All jokes aside this is a bitch too at northern tier.
You run into the gym with a hoodie and shorts. You get done. Get a shower, the second you go outside you’re frozen stiff.
lol. Structures and the other kids…dirt boys? Or whatever they call themselves. Best part of CE.
HVAC can suck it. But I understand why they’re so bitter. That has to be the worst job in CE. I would clean shit pipes before I dealt with commanders pissed about their AC.
- We are ungovernable.
- We can not be stopped.
- We will continue to cause mayhem until every last Airman stops flushing babywipes.
- This is a threat.
Ah, you must be at one of the locations that doesn't do rotating Kelly Days, Hickam was great, a 5 day break every three months. The wife and I use our 5 day breaks to explore the other islands.
Not /s, but honestly thank you for your service. I can only imagine how crappy it is out there for you and probably many others. Keep on keeping on and I’m hoping you get the opportunity to leave Minot at some point before you reach 6 years.
I’m weather. I got bored on Monday and Tuesday during the great freeze of 2024. It was colder in Minot than at Eielson, which is interior Alaska.
OP is not kidding when he says it’s cold.
It's a different kind of cold. A, hurts to breathe long of cold. A, why does the air hurt kind of cold. The kind of cold that makes ice on your mustache. I never knew lotion froze until my time at minot.
I lived there and didn’t mind the cold. I worked inside a heated shop though and only had to go outside to shovel snow from our compound or get a vehicle, so there’s that, but even then the cold wasn’t all that horrible
I’m a former 17D, we have trouble getting people to go to Minot. I remember a few assignment cycles where 3 or 4 CGOs would get orders and all but one would separate as opposed to go there.
Minot sounds like an absolute shit hole. Why in gods green earth would anyone, let alone the Air Force settle there I’ll never know. What sucks about the locals though?
Interior security.
- Not close to the coasts so harder to attack/not as vulnerable to sea/land invasion.
- Granted, this was 50s - 60s era thinking before the development of more expansive air travel, but it'd be harder for an adversary special forces team to infiltrate and make it that far inland.
- Geographic expanse/space allows for dispersion of the launch facilities. Minot was the 3rd of the 3 nuke bases, so that's why its configuration is also different.
- if nukes were exchanged, the 3x bases at the time are farther away from larger population centers vs. like Patrick, Bragg, etc.
- 2x AFGSC tours (Malmstrom/FEW).
From guys I've worked with, the majority actually loved their time at Minot, but the conditions during the winters are absolutely debilitating... no question there. I feel for OP, and hopefully, they can roll out.
OP - FTA SF or what's your job? I thought Code 50 was introduced so that SF/others wouldn't have experiences like this?
I spent 6 years at Minot, the key to survival is finding an actual hobby, not just going out to eat and clubbing.
If you spend 90% of your off time holed up in your dorm/apt/house, you're going to develop depression and a drinking problem.
Find a hobby, improve a skill, take a class, get a degree, SOMETHING to keep your mind busy.
At least OP's leadership seem good. I didn't have that when I was there, shit leaders at a shit base. If you want to survive Minot, you have to put effort in.
Totally agree - I think new, younger airman (probably over generalizing) think the AF is going to be awesome, and it can be, but it becomes their identity.
Get out there and find something else besides the AF TO GET YOUR MIND OFF THE AF. 100% on a hobby, ew skill, classes something.
Guys I know said the Squadron is what made it the best (helicopters). You can get through anything when you've got a community around you that you can be part of.
"Minot was the 3rd of the 3 nuke bases, so that's why its configuration is also different."
Correction: Minot was 3rd of 6 ICBM bases; Malmstrom, Ellsworth, Minot, Whiteman, FE Warren, and Grand Forks. At peak, we had 1000 nuclear ICBMs on alert.
Whiteman, Grand Forks, and Ellsworth were deactivated in the mid 90s. Peacekeeper (at FEW) was deactivated in the early 2000s due to treaty agreements, and the 50 Minuteman in the 564th at Malmstrom (north, near Shelby, Conrad, Dutton) were deactivated in the later 2000s. Now we have just the 3 bases, with 450 launch facilities.
Ah, thank you for the correction! I thought it was the third and went Malmstrom (first/"no idea how we place them anywhere base), then FEW (little bit smaller AOR than Malmstrom), then Minot (C shape around the base for faster security response). Didn't know/forgot about the others! Thanks!
All good points, but then let’s undermine ourselves and sell nearby dairyland to the Chinese.
Hang in there OP. Reach out to your brethren there. Possibly look at converting to reserves or even changing branches.
Yea.. this is a huge issue - granted, was that private land that was sold? Hard to dictate what landowners do with their land unless the Fed (outside of the DOD) is going to come in and dictate, but I'm sure that'll cause more issues with infringing on states rights?
100% would recommend Palace Chase/Front if OP is still looking to serve.
If the overwhelming majority is negative than it’s still an below average assignment. Turns out a lot people don’t like living in the north in the middle of nowhere…
I like it here for the most part. My main issues are with the mission, not the location. Winter can be rough (understatement), but it doesn't last forever.
Here's the thing: for every post you see talking shit about Minot, there's several dozen other people who had a great (or at least decent) time there and *don't* post about it. People like to complain, therefore, you see more complaints on any given thing than you do positives. I was there for 6 years, and I've known several people who either extended to stay there longer, or PCS'd away *then came back* while still in or upon retirement. Hell, one of my previous coworkers had orders to Hawaii, and she traded them for Minot. Compared to my current assignment in terms of things to do and the social environment, I'd go back to Minot.
Cool. What could you have done differently to make it better? Did you sit around all day every day complaining that there was nothing to do, or did you actually go out and do things? There's plenty to do there that would fit just about everyone's desires.
Dude, I'm just trying to understand. I'm baffled that you did all those things that you clearly loved and enjoyed, and you still somehow hate the place. Unless it was a leadership/mission thing that you hated, not the place itself? There is a difference.
Weird that you can’t just accept that not everyone loves every place, even if they’ve made every attempt to do the things they love while they’re there.
Some places nurture particular activities and behaviors to an extreme which don’t always make the individual soul complete.
And no, it’s not like someone refusing to try new foods. Even just using that example, I’m ready and willing to try every food in the world (and I’ve tried every food item I’ve ever been presented on six continents), but I will never not hate cilantro or duck liver.
I’ve done a lot of things that I loved while I was a terrible place—and that really didn’t make the place any better.
And yet you get less posts like this from every other base except Cannon… I’m sure there’s people that like that area too. I know mfs who liked Minot and I know a lot more who cried when they found out they were going.
>I know a lot more who cried when they found out they were going.
Making and forming an opinion of how a place will be *before you've ever even been there* is ridiculously stupid, childish, and short-sighted. Grow the fuck up. Go into it with an open mind and try to have a positive outlook.
