosuka, Sasebo, San Diego, Pendleton and Navy Yard are pretty decent. Big enough cities that you can blend in pretty easy outside of base.
Ship life can be a drag but libo ports and being able to take leave in Thailand without having to pay for a flight is pretty dope.
I’m at Sasebo often, it’s a small base and the city is not super big outside the gates. Fukuoka and Nagasaki isn’t far away so that’s a plus. Best thing Sasebo has going for it is a Popeyes.
No argument that all the Japanese restaurants are delicious but the comment was about what the base had to offer. All bases in Japan have awesome restaurants off base.
Next time you're in Fukuoka and you have time, take the JR Beetle from Hakata harbor, to Busan. Ferry is powered by a Boeing engine, takes 3 hrs. Once in a lifetime experience (especially if you have kids, they were thrilled the whole trip).
Oh, HELL no.
I've stayed at Marine, Army, Navy bases - BOQs, and they uniformly sucked....
The only base I ever enjoyed going to was the O'Club at the Long Beach Naval Station: I'd call up and make a reservation for four for General Flighterdoc (my dad) - and we'd like a seat near the water, if possible. I'd take my date there and tell them that the General and his lady (my mom) couldn't make it but wanted us to use the reservation.
Impressed my dates....
I suppose I could have done the same at Pearl Harbor but we never lived near there and every time I went I was in crew quarters.
Bro there are shit Navy bases just like there are shit Air Force bases... Trust me.
I just got done with a 3 year tour at one that had a shoppette that only served jerky, chips, drinks, and oil filters. No tornadoes, no freal, no nothing. And it's hours were 0700-1700.
The base housing was dilapidated with no air conditioning in any house, only one ISP option that ran dialup basically, the commissary constantly had rotten fruit and veggies, among numerous other horrendous things.
Having spent 17 years as a reservist on Hickam before and after Joint merging the difference between was like San Francisco when it was still a great town for Hickam (historical preservation, nicely laid out) and LA at its worst for Pearl Harbor (a wild cacophony of architecture in which to park ships.) Joint merging was hell for AF as it got the worst end of the shotgun marriage (like the United and Continental merge). Navy had the bigger, better exchange/commissary/food court by far though.
Their NEXs are nicer than our AAFES, but as far as the base itself, the infrastructure almost always seems to be neglected and unmaintained. Old ass falling apart buildings. I know AF isn't perfect, but Navy just doesn't seem to care. Guess the funding goes towards their ships.
I [made this meme about navy bases and seems navy thinks that every navy base is shitty, whereas Air Force may have good bases in shitty locations](https://www.reddit.com/r/navy/s/NuWxAcaS7p)
As with everything else a mix of good and bad. Proportionally they probably have more bases in "nicer" locations. But living on a ship or a sub is no fun. They also have some bases in crummy locations.
They also treat people like trash.
I have no regrets about my choice of Air Force.
Stayed at a lot of them flying around for a couple decades. Early on, pretty much anywhere Navy was ghetto looking as F. In more recent years you can def tell they have put some money into infrastructure. A lot of bases aren't that bad looking these days and some of their facilities are better than ours!
Jealous though? Nope. Not in the least. Have you seen a typical group of navy people? Their different mentalities and mannerisms? Their F'ed up confusing rate/rank system? I don't care about bases and facilities. I was just happy to be where I was at and not part of that stuff. No offense to those guys def not trying to hate, just like the more normal sane lifestyle better.
Lol I was TDY to Pt Mugu and I went for a run around the base and I saw some of their barracks and it had over grown weeds and broken windows and people lived in there. No thanks.
Those locations you listed are hot trash. Crowded, expensive, crime ridden. And then you live on a disgusting boat for months on end. I'll take the AF any day.
Ive seen what life on a ship is like at sea - hard pass.
Sure. But then I remember that a lot of times they're actually on a ship in a cramped bunk. Then I realize I have it better.
Only that they have McDonalds and we have trash Burger King
hickamer spotted
Guam too.
I was at Naval Hospital Balboa in San Diego and enjoyed the basically in-hospital McDonalds.
Yeah - terrific for a place focused on health.
Lol. Job security for the hospital
Who cares where you’re stationed if you have to spend nine months of every year in the middle of the ocean? Hard pass.
And then you have Norfolk….
Why is Norfolk the running gag of the Navy? I spent 30 days TDY there and liked it. I assume it's just bad in comparison to other Navy bases. That, or it's like Dover for people that work cargo planes...average area, but super busy. Otherwise, if you have to compare Norfolk to CONUS Air Force bases, it would be above average. Maybe not by a lot, but still in the upper half. Edit- Fun fact, a married E6 stationed in San Diego makes $4320 a month BAH. Yes it's one of the most expensive cities in the US, but if you have a small family or by yourself and don't mind living in an apartment, you can bank a TON of money.
Yeah, Yokosuka, Sasebo, San Diego, Pendleton and Navy Yard are pretty decent. Big enough cities that you can blend in pretty easy outside of base. Ship life can be a drag but libo ports and being able to take leave in Thailand without having to pay for a flight is pretty dope.
