JOINT BASE CHARLESTON, S.C. –
In my current job, I talk to a lot of people on base during my day. As I talk to Sailors and Airmen, I hear a lot of complaints ranging from low pay to high work load, to deployment schedules and lack of time with our families. I can deal with all of those complaints and I understand most of them. However, the one complaint I probably hear more than any other is that there is nothing to do here in the Lowcountry. That does not make sense to me at all. If you expend some effort, there is literally something for everyone at one of the different venues here on Joint Base Charleston.
There are few bases that even come close to what we have available to us here. It's impossible to name them all but I'll hit some that stick out to me.
You want to get in better shape? The Health and Wellness Center will tell you what shape you're in with the Bod Pod. Then the gym will assist you in getting to where you want to be through all of their classes and staff.
How about taking in a baseball game downtown? There are free tickets available this week, donated by the Charleston Riverdogs.
Maybe you want to take classes? Head over to the Education Center to enroll in one of seven universities located here.
Maybe Arts and Crafts are your thing; well, we have two centers to cater to your needs.
There are opportunities to get involved in the chapel services or classes or other non-denominational events.
You can rent a boat or canoe and learn how to use them at Outdoor Recreation, or even go rock climbing in their air conditioned facility.
There are literally too many things to do to list in this article and most of them are at a reduced cost or free.
In these tough economic times, take the time to realize how lucky we are. Many people will never have the opportunity or means to do any of these things we take for granted every day. So as the summer starts, stop complaining and get out and do what you like. I'm sure the Joint Base has what you're looking for ... just look for it.