Lemoore Oceana or Miramar

[Huggy Bear]

Miramar would be hands down my top choice for an FRS tour. It's a great town and 101 is not as efficient, what takes 7 months at lemoore or oceana takes 11 months down there, so you'll have more time there.

I've done tours in both oceana and lemoore. For a fleet tour, there are pluses and minuses to both. I'm from northern california, so I'm a little partial to the west coast, but I think oceana edges out lemoore in most respects for most people.

Oceana:

+
Better market for the single guys
More restaurants and stores
Med cruises (that's a whole other post)
Right on the ocean (we are in the navy right)
Your ship is right next to the base
Great air/air ranges and on base bandits

-
The anti jet noise community
The 'mid-atlantic' can't hold a candle to california in terms of the outdoors, scenery and activities.
Dry-suits a third of the year
crappy bombing ranges


Lemoore:

+
World class mountains, beaches, skiing and cities within 2-3 hrs drive
Great flying in terms of scenery and bombing ranges
Seems a little more relaxed to me than oceana
If you want combat, the percentage threat is in the pacific

-
The air and water in lemoore (no kidding, scientifically proven the worst air in the US)
For air/air, Oceana wins hands down
For restaurants and stores, oceana wins hands down
Your ship is at least a 6 hour drive away

Housing is pretty much a wash. The prices are very similar in both places. Boring married-with-kids types like myself will find a similar lifestyle in either location. If I were single, I'd lean towards Oceana.

Having said all this, bottom line, thrive wherever you are planted. Location is not nearly as important as the people you are with .

 

[FA-18 Mousse]

Well, used to be the best kept secret in the Navy!

Went through -101 as a student and did a tour there as an IP!! Life rocked back then.....well, rocks now too!

 

[bolterking]

Miramar would be hands down my top choice for an FRS tour. It's a great town and 101 is not as efficient, what takes 7 months at lemoore or oceana takes 11 months down there, so you'll have more time there.

I've done tours in both oceana and lemoore. For a fleet tour, there are pluses and minuses to both. I'm from northern california, so I'm a little partial to the west coast, but I think oceana edges out lemoore in most respects for most people.

Oceana:

+
Better market for the single guys
More restaurants and stores
Med cruises (that's a whole other post)
Right on the ocean (we are in the navy right)
Your ship is right next to the base
Great air/air ranges and on base bandits

-
The anti jet noise community
The 'mid-atlantic' can't hold a candle to california in terms of the outdoors, scenery and activities.
Dry-suits a third of the year
crappy bombing ranges


Lemoore:

+
World class mountains, beaches, skiing and cities within 2-3 hrs drive
Great flying in terms of scenery and bombing ranges
Seems a little more relaxed to me than oceana
If you want combat, the percentage threat is in the pacific

-
The air and water in lemoore (no kidding, scientifically proven the worst air in the US)
For air/air, Oceana wins hands down
For restaurants and stores, oceana wins hands down
Your ship is at least a 6 hour drive away

Housing is pretty much a wash. The prices are very similar in both places. Boring married-with-kids types like myself will find a similar lifestyle in either location. If I were single, I'd lean towards Oceana.

Having said all this, bottom line, thrive wherever you are planted. Location is not nearly as important as the people you are with .

Great post. Good pro's and con's to both. Just try to gather information make your decision based on what best suits you. But also remember just because you end up on the other coast does not mean you can not make it back when you finish the RAG. If you go to 101, you will in fact be doing another PCS move. So slightly better chance to get the 101 to Ocenas move like I did in my career. The myth of once on west or east coast you stay there is just that...myth.

 

[BrittO]

should be may 25th, and i emphasize should. ACM and boat left.

 

[airgreg]

Don't tell anyone, but that's why i purposely broke my left arm last weekend. I'll be damned if I'm leaving this place!

Squid, you lucky bastard. I've been trying to break my leg for the past 6 months.
Miramar, NKX, Heaven. Whatever you want to call it. I fly F/A-18's out of San Diego. For the time being...

 

[BigBadBoJenkins]

Miramar would be hands down my top choice for an FRS tour. It's a great town and 101 is not as efficient, what takes 7 months at lemoore or oceana takes 11 months down there, so you'll have more time there.

I've done tours in both oceana and lemoore. For a fleet tour, there are pluses and minuses to both. I'm from northern california, so I'm a little partial to the west coast, but I think oceana edges out lemoore in most respects for most people.

Oceana:

+
Better market for the single guys
More restaurants and stores
Med cruises (that's a whole other post)
Right on the ocean (we are in the navy right)
Your ship is right next to the base
Great air/air ranges and on base bandits

-
The anti jet noise community
The 'mid-atlantic' can't hold a candle to california in terms of the outdoors, scenery and activities.
Dry-suits a third of the year
crappy bombing ranges


Lemoore:

+
World class mountains, beaches, skiing and cities within 2-3 hrs drive
Great flying in terms of scenery and bombing ranges
Seems a little more relaxed to me than oceana
If you want combat, the percentage threat is in the pacific

-
The air and water in lemoore (no kidding, scientifically proven the worst air in the US)
For air/air, Oceana wins hands down
For restaurants and stores, oceana wins hands down
Your ship is at least a 6 hour drive away

Housing is pretty much a wash. The prices are very similar in both places. Boring married-with-kids types like myself will find a similar lifestyle in either location. If I were single, I'd lean towards Oceana.

Having said all this, bottom line, thrive wherever you are planted. Location is not nearly as important as the people you are with .

This post is over six years old. I'm just resurrecting the thread to see if the information is still good. Any more recent reviews of Lemoore vs. Oceana?

