susanna says:
February 8, 2011 at 9:18 am

from my blog over at http://www.militarydutystations-blog.com?¢‚Ǩ¬¶.
I have recently received an email from a military spouse talking about Cheyenne Mountain AFS, describing how she feels about the AFS. I appreciate her candidness and afterall, everyone has personal opinions about a current or past duty station. While some find one absolutely perfect, others find it terrible. They each have a right to their opinion and I believe it is important to know all sides and then make up your own mind.
?¢‚Ǩ?ìWe have been there (I am a dependent) for just over 3 years. For housing, you must either find somewhere in the area or live on Peterson (which is where we are and LOVE the housing but it is a 30 min drive on a good day to get to work) or Ft. Carson. The housing area is brand new on peterson and many are getting housing above their pay grade right now which is really nice. I know about 20-30 men and women that work up there and honestly only 1 person likes it. The leadership changes over so often no one knows which way is up. If you plan to ever get ROD?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢d or PCS?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢d or BOP?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢d or have any leave at all you can forget it. Of the 4 times we have tried to take leave we have never gotten notice more than 24 hours in advance of our leave date and sometimes its after we were supposed to leave. It is a good-ol-boys system up there and they could care less about you or your family. Most of the guys take up heavy drinking just because of all the BS they put up with. There is a lot of sketchy activities that go on?¢‚Ǩ¬¶.people getting moved to different jobs for sleeping with their troops, people purposely targeting others cause they dont like them and making sure they get extra paperwork and punishments just because and no one is looking out for you ever. Hell as a wife we even get threatened by some people to ignore things. Put it this way, it will suck out your soul and your family?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢s soul along with it.

There are no real facilities available to the real public. There is a tiny museum type building the public can view (if you have an escort or a military id to get through the gate). Most of the buildings are in a secured status so you can get to the parking lot and that is pretty much it without a badge. For people stationed there, there is a snack bar and some local businesses that will deliver pizza subs chinese etc to the mountain.

Medical is handled through Peterson, Ft. Carson AND the Academy. Generally speaking you call Peterson facilities first to get regular xrays, bloodwork, women?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢s clinic, family care, eye care, shots etc and if need be you will be referred to the academy or ft carson for further testing, surgery, sometimes physical therapy. We have used all of the above at one point or another but for emergency care you can either go to Ft. Carson (but be prepared as air force you have to have everyone?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢s ids, car registration and proof of insurance to get through the gate if your car doesnt have a sticker) OR you can go to Memorial over off Boulder which accepts Tricare too.

For most everything you will be spending a lot of time on Peterson which is really nice for commissary, bx, gym is mostly new stuff and EPIC, the aquatics center was newly remodeled, bowling alley is all right (cheap and something to do) and theres a new dog park and many kid parks in the housing areas. You also have to do all your legal, financial, deployment checklists etc etc on Peterson because the mountain doesn?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢t have those buildings. You can schedule to get your friends and family on a tour of certain areas like the tunnel 1 friday per month through the Cheyenne Mountain Visitor?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢s center. The people that work in there are usually pretty great. I know the guys that run it are civilians and FANTASTIC guys.

My best advice AVOID THIS BASE! Those who can change things are on a power trip and won?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢t, those who can?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢t change are left to sort through the endless disappointments and mistreatment and I swear to you I am not exaggerating one single bit. A new guy on flight has been there less than a month and I have already had his wife crying her eyes out in the living room because they don?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢t know what to do and things are sooo bad. Unfortunately unlike most bases?¢‚Ǩ¬¶it is not what you make of it at Cheyenne Mountain. It wears down the most seasoned guys and you don?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢t train very well up there cause there is no housing there is no facilities so if it is your first base and you head somewhere else as an E4 or E5 you will be at a SEVERE disadvantage at the next base. Oh and they deploy like crazy, plan to only have your husband or wife around for 6 months per year if you are here. Some people get lucky and it isn?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢t that frequent but most people get tasked within a month of arriving and then again 6 months after they return.?¢‚Ǩ¬ù

(publishing this piece does not in any way suggest any form of association, approval or endorsement on our part)


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