compressorman Posted November 2, 2013 Share Posted November 2, 2013 I ask this because my daughter (who recently joined the AF) has received this as her first base posting. She is pretty upset and figures it to be a frozen wasteland at the end of the world. We are from Georgia and know little of endless winters and only get about 1" of snow every 3-4 yrs. She was hoping for somewhere wonderful with warmth and beaches like Florida or California. Can anyone give me something positive to tell her about this base so that she wont be so sad and dread it so? She is supposed to go at the end of the year. Thanks Chris Quote Link to post Share on other sites
HOLMES Posted November 2, 2013 Share Posted November 2, 2013 I am Not in the AIr Force but I wish I was there.. It had a B-52 D as a static display near the gate.. I am sure your lovely daughter will like it once she gets there. good Luck To her in her new job. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
yardbird78 Posted November 3, 2013 Share Posted November 3, 2013 (edited) The Ellsworth AFB, Rapid City, SD area is terrific in the summer, both days of it. LOL. Seriously, the summers are beautiful with lots of available recreation and sight seeing. The Black Hills area is rich in history, especially if you want to learn about the Lakota Sioux and other American Indians. The Mt Rushmore Monument, the Crazy Horse Memorial (still under construction), and other places are fabulous to visit. Personally, I don't like winter time outdoor activities, but a lot of people really do and just live for the winter time. An assignment to Ellsworth is like an assignment anywhere else. Make the best of the good points and don't dwell on the bad points. - The South Dakota Air and Space Museum is located just off base next to the main gate and features the following on outdoor display. C-45H C-47 C-54 B-25J B-26K B-29B B-52D EB-57B B-1B KC-135A F-84F F-86E F-100F F-101B F-105B F-111 A-7D T-29 T-33 T-38 UH-1F L-23 U-3A O-2A Minuteman II ICBM NikeAjax SAM - Ellsworth used to be the home to 6 Squadrons of Minuteman ICBMs and Launch Control Facility D-01 and Launch Silo D-09 have been preserved as musuems. - Ellsworth was also home to a Squadron of Titan I missiles, 3 sites of 3 launchers each in the early 1960s. These sites are now privately owned and almost certainly inaccessible for the underground portions. Darwin Edited November 3, 2013 by yardbird78 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
strikeeagle801 Posted November 3, 2013 Share Posted November 3, 2013 My dad was based there, (71-79) I can hit him up and see what he remembers. I'm jealous...B-1's Baby! Aaron Quote Link to post Share on other sites
ikar Posted November 3, 2013 Share Posted November 3, 2013 Ellsworth was my first assignment out of tech school. I was only there for 2 months in 1971 before I received my next assignment to Danang. A couple guys wanted me to give them my assignment because they were there for a couple years and wanted out, anywhere would do, even rocket city. I lost another month or so going back to Lackland for combat school before going over. Except for one trip to MT Rushmore and one to town, I spent the rest of my time there on base because I didn't have a car. I remember the snow, and cold weather, not much fun. We had a nice view of the black hills in the snow, and could watch the cars go past the base. I remember watching the occasional quad 50 tail gun that was left on track cars on the highway. Like I said, didn't stay long, didn't see much. No car. There was no museum at the time I was there, but they did have the wreckage of a crashed B-52 piled up near the alert Christmas tree that you could sometimes go look at. There are or were worse places in the northern tier to get stationed, Loring (now closed), and Minot, the worst place I've been stateside. In the end, it will be what she makes it. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
compressorman Posted November 3, 2013 Author Share Posted November 3, 2013 Thanks for the replies guys! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
vince14 Posted November 3, 2013 Share Posted November 3, 2013 I'll echo what others say - she has to make the best of it. If she goes in thinking she's going to hate it then, well, she's going to hate it. Instead if she goes in with a positive frame of mind, accepts that it's not her first choice of location but makes the most of it, then she'll probably look back at Ellesworth AFB with fondness in future years. Vince Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Jennings Posted November 3, 2013 Share Posted November 3, 2013 Tell her to look at it like this: it's not Minot :) Seriously, the Black Hills area of SD is downright gorgeous. Loads of outdoor activities to partake of, and Rapid City, while not a cultural mecca, isn't the end of the world. And the base itself is steeped in Air Force history. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
vince14 Posted November 3, 2013 Share Posted November 3, 2013 Tell her to look at it like this: it's not Minot :)/> Or Eielson! Vince Quote Link to post Share on other sites
