Arrival

Welcome!
Now that you have orders to NAS Whidbey Island, you will be joining over 7,600 military men and women who are assigned to the largest naval installation in the Pacific Northwest.

NAS Whidbey is actually composed of two bases five miles apart: the original Seaplane Base on the eastern shore of Whidbey Island and Ault Field, on the island's western shore, looking out at the magnificent Olympic Mountains and the San Juan Islands.

Whidbey Island is 64 miles long and the largest island in the continental United States. Here you will find abundant recreation possibilities, from boating, hiking and biking to hunting and fishing.

The air station has consecutively over the last five years ranked among the top three naval installations worldwide in the annual Commander in Chief Installation Excellence Award.

USO SeaTac Center
The SeaTac Center serves military and their families at SeaTac International Airport with a nursery, sleeping facilities, showers, free snack bar, comprehensive travel information and assistance and a lounge area that includes a big-screen TV, Xbox games, Internet access and library. It's located on the airport mezzanine level and open 24 hours, seven days a week. For more information call (206) 426-1908 or visit http://www.usopsa.org.

How to Get Here
From SeaTac International Airport
The Whidbey-SeaTac Shuttle provides service from SeaTac International Airport to all communities on Whidbey Island. Stops are conveniently located near State Route 20 and State Route 525 at various mini-marts and service stations. The trip takes 2 hours and 15 minutes to downtown Oak Harbor and is even faster to Coupeville, Greenbank, Freeland, Bayview, Langley and Clinton.

Whidbey SeaTac Shuttle travels on the Clinton/Mukilteo Ferry and has "first-on/first-off" priority boarding just like vanpools and carpools to ensure on-time arrivals at SeaTac Airport.

For schedule and advance reservation, call (360) 679-4003 or toll free (877) 679-4003 or visit http://www.seatacshuttle.com.

By Car
By highway from the south, drive north on Interstate 5 to the Whidbey Island/Mukilteo Ferry Exit 182. Proceed north on State Route 525 to Mukilteo and board a Washington State Ferry bound for Clinton.

From the Olympic Peninsula, take State Route 101 to State Route 20. Drive east to Port Townsend and ride the Washington State Ferry to Coupeville Terminal.

From the east and north, follow Interstate 5 to Exit 230 in Burlington and continue west on State Route 20 onto the island across Deception Pass Bridge.

By Ferry
From Port Townsend on the Olympic Peninsula, take a 30-minute ferry ride to Coupeville Terminal, four miles southwest of Coupeville. From Mukilteo, north of Seattle, a 20-minute ferry ride takes you to Clinton, Whidbey's southernmost community.

The air station is about 20 minutes from the ferry landing. Reservations are recommended at http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/ferries.

Island Transit
Island Transit provides fare free bus service throughout Island County, making stops at NAS Whidbey Island's Ault Field by Whidbey Apartments, as well as the Commissary and Main Navy Exchange on Seaplane Base on Saturdays only. For bus route information visit http://islandtransit.org/ or call (360) 678-7771.

Security
(360) 257-3122/3123
On Ault Field
The 24-hour Gate at Langley Boulevard is open seven days a week. No commercial or oversized vehicles authorized through this gate.

The Charles Porter Avenue Gate is open Monday through Friday, 6 a.m. to 6 p.m., closed weekends and holidays. All commercial vehicles for Ault Field go through this gate, Monday through Friday. Operators of 15-pack vans, recreational vehicles and other full size government vehicles should use commercial entrances and exits in order to minimize potential damage from serpentine barriers. After hours access is provided for oversized vehicles.

Hammer Gate is open Monday through Friday, 5:30 to 8:30 a.m. and again, 3:30 to 6:30 p.m., closed weekends and holidays.

Saratoga Gate (by Naval Hospital) is open Monday through Friday, 5:30 to 8:30 a.m. and again 3:30 to 6:30 p.m. closed weekends and holidays.

On Seaplane Base
Maui Avenue Gate is open 7 a.m. to 6 p.m daily.
Torpedo Road Gate is open 24 hours a day. All commercial traffic, such as delivery vehicles, must use the Torpedo Gate, Monday through Friday, 6 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Passes for Visitors & Vehicles
Visits by the general public are not permitted, but friends and relatives of personnel stationed here, as well as business representatives, may come aboard when escorted by a sponsor.