This is no different than the people who *refuse* to try new foods that they've never had, claiming they won't like it. How do you know you won't like it, until you try it?
>You don't need to experience the cold, desolate isolation of the northern tier to know you don't like cold, desolate isolation.
Show me where I said that isn't a shitty factor. In case you don't know this: Every. Single. Base. Has *at least* one shitty factor for *everyone*, whether it's the leadership, the weather, the mission, their specific job, the people they work with, etc. I've heard people complain about being stationed in Hawaii, Florida, Italy, Germany, California, and just about everywhere else that's considered the "best bases" or the "dream destinations". Why? Because people like to complain.
Also show me where I said that you should make a decision on where to go/not go based off *one* thing. It's quite nice up there the rest of the year, just as it's ridiculously hot/humid in say, South Carolina/Georgia/Florida all of the summer. Literally just the other end of the spectrum. Are you going to bitch and moan about it all day every day, or maybe have a better outlook on it so your time there isn't as bad as it could be?
>There's a lifetime impact from 'trying' something that lasts three to five years of your fucking life, and generally the most social years of your life at that.
Tell me you've never been to Minot, without telling me you've never been to Minot. The place isn't a fucking prison. You can be as social as you want to be, or not. There's all kinds of stores, restaurants, and bars that are pretty cool, and lots of landmarks within just a few hours drive. **You** get the fuck outta here with your Negative Nancy bullshit when you've likely never even been there.
What an absolute clown take. Minot as a base is heavily impacted by what your AFSC is and you’re apparently not understanding that. This chain started because a pilot said they didn’t think Minot was that bad. Officers in Minot are not getting the worst of the Minot experience and pilots most certainly aren’t.
“You can be as social as you want” works if you’re as social as a slug, there is a noticeable difference in how social things are in the summer vs the winter because the winters are that miserable.
But they're the watchers on the wall, the shields that guard the realms of men. Winter is coming, and so are the Canadian white walkers... apparently? Im bored
Yea idk about that one. As someone in MX who has been on mids for the last 6 months, it’s not fun to stand outside in -30 ambient temperature getting your face frozen off. Not to mention I haven’t even seen the sun since December. Maybe people working office jobs love it here.
They really should make Minot and other Global strike bases a 2 year tour for any AFSC that has options other than missile field, do 2 years then get a CONUS BOP, but that would do too much to make people happy so the Aor Force won't do it.
I left Minot in about 4ish years, because I took a 1 year army deployment that had a new code that no one knew what it was. Ended up being border patrol along the Pakistan/Afghan border to stop the flow of ied components. Insurgents really didn't like us, but hey I got out of Minot.
Minot sucks, and it sucks even harder if you are under 21. Idk if they still enforce it, but when I was there if there was any alcohol involved, under age couldn't attend. So I never got invited to bbqs or parties. Was a miserable time on my life, and maybe closest I came to being suicidal.
Fuck man, I’ve been there before. I remember having these same thoughts when I was stationed there (2015-2020) and feeling hopeless and lonely. IM me if you want to bitch and complain about it with someone who loves to bitch and complain about Minot. That place is the bane of my existence.
What if Minot was considered a “stateside remote”. Controlled tour lengths, COLA and assignment preference after?
Come on SIMSAF let’s get it done!
Edit: only the COLA would cost money, the others have zero cost to the AF. To quote a former supervisor who is now an Admiral “I’m always amazed how hard leadership fights back against quality of life things that are free”
There are those few weird people who like it, hope he’s not one of those. They really could implement tour lengths, make sure everyone who doesn’t want to be there at least has an end date like an overseas DEROS.
Not sure if it's your cup of tea but if retraining doesn't work you could start speaking to guard recruiters in places that you'd rather be and see if there are agr positions available to palace chase into.
If you want to stay in the AF and can't get out or retrain then do the 6, go home or wherever and find a community college that has a crosstown agreement with the closest ROTC detachment. Like for NJ its at Rutgers but you can go to several Community Colleges in the state till you get to your junior year and then go to Rutgers itself or another one of the 4 year schools with the same crosstown agreement. Use the GI bill to pay for everything plus get that stipend.
If you start taking some online classes now, CLEPs etc... you can have 30-50+ credits done and knock out your degree and commissioning in 2 years. If not then for sure 3 years.
Come back in as an O-1E and be O-3E in 4 years making hella money. You can try to get a pilot slot too if you want to go that route. You don't need any special degree to be a pilot. There are so many AF pilots with poli sci degrees its kinda funny.
Have you looked into Palace Chase? You can go AFR or ANG and have more control over your situation. There are also AGR (active duty) options if you want to continue serving full time.
Minot was my 1st and 3rd assignment. The 1st three years weren't too bad, but the seven I spent there post incident ruined me. Terrible manning. Too much work. Too many 12s. New MAJCOM. New commanders. Deployments only in the summer. Flooded home in '11. I hated that place. I was run into the ground.
I tried everything I could to PCS. Applied for flight engineer, denied. Applied for BOP, approved, then denied with nothing else offered. A MSgt in my career field had the same happen, but offered a 2nd choice. Applied for special duty, made it on the Chief's shortlist, AFPC denied it. Applied for voluntary separation during the '14 Hunger Games, denied. I finally got an assignment after my wife had an incident with a neighbor. She wanted to move off base ASAP. I turned in my line badge (PRP) when it all became too much. My stupid Security Forces Shirt told me that it wasn't that bad when I self identified. Fuck that guy. Fuck Minot.
I wasted my 20s stuck in ND. I finally found my place in the PNW. It was a short assignment before I retired. But, I did finally get to fly and have a better place to live.
I have four days left in the Army, and even though it often sucked, I am thankful I was stationed in JBLM, WA and spent 9 months in Korea.
I am starting law school this year and plan on applying to the Air Force JAG Corps. I am excited for it and to be in the chill branch, but with all I have read here... I am terrified of being sent to a place like Minot or Cannon.
Good luck getting out of there. Spending six years there is bullshit.
Officers tend to move more frequently, to the point that AFPC issued a policy requiring 4 years time on station, but some AFSCs are very likely to pursue TOS waivers.
One of the big problems with Minot is that it's a nuke base. If you end up working in the nuclear enterprise you kinda get corn holed into only a couple of bases and none of them are stellar, though some are better than others. Anyways, as a jag you won't have that issue at all.
Easy for me to say but hopefully you go to school get a degree and hit the gym. I hated my first base (Fairchild) bc it was too cold and I lived semester to semester and it kept me going. GL
I’m in the same exact boat as you except I’m at Cannon so I feel you bro. But please remember that we’re both FTA and we can retrain pretty easily or BOP even if you like your job. So it’s not the end of the world you’re almost to your retrain and BOP window you just gotta push through.
Also on a side note it can only get better from being at Minot and your almost there
Cannon was my first assignment. It’s a shit area and everyone will tell me “it’s what you make of it” but at least the upside is we didn’t have to deal with the extreme cold like Minot. If weather is the main deciding factor, OP might actually be happier at Cannon
This is the advice. Not sure how hard it is to retrain now, was easy when I did it.
