CONUS duty stations

[knagle]

I would like some information on the three MCBs in the continental US. It's not going to make or break me on enlisting, that would be silly. I also understand I need to "worry about completing boot camp", but there is only so much I can do in preparation for that. I just want some general information, such as recreation and overall environment. I know people hate 29 Palms, is there a reason for that?

Similar Threads:

• Best duty stations?
• duty stations
• Duty Stations
• Duty Stations
• Duty Stations

[Tennessee Top]

29 Stumps is in the Mojave Desert - that should be your first clue. Great place if you like sand, 100+ degree temps, and scorpions. Las Vegas and Palm Springs are a couple hours away for weekend liberty.

My first duty station was at Camp LeJeune NC. Nice place for a boot Marine to get introduced to the Fleet Marine Force but pretty quaint. Liberty is not the greatest.

Liked Camp Pendleton CA much better (but cost of living is twice as expensive on the West Coast). Spent 7 years there with a one year tour on Okinawa Japan in-between. Lots of liberty opportunities like Disneyland, Hollywood, San Diego, etc but it's all expensive for junior Marines.

Enjoyed my 3 years at Quantico VA. It's located in Northern VA outside the DC beltway so also very expensive to live there. Outstanding liberty nearby in Arlington VA and DC with the museums and national monuments. No better place for civil war buffs with all the battlefields and reenactments. It's called the "crossroads of the Corps" because the longer one stays in, the better chance they have of spending some time in Quantico (because of the number of formal schools, resident academies, etc located there; Headquarters Marine Corps has branch offices there as well). HMX-1 (presidential helicopter squadron) is located in Quantico, along with the FBI Academy.

The "oldest post of the Corps" is located at 8th and I streets in Washington DC. The commandant's house is located there and is home for the USMC mascot, silent drill team, the Marine band (the president's own), drum and bugle corps (the commandant's own), and The Marine Corps Institute. Never was assigned there but visited a few times during the summer months to watch the Friday night evening parades (you can see them on youtube). Besides musicians, majority of Marines at 8th & I are infantry Marines performing ceremonial duties at the White House, silent drill platoon, and marching platoons. They also work at Camp David presidential retreat.

Not a USMC MCB but spent a couple years with the US Central Command Headquarters at MacDill AFB in Tampa FL. Being an Air Force base, everything is nice and well maintained (same cannot be said about USMC bases which have much smaller maintenance budgets). FL is more expensive than NC but not as bad as CA and Northern VA. Lots of liberty of course with Orlando, Disneyworld, Miami, etc. USCENTCOM is a joint command meaning all the services are assigned there. More intelligence Marines are assigned there than any other MOS. USSOCOM (Special Operations) and US Southern Command, both joint service commands, are also located there.

We have a number of Air Stations obviously for aviation MOS's. And we have a few logistics bases obviously for logistics MOS's.

In a few cases, once you know your primary MOS after bootcamp, you can start to narrow down potential duty stations (aviation to air stations for example). Some MOS's like admin, motor transport, etc are needed anywhere there are Marines. Infantry Marines can pretty much look forward to the 1st Marine Division at Camp Pendleton CA, 2nd Marine Division at Camp LeJeune NC, or the 3rd Marine Division on Okinawa JA (there are infantry Marines in HI).

[knagle]

I actually lived in Arizona for a number of years, I like the desert climate, personally. I lived probably 4 hours from 29 Palms. I'm most likely going to pick a infantry, or tank related field, pending availability. Thanks for the input. You've been a help every time I see you post, I appreciate that.

[USMC 2571]

Tennessee Top is always helpful here in Ask A Marine, and no one has the experience he has, as far as the Corps and duty stations go. All I know about this is one thing, that I did not like Camp Lejeune, having served there exactly one year. But, I got to go to Puerto Rico immediately after Lejeune, for 2 years, so it worked out fine.

[Hammer]

I had good duty at Lejeune. As someone said ; liberty in the immediate area was limited, but it wasn't too far to Myrtle Beach, or Wilmington.

[USMC 2571]

True, Mitch, and not even that far from Washington, DC, BUT the base seemed boring to me. In those days 1964-1965, only a few people had cars, and that was the key to it all. Stranded on the base, except for the bus to Jacksonville, NC (the return trip was by the same bus, but on the return trip it was called, for good reason, The Vomit Comet)----anyway, they had big Area Service Clubs, I was in Area 4---beers were about a quarter or less. So for those who had automobiles, yes, Myrtle Beach SC and Wilmington NC were good destinations. About four people had cars in Comm Co, Hq Bn, 2nd Mar Div. For the rest of us, it was a long one year tour at CamLej.....but, as I said, orders to Puerto Rico came for me and I could not believe my good fortune, being stationed on a small Navy base in the Caribbean from age 19 to 21.

[Hammer]

I see your point Dave. I was fortunate; I had a car. From where I was stationed at the rifle range, Wilmington wasn't far.

[USMC 2571]

That's a whole other world, Mitch, that car. In a huge place like Lejeune.

[USMC 2571]

Sorry to get far afield, OP!!!!!!!!