Marine Corps Air Station Miramar

My 14-year-old has been vacillating between wanting a commission in the Marine Corps and a commission in the Coast Guard.  Fortunately, San Diego has bases for both.  So, a few weeks before we left for San Diego, I contacted the Public Affairs Office at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar about the possibility of having a tour of the base while we were there.  I was able to get it arranged without difficulty.

We were met at the gate by one of the Public Affairs officers.  We got loaded into one of the government's SUVs, and spent the next hour being shown around the base.  Since Miramar (yes, this is the base of Top Gun glory, but it has been taken over by the Marines) is an air station, most of the action takes place in the air, so the Marines don't take up much land space.  To compare, our tour guide said that 10 Miramars could easily fit within the confines of Camp Pendleton.

Our guide was able to access the flight line.  We got to see the hangars.  My son was even more excited about seeing the Osprey up close and personal.  He peppered our guide with questions, and loved the tour.  My 4-year-old, on the other hand, was bored out of her mind. 

Since it was just the three of us, we were only able to do the driving tour.  For larger groups, the Public Affairs Office will arrange cool extras, like a demo from the K-9 unit there on base and a walking tour inside one of the hangars.  We were able to do something like that with a homeschool group up in Washington a number of years ago at Fort Lewis, and it was spectacular.  Definitely worth doing.