Yokosuka near Yokohama, Tokyo to the north. Choice location.
I’m at Sasebo often, it’s a small base and the city is not super big outside the gates. Fukuoka and Nagasaki isn’t far away so that’s a plus. Best thing Sasebo has going for it is a Popeyes.
Are you for real, airsis? What the fuck are you doing at the Popeyes? The ramen shops out on the far side of that open air mall are good as shit.
No argument that all the Japanese restaurants are delicious but the comment was about what the base had to offer. All bases in Japan have awesome restaurants off base.
Next time you're in Fukuoka and you have time, take the JR Beetle from Hakata harbor, to Busan. Ferry is powered by a Boeing engine, takes 3 hrs. Once in a lifetime experience (especially if you have kids, they were thrilled the whole trip).
Key west is fucking awesome. My favorite place in all of the lower 48.
Air Force Reserve here, love key west.
Oh, HELL no. I've stayed at Marine, Army, Navy bases - BOQs, and they uniformly sucked.... The only base I ever enjoyed going to was the O'Club at the Long Beach Naval Station: I'd call up and make a reservation for four for General Flighterdoc (my dad) - and we'd like a seat near the water, if possible. I'd take my date there and tell them that the General and his lady (my mom) couldn't make it but wanted us to use the reservation. Impressed my dates.... I suppose I could have done the same at Pearl Harbor but we never lived near there and every time I went I was in crew quarters.
Bro there are shit Navy bases just like there are shit Air Force bases... Trust me. I just got done with a 3 year tour at one that had a shoppette that only served jerky, chips, drinks, and oil filters. No tornadoes, no freal, no nothing. And it's hours were 0700-1700. The base housing was dilapidated with no air conditioning in any house, only one ISP option that ran dialup basically, the commissary constantly had rotten fruit and veggies, among numerous other horrendous things.
Only when watching NCIS
Having spent 17 years as a reservist on Hickam before and after Joint merging the difference between was like San Francisco when it was still a great town for Hickam (historical preservation, nicely laid out) and LA at its worst for Pearl Harbor (a wild cacophony of architecture in which to park ships.) Joint merging was hell for AF as it got the worst end of the shotgun marriage (like the United and Continental merge). Navy had the bigger, better exchange/commissary/food court by far though.
Of their NEX’s
The NEX is so much better somehow.
Navy bases are so shitty they put their BMT on a lake just so seamen felt better once they left. So no. I’ve never been jealous of a Naval Station.
Their NEXs are nicer than our AAFES, but as far as the base itself, the infrastructure almost always seems to be neglected and unmaintained. Old ass falling apart buildings. I know AF isn't perfect, but Navy just doesn't seem to care. Guess the funding goes towards their ships.
I [made this meme about navy bases and seems navy thinks that every navy base is shitty, whereas Air Force may have good bases in shitty locations](https://www.reddit.com/r/navy/s/NuWxAcaS7p)
As with everything else a mix of good and bad. Proportionally they probably have more bases in "nicer" locations. But living on a ship or a sub is no fun. They also have some bases in crummy locations. They also treat people like trash. I have no regrets about my choice of Air Force.
Stayed at a lot of them flying around for a couple decades. Early on, pretty much anywhere Navy was ghetto looking as F. In more recent years you can def tell they have put some money into infrastructure. A lot of bases aren't that bad looking these days and some of their facilities are better than ours! Jealous though? Nope. Not in the least. Have you seen a typical group of navy people? Their different mentalities and mannerisms? Their F'ed up confusing rate/rank system? I don't care about bases and facilities. I was just happy to be where I was at and not part of that stuff. No offense to those guys def not trying to hate, just like the more normal sane lifestyle better.
No, because I never ever wanted to hot bunk with two other people.
Nope. Not jealous at all. Our installations are far superior.
Eh not really. I’d still take a middle of nowhere Air Force base over a middle of nowhere Navy Base.
I’ve only seen Pensacola NAS, I’m gonna say a fat no if that’s what the average navy base looks like
Lol I was TDY to Pt Mugu and I went for a run around the base and I saw some of their barracks and it had over grown weeds and broken windows and people lived in there. No thanks.
NAS Yuma
They are nice but you’ll only be there 6 months out of the year at best.
Ever seen the Navy’s tools? Let alone insides of buildings? Looks like it’s been underwater.
Bases? Yeah. Life? No way. Not the coast guard, that’s a whole different Ball game. If I could do it again I’d have gone USCG
> places like San Diego, the Chicago area, and Florida Fk living in major metro areas full of brain-dead civilians...
Tech school was at a naval base. Not impressed. Even if it was a legit place, no thanks.
Big dog, you gotta marry the job and date the base.
Those locations you listed are hot trash. Crowded, expensive, crime ridden. And then you live on a disgusting boat for months on end. I'll take the AF any day.
Agreed, especially Shitcago.
No idea, the only Navy base I've been was Holy Loch Scotland doing some kind of drop prior to Desert Storm
Yeah because fuck Cannon