In-processing
Upon arriving on base, your first stop should be the newcomers' 24-hour arrival point, located at the Gateway Inn, Bldg. 1375, on Arkansas Road. The personnel there will assist newcomers in obtaining quarters and contacting their sponsor or commander's support staff.

Members are to report to the unit orderly room the first duty day after arriving at Andrews. The CSS will locate the sponsor when necessary, complete all personnel actions, issue meal cards or separate rations and generally try to iron out any problems, which may be encountered in the process.

Once the orderly room has completed all personnel actions, newcomers are then ready to report to the Military Personnel Flight Customer Service, for base in-processing. Hand-carried personnel records should remain sealed and will not be opened by anyone other than a Customer Service representative, Comptroller, for cash advances, or the appropriate agency in an emergency. Personnel with approved temporary duty location orders for house hunting must use it before in-processing, and it shouldn't extend beyond the ‘‘report no later than” date.

Andrews has a one-stop in-processing system to save time and hassle of locating and processing into the many agencies required by permanent change of station moves. Servicemembers must contact their orderly rooms to schedule an in-processing appointment. Initial records screening is done Tuesdays in bldg. 1414, during normal duty hours. At that time you will be given your base appointments and then you will be officially signed in at Andrews.

During in-processing, you will be scheduled for the Newcomers' Information Fair, which offers newcomers the greatest amount of information available on Andrews and the local area. Spouses of newly assigned personnel are highly encouraged to attend. For more information about the fair, call 301-981-2558.

Free childcare is available. For children 6 months to 5 years old, call the child development center at 301-981-3035 for reservations. For children 6 to18 years old, call the youth center at 301-981-5636 for reservations.

For additional information on in-processing, call Customer Service at 301-981-2277.

For smooth and speedy in-processing, everyone should bring the following items and information:

• Sealed personnel package
• Orders and amendments
• All receipts and tickets pertinent to travel voucher
• Most current LES. Everyone will fill out an “Emergency Data Card” and Serviceman’s Group Life Insurance, which requires the following nformation:
  • Full name
  • Social Security Number
  • Spouse’s present address
  • Spouse’s Social Security Number
  • Names and birth dates of children
  • Full names and address of parents
  • Beneficiary for gratuity pay if there is no surviving spouse
  • Name of person to receive member’s pay if the member is missing in action
  • Name, Social Security Number and address of beneficiary for life insurance

Uniforms
All authorized Air Force uniforms are permitted for year-round wear at Andrews. As a result of changes in Air Force Instructions, Battle Dress Uniforms may be worn into fast food restaurants and when making convenience stops while going to and from work. Personnel visiting the metropolitan Washington area, not including Andrews or Bolling Air Force bases, must comply with the provisions of Air Force Instruction 36-2903, Dress and Personal Appearance of Air Force Personnel, Chapter 1.

Passes & IDs
Passes, restricted area badges and vehicle stickers are available at the Visitor Control Center, bldg. 1840, outside the Main Gate. These items are issued weekdays from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. Squadron orderly rooms will also issue vehicle stickers when available. For additional information, call 301-981-0689.

If a new ID card is needed, go to the Military Personnel Flight Customer Service office located in bldg. 1414. For questions about procedures and eligibility call 301-981-2276 or 301-981-2277.

Sponsoring VisitorsOn Base
Because of the important resources and personnel that transit through Andrews, entry to the base is strictly controlled. If a non-military affiliated person is a guest to Andrews, it is required the sponsor physically come to the Visitor Control Center in order for their guest to gain access to the base.

Instruct the person coming for a visit to go to the Visitor Control Center with their driver's license. If the person is driving onto the base, they must also show the state registration and insurance cards for the vehicle they are operating.

Housing
Air Force members may apply for permissive TDY to search for off base housing as soon as they receive formal assignment notification. They can take the TDY within nine months preceding the move, but it may last no longer than 10 days.

Previously, permanent-change-of-station orders were needed to request a permissive TDY. Current Air Force instructions now allow members to take up to eight days to look for a home while en route to a new duty station without being charged leave.

This policy allows more people to take advantage of the house hunting opportunity. For more information, contact your unit orderly room.

Family Housing
Andrews maintains about 886 housing units on base for those who are authorized to reside in government family quarters. There are 25 different styles of units. Housing applicants are given up to two addresses to look at before they make a decision.

