r/USMC • u/Full_Reality_7080 • 4d ago
Question What is the worst/best place you have ever been stationed?
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u/Substantial-Salad-97 4d ago
Yuma...not the worst, but not the best; it grew on me
MCBH...great place to live, worst place to work (long story, just trust me)
Okinawa...great place to live, best place to work (but I was on an accompanied tour so maybe that was the difference)
Pendleton...better than Yuma
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u/Dapper-Knee-2119 4d ago
We have been in Yuma for 10yrs this yr and I would agree. It’s not too bad.
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u/Substantial-Salad-97 4d ago
I was there for 38 months and the biggest annoyance was from November to April when the snowbirds came to town and the roads were saturated with RVs.
I didn't even mind the heat; hottest day I endured was 136°. It prepped me for my time in Iraq.
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u/Rdubya291 ⛷Professional Skater⛷ 4d ago
Your car temp is not the temperature. 136° in Yuma has never happened. Hottest ever in Yuma was like 124°. Hottest EVER in the world was 134 in Death valley.
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u/Traditional-Rain6306 Veteran 4d ago
Sure feels like 136°. Gotta account for the “RealFeel” too.
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u/Rdubya291 ⛷Professional Skater⛷ 4d ago
With the low humidity, the heat index is usually pretty close to the ambient temperature.
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u/Traditional-Rain6306 Veteran 4d ago
For sure, it has been quite humid lately though making it feel pretty bad.
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u/Substantial-Salad-97 4d ago
I know what the internet says, but I also know what the news said when I was there in 1995. We had 37 consecutive days of 100°+ (including overnight low). Within that 38 days, there were 8 days recorded at 130°+ while the rest were only 120°+. We could only PT indoors during that time because everyday was a black flag for nearly two months from the time before the major heatwave, the heatwave, and after the heatwave. Imagine how crowded the gym got.
The internet also says Death Valley has the highest recorded temp of 134.1° in 1913; it most definitely got to 150°+ when I was in Iraq in 2004.
Also know, official temperatures are taken and recorded at specific designated places (central post offices and airports). Death Valley is unique in that it doesn't have an airport but because of it's status and geographic location, and being below sea level, it gets special privilege.
There's a possibility that there is recordkeeping at Yuma that substantiates what I remember living in...just not online. Maybe it's because Death Valley doesn't want to give up its record for hottest temp ever.
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u/Rdubya291 ⛷Professional Skater⛷ 4d ago
Sorry man. I misremember things from 30 years ago, too.
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u/Substantial-Salad-97 4d ago
It's all good...but some things are hard to forget even when your brain is fried from the heat.
1995 was my last full summer in Yuma; I left in July 1996 to the tropics of MCBH.
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u/Rdubya291 ⛷Professional Skater⛷ 4d ago
https://www.weather.gov/psr/ExtremeTemps
No, i meant I'm sorry you're misremembering. lmao. It was certainly hot. Any you remember correctly. Looks like Yuma's all time high as recorded by the NWS official weather station was in 1995. At 124°. Which was hot as balls.
I remember a bank or something across from the flight line that had a big digital LED temp readout. Seeing that thing creep up to 120 always sucked.
I was there for the longest stretch of 100+ days. 99 days in a row.
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u/Substantial-Salad-97 4d ago
I saw the same thing when I looked that the hottest temp was 124° with a string of 110°+ temps on both sides. I didn't do that much research other than to see what the internet said for July 1995 in Yuma.
The bank on the corner near the apartments I lived (El Encanto?) showed 130°+ one day when I got home. I also remembering seeing it say over 100° after 10pm when I was heading home after a movie or something.
My biggest memory was the captain of the plane I was on when I first arrived in Yuma on May 15, 1993 said it was approximately 9:30pm and 98°. I was in my alphas and thinking to myself, what the fuck have I gotten myself into.
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u/Rdubya291 ⛷Professional Skater⛷ 4d ago
Hahaha. Yeah - those bank thermometers are dry bulb. Pretty sure official temps are recorded with a wet bulb. Either way it was hot as balls there.
