Welcome to Fort Lewis. The post is the home of I Corps; 3rd Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division; 4th Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division; 5th Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division; 17th Fires Brigade; the 1st Special Forces Group (Airborne); the 2nd Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment; U.S. Army Cadet Command, Western Region; Madigan Army Medical Center; and a number of other nondivisional support units and tenant organizations.

I Corps is called America's Corps because it is made up of active, Reserve and National Guard units dispersed throughout the United States.

I Corps headquarters also functions as a United States Pacifi c Command joint task force headquarters. Fort Lewis is a training and mobilization center for all services and is the only power-projection platform west of the Rockies. Fort Lewis is situated in a key geographic location with Interstate 5 allowing easy access to Sea-Tac Airport and to the deep-water ports of Tacoma and Seattle. Units can be easily deployed at McChord Air Force Base, which is adjacent to Fort Lewis. There are 413,000 acres of land to train on at the Yakima Training Center and Fort Lewis.

Fort Lewis has a sub-installation at Yakima Training Center. The main post and North Fort Lewis are located on 86,176 acres of woodlands, prairies and lakes. With 1,300 miles of roads, restaurants, stores, banks, taxi and bus service, schools, libraries, hospital and recreation facilities, it has almost everything a person could need. Nearly 29,000 Soldiers and 11,500 civilian employees and contractors work on Fort Lewis.

Named in honor of explorer Meriwether Lewis, leader of the famous Lewis and Clark Expedition to the Pacifi c Northwest from 1804 to 1806, the post was founded in 1917 as Camp Lewis. The fort was designated a permanent Army post in 1927; brick barracks and office buildings were built to supplement the original World War I structures.

During the post's long history, it has been home to 14 Army divisions including 3rd Infantry, 4th Infantry and the 9th Infantry Division (Motorized). Fort Lewis has also served as a major training and personnel center for overseas deployment during World War II and the Korean and Vietnam Wars.

Today, Fort Lewis remains relevant and ready as the Army engages in the Global War on Terrorism. Its unique location in Puget Sound and proximity to Naval and Air Force bases make it a power-projection platform from which the Army can rapidly deploy Soldiers as elusive terrorist threats arise. Thousands of Fort Lewis Soldiers are currently overseas in Iraq, Afghanistan and the Philippines, challenging all those who seek to destroy Americans' freedoms.

Although Fort Lewis' mission has changed over the years, one thing has not changed—the natural setting of the post. On a clear day, majestic Mount Rainier looms on the horizon, towering over the other peaks of the Cascade Range. From the mountains to the deep waters of Puget Sound and the Pacifi c Ocean, the local area abounds in natural beauty and outdoor recreation opportunities. Camping, hiking, hunting, fishing, boating and skiing are a way of life in Washington. Tacoma, Olympia and Seattle offer entertainment, restaurants, shopping and cultural events that celebrate Northwest life. Whether you come to Fort Lewis for a day's visit, TDY or a permanent move, you will soon see why the post is the Army's most popular assignment of choice.

Getting Here
If you arrive by commercial airline, information and assistance are available at the USO in the Seattle-Tacoma (Sea- Tac) International Airport. Commercial transportation is available from the airport directly to the Waller Hall Welcome and Farewell Center at Fort Lewis. While awaiting transportation, you and your family may relax in the USO lounge on the second floor. If you are driving, you should have no trouble finding Fort Lewis. Interstate 5 goes right through the post. Exit 120 will take you to the Fort Lewis main gate, which is open 24 hours a day.

If you arrive by train, Tacoma is the stop nearest to post. Taxi and bus services are available from the station. Those traveling by bus can make connections directly to Fort Lewis.

Reporting In
All officers and enlisted Soldiers must report to the Fort Lewis Reception Center on arrival, regardless of unit assignment. The center is easily located by following signs to the Waller Hall Welcome and Farewell Center, Building 2140. If you are delayed and are not able to report on the required date, call the Welcome Center at 967-7004 or DSN 357-7004.

You can expect to be with the detachment four days. Once you sign in, you will receive a billeting assignment, bedding and a temporary meal card if you are not on separate rations. If your family arrives with you, the Welcome Center will help make them comfortable during your inprocessing. To avoid difficulty with obtaining temporary lodging for your family, make reservations at the Fort Lewis Rainier Inn, 964-0211.

You should have all your records with you: personnel, finance, medical and dental. You must be in uniform to in process. The duty uniform at Fort Lewis is BDU or ACU. Be sure you have enough uniforms with you to begin duties after inprocessing. Finance claims are settled while inprocessing.

Getting Settled
Whether you plan on living on post or off post, you should contact the Housing Office, Bldg. 2150. The office's staff can give you the most up-to-date housing information and offer suggestions on where to look.

If you're expecting a shipment of household goods and hold baggage, contact the Joint Personal Property Shipping Office (JPPSO), Bldg. 2140, Room 500, telephone 967- 5293, 5093, or 1 (800) 521-9959. JPPSO hours are Monday through Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 3:45 p.m.

If any of your household goods were damaged or lost during shipment, you have 70 days to let the Staff Judge Advocate claims section know to ensure maximum claim reimbursement. Call 967-0704 for more information. The claims office is located in Bldg. 2027A.

All privately owned vehicles, firearms and pets must be registered within five working days of your arrival. Army Community Service (ACS), Bldg. 2140, the family information and service center, can help you and your family get settled. Call 967-7166 for more information.