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Nothing to do? Think again

  • Published
  • By Chief Master Sgt. Allen Mullinex
  • 27th Special Operations Medical Group
CANNON AIR FORCE, N.M. --  There is nothing to do here...

I sure have heard those words a lot in my career. I've had assignments at Chanute Air Force Base, Minot AFB, Naval Air Station Keflavick, Hill AFB, Kunsan Air Base, Beale AFB,  and Eielson AFB. Now I am here at Cannon as an Air Commando. The mere mention of some of these places may cause some people to cringe at the thought of being stationed at there, but, my family and I can tell you something good or unique about each place and we can't look back and say, "There was nothing to do there."

When I was at Chanute I met my wife, so obviously that was my most important assignment. Minot was a great place to start a family and everyone in town seemed friendly. While I was there, a senior NCO took me bird hunting and ice fishing, neither of which I had ever done before. Canada was nearby and the International Peace Garden was beautiful. In Iceland, Keflavik was completely heated with geothermal water. The hot springs scattered throughout the island were great places to relax. We saw more geysers and waterfalls than you can imagine, and the puffin' s migratory grounds.

After Iceland, Hill AFB was an awesome assignment. The weather was great and there was shopping for my wife just down the block (maybe that wasn't always a good thing). Popular opinion seems to be that an assignment in South Korea is just one long hangover, but let me say that it has a beautiful countryside for hiking and Seoul has many things to do, from concerts to natural history museums that are rich with history. My assignment at Beale had quiet and comfortable housing with a friendly atmosphere, plus more shopping places than my family could ever visit. We could drive just over two hours to ski at Lake Tahoe or four hours to the Redwood Forest. My last assignment in Alaska was great for riding ATVs, hunting, fishing, camping, or watching the Northern Lights.

I never went ice fishing again and many of those places I'll never see again, but I'll always have many great experiences that most of society will never have. I could have chosen to sit at home and complain, but I didn't. When I go "home" on leave everyone wants to know what my family has seen or done; no one really cares that my sister lives four minutes from a chain store and eats at a chain restaurant every weekend.

Now, here at Cannon, my family could complain about the lack of shopping or things to do, but would that really be fair? That excuse seems to be most often used when someone gets in trouble because of a decision they made, as if their poor decision was the only option left. Instead, my family is already doing what Air Force life is all about ... changing adapting and making the best out of where you are, and trying something new even if it's only one time. We drove to White Sands and went snowboarding in Santa Fe. My wife and kids went whitewater rafting while I was deployed. We've been to Amarillo, Lubbock and Albuquerque, and plan on going to Carlsbad this summer. Are we "old hat" at these things? No, it's just about making the best out of where we are.

So make the best of your time here as an Air Commando. Try something new, and even if you decide you don't want to make a hobby of it, you'll at least have an experience you can carry with you for the rest of your life. If you're low on funds, stay home for a couple of weekends, save up and then travel with friends. The 27th Special Operations Wing Services Squadron makes it easy to have fun with many adventures that are discounted or free. All you have to do is sign up and show up. The chapel offers a variety of activities for base members and their families, as do many local churches. Maybe one of your coworkers can take you along on an excursion and teach you a hobby he or she enjoys here.

Don't be stuck in the mindset of "there's nothing to do here." Take advantage of the opportunities the Air Force provides and experience things the average American will never see or do.

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