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Camp Lejeune, NC, Regional Guide updated as at 5 Aug 08 REGIONAL GUIDE FOR Camp Lejeune, North Carolina CAMP LEJEUNE
ADS(W) Note: The information in the guide is strictly local and is intended to be a guide only. It represents the experiences of those previously posted to the area, not official policy, and is by no means authoritative. Members are advised to verify the information in this package with the appropriate sources prior to acting. Any N. American general information is in the G’Day guides for the benefit of people across N. America. None of the information in this regional guide is endorsed by ADS(W). Location and Population Camp Lejeune (http://www.lejeune.usmc.mil/mcb/index.asp ) is located in eastern North Carolina, in an area known as the Crystal Coast. It is at the southern end of the Outer Banks, a chain of sand islands that parallel the coast, and is bordered by the inlet to the New River. Camp Lejeune is a self contained military community of around 43 000 Marines and their families. It is the home of II Marine Expeditionary Force, 2nd Marine Division, 2nd Marine Logistic Group as well as many other units, including the Marine Corps Engineer School. Camp Lejeune, NC, Regional Guide updated as at 5 Aug 08 Across the New River is Marine Corps Air Station – New River home to the VM‐22 Osprey; Camp Johnson‐home of the School of Infantry‐West; Stone Bay, home of MARSOC training and Camp Geiger. To the East of Camp Lejeune is Marine Corps Air Station, Cherry Point. This area makes up the largest concentration of Marines and US Navy in the world. Camp Lejeune is supported by the town of Jacksonville (http://www.ci.jacksonville.nc.us/opencms/opencms ). Jacksonville has a population of around 72 000 and is the county seat for Onslow County (http://www.onslowcountync.gov/ ). Jacksonville has reasonable shopping facilities, including 2 Walmarts, a Target, a mid‐size Mall and many chain restaurants. Typical of towns around military bases, there are also many tattoo parlours, pawns shops and ‘gentlemen’s clubs’. A large Mall is located around 45 miles away in Wilmington. There are also significant shopping, dining and cultural facilities in Raleigh (the Capital of NC), which is around 120 miles away. Climate Camp Lejeune has 4 distinct seasons with Spring and Autumn being spectacular. Winter is cold with day time averages in the low teens (Celsius) and nights often falling below freezing, however snow is uncommon. Summer is hot and humid with day time averages around 30 degrees Celsius. Hurricanes can be a threat during the summer months. Where to stay on arrival (Settling‐In) The Base has several hotels/inns on site. All efforts will be made to book accommodation at the Bachelor Officers’ Quarters (also called All Points Inn), attached to the Paradise Point Officers’ Club. These accommodations are very comfortable and within easy walking distance of the Australian house. Looking for a House Base Housing is managed by the Atlantic Marine Corps Communities. AMCC manage all maintenance issues as well as lawn care. Officer Housing is largely located in the Paradise Point area. All homes in the area are renovated 2 storey weather board homes dating from the 1940’s. The established Australian Liaison house is located at 2411 Saint Mary Drive. It has large living areas and kitchen, 4 bedrooms and a fully enclosed porch. There is polished timber flooring throughout. There is a single car garage with storage space and internal access. The house has ducted reverse cycle heating/air conditioning. All utilities are included in the rent. 2
Camp Lejeune, NC, Regional Guide updated as at 5 Aug 08 The Base shopping facilities (Marine Corps Exchange and Commissary) are located about 4 miles from the house and the schools are around 1‐2 miles away. The house has obscured views of the New River (approx 200m from the rear of the property) and the Golf Course (3rd Hole is 100m from the house). http://www.lejeune.usmc.mil/Family_Housing
Getting Set up Phone • Local: Embarq provides local, long distance and international landline service.
http://www.embarq.com • Personal Mobile: Contact Veronica Choo at ADS(W) to ask about pre‐arranged plans with AT&T and T‐Mobile (202‐797‐3092). You can look up the current promotions in the Finance section of the ADS(W) website but you must get a letter from Veronica to sign up for a plan. We were able to get a personal cell phone from one of the kiosks in the Marine Corps Exchange with very little fuss. • Phone Cards: Look for phone cards at 7‐11s, pharmacies and convenience stores. Some offer rates as low as 2 cents a minute to Australia and can be topped up with a credit card. Be sure to read the fine print for hidden fees. There are also phone cards available over the internet, where you are issued a pin number and can call from a landline or cell phone. • Pre‐paid phones: Another option is to purchase a mobile (‘cell’) phone and airtime as you need it. This is an easy and inexpensive option, if not using the service heavily. An advantage is that you do not need a credit card to purchase, as you do not sign any contracts (unlike the main mobile phone companies – Nextel, Cingular etc). One option is Tracfone – www.tracfone.com. You can buy a phone and airtime cards in many shops (e.g. Wal Mart, supermarkets etc) or online and top up as you need to. Gas. See Housing section as all utilities are supplied and covered as part of the rent. BBQ Gas is available at the on‐base Service Stations. Electricity. As above. Water, Sewer and Garbage. As above. Garbage (including recycling) is collected weekly (currently Thursday am). 3