The privatized housing leasing office can be reached at 301-736-8082. To be eligible for base housing, you must be assigned to Andrews and accompanied by dependents. Waiting times, on average, range from three to nine months during the busiest season. Contact the Andrews Housing Office at 301-981-5354 or DSN 858-5354 for information on the waiting list.

Application for family housing can be made prior to arrival by mailing a completed DD Form 1746 with a copy orders to the Andrews Housing Office at the 316th Civil Engineer Squadron Housing Flight, 1190 Menoher, Andrews AFB, MD 20762. This form is available at all base housing offices. Forms may also be faxed to 301-981-5167, 301-981-1230 or DSN 858-5167 or 858-1230.

For current BAH rates, contact your local Financial Management Office for the Andrews area rates or log on to https:⁄⁄secureapp2.hqda.pentagon.mil⁄perdiem⁄bah.html.

Summerfield Housing
Summerfield makes up a large number of the quarters Andrews administers. This is a joint venture between Bolling Air Force Base, the Navy Public Works Center and Andrews. These units are for officers and enlisted personnel. Andrews operates and maintains the housing area in accordance with an Interservice Support Agreement.

Summerfield is located 1⁄2 mile inside the Capital Beltway in Landover, Md., approximately 12 minutes from base. The 234-acre site includes a 34-acre public park, community recreation center with fitness center, exercise course, playgrounds, tennis and basketball courts; softball, soccer and football fields; and a wildlife observation deck.

Naval and Marine personnel assigned to the Naval District of Washington must apply for Summerfield housing at Anacostia, Washington, D.C. All personnel assigned to Bolling, Pentagon, Department of Defense agencies must apply at Bolling, Washington, D.C.

OFF BAE HOUSING

Community housing
Good housing is available within easy commuting distance of Andrews, but it's expensive. Because of this, it's important to stay in touch with your sponsor to keep abreast of local housing trends, policies and costs.

Since the base is near major traffic arteries, Andrews' families live in almost all of the National Capital Area communities. All of these areas have an abundance of high-rise apartment buildings, apartment complexes, townhouses or single family homes.

Before attempting to find off base housing, contact the Housing Flight Office in bldg. 1190 at 301-981-5516. Department of Defense directives require this coordination, and the services provided can be invaluable. The housing office can provide a computer listing organized according to the type of housing desired - apartments, town homes and single family homes for sale or rent. They will also base the list on the number of bedrooms required, price and geographical preferences. The housing office will also provide copies of base and local area maps.

Set AsideHousing Program
The Set Aside Housing Program is designed to provide servicemembers and their families with relatively affordable off base housing. This program allows members to lease apartments at reduced prices.

Security deposits, credit checks, application fees and minimum income requirements are automatically waived, and all rent is paid through a direct pay allotment.

HOUSE FOR UNACCOMPANIED PERSONNEL

Airmen
Many of the dorms on Andrews were recently renovated within the last few years. The latest completion of new, three-story dormitories is the first stepping-stone to an aggressive dormitory construction and improvement plan. All dormitories are located near the shopping center complex, post office, dining facility, chapel and library.

Unaccompanied members in grades E-4 and below, with less than three years of time in service live in the dormitories. Airmen should see their unit first sergeant for assistance in living arrangements, whether it is for a dormitory room assignment or basic housing allowance paperwork.

Officers
There are no permanent quarters for unaccompanied officers. Unaccompanied officers should stop at the Financial Services Flight upon arrival in bldg. 1535, room D101, to start their basic allowance for housing. For further information, call 301-981-3998.

Elementary and Secondary Schools
Elementary and Secondary school attendance is mandatory in Maryland for children between the ages of 5 and 16 years old. In 2006, children who are 5 years old before Sept. 1 will be the new guideline for children to enroll into kindergarten. Some Elementary Schools offer Pre-Kindergarten for 4 year olds. The public school system, which accommodates Andrews' children, is administered by the Prince George's County Board of Education. The system is the 16th largest in the country. There are also numerous private and parochial schools within commuting distance to meet family needs. Parents are urged to register their children as soon as possible after arrival in the area. Early enrollment is particularly important if a student needs special placement consideration for special services. Parents will need their child's immunization record, birth certificate, or some other proof of age, and legal proof of residence, which might be house settlement papers, a rental or lease contract.

Contextual Learning Environment School Programs, formally Magnet Schools, provide specialized curriculum, including science and technology, talented and gifted, and before-and after-school care programs. Public school assignment or registration information may be obtained by calling 301-952-6300. For more information on schools, contact the Andrews' School Liaison Officer at 301-981-0057.