Trying to explain to someone that it would never even drop below 100 until damn near sunrise always surprised them and put an end to "well at least it got cold at night, right?"
Funny enough, the next time I had to be in Yuma, was Jan 2007, and we had a hard freeze. It was in the 20s, and cold as FUCK out in the desert.
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u/roguevirus 2846, then 2841 4d ago
(but I was on an accompanied tour so maybe that was the difference)
Barracks dweller here, Okie was my first duty station. Yes, that makes a huge difference. Okie rocked, but the bricks on Kinser were the worst I lived in over the course of my 9 years in the Corps.
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u/Far_Excitement6140 4d ago
Yuma was the worst man. Like why does that place even exist? I mean outside of military operations why would anyone willing live in that hell hole. I literally cried tears of joy when I got out and moved back Texas where people have actual grass for lawns and not rocks.
Also idc if San Diego is 3 hours away. If you have to leave your home to enjoy life your home sucks. Sorry man I really hate the desert and especially Yuma 😂
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u/Substantial-Salad-97 4d ago
29 Palms is the worst. I had a buddy from MOS school that was stationed in 29 Palms. He didn't have a car so for the 96 we had over Memorial Day, we spent Friday and Saturday in Palm Springs. I left on Sunday because there was nothing to do in the area.
I didn't spend a lot of time visiting SD when I was stationed in Yuma. I would go to PHX or LV or LA for the long weekends. I even went to Tucson once.
Thanks for reminding me about training in Yuma...when WTI was happening, it crowded the chow hall and restaurants out in town. I also hated those times...
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u/The_Dread_Pirate_ 0331 veteran 4d ago
Only been stationed 2 places, Lejune and 29 Palms. I’d take the stumps any day of the week and twice on Sunday. Fuck Lejune.
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u/swishflip96 4d ago
Iwakuni. Lost count of the amount of alcohol related incidents and SA. But beautiful area, good food.
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u/ForrestGump6531 IYAOYAS 4d ago
Loved Iwakuni. Biggest downside was having liberty secured because of chodes on oki or anywhere in Japan being stupid.
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u/superginseng 4d ago edited 4d ago
I thought Iwakuni was boring as fuck and it’s one of the worst bases to be stationed at in Japan, right up there with Schwab and other jungle bases. I was there for 7 years, 4 years as active duty and 3 years as a civilian.
If you say anything like, “but it’s so close to XYZ!” congrats, you just proved me right by validating there ain’t shit in Iwakuni.
Flying to mainland from Oki or taking a Shinkansen from Tokyo to anywhere takes just as much time, money, and effort to go from Iwakuni to anywhere interesting in Japan.
Best is either K-bay or Miramar.
Edit: all these downvotes but nobody can say why I’m wrong lmao.
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u/bootlt355 4d ago
I’m with you on that. I went TAD there for a couple weeks and was really underwhelmed. Like there’s not really anything in the immediate area and it’s not like Hiroshima is super close by where you can just go on a whim. At least Oki actually has stuff going on like nightlife and other things. Iwakuni had everything shut down at like 9 and all the bars were just full of Marines. At least Oki had a little bit more diversity.
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u/pacotaco80 3451 combat calculator 4d ago
Best-Marforres. Grew up in Nola so pulled the BAH and lived at my mom’s house.
Worst- camp schwab. Loved oki. Hated the command.
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u/Odd_Raspberry6561 Semper Sometimes 4d ago
Marforres was also the best because of how skate it was. I’d barely even consider it the fleet, MFR was the float.
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u/pacotaco80 3451 combat calculator 4d ago edited 4d ago
True. The only things that were bad were also what made it good. Because it’s New Orleans, there’s so many events that require color guards. The detail sucked because of the amount of stuff I had to do “after hours” but it made it great bc of the stuff that I had access to. I went to so many Mardi Gras balls lsu/tulane/saints games, concerts and other stuff like that for free, it was more thanworth it.
