LOL....no I'm just kidding. Had a HAAP going to Redstone Arsenal but due to some mystery that branch will not tell me about, I can no longer go there so now I'm going to Ft Lewis. Can anyone give me any info on Lewis/surrounding area?
Experience is not what happens to a man; it is what a man does with what happens to him. -Aldous Huxley
Posts: 87 | Location: Japan | Registered: 07 June 2007
Sorry for ya, Just kidding, But I do know that Okinawa is a great duty station. Was in Camp Schwab way back when. Have been at Ft Lewis 5 of the last 6 yrs so I can give you any info you would like. Do you know which unit you are going to?
no, haven't been told which unit...if i had my way, i'd be working at Madigan (sp?)...what's the housing situation looking like and what is there to do around the immediate area? i heard Tacoma's not your run of the mill military town (thank goodness)..but any info you can provide would be appreciated...and to Army Re-Up, thanks...i'm going to start calling you Jerry West
Experience is not what happens to a man; it is what a man does with what happens to him. -Aldous Huxley
Posts: 87 | Location: Japan | Registered: 07 June 2007
Ilost, Good luck getting Madigan. Actually, if you have orders coming, you would know if it is Madigan or Fort Lewis. (Two separate commands there.) Most medical personnel who come to Ft Lewis go to 62nd Med Bde. Most units in 62nd are deploying rather soon within the next 2 months, with the exception of just a few units. If you are low density, such as 68WM6, and you aren't going to Madigan, most likely you will be with 62nd. As for housing, the wait wasn't too long when I got back here 1 1/2 yrs ago. Maybe a week for a 3br. Things may be a bit longer with new units forming up all the time it seems. Contact housing and find out. If you are thinking of buying a house, expect a modest 3 br to run somewhere between $225k-$300k. Rent in the area for houses run around $1100-$1400. Apartments run around $800-$1000. This of course is all based on 3 br as a standard. You can find lower, but you may not care much for the location. As for op-tempo here, if you aren't deployed to iraq, you are supporting other units to deploy. Many of our soldiers have been tasked out for the last 6 months since we got back. My platoon of 22 has 5 people showing up to formation a day because of this. Things to do around here, plenty of sightseeing, Mount Rainier is about an hour drive, fishing, camping, Seattle is between 45 minutes to an hour North, Seahawks and Mariners, fairs at Puyallup, and a wide variety of nightlife events. The only thing I have problems with are the strict laws. (no smoking in bars, you can get ticketed for not having a trashbag in the car, all children under age 12 have to be in back seat of vehicles, etc.)
You can't be serious. Tell me about this trashbag law? That's got to be BS right? To my knowledge, I'm headed to I Corps Replacement but I'm trying like hell to get out of this assignment but if I can't, oh well, I'll just accept my fate in the Great NW. But ANY & ALL info you can give me would be appreciated.
Experience is not what happens to a man; it is what a man does with what happens to him. -Aldous Huxley
Posts: 87 | Location: Japan | Registered: 07 June 2007
I don't know about Madigan dude. I was there for about 6 weeks for OJT, and I didn't like it. I mean the hospital was great, looks like it's brand new (which may very well be true). It was the people, all the people, military, civilian. I don't know if it was the high altitude but something just didn't seem right, I felt really out of place. I remember walking into the PX and it was like everyone stopped whatever they were doing to look at me! I mean being extraordinarly good looking could have been the reason, LOL, but seriously it was the wierdest 6 weeks of my life. I'd step out for a smoke break and try to make small talk with my fellow cancer chasers, and it was like thier response never fit the question. For example, I'd say something like "it's pretty warm today" and the reply was "you never, know". What will I never know? Or in the DFAC standing in line, I remember asking the guy infront of me "what are they serving", and he replies "you bet". It was funny at first but then it started creeping me out, but maybe it's just me, maybe I'm the wierd guy, lol. Just thought I'd share that experience with you, gotta make sure you get both sides of the house, as my mother would say "the grass is always greener on the other side of the fence, until you jump that fence and awaken a pack of wild, blood thirsty hounds"....well she never said that but you get the point.
The concentration of oxygen is 21% at both sea level and at higher altitudes, but the decreasing air pressure at higher elevations means you get significantly fewer oxygen molecules per breath once you go over about 8,000 feet.
If you are used to somewhere closer to sea level, it will take a little while to be climatized...and get used to the higher altitute. At first, you might feel shorter of breath during PT...but only at first. When your body adjusts.....you will be the same. It will not hinder your fitness level.
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