Welcome to the blog post to beat all blog posts. I hope you enjoy your stay.
The Waiting Place…
…for people just waiting.
Waiting for a train to go
or a bus to come, or a plane to go
or the mail to come, or the rain to go
or the phone to ring, or the snow to snow
or waiting around for a Yes or a No
or waiting for their hair to grow.
Everyone is just waiting.
NO!
That’s not for you!
Somehow you’ll escape
all that waiting and staying.
You’ll find the bright places
where Boom Bands are playing.
And when things start to happen,don’t worry. Don’t stew.Just go right along.You’ll start happening too.
OH!THE PLACES YOU’LL GO!
You’ll be on your way up!You’ll be seeing great sights!You’ll join the high flierswho soar to high heights.
One of the questions I get asked quite frequently is, “Where is Alex going next?” Even though at this time we have absolutely no idea exactly where and when, we do know what the possibilities are. I hardly know anything about the F-16 bases, so I decided to do some research. Major thanks to this website. Oh, and wikipedia, of course.
1. Shaw AFB, SC
Source: Google Maps |
Home of the 20th Fighter Wing, the AF’s largest combat F-16 wing. It is in Sumter, SC which has a population of 40,524.
Pros:
- Close to a beach, but not touristy
- Close to Charleston, Florence and Columbia
- Pleasant winters (yearly average low is 52.8 deg F)
- Beautiful countryside
- Other F-16 pilots enjoyed their time at Shaw
Cons:
- Hot and humid summers (yearly average high is 74.7 deg F)
- Nearest Target and Whole Foods is 40 miles
- Kinda high on the “America’s most dangerous cities” list
- 18 hour drive to home in Iowa
2. Hill AFB, UT
Source: Google Maps |
Hill AFB is located in northern Utah, just south of Ogden, UT which has a population of 82,825.
Pros:
- Diverse outdoor recreation options
- Close to Salt Lake City and the lake itself
- MOUNTAINS
- Target!!!
- Reasonable summers (yearly average high 62.6 degrees F)
- Filming location of Dumb and Dumber and The Sandlot
- 7 hours from Las Vegas
Cons:
- Snowy, cold winters (yearly average low of 40.5 degrees F)
- But is that really so bad??
- 16 hour drive to home in Iowa
3. Aviano AB, Italy
I’d really like to visit Bologna some day, I think. Interesting. Source: Google Maps |
Aviano Air Base is located in Aviano, Italy which has a population of 8,747
Pros:
- Castles
- Pasta and pizza
- Vino
- 5 hours from Roma
- located at the foot of Dolomites mountain range
- SKIING!
- hop, skip, and a jump to many other European countries
- Shopping
- Elle can come, too!!
Cons:
- As the crow flies, 5000+ miles from home in Iowa
- I don’t know Italian…yet
4. Spangdahlem AB, Germany
Source: Google Maps |
Spangdahlem Air Base is located in the small town of Spangdahlem, Germany which has a population of 806.
Pros:
- Close to a lot of great European cities
- Beer
- Food
- Shopping
- Friendly locals
- Elle can come, too!!
Cons:
- Germany currently has a poor economy
- Base housing has a 3-4 year waiting list
- It rains….a lot. Why?
- Far, far, far from home in Iowa
- The local dialect is called “Blatt” so even if I did know German, it wouldn’t matter.
5. Misawa AB, Japan
Source: Google Maps |
Misawa Air Base is located in Misawa, Japan which has a population of 42,399 (density of 353/sq. km).
Pros:
- Everything there is CHEAP
- Cherry blossoms
- Friendly atmosphere and country setting
- Beautiful spring, summer and fall
- Erratic snowfall, but it doesn’t accumulate
- Close to Pacific Ocean and Lake Ogawara
Cons:
- Earthquakes
- Radiation leaks…???
- I’m not a fan of Japanese food…sushi = yuck
- Japanese is not my second language
- Northern Japan = COLD winters
- No bright lights and city excitement
- When it is 5:10 PM on Monday, 23 May 2011 in Columbus, MS it is 7:10 AM on Tuesday 24 May 2011 in Misawa
6. Kunsan AFB, South Korea
Kunsan Air Base is located in Gunsan, South Korea on the west coast. The population of Gunsan is 277,491.
Pros:
- Short assignment: 1 year unaccompanied (no family), or 2 years accompanied (with family)
- Mild climate (yearly average high 62.8 degrees F and average low 48.6 degrees F)
- “Okku-Silver Town” or “American Town”
- bars, dance clubs, restaurants and souvenir shops
- Located on the East China Sea coast
- Islands!!
- Bird watching (random?)
- Going to Kunsan will likely get you your dream assignment
- Cheap travel to anywhere in the Pacific
Cons:
- North Korea is your not-so-friendly neighbor
- They eat raw fish
- Language barrier
- Typhoons
- Koreans drive like maniacs (no offense intended)
- Frequent base lock-down exercises
- FAR from home in Iowa
7. Osan AB, South Korea
Source: Google Maps |
Osan Air Base is located in the Songtan section of Pyeongtaek City, South Korea which has a population of 406,052 (density of 2325.8/sq. mile).
Pros:
- Short assignment: 1 year unaccompanied (no family), or 2 years accompanied (with family)
- Osan is preferred over Kunsan
- Mild climate, like Colorado’s weather
- Good shopping
- Cheap travel to anywhere in the Pacific
- Going to Osan will likely get you your dream assignment
Cons:
- North Korea is your not-so-friendly neighbor
- Typhoons
- They eat raw fish
- Language barrier
- Koreans drive like maniacs (no offense intended)
- Again, the 15 hour time difference…
There you have it. I’m not gonna lie, none of them really sound all that terrible. It’s just the distance from home thing that really bothers me. He will be PermenantChange of Station’ing to Kelly (annex of Lackland AFB) in San Antonio in August. He will be done training in the F-16 in May 2012. Sometime between August 2011 and May 2012, they will lock all the pilots in his class in a room with a list of assignment bases and let them duke it out. Rumor has it, this actually goes pretty smoothly.
With banner flip-flapping,
once more you’ll ride high!
Ready for anything under the sky.
Ready because you’re that kind of a guy!
Oh, the paces you’ll go!
I am so excited for this day!! I can’t wait to find out where life the AF will take us! Unfortunately, we have no clue when this day will be but I will be sure to let you know when we do. I promise. Maybe I’ll have Alex write a post about what he knows about the bases, how many of the 7 he will be assigned to during his career, etc. He knows a lot more than me.
And, of course, there will be deployments. But, that’s just the way it is.
I’m afraid that some times
you’ll play lonely games too.
Games you can’t win
’cause you’ll play against you.
All alone!
Whether you like it or not,
Along will be something
you’ll be quite a lot.
But on you will go
though the weather be foul
On you will go
though your enemies prowl
On you will go
though the Hakken-Kraks howl
Onward up many
a frightening creek,
though you arms may get sore
and your sneakers may leak.
So be sure when you step.
Step with care and great tact
and remember that Life’s
a Great Balancing Act.
Just never forget to be dexterous and deft.
And never mix up your right foot with your left.
And will you succeed?
Yes! You will, indeed!
(98 and 3/4 percent guaranteed.)
KID, YOU’LL MOVE MOUNTAINS!
Sounds like the adventure of a lifetime, doesn’t it? 😉