Military bases in/near racially diverse cities?

[Siamese]

Hello,
I am originally from Miami and in my mid 20's. I'm considering joining the military. I am familiar with the bases in Florida. I was browsing air force bases and would like to know which air force bases are in locations with demographics similar to Miami. Which bases are in or near major metro areas? I do not intend to offend anyone, but I specifically would like to know about bases in/near more racially diverse areas/cities. Thanx

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[TX_NFS]

http://www.tricare.mil/mtf/ looks like a fun tool to use if you haven't gone through it already.

 

[HM3Rockstar]

are you trying to decide where you want to be stationed or something?

 

[The White Coat Investor]

Define racially diverse. The city south of my base is 80% black. The city north of my base is 90% white. Does that count?

 

[orbitsurgMD]

Hello,
I am originally from Miami and in my mid 20's. I'm considering joining the military. I am familiar with the bases in Florida. I was browsing air force bases and would like to know which air force bases are in locations with demographics similar to Miami. Which bases are in or near major metro areas? I do not intend to offend anyone, but I specifically would like to know about bases in/near more racially diverse areas/cities. Thanx

No city has a demographic similar to Miami (well, maybe Caracas, Sao Paulo and Rio de Janiero come close.) None of the Air Force bases in Florida are in areas with a demographic like Miami. MacDill in Tampa is the most urban, but Tampa is nothing like Miami. Eglin, Tyndall and Patrick are in much less populous areas that have utterly different demographic areas compared to Miami. Homestead is ANG only anymore, after Hurricane Andrew.

If you are looking for a city with a large Latin-American population and a mixed cultural flavor, D.C. isn't a bad choice. No beaches, though. Andrews AFB is on the Beltway in Camp Springs, MD, Bolling is east of downtown, Fts. Myer, Lee and Belvoir. in No. VA, Fts. Detrick and Meade in Maryland.
No Little Havana, though. Big Salvadoran community, growing Bolivian community (lots of folks from Cochabamba), growing Dominican community, large Mexican community, especially in Maryland. No problems finding food and dining variety.

San Antonio--a fantastic city, if you love So. TX as I do--and of course a strong Mexican presence. Kelly, Randolph, Lackland, and of course, BAMC--Ft. Sam Houston.

El Paso. Not as urban as Miami, but a border city. Ft. Bliss.

Tucson. Davis-Monthan AFB.

Southern California. TNTC Navy facilities. Edwards AFB, inland. Vandenberg AFB in Ventura County. Ft. Irwin, inland (San Bernardino).

Northern California. Ft. Ord. Travis AFB, Beale AFB

HI. Navy Base Pearl Harbor. Hickam AFB, Honolulu, Barbers Point NAS, Marine Corps Base Hawaii (Oahu).

WA. McChord AFB, Tacoma. NAS Whidbey Island, Ft. Lewis, SUBASE Bangor, Navy base Bremerton.

 

[colbgw02]

Go to Hawai'i. Tough to stay in the U.S. and get more diversified than there. Maybe they'll open a base in Manhattan, but don't hold your breath.

 

[BigNavyPedsGuy]

San Diego has one of the Navy's largest MTF's. It is a city with no racial majority. It has beaches and culture.

And I live here - I'm a pretty awesome guy. So that's a bonus

 

[colbgw02]

San Diego has one of the Navy's largest MTF's. It is a city with no racial majority. It has beaches and culture.

And I live here - I'm a pretty awesome guy. So that's a bonus

Yeah, but everybody knows it was discovered by the Germans, and in German San Diego means "whale's vagina".

Actually, scholars maintain its translation was lost hundreds of years ago.

 

[edinOH]

Guantanamo Bay Naval Base in Cuba has demographics similar to Miami.

 

[DrMetal]

Lord, people.

AIR FORCE! He's asking about AIR FORCE!

[/tantrum over]

yeah, but we can try to convince him otherwise. Don't forget, San Diego is also home of the best fish tacos (South Beach Bar & Grill, in OB)

I'm going Navy anyway, it was my first and only love, prior 8-year O

Was told once that the large Navy MTFs are in the fleet concentration areas (like San Diego/Norfolk/DC), and thus tend to be in well-populated metro areas, hence better case loads (higher volume), and a better teaching/learning experience (as opposed to other services). Any thoughts on this?

 

[a1qwerty55]

Guantanamo Bay Naval Base in Cuba has demographics similar to Miami.

OUTSTANDING POST. about fell out of my chair.

Anyone bothered by the "I wanna be around people like me" tone of the post.

I can only imagine the response if I started the thread.. where can I be stationed where there are no minorities?