 

[MIDNJAC]

If you were going to fly God's jet, I guess the question would be Oceana vs Miramar (I heard Lemoore is done with Charlies). In which my answer would be Miramar as long as you can, followed by Oceana. It worked for me anyway. Oceana is a nice town. It isn't as cool as SD, but it is much cooler than Lemoore/Hanford/Fresna IMO. The ranges are not as cool, that much is for certain. But where you go home to at the end of a long fleet day is important too. When I got here, there was a big difference between how much Oceana dudes deploy compared to Lemoore bros (not bro in the NSAWC sense). While I was galavanting around Miramar, and doing my first year in the fleet ashore, my friends from the VT's that went to NLC probably all deployed twice. I don't know specifically how -106 runs, but from recent check ins we have had, it seems like 7-8 months is the norm. I spent 22 (really 16 months of actual flying) months at Miramar for comparison's sake, and I think my Lemoore friends spent somewhere in-between.

 

[BigBadBoJenkins]

If you were going to fly God's jet, I guess the question would be Oceana vs Miramar (I heard Lemoore is done with Charlies). In which my answer would be Miramar as long as you can, followed by Oceana. It worked for me anyway. Oceana is a nice town. It isn't as cool as SD, but it is much cooler than Lemoore/Hanford/Fresna IMO. The ranges are not as cool, that much is for certain. But where you go home to at the end of a long fleet day is important too. When I got here, there was a big difference between how much Oceana dudes deploy compared to Lemoore bros (not bro in the NSAWC sense). While I was galavanting around Miramar, and doing my first year in the fleet ashore, my friends from the VT's that went to NLC probably all deployed twice. I don't know specifically how -106 runs, but from recent check ins we have had, it seems like 7-8 months is the norm. I spent 22 (really 16 months of actual flying) months at Miramar for comparison's sake, and I think my Lemoore friends spent somewhere in-between.

Thanks for the reply

 

[Renegade One]

If you were going to fly God's jet...

They're ALL God's jets…

But do I have the mental math right? (for Navy pilots/NFOs, as applicable):

Miramar = "legacy Hornet" FRS = a Lemore-based first fleet squadron?

Lemoore = "Rhinos" FRS = Lemoore OR Atsugi-based first fleet squadron?

Oceana = "legacy or Rhinos" FRS = Oceana-based first fleet squadron?

Did someone else mention Beaufort as an FRS possibility for Navy pilots? If true, can I assume Beaufort = "legacy" Hornet FRS = Oceana-based first fleet squadron?

I figure it's not all that unusual to go through an FRS on one coast and get PCS'd to the other, based on the needs, but is the above generally the expected flow?

 

[Swanee]

They're ALL God's jets…

But do I have the mental math right? (for Navy pilots/NFOs, as applicable):

Miramar = "legacy Hornet" FRS = a Lemore-based first fleet squadron?

Lemoore = "Rhinos" FRS = Lemoore OR Atsugi-based first fleet squadron?

Oceana = "legacy or Rhinos" FRS = Oceana-based first fleet squadron?

Did someone else mention Beaufort as an FRS possibility for Navy pilots? If true, can I assume Beaufort = "legacy" Hornet FRS = Oceana-based first fleet squadron?

I figure it's not all that unusual to go through an FRS on one coast and get PCS'd to the other, based on the needs, but is the above generally the expected flow?

No FRS in Beaufort, VFA-106 handles all of that. Normally the flow above is correct, but there are always a few guys who break the mold.

FWIW I'm a Marine going to Miramar but doing the FRS thing at Oceana.

 

[Renegade One]

FWIW I'm a Marine going to Miramar but doing the FRS thing at Oceana.

Actually, sounds pretty sweet…a nice taste of two great "Naval" aviation towns. Many attributes to recommend them both...

How's the Oceana O'Club these days? Used to be SECNAV Lehman's favorite "hang with JOPA" spot…back when dinosaurs still roamed the earth…

PLEEZE don't tell me it's been turned into a convention center, or an "All Hands" club.

 

[Swanee]

Actually, sounds pretty sweet…a nice taste of two great "Naval" aviation towns. Many attributes to recommend them both...

How's the Oceana O'Club these days? Used to be SECNAV Lehman's favorite "hang with JOPA" spot…back when dinosaurs still roamed the earth…

PLEEZE don't tell me it's been turned into a convention center, or an "All Hands" club.

It's still an O'Club but only the bar in the middle of the building is open; the back bar isn't even stocked. On Fridays you'll still catch a few guys at the bar playing fighter die and hanging out. But I get the idea that it's a mere shadow of it's former self. Maybe that will change as the weather gets nicer.

 

[zipmartin]

It's still an O'Club but only the bar in the middle of the building is open; the back bar isn't even stocked. On Fridays you'll still catch a few guys at the bar playing fighter die and hanging out. But I get the idea that it's a mere shadow of it's former self. Maybe that will change as the weather gets nicer.

Sad, sad, sad. To quote a former AW member, "I weep...."

 

[MIDNJAC]

@ R1, I think the above was probably pretty accurate overall, though I've probably seen about as many people do the RAG on one coast, JO tour on the other as I have seen do the stay on a coast deal. That was probably because my experience was at -101, where it was just a crap shoot for Navy guys, being kind of on an island so to speak. But I do know people that swapped coasts after finishing 106, or 125/122.

 

[SDNalgene]

If you have to ask, you are probably contemplating making adult (and likely misguided) decisions like wanting to buy a house someplace where you will have your fleet tour, or not wanting to move your family twice, or some other nonsense. In that case, don't go to Miramar as the joys of San Diego would be wasted on you.