11bee Posted November 3, 2013 Share Posted November 3, 2013 Sounds like on a scale of 1-10, this poor girl drew a 2.5. Hope that tour goes by fast and the next posting has her somewhere decent. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Jennings Posted November 3, 2013 Share Posted November 3, 2013 Or Eielson! Give me Eielson any day of any week over Minot! :) Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Gator52 Posted November 3, 2013 Share Posted November 3, 2013 What's her career field? I've never been there, but have heard Rapid City is a pretty decent town. Jonah Quote Link to post Share on other sites
compressorman Posted November 3, 2013 Author Share Posted November 3, 2013 She will be tracking maintenance on B1 bombers. She joined for security which was her dream and they took that away and gave her this job instead. And now she gets this base that is a (2.5 out of 10) I just wanted her to be happy with this very important decision that she made, and one that I am so proud of her for making. But it seems like everything is going wrong for her. :( I just dont want her to look on these years and say 'oh my God' I have really made the worst decision in my life. I know that regret can really drag down your life. I do not want her to live thinking she messed up. Chris Quote Link to post Share on other sites
imatt88 Posted November 3, 2013 Share Posted November 3, 2013 I was TDY at Ellsworth back in late '87. I loved it out there. Mount Rushmore is close by, its one of those gotta see things... Rapid City is a nice place, at least it was back then, I can only imagine what its like now. The Black Hills are beautiful. Go and enjoy! Its what you make of it! Cheers, Ian Quote Link to post Share on other sites
11bee Posted November 3, 2013 Share Posted November 3, 2013 (edited) She will be tracking maintenance on B1 bombers. She joined for security which was her dream and they took that away and gave her this job instead. And now she gets this base that is a (2.5 out of 10) I just wanted her to be happy with this very important decision that she made, and one that I am so proud of her for making. But it seems like everything is going wrong for her. :(/>/> I just dont want her to look on these years and say 'oh my God' I have really made the worst decision in my life. I know that regret can really drag down your life. I do not want her to live thinking she messed up. Chris Kinda too late to stress about it. She (presumably) signed up knowing that things may not be peachy and that the needs of the service outweigh the needs of the individual. Could be worse, she could be in the Army in Afghanistan, where there are more pressing concerns than what aircraft are in the base museum or what is nearby for culture / scenery. If she goes into it with the correct attitude, she'll be fine. If not..... Edited November 3, 2013 by 11bee Quote Link to post Share on other sites
scotthldr Posted November 3, 2013 Share Posted November 3, 2013 Hope this doesn't sound too offish, but she must've known when she signed up that she could be posted to any one of the many USAF bases not just in the CONUS but Worldwide. If she's getting all worked up and stressed out by going to Ellsworth then maybe she needs to question her future if any in the service. If she wanted sunny California or Florida she would've been better off joining the Navy. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
GEH737 Posted November 3, 2013 Share Posted November 3, 2013 It sounds a little like "Private Benjamin" - "I signed up for a different Army - the one with the condos and the boats..." With the military - you sign up and take your chances. I've talked with many guys who had career paths I would have loved to have had. And there are those who would kill to have had mine. Simply luck of the draw. At the end of the day - and at the end of my military career - I realized it wasn't about where I was, or what I did - but it was the people I met along the way who made it the great experience it was. 99% of her experience will be reflected by her attitude. You can have a good time anywhere - it's simply what you make of it. My guess would be that since it isn't the highest choice on most peoples list of places to be - there will be a high degree of people connection - since the military lifestyle becomes your de-facto family. That close-knit "team spirit" is something that I've found to be unique in the military - and is something that I've missed since I've been out. Your daughter is in for the experience of a lifetime - and Ellsworth is simply one of the stops along the way. Positive attitude and enthusiasm will be her strongest ally. Hitch Quote Link to post Share on other sites
ikar Posted November 3, 2013 Share Posted November 3, 2013 Why not Minot? Freezin's the reason! the voice of experience At Minot we would shut down operations when it hit 98 below zero. And not before. If you were at work at that time, there you stayed. The only operational vehicle was a snowcat. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Jennings Posted November 3, 2013 Share Posted November 3, 2013 Of all the USAF facilities I've ever visited, Minot was my least favorite. Fortunately I only spent a couple of hours there. But back on the OP: Any assignment is what you make of it. It's a lot less about the place than the unit and the people. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Scott R Wilson Posted November 3, 2013 Share Posted November 3, 2013 My wife and I passed through Rapid City last fall and I thought it was a beautiful area, much prettier than Wisconsin where we live now. I'm guessing the winters there are pretty cold, but they can be here as well but you learn to deal with that. I'm betting she could love it there if she chooses to. Was it Will Rogers who said people are generally as happy as they decide to be? I knew people when I was at Ramstein who thought that was an awful assignment. I wish I could go back! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
