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Fort Carson

ArmyCO, US

The Duty Station Your Recruiter Used to Bait You

Every recruiter has a photo of Pikes Peak on their desk like they personally own it, and for once, the recruiter isn't lying — Fort Carson is genuinely the best duty station in the Army and everyone who's been there will tell you so with the fervor of someone who found religion on a ski slope. The 4th Infantry Division and 10th SFG call this home, and it's the one base where soldiers voluntarily extend, which tells you everything about every other base in the inventory. The altitude will destroy your run time (6,200 feet, your lungs will hate you for the first month), the craft beer scene in Colorado Springs will destroy your waistline (Bristol, Cerberus, and Fieldhouse are all within the blast radius), and the skiing at Breckenridge, Keystone, and A-Basin will destroy your savings. Garden of the Gods is free and makes your Instagram look professional. Pikes Peak is right there. Royal Gorge is a day trip. E-4s show up for the mountains and leave as E-4s who snowboard, own a Subaru with a roof rack, and have 'Colorado' as a personality trait. The cost of living has skyrocketed as everyone in America discovered Colorado Springs, but with BAH it's manageable. Nobody PCSes away willingly — they have to be extracted, and even then they buy a house and plan to come back.

38.7374°N, 104.7889°WCO, US

Colorado Springs, CO (10 min)

|Four seasons, dry with 300 days of sunshine, snowy winters|medium COL

4th Infantry Division10th SFGMountainous training areas

PCS Intel

Major Units4th Infantry Division · 10th Special Forces Group · 71st Ordnance Group (EOD) · 4th Combat Aviation Brigade · Evans Army Community Hospital

Population~28,000 military, ~80,000+ with dependents and civilians

Nearest AirportColorado Springs Airport (COS) — 20 min; Denver International (DEN) — 1 hr 15 min

HousingOn-post housing (Balfour Beatty) has long waitlists (3-6 months). Off-post in Fountain, Security-Widefield, and southeast Colorado Springs is more affordable. Expect $1,400-$1,900 for a 3BR off-post. The market has gotten competitive with Colorado Springs booming.

SchoolsFountain-Fort Carson School District 8 serves the post area — generally good. Widefield District 3 and Cheyenne Mountain District 12 are also popular. Cheyenne Mountain is one of the top-rated districts in the state.

MedicalEvans Army Community Hospital — full hospital with most specialties. UCHealth and Penrose-St. Francis in Colorado Springs are excellent civilian alternatives. Denver has world-class medical care 1 hr away.

Spouse EmploymentColorado Springs has a strong job market — defense contractors (Northrop, L3Harris, Raytheon), tech, healthcare, and the Space Force ecosystem. USAA also has a large presence. Good market for cleared professionals.

Commute / GatesGate 1 off Highway 115 backs up at PT release. Gate 20 from Powers Blvd is usually faster. The post is very spread out — plan 10-15 min cross-post drives. I-25 traffic into Colorado Springs is getting worse as the city grows.

Local AreaColorado Springs is one of the best Army towns in the system. Garden of the Gods, Pikes Peak, a growing brewery and restaurant scene downtown, and 300 days of sunshine. The outdoor recreation is world-class — skiing, hiking, climbing, and mountain biking. Denver is 1 hour north with all the big-city amenities. The altitude (6,000+ ft) takes adjustment, especially for PT.

RecreationSkiing at Breckenridge, Vail, and Keystone (2 hrs) · Pikes Peak and Garden of the Gods · Mountain biking on post and across the Front Range · Rock climbing at Red Rock Canyon Open Space · Rafting on the Arkansas River (1 hr)

The Good