Newcomer's Information

Pre-planning is essential for newcomers moving to Fort Stewart and Hunter Army Airfield, whether for a permanent change of station, a temporary duty assignment, or a school tour. Three excellent sources of information for military moves are Military HOMEFRONT, Military OneSource, and the Fort Stewart web site:
http://www.stewart.army.mil.

Military HOMEFRONT contains resources for everyone who is relocating from one duty station to another. The web site includes a section on planning PCS moves, as well as a section with information on 350 military installations worldwide. The web address is: www.militaryhomefront.dod.mil/.

Military OneSource provides information about a wide range of subjects including relocation, child care, personal finances, and emotional support during deployments. Its web site address is: www.militaryonesource.com. There are a number of actions which you should take as soon as you receive Permanent Change of Station (PCS) orders...actions such as arranging movement of your household goods, requesting on-base family housing (if desired), arranging temporary quarters for when you house hunt, and enrolling your children in the on-base Child Development Center program (if appropriate).

Newcomers are encouraged to contact their local Personal Property office as soon as possible after receiving orders to arrange shipment of household goods. Most of this process can now be accomplished on line using the Defense Personal Property System. You can now schedule delivery directly with your carrier.

Single Soldiers in the rank of E1 to E5 must reside in Single Soldier housing. Unaccompanied Soldiers in the rank of E6 to O3 are eligible to live in the exclusive Marne Point Community at Fort Stewart. Military families and single Soldiers E6 and above can either apply to live in military family housing or reside in the local community. Persons planning to rent off post MUST report to Family Housing prior to entering into a lease agreement.

Military families requiring on-base child care are encouraged to contact their Child Development Center to have their children's records transferred to the main data center. Upon arriving at Fort Stewart or Hunter, they should contact the Central Registration Office to retrieve and update their children's records.

Before departing home, remember to leave a forwarding mail address with your Post Office and hand carry important paperwork such as military service record, PCS orders, passports, leave and earning statement, proof of car registration and insurance, marriage certificate, immunization records of children, household good inventory lists, and military ID cards.

While traveling, be sure to document all travel expenses for reimbursement at Fort Stewart.

DIRECTIONS
Whether driving, flying or coming by bus or rail, Fort Stewart and Hunter Army Airfield are easily accessible. Hunter Army Airfield is adjacent to south Savannah Ga., while Fort Stewart is 42 miles southwest of Savannah. The two installations, located approximately 37 miles apart, are served by the same Garrison, and Soldiers and their families are authorized to use the support agencies at both locations.

Regardless of where you are being assigned, all Soldiers must first report in at the Marne Reception Center at Fort Stewart for approximately eight days of in-processing.

If coming by Car
Fort Stewart is readily accessible by way of the major east coast thoroughfares: U.S. 17, U.S. 84, I-16 and I-95. The Stewart garrison area is in the middle southern portion of the reservation, adjacent to Hinesville. The heavily-wooded reservation is bisected in several places by paved roads, including GA-119, running north to south from Pembroke to Hinesville. To reach the garrison area from Savannah, drive west on I-16 or drive south on Abercorn St. extension GA-144 to I-95 South then exit toward Jacksonville, Fla. Continue south on I-95 to exit 90 to Fort Stewart. Travel Highway 144 through the reservation for about 22 miles to signs indicating a left turn to the cantonment area. If you are traveling from Atlanta, drive south on I-75 to Macon then take I-16 to Pembroke. From Pembroke, follow GA-119 to the cantonment area. If northbound on I-95, follow exit 76, which is the Midway/Hinesville exit. The major highway passing through Hinesville is U.S. 84, and the two main routes to Stewart on the east and west edges of town are clearly marked on this road.

If arriving by Air, Bus or Rail
The nearest commercial airport is located in Savannah. The Amtrak Rail System also serves Savannah and Jesup. Soldiers should contact the Marne Reception Center at 767-0115 to arrange transportation to Fort Stewart where you will report in and in-process.

BASE ENTRY PROCEDURES
There is a Department of Defense decal system in effect on Fort Stewart and Hunter Army Airfield. Vehicles without a decal must display a post pass. Passes can be obtained at the main gates of both installations. All vehicles operated on-post must be registered or display a daily pass. Vehicles without a decal must be registered as soon as possible after arrival.

Vehicles can be registered at Building 226 at Fort Stewart or Building 1279 at Hunter Army Airfield. In order to register a vehicle, the driver must provide a valid vehicle registration, proof of insurance, and a valid driver's license. In addition, drivers must have a valid military, DoD civil service, or contractor ID card. Vehicles must be insured in the minimum amount of $25,000 - $50,000 for personal liability, and $20,000 for property damage.

