MCAS Yuma

MCAS Yuma sits in the southwest corner of Arizona, close to both the California and Mexico borders, and serves as the Marine Corps' premier aviation training base.

Yuma International Airport is the practical option for most travelers, sitting less than a mile from the air station itself.

By road, the Main Gate sits on Avenue 3E with direct access from Interstate 8, roughly 173 miles east of San Diego and 185 miles southwest of Phoenix.

The Inns of the Corps temporary lodging facility, located at Building 1088 just two blocks inside the main gate, is the on-base lodging option for active duty members, families, retirees, and sponsored guests. It has 84 rooms total, including 48 with access to private patios and a shared grassy courtyard, and every room includes free WiFi.

Rooms come with kitchenettes featuring a microwave, refrigerator, and two-burner stove, which matters for anyone on a multiweek TDY who wants to cook rather than eat out every night. Pet-friendly rooms are available, and wheelchair-accessible rooms can be requested.

MCAS Yuma controls 821 government housing units in total: 693 located directly on the air station and an additional 128 apartment-style units at the 16th Street Family Housing complex, about seven miles from base.

Off-base renters work through the Housing Referral Office, which maintains updated rental listings roughly every six months and can help with landlord disputes or general questions about the local rental market.

If you do sign a local lease, ask specifically about a military clause allowing early termination for PCS orders or for a base-housing offer, since landlords are not obligated to include one.

Families with school-age children can start with the Marine Corps School Liaison office, based at Building 693 on Hart, which serves as the point of contact for K-12 school questions in the area.

For younger children, the Marine Corps Resource and Referral office at Building 1071 on Martini Avenue is the local contact for child and youth program information and referrals.

The Marine Corps Branch Health Clinic on Hart Street provides outpatient care for active-duty members, with family members, retirees, and their dependents seen on an enrollment basis as staffing and resources allow. Clinic hours run 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on weekdays, and the pharmacy follows the same schedule with a check-in kiosk that closes at 3:30 p.m. to allow time for processing.

Inpatient care for active-duty members is routed to Naval Medical Center San Diego or Naval Hospital Camp Pendleton, while family members and retirees needing services unavailable at the branch clinic are referred into the local civilian network under TRICARE. The nearest emergency room is Onvida Health Emergency Yuma Medical Center, though follow-up with your primary care manager afterward is expected.

The on-base dental clinic serves active-duty members only, so family members needing dental care will use the TRICARE Dental Program network in town instead.

The Inns of the Corps lodging area sits near everyday conveniences including a laundry facility, the MCX, a library, and package pickup/drop-off through FedEx, UPS, and USPS, plus fax and copy services — handy for anyone staying an extended stretch without needing to leave base for basic errands.

A children's playground, barbecue grills, and a fitness center are also conveniently located near the lodging area, giving families or singles alike some easy recreation options within walking distance of their room.

If you're driving in on I-8, know your gate: from Exit 3 (Avenue 3E), the Main Gate is at the sixth signal, while the North Gate at the fifth signal is for commercial vehicles only.

Because rental housing tightens up considerably during the Winter Visitor season, anyone job-hunting for off-base housing between October and April should start early and lean on the Housing Referral Office's updated rental lists rather than waiting to search cold.