Quantico, Va

[DMVhalfbreed]

It's reup time and I'm wondering what have been everyone's experiences at Quantico, VA. I'm speaking strictly about the work enviroment not the surrounding areas. I live about one hour north so I know what's around. My MOS is 0651 (Data-dink). Please let me know what your experience was like. I will be coming from Pendleton so any comparasions (if any) would be helpful.

Thanks in advance for the advise!

[PJones64]

Nice full profile, per the rules.

[Sgt Leprechaun]

If you've already been in the FMF (and it looks like you have) you'll find it disturbing to say the least. While the base facilities are good, it's a 'political' post to the max. PLUS TBS/OCS, the other various and sundry schools, make it very much a hothouse environment. Cost of living, as you likely know, will be high. If you have to commute, it'll suck.

There are certainly worse places to go, but choose wisely on this one :)

[elliscraig12]

If you end up at TBS, prepare to salute alot. There are about 2000 2nd Lt's there

[Cpl Heglar]

When I was in I served at HMX-1 base inside the base. It was very political then but I really enjoyed Qtown as a whole. I liked Pendelton much much better.

[thewookie]

Don't speed on base.

Good luck.

[FistFu68]

:usmc: Combat Devlopement Command,was a Hoot had some Really neat Toy's!Plus the W.M's were some of The Prettiest Women I've eva' Seen,on any Base on The Planet.Stay the Hell outta The Rt.1 area nothing but Pipe Heads & Rip Off artist.Good Luck S/F :beer: :iwo:

[Tennessee Top]

As you probably know, there are a ton of schools there, hence the nickname "Crossroads of the Marine Corps". Driving around base can be a pain at times because one class or another is marching or running in formation somewhere on the road with road-guards out slowing you down. Majority of the personnel on Quantico are only there temporarily while going through school so most everybody else is supporting those students in some capacity.

I was there for the Staff NCO Academy, Marine Security Guard School, and was also the Operations Chief at the Marine Security Guard School so probably close to three years all together at different times.

Enjoyed my time at Quantico but prefer Camp Pendleton (maybe it's just the west coast). You already know about the cost of living which is high in both places. You also know about the winters in Quantico (can get lots of snow) and the humidity in the summer is a lot higher than in CA.

Good luck at your new duty station.

[iamspartacus]

You also know about the winters in Quantico (can get lots of snow)

...Spoken like a true Californian. You must have lost your Ohio blood Top! Ah... who am I kidding? I'm in the same boat. I'm actually about to go home to Indiana for 10 days. Heard it might snow next week and I damn near started to cry.

Back to the topic though, the commute could be great or it could be hell on earth. I'm sure you know this from living in the area. But what you may not know is military members get FREE VRE (Virginia Railway Express) vouchers. That's right. I lived in Fredericksburg while I was stationed at Quantico. A monthly VRE pass was over $300 from Fredericksburg to Quantico. I never paid a cent and pretty much rode the train every day. I got an apartment downtown. It was about a 5 block walk to the train station. I got on, rode it right to the middle of Qtown. Then, I either had a piece of crap bike chained up there I rode to work or had a buddy pick me up. Got to know some of the other riders who actually left a beater car there at the station parking lot who would sometimes give me a ride. But now Quantico actually has a shuttle van that goes all over the base. Door-to-door, yes, the train did take a little longer than driving my POV but A. it was free B. I didn't have to have the headache of traffic C. It was such a chill commute. I could sleep or read a book on the train ride to work. Plus, you don't know how satisfying it is riding the train out of town at the end of the day while the back gate is backed up for miles. If you want to check it out, here is a link to the application: http://www.whs.mil/DFD/PSD%20Services/Applying.cfm . If you're going to live south of Quantico (it's a commuter train so it only runs north in the morning and south in the evening), definitely check this out. PM me if you have any questions.