The Pass and ID Office, located at Langley Gate on Ault Field, issues passes Monday through Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

To obtain a visitor's pass, the driver must present a valid driver's license, proof of insurance and vehicle registration and a military ID. Without this ID, visitors will need a military escort. Contact Pass and ID Office at (360) 257-5620/3063.

Permanent Decals
Permanent decals for all officers, enlisted and civilian employees are issued between Monday through Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., except holidays, when they present:
• ID card (military, civilian employee or family member) or certifying letter from a naval contracting agent for contract personnel
• Valid driver's license
• Valid vehicle registration
• Proof of insurance

Satisfactory completion of Personal Responsibility and Value Education and Training (PREVENT) is mandatory for all active duty, E-6 and below, under age 26, within six months of registering the vehicle to be driven on base.

The Pass & ID Office will issue six-month temporary decals for personnel who will be required to complete PREVENT. The Pass & ID Office is closed on weekends. Personnel with motorcycles, see page 40, Occupational Safety and Health section.

Traffic Laws
Washington State traffic laws are strictly enforced on all portions of the air station. Speed limits are enforced by radar.

To combat drunk driving, base driving privileges are suspended for a minimum of one year for any alcohol or drug-related incident. Driving suspensions from other DoD installations are continued at NAS Whidbey Island until completion.

Security Police
Security, located in Building 994, is comprised of several branches and divisions. Its functions are those normally associated with any police department. To report an emergency, call 911, non emergency calls should be directed to (360) 257-3121/3127.

Weapons
No one may carry a concealed weapon or dangerous device or any highly-explosive article or compound on board the base.

Any kind of firearm, explosive device, compressed air or gas-powered gun, metallic or chain knuckles, blackjack, billy and all knives with blades over four inches long and all double-edged, spring-loaded or switchblade knives, regardless of blade length or any handmade device which might be used for assault is considered a dangerous weapon.

If you wish to keep a firearm in housing, you must first register it with Security Police, Building 994. Firearms are not authorized aboard Ault Field. Persons who own weapons who live in the Bachelor Quarters must register weapons with Security Police and store them at the Armory, Building 34, on the Seaplane Base. Replica firearms are not included in these requirements.

Visiting Canada?
As of June 1, 2009, Americans crossing into Canada must have a Passport or Passport Card. NAS Whidbey Island military and Department of Defense civilians as well as family members will need it when crossing the border in Blaine, Wash. This policy also applies to those visiting Mexico. More information is available at http://travel.state.gov.

What's the Weather Like?
The Pacific Northwest is known for its warm, dry summers and cool, stormy winters. Winter weather on Whidbey Island is dominated by the Olympic Mountains, a mere 30 miles to the southwest, across the Strait of Juan de Fuca. The Olympics "intercept" incoming Pacific storms, force tremendous lift and torrential rain on their windward side, and create a huge downdraft to their lee, over Whidbey Island. This lee trough is often seen as a small, swirling area of slightly lower pressure that simultaneously inhibits rainfall (NAS Whidbey Island receives less than half the annual rainfall of Seattle), and produces consistent near-gale force winds out of the southeast.

Thus, the same storm system that produces light winds and steady rain over much of the Puget Sound region typically yields only a light, windblown drizzle at NAS Whidbey Island.

Of course it does rain, and there are plenty of storms that come out of the due west, or south, that are not affected by the Olympic Mountains. In fact, NAS Whidbey Island is one of the favorite meeting spots for cold, British Columbian air, and warm, Pacific moisture, resulting in occasionally heavy snowfalls. The warm air always wins, however, ensuring the snow is never around for long. Expect winter temperatures predominately in the 40s, though short cold snaps in the 15-25 degree range are not uncommon.

With weeks on end of dry, sunny weather, cool west winds and up to 17 hours of daylight, Whidbey Island summers are worth the wait, even if you have to wait till mid-July. Fog is common in the morning hours, but almost always gives way to bright sun by the afternoon and temperatures in the low 70s.

Summer is the favorite time of year to explore the mountains, waterways, forests and beaches of the amazing Pacific Northwest.