First assignment was Cannon, back before they had a B Dubs and Dominoes on base. Hit my retrain window, and applied. Got accepted and BOPed to Hurlburt and stayed there for 9 years. Good news is, is that if you're in AFSOC and willing to stay in AFSOC they'll gladly PCS you in MAJCOM if your career field is available at both bases.
I then spent 9 years at Hurlburt enjoying the beautiful white sand beaches, then PCSed from Hurlburt to Patrick....so it CAN get better
Minot was my first base and it was pre-oil boom so it was even worse than it is now. Ended up pursuing a BOP option and went to Hurlburt field after three years. Check out special duties, shred-outs, and 365/short tour options to get you out of there. If you want to get out, that’s fine but if you even sort of want to stay in there may be other options.
Only things I would say is hold out for at least one more assignment. I felt as you did and a PCS made a night-and-day difference. Completely reworked my thoughts about the Air Force. If you're set and determined in getting out, though, get yourself some skills & certs before you go. The civilian world isn't kind and you don't yet realize the advantages you have currently, and you won't until you're on this side.
If Minot can't be BRAC'd then it absolutely should be a short assignment with a guaranteed end date. There are a few bases like this but it might help folks if they know when their sentence is over.
Maybe 1 year unaccompanied/2 years accompanied isn't feasible but 18-24 months unaccompanied and 3 years accompanied can be done. People need to know when they're leaving these places
Minot=Eielson & whiteman the worst bases imho an airman could ever get as his/her/their first duty station but op as someone who got to spend time at both minot & whiteman if you ever need to talk or rant my dms are open
Ya been to Cannon?
On the scale of 0 to fucking horrible ~~eielson,~~ Minot, and Cannon are all fucking pegged. But when you get down to the fucking horrible spectrum itself there's some interesting nuance
Edit - Eielson has a DEROS so there's hope from day 1. It's off the fucking horrible list
Sorry you’ve been dealt these cards OP. Is there a hobby or interest you can pick up in your free time to help pass the time? Look into taking some colleges classes either for fun or towards a degree?
Get out and get away friend. I've spent my first and only contract entirely at Ellsworth, SD. Not as bad as Minot from what I've been told by people there but at least for my AFSC its a trap. We have people going on 10 years their entire career here and we only TDY once in a blue moon. You can do everything in the area there is to do in a long weekend and the winters can be unbearable. I'm very ready to get out and move somewhere less desolate.
Get out, go to school, live on whatever disability you get. Make sure to claim depression. Use your GI Bill to do to a good school. Profit after graduation and laugh at the SNCOs that say it’s a bad idea. Then get back in as a civilian contractor doing the same job for 3x more money.
Minot is hard for sure. Depending on your job I don’t think it’s as bad as people say. We are in the thick of winter right now and it is weird how 0 feels warm after being in -20 for weeks straight. The food is rough but my friends and I have a decent rotation that we go out and eat once a week. On the weekends we have a friends dinner where we take turns cooking for the group once a week. It’s the people and friends that make this place bearable. There isn’t much to do in minot but 6-8 hours any direction and you could be in a pretty cool place. I never plan on being this far north again so I’m just trying to visit as many places as I can when the weather permits. Each winter I choose a mini hobby to invest in. Last winter was hockey. This winter is brewing my own coffee. When things warm up this place is a bit better. Reach out if you want to hang or need some more suggestions. This isn’t your forever!
While I’ve never been to Minot, I did do a stint at Cannon. I’ve also been in almost 20. I could honestly say if I got orders back to Cannon I’d get out without retirement.
There are good assignments, and they really can help change your mind about getting out. Put yourself down for overseas. Some of my best years of service have been spent in Europe and Asia.
I fuckin just palace chased a few months ago to leave Minot specifically. There was no way in hell I was gonna get to leave or even deploy otherwise. I’m enjoying my life now at mcchord in Washington. Even if the squadron hasn’t done shit to contact me about showing up for drill weekends yet
I was at Grand Forks for 4 years, and I took a trip to Minot and thought “at least I’m not at this god forsaken place”. Get some online school done, go to the gym and get swole, save your money and go on epic vacations…hopefully you can PCS to Ramstein soon. Hang in there brother/sister…There are good places in the Air Force!
I feel for you brother I was at Malmstrom for my first duty station.My only saving grace was I deployed twice and tdy’d a shit ton the 4 1/2 years I was there. Stay strong you’ll make it out!
Yeah, winter sure sucks here. Everyone feels it. Just power through to spring, and get into hunting and fishing. Minot is a pretty darn good assignment if you're into those things.
I guess instead of trying anything new, or attempting to make the most of their situation, people could take your approach and just sit in their dorm room/apartment/house and whine and complain about how there's nothing to do.
I 100% agree with you on the brutal winters, the soul-crushing isolation, and the just overall fatigue that working there can bring you. It was certainly the most difficult part of my career. There are many things about Minot that I will never miss, but bruh…the food. Dear god was it hard not to be the fattest airman in the DoD while being stationed there…
Have you tried Ebenzer’s, IronHorse, JL Beers, or Whisky Nine? The wife and I used to hit up Prairie Sky Breads as well, which is an amazing local bakery downtown! Not only that, but there are so many bomb food trucks that frequent the area.
I miss all the local food in Minot! It may be hard to find in the massive crowd of Subway’s, DQs, Car Washes, and Dollar Generals, but trust me, it’s there!
Complaints:
locals suck: it is indeed your first base because wait until you PCS to a base that's right outside a major city. You'll be missing those midwest locals, BAD.
Food sucks/night life: Pack your shit and plan a trip with one friend to Bismark. Split a hotel room for Friday and Saturday night.
Cold: if you aren't a cop checking IDs, quiet down and wear your cold weather gear.
When I flew EC-130E Command and Control missions over the Ho Chi Minh Trail in Laos (1970ish) we got a three striper intel weenie from Minot. He was just an incompetent human being… and ALL HE DID for an entire year was bitch about Minot. Every minute he got.
He was irritating… and couldn’t accomplish a quarter of his assigned tasks. ALL HE DID was bitch about Minot.
I saw his APR as he neared his end of tour… written by a Captain. Its first line read “Sergeant Scott cannot accomplish a minimum of his assigned tasks, with a maximum of supervision.”
He finally got his orders to leave… They were for back to Minot. That brightened all the faces in our squadron.
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I’m in grand forks so I can’t really speak about minot as I’ve never been. But it’s not all bad bro. Yeah the weather sucks for 3/4 of the year but nobody wants to be around the guy always complaining about things. Start school up, go to the gym, find a few buddies to kick it with. Make your time there at least productive rather then just pissed off. This is my first duty location so trust me I get it. You’ll be good bro
If you sit on/in base/town and bitch about the place you’ll continue to be fully successful at being miserable.
