Laughlin AFB, Del Rio, TX

[CWtheMan]

Because about 15% of our total RV parking was at military installations, it’s hard to leave them out of my destinations/campground postings.

Texas is saturated with great military RV Parks/CGs.

One year when departing our winter stay at Yuma with our traveling companions, we went in different directions. They to CA to attend a grand daughter’s graduation and us on a long Texas adventure along the Mexican border all the way to Harlingen.

Our first rest stop, for seven days, was at the Laughlin AFB at Del Rio, TX. They had 20 FHU sites, 10 long pull through sites with privacy fencing. The base is geographically smallish with all facilities - including the RV Park – centrally located. They also had RV parking sites available off base out on the banks of Lake Amistad but they are W/E only and quite isolated, strictly for fishing lovers.

Laughlin is a flight training base and the RV Park is across the street from the flight lines so it could get noisy during daylight hours. However, the base has all the amenities larger bases provide including a 9 hole golf course, bowling alley, movie theatre, commissary and PX.

The pictures include some taken at the AFB CG on Lake Amistad where they also had cabins for rent.

https://www.go-texas.com/Lake-Amistad/#

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[CedarCreekWoody]

Looks nice, but not available to most of us.

[gearhead]

Brings back memories. One of my post retirement contract jobs was near Catarina TX. installing nat gas compressors on a very isolated ranch. Wasn't unusual for the trainees to practice dogfights right above us. Work came to a stop for the duration. Cool show.

[sourdough]

Memories here too. Guess about back in 70 - 72 or so I worked in the telco industry and our company had Del Rio. Laughlin had some serious communication issues on base so I was on a task force to go down and improve the situation. Had never been there. It was an active place back then with constant flights and spent months there. Little did I know I would revisit it quite a few times over the next several years.

A memory that is still vibrant with DW and I are the grackle birds; never had seen or heard them. What a noise (very unusual) a bunch of them could make and I actually loved it - they could be deafening in numbers. One morning walked out of the hotel and a tree right in front of my room had hundreds in it and they were singing (squawking) to beat the band. Took the phone out of the room (had a long cord) and turned the receiver to them so she could hear - she was amazed. They had never been in our part of the country and now they are. They're in our pecan trees all the time rattling, squeaking and carrying on. A constant reminder of that time years ago.

[DDG]

CWtheMan, Do you have to be retired from the military or just a vet or disable vet to stay at a military camp ground. Thanks for any help. DDG

[CWtheMan]

CWtheMan, Do you have to be retired from the military or just a vet or disable vet to stay at a military camp ground. Thanks for any help. DDG

The answer is yes, you have to have a military connection to use the various recreational facilities. Each facility is independent and operates under the rules of that particular facility's commander. The standard answer is active duty, retired, national guard on active duty or in training at the facility, 100% disabled veterans and DOD employees active and or retired from that facility. There are acceptations but not many. Some off base military recreation areas allow civilian and veteran usage.

Larry, a retired USAF MSGT has an active web site he started nearly 20 years ago. It probably has the most up-to-date information about each facility. Larry constantly works on it and travels the country visiting new or rebuilt CGs. I've been a member of Larry's site since 2003 and you'll find a lot of the pictures he uses are from my cameras.


https://www.militarycampgrounds.us/state-listing/facilitylisting

[DDG]

Thank you for letting me know that. I'm a disable vet and lifetime member DAV serve in Army 1971 to 1977. I will check out the site that Larry has. Thank you for the information. DDG

[JRTJH]

Thank you for letting me know that. I'm a disable vet and lifetime member DAV serve in Army 1971 to 1977. I will check out the site that Larry has. Thank you for the information. DDG

There were some SIGNIFICANT changes (for the better in most situations) regarding eligibility for MWR, exchange and commissary use. Here's one article that explains the "January 2020 eligibility entitlements".

January 2020 Update: The below regulations are slightly out of date and don't inlcude the new eligibility. The Purple Heart and Disabled Veterans Equal Access Act of 2018 became law in August 2018 and took effect on January 1st, 2020. This bill will now allow the following veterans use of commissary and exchange stores, and MWR facilities (includes campgrounds):
Veterans Awarded the Purple Heart
Veterans Who Are Medal of Honor Recipients (already authorized)
Veterans Who Are Former Prisoners of War
Veterans With Service-Connected Disabilities
Caregivers of Veterans
For more details on this new eligibility, please look at these articles:
http://www.militarycampgrounds.us/news-and-articles-mainmenu-2/latest-news/many-veterans-gain-access-to-mwr-facilities
http://www.militarycampgrounds.us/news-and-articles-mainmenu-2/latest-news/new-mwr-access-delayed-for-many-veterans
http://www.militarycampgrounds.us/files/download/3-subcategory-misc/45-expanded-access-fact-sheet
http://www.militarycampgrounds.us/news-and-articles-mainmenu-2/latest-news/veterans-need-vhic-for-in-person-commissary-military-exchange-mwr-access

While every facility commander has the right to limit/broaden the eligibility at facilities under his control, most follow the DOD guidelines. If you're planning a trip, it might be worth your while to call ahead and make sure you're eligible "at that site" and make reservations if possible....

[Roscommon48]

and right now many of the bases are not allowing anymore vets in their campgrounds. can't even make reservations for next winter in many of the bases.

[JRTJH]

and right now many of the bases are not allowing anymore vets in their campgrounds. can't even make reservations for next winter in many of the bases.

Most (probably all DOD facilities) are closed to outsiders. Whether you're retired, active duty, dependent or vet, if you aren't assigned to work on that facility, you won't get in.... Has nothing to do with the rules, new or old, rather with the federal COVID-19 restrictions. Until they're lifted, it's "lock down everything to protect national defense capability"....

[CWtheMan]

Thank you for letting me know that. I'm a disable vet and lifetime member DAV serve in Army 1971 to 1977. I will check out the site that Larry has. Thank you for the information. DDG

http://americasveterans.org/categories.html

[DDG]

Thanks, John for the links and CWtheMan thank you for that information for Larry's web site. DDG