View Full Version : Active Army and moving to a new state - KY, TN, CO, NC? - ETA: Carson it is
Within the next year we'll be leaving Hawaii and moving to another duty station so I'm curious to see what others would choose. I'm technically still a resident of VA, but would change that if the incentive was there. The states listed in the title are my current preference based on limited research, but I really have no idea whether KY or TN has more to offer. Primary considerations include gun laws (duh), outdoor activities, taxes, political trends, availability and price of homes with land, weather, etc. Schools should probably be in there as well. I'd assume three of the four would be pretty similar. Colorado just looks so awesome that maybe I'd be able to put up with the political shenanigans, maybe. If everything works out, we may be there for some time. What do you guys think?
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LowSpeed_HighDrag
09-24-17, 22:41
Colorado gets bluer every election. It's fun, but IMO I'd rather be by the ocean, as I miss it quite often. The mountains are great, they arent the deep blue.
echo5whiskey
09-25-17, 01:53
If those were the choices I had, I would go with NC.
Having only been through each of the other three, take my opinion as a grain of salt. The mountains of CO are beautiful, but the political slant would get to me (much like Hawaii did before I left). KY and TN don't seem all that different to me. The only reason I'd pick NC is because it has both ocean and mountains on either side of the state. Depending on where in NC (Bragg?), it might be a day or weekend trip, but it'd be worth it.
If the choice is Campbell or Bragg, there are very big difference in the region and associated towns.
I never knew a single person who went to Carson and regretted it. Can't say the same for any of the other posts on the list.
I can only help with NC. Bragg has you about 3 hours from Asheville and about 1.5 hours from Wilmington. Both were my favorite weekend trips to take while stationed there, and I was never bored. As for where to live, Raeford was popular if you want to have a short commute and be outside of Fayetteville itself. A lot of my friends lived out there and cost of living was very affordable. If you're going to buy land, look on the west side of Bragg near Southern Pines, Whispering Pines, Aberdeen, etc. Bit of a drive, but the area is much nicer and the neighbors are much, much better. On the north side, Spring Lake can be pretty nice.
If you go to Bragg, get a membership at 37 PSR Gun Club. I miss that place.
Good luck on your PCS.
Grand58742
09-25-17, 07:33
Tennessee.
No State taxes. Driver license can be had that never expires while on AD. Reasonable gun laws. Really nice outdoors places start at three hours away (Great Smoky Mountains National Park) and go forward. Gulf Coast is a reasonable 9 hour trip down I65 and nicer State routes, East coast beaches are about 10 hours away. Property values aren't outrageous in the Clarksville area. Reasonable weather year round. Politics are reasonable as well.
Not much Tennessee doesn't have to offer.
You may want to look at how each state will tax your retirement benefits. I live in SC near Savannah within 50 miles of 3-4 military bases. A very large percentage of the soldiers who got out here stayed for many of the reasons mentioned above. Many of the ones who stayed have moved from here to NC because of the way they tax gov retirement income is way more attractive.
Let's see...no beach, no beach, no beach, beach.
If it was me...NC.*
*I was raised on the coast, and as a Navy man we always go back to the water.
If you don't mind me asking, what's your MOS?
Colorado is dumb and full of idiot NY and CA progressives.
Go anywhere else...
You mean you don't want to come up to the cold and snow that Ft. Drum has to offer?
Don't blame ya. I'd take any of the three you picked to get out of New Yorkistan, all in due time. North central Arizona for us!
NYH1.
Having spent a great deal of time in my 22 years in the Army at Fort Campbell, I have a certain fondness for the northern TN and Southern KY area. However, I was deployed quite a lot during the 80's and 90's. It was my steadfast wife who took the lead in raising our eldest son there, but we did live on base.
Fort Carson at Colorado Springs is also a nice facility, and the Springs itself is a solid pro-military area, and the weather is nice. One of my former Army ROTC instructors in college became the Chief of Staff at Carson, and that was Colonel Tony Koren. If you've got options, and depending how far along you are towards retirement, work towards what locale will advance your career.
