Starting Out

Getting Here

MCAS Miramar is located on the City of San Diego’s northern edge. Directions to the air station when using any of the following major freeways heading northbound are as follows:

 

From Interstate 15:

Take the Miramar Way exit, which leads directly to the Main Gate.

 

From Interstate 5:

Take the La Jolla Village Drive exit and travel east. La Jolla Village Drive will turn into Miramar Road after approximately two miles. Travel on Miramar Road east for about four miles. Look for the Miramar North Gate sign.

 

From Interstate 805:

Take the Miramar Road exit. Travel on Miramar Road for about four miles. Look for the Miramar North Gate sign.

 

Your First Step

Personnel checking in during weekday working hours should first report to the Personnel Office at the Joint Reception Center, Building 2258. The JRC is located just inside the North Gate, off Miramar Road. Monday through Friday, 7 a.m. to 4 p.m., personnel will be processed and given orders to report to assigned unit administration offices.

 

After working hours or on weekends and holidays, personnel should report to the command duty officer at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar Headquarters, Building 8630. The command duty officer will issue orders to return to the JRC on the next available working day.

 

All service members are required to check in wearing the Service Alpha uniform. It should also be noted that those checking in after working hours will be required to return in Alphas the next working day. Contact the Personnel Office at (858) 577-6602 for more details or visit the MCAS Miramar website at www.miramar.usmc.mil.

 

Bachelor Housing

All single personnel arriving under permanent-change-of-station orders should contact the Billeting Office, Building 4312, after checking in to the air station. Service members of all ranks are normally assigned temporary rooms in one of the air station’s transient barracks. After unit assignment, E-5s and below will be given permanent rooms. Staff NCOs and officers will normally be required to obtain housing in the local community.

 

The size and floor plans of barracks rooms vary, depending on the service members’ rank and unit. All barracks rooms are cable-ready, equipped with a refrigerator, and have outside phone line accessing. Off-station phone service can be ordered by calling (800) 893-2018. Reservations can be made Monday through Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., by calling (858) 577-4233/35. Space availability, including personnel on transient orders, begins at 3 p.m. daily. For more information, call (858) 577-4235.

 

Temporary Housing

The Miramar Inn offers modern rooms in a convenient location. The inn is located in Building 2516 and is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. All rooms feature private baths, kitchenettes, access to coin-operated laundry facilities, and color televisions with basic cable services. The inn is within walking distance of the exchange, commissary, movie theater and a 50-meter swimming pool.

 

Department of Defense personnel, family members, retirees and special guests should contact the inn in advance to make reservations by calling (858) 271-7111 or (800) 628-9466. Please note that the Miramar Inn is not on the DSN system, so on-base callers must dial (99) 271-7111.

 

Off-Station Housing

Housing costs in San Diego are among the highest in the nation, and military personnel often experience long waits for military family housing. Civilian referral services are available through the housing office, (619) 556-9610.

 

Helpful information when making housing decisions can be found on the Internet at www.sandiego.gov or www.utsandiego.com, both of which provide additional information on a variety of San Diego issues.

 

Military Family Housing

San Diego military family housing falls under the jurisdiction of the commander of Naval Bases San Diego and is scattered throughout the county. Currently, there are 26 Navy and Marine Corps military family housing areas around San Diego. Additional housing units are being acquired through leases, acquisition of existing structures, public-private ventures and expansion through construction.

 

When filing for government housing, service members must choose a specific property’s waiting list on which to be placed. The length of the waiting list for any specific housing area depends on a number of factors such as location, current renovations and the ranks allowed in the area. The average waiting period is six to 36 months.

 

Service members can obtain a housing application by submitting a transfer order copy, DEERS information (DD form 1172) with a local housing application, or DD Form 1746 (application for assignment to housing) showing detachment date. Applications can be submitted in person, faxed or mailed to the housing office. Submissions by mail or fax should be confirmed within 30 days of arrival.

 

A housing referral package is available upon request by calling (619) 556-8443 or by writing to:

 

Commander Naval Bases (Code N7)

P.O. Box 368114

Military Family Housing

2625 LeHardy St.

San Diego, CA 92136-5182

 

Traffic Management Office

The Traffic Management Office, located in Building 2258, handles all receipt, delivery and pack-up of personal property shipments.

 

Those arriving aboard the air station can contact TMO at (858) 577-1298, Monday through Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., to establish a time for delivery of their personal effects. Call (858) 577-1299 for SATO travel information. Those in receipt of Permanent Change of Station orders should contact TMO as soon as possible to set up an appointment to start the pack-up process.

 

Education

There are no Department of Defense schools aboard Miramar or any of the San Diego Naval bases. The closest school districts are the San Diego Unified and Poway Unified School Districts. Unified districts in California include elementary, middle and high schools. San Diego Unified School District includes 218 educational facilities with more than 134,000 students. Classes normally begin on the day after Labor Day for traditional calendar schools. Sixty-three schools are year-round, single or multi-track, with classes beginning in July and August. All schools serve lunch and many serve breakfast.

