What are the pros and the cons of Fort Hood?

2019-12-22T23:14:31-05:00

I was born and raised in San Antonio so I know the Texas area well. I would like to know about the aviation side of Fort Hood specifically. I heard a lot of good but I also heard some bad about Hood.

Response by CPT Private RallyPoint Member made Dec 22 at 2019 11:23 PM

2019-12-22T23:23:45-05:00

I was stationed at hood over a couple years.
Depending on the unit you go to there are some great barracks, and some not so great ones. Most are decent, just as good or slightly better than the average post.

The post has a ton of mwr and single soldier opportunities if you are interested in that.

For the most part, you can get or do anything you want in or immediately around hood.

Lots of options. The only real downsides I experienced at Hood as an enlisted soldier was the bad side of killeen, and unit issues.
No real complaints about the post itself though.

Response by MAJ Private RallyPoint Member made Dec 23 at 2019 9:17 AM

2019-12-23T09:17:19-05:00

Hood was my first duty station, and the one I was at the longest. I started out in the barracks, but during the surge back in 2005, I lived off post. Copperas cove has some good places to live as long as you focus on deep into the western side. We lived near the Wal mart initially and the crime was really bad. We ended up in a gated community just off Ft Hood street in Killeen. It was a nice community surrounded by a horrible community, but we liked it there. Recommend if you live off post, look at Harker Heights and Nolanville. Yes there are some nice places in Killeen, but they can be tricky to find if you aren’t familiar with the community. Pros: the post has everything, big mall like complex, every Soldier service you need, etc. You are easy driving distance from Dallas, Austin, San Antonio, and Houston. You can hit the beaches at Galveston if you drive a bit further. No shortage of good weekend getaways. Cons: the variance is very high in terms of good unit climates and bad ones. Hood is not the place you want to be with a bad unit climate. Big post = lots of bureaucracy which will require you to have to get unit help to navigate it. If your unit isn’t helpful, this can be frustrating. But of all the places I’ve been stationed in 17 years of service, Hood was by far my favorite. I’ve always requested to go back, but the Army has had other ideas.

Response by SSG George Holtje made Dec 23 at 2019 1:07 PM

2019-12-23T13:07:28-05:00

I lived on West Fort Hood, aviation side, I was in an infantry unit on main post but home life was great on the other side. Most aviation people I spoke to, loved it there. Probably because you can take off, do your mission and land all on Fort Hood. On main post you’ve got the Fight Club and double of everything on another post.

It is also a good place to get in trouble near base. My first tour of Fort Hood, there were drug tests and health and welfare inspections almost weekly. There was a gang problem in housing too. This was in 1995 however. My second trip there in 2012 to 2015, I didn’t hear a peep about gangs. Just overzealous CIDs investigating pink bellies and extensive Gunnery exercises.

Response by SFC Christopher Taggart made Dec 23 at 2019 8:45 PM

2019-12-23T20:45:55-05:00

That was my last unit of assignment before leaving the military in 2010...so my opinion will not be of much help...the thing that I disliked the most, was the traffic on and off post, and the "attitudes" that go with it.

Response by SFC Private RallyPoint Member made Dec 26 at 2019 12:09 PM

2019-12-26T12:09:00-05:00

4.5 years at hood and the only pro I found was when I got orders to leave that hell hole the it was the The Great Place

Response by SPC Michael Siniard made Dec 28 at 2019 7:31 PM

2019-12-28T19:31:42-05:00

I was there with 3rd ACR avim troop from 2007-2010, it’s a huge base with plenty of gym’s and dining hall so there is no excuse for being out of shape or hungry. I liked the track at Hood stadium and the mile long around it made it easy for runners, but all this doesn’t mean anything if your stuck in a unit with bad leadership. Good luck

Response by SGT Private RallyPoint Member made Jan 7 at 2020 4:53 PM

2020-01-07T16:53:51-05:00

Lots of stuff for single soldiers, lot of training and educational opportunities as well