I wish 50 years ago we had better hearing protection and was forced to use it and told that the damage that hours in engine room noise would be with me the rest of my life both from tinnitus and hearing loss but at 19 you think you are bullet proof, it's called young and dumb. Now I kicking myself for not getting help years ago for my hearing problems but now I'm working my way through the VA bureaucracy for hearing aids. Anymore I will take any benefit for my time in service that I'm entitled to.

Denny

 

This is my son's first year in the Army. He has started shopping at the PX. He was there looking at some tools and got me on the phone to help him figure out what he needed. The prices there were better than anything I could find on the Internet. I don't begrudge military members access to the PX one bit. The military pay isn't much, so any benefit that lowers costs is a good thing.

Now, about access to the military campgrounds, is there any chance that it extends to the parents of military members? We've taken our Boy Scout troop to a couple bases here in Colorado that have primitive camping areas with vault toilets but no running water. We had to have an active duty or retired military member with us to get that access. We always had at least a couple dads that qualified so it wasn't a problem. Those campouts were some of the more relaxing for us adults. We could let the kids explore and there wasn't anyone for them to bother. As long as they stayed away from the artillery practice field.

 

UNLESS your son is with you you can't use the military campground facilities.
Several years back I sponsored a friend - I booked two adjacent campsites (during a quiet long weekend).

 

That's what I figured. Thanks for the confirmation. I'll have to remind my son of this benefit. He's very much into camping. He especially likes winter camping. I taught him well.

 

That's the way it was for everyone I knew when I was at Pearl. They moved our destroyer squadron there in 91.

 

Price wise I don't believe our commissary is much different than our Wally World; the one thing that I do shop at the commissary for is meat; I prefer commissary meat (beef/ pork) over Walmart.
Otherwise (as Walmart is closer) I pick up most items there.

The very best item (for me) is the Pharmacy; its free. Of course there's high demand here so the wait can be irksome.

Our local mil. campground (somewhat rustic) is $13.50 night (with the national senior pass), but doesn't offer sewer connections. There is a single dump site at entrance/ exit.
This past July? we stayed at another mil site (Destin, Fl), it was about $35 night. Fancy place.

 

I spent some time in Arkansas a few years back visiting family and stayed at Fort Chaffee. It cost me $5.00 a night for electric, water, and sewage.

We used to go up to Pendleton all the time when I was in SOCAL. we really liked San Onofree Beach area, current prices are $45.00 a night full hook ups.

I also used to like to stay at Admiral Baker Recreation $40.00 a night for full hook ups and $18.00 in the overflow.

Cliffside on Whidbey Island is really nice, me and the wife spent a week up there after I had my shoulder replaced, $40.00 a night.

 

Multi trips into Nam 80% and this could be very helpful to me, especially the camp grounds as I am about 3/4 time. There is always a Wally World not far away, not so exchanges.

 

Graduated from HS in 1967. Applied to a state school because they offered AFROTC and I wanted to be a pilot. My junior year the draft lottery awarded me #314. Would not have been drafted. Stayed in AFROTC when many others bailed. Became group commander of the detachment. Attended pilot training in 1972 which was the year the Air Force lost the most aircraft, and had the most aircrew members killed or captured.

Requested a SEA tour out of pilot training and got it. Dislocated a shoulder at survival school and couldn't meet the pipeline to SEA. In 1975 I was placed in harms way to evacuate Saigon and participate in the rescue of the Mayguez crew. Think I earned the right to shop at the BX.

 

I don't believe there is a zero % service connected, I understand the ID card from the VA must say service connected or it's a no go.

 

Nearly everyone that ever served feels entitled; to include my brother in law (he got booted out of the navy),
He's attempting to get VA benefits (he was a smoker - both cigs and wacky tobaccy - and worked in the boiler room).

 

Thank you for your service, but I will tell you flat out you are NOT missing anything in regards to shopping on any base.

 

PX/BX/Navy Exchange benefits in stateside are on par with other retailers and sometimes are very limited due to complaints from local retailers.

Where they shine is in remote locations or overseas.

While I was stationed in Hawaii, the NEX or Hickom AFB were the only places to shop. These areas are considered overseas tours therefore they had good prices and had many items as compared to stateside stores.

Somethings are still good, such as haircuts or cleaners though.

 

Actually there is such a thing. It is used to document a service connected disability that is (currently) not severe enough to warrant compensation.

 

I have several 0% in addition to my 30%. I still have to go back in try and get upgraded on my eyes and shoulder, Navy did Radial keratotomy and now I have a deformed cornea from that plus had to have my shoulder replaced last year.