I thought since I’ve been talking all about traveling and having relatives come down at the last minute I should bring up the fact of what needs to be done before one can actually enter the base. Trust me it will save a lot of time and stress if these are prepared before they come down.
First- Let them know whether or not it is a good time to come down. The simple fact that you may already have plans that can’t be canceled really needs to be addressed. It’s hard enough to do certain things in the military and if you finally get a chance then it can be a long time before the option comes back. Another thing is you don’t want to plan for half the family to go to a ball game you bought tickets for and have the relative come out and not get to spend any time with anyone. Plus, if they do then children can get upset that they saw one child and not the rest. The child that was out at the game may have enjoyed it but they won’t see it that way.
Sometimes the base has lockdown, this doesn’t happen often but when it does you aren’t allowed off base and no one is allowed on base. You don’t want family driving miles to just look at the gate and hear that they can’t come on to see you.
Second- Make sure you have all the proper paperwork, actually this is more for the person coming to visit. They will need proof of insurance (current), registration for their vehicle (doesn’t matter how old it is or if it is a rental) and of course your identification (ID card). I didn’t know all this was needed and it came to a shock to me one time when my husband was in Iraq and I had family come to visit. Thankfully, my sister always kept her stuff in her glove box, but some don’t. The officers at the gate DO NOT have to let anyone on, especially if they don’t have these things.
Once it is granted you will have to sign a piece of paper saying that you know you are liable for anything that they do on base. If you’ve got a speeder in the family remind them constantly that the base doesn’t tolerate anything over the speed limit, that includes 1 or 2 miles over.
I hope these little tips help you out the next time you have to go to the front gate to let a relative on the base.
Read these blogs about babies and traveling in the news:
Babies in the News: Conjoined Twins from North Dakota are Seperated
Hotel Stories From a Seasoned Traveler
The Benefits of Being Prepared