EspaceF1Fan

I'm going to school soona nd will need a wish list of stateside assignments and these 4 posts are kinda what I have in mind however I would like some info about each one.
1) Any 1/4 mile dragstrips nearby?
2) What are the people like nearby?(Gangsta wanna bes? Nice decent people? etc..)
3)What kind of resteraunts/shopping are available?
4)What is there to do around there?
5) Any good dirtbike trails?
6)is the offpost housing affordable/nice?
7)Is the onpost housing a rat-trap(like mine?)


I'll be coming from Fort Stewart so any comparisons(based on first hand experience) would be nice.

Awake455

Drum is pretty boring unless you like drinking and getting into fights with gansta wanna bes. The locals can be...well...rather dumb. Takes a lot of patience. Oh yeah, be ready to consider 40 inches of snow in 24 hours normal...and consider any temp above 0 degrees F a nice day.

Offpost housing is quite expensive even for a rat trap. Onpost housing has like a 8-10 month waiting list.

EDIT: One other thing u should know. I've talked to many soldiers here...this is like the black hole of the army. Once you get in here, you can't get out. About the only way to get out of Drum is to get a special assignment (airborne, rangers, SF, OCS, warrant) or get out of the army. I have talked to 2 e5s and 1 e6 that even went to Korea to get away from here...only to be sent back. Maybe it is just my btn, I dunno.

EspaceF1Fan

Awake thank yiou for that info...


I'd like to add another question.

What is the deployment schedule like at these places?
To me it sounds like the whole Army is on a 15 month rotation for 12 months home schedule..is this pretty accurate ? I know Fort Stupid is this way right now.

Awake455

My co lucked out and got 14 months in between deployments this time around. I was told quite frankly to not expect to be here for much more than 12 months at a time.

Closest dragstrip ...well...they call it a dragstrip...is within 100 miles. I haven't seen any dirbike trails but then again I haven't looked either.

Yun Gunz

Alot of bases are like Drum, Germany is like that. Once branch knows you been there, they love to keep ya there. Campbell is not too bad. It seems no diff than the others that u got to drive 1+ hr to a track. Plus Tenn. there is pretty good compared to the Ky side

brad8266

iTrader: (23)

Drum sucks

Z28Fistergod

iTrader: (10)

Riley...

It kinda sucks. I just posted in another thread about how Riley has the highest suicide and drug abuse rates in the Army. I guess it's not TOO horrible, except the weather. It is regularly -6 for PT. The cold sucks but the wind is what does you in. Holy ****, I was at the range today, 25 degrees with 25 MPH winds, 35 MPH gusts. Then summer comes around, regularly 100+. I was out in the field a couple times for 115, humid as hell. Almost as shitty as Iraq. Okay, I'm done bitching now.

If you like out-door ****, like hunting, fishing, boating, then this is the place. Milford lake is massive and only about 10 or 15 minutes off post. There's another, Tuttle creek lake, also fairly large, about 30 minutes away. There is an 1/8th mile track 5 minutes off post, I think there is a full 1/4 about 45 minutes away. 300 Acres of off road trails out at Tuttle creek lake, which are the **** considering they are free, it is right next to the lake so if you like a lot of mud then there is never any lack of it. I have a YZ125 and the trails are a little tight and rocky but still a lot of fun, also a large open area if you want to wind it out. Tuttle creek lets you run whatever you want, bike, quad, truck, jeep, dune buggy, motorized unicycle, whatever. There are more trails at Milford, I've never been there myself though, and thats only bikes and quads. Kansas State University is 15 minutes off post, college girls, bars. It's summed up like this, winter sucks, but during the summer it isn't half bad, never a lack of stuff to do.

EspaceF1Fan

FisterGod.

I ahve a few more questions for you.

-The wife wants to know how far you have to go to get to decent shopping(a mall or shopping center....soemthing besides walmart or an IGA...)
-Is the place a cesspool for shitty people? Or is there actually some decent people that live around there?
-How is the onpost housing? Is it decent or kind of ghetto-ish? How about the waiting list?
-How is offpost housing? Affordable? Decent?
-How is the "at work" environment there? Lots of decent leaders or is it going to hell like the rest of the Army?(Especially 3rd ID, 1st BDE at Fort Stewart..lol)

I appreciate all of you guys taking the time to respond to my questions.


I still would like some info on Carson.

Z28Fistergod

iTrader: (10)

There is a mall out in Manhattan, it's decent, plenty of places to spend your money since it's a college town. I don't like the people around here too much, I try not to hang around them. I live in the barracks myself, but I've been in a few of my buddies houses on post, and they are decent, don't expect much more than that though. I can't really say how long the waiting list is, I think it was 6 months a year or two ago, I don't really keep track of that though. There are nice places to stay out in Manhattan, it's a little bit of a drive every morning though. There's another little town on the other side of post, Junction City, pretty much everything in that town is shitty. You might be able to find something nice in Junction, but they probably jack the price up on you.

2000KnightRider

iTrader: (21)

I was in that Brigade...at least if I remember correctly (cant remember if it was 2nd or 1st BDE). I was in 3/7 INF. I was also at Riley in 2/70 AR. It was alright there, kinda out in the middle of nowhere but I'm sure there are worse places (i.e. Minot AFB, Grand Forks AFB, FT Drum).

Yun Gunz

3ID 1st BDE???? you all relieved me I believe in early 07 right? Al Anbar?

EspaceF1Fan

Yup..

I was at Corrigidor in Ramadi..replaced 2/37 Armor I think ...and we were attached to 1/9 IN

Humvee z28

Yup that 1/8th mile track is rarely open, maybe a few weekends every year. Spoke to a farmer that knows the owner one day on the way to Manhatten, yep cant ya tell I was bored and had nothing better to do LOL. Heartland Park International Raceway is just south of Topeka. Has a bunch of things there. http://hpt.com/store/catalog/ Thats the web address for the place. Road course, dirt track, and dragway.

To the Original Poster:
Yup there is serious price gouging on housing in JC. I wouldnt live in the downtown area as it is a dive. Bunch of new housing area off post but all the decent stuff is in the area of 1k a month for rent. Your BAH is as you know is based on rank, time in service, and dependents. You can go to the Ft. Riley homepage, http://www.riley.army.mil/
There are things to do out here, mainly if you are into outdoorsy stuff like Fistergod said. He gave a pretty good write up of what to expect, but if you have any other questions I am pretty sure that between the 2 of us we should be able to help you out decently enough. Best of luck with your next duty station.

Kens_02SS

iTrader: (11)

Well Drum isn't the **** hole of the Army, your fellow brothers down here in 4th BDE 10th MTN are in the **** hole of all holes! FORT POLK,LA
No one can complain about there post untill they've been stationed here, thank god i'm going to Campbell when we leave here in Iraq.