ThePhantomTwo Posted November 3, 2013 Share Posted November 3, 2013 Tracking and planning huh,she will have nice cushy chair in a nice office then,our trackers were part of maintenance control(which was what I did my last 2-3 years in maintenance as a crew chief,still hit the flight line on regular basis to stay current on the jet) ,she should thank the stars she didn't get security at Ellsworth,I did four years at Dyess AFB as Security Specialist during the B-52H/B-1B transition(1983-87)before coming back home and joining our hometown Air Guard unit as a crew chief,Security really was not a great career field back then,not sure if it's any better nowdays. If she keeps a positive attitude and focuses on the job she should do great. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
compressorman Posted November 3, 2013 Author Share Posted November 3, 2013 Thanks for all the positive stuff guys. I think that some of you that seem to be coming down a little hard on her may have gotten the wrong idea. Sure she wanted something different but come on she just turned 19. She is by no means a Private Benjamin but instead has always been a gym rat who gave night time exercise classes to the girls in her barracks during BMT. It is her mom and me who are probably most upset, what parent doesnt want the best for their child? And who knows, maybe Ellsworth is the 'best' right now for her. I really do not know which is why I am asking here. Chris Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Spongebob Posted November 4, 2013 Share Posted November 4, 2013 Chris, Basic advice for her: be in "receive mode", learn from everyone (good/bad), don't dwell on what can't be changed, find fun where you can (and it's surprising where you do...my most fun tour was as a student in Kingsville, TX of all places (and I did VT's in Corpus so it wasn't proximity to there)...had a great crew of friends there and we made our own fun), take every a.) TDY that comes down and b.) every opportunity for more responsibility, don't fall in love on your first tour (nothing good ever comes from it) and always do the right thing when nobody is looking. As I said, the quality of your tour is what you make of it. Everyone I know who had a sucky assignment wallowed in "woe is me" for their time there. Good luck! Spongebob Quote Link to post Share on other sites
GEH737 Posted November 4, 2013 Share Posted November 4, 2013 (edited) Hey Chris - I'm sorry if the "Private Benjamin" reference came out snarky. It was just a comic reference that almost everyone in the military at some point winds up somewhere, or doing something that they didn't really want. I personally heard; "I signed up for a different Air Force", many, many times - all jokingly referencing the movie line when something wasn't quite the way we wanted it to be. I was monumentally disappointed when I was assigned to fly T-33's at Tyndall for my first assignment. And while there - most of us were angling to get into a "real" fighter - not realizing at the time what a great assignment it was. The key is to make the most of where you are - you may be disappointed in what you get. But... once you get there, it may just turn out to be much better than anticipated. Some are mislead by their recruiters - or some may not truly understand the statement "the needs of the Air Force". Luck and timing have a huge part in the assignment process. Still, I also know of people who hated their assignments in Europe - go figure... I'm still going to predict that she'll make great friends at Ellsworth. Hitch Edited November 4, 2013 by GEH737 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
11bee Posted November 4, 2013 Share Posted November 4, 2013 Hey Chris - I'm sorry if the "Private Benjamin" reference came out snarky. It was just a comic reference that almost everyone in the military at some point winds up somewhere, or doing something that they didn't really want. I personally heard; "I signed up for a different Air Force", many, many times - all jokingly referencing the movie line when something wasn't quite the way we wanted it too be. I was monumentally disappointed when I was assigned to fly T-33's at Tyndall for my first assignment. And while there - most of us were angling to get into a "real" fighter - not realizing at the time what a great assignment it was. The key is to make the most of where you are - you may be disappointed in what you get. But... once you get there, it may just turn out to be much better than anticipated. Some are mislead by their recruiters - or some may not truly understand the statement "the needs of the Air Force". Luck and timing have a huge part in the assignment process. Still, I also know of people who hated their assignments in Europe - go figure... I'm still going to predict that she'll make great friends at Ellsworth. Hitch Agree 100%. Sometimes being stuck in the sh*t brings one closer to those around you and you end up having a great time. Again, with a good outlook, she'll be fine. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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