IF YOU GET MARRIED BEFORE YOU PCS, YOU MUST INFORM YOUR
COMMANDER AND FOLLOW THE PROCEDURES EXACTLY AS YOU ARE GIVEN
THEM. THE MILITARY WILL NOT PAY FOR TRAVEL AND HOUSING OF YOUR SPOUSE
IF YOU DO NOT FOLLOW PROPER
PROCEDURES.
SPONSORSHIP: A sponsor is someone from
your new command who is assigned to assist you and your family with settling
into your new location. A sponsor is assigned through your gaining
unit.
A sponsor's duties include:
* Contacting you and your family by
letter of introduction or e-mail upon learning of your assignment to the
installation.
* Sending any information about the installation/area, which
you may require, or putting you in touch with the proper authorities, which can
supply the information.
* Answering any questions which you or your family
may have, or, again, providing the proper resources to answer those
questions.
* Being available when you arrive at your installation to meet
you, show you around, and help you through inprocessing.
If you have been
assigned a sponsor, or have not been contacted as of yet, you may request one by
contacting the commander of your new unit or by using the Sponsor Assignment
Aide on the Stay Navy web site.
At China Lake, the main gate is easily
accessible from State Highway 178, State Highway 14 and Highway 395. Like any
other command in the Navy, you have the responsibility of letting your command
and your sponsor know you have arrived. Military personnel should initially
check in at the Quarterdeck, which is located in the Headquarters Building at
the northeast corner of Knox Road and Blandy Avenue. The Quarterdeck staff gives
further instructions to complete the check-in process. The Quarterdeck is
staffed 24 hours a day. A Safety and Security Orientation Briefing is scheduled
regularly for new personnel. New arriving personnel will also want to check in
with Personnel Support Department for assistance with badges and processing
transfer papers and the Fleet and Family Support Center for further information
and referral information. Be sure to call your family members and let
them know you arrived safely. Also give them a current number to
contact you in case of emergencies.
Your spouse may want to attend three
very informative classes after arrival.
They
are:
Indoctrination (Your spouse is invited to attend with
you)
Compass/Links (A spouse mentoring spouses program)
Fleet and Family
Support Center's Spouse Orientation
All three classes are geared to inform
you and your family about military life, the installation, and the local
community. You can contact the Fleet and Family Support Center for
further information, dates, times, etc.
Here is a starter list for things
to accomplish BEFORE your move. Add tasks as you and/or your spouse think of
them. Try to write lots of notes and lists to keep you
organized.
* Check with the Navy Family Housing Office and Personal
Property Office to ensure you understand all your obligations, rights, and
responsibilities. Be sure to find out what your financial
responsibilities will be.
* Print out all this information in SITES and hand
carry with you on your trip.
* Find out about schools and housing at your new
installation.
* Notify your current landlord of your intention to move.
*
If you will need childcare at your new installation, start looking now.
*
Update your address book of friends and relatives.
* Plan a garage sale for
items you are not taking with you.
* Look into auto insurance costs for your
new place of residence.
* Obtain information from area religious
institutions.
* If moving to a new state, go out on line and print out the
driving laws for that state.
* Select a new bank and establish accounts
there.
* If you have not yet found a new residence, obtain a post office box
for forwarding mail.
* Make your travel arrangements.
* Purchase
traveler's checks for your trip.
* Notify current utility companies of your
move and arrange for disconnects and final billing.
* Drain oil and gas from
your power equipment.
* Cancel newspapers and other deliveries.
* Give
your plants a loving home with a friend or neighbor.
* If you are driving,
have your car serviced.
* Make a list or pack the items you will be traveling
with. Receive relocation counseling and/or attend a Smooth Move seminar at the
Fleet and Family Support Center.
* Sponsorship - your sponsor will send you a
sponsor package, answer your questions about China Lake and the local area, and
help you and your family settle in.
* Finances - Basic Allowance
for Housing (BAH) for China Lake is one of the lowest in the Navy and spouse
employment opportunities are limited. It is always a good idea to
complete a budget when there is a significant change in circumstances
(relocation, employment change, family status, etc) - assistance is available at
the Fleet and Family Support Center worldwide. Members in PCS status,
other than those living in dorms, should request Dislocation Allowance (DLA)
through their finance office.
* Household Goods shipments are arranged by the
Personal Property Shipping Office.