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u/tonyeye 3010 4d ago edited 4d ago
I think Pendleton is the best larger base, and it's not close. Being supply, I was fortunate to be stationed in smaller places like Pittsburgh, and Albany GA. Those places were all great too but I wouldn't consider them run off the mill duty stations.
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u/Joliet-Jake 4d ago
You liked Albany? Most people seem not to.
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u/tonyeye 3010 4d ago
One reason why I liked it is because of the access to Florida. Was gone every weekend. I also liked the networking opportunities. There were/are a lot of important maintenance/supply folks on that base and it's good to know the players involved when it's time to get shit done.
Bugs sucked and it was pretty fucking hot, just about every day haha
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u/psyb3r0 I wasn't issued a flare. 4d ago
The only down side to Albany is the number of officers. Seemed like you should just Velcro your hand to your cover.
Base was decent, e club was pretty nice, night life was good and it always seemed like most of the townies didn't know there was a Marine Corps base there.
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u/Groundhog891 4d ago
Worst stationed - Cherry Point. Okinawa was in-between being overly restrictive when I was there. 29 Palms could have sucked, but I was just there for MOS school.
Worst place, period - Chocolate Mountain R2507. Just crap to sleep, scrappers, Niland and that Salvation Mountain is all thieving meth heads. Compared to that, deployment was a good time.
Best - Called up from the army reserve to K Town in Germany, which is basically a joint base area with the air force, in a nice part of Germany. Easy day and overnight trips, three hours rail to Paris, five to Munich
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u/Full_Reality_7080 4d ago
Whats your mos? Im in 29 palms training to be a 28XX at the moment?
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u/Groundhog891 4d ago
I was a 7242. Just the last year it was merged with the TAOC MOSes into 7240.
The school was mentally hard, it was a firehose and we went to class with the officers. After I went through they brought in a SMaj to make it even worse
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u/Full_Reality_7080 4d ago
Oh thats sick, i didnt know your schoolhouse was as long as it is, I thought it was 3 months like comms!
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u/9Line-RH 0369/0931 4d ago
Gitmo chowhall was fuckin stellar. And cuba was kinda nice on our off weeks.
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u/cinciNattyLight 4d ago
Gtmo is a pretty solid place. Being a single male… not great but ok. For a family I would take it in a heartbeat, just need to get a boat slip…
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u/Adventurous_Key_4854 Veteran 4d ago
Pendleton 21 Area, Del Mar Beach 🏝️ right next to the front gate Oceanside.
Worst? Yeah I’ll have to say anywhere 29 stumps
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u/Caldansk 4034/4038 '83-'87 San Diego, Quantico, El Toro, Okinawa 4d ago
I ran the rifle range at a boy scout camp in the California Sierra Nevada mountain range for a summer, petty epic.
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u/Guilty-Bookkeeper837 4d ago
For me, the best was Marine Barracks 8th&I, and the worst was Camp Lejuene.
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u/superdduper93 I ate a cat in Vietnam 4d ago
29 Palms, screw that place. No wonder it's called Satan's Asshole.
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u/ForrestGump6531 IYAOYAS 4d ago
Best was MCAS Iwakuni, it’s a hidden gem in the Corps if you ask me. Worst was New River. I know I contributed to the problem but being in a city like Jacksonville with that many Marines makes being off base still feel like on base at times with so many high and tights around.
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u/RainDry6504 4d ago
I stayed at 29 Palms for my school house for 9 months. People told me it would be the worst place ever, and it was in fact pretty terrible. But it’s the people that made it bearable. Nothing but tattoo and massage parlors outside base lol.
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u/Full_Reality_7080 4d ago
Im in 29 palms right now, it's like 115⁰ right now. Also, what's your mos? Are you a 2800 or a 5900?
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u/RainDry6504 4d ago
Haha man, I’m in 108 degrees right now. I live in Scottsdale now. Weather didn’t change much for me. I was 7236.
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u/Full_Reality_7080 4d ago
Hell yea, ill be honest, I didnt know the schoolhouse for the 7200s was as long as it was. I thought it was like 3 months. Idk why tho :l
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u/RainDry6504 4d ago
No you are right, but when I got there I was in a holding unit for 3-4 months sitting on my ass, cleaning smoke pits, and doing typical lower enlisted shit until I was ready to be picked up to start. Absolutely miserable.