Personnel needing to register a vehicle that is not register or owned by them must obtain a notarized document from the legal owner of the vehicle stating that they are allowing the vehicle to be registered by the appointed individual.

Visitors requiring entry to the installation are required to obtain a daily pass. Required documentation is the same as listed above. If driving a rental vehicle, the rental contract is also required For contractors and sub-contractors, decals will be issued if the contract is awarded for three or more years. For shorter periods of time, extended temporary passes will be issued in one-year increments. In addition to the above listed vehicle registration requirements, military motorcyclists must attend a state certified Motorcycle Safety Foundation Course or the post's Installation Safety Office motorcycle course. Personnel must present their Motorcycle Safety Foundation Card at the time of registration.

Drive and Bike Carefully
Seatbelt use is mandatory on and off both installations, as is the use of child-restraint seats.

Traffic patterns and speed limits are critical on-post in view of the buildup, construction, limited roads, and high volume of traffic. The speed limit in housing areas on Fort Stewart is 20 mph and 15 mph at Hunter Army Airfield. The speed limit when approaching or passing a column of troops is 10 mph. Please allow for longer commutes during PT hours.

All personnel, including family members, who ride bicycles on Fort Stewart or Hunter Army Airfield, must wear bicycle helmets that meet the standards of the American National Standards Institute or the Snell Memorial Foundation.

All bicycles must be equipped with a functioning light and a rear light reflector visible from a distance of 300 feet during hours of limited visibility. Bicycle riders are required to obey all traffic laws, ride with the flow of traffic, walk their bikes when crossing the street, obey all signs and traffic control devices, and use hand signals. Bicycle paths are to be used if provided.

All personnel riding bicycles must wear high visibility garments (bright color for daytime and retro-reflective during hours of darkness or reduced visibility). Fort Stewart and Georgia laws prohibit children between the ages of one and four from riding as a passenger on a bicycle unless the child is securely seated in a child passenger seat, bicycle trailer or infant sling and wearing a helmet.

Firearms Must Be Registered
All privately-owned firearms of military or civilian personnel residing on-post must be registered with the Directorate of Emergency Services within 72-hours upon arrival on the installation. Personnel residing off-post are also encouraged to register their weapons.

Weapons cannot be stored in privately owned vehicles or in unit barracks. Personnel residing in barracks must store their weapons in the unit arms room immediately upon arrival to their unit. Weapons do not have to be taken to the Fort Stewart Police Department to be registered. Only a completed AFZP Form 2027 is required for registration. At Fort Stewart, registration of firearms can be accomplished between 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday in Building 226. At Hunter Army Airfield, registration is offered from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., Monday through Friday in Building 1279.

REPORTING IN
All Soldiers, whether being assigned to Fort Stewart or Hunter Army Airfield, must sign in at the Marne Reception Center. There, you will be temporarily assigned to the 3rd Infantry Division Replacement Detachment, and be scheduled for approximately eight days of in-processing, and orientation programs.

The Marne Reception Center is located at Fort Stewart in Building 200 at 486 Soldier Pony Avenue. Its staff duty desk is open 24/7 and can be reached by calling commercial 767-0115/0111 or DSN 870-0115/011. Married Soldiers should contact the Lodging Office in advance to arrange temporary quarters. If no quarters are available, a non-availability statement will be issued and you will be authorized to stay at a local hotel. All single Soldiers will be assigned a temporary room in on-post barracks while in-processing.

Soldiers, staying at the replacement detachment, eat in the 103rd Military Infantry Battalion dining facility. The Post Exchange, commissary, bank, post office, credit union, movie theatre and gymnasium are all within walking distance.

The 3rd Infantry Division Replacement Detachment maintains SIDPERS accountability for all new Soldiers until they are fully in-processed and moved to their units. Soldiers get their assignment one day after their arrival at the replacement detachment.

Soldiers in grades E-5 and below are assigned to the detachment during in-processing. After sign-in at the replacement detachment, Senior NCOs and Officers are given their assignment instructions before going to the Personnel Processing Center.

The Marne Reception Center provides arriving Soldiers transportation from the Savannah International Airport, briefs new arrivals on the Standards of Conduct and the Marne Standard, and screens arriving Soldiers' personnel records to determine processing requirements. Records are then sent to Personnel Management where unit assignments are made. Arriving Soldiers are also scheduled to attend a Newcomers' Orientation which is held every Wednesday, starting at 11 a.m. at the Education Center, Building 110, at Fort Stewart.

Once final assignments are made, a tailor shop is available in the detachment area which can sew on unit patches. This service is free. A barber shop is also available at the Post Exchange. All incoming Soldiers without a Defensive Driving Course card must complete the four-hour course of instruction. The course is given in the detachment classroom.

