Looking for Benchmarks on Military Installations

[topflitejr1]

Have any of you Forum frequenters asked for and received permission to hunt for Marks on a Military Installation? Of course, I'm asking any non-government employees, but then again, a government employee or a Surveyor could have an interesting story to tell.

[mloser]

I was able to get permission to hunt for marks on the Fort Indiantown Gap, a PA National Guard facility near Lebanon, PA. It is mostly open--no fences--and I was given permission to go anywhere in the open area to hunt. There are also some protected areas and I was lucky enough to be taking a GIS class with a forestry worker from the Gap (as it is referred to locally) to get me permission to hunt in places I normally wouldn't have been allowed to go. As a bonus, he drove me to all the marks, and the day was a complete success, from a hunting, if not finding, perspective.

[topflitejr1]

I was able to get permission to hunt for marks on the Fort Indiantown Gap, a PA National Guard facility near Lebanon, PA. It is mostly open--no fences--and I was given permission to go anywhere in the open area to hunt. There are also some protected areas and I was lucky enough to be taking a GIS class with a forestry worker from the Gap (as it is referred to locally) to get me permission to hunt in places I normally wouldn't have been allowed to go. As a bonus, he drove me to all the marks, and the day was a complete success, from a hunting, if not finding, perspective.

 

mloser,

They even escorted you around the Base, that is awesome! I shouldn't be so shy to ask for permission next time I want to go looking for Marks on a Military Base. After all, the worst they can do is say no. I have worked at Edwards AFB in construction, but that was before I got into Benchmarking. What a kick it would be to look for BM's, out there. I live near MCAS Miramar now, and have been to a couple of Airshows, but did't feel very comfortable walking around with a GPSr and lots of MP's and other Boots making sure that the Civilians don't get too nosy.

[68-eldo]

Consider the idea of going through the facilities office. This would be the people that take care of the buildings and such. You could offer to supply them with a copy of what you found and any up dates you would report. They might be much more interested in letting you find the benchmarks and would help with getting you permission from the commanding officer.

[mloser]

I searched a few times at that base. The first was on my own--it is mostly an open base with some restricted areas. It was only when someone saw me poking around the base of a water tower that I got stopped by MPs and questioned. They were very nice and just suggested that I tell someone what I was doing next time. I did that--I stopped at the facilities office and left my information and told them what I was doing. They were fine with it and just asked that I check in before I left. The escorted tour was different--it wasn't official military, but was with a civilian from their forestry office. He checked and got proper permission before he took me around. There were places I could never have gone without him, and one place where I couldn't have even gotten to because my car would never have made it! The last mark I saw on the base was a drive by as we went past the firing range and I leaned out the truck window. The range was in use and he said he couldn't stop at that location. It was a pretty neat day, not so much from a benchmark hunting perspective as just being in a place that civilians aren't usually allowed.

[topflitejr1]

Consider the idea of going through the facilities office. This would be the people that take care of the buildings and such. You could offer to supply them with a copy of what you found and any up dates you would report. They might be much more interested in letting you find the benchmarks and would help with getting you permission from the commanding officer.

 

Thanks 68-eldo. The Facilities Office will be my first check.

[+shorbird]

I have had good fortune when attempting to look for benchmarks at various Coast Guard Stations. I just stop at the gate and tell them what I am doing, and they have always let me in to look.