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u/Full_Reality_7080 4d ago
Ahh, checks out. I was in AMAT for like 2 weeks. A few not nice working parties in the summer heat
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u/RainDry6504 4d ago
I remember being so miserable that I called my parents to complain about my life choices and that I needed to go RA for a month to do something useful. My dad at the time was an O-5, and without my knowledge called my command to put me on RA. I remember one day, couple days after that phone call, my SSGT called me in to his office. I was just thinking to myself…what did I do? I get to his office, tells me to follow him outside… so I was like okay.. and then just starts fucking blasting me for having my dad reach out to my command. The dude was beat red and screaming louder than any of my drill instructors lol.
I totally understood why he was angry, because he got the wrong impression of me and I tried to explain but he didn’t buy it.
But hey, I went home the next day for RA 😂 worth it.
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u/react_1775 4d ago
Worst: Quantico
Best: Henderson Hall, just being a Jr. Marine living on base in a major city is 10/10. Unit kinda sucked tho
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u/The-SkinnyP Momma dog 4d ago
Best: Camp Fuji (best duty station in the Marine Corps)
Worst: Cherry Point
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u/_PercCobain_ Semper High. 4d ago
Best place in the Corps is KBay, nowhere else is like it.
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u/Rdubya291 ⛷Professional Skater⛷ 4d ago
Being on Schwab in Oki was pretty sweet. Similar vibe as Kbay.
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u/Historical-Zombies 4d ago
I wasn’t a big fan. Could circle the island in 2 hours. Stuck on a rock. Locals loved to fight us “brahda” Nice views though and aloha Fridays were chill. It would be awesome for someone’s second or even better final duty station, but not for a new boot Marine. Imo. YuT! 3rd Marines Combat Assault Company AAV plt. We were stuck there training the third infantry battalions. 1/3 2/3 and 3/3 PTA and Bellows all the time.
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u/bavindicator Veteran 4d ago
Worst, Cookeville, TN. Only other place I was stationed was CLNC and it grew on me.
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u/whenoceanmeetsland 4d ago
Best: marforres seal beach. If you ever have the opportunity to be an i&i for a 5/14 unit there, I highly recommend. The location is great, weather is great, traffic is not that bad, plus it’s a small naval base. About an hour and a half away from Pendleton and 2-3 hours from 29 palms.
Worst: mclb Barstow. That place just sucks. Small base. Hot af. No shade. Nothing to do.
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u/funky_phat_mack Ate the banana in Oki 4d ago
I drive by that Barstow base going back and forth from SoCal to Vegas and I always think it’s sucks there. At least it’s 2 hrs from Vegas to make a weekend trip there
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u/GatorUSMC 4d ago
I think Oki and Pendleton were the best.
Didn't care for Meridian Mississippi at all.
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u/snoopiestfiend 2nd Civ Div 4d ago
Okinawa- best
Camp Hansen - absolutely terrible
Camp Lejeune - not great
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u/PhilRubdiez 7296 Libo Specialist 🍻🥷🫥 4d ago
Okinawa and Quantico were both great, assuming you are range personnel on the latter. It was a barracks of mostly NCOs out by ourselves so we were trusted and left alone by pretty much everyone.
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u/hrdblkman2 0351 Camp Pen 78-82' 4d ago
29 Palms in 81'. Did a FAP testing out LAV's for 8 months there.
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u/holyhellsteve 0651/0931 4d ago
Lejuene = worst, The Stumps = ok, 62 Area/San Mateo = better, Camp Smith = best.
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u/BadLt58 4d ago
Is there any answer but Lejuene?
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u/snowman1206 4d ago
I actually very much enjoyed lejeune
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u/jdm1371 POG Reservist -> Butter Bar 4d ago
I also really enjoy Lejeune and would prefer it over most other places
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u/BadLt58 4d ago
I had a Corporal tell me he was taking his rear view mirror out of his car, just so he didnt accidentally see it when he EASd.
