WELCOME TO VANDENBERG
Welcome to Vandenberg Air Force Base, home of the 30th Space Wing. Our men and women operate the Western Range and manage the Department of Defense's space and missile testing programs, placing satellites into near-polar orbit from the West Coast. We also support the Air Force's Minuteman III Intercontinental Ballistic Missile test launch program. Located along the beautiful Central California coast and surrounded by mountain ranges and the Pacific Ocean, our people enjoy a quality of life unmatched anywhere else.

SPONSORSHIP PROGRAM
Personnel are advised to use Vandenberg's Individualized Newcomer Treatment and Orientation Program when they receive permanent change-of-station orders here. The program ensures a smooth transition and assists with orientation and scheduling. Newcomers are encouraged to complete all leave and permissive temporary duty for house hunting before signing in to the base. Try to give your sponsor a firm arrival time so he can assist you upon arrival. If you do not have a sponsor, or would like more information, call (805) 606-7681.

Upon arriving at Vandenberg, you will begin in-processing the base. For more information on in-processing, call (805) 606-7756, Monday through Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. At Vandenberg, Customer Service is in Building 11777, Room C-114.

VANDENBERG AFB TELEPHONE SYSTEM
To reach any Vandenberg facility from an off-base telephone, including base housing telephones, dial (805), then dial the seven-digit extension. When using on-base government telephones, dial the seven-digit extension. Defense Switched Network prefixes for Vandenberg are 275 or 276.

FORWARDING ADDRESS
Forward mail to: PSC Box 2000, Vandenberg AFB, CA 93437- 5000. If you are married and do not expect to live on base, you can use the General Delivery address until you establish a permanent local address. Reserve a Postal Service Center box number up to 90 days in advance by furnishing a copy of your orders to your sponsor.

LODGING
The Vandenberg Lodging Office, Building 13005 on Oregon Avenue, is open 24 hours a day. Reservation requests for families in permanent change-of-station status are made on a first come, Vrst served basis. The staff confirms reservations if space is available. Make reservation requests early. Incoming and outgoing families are entitled up to 30 days of lodging if space is available. The lodging number is (805) 606-1844.

HOUSE HUNTING PERMISSIVE TDY
Contact your gaining unit for details before visiting the local area prior to your permanent change-of-station move. The governing directive is Air Force Instruction 36-3003 and the office of primary responsibility is the Customer Service Office at (805) 606-7756.

WHAT TO BRING
Bring enough uniforms, toiletries and living essentials to meet your needs until your unaccompanied baggage arrives. Your current Military Personnel Flight or Traffic Management Office will brief you regarding items that cannot be shipped. Don't forget to bring along important documents, like marriage and birth certificates, legal, immunization records, insurance policies, banking and military documents, etc.

GETTING TO VANDENBERG
Vandenberg is 68 miles north of Santa Barbara (pop. 90,000). The base's nearest cities are Lompoc (population 43,000) seven miles southeast, and Santa Maria (population 91,000) 17 miles northeast.

If you drive to Vandenberg from the north, you should take U.S. Highway 101 around Santa Maria to the Clark Street exit on the southeast end of town. Take Clark Street west to the California Highway 135 Interchange South. Three miles south, Highway 135 joins State Highway 1. Highway 1 forks right and is clearly marked as the Vandenberg exit. You arrive at the Vandenberg Main Gate and Visitor Control Center after a 10-mile drive. Visitor Control Center hours are seven days a week, 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. The telephone number is (805) 606-7662.

From the south, take Highway 101 to the State Highway 1 turnoff, approximately 30 miles north of Santa Barbara. Take Highway 1 northwest 21 miles to Lompoc. Follow the Highway 1 road signs through Lompoc and on to Vandenberg. (Don't turn off at the VAFB Lompoc Gate/U.S. Penitentiary Exit. Continue on Highway 1 to the Vandenberg Main Gate and California Boulevard.)

The closest commercial airports are in Santa Maria and Santa Barbara. You can catch commuter Wights from Los Angeles, San Francisco or Santa Barbara to the Santa Maria Municipal Airport. Have your sponsor meet you, or take a commercial taxi to the base. This is a reimbursable expense.

Greyhound Bus Lines stop regularly at the Main Gate from its Lompoc and Santa Maria stations.

24-HOUR ARRIVAL POINT
The Vandenberg Lodge Reception Desk, Building 13005, has been designated the base's 24-hour arrival point. To reach the Lodge from the main gate, proceed on California Boulevard to the Vrst fork in the road and bear right onto Oregon Avenue. Go through the stop sign and the Lodge is clearly identified on the left approximately one-half block away.

CHECKING IN
After checking in at the Lodge you should contact your sponsor and check in with your unit. Further in-processing procedures will be explained at Customer Service.

MILITARY FAMILY HOUSING
On Nov. 1, 2007, Vandenberg AFB finalized its agreements with Balfour Beatty Communities (BBC) to be the privatized project owner for Vandenberg Military Family Housing. As a result of privatization, residents and employees will see many changes in the housing area ranging from the demolition of 502 homes and construction of 164 new homes to the renovation of 703 existing homes. Homes here are two, three and four bedroom single-family homes equipped with full-size washer and dryer hook-ups, gas stove, refrigerator, garbage disposal, dishwasher, one- and two-car garages and privacy fencing. A few other home amenities include cable, Internet and phone-ready service, ceiling fans, overhead lighting and landscaping service. In addition, some utilities are included and there are no security deposits, application fees, pet deposits or monthly pet rent.

