NEWCOMER INFORMATION
Pre-planning is essential for newcomers moving to Fort Knox, whether for a Permanent Change of Station (PCS), a temporary duty assignment, or a school tour. Four excellent sources of information for military moves are Military HOMEFRONT, Military OneSource, Automated Housing Referral Network (AHRN) at www.ahrn.com, and the Fort Knox website at www.knox.army.mil.
Military HOMEFRONT contains resources for everyone who is relocating from one duty station to another. The website includes a section on planning PCS moves, as well as a section with information on 350 military installations worldwide. The web address is www.militaryhomefront.dod.mil/.
Military OneSource provides information about a wide range of subjects including relocation, child care, personal finances, and emotional support during deployments. Its web site address is www.militaryonesource.com.
There are a number of actions you should take as soon as you receive PCS orders - actions such as arranging movement of your household goods, requesting on-post family housing (if desired), arranging temporary quarters for when you house hunt, and enrolling your children in the on-post Child Development Center program (if appropriate).
Newcomers are encouraged to contact their local Personal Property office as soon as possible after receiving orders to arrange shipment of household goods. Most of this process can now be accomplished online using the Defense Personal Property System. You can now schedule delivery directly with your carrier.
Single Soldiers in the rank of E5 and below must reside in Single Soldier housing. Military families can either apply to live in military family housing or reside in the local community. Information about military family housing, including application procedures and approximate wait times, is available on the Knox Hills website at www.knoxhills.com. Information about off-post housing is available through the Housing Service Office. Persons planning to rent off post MUST report to Family Housing prior to entering into a lease agreement.
Military families requiring on-post child care are encouraged to contact the Fort Knox Child Development Center for enrollment information by calling (502) 624-6703 Monday through Friday 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Military families moving to Fort Knox also may have their children’s CDC information exported from the previous installation to Fort Knox Parent Central Services.
Persons wanting to forward their mail to Fort Knox prior to their move can do so by renting a PO Box at the main post office. To establish this service, complete a PO Box rental agreement at www.usps.com. After completing that transaction, call Fort Knox’s main post office at (502) 942-1244 to obtain your PO Box number.
Before departing home, remember to hand carry important paperwork such as military service records, PCS orders, passports, leave and earning statements, proof of car registration and insurance, marriage certificate, immunization records of children, household goods inventory lists, and military ID cards.
While traveling, be sure to document all travel expenses for reimbursement at Fort Knox.
TRAVEL
Fort Knox is located 35 miles southwest of Louisville, just off Highway 31W, which can be reached from the north by taking Louisville’s Gene Snyder Freeway (KY 841) west off I-65. If approaching from the south, take KY 313 exit 102, off I-65. All three entry gates are located just north of Radcliff, Ky.
If you are traveling by plane you’ll most likely arrive at Louisville International Airport. Assistance can be found for military personnel and their families there in an Army Reception Center on the airport’s second level. The center is open 8 a.m. until the last flight arrives on weekdays and from 9 a.m. until 2 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. Refreshments, games, cable TV, writing materials, and phone lines are available.
No commercial bus transportation is available to Fort Knox, but some taxi companies provide group rates for military travelers. Details on discount taxi rates are available at the airport information desk. No shuttle bus service is available at Fort Knox.
ARRIVAL
Fort Knox has three entry gates, all accessible from Highway 31W, just north of Radcliff. All military members, civil service employees, contractors, and visitors need either a visitor’s pass or DoD decal to enter the post.
Visitors without a DoD decal or visitor’s pass on their current vehicle must enter the Chaffee (Main) Gate where the Fort Knox Welcome Center is located. The Welcome Center hours are available on the Fort Knox webpage at www.knox.army.mil/garrison/des/fkwc.asp. Visitors requiring access to the installation after those hours must enter through the visitor lane at Chaffee Gate.
To obtain a pass, visitors must show current vehicle registration, proof of insurance, and a valid driver’s license at the Welcome Center. If driving a rental car, they will also be required to show their car rental agreement.
Newcomers need to register their vehicles and obtain a Fort Knox DoD Decal within 14 days of arrival when in-processing through the One Stop Center. Special permits can also be issued at the Welcome Center to contractors and to civilians who use select FMWR facilities like the golf course.
Other entrances to Fort Knox include the Wilson Gate and Brandenburg Gate. The Gate hours are available on the Fort Knox webpage at www.knox.army.mil/garrison/des/fkwc.asp. Persons using those gates must already have a DoD vehicle decal or vehicle pass.
When an individual brings a firearm onto post, he or she is required to declare the firearm at the gate, and tell the gate guard where the firearm is located in the vehicle. The weapon and ammunition must be stored separately.