[benp]

...Spoken like a true Californian. You must have lost your Ohio blood Top! Ah... who am I kidding? I'm in the same boat. I'm actually about to go home to Indiana for 10 days. Heard it might snow next week and I damn near started to cry.

Back to the topic though, the commute could be great or it could be hell on earth. I'm sure you know this from living in the area. But what you may not know is military members get FREE VRE (Virginia Railway Express) vouchers. That's right. I lived in Fredericksburg while I was stationed at Quantico. A monthly VRE pass was over $300 from Fredericksburg to Quantico. I never paid a cent and pretty much rode the train every day. I got an apartment downtown. It was about a 5 block walk to the train station. I got on, rode it right to the middle of Qtown. Then, I either had a piece of crap bike chained up there I rode to work or had a buddy pick me up. Got to know some of the other riders who actually left a beater car there at the station parking lot who would sometimes give me a ride. But now Quantico actually has a shuttle van that goes all over the base. Door-to-door, yes, the train did take a little longer than driving my POV but A. it was free B. I didn't have to have the headache of traffic C. It was such a chill commute. I could sleep or read a book on the train ride to work. Plus, you don't know how satisfying it is riding the train out of town at the end of the day while the back gate is backed up for miles. If you want to check it out, here is a link to the application: http://www.whs.mil/DFD/PSD%20Services/Applying.cfm . If you're going to live south of Quantico (it's a commuter train so it only runs north in the morning and south in the evening), definitely check this out. PM me if you have any questions.

Thanks a lot for the info! My wife and I are going next weekend to look at housing and this may open some more options for us. I hadn't even considered using the train.

[iamspartacus]

benp - Too bad our paths didn't cross a couple months ago. We still own a house within walking distance to the train station in Fredericksburg we were trying to rent out. Got someone in there now though. Oh well. You shouldn't have any trouble finding anything. Fredericksburg and Stafford are generally less expensive areas as far as housing compared to places further north like Woodbridge, Alexandria, etc.

[Quinbo]

I was just up there and the new housing looked like a high dollar subdivision. I used to say that quantico is where careers go to die.

[iamspartacus]

Base housing is very nice. As of about 2 years ago though, the waiting list was over a year long.

[thewookie]

I was just up there and the new housing looked like a high dollar subdivision. I used to say that quantico is where careers go to die.

I got lost in base housing there a few months back when I was there visiting 1st Sgt. Williams - your old buddy from 1/5. So, I stopped an MP to ask for directions, (right after I rolled through a stop sign to reach him) and he was all over me for rolling the stop. Too funny, I was TAD there back in the day for two months doing R&D on the then new DMR and in those two months I got pulled over twice for speeding. Gave me warnings though, thank god or I might have lost rank....;)

[Quinbo]

I had heard a story and probably true. Gen Van Riper had a 2nd Lt pass him going the opposite direction and obviously speeding. The general had his driver turn the staff car around and followed him all the way to TBS. First he chewed him out then he chewed his boss out then he chewed his bosses boss out. Holy crap .... getting your ass chewed by a 3 star general could not be a fun experience ;)

[USNAviator]

It's reup time and I'm wondering what have been everyone's experiences at Quantico, VA. I'm speaking strictly about the work enviroment not the surrounding areas. I live about one hour north so I know what's around. My MOS is 0651 (Data-dink). Please let me know what your experience was like. I will be coming from Pendleton so any comparasions (if any) would be helpful.

Thanks in advance for the advise!

Good advice by all. I live in the Richmond area and have friends who commute up to Quantico daily. As suggested consider Fredricksburg, but under no circumstance go up north. The housing/rental prices will kill you in Woodbridge etc

Also you might want to consider towns to the west like Culpepper, Remington and Nokesville.. They are connected to Quantico by back roads but it sure beats driving I-95 in either direction

[VictoryttBold]

:iwo:I wonder if Geckos is still around in Hoodbridge ? If it is, stay away from that place.