The Seymour Johnson AFB guide

• Fly into Raleigh-Durham International (RDU), about 70 miles west. Take I-40 East about 10 miles, exit onto I-440 East, then US-70 East to Goldsboro and follow signs to the base — call it 90 minutes with traffic. Kinston's regional jetport is 28 miles east but doesn't help a TDY traveler; book a rental car at RDU, because nothing in Goldsboro is walkable from the base.
• Berkeley Gate (1050 Wright Brothers Ave, off N Berkeley Blvd) is the main gate and the only one open 24/7. Slocumb Gate (all traffic, including RVs and commercial) and Oak Forest Gate are Monday-Friday 0600-1800. Hours change with FPCON, so confirm on the 4th Security Forces / base site before an odd-hours arrival.
• The Visitor Control Center is at the Berkeley Gate; the base lists 919-722-1344 for visitor passes and notes the center closes at 4:30 p.m. Bring your CAC or REAL ID, vehicle registration, and proof of insurance; non-DoD visitors need a sponsor and a background check, which the base says can take time — start it before you travel. Confirm current hours on seymourjohnson.af.mil.
• GPS loves to route you to Slocumb Gate. If you arrive after 1800 or on a weekend, navigate to 'Seymour Johnson Berkeley Gate' or any point on N Berkeley Blvd instead. Berkeley Blvd is also the base's retail strip, so the 0700 and 1600 pushes stack up at the light in front of the gate.

• There are no DoDEA schools on base; children in base housing attend Wayne County Public Schools, which zones the installation to its Goldsboro-area elementary, middle, and high schools — check the district's Military Child Education page for current assignments.
• Wayne County Public Schools is a Purple Star district for the fifth straight year, with all 33 schools holding the designation and a full-time district Military Liaison who works directly with the base. Nearby Johnston County (Princeton) and Wayne Country Day, Faith Christian Academy, Wayne Christian School, and Wayne STEM Academy give families private and charter options; NC Virtual Public School covers online coursework.
• The School Liaison Officer is at 1515 Goodson St, Bldg 3508, Room 103, 919-722-5810, Monday-Friday 8:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m. For special-education transitions, the district's Exceptional Children Program is 919-705-6027 and the base EFMP office is 919-722-0809.
• The Child Development Center at 1030 Langley Ave (919-722-1198) serves ages 6 weeks to 5 years, 6:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m. weekdays, with capacity for 194 kids and $8/hour drop-in care; Family Child Care (919-722-7194) covers 2 weeks to 12 years including nights and shift work. Put your request in on MilitaryChildCare.com the day you get orders — the waitlist runs months.

• The 4th Medical Group's Thomas Koritz Clinic (2803 Medical Campus Drive) is an outpatient clinic — primary care, dental, pharmacy, lab, X-ray, and select specialties — with no emergency room and no on-base ambulance. Appointment line 919-722-1802, dental 919-722-1933, Nurse Advice Line 800-874-2273 option 1, clinic hours Monday-Friday 7:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m.
• Emergencies go to UNC Health Wayne (Wayne Memorial Hospital), 2700 Wayne Memorial Drive in Goldsboro, about 10 minutes from the Berkeley Gate; Wayne County EMS transports there. Level I trauma is at WakeMed Raleigh or ECU Health in Greenville, each about an hour away.
• Seymour Johnson is in the TRICARE East Region, administered by Humana Military. TDY travelers on Prime should call the Nurse Advice Line before using urgent care off base to keep the visit covered.

Commissary

1310 Edwards St, Bldg 3722 — 919-722-0321; Mon-Sat 8:30 a.m.-7:00 p.m., Sun 11:30 a.m.-6:00 p.m. (confirm holiday hours)

Exchange

Main Exchange at 1350 Edwards St, next to the commissary — Mon-Sat 8 a.m.-6 p.m., Sun 11 a.m.-6 p.m.; Express and Class Six on base

Fitness

Fitness & Sports Center, 1500 Langley Ave — 919-722-0420; the base's single gym, so expect a 0600 and 1600 crowd

Dining

Southern Eagle Dining Facility, 3650 Pope St — 919-722-5295; Mustang Taproom at Eagles Landing (1240 Andrews St) for evenings

MWR

Outdoor Recreation Adventure Park (1385 S Andrews St, 919-722-1104) rents kayaks and camping gear; Phantom Lanes bowling, Auto Hobby Center, base library at 1520 Goodson St, ITT through Community Programs

Signature event

Wings Over Wayne — North Carolina's largest free air show, held in odd years (nearly 200,000 people in May 2025; next expected 2027)

1. 01Hurricane season is not theoretical here. Matthew (2016) and Florence (2018) both flooded Goldsboro and the base — Florence dumped nearly 15 inches and the Neuse crested at 27.6 feet. Know which roads near your rental go under (the low crossings toward the river do) and follow the 4th FW on social media from August through October.
2. 02If you're inbound for the B-Course, book the Southern Pines Inn the day your orders publish — TDY reservations open a full year out, and eight months of lodging is exactly what PCS season eats. If you're going commercial, get the non-availability number in writing before you sign a lease or a hotel folio.
3. 03Berkeley Gate is the only 24/7 gate. Slocumb and Oak Forest close at 1800 and all weekend, and GPS routes to Slocumb by default; program 'Seymour Johnson Berkeley Gate' instead.
4. 04Goldsboro is a standard-rate town ($110 lodging), and the hotels on Berkeley Blvd and US-70 know it. Rates can spike above per diem when a class starts, an inspection lands, or the air show is on — lock in lodging early rather than trusting walk-up pricing.
5. 05Summer flying starts early to beat the heat, and so does the gate traffic. The 0630-0730 push down N Berkeley Blvd is real; living east of the boulevard or in Walnut Creek keeps you off it.
6. 06Pack for both seasons. July afternoons hit 90°F with humidity that makes it feel hotter; January mornings are in the 30s, and every few years an ice storm shuts the county for a day or two.
7. 07The Koritz Clinic has no ER. Save UNC Health Wayne's address (2700 Wayne Memorial Drive) in your phone before you need it, and call the Nurse Advice Line first if you're on TRICARE Prime.
8. 08PCS families: the CDC waitlist is measured in months and the 194-slot center is the only one on base. Request care on MilitaryChildCare.com the moment you have orders, and ask the MHO (919-722-0362) about Mayroad's current wait by bedroom count before you decide between on-base and off.

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