All ranks may apply for privatized housing by visiting the BBC Web site at www.vandenbergfamilyhousing.com. Simply Vll out the Balfour Beatty Communities application and fax the application along with a copy of your orders to DSN 276-7699 or Comm (805) 606-7699. Your application will be verified by the Housing Management Office and forwarded to BBC to be placed on their waiting list.

In addition, if you are interested in local community rentals you may visit www.AHRN.com for apartments, townhomes, condos and houses in the local area. AHRN (Automated Housing Referral Network) is a DoD-sponsored web-based referral system free to service members and property managers.

If you have any questions please feel free to contact the Housing Management Office at (805) 606-1840/3434.

FIREARM REGISTRATION
All firearms stored or used on base must be registered on base. People residing in dormitory quarters or Billeting must store their firearms in the security forces armory which is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Weapons registration must be accomplished the first day the weapon is in your possession on base. The registration form, Air Force Form 1314, Firearms Registration and DD Form 2760, Qualification to Possess Firearms and Ammunition, is available at all unit orderly rooms. Weapons storage and registration requirements are outlined in Vandenberg Instructions SFOI 36-2226 and 30 SWI 31-101 (Chapter 14).

PET CARE
Pets residing on base must have a current rabies vaccine. Pet owners are encouraged to contact Balfour Beatty Communities at (805) 734-1445 with questions about pet restrictions in BBC homes.

Pets are not allowed in any base temporary lodging facility. Annual DHLPP and FVRCP vaccinations are highly recommended. Please call or write the U.S. Army Veterinary Services Clinic—USAF Hospital/SGV, Building 11190 at (805) 606-3019, to ensure California's Department of Health Services recognizes your pet's type of rabies vaccine. Veterinary Clinic appointments are required for vaccines and sick call. Operating hours are Monday through Thursday, 8 a.m. to noon and 1 to 4 p.m. Children younger than 12 years old are not allowed in the clinic. Stray pets picked up by Security Forces personnel without an identification tag are transported to the Security Forces Stray Animal Facility for a short period before they are transported to the Lompoc Animal Shelter. Stray pets should be reported to Security Forces, who will make every effort to locate the owner. The Security Forces Control Center may be contacted by calling (805) 606-3911. For more information concerning Pet Control policies, contact Security Forces Reports and Analysis at commercial (805) 605 -0765 or DSN 275-0765.

HOUSEHOLD GOODS SHIPMENTS
As soon as possible after arriving, contact the inbound personal property section of the Traffic Management Office in Building 11777, Room C-103, (805) 606-1848, to have your household goods and hold baggage delivered. Office hours are Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. except Wednesday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

When your household goods or hold baggage arrive, you will be contacted if you have provided a contact phone number. Someone must be at the place of delivery between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. on the delivery date. If a conflict arises, reschedule in advance. You will be billed for an attempted delivery if no one is available at the place of delivery. Have a copy of your inventory handy to check each item being unloaded. Annotate all damaged or missing items on the Department of Defense Form 1840 to file a claim, if necessary.

You are authorized to store household goods determined by the housing manager to be impractical or unsuitable for use in the particular quarters assigned. You must request storage of items and a list must be submitted within 30 days of the date of quarter's assignment.

The carrier is required to unpack everything and remove all paper and packing materials, if requested by the member. Do not accept any excuses if you wish to have your household goods/hold baggage unpacked. Call the quality control inspector if you encounter any problems. If you wish to unpack any or all of your property, you may be required to sign a waiver to assume the responsibility for disposing of the packing materials.

Questions concerning delivery of your household goods/hold baggage should be referred to the quality control inspector at (805) 606-0906. The office of primary responsibility for personal property shipments is the 30th Logistics Readiness Squadron representative at Building 11777, Room C-104, (805) 606-6931.

If your moving company would not allow certain hazardous materials to be shipped, VAFB operates a household hazardous materials Diversion Center. At the diversion center you can pick up any items available for free. Typical items include propane cylinders, household bug spray, cleaning supplies, lawn and garden supplies, paint and other similar items. These items were left at the Diversion Center when other VAFB employees were moved and these items could not be moved. For more information, please contact the Environmental Wight POC at commercial (805) 275-0544.

ENTERING VANDENBERG AFB
All large commercial vehicles (any vehicle used to transport consumer products or services, 15 passenger vans or larger and enclosed trailers) must enter through the Lompoc Gate to be searched. In the event the Lompoc Gate is closed, they must enter through the Solvang Gate.

Retired active duty personnel holding DD Form 2 series cards or active-duty personnel with a Common Access Card (CAC) in a privately-owned Recreational Vehicle requesting access to the installation will follow the same procedures as other large vehicles.

GENERAL INFORMATION
Climate
For 10 months each year, the Pacific Ocean keeps our average high temperature at 60 to 65 degrees and the average low at 40 to 50 degrees. September and October are our warmest months with an average high of 75 degrees. Vandenberg experiences heavy fog in the summer.