Agree wholeheartedly. Of course, I didn't know it at the time lol.
My family sometimes live on the base, sometimes didn't depending on the availability of housing. When we did, my sister and I had what I can now see was an amazing amount of freedom. We could get on the buses that came to the residential areas and go to the pool in the summer, the theater, the library. My mother did not worry about where we were or who we were with.
I guess she felt like an area that had armed guards with trained attack dogs patrolling the perimeter was pretty safe.
Yep.
I would leave the house after breakfast, come home for lunch and then in time for supper. My days were spent with friends roaming all over the base.
And the housing area was the best thing ever. Literally, every house had at least one child, usually 2 or 3. That meant hundreds of potential friends within a short walking distance.
In the summer, the neighborhoods were like a playground, teeming with kids.
Ditto - Griffiss AFB in Rome, NY was an amazing place to be an elementary school kid. 10 schools in 12 years, Pakistan and Venezuela thrown in for good measure. I’ve only been without some color of ID card for 6 years of my life (between graduating college and entering active duty as an AF JAG). 6 years active, 24 reserves. Wouldn’t trade it for the world. Call me a brat!
Colonel, USAFR (ret)