Homesteading

The five days out consist of moving to the parking lot to dry camp.
Not too hard to do especialy in the case of a retired L/Col that now works
on base for DOD.Reading the rules of the Ft Meade FamCamp this is a no no
but that rule is not enforced.

FYI The Air Force is taking over all Army and Air Force military campgrounds, and although they have written a new AFI it has not been signed and is still on someones desk for the past 2 years. So there is no reg. For those of us who remember when we had trailer parks on posts and bases. the troops have found out that although there are no trailer parks, there are RV parks. We have stayed at military parks all along the east coast and south, and it is the same at all. Fort Biiss at over 100 spaces, most of which are occupied by Active Duty service members, most of which are attending the Sergeants Major Academy for 9 months, which is a PCS. TRY AND GET A SLOT THERE, Good luck.

This is my first post and I found this topic very compelling. I have been an MWR 0188 Civilian Recreation Specialist since 1985 with a few breaks in the private sector. I have served my country as well, even having to wear BDU's in the Balkans managing programs and facilities and completing two West Pac Carrier deployments supporting both Operation "Enduring and Iraqi Freedom" deployments. I have never carrier a weapon, but I have been up front supporting those that have. There is no greater reward in my life than having a service member tell me "Thank You" for what I do. I have made a positive difference in the lives of military. It gives my life purpose and meaning, it has never been about the money to me. I have chosen to stay at the operational level GS-9 and below where I can provide the quality service necessary to give all authorized users the best service possible. With this said, I have one thing to say about homesteading being perpetuated at MWR campgrounds. The Speed of the leader is the speed of the gang. Dead Wood in the Federal service is not new, but contributes to and allows abuses to continue. You are all aware of the chain of command; you must use it, all the way to a congressional representative if necessary. (The last thing a CO wants is an investigation and probably will not go this far. Ft. Meade are you listening?) You do not have to settle for being patronized by a MWR employee that is either unwilling or unable to help you. Take it up the chain. You, we all deserve the best quality of service and must demand it. Without customers who pays for the park? Those abusing the benefit. Stand up for what is right! You would be surprised how many people are tired of being treated like yesterdays birdcage paper, I know I am and I demand better when necessary. If you receive poor service, do not accept it and walk away, ask to speak to a manager, then their manager all the way to the XO or CO if necessary. All should have to follow the rules, No one is better than anyone else, unless you believe in the current Class Warfare propaganda coming from The White House!
Thank you for your service. Remember Hold People Accountable, You've earned the right to be treated with respect!

Agave Gulch at Davis Monthan in Tucson has a very fair system that makes homesteading virtually impossible. In the winter when the park is busy you stay in overflow until a space opens. You may stay in that fhu space for 21 days and then return to overflow if you want to stay longer. It doesn't matter if you are an E-1 or an O-10 the rules are the same. During the busy season there are 4 or 5 camp hosts who run the show for MWR. They rotate working in the office, know the rules and apply them fairly. This is one big reason Agave Gulch has won the best camp ground award for the past several years.

This is an area of great concern for many people in this very strange economy. We run a non profit and one of our models is creating safe places for Veterans, single adults with children, and perhaps others spoken about herein to park the RV's some have chosen to Home Stead here in the San Francisco Bay Area where very little remains of military bases due to closures. We are working on a pilot program with the Veteran's Administration to fund RV pad (infrastructure) with hookup in places accessible for those in the class above. We find here many vets have RV's but no place to safely park them. While many consider an RV a recreational tool, many of us here know better and see an increasing use of RV's toward fulltimer use.

I agree. I thought that Agave Gulch had a very fair system, one that ought to be the model for the rest of the FamCamps. The only reason we found out about the system at Agave Gulch is because we originally intended to camp at Ft. Huachuca but the host was holding the sites for "her friends who came back every year." We checked back often but simply could not get a space and ended up staying at Agave Gulch for our entire visit. Maybe this is why Agave Gulch wins "Best Of" year after year.