Don’t believe the hype about Fort Bliss

I read that article earlier, and made the following comment on another thread about the place:

I remember arguing with people here on RP who were stationed there in decades past trying to tell me there's nothing to do there, and it's a miserable existence. I spent 3 years there, ending in 2012, and I loved El Paso and Fort Bliss...my brigade, no so much. There really is a lot of things to do down there, even if--I assume--service members still can't cross the boarder like they could in years past. While the post was just a speck in the vast desert nothingness in decades past, while I was there, Uncle Sam pumped an obscene amount of money into Bliss, greatly expanding it's usable footprint, shopping, entertainment and other the amenities. In the years since I left, they added even more.

Aint gonna lie, it is hot as hell there ("but it's a dry heat..."), and if you don't like the color of sand, well, the scenery won't be to your linking. Still, if you can't find something to occupy your free time on-post, in El Paso or in the surrounding area, that's a choice.

Every post or Base has the potential of being a great assignment or a Dud, depending on your outlook.

I was at a conference where a TSgt bitched for 3 days about being stationed in Hawaii. Its expensive to take the family out to eat and the only thing we can afford is to go to the beaches because they are free and Blah Blah Blah. Finally I told him to just shut the hell up, I was stuck on a remote tour in Alaska, hadn't seen my wife or kids for 7 months, and when I left there was a whole hour and a half of sunlight. He shut up the last two days but it just goes to show how any assignment can be tainted by a bad outlook.

I've only been there once for a demobilization and wasn't there long enough to form an opinion. I did like the sunrises and sunsets though.