It's not much but it's like most typical army town
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12/24/2012
I've lived here for 2 1/2 years starting may 2010, deployed for 10 1/2 months of that time. Clarksville is like most military towns, it's kind of run down, although they have a very small downtown that is not bad, most of the city is along 41a or along wilma rudolph boulevard, that would be where most of the action takes place. Clarksville does have a mall, 2 movie theatres, 3 walmarts and a Target, not exactly booming but it has the essentials. Around post it's an absolute dump, all the businesses and housing looks so grubby, beat down and ghetto it makes you wish you were stationed somewhere else bedides ft campbell, but this being my 1st duty station I had no choice in the matter. There's some restaurants and pubs mostly by the mall and a few downtown, but after a few weekends of that you've seen everything in clarksville and then your counting the days til your out of this place. The unfortunate thing is it rains constantly here, I wondered why ft campbell was the highest military suicide rate (and suicide is no laughing matter, I'm a mental health tech), not just in the army, but in the entire military anywhere. It rains on average 131 days a year here in clarksville( US avg is 100 days a year), that's the average since 1981, Ive planned to go on long motorcycle rides, bbq outside and have friends over for dinner, but 1 in every 2.9 days it rains here and besides being very depressing, more than 10-15 times rain has cancelled my plans in the short period of time I've lived here. I run alot outside (love to mountain climb also but no mountains here, swim and go to the beach, but no beaches here anywhere, and try to ride my motorcycle as those are some of the things that make me happy but alot of people just don't like hanging out in the rain. It's been a very depressing experience living in Clarksville, TN. I'll definately never reenlist to stay here, I don't think it's good for a soldiers mental health or physical well being to stay here longer than a year, it's overall just a depressing place. Although I have talked to a few soldiers that like a real slow pace of life and enjoy hunting and fishing around here and land between the lakes, they live on the outskirts of clarksville and hopkinsville, they love it. They say no one bothers them and they live in peace and quiet daily. Something to think about as views from both
I went to AIT at Ft Sam/San Antonio which was a great city, and Basic at Ft Sill/Lawton which didnt seem like much was there but the weather was definately much better at least. Hope this helps any future soldier thinking about reenlisting to come here. All the best
Ryan | Clarksville, TN