If I couldve landed Carson or Lewis, I probably would've stayed active. I was lucky to get 7 combined years at Schofield Barracks and only 2 at Hood, and had I stayed Id be retirement eligible in only 724 more days. Oh well, fed retirement in 2031 to look forward to.
USMC_Anglico
09-30-17, 06:49
I never knew a single person who went to Carson and regretted it. Can't say the same for any of the other posts on the list.
I can only help with NC. Bragg has you about 3 hours from Asheville and about 1.5 hours from Wilmington. Both were my favorite weekend trips to take while stationed there, and I was never bored. As for where to live, Raeford was popular if you want to have a short commute and be outside of Fayetteville itself. A lot of my friends lived out there and cost of living was very affordable. If you're going to buy land, look on the west side of Bragg near Southern Pines, Whispering Pines, Aberdeen, etc. Bit of a drive, but the area is much nicer and the neighbors are much, much better. On the north side, Spring Lake can be pretty nice.
If you go to Bragg, get a membership at 37 PSR Gun Club. I miss that place.
Good luck on your PCS.
Bragg x2. Also makes it easier to go to SFAS......
If you don't mind me asking, what's your MOS?
Logistics, but I have a few different plans I'm working to get closer to the SOF side.
ramairthree
09-30-17, 14:40
I did 14 out of 28 years at Bragg.
If you go there live in Moore county.
Spent 10 years at Pope AFB / Bragg, surrounding area is nice and but I would not recommend living anywhere around post or Cumberland County for that matter, crime rate is kind of high. Sheriff there was terrible, very left leaning.
I lived in Harnett County area and enjoyed it for the most part. Plus it is a pretty centralized location being roughly 2 hours to the coast and 2 hours to the mountains, just pick your flavor for the weekend.
I've been back and forth from Bragg three time and retired here. Taxes are a little high. If you register a truck here you might have to get towing tags that are priced by how much you might be towing whether it's a small open trailer or camper.
The state is open carry.
We were going to move to Tenn but being retired and 100% VA disabled we decided to stay. Tenn changed there 100% VA disability property tax break so we would have no longer qualified, and at the time NC voted to give a bigger tax break.
We read about a lot of crime but it's almost always in the same area. We don't go to those areas.
The only warning is if your not use to the way FT Bragg operates you might not like it, and I'm speaking of being in the 82nd. I was raised in Div and love it but some of the soldiers coming in from other bases hate it.
Averageman
10-01-17, 08:58
If you are close to or considering retirement, I would recommend Ft Hood, if you have time left to finish a career not so much.
I love Texas III Corps is kind of whacky.
If you go there live in Moore county.
This.
I can not speak highly enough of Southern Pines and Aberdeen.
If you go to Bragg, get a membership at 37 PSR Gun Club. I miss that place.
Good luck on your PCS.
What do you miss about it? I've never been, the $20 for the first hr fee seemed a little much since I normally go for a full day. Harrison Creek is $20 for the entire day.
What do you miss about it? I've never been, the $20 for the first hr fee seemed a little much since I normally go for a full day. Harrison Creek is $20 for the entire day.
The fact that there are two bays available you can move and shoot in, a shoothouse, and weekly low/no light shoothouse competitions with prior SFARTAETC cadre/3rd Group CIF as RSOs. On Saturdays they also host more competitions, but the Friday Night Fights were the shit.
It also USED to be 24/7 for members, so I could move and shoot and run the house under NODs.
Caveat: the 24/7 was always cool, but Chris appreciated a heads up if you were planning on shooting in the middle of the night. I haven't been since ETS'ing almost 2 years ago, but that was a huge selling point for me.
This.
I can not speak highly enough of Southern Pines and Aberdeen.
I went to a Pat Mac CST class there and would very likely live there if I was stationed at Bragg, beautiful area. Retirement stuff is a consideration, but pretty far down since I've only been in for about four years. I have a ways to go.
