Well unfortunately it’s official; we received orders to report to Fort Hood Texas….. And as you could have guessed, I am not happy about it. NO ONE wants to live in Killeen. From what others have told me, Killeen is dirty and busy. I grew up in the city, I’m used to dirty and busy so I don’t think that would be too much of a problem for me…. But people keep telling us to stay away from that area. Have you been to Fort Hood? How bad is it really? I don’t like the heat, and yes I’ve heard that it’s hot there.
I would have much rather be going to Campbell, Brag, Drum anywhere but Texas… but apparently that was not on my husband’s wish list. He had Fort Carson, Fort Hood and Fort Lewis. Now when he and I had talked about places to put on the wish list, Fort Hood was quickly shot down by me. I DO NOT DO THE SOUTH WELL. He had told me at one point that he put Fort Brag, Fort Carson and Fort Lewis on the wish list. Which I was okay with, I’ve always wanted to go live in Seattle (Fort Lewis) since Real World Seattle back in 1998, Fort Carson is near Colorado Springs and Fort Brag is on the East coast close to family…. Then the other day when warning orders came out he seemed to have a complete lapse of memory. Then later returned home informing me of what was actually on the wish list.
WHY ask me where I WANT to go, where we should go then just do what you were going to do anyway? Anyone else been through this??? I’m slightly aggravated right now. Again I don’t want to go to Texas.
Fort Hood is a rapid deploying unit-meaning they leave all the time. Which also translates into six months after we ALL get there, Brad will be deployed and I will be stuck there all alone.
So yes, I am aggravated about this. So what the hunting is good, and you can drive 6 hours to Oklahoma to go Elk hunting, ya know what I don’t care. I wanted Fort Brag, only 11 hours from home! I wanted Fort Campbell only 17 hours from home… Nowhere on my list was fort hood, a whopping 27 hours from home! Do you know how long that will take me to drive with 4 kids in the car? UHGGGG
So fellow army wives I need your help and opinions. What is fort hood like? Did you end up liking it? Hating it? How was housing on and off post? How were the schools? How were the people! Tell me all that you can please!
Thanks for reading my rant, I needed to vent.
~Vanessa
I was stationed at Ft Hood back in the earlyish 90’s – its definitely not nice like San Antonio, but it wasnt terrible either. It is hot, but its a dry heat as they say. There’s not much to do there but you are only an hour from Austin which is an AWESOME city. And yes, its a rapid deployment base so I’d expect deployment and lots of field training time. Best of luck, and I hope you guys can get some housing. When I was there on post housing was IMPOSSIBLE to get and the off post housing in Killeen was HORRID. Try Coppers Cove its on the other side of post or further out towards Temple.
i am an air force wife and i know it sucks to be so far from family, i am in AZ and my family is in GA, it took us 3 days to drive with the kids. read about my misadventures at www,theenlistedspouse.blogspot.com
Hi, Vanessa, I am sorry that you have heard so much negative about Killeen, but I hope you will give us a shot to prove them wrong. So let me start by saying’ “Welcome to Texas.” Texans are a great people, very warm and friendly, just give us a chance. Here in Killeen, however, we have people from all around the world so the Texas spirit does not always show through. For the most part Killeen still has a small town feel, though the population is said to be over 110,000.
I am a local Killeenite, not born here, but my dad was from here so he moved our family when I was around 18 months (I’m 42 now…years, not months haha). So I was raised here and went to school here and like so many others I could not wait to leave. I did leave when I was 16 and moved to Austin and Saint Lover is correct, it is awesome. Long story short, I came back to Killeen in the mid 90’s and have been here since. It’s amazing how many people I went to school with have “come back” when all we could think of at the time was getting away. There has been A LOT of growth since the 90’s and there is a lot to do, you just have to get out there and look. I’ll include some links at the end that you can cut and paste.
Killeen is centrally located so it is just an hour or so to Austin, 2.5 hours to Houston, Dallas or San Antonio (all great places for a weekend getaway).
Like anyplace else, Killeen will be as good or as bad as you allow it to be. Get involved and make some friends and it could be the one of the greatest places you’ve lived and you can go . Sit at home and sulk and it will be exactly as bad as you expect it to be. YOu have the opportunity to experience all of Texas from a very central jumping off point. So your husband wants to hunt. You can do your hunting at the Round Rock Premium Outlets (http://www.premiumoutlets.com/outlets/outlet.asp?id=73)
http://www.ci.killeen.tx.us/index.php?section=166 (also notice the “in this section” tab on the left side of the webpag
http://www.vlatheatre.com/
http://www.tarleton.edu/centraltexas/
http://swf67.swf-wc.usace.army.mil/belton/Recreation/index.asp
http://www.centraltexasstatefair.com/
http://www.starsatnight.org/
http://www.hoodmwr.com/nature_in_lights.htm
http://www.rodeokilleen.com/
If you have any questions at all about Killeen or the central Texas area, please feel free to ask. I love Killeen and I would very much like for you to enjoy your stay here. By the way, yes, I am a REALTOR, but please don’t hold that against me.
Richard W. Overall, Jr
254-394-6637
ps. I know this was long, but I hope you find it helpful
Vanessa ~ I read your blog because of my google alert for fort hood. My son will be arriving there july 1st. this will be his first post. he just finished his ait at fort gordon. As a born & raised texan let me say welcome. most texans are warm and friendly, but i can’t say who you’ll run into at the fort. i just wanted to say that as an army mom i will be liftig you and your family up in prayer aong with my son as you adjust to your new life there. i hope you will enjoy your stay. -Just another army mom
vanessa – please excuse the spelling on the previous message. i didn’t proof read it. even my name was wrong. what a goofball.
Thank you. I know a place can only be as bad as you let it be.
I am just not a fan of hot weather
I’m from New York and like seasons and snow. Thanks for reading my blog. I hope your son does well at Fort Hood. It was my husbands first Duty station too.
Thanks for the links and info. And don’t worry I won’t hold you being a Realtor against you
Well, Vanessa, no doubt about it, it does get HOT here. Sure it’s a dry heat, but so is FIRE. HAHA
I’ve had friends that got stationed there and absolutely hated it. Good Luck though!
I just stumbled on your blog for the first time. As a former army wife I know exactly what you are going through. Our last duty station was Ft Lewis, before that we were at Bragg. I was active USAF and did my share of time in Texas & Europe. Fort Hood has a terrible reputation, some deserved…some not. It is a typical duty station and military town. My advice? Get out of Kileen. Get a house between Kileen and Austin toward the hill country if you want to live off post. Much greener and nicer. If it is any consolation Fort Lewis is not located in Seattle, rather south of Tacoma which is a very icky city to live in. Bragg was hot and dirty too…all the military towns are yucky to live in which is why we always moved 30 minutes away from post. If you are going to live on Post – get off and drive. Check out the local scenery and life. At Hood you will be a half day’s drive from the coast which is amazing for kids to play at. Yes Hood is a rapidly deploying duty station and that sucks. My husband was career special forces – I was alone for 200-250 days a year..it can be hard and lonely, but keep your chin up and dive into local activities with the kids. There is a great deal to do down there, you just need to drive a bit. I think you will be pleasantly suprised especially if you keep a positive attitude! If it is any consolation – There are some of the most amazing outlet malls just out of San Marcos http://www.primeoutlets.com/locations/san-marcos.aspx