Motorcyclists are required to take a safety course. For more information on this mandatory class, call the Fort Stewart Safety Office at 767-7880 or the Hunter Army Airfield Safety Office at 315-5814.

IN-PROCESSING
In-processing is conducted at the Audie Murphy Soldier Service Center where your "First Stop is One Stop." The Soldier Service Center is located just one block from the Marne Reception Center, in Building 253 off of Pony Soldier Avenue.

In-processing is conducted from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. during duty days. Certain preliminary in-processing is accomplished at the time of arrival, therefore, have all your records with you. One-Stop combines elements from the Adjutant General (Personnel), Finance and Accounting, Transportation, and the Family Housing/Housing Referral Office.

Processing at One-Stop includes confirmation of assignment, publication of assignment memorandum, updating personnel files, and finance record checks. Information is provided on post units, facilities, and activities. All in-processing must be done in military uniform.

In addition to in- and out-processing, the Soldier Service Center provides support for ID cards, vehicle registration, household goods transportation, civilian personnel, on and off base housing, passports, Army Community Services, American Red Cross, retirement services, Veterans Affairs, and Reserve Components.

TEMPORARY LODGING
(Fort Stewart)
Ft. Stewart Lodging is your home away from home. It is conveniently located one block from the Commissary, Main Post Exchange, Woodruff Movie Theater, and a state-of-the-art fitness facility. Soldiers and family members on official duty and temporary duty orders to and from the installation have priority.

Fort Stewart Army Lodging has 174 Army lodging rooms located in seven different buildings. These rooms are diverse in design, ranging from standard rooms to cottages. Rooms are complete with full-sized and queen-sized beds, microwaves, kitchenettes, refrigerators, cable TV, DVD players, and free in-room wireless Internet access. Daily continental breakfast, coffee, in house laundry and housekeeping service is provided at no charge.

Roll away beds and portable cribs are available to guests on a first come, first-served basis. We also have rooms that are ADA compliant. When making your reservation, please inform the reservationist of any special needs. Reservations are recommended. For reservations, call DSN 870-8384, commercial 368-4184, 912-408-8181. Reservations are accepted a year in advance for official travel (TDY or PCS orders) and up to 30 days in advance for all unofficial guests (must either have a Military ID or be sponsored by a service member). Space is limited for unofficial travelers. Credit card guarantee is required for all reservations.

Room Rates are based on available facilities. Additional occupant charges are $5 per person. There are only a limited number of pet rooms available. Pets must have a health certificate to stay in any lodging facility. Additionally, there is a $3 daily pet fee and a non-refundable $45 cleaning fee for the pet rooms. Sign-in is conducted at Fort Stewart's main lodging office, located at 304 Coe Ave, Building 4951.

TEMPORARY LODGING (AAF)
Hunter Lodging is your home away from home. It is located in the heart of the Coastal Empire, Savannah Georgia. It is conveniently located one block from the Commissary, Main Post Exchange, and a state-of-the-art fitness facility. Soldiers and family members on official duty and temporary duty orders to and from the installation have priority.

Hunter Army Lodging has 39 Army lodging rooms located in four buildings. These rooms are diverse in design, ranging from single rooms, two bedroom suites and stand alone homes. Rooms are complete with queen-sized beds, microwaves, kitchenettes, refrigerators, cable TV, DVD players, and free in-room wireless Internet access. Daily continental breakfast, coffee, in house laundry and housekeeping service is provided at no charge. Roll away beds and portable cribs are available to guests on a first come, first-served basis. We also have rooms that are ADA compliant. When making your reservation, please inform the reservationist of any special needs.

Reservations are recommended. For reservations, call DSN 870-5910, commercial 355-1060. Reservations are accepted a year in advance for official travel (TDY or PCS orders) and up to 30 days in advance for all unofficial guests (must either have a Military ID or be sponsored by a service member). Space is limited for unofficial travelers. Credit card guarantee is required for all reservations. Hunter lodging front desk is open from 7 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. Late arrival information is available; inquire during the reservation process.

Room rates are based on available facilities. Additional occupant charges are $5 per person. There are only a limited number of pet rooms available. Pets must have a health certificate to stay in any lodging facility. Additionally, there is a $3 daily pet fee and a non-refundable $45 cleaning fee for the pet rooms.

Sign-in is conducted at Hunter AAF's main lodging office, located at 525 Leonard Neal Street, Building 6010.

LENDING CLOSET
A Lending Closet is available for Soldiers and their family members needing basic household goods while waiting for personal property to arrive. Operated by Army Community Service, the Lending Closet can be contacted by calling 767-5058 at Fort Stewart or 315-6816 at Hunter Army Airfield.