I just found out that after I get back from deployment, I have orders for Hunter Army Airfield, Fort Stewart. and have a few questions for people that live in the area or are stationed there.

Whats the area like, whats there to do, what are GA'd gun laws like? etc

I spent a few months in the area and it seems like a great place to be stationed.   Savannah is an awesome party town!!   You walk around drinking downtown, and they have one of the biggest St. Patty's Day parties.   Paula Dean's restaurant is there, it was rated the best in the world.  The Casbah is fun if you like Middle Eastern food.   Tybee Island has good beaches.   There were several decent gun stores in the area and GA doesn't have any weird gun laws that I remember.

It would probably be better to ask in the GA HTF.  

That said it's in Savannah, which is very nice.  There's plenty to do.  There's some good gun shops in the area.  You have your pick between a couple nice ranges.

There's a good night life if you're into that.  It's in the lowcountry so if slow livin is your style, there's that too.

You're about 45 minutes from Beaufort SC so if you want to get together for a beer, let me know.

If you're at Hunter - you're down town Savanah - GREAT place.  If you're Ft Stewart - well, it was a dry county when I was there.  Beer only off post.  About 60 miles from Savanah.  Don't try the drive drunk.  They call the road "The Dixie Die-way" for a reason.

Thank you for that info.
The food sounds interesting. The night life not so much, I'm not much for a "party" guy,  i'm more the DD of the group most the time.

CCW is easy, apply, pay and bingo. Savannah is real close, a very unique city.

Hot and humid in the spring, summer and fall, cool in the winter. Beaufort, Charelston are fairly close, check out River St. in Savanah. Orlando is prolly 5 hours or so south, Atlanta 3 hours or so to the NW.

Savanah should keep you pretty well entertained.

Savannah's a really great town, people are nice and there's lots to do. You're between Florida and the Carolina's endless beaches.  

Check out Tybee island and River St.  

Wow. I'm alittle surprised by the positive feedback. I have a few Army buddies that have been stationed there, said it was a shithole, maybe they only ment the Post was, and not the general area.

Hinesville was a shit hole, probably still is but Savannah is only 20min away.

Savannah is a nice town.  HAAF is right in the middle of sav.  FT Stewart is out in the sticks in hinesville.  IM me if you like.

I was there for MOB training. If you are going there for MOB or have no POV at your disposal, you are going to hate it. However, if you can get off post, its not so bad. Hinesville can be a pretty cool little town if you know where to go or you can hit Savannah (River St.) on weekends.

Training info: It's tropically hot and humid in spring and summer, cool and wet in the winter. The ground is mostly sand everywhere you go and you will have to deal with alot of insects, snakes, and perhaps even an alligator or two in swampy areas (or so I have heard, I never seen one). Carry insect repellant, socks, good tactical gloves, a face scarf, and sunscreen.

Our family is on Ft. Stewart, so that is mainly my POV.

Now, it is only a dry county on Sunday. You can buy more than beer, but obviously it is cheaper on post for alot of liquor, along w/being tax free. Hinesville cops LOVE getting drinking and driving soldiers. That's not an exaggeration. So, Stewart put up Rocky's,a bar for the soldiers on post, and if you are E7 or above you get to pull extra duty down there b/c of fights breaking out and there was a shooting there last year. That makes me wonder if it worth having it on post, you know?

I did not really realize it until I got here, this is my first Army installation, but you get everything form the good to the bad w/service members. You have got decent people, we have problems w/a rapist (girls as young as 11 to a cleaning woman who was cleaing a house on post), we have a few registered sex offenders (don't know if they are the I peed in public kind or I like small kids kind), people who are gangbangers, and a ton of Spanish speaking people. The last group bothers me b/c they get upset when they have to pay sales tax off post and they want everything bilingual. You moved here, learn the language,

Hunter is in Savannah, NOT Ft. Stewart. Stewart is next to Hinesville, which is so/so. You have a WM SuperCenter, Lowe's, and that's about it for "big" stores. There alot of the smaller stores, like Dollar General. Hinesville has a ton of car dealerships (at least it seems like it to me for the size of town it is) and based on my friend's experience of buying a newer vehicle, you are better of going to Savannah to do that.

Savannah has 2 malls, Home Depot, and more of the bigger chain stores. River Street is nice but I was only there once for St. Patrick's Day. It is more of a drinking person's fun, IMHO.

I am guessing you do not have kids, you don't mention a family, but if you do, here's MHO about the local schools. I am glad my kids go on post, but that is like taking a lesser degree of evil. I honestly don't know if Hunter has their own school system. If we were on Hunter and they did not have their own school system, I would be looking into private school or homeschooling. I don't like how they have zoned the schools for the Savannah area. Hinesville has a private Christian school which is pricey, of course, but that is the only bad thing I have heard about it.

Between Savannah and the small colleges (or universities, not sure which) that have campuses around Hinesville, I think there are plenty to choose from if you are doing the schooling, while in the Army thing.

They are putting up new Single Soldier Housing on Stewart. IIRC, it is supposed to be alot nicer than barracks. Don't quote me, but I believe there are kitchens, sports stuff (bball court and a fitness room, I believe), and the option of having pets.  I don't know too much about them b/c I am not with a single soldier.

One of the worst things about the area is that once you say what your rank is, people will know what you are making and charge you accordingly for rent if you are off post. Not everyone is like this but enough are, that I have heard from families and singles soldiers, that it can make finding a decent place difficult that does not cost you 1/2 of what you make. Alot of landlords will base the rent off of the BAH.

Another thing is that Stewart already has 3 and some of a 4th Brigades and the traffic is horrendous on post during certain times of day and off post into Hinesville for lunch can just be awful. Supposedly, Stewart is getting another brigade and i wonder how they will fit them!, barrack and traffic wise.

At one point, my husband had to sit through a class about sexual harassment and they were certain to mention that local girls will have fake IDs saying they are 18. You have sex with them, maybe even knock them up, and you are in a world of hurt. It happens enough, that they say it is deliberate. If you don't want to wind up with a statuatory rape charge, you are pressured to marry her by her family or at least be sued for a hellatious child support cost. I am not saying you will do this, but I was kind of surprised that they brought it up in this class. They did so, b/c it happens so much.

I have written a short story here, sorry, but this is through the eyes of a wife, the non-soldier spouse. So, sorry I do not have more info for you. I don't think it is too bad but I also feel it is not the best. Just me. Alot of wives hate it here. They would rather be in Savannah for college, for shopping, or you have the other kind of wives who want to be in Savannah to club and fuck around. I stay busy volunteering at my kids' school and with FRG activities.

Are you coming in with the new brigade?