Caminator:
Leesville is a great area for outdoors activities. It does get hot and humid in the dog days of summer - Memorial Day to Labor Day; but it has beautiful hardwood and pine forested woodlands, and is surrounded by National Forests on three sides. West Louisiana is also close to Sam Rayburn reservoir with excellent fishing, camping, hiking and boating opportunities.
It has a typical small town appeal to it, but there is not a lot of options for entertainment. Fort Polk and the Training Center is the dominant employer in the area, next to logging. Night life is geared to single men and unmarried military. Typical chain stores and family owned restaurants. Housing is fairly affordable if you choose to live off base, but rent is geared to military tenants, so if you do go off base, the safer neighborhoods cost more. Be sure to check out the Military Museum in town.
We used to camp out on the lakes there - the woods are amazing in the fall colors, no large predators, but the Alsatian dog I had at the time was swimming once and I spotted a big alligator trying to ambush him. We got him out of the water, so beware of that issue. I still remember coffee off the campfire with sunrise over the lake as the fog lifted...magical. Camping was very safe there. You definitely will want to grill and maybe get your own crawfish/shrimp burner to boil up some fresh seafood if you don't camp out now....
Biggest issue is heat and humidity, and Mosquitos and flying insects. Mosquitos are the unofficial state bird in Louisiana. Unemployment is still high, so keep your doors locked and eyes open.
Lake Charles is a short drive, with great seafood and Cajun or Creole cuisine. If you golf, there are great courses there. Skeet and trap clubs are abundant, and inshore charter boats for redfish, speckled trout, and red snapper are also affordable and fill the freezer.
The people in Louisiana love life, love to party and cook good food, and every weekend there is a festival somewhere. Crawfish are abundant in season, and Gulf shrimp are the best in the USA. There is a strong cultural influence from the French and Catholics, so Mardi Gras is fun. Do not miss out on King Cake, beignets and coffee, crawfish pie, and seafood gumbo. Fried oyster or shrimp "po-boys" (like a sub sandwich, only much tastier) and andouille sausage, and crawfish or shrimp boils with jambalaya are not to be missed. You will have to keep running because you will love the good food there.
Oil and gas slowdown should be having some economic effects now. It is the Deep South and there is some rural poverty.
Overall, I spent eight years in Louisiana. The only thing I did not like was the subtropical climate.
I go to Louisiana on business every month, and I have a blast every time I go. Let the good times roll...!