Question Camping On Military Property

[FL-JOE]

My VA Healthcare card is enroute. Yesterday I was with a buddy at the local Legion here in Florida and he said his believes that by having a VA Healthcare card you can camp at military sites just like military retirees. True/false? Or does it depend on if you are getting a certain percentage of disability?

 

[Neemer]

I think it depends. Each military installation establishes its own policies. There isn’t a “one size fits all” policy. The best thing to do is call the installation you are considering and see what they say.

 

[STANDERSON]

Contact the campground. I am retired military plus 40% disabled.. Our favorite campground is on a Air Force Base close to the house. Nice, quiet and affordable.

 

[Old Bubblehead]

There seems to be a wide variety in what is possible. As mentioned, contact target FamCamps in advance to prevent issues on check-in. No guarantees, but better than average chance if pre approved prior to arrival. As always get name of individual that provided clearance to facilitate a smoother conversation at base. Make sure you can get both base access, and camp ground usage. Would suck to have clearance to camp but be refused entry to base. After all, this is the military we are talking about.

 

[FL-JOE]

I guess it just didn't seem right to me when he told me that. A few years ago we were on a motorcycle ride in NM. I stopped at White Sands Missile Range for a quick visit (spent my last 10 months there). They not only refused to allow us on the base but got upset with the DW when she started to take a photo of the sign out front with me standing in front of it. I had my DD214 but none of that mattered. They had changed the gate guards to civilian instead of MPs also.

I might call around this spring and try to get into a couple military campgrounds.

 

[Old Bubblehead]

We haven't tried any yet, I keep looking just haven't synched up with our travel plans. I keep it in the one of these days bucket. There are a couple of website that list and review Military Campgrounds, as well as multiple Facebook groups. Best of luck!
All gave some, Some gave All.

j

 

[John&Andrea]

I never served in the military so I have no dog in this hunt. It seems to me if you served you should have access to all base campgrounds.

 

[STANDERSON]

I believe your V.A. card must be registered with the base before you can get access. I haven't done that yet but I am retired military so my I.D. gets us access.

 

[Ilovemaui]

It doesn’t seem like a good practice to allow anyone to camp on a military base. The wrong element could load a lot of explosives in an RV. Just my humble opinion.

 

[Old Bubblehead]

@Ilovemaui, understand your worry but realistically there are plenty of soft targets with much more damage potential. The wrong sort are specialists in seeking them out. Reservoirs for instance, just think of the number of CG set up around the lakes we use for large city water sources. Huge COE campgrounds that provide water front access. Consider what could happen should that access be weaponized.
You can live, or you can exist in fear. You can't do both. When you succumb to the fear, they win.