Find Your Military Base
Just got PCS orders — or waiting on them? You’re in the right place. Every base guide below is built with real, current information from military families living it right now. Where to live, what the commute looks like, what your BAH covers, which schools are worth the hype, and what nobody tells you until you get there. Use the filters to find your base — or browse the full directory.
What You'll Find in Every PCS Base Guide
Every base guide on PCS Pay It Forward® is designed to answer the questions you’re actually asking — not the ones a government website thinks you should be asking. Here’s what each guide covers:
Housing & Neighborhoods — On-base housing wait times and reviews, off-base neighborhoods ranked by commute, family-friendliness, and safety, plus current rental ranges and what your BAH actually covers in that ZIP code. Whether you’re renting, buying with your VA loan, or going on-base, we break down the real options.
Schools & Childcare — DoDEA schools where applicable, top-rated public school districts near the installation, and childcare options including CDC wait times. We don’t just list school names — we tell you which districts families actually choose and why.
Getting There & Getting Settled — Gate access, ID card offices, sponsorship programs, in-processing timelines, and the logistical details that eat up your first two weeks. If you’re planning a DITY/PPM move, each guide includes distance context to help you estimate your reimbursement.
The Real Talk — Deployment tempo, spouse employment reality, traffic patterns, seasonal weather you should plan around, and the things that don’t show up on the installation website. This comes straight from the families in your base’s PCS Pay It Forward® community.
Local Resources — Commissary, exchange, MWR facilities, medical (TRICARE network and MTF details), legal assistance, and the off-base essentials — grocery stores, urgent care, restaurants, and the stuff that makes a duty station feel like home.
Community Connection — Every base guide links to its dedicated PCS Pay It Forward® Facebook group where you can ask questions, get real-time advice, and connect with families at your next duty station before you even arrive.
Found Your Base? Your Next Step Is a Free PCS Plan.
A base guide gives you the big picture. A PCS Plan gives you a personal game plan — built with a vetted, military-connected Ambassador who helps you figure out housing, neighborhoods, schools, and timeline at your next duty station. Whether you’re renting, buying, or going on-base, it’s free and there’s zero obligation.
Browse Bases by Branch
- U.S. Army Bases — Fort Liberty, Fort Cavazos, Fort Carson, Fort Campbell, JBLM, and 25+ more
- U.S. Air Force Bases — Eglin, Travis, Nellis, Lackland, Wright-Patterson, and 35+ more
- U.S. Navy & Marine Corps Bases — Norfolk, San Diego, Camp Pendleton, Camp Lejeune, Pensacola, and 30+ more
- U.S. Space Force Bases — Buckley SFB, Peterson SFB, and more in Colorado Springs
- U.S. Coast Guard Stations — St. Petersburg, Clearwater, and Oahu
Need the complete list? View all 115+ military bases →
Browse Bases by State
Alabama: Fort Rucker | Redstone Arsenal | Maxwell-Gunter AFB
Alaska: JBER | Eielson AFB & Fort Wainwright
Arizona: Davis-Monthan AFB | Luke AFB | Fort Huachuca
Arkansas: Little Rock AFB
California: Naval Base San Diego | Camp Pendleton | Travis AFB | Edwards AFB | Beale AFB | Twentynine Palms | Lemoore NAS | Naval Base Ventura | Fort Irwin & MCLB Barstow | March AFB | Los Angeles AFB
Colorado: Fort Carson | Peterson SFB | Buckley SFB | North Colorado Springs SFB | Boulder
Connecticut: Naval Submarine Base New London
Delaware: Dover AFB
Florida: Eglin AFB & Hurlburt | MacDill AFB | NAS Jacksonville | NAS Pensacola | Naval Station Mayport | Patrick AFB & Cape Canaveral | Tyndall AFB | NAS Key West | Base Miami Beach | St. Petersburg & Clearwater CG
Georgia: Fort Stewart-Hunter AAF | Fort Gordon | Fort Benning | Robins AFB | Moody AFB | Kings Bay
Hawaii: Oahu Military Bases
Idaho: Mountain Home AFB
Illinois: Scott AFB | Naval Station Great Lakes
Kansas: Fort Riley | Fort Leavenworth | McConnell AFB
Kentucky: Fort Campbell | Fort Knox
Louisiana: Fort Polk | Barksdale AFB | NAS JRB New Orleans
Maine: Portsmouth Naval Shipyard
Maryland: Fort Meade & Annapolis | Aberdeen Proving Ground | Fort Detrick | Andrews AFB | NAS Pax River