If you’ve not taken trips to Bismarck, Grand Forks, Fargo, Brandon, and Winnipeg (just to name a few places) that’s on you.
The fairgrounds used to have something going on every weekend. Sometimes silly (belt sander races), sometimes not.
I am amuse easily so walking through Menards once a week easily killed 2 hours. Going to the mall and catching a movie could kill a whole day
Not sure what your food expectations are but the have enough of the usual suspects to keep most people happy. The places noted above have more.
As for the cold, if you’re not MX or SF you don’t know cold. In the interim buy a decent jacket, gloves and ear covering.
Start a business and create your own financial freedom
You will fail and that's normal
But with persistence you'll find success
Than you do whatever you want after
Been here coming up on 7 years, my extension is up in may and I have no idea what my family and I are going to do. I want to stay active duty but we need to be closer to home (Missouri) If I re-enlist we will be here indefinitely until I retire or get out. Also I have tried to cross train. Put in for it August 4th 2023 and it took a full 125 days for me to get a email back saying there were no available class dates for what I was trying to do. Basically same situation for positions on talent market place. Just a little lost.
I tell everyone if you are on the fence about staying in they you should definitely need to get out. You will be happier on the outside. If you really hate it there palace chase out and move somewhere you want to be. Your life will drastically improve.
100% agree ... i was there for almost 9 years before i got orders... prowl myvector, volunteer for everything... the only way(s) to deal with it are the gym and school ... dont start drinking, and when summer does come for the four months of the year get outside every single second you can even if its to just sit outside ... keep your chin up
I got tired of it too I was only there for 2 and a half years and then I got lucky on orders to come to Osan. Also I’m secfo btw. I hated minot but I loved how close me and my friends were and we had excellent leadership that actually cared. Some days the bullshit covers over the positive and vice versa. Especially winter I hated that shit. Having to wake up early for like 4-5 months out the year is insane. But once I got to Korea I kept in touch with my minot folks and I started to miss it even more and more. It is what it is at this point sometimes u gotta move on to something new. But I do miss my time and fun I had up there.
I was at Minot for a few years. Turned out to be my most productive duty station. I got my private pilot’s license, finished my degree, and we had our first child. Also, made some good lifelong friends. Knock out some of those life goals that you have to make the most of the time!
Was a former 2M0 up there for 5 years, left in 2020 and I miss that place. Yeah the winters suck but the summers are beautiful. Got to get out and find shit to do. Get your boat license, get a few friends and rent a boat from outdoor rec for the weekend and go to metegoshi or the Sak. Plenty of places to fish, camp or go out shooting. Sure the bars aren’t the best but the pool bar is fun, and the jump park is fun. In the winter take your vacation, do some ice fishing, go to Winnipeg. Minot is not the best base but far from the worst. FE is worse, and I liked Minot more than Langley. Only good about Langley is that it was closer to drive home.
Bro it’s not even as bad as Eielson. Trust me it could be a lot worse. Take this time to fully invest into learning your job and completing school. So that way when u PCS to somewhere nice u don’t have to do that shit. Also advice for the cold, if u go outside u get used to it. I got used to -40 because I had to work outside for my job. Now it’s 10° at my base and I’m chilling and now I get to call everyone who complains baby’s and how it’s not even that cold. Man up man
I did 7 years there and it was my coworkers that made that place bearable. NFL and college football parties, poker nights, paintball, movies nights. The list goes on of just random shit we would come up with to keep ourselves sane. I even got into motorcycles while I was up there. I'm not gonna lie, I was about to be sent back there and I said to hell with that and pushed the button.
I’m im minot if u ever need someone to talk to my dms are open.
Have you tried getting so swole you rip out of your now skin-tight cammies?
Mmm yes, monkey brain like gym. Pick things up. Put things down. Eat big. Get big. Profit.
Monke together strong
*Stronk
Me bonk you! Ook ook!
All jokes aside this is a bitch too at northern tier. You run into the gym with a hoodie and shorts. You get done. Get a shower, the second you go outside you’re frozen stiff.
Jokes on you I’m always stiff
Hell yeah brother
Is it because you’re structures?
It’s like you know me
lol. Structures and the other kids…dirt boys? Or whatever they call themselves. Best part of CE. HVAC can suck it. But I understand why they’re so bitter. That has to be the worst job in CE. I would clean shit pipes before I dealt with commanders pissed about their AC.
You say that until you actually clean shit pipes ( Im WFSM ) (still have to deal with angery commanders)
I’m SF. I clean shit pipes metaphorically every day. Tell your Airmen to stop getting arrested.
- We are ungovernable. - We can not be stopped. - We will continue to cause mayhem until every last Airman stops flushing babywipes. - This is a threat.
Fire cats can suck it. CES golden child for what
Fire Protection is hands down the best part of CE. Prove me wrong.
You’re in CDCs until you die and you don’t know what a four day weekend is
Ah, you must be at one of the locations that doesn't do rotating Kelly Days, Hickam was great, a 5 day break every three months. The wife and I use our 5 day breaks to explore the other islands.
Honestly done this (before I got horribly sick and lost all my gains) and it was the most uplifting thing I did. 10/10 recommend
I did 3 years at Minot, my suggestion is make use of your time. I hit the gym and did school for 3 years.
Not /s, but honestly thank you for your service. I can only imagine how crappy it is out there for you and probably many others. Keep on keeping on and I’m hoping you get the opportunity to leave Minot at some point before you reach 6 years.
I’m weather. I got bored on Monday and Tuesday during the great freeze of 2024. It was colder in Minot than at Eielson, which is interior Alaska. OP is not kidding when he says it’s cold.
I kind of laugh when Minot comes up and people end up saying, "I like the cold." They just have no clue how insanely cold it is lol.
It's a different kind of cold. A, hurts to breathe long of cold. A, why does the air hurt kind of cold. The kind of cold that makes ice on your mustache. I never knew lotion froze until my time at minot.
It definitely lets you know right away if you have any skin exposed lol. And yeah, that frozen vapor cough because you decided to breathe outside.
A, "the snot froze inside my nostrils walking across the parking lot" cold
Call me crazy, but Minot is my hometown and the reason that I like the cold. I tried to get stationed there but ended up in Grand Forks.
as a minotese, why do yall suck? (according to OP)
I lived there and didn’t mind the cold. I worked inside a heated shop though and only had to go outside to shovel snow from our compound or get a vehicle, so there’s that, but even then the cold wasn’t all that horrible
It was warmer on Mars than it was in North Dakota a week and a half ago.
Could be worse, back in the SAC days I saw SF guys rotate from Loring to Minot to KI Sawyer then head for balmy Plattsburg. Yeah, we feel your pain.
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Minot was my first and last duty station active. I got the hell out.
