Retired Military Couple Taken By Surprise When Required To Pay A Fee To Use A Military Recreation Area.
A retired military couple related the following experience while visiting Avon Park Air Force Range; “We recently had a bad experience with a campground in Florida. We were informed that the Air Force Range was now reopened in Avon Park, Florida. We drove over to check this out and were informed that in order for us to enter the Air Force base we would have to buy a pass!!! We are retired military and our car has a current MacDill AFB decal. The people we did get to talk with were all civilians! Needless to say, we were not happy! Please explain how an Air Force base can now be closed to retired military but anyone...civilian or military, have to pay for passes to check this out.”
The short answer is that Avon now belongs to the State of Florida and is no longer an active military installation. In my view this is yet another example of the erosion of benefits we are currently experiencing. However the good news is that we still have a foot-hold in the neighborhood, even though it’s small.
The Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) commission closed Avon in 1993. Since then a maximum security prison has been built there along with a youth correction facility. Since the APAFR Military Recreation Area is no longer owned or controlled by the military normal military rules do not apply.
APAFR Military Recreation Area Homepage
Military members, active and retired still have a section of this recreation area preserved for their use, but they still have to pay a usage fee because it is maintained by the State of Florida. The fees are $30.00 per annual pass or $15.00 for seven days. The military campground area is primitive with no hookups, but there is no limit on the length of stay.
Volunteer Program: There are 13 full hook-up camp sites available to volunteers for free. Four are 50 amp and nine are 30 amp. You must volunteer 24 hours of work per week in order to stay here. These camp sites are not open to the public. If you are interested contact Marian Lichtler the Program Manager for Outdoor Recreation. Use the email on the website to contact her.
So, update your military campground directory appropriately. This is still a beautiful place to visit and worth the price of a pass. Look at it as a donation to help keep the place running. There are many things to do here including hunting and fishing and birding. I’ve included the regulations below (they are two years old and the fees have increased since they were written).
2005-2006
APAFR MILITARY RECREATION AREA REGULATIONS
A1.1.2.1. A Military Recreation Permit is required by each individual or family using the MRA and must be purchased from the Outdoor Recreation Office prior to any use of the area. The price for the MRA Permit is $30.00 per year or $5.00 per week. The permit allows the holder and his/her spouse and any underage dependents to use the MRA for all forms of nonhunting outdoor recreation activities, and allows only the permit holder and one underage dependent at a time to hunt. Permits may be purchased at the Outdoor Recreation Office during scheduled office hours which are generally from noon on Thursdays until 8:00 p.m. on Mondays. Free-use MRA permits may be issued to persons specified by the DET 1/CC.
A1.1.2.2. MRA Guest Permits are available for escorted guests of active-duty, retired military, and DoD civilian personnel. The price for the MRA Guest Permit is $18.00 per week.
The short answer is that Avon now belongs to the State of Florida and is no longer an active military installation. In my view this is yet another example of the erosion of benefits we are currently experiencing. However the good news is that we still have a foot-hold in the neighborhood, even though it’s small.
The Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) commission closed Avon in 1993. Since then a maximum security prison has been built there along with a youth correction facility. Since the APAFR Military Recreation Area is no longer owned or controlled by the military normal military rules do not apply.APAFR Military Recreation Area Homepage
Military members, active and retired still have a section of this recreation area preserved for their use, but they still have to pay a usage fee because it is maintained by the State of Florida. The fees are $30.00 per annual pass or $15.00 for seven days. The military campground area is primitive with no hookups, but there is no limit on the length of stay.
Volunteer Program: There are 13 full hook-up camp sites available to volunteers for free. Four are 50 amp and nine are 30 amp. You must volunteer 24 hours of work per week in order to stay here. These camp sites are not open to the public. If you are interested contact Marian Lichtler the Program Manager for Outdoor Recreation. Use the email on the website to contact her.
So, update your military campground directory appropriately. This is still a beautiful place to visit and worth the price of a pass. Look at it as a donation to help keep the place running. There are many things to do here including hunting and fishing and birding. I’ve included the regulations below (they are two years old and the fees have increased since they were written).
2005-2006
APAFR MILITARY RECREATION AREA REGULATIONS
A1.1.2.1. A Military Recreation Permit is required by each individual or family using the MRA and must be purchased from the Outdoor Recreation Office prior to any use of the area. The price for the MRA Permit is $30.00 per year or $5.00 per week. The permit allows the holder and his/her spouse and any underage dependents to use the MRA for all forms of nonhunting outdoor recreation activities, and allows only the permit holder and one underage dependent at a time to hunt. Permits may be purchased at the Outdoor Recreation Office during scheduled office hours which are generally from noon on Thursdays until 8:00 p.m. on Mondays. Free-use MRA permits may be issued to persons specified by the DET 1/CC.
A1.1.2.2. MRA Guest Permits are available for escorted guests of active-duty, retired military, and DoD civilian personnel. The price for the MRA Guest Permit is $18.00 per week.
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