Dist. Expert 26
10-01-17, 12:12
My wife grew up in Harnett and Johnston counties. Not my favorite area ever due to the fact that it's ungodly hot in the summer, flat as a board and generally dull. But it's not far from areas that have a lot to offer and NC is a pretty decent state as far as laws and taxes go.
If you are close to or considering retirement, I would recommend Ft Hood, if you have time left to finish a career not so much.
I love Texas III Corps is kind of whacky.
10 years ago Id have considered that area but Killeen and Harker Heights have grown way too much, and the kids coming off post drive like retards on 190. I could retire outside Ft Bliss.
Averageman
10-11-17, 18:08
10 years ago Id have considered that area but Killeen and Harker Heights have grown way too much, and the kids coming off post drive like retards on 190. I could retire outside Ft Bliss.
Nolan Road past the BLORA entrance and in to Belton the back way.
Best small town, schools, housing market available anywhere in the area.
10 years ago Id have considered that area but Killeen and Harker Heights have grown way too much, and the kids coming off post drive like retards on 190. I could retire outside Ft Bliss.
I wasn't a fan of that area when I was stationed at Hood either, I stayed all the way out in Temple just to get away. It was a long drive to post but worth it, IMO.
This.
I can not speak highly enough of Southern Pines and Aberdeen.
I spend a lot of time in the Carthage/Cameron/SP area, that area is very, very nice. And very affordable.
Logistics, but I have a few different plans I'm working to get closer to the SOF side.
Bragg
Logistics, but I have a few different plans I'm working to get closer to the SOF side.
I spent two years at Campbell. You could end up there with 5th Group. I didn't stay around Clarksville. I found myself going to Atlanta for long weekends.
I spent two years at Campbell. You could end up there with 5th Group. I didn't stay around Clarksville. I found myself going to Atlanta for long weekends.
Atlanta? That's a bit of a drive. Did you not like Nashville? :p
To the OP, I'm a fan of Campbell. Weather is great, Nashville is awesome, gun laws are understandable and I was able to get a TN CCW easily. The locals were friendly. I'm also a big 101st fan.
If you are not a NY Resident and have an NY handgun license, steer clear of Drum. If the MPs catch you with a pistol and no permit, you are getting arrested. Don't even get me started on ARs. If you are already a New Yorker and have the right paperwork, the FT Drum area is actually pretty firearms, Clays and hunting friendly. I actually liked it there, but the winters can be rough and If you like to shake it in the club, you have to go to Syracuse or Canada as Watertown can be a bit of a Soldier Sausage party.
But I'd ask if you are an NCO, O or JR Enlisted. Stuff like gun laws aren't going to be a big deal if you are living in the barracks and your weapons are stuck in the Arms room.
There aint nothing to do in ATL except get robbed or catch HIV.
I could live in NC because thats where all the Nicholas Sparks books are set.
I would live in CO if it werent all communist and full of hippies from CA.
hotrodder636
10-18-17, 15:12
This:
Tennessee.
No State taxes. Driver license can be had that never expires while on AD. Reasonable gun laws. Really nice outdoors places start at three hours away (Great Smoky Mountains National Park) and go forward. Gulf Coast is a reasonable 9 hour trip down I65 and nicer State routes, East coast beaches are about 10 hours away. Property values aren't outrageous in the Clarksville area. Reasonable weather year round. Politics are reasonable as well.
Not much Tennessee doesn't have to offer.
Tennessee is a pretty solid choice.
This:
Tennessee is a pretty solid choice.More specifically Kennesaw. An old Army buddy of mine ETS'ed and went back there. Definitely not NY. There are several reasons I left and moved to Texas.
I have found memories of Grandpa's on 41-accident. Got my first Glock 17 gen 2 there back in April of 1992 after 3 months on layaway. Is Grandpa's still there?
Tennessee.