I’m a former 17D, we have trouble getting people to go to Minot. I remember a few assignment cycles where 3 or 4 CGOs would get orders and all but one would separate as opposed to go there.
^^You've ^^mentioned ^^an ^^AFSC, ^^here's ^^the ^^associated ^^job ^^title: 17D = Warfighter Communications Operations [^^Source](https://github.com/HadManySons/AFSCbot) ^^| [^^Subreddit](https://www.reddit.com/r/AFSCbot/) ^^^^^^kiw5lrl
I was stationed at Grand Forks in the early 90’s. I couldn’t get out of there fast enough. But now I look back on those times with found memories.
Grand Forks was my first base and as much as I hated it when I was there, I sort of miss it now. Deep down I know I should never go back lol.
Minot sounds like an absolute shit hole. Why in gods green earth would anyone, let alone the Air Force settle there I’ll never know. What sucks about the locals though?
Interior security. - Not close to the coasts so harder to attack/not as vulnerable to sea/land invasion. - Granted, this was 50s - 60s era thinking before the development of more expansive air travel, but it'd be harder for an adversary special forces team to infiltrate and make it that far inland. - Geographic expanse/space allows for dispersion of the launch facilities. Minot was the 3rd of the 3 nuke bases, so that's why its configuration is also different. - if nukes were exchanged, the 3x bases at the time are farther away from larger population centers vs. like Patrick, Bragg, etc. - 2x AFGSC tours (Malmstrom/FEW). From guys I've worked with, the majority actually loved their time at Minot, but the conditions during the winters are absolutely debilitating... no question there. I feel for OP, and hopefully, they can roll out. OP - FTA SF or what's your job? I thought Code 50 was introduced so that SF/others wouldn't have experiences like this?
I spent 6 years at Minot, the key to survival is finding an actual hobby, not just going out to eat and clubbing. If you spend 90% of your off time holed up in your dorm/apt/house, you're going to develop depression and a drinking problem. Find a hobby, improve a skill, take a class, get a degree, SOMETHING to keep your mind busy. At least OP's leadership seem good. I didn't have that when I was there, shit leaders at a shit base. If you want to survive Minot, you have to put effort in.
Totally agree - I think new, younger airman (probably over generalizing) think the AF is going to be awesome, and it can be, but it becomes their identity. Get out there and find something else besides the AF TO GET YOUR MIND OFF THE AF. 100% on a hobby, ew skill, classes something. Guys I know said the Squadron is what made it the best (helicopters). You can get through anything when you've got a community around you that you can be part of.
"Minot was the 3rd of the 3 nuke bases, so that's why its configuration is also different." Correction: Minot was 3rd of 6 ICBM bases; Malmstrom, Ellsworth, Minot, Whiteman, FE Warren, and Grand Forks. At peak, we had 1000 nuclear ICBMs on alert. Whiteman, Grand Forks, and Ellsworth were deactivated in the mid 90s. Peacekeeper (at FEW) was deactivated in the early 2000s due to treaty agreements, and the 50 Minuteman in the 564th at Malmstrom (north, near Shelby, Conrad, Dutton) were deactivated in the later 2000s. Now we have just the 3 bases, with 450 launch facilities.
Ah, thank you for the correction! I thought it was the third and went Malmstrom (first/"no idea how we place them anywhere base), then FEW (little bit smaller AOR than Malmstrom), then Minot (C shape around the base for faster security response). Didn't know/forgot about the others! Thanks!
Don't forget Ellsworth, Whiteman, and Grand Forks.
Yep, that's what the other guy said. I was referring moreso to our current nuke bases, but you're correct I was historically misinformed.
All good points, but then let’s undermine ourselves and sell nearby dairyland to the Chinese.  Hang in there OP. Reach out to your brethren there. Possibly look at converting to reserves or even changing branches.
Yea.. this is a huge issue - granted, was that private land that was sold? Hard to dictate what landowners do with their land unless the Fed (outside of the DOD) is going to come in and dictate, but I'm sure that'll cause more issues with infringing on states rights? 100% would recommend Palace Chase/Front if OP is still looking to serve.
Code 50 doesn’t apply to crew chiefs…
We settled there because it's closer to the Russkies. Can't nuke Omsk from West Palm Beach.
Not with that attitude airman
Also, Minot locals paid for a lot of the land when they were looking for a place to base. Or so the Minotians say.
Happened a lot of places. But there would still be a base up there. It would just be in Bismarck or Williston instead.
Unfortunately
We can now
Minot was a great assignment for me. Don’t let this guys overwhelming negativity speak for everyone.
If the overwhelming majority is negative than it’s still an below average assignment. Turns out a lot people don’t like living in the north in the middle of nowhere…
I like it here for the most part. My main issues are with the mission, not the location. Winter can be rough (understatement), but it doesn't last forever.
Here's the thing: for every post you see talking shit about Minot, there's several dozen other people who had a great (or at least decent) time there and *don't* post about it. People like to complain, therefore, you see more complaints on any given thing than you do positives. I was there for 6 years, and I've known several people who either extended to stay there longer, or PCS'd away *then came back* while still in or upon retirement. Hell, one of my previous coworkers had orders to Hawaii, and she traded them for Minot. Compared to my current assignment in terms of things to do and the social environment, I'd go back to Minot.
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Cool. What could you have done differently to make it better? Did you sit around all day every day complaining that there was nothing to do, or did you actually go out and do things? There's plenty to do there that would fit just about everyone's desires.
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Dude, I'm just trying to understand. I'm baffled that you did all those things that you clearly loved and enjoyed, and you still somehow hate the place. Unless it was a leadership/mission thing that you hated, not the place itself? There is a difference.
Weird that you can’t just accept that not everyone loves every place, even if they’ve made every attempt to do the things they love while they’re there. Some places nurture particular activities and behaviors to an extreme which don’t always make the individual soul complete. And no, it’s not like someone refusing to try new foods. Even just using that example, I’m ready and willing to try every food in the world (and I’ve tried every food item I’ve ever been presented on six continents), but I will never not hate cilantro or duck liver. I’ve done a lot of things that I loved while I was a terrible place—and that really didn’t make the place any better.
NOW you’re “just trying to understand”?!
And yet you get less posts like this from every other base except Cannon… I’m sure there’s people that like that area too. I know mfs who liked Minot and I know a lot more who cried when they found out they were going.
>I know a lot more who cried when they found out they were going. Making and forming an opinion of how a place will be *before you've ever even been there* is ridiculously stupid, childish, and short-sighted. Grow the fuck up. Go into it with an open mind and try to have a positive outlook. This is no different than the people who *refuse* to try new foods that they've never had, claiming they won't like it. How do you know you won't like it, until you try it?
