Opportunity awaits at your doorstep

By David W. Kuhns Sr., Northwest Guardian

There is more to do around Fort Lewis than anyone could possibly accomplish. The challenge is convincing people of that.

In the three decades I have been around the Army I have met Soldiers everywhere I have gone who complained that there was nothing to do. It always seemed odd to me that their world was so much more boring than mine. I found plenty to do everywhere I have ever been assigned. And Fort Lewis is just about the best of all.

Making the best of an assignment is all about attitude. You have to accept what life — and the Army — bring you. My first assignment in the Army was at Fort Wainwright, Alaska. I loved the outdoors, so it was great for me right from the start. My off-duty time was filled with wilderness backpacking trips, hunting, fishing — even a 300-mile float trip on the Yukon River. How great was that?

But my unit was filled with Soldiers who did nothing but complain. Their time off was mostly devoted to swilling beer in the day room and at the NCO Club, while complaining about how little there was to do. Of course, Fairbanks’ shortcomings were only a problem if you wanted it to be Los Angeles.

I had a roommate in the barracks who started out like that. He was a city guy from New Jersey. I talked him into his first backpacking trip. Soon he was cross-country skiing. Next we were spending weekends climbing frozen waterfalls in the Alaska Range. He turned into a regular mountain man within a year.

The Army didn’t always send me where I could enjoy the outdoors. An assignment at Fort Meade, Md., for example, offered very little in the way of wilderness access. But for someone who grew up in the West, Maryland was thick with history and culture. With Baltimore to the north and Washington to the south I was only a half hour away from two major cities, each with its own incredible opportunities.

The Army sent me to seven foreign countries and through more than 30 states and Puerto Rico, over my 24 years in uniform. They were all different and they were all interesting. The one thing I never suffered was boredom. Finally I was assigned to Fort Lewis. It was odd that I got here only at the end of my career — Fort Lewis had been No.1 on my dream sheet for 22 years. But it has really been a case of saving the best for last.

I have been able to get reacquainted with the wilderness here in the North-west. I have hiked up and down the Cascades and through the Olympics. I have even been able to camp on the wild coastline in Olympic National Park. My outdoors experiences have been better than any since my early years in Alaska.

But it hasn’t just been about the outdoors. I have become a fan of the local sports teams — how many other Army assignments put you within easy range of year-round big-league sports action? There are concerts every weekend, if that is your taste. If you like to eat out, you can find hundreds of fantastic places to go — everything from unusual little dives to really classy fine dining. We have everything from saltwater boating to snowboarding almost at our doorstep.

How great is this place?

So, if you start to complain about where you are; if the rainy weather starts to get you down; then take a deep breath and get your head on straight. No matter where you turn, there is something fun to do, probably something you have never tried before.

We should all be glad the Army sent us to Fort Lewis. Boredom should be the least common complaint on post.