NAS Lemoore: A Guide for Military Families

Overview

NAS Lemoore sits in California's San Joaquin Valley on nearly 30,000 acres, with a small-town feel and more nearby than you might expect. Hanford is about 21 miles east and is where most families shop and dine. Fresno is about 38 miles north, the closest major city for bigger trips, specialty stores and the airport.

Arriving and PCS

Start as soon as you have orders. Get on the on-base housing waitlist, transfer your TRICARE enrollment to the Lemoore area so there is no gap, and contact the School Liaison if you have school-age kids. Within your first couple of weeks, visit the Fleet and Family Support Center for its welcome brief. If you have pets and will live on base, register them with the base veterinary treatment facility within two weeks of arriving. Civilian guests need a base access pass from the Pass and ID office. For a short stay, Navy Inn Lemoore on base has 141 rooms and the Navy Lodge has 66. PCS families are typically authorized up to 10 days of temporary lodging expense, so confirm with your command.

Housing

On-base housing is run by Liberty Military Housing, with about 1,630 homes across six communities. Rent includes average utilities, and there are no credit checks for active duty. You apply through the Navy Housing Service Center, which refers you to Liberty. Your waitlist date comes from your detachment date, and you must check in with the Housing Service Center within 30 days of arriving to keep it. No official source publishes current wait times, so ask them for the current projection. Off base, most families choose Lemoore city (about 10 minutes from base), Hanford (about 20), or Visalia (35 to 40), and northwest Hanford is especially popular. Check listings against your own BAH rather than a fixed rent figure.

Schools

On-base housing is served by Central Union Elementary School District, not Lemoore Union Elementary, which serves the city. Akers Elementary and R.J. Neutra Elementary sit on base within walking distance and cover roughly TK through grade 8. Both have been recognized as National Blue Ribbon Schools, and all four Central Union schools as California Distinguished Schools. Base residents are zoned to Lemoore High School. The on-base schools accept proof of NAS Lemoore employment in place of residency, and California participates in the Interstate Compact on Educational Opportunity for Military Children, which protects enrollment, placement and graduation timing for transferring students. Off base, Hanford has its own elementary and high school districts, and Visalia is served by Visalia Unified. Street-level boundaries are not published cleanly, so verify an address with the district or the School Liaison before signing a lease. The School Liaison is a free resource for transfers, enrollment and special education navigation.

Medical

Naval Health Clinic Lemoore is the primary medical home on base for active duty and most TRICARE beneficiaries. It is a clinic, not a hospital, with no emergency room and no inpatient beds, so for an emergency call 911 or go to a civilian ER. Adventist Health Hanford, about 20 minutes away, is the nearest hospital, with a 24-hour emergency department and a birth center. NAS Lemoore falls under the TRICARE West Region, so set up your enrollment before you arrive. Getting a primary care manager assigned typically takes a few weeks after check-in, so start right away. On-base OB coverage has been limited, so most pregnant patients are referred to civilian OB providers in Hanford; start your referral early.

Pay and benefits

BAH depends on pay grade, dependency status and duty location, and rates reset every January 1. NAS Lemoore is its own Military Housing Area, so use the DoD BAH calculator at travel.dod.mil with ZIP 93246 to get your exact current rate. Locally, rents generally fit within BAH, so many families cover housing with room to spare.

Spouse employment and licensing

California offers three routes for spouses transferring a state-regulated license: expedited licensure with the application and license fee waived, a temporary license good for up to 12 months, and federal SCRA portability. California is not in the Nurse Licensure Compact, so a multistate nursing license does not carry over; nurses should contact the Board of Registered Nursing as soon as they have orders. Teachers use the state's military spouse credential pathway. Spouses may also be eligible for relicensing reimbursement of up to $1,000 under NDAA FY2018 §556, regardless of branch. Carry On, Duty HQ's upcoming tool for this, is not live yet.

Services and support

The Fleet and Family Support Center is the hub for relocation help, counseling, financial counseling, deployment support, spouse employment help, the Family Advocacy Program and EFMP. Embedded Military Family Life Counselors offer free, confidential short-term counseling with no referral needed. The commissary is on Reeves Blvd and is open seven days a week; check DeCA for current hours. The Child Development Center serves ages 6 weeks to 5 years, and you request full-time care online at MilitaryChildCare.com, so register as soon as you have orders. The MWR fitness center is free for active duty and open to dependents, and MWR events are a good way to meet other families.

Surrounding area

Lemoore city is closest to base, quiet, and about a 10-minute drive. Hanford, about 20 minutes away, is larger, with more stores and restaurants, and is where most families shop and dine. Visalia, 35 to 40 minutes away, feels like a full city with more to do. Fresno, about 38 miles north, is the closest major city for bigger trips, specialty stores and the airport.

Duty HQ at Lemoore

Duty HQ is live at NAS Lemoore, our pilot installation. Liberty answers installation questions for Lemoore families, and the Lemoore Base Hub is the community space for everyone connected to the base.