It seems the Army is considering building a military theme park on or near Ft. Belvoir, VA. I'm not too sure if I agree with this idea. Maybe the Army needs to stick to fighting wars and not theme parks.

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C'mon kids, let's go to Army World!

FORT BELVOIR, Virginia (AP) -- The Army is considering a proposal to allow a private developer to build a military-themed park that would include Cobra Gunship rides and bars including a "1st Division Lounge."

Military officials said a massive entertainment and hotel complex built next to a national Army museum could draw more than 1 million people a year. But authorities in Fairfax County are objecting because of already traffic-clogged roads surrounding the proposed site.


Universal City Property Management III, of Orlando, Florida, submitted the unsolicited proposal for the theme park last year.


"You can command the latest M-1 tank, feel the rush of a paratrooper freefall, fly a Cobra Gunship or defend your B-17 as a waist gunner," according to the proposal, which was obtained by The Washington Post.


County officials have no authority over the Army's decision because the site is federal property. County Supervisor T. Dana Kauffman said he thought the entertainment concept died last year and said he had no interest in turning a military museum into "Disney on Rolling Road."


But the Army notified the county last week it is planning to move the military museum from Fort Belvoir to a site a few miles away that would be large enough for the entertainment complex.



cnn.com

Very interesting since I am at Ft. Belvoir. I can ask around about this one.

Ft. Belvoir is going to grow big time because of BRAC. We are getting somewhere in the neighborhood of thousands of additional soldiers.

Theme park.... HAHAHA.. that would be interesting...


Any ideas for rides from the Forum Members?

Originally Posted by Team Infidel

Any ideas for rides from the Forum Members?

Sure, paintball D-Day and the parachute drop. Although the lounge sounds nice.

I'm not sure I agree with the whole concept of the Army running one giant recruting tool, but some of the stuff in the article sounds kinda fun.

I really have to look into this. The post is pretty big, but not sure that this needs to happen.

Army Considers Military Theme Park
Associated Press | August 08, 2006

FORT BELVOIR, Va. - The Army is considering a proposal to allow a private developer to build a military theme park that would include "4D" rides and bars including a "1st Division Lounge," local officials said.


The massive entertainment and hotel complex next to a national Army museum could draw more than 1 million people a year but Fairfax County authorities are objecting because of already traffic-clogged roads surrounding the proposed site.

Universal City Property Management III, of Orlando, Fla., submitted the unsolicited proposal for the theme park last year.

"You can command the latest M-1 tank, feel the rush of a paratrooper freefall, fly a Cobra Gunship or defend your B-17 as a waist gunner," according to the proposal, which was obtained by The Washington Post.
County officials have no authority over the Army's decision because the site is federal property. County Supervisor T. Dana Kauffman said he thought the entertainment concept died last year and said he had no interest in turning a military museum into "Disney on Rolling Road."

But the Army notified the county last week it is planning to move the military museum from Fort Belvoir to a site a few miles away that would be large enough for the entertainment complex.

The Army is studying "a visitor destination concept" for the museum, a spokesman said, but provided no details and would not comment on the Universal City proposal.

http://www.military.com/NewsContent/...109203,00.html

To be honest I can't see the Army getting approval to spend government money like that.

For a theme park they would have to be wholly privately funded which would take away the possibility of putting it on a government site.

Maybe we could come up with an all services theme park that could incorporate all aspects of military life. You could pay to enter the park and for the next 9 weeks be trained with the service of your choice. When you finish with those 9 weeks you could be shipped off to the "camp ground" near Baghdad.

It does sound like fun eh?

Bad idea!

Boy, enlistments must really be low...

recruiting is not that bad for a volunteer force, but as always during a protracted conflict, the more recruits the better.

Seriously though, what would you do in a theme park based on a military organization? If you can go on go-kart humvees then that would be pretty cool. But aside from theming it as military based, i don't know realisitically what can be done.