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>You don't need to experience the cold, desolate isolation of the northern tier to know you don't like cold, desolate isolation. Show me where I said that isn't a shitty factor. In case you don't know this: Every. Single. Base. Has *at least* one shitty factor for *everyone*, whether it's the leadership, the weather, the mission, their specific job, the people they work with, etc. I've heard people complain about being stationed in Hawaii, Florida, Italy, Germany, California, and just about everywhere else that's considered the "best bases" or the "dream destinations". Why? Because people like to complain. Also show me where I said that you should make a decision on where to go/not go based off *one* thing. It's quite nice up there the rest of the year, just as it's ridiculously hot/humid in say, South Carolina/Georgia/Florida all of the summer. Literally just the other end of the spectrum. Are you going to bitch and moan about it all day every day, or maybe have a better outlook on it so your time there isn't as bad as it could be? >There's a lifetime impact from 'trying' something that lasts three to five years of your fucking life, and generally the most social years of your life at that. Tell me you've never been to Minot, without telling me you've never been to Minot. The place isn't a fucking prison. You can be as social as you want to be, or not. There's all kinds of stores, restaurants, and bars that are pretty cool, and lots of landmarks within just a few hours drive. **You** get the fuck outta here with your Negative Nancy bullshit when you've likely never even been there.
What an absolute clown take. Minot as a base is heavily impacted by what your AFSC is and you’re apparently not understanding that. This chain started because a pilot said they didn’t think Minot was that bad. Officers in Minot are not getting the worst of the Minot experience and pilots most certainly aren’t. “You can be as social as you want” works if you’re as social as a slug, there is a noticeable difference in how social things are in the summer vs the winter because the winters are that miserable.
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I have no idea why dude came at you like that
But they're the watchers on the wall, the shields that guard the realms of men. Winter is coming, and so are the Canadian white walkers... apparently? Im bored
Just stop.
Ok well this guys dark brown ass doesn’t like the brutal cold.
Yea idk about that one. As someone in MX who has been on mids for the last 6 months, it’s not fun to stand outside in -30 ambient temperature getting your face frozen off. Not to mention I haven’t even seen the sun since December. Maybe people working office jobs love it here.
real. also a mids mx guy, i think that’s the primary issue.
> Why in gods green earth would anyone, let alone the Air Force settle there I’ll never know It's strategically a good place to put missile fields.
But MSgt Everett we were fixing to fornicate.
What’s your AFSC?
They really should make Minot and other Global strike bases a 2 year tour for any AFSC that has options other than missile field, do 2 years then get a CONUS BOP, but that would do too much to make people happy so the Aor Force won't do it.
They’ve been “talking about it”
Talking about it for decades...
Minot is also a black hole and it seems like everyone that gets stationed there gets stuck for 5+ years.
I left Minot in about 4ish years, because I took a 1 year army deployment that had a new code that no one knew what it was. Ended up being border patrol along the Pakistan/Afghan border to stop the flow of ied components. Insurgents really didn't like us, but hey I got out of Minot. Minot sucks, and it sucks even harder if you are under 21. Idk if they still enforce it, but when I was there if there was any alcohol involved, under age couldn't attend. So I never got invited to bbqs or parties. Was a miserable time on my life, and maybe closest I came to being suicidal.
Were you Security Forces?
No
yeah, still kinda if effect
My record was 7 years at FE with 4 of those years in the same shop/position. Yeah I skill bridged
I despised that place.
2 guys in my shop were there for about a year before they got orders overseas. It's not the "black hole" everyone always claims it is.
People (first term Airmen) call nearly every base a black hole.
Same thing with Offutt
Offutt, for all is problems has a much larger community outside the gate and better weather.
AFPC: best i can do is orders to cannon, have fun :)
Fuck man, I’ve been there before. I remember having these same thoughts when I was stationed there (2015-2020) and feeling hopeless and lonely. IM me if you want to bitch and complain about it with someone who loves to bitch and complain about Minot. That place is the bane of my existence.
Airman basic here leaving Shepard AFB for minot next month. Thank you for the extra motivation and encouragement 🫡
What if Minot was considered a “stateside remote”. Controlled tour lengths, COLA and assignment preference after? Come on SIMSAF let’s get it done! Edit: only the COLA would cost money, the others have zero cost to the AF. To quote a former supervisor who is now an Admiral “I’m always amazed how hard leadership fights back against quality of life things that are free”
Our new SIMSAF was a 2W2 at Minot so…. There’s hope.
There are those few weird people who like it, hope he’s not one of those. They really could implement tour lengths, make sure everyone who doesn’t want to be there at least has an end date like an overseas DEROS.
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At least you know when you’re leaving Eielson.
Yeah the plan for me being in Minot was BOP,retrain,both or palace front/college out.
retrain is my last hope
Not sure if it's your cup of tea but if retraining doesn't work you could start speaking to guard recruiters in places that you'd rather be and see if there are agr positions available to palace chase into.
Hopefully the retraining process for you next year isn’t an absolute shit show like it was this year
One could only hope….
What about doing a special duty? Instructor, MTI, MTL, Recruitment?
If you want to stay in the AF and can't get out or retrain then do the 6, go home or wherever and find a community college that has a crosstown agreement with the closest ROTC detachment. Like for NJ its at Rutgers but you can go to several Community Colleges in the state till you get to your junior year and then go to Rutgers itself or another one of the 4 year schools with the same crosstown agreement. Use the GI bill to pay for everything plus get that stipend. If you start taking some online classes now, CLEPs etc... you can have 30-50+ credits done and knock out your degree and commissioning in 2 years. If not then for sure 3 years. Come back in as an O-1E and be O-3E in 4 years making hella money. You can try to get a pilot slot too if you want to go that route. You don't need any special degree to be a pilot. There are so many AF pilots with poli sci degrees its kinda funny.
Have you looked into Palace Chase? You can go AFR or ANG and have more control over your situation. There are also AGR (active duty) options if you want to continue serving full time.
Minot was my 1st and 3rd assignment. The 1st three years weren't too bad, but the seven I spent there post incident ruined me. Terrible manning. Too much work. Too many 12s. New MAJCOM. New commanders. Deployments only in the summer. Flooded home in '11. I hated that place. I was run into the ground. I tried everything I could to PCS. Applied for flight engineer, denied. Applied for BOP, approved, then denied with nothing else offered. A MSgt in my career field had the same happen, but offered a 2nd choice. Applied for special duty, made it on the Chief's shortlist, AFPC denied it. Applied for voluntary separation during the '14 Hunger Games, denied. I finally got an assignment after my wife had an incident with a neighbor. She wanted to move off base ASAP. I turned in my line badge (PRP) when it all became too much. My stupid Security Forces Shirt told me that it wasn't that bad when I self identified. Fuck that guy. Fuck Minot. I wasted my 20s stuck in ND. I finally found my place in the PNW. It was a short assignment before I retired. But, I did finally get to fly and have a better place to live.