* Self Move, formerly called a DITY move,
allows a member to get paid for transporting some or all of their household
goods, rather than the government arranging
transportation. Pre-authorization is required, and should be obtained
from the member's servicing Personal Property Shipping Office at the losing
installation. Member is paid based on the weight and distance of the
items transported, as compared with what the government cost would have
been. This is considered earned income, and is taxed at
28%. There is no minimum weight required; self-move can occur in any
type of vehicle. Contact Personal Property Shipping Office for
authorization and details.
* Relocation offers an excellent opportunity to
clean and organize your household!
* Inventory your household
goods. It is always wise to maintain a good inventory; in the event
of a catastrophe, loss, damage or theft, you have proper documentation to
support any claim you may need to make with insurance or at the base legal
office. This is particularly important with regard to relocation.
* Notify your utility companies of your pending move. Make sure
to leave a forwarding address, for the final bill and for any deposit to be
returned to you. Ask for a letter of credit; you may receive a waiver
of the deposit requirement in Ridgecrest.
* Notify child care and schools of
your pending move.
* Provide change of address information to: friends,
family, subscriptions, all medical/dental/veterinarian providers, schools,
insurance, vehicle service facilities etc.
* Make sure to obtain pet
records, particularly documentation of rabies vaccination.
* Notify your
civilian employer of pending move. If applicable, request a leave of
absence, rather than resign. Obtain copies of all work records and
training received. Ask for a letter of reference.
* Make sure
your vehicles are "road-ready."
* Hand-carry all family member medical and
school records.
WORK SCHEDULE
Most employees at China Lake are
on what is known as a Flex Friday Work Schedule. During the two-week pay period,
employees work eight hours on non-payday Fridays and nine hours a day Monday
through Thursday of both weeks. This totals 80 hours and allows payday Friday to
be a day off.
SECURITY DEPARTMENT
Security is maintained
through the China Lake Safety and Physical Security Department. The China Lake
Police Division can be contacted 24/7. The mission of the Security Department is
to provide security service to China Lake. Functions include the implementation
and management of programs to protect information, material and information
systems from natural or manmade disasters, loss, theft, sabotage, terrorism or
espionage. The Security Department coordinates foreign disclosure and security
clearance actions to ensure personnel who handle classified information or are
assigned sensitive duties are appropriately cleared; implements policy and
accredits ADP systems to handle classified or sensitive information; controls
crypto material and equipment; and provides assistance in identifying critical
information, obtains threat data, identifies vulnerabilities and implements
appropriate countermeasures.
BASE SECURITY
The front gate
(Inyokern Road) aboard China Lake is open 24 hours a day. The back
gate (Richmond Road) is open as security permits. Please call the Quarterdeck
for updates on the gate closures. There are manned gates leading to restricted
areas on station. At this time vehicle inspections are
enforced.
BADGES
After you have checked in, you will be issued
a China Lake badge. This badge is very important to you and should be
safeguarded with the same care as your driver's license or any other important
document. It must not be left unattended where an unauthorized person could
obtain it (in your vehicle, for instance). Your China Lake badge says, "I belong
here," and identifies you as an official China Lake employee. The badge must be
worn in full view while in any restricted area. You must show proof of the
following to receive a permanent vehicle decal: vehicle registration, insurance,
and a Department of Motor Vehicle driver's license.
Any person who works
with classified information must have the proper security clearance and an
established need-to-know for the information involved. If your job at China Lake
requires it, a clearance request will be initiated.
Area authorization is
required on your badge when going into restricted areas or buildings on
Station.
FIREARMS
For regulations on possession of firearms
aboard Station contact the China Lake Police
Department.
CAMERAS
You may bring cameras, binoculars and
telescopes aboard China Lake without registering them. You may use them in the
community area of the Station. Only official photographers with a camera pass,
however, may carry cameras and take photos in restricted areas.
Photographic cellular telephones will be confiscated if found on your
person at the airfield and other restricted areas of the
base.
SPECIAL NOTE
Temperatures get extremely hot during
the summer months (with a median temperature of 102.5 degrees Fahrenheit or
higher, from June through September). These temperatures increase if
you are working at the airfield, so prepare yourself for a long, hot
summer. All family members need to understand that they need to dress
properly in order to withstand the sun and the extreme range of
temperatures. Pets need water and a shady spot if they are left
outdoors. NEVER leave small children or your pets in a parked
car. The temperature in a parked car can increase by 20 degrees in
less than ten minutes. When the outside temperatures are 120, it
could seriously injure or kill a child or a pet.