 

Miramar is located at the extreme northern border of San Diego Unified. Students living north of Mira Mesa will be required to attend a school in Poway Unified. Students residing aboard Miramar will attend school in Mira Mesa from kindergarten through 12th grade. The two schools serving Miramar are on year-round scheduling. Assessment testing scores for both schools are higher than the district and county average.

 

For more information, call San Diego Unified at (619) 725-5578 or Poway Unified Learning Support Service at (858) 748-0010.

 

Private Schools:

There are a variety of religious and nonsectarian private schools in all communities. For a list of private schools, call the Office of Education at (858) 577-1801 or write to:

Office of Education

San Diego County

6401 Linda Vista Road

San Diego, CA 92111-7399

 

Professional Military Education:

The Marine Corps University regional coordinator is located aboard Miramar at Building 6022. Contact The College of Distance Education and Training at (858) 577-1373/74 for more information about services and support.

 

On-Station Education:

The Education Office, located in Building 5305, offers information on a variety of education and training programs. Professional, technical and college degree programs are available through Chapman, National, Southern Illinois and Webster Universities, and through Barstow and Miramar Colleges. The accreditation status of these schools can be provided on request. Service members may receive tuition assistance up to $4,500 per fiscal year. The Education Office also offers College Level Examination Program exams and correspondence classes through Defense Activity for Non-traditional Educational Services. For more information, call (858) 577-1801.

 

Colleges and Universities:

Military family members can request a nonresident waiver from all local colleges and universities. It is suggested that people call the Education Office to learn more about California universities prior to attempting contact with the schools directly. For more information on this issue, write:

 

Admissions

College Avenue

San Diego, CA 92182

Telephone (619) 594-6871

 

Long-distance callers are advised it may be difficult to reach an operator.

 

Adult/Continuing Education:

More than 50 business and vocational schools are located in San Diego County area schools and colleges, as well as programs affiliated with the Education Office, offer continuing education opportunities to enhance personal growth and career development. Programs are available at every academic level, to include base education, adult high school, precollege, college and university courses at the undergraduate and graduate levels. Contact the Education Office for a complete listing.

 

Special Education:

There are 15 schools within San Diego Unified for physically and academically challenged students. Federal and state laws require all public school districts to provide free, appropriate and individualized education for all handicapped children. Both federal and state legislation mandate timeliness for referral, assessment, certification, placement and provisions of appropriate services to all students with exceptional needs. Instruction varies according to the needs of each student, based on an individual plan. Parents will be asked to participate in planning the specific program for their child. Within San Diego Unified, about 10 percent of the total student enrollment, totaling about 12,000 students, receives some sort of special education service.

 

All special education teachers are certified by the state for the specific education they provide to handicapped children. The Special Education Parent Facilitator Program oversees the program in San Diego City Schools and helps parents of handicapped children and facilitators employed by the district to provide education. For additional information on the special education program, call (800) 695-0285 or write to:

 

National Information Center for

Children and Youth with Handicaps

P.O. Box 1492

Washington, DC 20013

 

Vehicle Registration

All motorized vehicles operated aboard Miramar must be registered with the Vehicle Registration Section (Pass & ID) of the Provost Marshal’s Office. Permanent decals are issued at the Pass & ID building, located in Building 6200, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.; Thursday, 7:30 a.m. to noon.; and the first and third Saturday of each month, 8 a.m. to noon. For more information, call (858) 577-1463.

 

The following documents are required to obtain a temporary pass: a valid armed forces identification card; valid state vehicle registration; valid state operator’s license; and proof of insurance in the amounts of $15,000 for personal injury, $30,000 for multiple injury/death and $5,000 for damage to private property. In addition to the requirement for a temporary pass, the following information is required for permanent decals:

 

Valid insurance with all drivers’ names listed on the policy.

 

A valid motor vehicle smog inspection sticker. (Vehicles registered in states that do not require smog certification must be inspected at the Base Service Station or any other California inspection station.)

 

Notarized permission from the owner is required when the vehicle belongs to a spouse or other relative.

 

Military members under the age of 26 must present evidence of having completed the Driver Improvement Course offered here or at any Marine Corps installation.

 

Permanent decals are not issued on weekends or holidays.

 

Weapon Registration

Firearms, knives with blades more than three inches in length and any other type of weapon must be registered with the Provost Marshal’s Office upon entrance to the air station. Those arriving during working hours should take weapons to the Pass & ID Section for registration. Military family housing residents may then keep personal weapons in their quarters. Barracks residents must check weapons into the armory for safekeeping. Weapons are not allowed in bachelor quarters, temporary housing areas or any other station facility. Weapons may not be stored in vehicles.

 

Those arriving after working hours, on weekends or holidays should announce to the gate sentry that a weapon is present. The sentry will then direct the person to the Provost Marshal’s Office, where the weapon will be stored in the PMO armory until working hours.

 

Department of Motor Vehicles

Most California DMV offices are open Monday through Friday. Military drivers may drive on current out-of-state license and auto registration. Family members should obtain a new driver’s license within 10 days of arrival in the state or a citation could be issued. For more information, contact the California DMV hotline at (800) 777-0133.

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