Military Vets Camping

[Amleahon]

Any Military Vets use the camp sites on a military base. Most Bases have rv sites

[travelin texans]

Our son is in the USAF & we were able the stay in the McChord fam camp in Tacoma Wa.a few years ago & what a great campground & cheap. Wish we could use them elsewhere, but I'm not a vet.

[m&m]

Have used some often. SP much cheaper and able to have friends. Mayport,Fl during summer months have taken friends, Very nice park for adults.

[FloydA]

All the time.

[Eastham]

I was under the impression you have to be retired or active military. Or 100% disabled

[notanlines]

Eastham, you are correct. Brenda and I are both USMC vets but not retired. Nope, just for retired and active duty. I really don't have a problem with that. Retired military personnel get few enough benefits as it is. Plus how would we prove we are veterans? Kind of hard to carry around a copy of your DD214 all the time.

[Amleahon]

You do and I am. How ever you can bring guest...

[Amleahon]

I agree it should be a perk for all honorable discharged vets.

[Amleahon]

100% disabled vets can also get that perk they also get a DOD card and if they are married the wife gets a card as well as kids and they can get medical from the VA

[Amleahon]

It's called Champ VA

[JRTJH]

There is a misconception about the Family Camp system within the military. It is NOT a campground capable of providing sites to "anyone and/or everyone". It is a part of the Morale, Welfare and Recreation (MWR) system for active duty military and their family. Space is limited at EVERY FamCamp, so a priority system was developed to allow people to use the system. Each FamCamp is permitted to tailor the rules to meet their specific needs, however the basic mandate is to provide recreational activity for active duty military members and their immediate family. Other "classes" of military members are allowed to use the facility on a space available basis. Reservations are allowed on a "first come, first served" basis only after active duty military has been served.

While I agree, that honorably discharged veterans "should" be allowed to use the facilities, the facilities are already overcrowded, adding another 25 million people to the mix would completely swamp the system and possibly push the intended group, active duty military, out of the system. The facilities simply can't cope with that amount of increased population and the increased use that would result. It would become much like some of the most popular campgrounds where reservations are impossible to get, even when calling years in advance.

[Frank G]

Eastham, you are correct. Brenda and I are both USMC vets but not retired. Nope, just for retired and active duty. I really don't have a problem with that. Retired military personnel get few enough benefits as it is. Plus how would we prove we are veterans? Kind of hard to carry around a copy of your DD214 all the time.

Our local county VA office issues photo ID cards identifying your current status. They vet your DD214 so you do not need to carry it.

[JRTJH]

Our local county VA office issues photo ID cards identifying your current status. They vet your DD214 so you do not need to carry it.

Additionally, many states are "vetting the vet" and placing a veteran designation on driver's licenses. Michigan started the program a couple years ago. All a veteran needs to do is take his DD214 to the SOS office when renewing his/her driver's license and the SOS will place the "veteran" designation on the new driver's license. Even for retirees it's a good program since many businesses need to copy the "veteran status" and a copy of the DD214 has far too much personal information to be copied and military ID's are not supposed to be copied, even for personal use. So, the VA ID card or the driver's license seems to be the logical choice.

[Barbell]

We have been using military CGs from coast to coast for the last 5 or so years. On the whole, they are cheaper, safer, cleaner and just better than commercial CGs. The downsides other than that you need a military ID to use them are that most installations do not allow firearms of any kind and that many of the CGs where we have stayed are nearly full of contractors who may or may not be military. Many times, the contractor parks his rig on the CG and leaves it there empty for months while he is working elsewhere. Another problem is the move to privatize everything military. If the CG has a contractor running it, usually it is not much better than or in some cases, worse than the commercial CGs. Most military CGs do not take reservations; you show up and take your chances. On the other hand, even when they are full, most military CGs will fit you in somewhere for the night. We have parked next to a building where we could run a hose and extension cord thru a window and made out just fine. For anyone eligible, a military CG is a good option that we use whenever available.

[Tbos]

I have only used a couple of them and so far I like them. We will use more in the future so hopefully that opinion won’t change.

[CaptnJohn]

Active military
Retired military
100% disabled
Military sponsor on the installation

That is supposed to be the priority BUT they put contractors working on the installation in there.

[CWtheMan]

Here are some locations with pictures that we stayed at during our full timing years. There were many more.

Barksdale AFB, FAMCAMP. Bossier City, LA
http://www.irv2.com/photopost/showfull.php?photo=31801

James E Johnson Memorial RV Park, Camp Blanding, Starke, FL.
http://www.irv2.com/photopost/showfull.php?photo=13873

NAS Corpus Christi RV Park, Naval Air Station Corpus Christi, TX
http://www.irv2.com/photopost/showfull.php?photo=12798

Ellsworth AFB, FAMCAMP, Box Elder, SD
http://www.irv2.com/photopost/showfull.php?photo=13090

NAS Lemoore RV Park, Naval Air Station, Lemoore, CA.
http://www.irv2.com/photopost/showfull.php?photo=12582

Pelican Roost RV Park, Naval Station, Mayport, FL
http://www.irv2.com/photopost/showfull.php?photo=12841

ADM Baker, Naval Recreational Facility, San Diego, CA
http://www.irv2.com/photopost/showfull.php?photo=12615

Naval Air Facility RV Park, El Centro, CA - FHU Over flow site.
http://www.irv2.com/photopost/showfull.php?photo=12627

Naval Air Station Jacksonville RV Park, Jacksonville, FL
http://www.irv2.com/photopost/showfull.php?photo=13468

New Boston Air Force Station FAMCAMP, New Boston, NH.
http://www.irv2.com/photopost/showfull.php?photo=12488

Fort Bliss RV Park, El Paso, TX
http://www.irv2.com/photopost/showfull.php?photo=12489

Foster Creek RV Park, Naval Weapons Station, Goose Creek, SC
http://www.irv2.com/photopost/showfull.php?photo=12496

Laughton AFB FAMCAMP, Del Rio, TX
http://www.irv2.com/photopost/showfull.php?photo=12505

This last one is not a military campground. It’s owned and operated by American Legion Post 137 at Jacksonville, FL. It has 8 sites on a gated compound behind the post with a dual paved boat ramp with waterway access to the St. Johns River. Any Veteran with proof of 180 days of active service (DD-214) can stay there. Call for reservations.

http://www.irv2.com/photopost/showfull.php?photo=17379

[kksfish]

Here is a link to a site with a lot of information on base cg’s Everything from photos to reviews.
http://www.militarycampgrounds.us/milcamps