The Airman & Family Readiness Flight
would like to welcome you to Beale AFB!
This page will provide you with information and resources that the Airman & Family Readiness Center can offer you. If you are looking for reporting, lodging, postal information, please take a look at the Beale AFB public page for newcomers.
Relocation Assistance
Happy Landings
Inbound Personal Property
Free Child Care
Pet Care
Family Services Loan Locker
Coping with the High Cost of Living
Vehicle Registration
Vehicle Insurance
Unique Rules of the Road
Relocation Assistance
Stop by our center to meet our staff and hear about what services we can offer you. You can pick up a copy of the base phone book, local maps and we can try to answer any questions you may have.
We can also provide you with resources to deal with those unique PCS difficulties.
Happy Landings
Have you recently arrived at Beale? Happy Landings is a welcome and orientation program for spouses of military members who have recently become members of Team Beale. We have a variety of folks from around the base and community to welcome you to your new home and provide information about the services and programs available. The program will run from 0900 to 1400 hours. Lunch and child care will be provided.
Upcoming dates include:
2009 |
January 16 |
March 20 |
May 15 |
June 19 |
July 17 |
August 21 |
September 18 |
November 20 |
Call 634-2863 to register.
Inbound Personal Property
Inbound shipments are managed by the Joint Personal Property Shipping Office in Colorado Springs, Colorado (JPPSO-COS).
Personnel arriving should contact the JPPSO-COS Inbound Section directly at:
1-800-771-1819
Print out a copy of the JPPSO-COS Customer Service Brochure (Adobe Acrobat Required)
Click here for more information from the Beale Personal Property Office.
Free Child Care for PCS
Do you need some time to unpack or take care of mandatory appointments?
You can receive 20 hours of free childcare per child with a licensed day care provider. This is available to all ranks and needs to be used within 60 days of your PCS. Bring a copy of your PCS orders to the Airman & Family Readiness Center in order to get your voucher for each child and a list of day care providers.
Pet Care
The Beale Veterinary Treatment Facility is open Monday-Friday 0830 to Noon and 1300 to 1530. They are located at 17751 23rd Street on main base. Their phone number is (530) 634-2104.
The have a list of boarding & emergency care facilities in the local area.
Family Services Loan Locker
If you are still waiting for your household goods or just need a household item, visit family services. This is a service provided by the A&FRC where you can check out (for free) items such as sleeping mats, pots & pans, dishes, folding tables, baby items, etc.
The loan locker is located in the housing area at 5114B Tern Court. It is open on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday from 1100 to 1600. You can call (530) 634-5626 for more information.
Coping With The High Cost of Living
California can offer some unique financial difficulties, however, there are some resources available to those who qualify.
Military and federal employees can take advantage of many discounts available to them. This includes everything from cell phone service to certain products and services. Take a look at the discounts available to you.
Vehicle Registration
Are you a resident of another state? The California Department of Motor Vehicles (www.dmv.ca.gov) states that "if you are on active duty you may operate a commercial vehicle owned by you without obtaining California registration provided the vehicle has valid registration in your home state or the state of military assignment at the time of registration, and is not used in a trade or business." Read the information they have published for military personnel in California.
If you are a California non-resident, but you wish to register your vehicle here in California you are exempt from payment of the vehicle license fee (VLF) on any vehicle owned or leased and registered in California. You need to file the Nonresident Military Exemption Statement (Reg 5045) at the time of registration.
If you work in CA (not military job) after hours or part time other than your military, you must have a CA license and the primary vehicle you drive to and from your place of employments must have CA license plates. This also applies to all dependents.
Even if you are exempt from registering your vehicle in California, your vehicle must comply with ALL CA laws. Here are some examples, tinted windows in front of the rear passenger door, cover on the license plate, lowered vehicle, license plate on the dash board, lowered vehicle to low, raised vehicle to high, loud muffler, headers, and covers on your lights, there are many more, however you can look them up on the CA DMV website.
Tri-State rule - You have to have two of the same, you can't have your vehicle registered in FL, a NC driver's license and you're a resident of GA. Two of the three must be the same.
Vehicle Insurance
Ensure that you know the limitations of your auto insurance policy coverage. In some cases insurance obtained in another state may not be valid in California based on limitations specified in your policy. You must ensure you tell your insurance company that you are in California. Caution: some insurance company's coverage will not transfer to California.
Unique California Rules
Effective January 1, 2009, a new law expands the prohibition of using a wireless communication device while driving a motor vehicle, to include writing, sending, or reading a text based communciation such as text-messaging, instant messaging and email. Read more about the exemptions and penalties. Don't forget, it is illegal in California for anyone to operate a motor vehicle while using a wireless telephone unless a hands-free device is used.
Global Positioning Systems (GPS) - This new law allows a portable GPS device to be mounted in a 7-inch square in the lower corner of the windshield on the passenger side of the vehicle, or in a 5-inch square in the lower corner of the windshield on the driver’s side. These are the only two locations on a windshield where a GPS device can be mounted. The GPS device can only be used for navigational purposes while the motor vehicle is being operated, and it is required to be mounted outside of an airbag deployment zone.
Ignition Interlock Devices (IID) - This new law reduces the BAC from .20 percent to .15 percent or more at the time of arrest to trigger a requirement for the court to give heightened consideration for the installation of an IID for a first-time offender convicted of DUI of an alcoholic beverage.
DUI Probation License Suspension - This new law prohibits a convicted DUI offender from operating a motor vehicle with a blood alcohol level (BAC) of .01 percent or greater while on probation for DUI. The law requires the driver to submit to a Preliminary Alcohol Screening (PAS) test, a portable breath test to determine the presence of alcohol. If the driver refuses, or if the driver submits and has a BAC of .01 or greater, a citation will be issued, the driver’s license will be taken and driving privileges will be suspended. In addition, the vehicle will be impounded.
*Temporary Operating Permits - This law restricts DMV from issuing temporary operating permits to allow more time to obtain a smog certificate as part of the registration renewal process. Under the law, extensions will cost $50 and are only allowed if the vehicle has been tested at a smog station and failed. The extension can be for no more than 60 days from the date registration is due. The $50 fee will be waived for owners accepted into the Bureau of Automotive Repair Consumer Assistance Program (CAP).
It is illegal for a person to smoke a pipe, cigar, or cigarette in a motor vehicle any time a minor is present in the vehicle. This is punishable by a fine up to $100.
It is illegal for anyone to operate a motor vehicle while using a wireless telephone unless a hands-free device is used.*
It is illegal for anyone under the age of 18 to operate a motor vehicle while using a wireless telephone, including a hands-free device, and/or a mobile service device (pagers, texting devices, laptops, etc).*
* Both new laws have some exceptions that include making calls in emergency situations, for example: calls to law enforcement, health care provider, fire department, etc.
Lights must be on when the windshield wipers are on. Do a physical check of all the lights and ensure their properly working. This includes the license plate light (#1 probable cause stop in CA).
You must file DMV's Traffic Accident Report within 10 days of any accident, if there is over $750 damage to anyone's property, any injury, or death - whether or not you are at fault in the accident. The report must be filed with DMV. Your insurance agent/broker, or your legal representative, can file the report for you. A California Highway Patrol or police report does not satisfy this legal requirement, but you may include a copy of their report with the DMV report. If you do not file this report, your license will be suspended.
Deployments/TDY does not excuse the owner from properly registering or insuring the motor vehicle. (Insure that you do not allow the registration or insurance to expire simply because of a deployment or TDY commitment).