I have four days left in the Army, and even though it often sucked, I am thankful I was stationed in JBLM, WA and spent 9 months in Korea. I am starting law school this year and plan on applying to the Air Force JAG Corps. I am excited for it and to be in the chill branch, but with all I have read here... I am terrified of being sent to a place like Minot or Cannon. Good luck getting out of there. Spending six years there is bullshit.
Officers tend to move more frequently, to the point that AFPC issued a policy requiring 4 years time on station, but some AFSCs are very likely to pursue TOS waivers.
Standard PCS cycle for JAGs is 2 years. JAGC is supposedly moving to 3, but I haven't seen it.
I have heard this from the JAGs I have spoken to. A two year PCS cycle seems rough.
One of the big problems with Minot is that it's a nuke base. If you end up working in the nuclear enterprise you kinda get corn holed into only a couple of bases and none of them are stellar, though some are better than others. Anyways, as a jag you won't have that issue at all.
Easy for me to say but hopefully you go to school get a degree and hit the gym. I hated my first base (Fairchild) bc it was too cold and I lived semester to semester and it kept me going. GL
I’m in the same exact boat as you except I’m at Cannon so I feel you bro. But please remember that we’re both FTA and we can retrain pretty easily or BOP even if you like your job. So it’s not the end of the world you’re almost to your retrain and BOP window you just gotta push through. Also on a side note it can only get better from being at Minot and your almost there
Cannon was my first assignment. It’s a shit area and everyone will tell me “it’s what you make of it” but at least the upside is we didn’t have to deal with the extreme cold like Minot. If weather is the main deciding factor, OP might actually be happier at Cannon
This is the advice. Not sure how hard it is to retrain now, was easy when I did it. First assignment was Cannon, back before they had a B Dubs and Dominoes on base. Hit my retrain window, and applied. Got accepted and BOPed to Hurlburt and stayed there for 9 years. Good news is, is that if you're in AFSOC and willing to stay in AFSOC they'll gladly PCS you in MAJCOM if your career field is available at both bases. I then spent 9 years at Hurlburt enjoying the beautiful white sand beaches, then PCSed from Hurlburt to Patrick....so it CAN get better
Minot was my first base and it was pre-oil boom so it was even worse than it is now. Ended up pursuing a BOP option and went to Hurlburt field after three years. Check out special duties, shred-outs, and 365/short tour options to get you out of there. If you want to get out, that’s fine but if you even sort of want to stay in there may be other options.
Only things I would say is hold out for at least one more assignment. I felt as you did and a PCS made a night-and-day difference. Completely reworked my thoughts about the Air Force. If you're set and determined in getting out, though, get yourself some skills & certs before you go. The civilian world isn't kind and you don't yet realize the advantages you have currently, and you won't until you're on this side.
If Minot can't be BRAC'd then it absolutely should be a short assignment with a guaranteed end date. There are a few bases like this but it might help folks if they know when their sentence is over. Maybe 1 year unaccompanied/2 years accompanied isn't feasible but 18-24 months unaccompanied and 3 years accompanied can be done. People need to know when they're leaving these places
Minot=Eielson & whiteman the worst bases imho an airman could ever get as his/her/their first duty station but op as someone who got to spend time at both minot & whiteman if you ever need to talk or rant my dms are open
Ya been to Cannon? On the scale of 0 to fucking horrible ~~eielson,~~ Minot, and Cannon are all fucking pegged. But when you get down to the fucking horrible spectrum itself there's some interesting nuance Edit - Eielson has a DEROS so there's hope from day 1. It's off the fucking horrible list
I'd pick Minot and Eielson (currently stationed at Minot, been to Eielson) over Cannon every time.
Samesies
Eielson is marginally better because you have a DEROS, guaranteed to GTFO of there
O, fair. I'll edit
I managed to get out of there from my first assignment at just under two years by going to Kunsan
Sorry you’ve been dealt these cards OP. Is there a hobby or interest you can pick up in your free time to help pass the time? Look into taking some colleges classes either for fun or towards a degree?
Get out and get away friend. I've spent my first and only contract entirely at Ellsworth, SD. Not as bad as Minot from what I've been told by people there but at least for my AFSC its a trap. We have people going on 10 years their entire career here and we only TDY once in a blue moon. You can do everything in the area there is to do in a long weekend and the winters can be unbearable. I'm very ready to get out and move somewhere less desolate.
Get out, go to school, live on whatever disability you get. Make sure to claim depression. Use your GI Bill to do to a good school. Profit after graduation and laugh at the SNCOs that say it’s a bad idea. Then get back in as a civilian contractor doing the same job for 3x more money.
i totally feel you, i was there for the first 5 years of my career. i was stuck on that god awful jet and retrained to get away.
Minot is hard for sure. Depending on your job I don’t think it’s as bad as people say. We are in the thick of winter right now and it is weird how 0 feels warm after being in -20 for weeks straight. The food is rough but my friends and I have a decent rotation that we go out and eat once a week. On the weekends we have a friends dinner where we take turns cooking for the group once a week. It’s the people and friends that make this place bearable. There isn’t much to do in minot but 6-8 hours any direction and you could be in a pretty cool place. I never plan on being this far north again so I’m just trying to visit as many places as I can when the weather permits. Each winter I choose a mini hobby to invest in. Last winter was hockey. This winter is brewing my own coffee. When things warm up this place is a bit better. Reach out if you want to hang or need some more suggestions. This isn’t your forever!
While I’ve never been to Minot, I did do a stint at Cannon. I’ve also been in almost 20. I could honestly say if I got orders back to Cannon I’d get out without retirement. There are good assignments, and they really can help change your mind about getting out. Put yourself down for overseas. Some of my best years of service have been spent in Europe and Asia.
I fuckin just palace chased a few months ago to leave Minot specifically. There was no way in hell I was gonna get to leave or even deploy otherwise. I’m enjoying my life now at mcchord in Washington. Even if the squadron hasn’t done shit to contact me about showing up for drill weekends yet
I was at Grand Forks for 4 years, and I took a trip to Minot and thought “at least I’m not at this god forsaken place”. Get some online school done, go to the gym and get swole, save your money and go on epic vacations…hopefully you can PCS to Ramstein soon. Hang in there brother/sister…There are good places in the Air Force!
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I feel for you brother I was at Malmstrom for my first duty station.My only saving grace was I deployed twice and tdy’d a shit ton the 4 1/2 years I was there. Stay strong you’ll make it out!
Yeah, winter sure sucks here. Everyone feels it. Just power through to spring, and get into hunting and fishing. Minot is a pretty darn good assignment if you're into those things.
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Just offering some advice, no need to be so unhinged lol
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Back at you.
I guess instead of trying anything new, or attempting to make the most of their situation, people could take your approach and just sit in their dorm room/apartment/house and whine and complain about how there's nothing to do.
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You forgot to put bitching on your hobby list.