No State taxes. Driver license can be had that never expires while on AD. Reasonable gun laws. Really nice outdoors places start at three hours away (Great Smoky Mountains National Park) and go forward. Gulf Coast is a reasonable 9 hour trip down I65 and nicer State routes, East coast beaches are about 10 hours away. Property values aren't outrageous in the Clarksville area. Reasonable weather year round. Politics are reasonable as well.
Not much Tennessee doesn't have to offer.
We like Knoxville and Nashville, but never lived there. I did the VA, SC and now KY thing. I second the NC (and SC) having access to beach and ocean. SC would be my choice, but I was Navy and never did NC. I'm a CA boy too, so water is a Must Have (I suspect my wife will drag me back to WI, so FML)
KY is OK, def. a pretty state, but dear God, the poverty and education is definitely living up to the stereotype. Where I currently am is a town of have and have-nots. Very little middle ground. Some of the poorest counties in the nation are in the state. I'm not sure how much NC and TN share these qualities (I'm kind of near the TN border, with lots of cross-traffic, and it's pretty similar) as a generality. BUT ... the gun laws are pretty lax, and I see people carrying almost weekly. Plus lots of folks hunt on their farms. So that's kinda cool. There are some weird laws, but by and large it's a conservative area. Lexington and Louisville have the tainted liberal slant of all cities, but calling Lexington a city is an insult to suburbs everywhere. And cost of living is stupid cheap. Like, a house in So CA where I grew up could literally get me 500+ acres on water here. CCW for the state is pay fee, send in DD214. Done. Weather is pretty good.
I didn't like Bragg, the one visit I had there. Too cheap and built up. Total tourist trap. Personally I'd avoid that part of the state. Maybe the OBX, but I don't like my house being washed away every decade. Blue Ridge might be in my top choices.
TN, in my limited experience, would have to be near the Smoky's. That's some pretty country. 6 hours to water.
As others have said Bragg/NC. I've been here since 69 except for my time in the Army and then 6 or 7 years where my father was stationed elsewhere. All of the reasons others have said are spot on. Fayetteville itself isn't much. However, your 1 1/2 hrs from the beach, Wilmington, and 3-4hrs from the mountains. If you Scuba dive we have 30-40 wrecks that are easily diveable. Everything from artificial reefs to WWII German U-Boats. Decent skiing in the mountains. All sorts of hunting opportunities and PSR327 is definitely a nice range. Moore and Harnett counties are better places to live than Cumberland by a long shot. I've never been to Campbell so i can't comment on that .
Another plug for the peri-Bragg/SE NC area: if you are into classes, this is the home base for Vickers and McNamara. Plus a bunch of others. You can get one-stop shopping for all your shooting needs.
You can get one-stop shopping for all your shooting needs.
That's the best part if you like to build AR's, If I don't want to wait on ordering from on-line sites you can go into town and buy off the shelf many mid level and tier I rifle parts. I've already bought three of my stripped lowers in town (BCM/Novenske/Knights) and was able to walk in and walk out in 20 minutes with a lower.
When are you going to know where your PCS'ing to?
That's the best part if you like to build AR's, If I don't want to wait on ordering from on-line sites you can go into town and buy off the shelf many mid level and tier I rifle parts. I've already bought three of my stripped lowers in town (BCM/Novenske/Knights) and was able to walk in and walk out in 20 minutes with a lower.
When are you going to know where your PCS'ing to?
At the end of March I'll know where I'm going for school, hard to say when I'll know after that though. Good to know that there are decent stores around, Hawaii is really starting to wear me down on that. I'm lucky to shoot once a month and never bother going to the shops because buying here is such a pain in the ass.
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If you go to Bragg:
Swing in to Shooter's Supply on Bragg Blvd for anything gun related. Avoid Jim's on Yadkin.
Get a membership at 37 PSR.
Train out at TRC.
It is like The Promised Land for training opportunities.
Train out at TRC.
