Fort Riley

Fort Riley serves as the home of the 1st Infantry Division, the Army's storied 'Big Red One,' with a mission centered on building and deploying combat-ready forces for joint and multinational operations.

Fort Riley does not have its own commercial airport; travelers are directed to book flights into Manhattan, Kansas, or Kansas City, Missouri, and arrange ground transport from there.

There is no post shuttle system at Fort Riley, so incoming soldiers without a personal vehicle typically rely on Uber, Lyft, or a sponsor for the trip from the airport.

On-post lodging for TDY and PCS travelers is centered on the Candlewood Suites Hotel, operated by IHG, located on Custer Hill. It functions as the installation's official Army Lodging facility, and reservations can be made well in advance of arrival by phone or online.

The Candlewood Suites offers pet-friendly rooms, though availability is limited and should be requested at the time of booking. Because on-post pet space is tight, travelers with animals should budget extra lead time; the surrounding off-post area also has pet care and extended-stay options according to the lodging office.

Check-in at Candlewood Suites is after 4 p.m. and checkout is 11 a.m. Per an April 2025 policy update, PCS reservations require a Government Travel Card guarantee.

On-post family housing at Fort Riley is privatized and managed by Corvias Military Living, with five distinct neighborhoods spread across the installation. Homes are assigned based on rank and bedroom eligibility, and wait times vary significantly depending on those factors, so applying as soon as orders are known is worthwhile.

Soldiers must in-process through the Army Housing Office and apply for quarters within 30 days of signing in to preserve a backdated eligibility date tied to their departure from the previous duty station.

Fort Riley's School Liaison Officer, based on Normandy Drive in the Custer Hill area, serves as the primary point of contact for families navigating school enrollment and transitions in the surrounding districts. The office keeps standard weekday hours and is closed on weekends and holidays.

Child and youth enrollment runs through Army Parent Central (formerly Central Enrollment), also located on Normandy Drive, which handles intake for installation child and youth programs. Its hours extend later on Thursdays, which can help working parents coordinate enrollment appointments.

Irwin Army Community Hospital, located on Huebner Road, is the installation's primary medical facility, a 47-bed hospital that underwent a major expansion marked by a 2016 rededication and offers roughly 45 percent more space than before. It serves active duty, family members, retirees, and other eligible beneficiaries on a priority basis, with active duty seen first.

Appointments, pharmacy refills, and referrals all route through a single scheduling line, and the hospital's Beneficiary Counseling and Assistance Coordinator office on the first floor can help newcomers understand their TRICARE benefits.

Dental care at Irwin is limited to active duty service members for routine treatment, with only emergency dental care available to other eligible beneficiaries, so family members should expect to rely on TRICARE Dental Program network providers for non-emergency needs.

New arrivals in-process through the 1st Replacement Company on Main Post, which operates around the clock and handles sign-in for nearly all incoming soldiers, with a short list of units such as MEDDAC, DENTAC, and CID handled separately.

For those bringing recreational vehicles, boats, or trailers, Fort Riley offers free storage at the Camp Forsyth RV lot east of the Commissary, though residents note the lot fills up and a waiting list may apply; registration for a slot happens at the Self Help Store on Cameron Avenue.

If you're relocating with pets, get in front of the paperwork early: Corvias housing caps most households at two pets with several breed exclusions, and on-post lodging's pet-friendly rooms are limited, so confirming availability at booking time avoids last-minute scrambling.