Massachusetts: Hanscom AFB
Mississippi: Keesler AFB | Camp Shelby
Missouri: Fort Leonard Wood | Whiteman AFB
Nebraska: Offutt AFB
Nevada: Nellis-Creech AFB | NAS Fallon
New Jersey: Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst | Atlantic City | Fort Lee
New Mexico: Kirtland AFB | Holloman AFB | Cannon AFB
New York: Fort Drum
North Carolina: Fort Bragg | Camp Lejeune | MCAS Cherry Point | Seymour Johnson AFB | Elizabeth City
North Dakota: Minot AFB
Ohio: Wright-Patterson AFB
Oklahoma: Fort Sill | Tinker AFB | Altus AFB
Rhode Island: Rhode Island
South Carolina: Joint Base Charleston | Fort Jackson & Shaw AFB | Beaufort & Parris Island
South Dakota: Ellsworth AFB
Tennessee: NSA Mid South (Millington)
Texas: Fort Hood | Fort Bliss | JBSA (Lackland, Randolph, Sam Houston) | Sheppard AFB | Dyess AFB | NAS Corpus Christi & Kingsville | Fort Worth
Virginia: Naval Station Norfolk | Hampton Roads | Joint Base Langley-Eustis | Quantico | JEB Little Creek | NAS Oceana & Dam Neck | NWS Yorktown | Fort A.P. Hill | Fort Pickett | The Pentagon | JB Myer-Henderson Hall & Bethesda | JB Anacostia-Bolling
Washington: JBLM | Naval Base Kitsap | NAS Whidbey Island | Fairchild AFB | Everett Naval Base
Wyoming: F.E. Warren AFB
Frequently Asked Questions About Military Bases
How many military bases does PCS Pay It Forward® cover? We currently have base guides for 115+ installations across all six branches — Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, Coast Guard, and Space Force. Each guide covers housing, neighborhoods, schools, BAH, local resources, and community connections. If your base isn’t listed yet, start a PCS Plan and we’ll still connect you with support.
What information is in each base guide? Every guide covers housing options (on-base, off-base rentals, and buying with your VA loan), neighborhood breakdowns, school ratings and districts, BAH context for that area, gate access and in-processing details, medical facilities, and a direct link to that base’s PCS Pay It Forward® Facebook community. We focus on the information that actually changes your decisions — not generic overviews.
How do I find the best neighborhoods near my base? Start with your base guide — each one includes neighborhood breakdowns based on commute to the gate, school districts, safety, and what families actually recommend. For personalized recommendations based on your budget and family needs, start a free PCS Plan and a vetted Ambassador will walk you through the options.
Can I connect with families already at my next duty station? Yes — every base we support has a dedicated PCS Pay It Forward® Facebook group. These are active communities where military families share housing leads, school recommendations, local tips, and honest advice. Find your group through your base guide or ask your Ambassador when you start your PCS Plan.
What if my base isn’t listed on PCS Pay It Forward®? We’re adding new installations regularly. If your base isn’t listed yet, start a PCS Plan anyway — our Ambassadors support moves to every duty station, whether or not we have a published guide yet. You’ll still get personalized housing help, neighborhood insight, and community connections.
Is PCS Pay It Forward® only for families who are buying a home? Not at all. We support 100% of PCS moves — renters, buyers, and families going into on-base housing. Our base guides and PCS Plans are free regardless of your housing decision. There’s no obligation to buy anything.
When should I start looking at base guides for my next PCS? As soon as you have a good idea of where you’re headed — even before official orders drop. The earlier you research housing, schools, and neighborhoods, the more options you’ll have, especially during peak PCS season (May through September). Start with the base guide and then build your PCS Plan with an Ambassador.
How are PCS Pay It Forward® base guides different from the official installation website? Official installation websites cover policies, regulations, and services — and they’re important resources. Our base guides focus on the stuff families actually need to make decisions: which neighborhoods have the best commute, what your BAH covers in real-world rent, which schools families choose and why, and the honest pros and cons of living there. Our information comes from the military families in each base’s PCS community, not from a public affairs office.