The JB Elmendorf-Richardson guide

• Fly into Ted Stevens Anchorage International (ANC) on the southwest side of town; it's about a 20-25 minute drive to the Boniface Gate via Minnesota Drive and the Glenn Highway or Boniface Parkway. Reserve a rental car before you fly, especially May-September when tourist demand empties the lots, and ask for winter tires from October on. Single Army soldiers can request a designated reception ride from the airport.
• Boniface Gate (Elmendorf side, off Boniface Parkway) and Richardson Gate (Richardson side, off the Glenn Highway) are the 24-hour gates. Muldoon Gate is a limited-hours commuter gate, open roughly early morning to late evening on weekdays with later weekend openings, and other gates open on shift schedules. Confirm current hours on the 673d Security Forces Squadron page before you commit to a route.
• Visitor Control Centers sit at both 24-hour gates. The Boniface VCC is the primary one, open daily from early morning to late evening; the Richardson VCC keeps weekday business hours. Bring a REAL ID-compliant license or passport, registration, and proof of insurance if you're driving someone else's car; anyone without a DoD ID needs a pass or a sponsor. Confirm hours on the JBER site, since they shift seasonally.
• Traffic is light by Lower 48 standards, but the Glenn Highway between Eagle River and the Richardson Gate backs up on weekday mornings and any time it snows. Moose on the road are a genuine hazard in winter, and Anchorage rarely closes for weather, so learn to drive on packed snow and ice.

• JBER has five on-base elementary schools run by the Anchorage School District: Aurora, Mount Spurr, Orion, Ursa Major, and Ursa Minor. Middle and high school students in base housing ride buses to ASD schools off the installation, so check your specific zoned school when you pick a neighborhood.
• The Anchorage School District is one of the largest in the country and serves Anchorage, Eagle River, and Chugiak; Eagle River High and South Anchorage High are perennial family favorites. Homeschool and charter options are strong, and Mat-Su Borough School District covers Wasilla and Palmer.
• The JBER School Liaison Office is in Bldg 600 on Richardson Drive, 907-384-1505; start there before you sign a lease, and ask about the Interstate Compact if you're mid-year.
• Child Development Centers operate on both sides of the base, and waitlists run months in summer PCS season. Register on MilitaryChildCare.com as soon as you have orders, and ask the Military & Family Readiness Center (907-552-4943) about Family Child Care homes in Aurora housing as a backup.

Commissary

Commissaries on both the Elmendorf and Richardson sides; expect higher prices than the Lower 48 but still well under Anchorage grocery stores.

Exchange

Main Exchange and food court on the Elmendorf side, plus a Richardson-side PX and Shoppettes with gas near each gate.

Fitness

Elmendorf Fitness Center (9510 22nd St) and Buckner Fitness Center on the Richardson side, which has an indoor track, rock wall, racquetball, and two pools including the Polar Paradise family pool.

Dining

Iditarod DFAC (Elmendorf side) and Wilderness Inn DFAC (Richardson side); check jberlife.com for hours, which change with exercises and holidays.

MWR

Outdoor Recreation rents everything from skis to boats, runs guided trips, and has the JBER-E FAMCAMP; there's also a ski hill, bowling, and the Arctic Warrior Events Center.

Newcomers

Military & Family Readiness Center, 8535 Wewak Drive, 907-552-4943; Army reception 907-903-4281; jberlife.com is the FSS hub for everything on the installation.

1. 01Winter here isn't the cold so much as the ice and the dark. Pack traction cleats for your boots, a headlamp, and a real parka; the base doesn't close for snow, and December daylight is about 5.5 hours.
2. 02Book the North Star Inn the day your orders drop if you're coming for Red Flag-Alaska or Northern Edge. Exercises fill both sides of the base, and you want the non-availability number early so you can lock commercial lodging before summer rates hit.
3. 03Rental cars sell out in Anchorage from May through September. Reserve at ANC weeks ahead, and if you're here October-April ask for studded or winter tires; all-seasons on the Glenn Highway at 10°F is a bad plan.
4. 04JBER is two bases with one fence. Elmendorf side (flight line, hospital, main BX) and Richardson side (Army units, Buckner) are a 10-15 minute drive apart, so pick lodging or a crashpad near the gate you'll actually use.
5. 05Moose are everywhere on base and in East Anchorage, including on the running trails. Give them 50 feet, never get between a cow and a calf, and slow down on base roads at dusk.
6. 06Summer daylight wrecks sleep. Bring a sleep mask or stay somewhere with blackout curtains; the sun sets around midnight in June and is back up before 4:30 a.m.
7. 07Alaska has no state income tax or sales tax in Anchorage, and residents get the Permanent Fund Dividend after a full calendar year. PCS families: file for residency and the PFD as soon as you're eligible, and update DEERS and TRICARE West enrollment on arrival.
8. 08Aurora housing has a real waitlist in summer PCS season. Get on it at auroramilitaryhousing.com before you arrive, and have a two-month plan for TLF or a furnished rental in case your home isn't ready.

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