Military Campground Price Complaints

I read almost all reviews posted on this site and surprised about the number of complaints there are about the cost of staying in these CGs. Apparently the complainers haven't stayed or checked the prices at nearby private campgrounds. I have. These are the militay CGs I'm using this winter and spring with the price I'm paying per week compared to the nearest private CG. Uchee Creek: $114/$210. Eagle Hammock: $133/$279 at nearby KOA and $196 for electric only at the state park. Pelican Roost:$147/$270 and 25 miles away. Mid-Bay: $125/$450 at Destin and $295 at Fort Walton Beach. Oak Grove: $138/$252. Robins AFB Famcamp charges $77 per week and has been that at least 5 years. Enough said.

Frank – Most of us do not complain about the MCG pricing as relates to the local, private CGs, most of us complain about the ever-increasing rise of MCG prices that can only be attributed to “milking the cash cow” for what they can. Most MCG are located on installation property, most are tied into the installation utility grid, and many are manned, at least in part by volunteers so overhead costs are minimal. Of course there will be startup costs (construction, etc.), but that is a cost of doing business, which will be recouped over time. I am dumbfounded by statements I hear from those that direct the MCG/MWR operations (typically civilians); “in order to remain competitive, we need to increase the price!” Excuse me, but normally remaining competitive means holding prices down, forcing the competition to do the same, or at least to not increase their prices.
JMHO - John

I agree with what you are saying but places I've stayed at for years haven't increased at all in at least 5 years no more than a dollar or so. I stayed at Robins for the first time 5 years ago and paid $77 per week and that is exactly the same price I paid this year. I've been staying at Uchee Creek since 2005 and the price then was $114 per week and that is what I was quoted for my visit next month. I can't speak about some of the far west CGs because I've never stayed in them but, I'm satisfied with what I pay and get at places like Uchee, Pelican Roost, Eagle Hammock, Mid-Bay and Oak Grove. I do get irked at some campgrounds. They are nice but the way they are run can't make up for the niceness.

AS we see it, MCGs are for the AD, and retired, and considered a perk for retired. Now, to us, using a civilian price comparison means someone it comparing a business to a perk - makes no sense, unless it's used to raise the price ...

But, if that true, lets go ahead and delete the grocery discount too, and the golf should be up there with the pro courses outside the gate, and we should pay the same medical as civilians.

Comparing our MCG prices to civilian prices really, really, pisses me off. Because there is NO valid reason to do it. Our MCG has NOTHING to do with civilian camp facilities.

I thinks its rather difficult to compare MCG to civilian campgrounds in price. After all civilian campgrounds are a business and not a benefit backed by the U.S goverment. Like anything else nothing is free.

IIRC, some of our so-called "perks" ARE tied to civilian establishments off post. One that comes to mind is the the on post service stations run by AAFES (don't know about NEX.) As far as I know, they cannot charge less than 10% lower than the average off post price and the "average" is figured on the highest off post service stations. This was told to me by an AAFES manager several years ago and I don't think it's changed. A quick look at the off post / on post prices seem to confirm this. Here at Ft Gordon there is Raceway station about a mile out the front gate that always has lower prices than AAFES.