Happy New Year

 

[The White Coat Investor]

. I'm considering joining the military. x

You do realize you don't get to pick where you're stationed, right? I got my 16th choice out of 15.

 

[HM3Rockstar]

You do realize you don't get to pick where you're stationed, right? I got my 16th choice out of 15.

before i got orders out of corps school i was told i could pick east coast, west coast, or overseas. i picked west coast and ended up in camp lejeune.

 

[notdeadyet]

Anyone bothered by the "I wanna be around people like me" tone of the post.

No. Who wants to be the only person of their culture in a new town? I wouldn't want to be the only black kid/white kid/immigrant in the neighborhood. Makes for tougher living.

I can only imagine the response if I started the thread.. where can I be stationed where there are no minorities?

You're a little sensitive, no?

The OP asked for towns of racial diversity. Your asking for towns of no racial diversity. That's a pretty big difference. You can see that, right?

Sorry tiger, but once they break out the "I'm only interested in being around people who look like me" line, Air Power can have them.

Where are you guys getting this from? The guy's asking for bases near metro areas with racial diversity.

The only people spouting the "I'm only interested in being around people who look like me" line is you and a1qwerty. I didn't get this from the OP. Just you fellows.

 

[DrMetal]

Ok, I think I know where Tired and A1 are coming from. I'll try to explain and address the OP's concern:

If you join the military, chances are that you'll be taken out of your comfort element. You'll be plucked out of your hometown (in my case, L.A. area) and place in a new environment (in my case, San Diego, not so bad, not so different). That new environment may or may not be as racially diverse as your home, and may not be inhabited by members of your preferred ethnic group (if this is what the OP was getting at). Say your of Cuban descent. If you join the AF, you might get stationed at Offutt AFB in Nebraska where there aren't very many Cubans! Plus, you'll be away from family, and that may also be a significant change if you're used to being around a large extended family (as Cubans and other cultures tend to be).

So to the original poster, the point is, if you're not comfortable being extracted from your native environment, don't join the military, b/c it is very likely that this will happen.

Now, if you are comfortable with that, if you're the adventurous type who doesn't mind living in a new city and being a little out of your element, then you'll be ok with military life.

It's just a personality thing, you have to know which type of person you are to make a good decision.

 

[notdeadyet]

You really ought to read the thread before you hop up on that high horse.

I'll go ahead and quote the OP here:

... and yet you conveniently leave out the following line, which is:

Which bases are in or near major metro areas? I do not intend to offend anyone, but I specifically would like to know about bases in/near more racially diverse areas/cities.

You're selectively editing here, Tired. Let's not be politicians. Read the guys whole post and he's specifically asking about racially diverse areas. The only person tossing out questions about wanting to be only amongst his own race is you and qwerty.

It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure this one out.

No, but it apparently takes someone willing to read the actual post instead of inferring what he wants to satisfy his personal politics. The dude wants to know if there are bases in racially diverse areas. I don't know the Miami-specific request. Maybe he's Cuban?

Given the military's past history of not exactly being a great example of utopia for racial harmony and equality, I can see why the OP might want to find out if he's going to be living in towns that will be a bit diverse.

Jeeze, the dude's just trying to get info about the military before he joins. I think we all agree that's one of the best uses of SDN and is the best way to prevent folks from making bad decisions. If I were Cuban, for example, I think I'd want to find out if I was going to be the only Cuban guy in a rural town of white and blacks only who may have strong anti-Cuban tendencies due to their politics. The question's as valid as any other.

 

[notdeadyet]

It's just a personality thing, you have to know which type of person you are to make a good decision.

^^^ Good advice. This, combined with any AF folks actually answering the dude's actual question, will probably help him make an educated decision.

I can't imagine you'll find anything like Miami's demographics anywhere outside of Miami. It has a pretty unique mix. As to how many AF bases are near racially diverse areas (meaning: more than just black and white), good question...

 

[DrMetal]

ditto. Yeah, if you're really ethnocentric, you might not be happy in the military, b/c military life really does force you to step out of your comfort zone. Now, I like that fact. I don't really care about being submerged in my own ethnic group, and I like how 'worldly' I've become since joining the military. You gain a lot of perspective that you wouldn't otherwise gain just staying home . . . but to each is own.

 

[FNU LNU]

Ditto Tired et al.

Race relations are not perfect in the military, but they are light years ahead of any other large segment of our society.

 

[deuist]

As a citizen of Miami, I can attest that there is little diversity here. Sure, we've got lots of Cubans and a few Haitians, but don't expect much else.

 

[NavyFP]

before i got orders out of corps school i was told i could pick east coast, west coast, or overseas. i picked west coast and ended up in camp lejeune.

Isn't that West Coast........of the New River?