By Barry Zander, Edited by Monique Zander, the Never-Bored RVers
Serving in today’s armed forces in Iraq, Afghanistan and other desolate combat zones takes on a different set of circumstances than what the military has experienced in the past. In those regions it is unbearably hot and between mission activities, it is incredibly boring. That, according to my son and members of his National Guard battalion who have served there.
When they return to the states and rejoin their families and friends, many of them are eager for time away from the daily routine, specifically an RV get-away. Providing on-base/post camping is a little-known benefit that the military provides. I will use the term “base” here realizing that for the Army, the correct term is “post.
The View from Davis-Monthan AFB's Agave Gulch FamCamp
Monique and I were on the road in our travel trailer for almost a year before we first heard about “FamCamps,” the base and post version of an RV park. We were far away from any of our usual public and private campgrounds when we pulled onto a base and asked for directions to the RV park. The Air Policeman at the gate gave us intricate instructions to an isolated area of the base that serves as the FamCamp (short for “Family Campground”).
In truth, this was not one of our favorite RVing stops. We were crowded in among three lines of rigs and only a stone’s throw away was a much-used train track with a road crossing about 500 feet away. Being fairly new to RVing, we benefited by help provided by our neighbors, while we learned a bit more about the FamCamp system.
Among other things, we found out that the camps are open to active duty military and reservists, plus retirees. A few bases also provide spaces for contract workers working temporarily on an on-base project. We qualify to use the facilities since I was privileged to serve 21 years in the Air National Guard, which allowed me to join the ranks of the Air Force retired.
A Visiting Osprey Loved our Bigfoot
For us it’s not only a great convenience, but many of the bases, especially those on Navy and Coast Guard facilities, provide seascape views that people pay $450 a night for in resorts. It seems that retired military travelers are the biggest users of the FamCamps, but weekends get crowded when active duty and reservists show up with their families. Service people on TDY (temporary duty), who would rather use their own RVs than base housing, use the facilities, along with reservists doing their two weeks of annual training.
From time to time, we meet men and women undergoing long-term treatment at nearby military hospitals. And, like all other parks, a large contingent of snowbirds are regulars at Florida, Texas and southwestern bases
Also, like private and public parks, the cost of a per-night stay keeps rising. We know of one park that is charging $65 a night for ocean-side accommodations. On the other hand, we recently pulled into a National Guard training base,
Our Site at Sigsbee Navy Base in Key West
where it cost $12 a night to sit in a parking lot with full hookups.
Outside of Tacoma -- Really Outside!
Like other RV parks, there is usually a limit on the number of days anyone can stay, which is often flexible when space is available. At some of the snowbird favorites where there are a limited number of full hook-up spaces, RVers rotate in and out. At Key West in the winter of 2009-10, we spent a week with no hookups before moving to FHU for two weeks; then back to dry camping for a month; another two weeks of FHU, and then back to dry. It may sound like a hassle, but since everyone is in the same boat, nobody complains too much about the system. If you don’t like the rules, there are plenty of other places to park (but not a lot of RV parks in Key West).
Unofficially, there are about 250 on-base recreational facilities for campers. From our experience, they range from parking in fields, where the guest is expected to cut the grass when needed, to those that border on luxury, with all the amenities. At the larger more sophisticated bases, what you need that’s not in the FamCamp can be found on-base, with retirees able to take advantage of almost all the services offered to the active duty service people.
Military RVs Range from the Huge ...
... to the Small (This one borrowed for a week away from it all)
If you’re qualified to use FamCamps, I suggest you log on to www.militarycampgrounds.us, a non-military site that has great information about what’s available, including reviews. If you plan to use the site in your travels, I hope you will show support by paying for a membership, which, at this point, is optional.
From the “Never-Bored RVers,” We’ll see you on down the road.
© All photos by Barry Zander. All rights reserved