Relax with a view at Great Pond Outdoor Adventure Center (photo: Great Pond Facebook page) Looking for a great getaway that doesn’t cost a fortune? Use your military benefits to stay in Navy MWR lodging around the world! From bustling downtown Tokyo to the quiet waters of Maine, the Navy has some of the best-kept secrets in military accommodations. Here are 16 must-see Navy MWR destinations to check out when planning your next vacation! Visit the facilities’ respective websites for pricing, availability and reservation policies. Patrons authorized to use Navy MWR services encompass a broad com ..read more

If you’re looking for a fun, affordable way to travel Europe, skip the planes, trains, and hotels and explore in an RV. In Europe, RVs are called camping cars, motorhomes, or caravans, but just like in the U.S., they are a popular way to travel. In this guest contribution from Army retiree Tony Cerella, learn why exploring Europe by campervan is a great option! We were assigned to Germany and Italy during my final two tours before I retired. Once settled in Germany in 2017, we purchased a campervan for our family of four. For the next 6 years, we traveled in our camper to multiple countries ..read more

Seward, Alaska, the location of Seward Military Resort (photo: Canva/Backyard Productions) Need affordable vacation ideas? The Army has you covered! They have recreation areas around the world where you can relax and enjoy a family-friendly getaway. Check out these 13 ideas to get you started! Visit each facility website for more details, pricing, and reservations. Most of these Army recreation areas are open to disabled veterans who are not also retired from the military, but contact them directly for confirmation. In some cases eligibility information on their respective websites is not curr ..read more

Joint Base Lewis-McChord (JB Lewis-McChord or JBLM) in Washington State is one of the best places on the West Coast to catch a military Space-A flight. JBLM has regular missions to locations all over the country and to several destinations outside the continental U.S. (OCONUS). Also, while many Space-A passengers vie for the Patriot Express missions out of the Air Mobility Command (AMC) terminal at Seattle airport, competition for flights at JBLM is often light. In this comprehensive guide, we’ll walk you through the essentials of flying Space-A from JBLM, including the military bases with re ..read more

Photo: Chickery’s Travels People come from all over the world to visit Florida’s beautiful beaches. Did you know that, as a member of the U.S. military community, you have exclusive access to some incredible stretches of the Sunshine State’s coastline? From the Gulf of Mexico to the Atlantic Coast and down to the Florida Keys, Florida is home to several military bases and recreation areas with amazing beaches that are only available to eligible patrons, including military personnel and certain veterans. Find out where these beaches are and what they offer, plus get nearby military lodging opti ..read more

JB Charleston is among the most active bases for Space-A travel opportunities in the southeastern United States. The base is located in North Charleston, about 12 miles northwest of Charleston’s historic city center. This Air Mobility Command (AMC) terminal has regular missions to several bases within the U.S., but its occasional missions to some very uncommon destinations make it a great starting point if you’re light on your feet and up for an adventure! Here’s what you need to know about flying Space-A from JB Charleston. If you are new to Space-A flying, read our Quickstart Guide to Space ..read more

Ever dream of moving to Europe after you retire from the military? Milton Soler, an Army retiree, decided many years ago that he wanted to retire in Europe, and in 2021, he realized his dream by moving to France. In this personal interview with Milton, part of our Expat Retiree Interview Series, find out how Milton and his family moved to Strasbourg, and read Milton’s sage advice for anyone considering expat life in France! Why did you move overseas after military retirement, and how did you choose France? I first came to Europe as an Army E-1/private, and I loved the experience. I decided th ..read more

For military history buffs, Bastogne, Belgium is hallowed ground. It was the site of the last major German offensive during WWII: Battle of the Bulge. Bastogne now has several important museums and monuments dedicated to that bloody battle. We recently visited Bastogne, and in this article, Mr. Poppin’ Smoke, a 30-yr Army veteran, explains what to see in this historic area. As a military retiree, I like to visit historic war sites and walk the battlefields. We have been to Gettysburg, Little Big Horn, Normandy, and the Maginot Line in France, just to name a few. I enjoyed these visits because ..read more

If you’re flying Space-A from the Washington, DC area, add Joint Base (JB) Andrews to your list of options. JB Andrews usually has several flights per week to bases within the continental U.S. plus regular flights to Germany. As a bonus, competition for Space-A seats at Andrews is often less than at the Air Mobility Command (AMC) terminal at BWI airport, making it a great starting point for a Space-A adventure! Here’s what you need to know about flying Space-A from the JB Andrews passenger terminal. If you are new to Space-A flying, read this Quickstart Guide to Space-A Military Flights first ..read more

Flying space-available (Space-A) is a great privilege that we have used extensively over our past 8+ years of travel around the world. The savings, the adventure, the opportunity to ride military transports, and many times, the ease of taking military operational flights vs civilian carriers have been amazing! But, if you’ve been a Poppin’ Smoke reader for a while, you probably know that we caution against flying Space-A during the summer months, winter holidays, and (to a lesser extent) spring break, especially for retirees and others in lower-priority categories. Recently, we took a calcula ..read more