Am I the only one that thinks the $20 and hour is high to shoot at TRC? I can go the Harrison Creek gun club which is about a 10-15 minute drive from TRC and spend $20 to shoot all day. And that long dusty road getting to TRC sucks, imo.
Take their classes. Their instructors resumes speak for themselves.
I highly, highly doubt any gun club anywhere has the caliber of staff on hand TRC does. You have the opportunity to train with guys who, collectively, have spent over 100 years serving in CAG.
Again.
Take their classes.
Take their classes. Their instructors resumes speak for themselves.
I highly, highly doubt any gun club anywhere has the caliber of staff on hand TRC does. You have the opportunity to train with guys who, collectively, have spent over 100 years serving in CAG.
Again.
Take their classes.
I'm retired Army, my days of training for battle are over. So their only perk is to go take classes with some retired Delta guys? I've only drove out there once to look at their 600 yd range, after they said it was $20 an hr to shoot on their range I never went back.
Take their classes. Their instructors resumes speak for themselves.
I highly, highly doubt any gun club anywhere has the caliber of staff on hand TRC does. You have the opportunity to train with guys who, collectively, have spent over 100 years serving in CAG.
Again.
Take their classes.
Academi is also what, 4 hours away?
Academi is also what, 4 hours away?
Something like that, their kind of in a bad place right now after leaving 6 of their K9 dogs in a vehicle with no A/C this summer. Killed all 6.
Something like that, their kind of in a bad place right now after leaving 6 of their K9 dogs in a vehicle with no A/C this summer. Killed all 6.
Holy shit, someone ****ed up.
I'm retired Army, my days of training for battle are over. So their only perk is to go take classes with some retired Delta guys? I've only drove out there once to look at their 600 yd range, after they said it was $20 an hr to shoot on their range I never went back.
I understand that your need for traditional Infantry training is well behind you, but I've always looked at any opportunity to be a more efficient, effective, and responsible gun handling citizen to be worth the investment. It also never hurt to have a different approach to help expand my training horizons and continuously push to a higher level.
As a Squad Leader, I used to reinforce with my joes to never stop learning. Approach every day as an opportunity to become a little stronger, faster, better coordinated, and all around more effective at doing their job.
I would kill to have the chance to regularly train with their cadre again. I learned more in a few classes there than I did over my 3 years deployed.
I hope you give their class schedule a look and pop in for some training. It's a great resource for shooters in the area.
I understand that your need for traditional Infantry training is well behind you, but I've always looked at any opportunity to be a more efficient, effective, and responsible gun handling citizen to be worth the investment. It also never hurt to have a different approach to help expand my training horizons and continuously push to a higher level.
As a Squad Leader, I used to reinforce with my joes to never stop learning. Approach every day as an opportunity to become a little stronger, faster, better coordinated, and all around more effective at doing their job.
I would kill to have the chance to regularly train with their cadre again. I learned more in a few classes there than I did over my 3 years deployed.
I hope you give their class schedule a look and pop in for some training. It's a great resource for shooters in the area.
I'd heard of them before but never really looked into the range since I wasn't in the area. That place looks pretty awesome with a hell of a lot of experience behind the instructors. That is one nice thing that I have here, consistent access to a solid training company, and looks like TRC would easily fill that role.
I've lived in the Denver, CO metro area, and in Lexington, KY. I don't know where you'll be stationed, but I much preferred Colorado due to the climate, and terrain. However, this is before the liberal lunacy ensued on the Front Range. The gun laws are still mostly OK, except for the stupid 15 round mag limit which they can not enforce unless the mag is dated, and you bought it after the ban date. However, I would never recommend breaking any law. Kentucky gun laws are better, and it isn't a bad place, it just paled in comparison to CO for me. YMMV.
Colorado gets bluer every election. It's fun, but IMO I'd rather be by the ocean, as I miss it quite often. The mountains are great, they arent the deep blue.