OTHER IMPORTANT THINGS TO KNOW

Base Locator
Base locator service is provided by the Communications Group Administrative Communications Management Branch 24 hours a day. The locator telephone number is 301-981-6161 or 301-981-1110.

Telephone Service
The commercial area codes for Andrews are 301 and 240. To dial Andrews' numbers from off base, use the prefixes 301-981-XXXX or 240-857-XXXX. For directory assistance dial 301-981-1110 or 240-857-1110. A ‘‘1” must be dialed first for long distance calls.

Andrews DSN prefixes are 858 and 857. DSN operator assistance is 858-1110. On base, there are several types of office phone services available: phones, which provide direct dial access to DSN and city trunks; phones, which give access to base phones and city trunks; and phones for placing on-base calls only, but may receive calls from on or off base.

To call another office on base, you must dial a 2, for 981 prefixes, or a 7, for 857 prefixes, and the last four digits of the phone number. To gain access to a city trunk line dial 99 and for access to DSN, dial 94. To reach the base telephone information desk from an on-base phone, dial 411. Don't discuss classified information on any unsecured phone.

Emergency Assistance
If members run across financial difficulties upon arriving to Andrews, the Air Force Aid Society, part of the Family Support Center, provides emergency financial assistance to servicemembers and families based on the merits of each case. The AFAS provides financial assistance primarily to Active Duty and retired Air Force families. In an emergency, other military services will be offered.

The AFAS is particularly sensitive to financial problems, which arise as a result of permanent change of station moves. Grants for educational assistance are also available through the AFAS for eligible personnel. For more information on any of these programs, call 301-981-7087. For after-hour emergencies, call the Andrews Operations Center at 301-981-5058.

Local transportation
Washington, D.C., Metro Commercial Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority buses regularly departs the Main Gate at Allentown Road and Suitland Road and North Gate at Perimeter Road and Patrick Avenue. For information on the Metro system, call 202-637-1328. The closest Metrorail, or subway, stop is the Branch Avenue Station on the Green Line.

Rental cars
The Enterprise commercial car rental agency is located in the Passenger Terminal, in bldg. 1220, at the east end of Menoher Drive. For other rental agencies, check the yellow pages of the telephone directory under ‘‘Auto Renting and Leasing.”

Pet Registration and Veterinary Care
Dogs and cats on base must have rabies immunizations and be registered within five days of moving on base. Members can do this at the Veterinary Clinic, bldg.1781, on Arnold Avenue.

Pets can be registered at the Base Veterinary Clinic 7:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays and noon to 3 p.m. Fridays. When registering a pet, bring all copies of the pet's medical records.

Veterinary services include vaccinations, health certificates and sick-call appointments. The clinic is open to all active duty, retirees and those authorized for Department of Defense medical care under the DEERS system. Appointments can be made by phone Mondays through Fridays. The clinic is closed on the last business day of each month.

For more information or to make an appointment, call 240-857-2651.

Postal Services
The base post office, co-located with the Postal Service Center near the M & T Bank on D Street, provides complete postal services. As soon as permanent change of station orders have been issued, send a copy to the sponsor, so a postal box can be reserved.

The PSC provides individual combination lock boxes, accessible 24 hours a day, for use by dormitory residents and TDY personnel stationed on base 180 days or more. General Delivery boxes are also available upon request for transient personnel residing in the immediate area. Parcel pickup and general delivery hours are 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Mondays through Saturdays. Base housing residents receive their mail at boxes located near their individual quarters.

Using the zip code plus four format, will increase the speed, which mail is traveled. The zip code for any location on-base is 20762. The last four digits will depend on the exact residential or office location. This information can be found in the Postal Directory located in the post office lobby. PSC patrons will use their lock box number as the last four digits. For example: AB JOHN E. DOE, 1668 D Street Box 123, Andrews AFB, Md. 20762-0123.

Both the base post office and Postal Service Center accept personal checks and credit cards for payment. For more information, call 301-568-2218.

Personal Firearms
People living in on-base dormitories must place privately owned firearms in the 316th Security Forces Squadron Armory, Bldg. 1845 on Westover Drive, immediately upon arrival at Andrews. Firearms must be registered within 72 hours. Housing residents are also required to register their privately owned firearms within 72 hours of arrival at the armory or law enforcement desk. For more information, call 301-981-6669.