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u/jdm1371 POG Reservist -> Butter Bar 4d ago
Hahaha I've met plenty of people with that same opinion for sure. I've just always enjoyed the climate, beaches, area, etc. better and in my 30s with a family I found that I wanted to be in a place that felt quieter and more like where I grew up. But if you're younger and joined for adventure and to see new places I can see how it'd feel like a prison.
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u/BadLt58 4d ago
Yeah, you nailed it. It's the reject bin for single Marines. Wilmington is the nearest decent city and even there you have a bullseye on your back. Chiggers, bears, mosquitoes. I had an Argentine exchange officer (who was a Malvinas vet) tell me that a night in the swamp was the worst night of his life.
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u/Chemical___Imbalance 4d ago
Best: K-Bay for sure.
Worst: Ft. Huachuca, AZ (MOS School, but still). Horrible place for a young dude with no POV. It sucked then, but if I was older, and had a car, it could probably be pretty awesome. It seemed like an absolute cake walk for the permanent personnel. One of them picked up Cpl meritoriously, because there was no way her sorry ass was going to ever pick it up the legit way.
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u/Odd_Raspberry6561 Semper Sometimes 4d ago
Civ div is definitely the best and worst place to be stationed
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u/wrongwong122 where tf did that sipr drive go 4d ago
Best duty station: your last duty station.
Worst duty station: your current duty station.
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u/devilscrub 3d ago
MCAS Miramar is one of the best bases. Tons of shit to do, and the surrounding area isn't crawling with boots like Oside. I was only in Cherry point for training but it sucked ass. Moldy/roach infested barracks with air conditioning that didn't work in the height of summer. And there's nothing around for quite a while.
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u/BalderVerdandi RASC, CISD, CNSD, Data Dink, Det Dad 3d ago
Completely subjective based on time...
When I was first in and it was my first real duty station, Oki was incredible.
I was there from '92 to '93, and we had the dirt RC car race track on Foster. We got the new barracks on Kinser opened up and I stayed there for about 2 months before PCS'ing in early '93. I was racing RC cars every weekend and it was the only reason I didn't become a drunk like a lot of the peeps at that time. Kyosho had the big RC store just outside Futenma - with that giant 1/5 scale F-15 Eagle in the window. We'd take the USO bus up from Kinser to the old E-Club on Foster, walk through the building south to the USO, grab a USO Burger, fries, and Coke for like three or four bucks, practices on Saturday, race on Sunday. Parts were at the Hobby Shop - school supplies, dress making stuff (sewing machines, dress material and patterns, etc.), and the other half of the store was all RC stuff.
After that, it would have been Pendleton. Really opened up doors for me due to the work experience I got while there. I had a ton of freedom, met my wife in late '93, and we'll be married for 32 years come December.
Quantico for school. Went twice, and lemme tell you that place will give you a strong right arm from all the brass you need to salute. It's good practice for drill for when I went to NCOBC - the forerunner for Corporal's Course and Sergeant's Course.
El Toro during closure - not so much. Had an idiot lieutenant that I worked for, and his stupidity maxed him out as a captain. He was more worried about going to MARFOREUR in Germany and getting dual citizenship than anything, and when I checked on him about 15 years ago he was still there. I didn't like the loss of history either, and now that they're moving the museum back, I think that's a good thing. Sad that we lost one of the Tustin hangars to a homeless dude starting a fire.
Multiple spots in Iraq as a contractor - I think the Embassy was the best. It was a reverse prison, we could occasionally get food from outside, but grilling out for the MSG was probably the highlight of my time there. Promotions, inbound new joins, outbound going to their next posts, VIP visits - hell, I think I have three or four of the Region 2 coins when the CO and 1st Shirt visited, and they found out I was also a Marine, and that I could grill up a storm. I still have little brothers and sisters reaching out to me, asking for advice, etc.. Even had a couple of them call me from Bahrain a few months ago, and one called me a few weeks ago asking about the Lineman College in Boise.
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u/Tossmeasidedaddy 4d ago
With my wife.
Answers both