When ever I visit CO and similar, knowing there's no ocean for a thousand miles gives me a thumbs down for long term stay. Walking on the beach, almost daily since moving to FL, and coming from a long line of sailors/Navy men and on a sail boat within 2 weeks of being born, etc, means I get antsy if I get too far from the ocean. I spent a few days out in the desert of NV and it was pretty and different. How anyone could or would live in such a place I have no idea. At least CO has lakes and rivers and such.
So a lot has happened since I made this thread, everything including my ideal job got pretty screwed up when I destroyed me knee two months later. So even though I’m staying in a support role and it’s much later than expected, I just got word from branch that I should be getting my RFO to Carson next week.
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So a lot has happened since I made this thread, everything including my ideal job got pretty screwed up when I destroyed me knee two months later. So even though I’m staying in a support role and it’s much later than expected, I just got word from branch that I should be getting my RFO to Carson next week.
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Sorry to hear about the knee. What did you reclass to?
What's funny is that I just got orders back to campbel
Owned a second home in CO until 5 years ago. Pueblo County.
Brother still lives north of Castle Rock. It was a majestic state, once.
Colorado Springs is horrible. SERIOUS crime/drug problems there.
CO is CA in the mountains; worse weather but the same dystopia.
You couldn’t pay me to live there, now.
The_War_Wagon
03-24-19, 06:01
If those were the choices I had, I would go with NC.
Having only been through each of the other three, take my opinion as a grain of salt. The mountains of CO are beautiful, but the political slant would get to me (much like Hawaii did before I left). KY and TN don't seem all that different to me. The only reason I'd pick NC is because it has both ocean and mountains on either side of the state. Depending on where in NC (Bragg?), it might be a day or weekend trip, but it'd be worth it.
Ditto. You wanna be WEST of I-77, because the further east you go, the BLUER (dumber...) NC gets these days.
TN has no state income tax, and as long as it's not Knoxville or Chattanooga, east TN is quite nice as well.
TN has no state income tax, and as long as it's not Knoxville or Chattanooga, east TN is quite nice as well.
Unless something has changed in recent years, TN has low property tax and vehicle insurance and seems to have fairly high standard of living.
What's the issue with Knoxville? I haven't heard of or seen too much crap coming out of there compared to other large cities.
Unless something has changed in recent years, TN has low property tax and vehicle insurance and seems to have fairly high standard of living.
What's the issue with Knoxville? I haven't heard of or seen too much crap coming out of there compared to other large cities.
Supposedly Nashville is one of the fastest growing areas in the country (not that you'd want to live in Davidson Co. mind you). I work in Nashville but live about 37 driving miles from there. Out in the sticks and I like it that way. I have 22 acres and a 100yd home range, shoot when I feel like it, and on a nice day you can here shooting all around in the distance. Can't see my neighbors. Since I am in the "Forestry Program" my property taxes are only around $100 per month (and that's for 22 acres with a 1400sq/ft brick ranch with finished basement).
We moved here from Ohio in 1996 and have never looked back!
The_War_Wagon
03-24-19, 12:25
What's the issue with Knoxville? I haven't heard of or seen too much crap coming out of there compared to other large cities.
Large state university town. The 100,000+ yayhoos on 6 Saturdays in the fall isn't nearly as big a problem, as the 'tards sometimes not falling FAR from the tree.
Exhibit 'A' - Chapel Hill, NC. A beautiful little town, ruined by politicians who actually took the college professors seriously.
Large state university town. The 100,000+ yayhoos on 6 Saturdays in the fall isn't nearly as big a problem, as the 'tards sometimes not falling FAR from the tree.
Exhibit 'A' - Chapel Hill, NC. A beautiful little town, ruined by politicians who actually took the college professors seriously.
Ahh ok. Haven't been near the university on those weekends, just on the outskirts off 40/640.
Still think it was nicer than Lexington, KY during sports weekends and nicer than Louisville, KY at any time. Still wouldn't want to live in it full time.
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