Firearms being stored on the installation must be registered with the Directorate of Emergency Services located in Building 1381 a One-Stop Center. Hunters undergo a criminal background check when applying for a post hunting permit. Persons using French Shooting Range must undergo a criminal background check before bringing a firearm to that facility.
LODGING
Fort Knox Army Lodging has more than 600 transient lodging rooms located in six different complexes throughout Fort Knox. The front desk sign-in location is located in Newgarden Inn, Building 1327, at 406 N. Knox Street.
Lodging units are diverse in design, ranging from standard rooms to suites. Units are complete with queen-sized beds, microwaves, cooking facilities, refrigerators, cable TV, DVD players, and free in-room Internet access. Guest services include a fitness center, conference room, game room, and laundry areas.
Roll away beds and portable cribs are available to guests on a first come, first-served basis. We also have rooms that accommodate handicapped persons. When phoning in or utilizing our e-mail request form for your reservation, please inform the reservationist of any special needs.
Reservations are recommended. For reservations, call DSN 464-3491, commercial (502) 943-1000. Reservations are accepted 120 days in advance for official travel (TDY or PCS orders) and 14 days in advance for all unofficial guests (must either have a Military ID or be sponsored by a service member).
Families attending basic training graduations or family days may reserve 14 days in advance of the graduation or family day date. (Please make sure to bring your invitation to the graduation). Space is limited for unofficial travelers. Credit card guarantee is required for late arrivals.
Room rates are based on available facilities. Additional occupant charges are $5 per person. Pets are permitted only for families on permanent change of duty station orders. There are only a limited number of pet rooms available. Pets must have a health certificate to stay in any lodging facility. Additionally, there is a $5 daily pet fee and a non-refundable $40 cleaning fee.
Geographical Bachelor Quarters is a temporary lodging facility, which provides private, furnished, low-cost quality lodging for geographical bachelors. No long-term commitment is required.
FIRST STOP IS ONE-STOP
The first stop for all new arriving personnel is White Hall (Building 1384), the One-Stop Processing Center, located off Vine Grove Road. In-processing is normally conducted from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on duty days. Certain preliminary in-processing is accomplished at the time of arrival, so have all your records with you.
One-Stop combines elements from the Adjutant General (Personnel), Finance and Accounting, Transportation, and the Family Housing/Housing Referral Office. Other agencies located in White Hall include the Retiree Service Office; Vehicle Registration; Child, Youth and School Services; and the Travel Office.
Processing at One-Stop includes confirmation of assignment, publication of orders, updating personnel files, and finance record checks. Information is provided on post units, facilities, and activities. The duty uniform for Fort Knox is ACUs. All in-processing must be done in military uniform.
TRANSITION/RELOCATION SUPPORT SERVICES
Army Community Service (ACS) Transition/Relocation Support Services helps Soldiers and their families “settle in” to Fort Knox as quickly and easily as possible. ACS has many programs/services to assist newcomers. These services include the lending closet, relocation counseling, pre-arrival information, mandatory overseas orientation, reentry workshops, newcomer orientations, services to multicultural families, services to waiting families, and sponsorship support.
Most ACS activities are located in Building 5101 at 12th Armored Division Ave. It can be contacted by calling (502) 624-8391/6291.
The ACS Lending Closet is stocked with basic items needed upon arrival or before departure. Dishes, pots, pans, silverware, toasters, irons, and ironing boards are just a few of the items available on loan. This program is offered to provide basic housekeeping items on temporary loan for a varied period of time (usually thirty to sixty days) to all incoming personnel. An extension is available if the household shipment has not arrived within the time period.
For outgoing families, items may be borrowed after the household shipment has been picked up. All items need to be returned prior to the flight date. It is best to bring your own linens because the Lending Closet does not provide them.
The Army established the Total Army Sponsorship Program to assist Soldiers, civilian employees, and family members during the relocation process. Program participants are provided with accurate and timely information and other support needed to minimize problems associated with relocating to a new duty station. The program is available to the active Army, the Army National Guard, the +Army Reserve, and to civilian employees whose assignment to a position within the Department of the Army requires a permanent change of station (PCS).
Interested in learning about how to become a sponsor? Have you been assigned official sponsorship duties? Log on to the CAC enabled eSponsorship Application Training (eSAT) www.militaryhomefront.dod.mil.
You can never be too financially ready for your move. The government ships your household goods and gives you travel funds, but it may not be enough to cover all your expenses. While advance pay may seem like a great solution, remember that you must pay back this advance within 12 months. The temporary hardship of relocating may affect your family for a long time.
Moving expenses you can expect include: rent, advance rent, deposits, hook-up fees, license, tags, registration, car rental, transportation from the car shipping port (stateside), temporary lodging and food. Please call your ACS Transition Support Services/Relocation Services for assistance and plan ahead.