I really have to agree - with several people's comments. I have been to many MCGs since 2004 and found a really good rotation policy at Patrick, not that I liked sitting in overflow, but it all worked; full timers at Grassy Pond with NO military affiliation whatsoever, they are the porch/storage unit sites; we had to stay in a gulley that flooded! Gila Bend (that's via Luke) is full of those fulltimers also! They stay from sep thru mar/apr yearly and so do their non-military friends. AND if you don't get a receipt for the cash (preferred) payment, you won't get one (in someone's pocket???). There are a few others, but I have to get my book and notes out to comment. One had so many full timers (w/garbage, porches, etc), one of them had the gall to ask me to pick some stuff up at the commissary. We stayed at Ft Fisher in dec; followed the rules, paid our money - NO ONE WAS THERE...we had neighbors every night, they didn't pay and several weren't associated w/mil; they said, "the base is always closed (with no gate) at this time of year and we stop over here, no one knows different!" Guess they were right, because, no matter how hard I tried, I could not get ahold of anyone connected with the base or facilities management. At Camp Murray people can only stay Apr thru Oct (I believe) then the ones that are old, old...have a truck from McChord come move all of them over there until apr, then it goes around again; that is except for the 'workers' that stay there year 'round - I was at all of the above and know first hand, not rumor.
There really should be a place to write (a nice, formal letter), root/cause analysis; tell the problems, give solutions/corrective actions. Then see some results! Isn't there a Head of MWR or AAFES for each branch??
No one deserves full time/homestead privileges. My feeling is that all CG's should have host(s) working full time with a reservation system in place. (Hosts ought to rotate, or only get one season and not be able to invite their home neighbors to "come on down".) Camping rates ought to be like lodge/inn, dependent on rank. Prices ought to be similar to the outside, but lower (I have found many MCG's prices to be much higher than I can get outside; time in spots and on base should have a limit and be enforced.
I have been waiting to share my thoughts for months and hope someone has some legitimate advice on how we can all band together to make this a better program for everyone.