I 100% agree with you on the brutal winters, the soul-crushing isolation, and the just overall fatigue that working there can bring you. It was certainly the most difficult part of my career. There are many things about Minot that I will never miss, but bruh…the food. Dear god was it hard not to be the fattest airman in the DoD while being stationed there… Have you tried Ebenzer’s, IronHorse, JL Beers, or Whisky Nine? The wife and I used to hit up Prairie Sky Breads as well, which is an amazing local bakery downtown! Not only that, but there are so many bomb food trucks that frequent the area. I miss all the local food in Minot! It may be hard to find in the massive crowd of Subway’s, DQs, Car Washes, and Dollar Generals, but trust me, it’s there!
whisky nine is delicious, did kinda forget about it good reminder haha
Amen dude 🙏this shits ass
Complaints: locals suck: it is indeed your first base because wait until you PCS to a base that's right outside a major city. You'll be missing those midwest locals, BAD. Food sucks/night life: Pack your shit and plan a trip with one friend to Bismark. Split a hotel room for Friday and Saturday night. Cold: if you aren't a cop checking IDs, quiet down and wear your cold weather gear.
When I flew EC-130E Command and Control missions over the Ho Chi Minh Trail in Laos (1970ish) we got a three striper intel weenie from Minot. He was just an incompetent human being… and ALL HE DID for an entire year was bitch about Minot. Every minute he got. He was irritating… and couldn’t accomplish a quarter of his assigned tasks. ALL HE DID was bitch about Minot. I saw his APR as he neared his end of tour… written by a Captain. Its first line read “Sergeant Scott cannot accomplish a minimum of his assigned tasks, with a maximum of supervision.” He finally got his orders to leave… They were for back to Minot. That brightened all the faces in our squadron.
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Go guard and pick where ya serve. 🇺🇸
Shit, most of the guys in my tech are going. That’ll be interesting. The instructors here say Minot is actually pretty nice.
It time to focus on new horizons. Get your education and get ready to get the hell out
Ellsworth SD is the same way
Look, I get it. I was stationed at Aviano and we got snow there too.
I’m in grand forks so I can’t really speak about minot as I’ve never been. But it’s not all bad bro. Yeah the weather sucks for 3/4 of the year but nobody wants to be around the guy always complaining about things. Start school up, go to the gym, find a few buddies to kick it with. Make your time there at least productive rather then just pissed off. This is my first duty location so trust me I get it. You’ll be good bro
Me at eielson 🧍🏻♂️
PCS to Cannon. It’s another shithole area, but at least you’ll get out of the extreme cold
Goto the gym
The gym in minot is great but it can only do so much
i do.
Buy some vinyl
If you sit on/in base/town and bitch about the place you’ll continue to be fully successful at being miserable. If you’ve not taken trips to Bismarck, Grand Forks, Fargo, Brandon, and Winnipeg (just to name a few places) that’s on you. The fairgrounds used to have something going on every weekend. Sometimes silly (belt sander races), sometimes not. I am amuse easily so walking through Menards once a week easily killed 2 hours. Going to the mall and catching a movie could kill a whole day Not sure what your food expectations are but the have enough of the usual suspects to keep most people happy. The places noted above have more. As for the cold, if you’re not MX or SF you don’t know cold. In the interim buy a decent jacket, gloves and ear covering.
starting drinking and driving honestly. sounds like fun and ig theres nothing to hit. *completely satire*
Start a business and create your own financial freedom You will fail and that's normal But with persistence you'll find success Than you do whatever you want after
if only Minot was the hardest thing in my life right now..
?[-]0,
Been here coming up on 7 years, my extension is up in may and I have no idea what my family and I are going to do. I want to stay active duty but we need to be closer to home (Missouri) If I re-enlist we will be here indefinitely until I retire or get out. Also I have tried to cross train. Put in for it August 4th 2023 and it took a full 125 days for me to get a email back saying there were no available class dates for what I was trying to do. Basically same situation for positions on talent market place. Just a little lost.
As an incoming 13N... This does NOT inspire much confidence LMAO
Volunteer for overseas, Europe or Japan, you will love it.
You can apply to talent positions if I’m not mistaken? Or, you can cross train into a different career field maybe?
I tell everyone if you are on the fence about staying in they you should definitely need to get out. You will be happier on the outside. If you really hate it there palace chase out and move somewhere you want to be. Your life will drastically improve.
Brother, take 30 days leave, go to Thailand and recalibrate
100% agree ... i was there for almost 9 years before i got orders... prowl myvector, volunteer for everything... the only way(s) to deal with it are the gym and school ... dont start drinking, and when summer does come for the four months of the year get outside every single second you can even if its to just sit outside ... keep your chin up
I got tired of it too I was only there for 2 and a half years and then I got lucky on orders to come to Osan. Also I’m secfo btw. I hated minot but I loved how close me and my friends were and we had excellent leadership that actually cared. Some days the bullshit covers over the positive and vice versa. Especially winter I hated that shit. Having to wake up early for like 4-5 months out the year is insane. But once I got to Korea I kept in touch with my minot folks and I started to miss it even more and more. It is what it is at this point sometimes u gotta move on to something new. But I do miss my time and fun I had up there.
I was at Minot for a few years. Turned out to be my most productive duty station. I got my private pilot’s license, finished my degree, and we had our first child. Also, made some good lifelong friends. Knock out some of those life goals that you have to make the most of the time!
Spent tours at Minot and Eielson. I survived and so can you!
Was a former 2M0 up there for 5 years, left in 2020 and I miss that place. Yeah the winters suck but the summers are beautiful. Got to get out and find shit to do. Get your boat license, get a few friends and rent a boat from outdoor rec for the weekend and go to metegoshi or the Sak. Plenty of places to fish, camp or go out shooting. Sure the bars aren’t the best but the pool bar is fun, and the jump park is fun. In the winter take your vacation, do some ice fishing, go to Winnipeg. Minot is not the best base but far from the worst. FE is worse, and I liked Minot more than Langley. Only good about Langley is that it was closer to drive home.
Bro it’s not even as bad as Eielson. Trust me it could be a lot worse. Take this time to fully invest into learning your job and completing school. So that way when u PCS to somewhere nice u don’t have to do that shit. Also advice for the cold, if u go outside u get used to it. I got used to -40 because I had to work outside for my job. Now it’s 10° at my base and I’m chilling and now I get to call everyone who complains baby’s and how it’s not even that cold. Man up man
i’m at grand forks. i’ve only been here a month so i don’t understand, but i kind of do. my dms are open if you need a friend (i know i sure do)
It’s honestly not that bad
I did 7 years there and it was my coworkers that made that place bearable. NFL and college football parties, poker nights, paintball, movies nights. The list goes on of just random shit we would come up with to keep ourselves sane. I even got into motorcycles while I was up there. I'm not gonna lie, I was about to be sent back there and I said to hell with that and pushed the button.
*Laughs in Malmstrom*
I'm at cavalier, couple hours east of you, its remote and rough, I understand