Camp Lejeune, NC, Regional Guide updated as at 5 Aug 08 Cable TV. There is no free to air television reception in the area. Options for television are cable or satellite. Satellite TV providers include Direct TV (http://www.directv.com) or DishNetwork (http://www.dishnetwork.com/). The house currently has a DishNetwork Satellite dish installed. Cable TV is offered through Charter Communications (www.charter.com). As a side note, Charter is the only company that currently offers Internet service to Camp Lejeune and Cable TV/ High Speed Internet bundles are very reasonably priced. Internet. Currently the only ISP to the Camp Lejeune area is Charter Communications www.charter.com Internet service is very quick and very reasonably priced by Australian standards. Furniture Rental. You should be able to fully furnish your home within the rental ceiling – especially as it is a long term rental with potential follow on business. The only company that services the Camp Lejeune area is: • Executive Furniture Leasing http://www.executivefurnitureleasing.com Lois and Bill will provide a laptop with their inventory on it and you choose from there. Furniture is generally delivered within 5 days, subject to availability. Please note: The website listed above does not really give a great example of what is available. Public Transport Bus. Public bus services in Jacksonville are very limited and most people tend to drive. The Base has a bus service, but, again, it is limited and only stops at various points around the Base (it does not go into town). http://www.lejeune.usmc.mil/mcb/baseBusSchedules.asp
School buses pick up children from all the schools at various points and take them to/from school. There is a school bus stop about 100m from the Aust LO house. Train. There is no local train service in the region. The nearest Amtrak station is in Fayetteville (around 2 hours drive away) or Raleigh. http://www.bytrain.org/
Taxi. There are a number of taxi companies that service the Jacksonville/Camp Lejeune area. Some of these include: TarHeel Taxi (ph: 910‐938‐8989), Dynamic Cab Company (ph: 910‐347‐5757), Yellow Cab (ph: 910‐353‐1111). Airports. The local area is serviced by Albert Ellis Airport (airline code is OAJ) (http://www.onslowcountync.gov/airport/default.aspx) . It is convenient as it is only a 30 minutes drive away, however services and choice of airlines are somewhat limited (predominantly just Delta and US Airways). 4
Camp Lejeune, NC, Regional Guide updated as at 5 Aug 08 Further a field is Raleigh‐Durham International airport, around 2 hours 15 minutes away. This is a large facility with greater choice of flights and airlines. http://www.rdu.com Private Transport Buying. KellyBlueBook: You can check new car prices and used car values on the Kelly Blue Book website. www.kbb.com/
There are many dealerships in town selling a range of new and used vehicles. Some of these include: • Mazda Of Jacksonville • Sanders Ford • Stevenson Toyota Additionally, there is the vehicle resale lot ( commonly called the ‘lemon lot’) on Base. This is an area where people (often those due to go on deployment) sell their vehicles privately. You can pick up some good bargains here and cut the middle man out. Registration. Information on registering vehicles in North Carolina can be found at: http://www.ncdot.org/dmv/vehicle_services/registrationtitling/howToRegister.html
Leasing. Leasing a vehicle is also an option (see G’day USA Guide for further details). We have done this very successfully through Admiral Leasing. They provide different options for vehicles and mileage. We went with a mileage plan of 18000 miles per year. Nine months into the posting we have already started to think that this won’t be enough. Car Insurance. See the G’Day USA Guide for a list of auto insurance agents that accept your Australian driving history. In this area contacts that you might find useful are: • American Home Assurance Company (AIG) (www.aig.com). We have comprehensive insurance on both vehicles through this company. This is the company that the car leasing company uses. It is very reasonably priced and we received a substantial multi‐policy discount. • USAA (www.usaa.com) Offers discount insurance to members. Driver’s License. The following link provides information on the requirements for this states driving license http://www.ncdot.org/dmv/driver_services/ Tip: You will need to sit a driver’s license test and will need to undertake a practical exam ($4 fee for a 2 year licence). 5
Camp Lejeune, NC, Regional Guide updated as at 5 Aug 08 Local DMV: The local DMV Offices are located at: • Driver’s Licence Office: Jacksonville DMV 229 Wilmington Highway (US17 S) PH: 910‐347‐3613 Open 0800‐1700 M‐F • Licence Plate Agency: 901 Hargett Street, Jacksonville Ph:910‐347‐1000 Open Mon‐
Fri 0900‐1700 NB: All vehicles aboard Camp Lejeune must be registered with the Provost Marshall’s Office and display a decal to allow access to the Base. In order to do this you must have a Stateside Driver’s Licence. Social Security (SS) Card All members should apply for a SSN ASAP on arrival in the area (make this one of your first tasks – the sooner you get your SSN the better). Partners and children must obtain their employment authorization document before applying for a Social Security Number (SSN). Those wishing to work must have both an SSN and Work Authorisation. Local SSA Office Check the website www.ssa.gov: The nearest Social Security Administration (SSA) Office is located at: • New Bern SOCIAL SECURITY 2836 NEUSE BLVD NEW BERN, NC 28562 Ph: (252) 637‐1703 Open: Mon‐Fri 0900‐1630 • Tips: Make sure you know what documentation to bring and get there early as it gets busy and is a small office. Expect it to take 2‐4 weeks for your application to be processed and your SS card issued. However, you should be able to call the SSA to obtain your SSN over the phone within a week. The card will be mailed to you. Do not lose it, as your identity can be ‘stolen’. Local employment websites • There are no employment agencies located in the Jacksonville area. Many local jobs are advertised in the local paper, the Jacksonville Daily news (www.jdnews.com) • The Base newspaper, The Globe also has job vacancies advertised. Health 6
Camp Lejeune, NC, Regional Guide updated as at 5 Aug 08 Your Healthcare is administered by Cigna. You can look up information on Cigna doctors and specialists in your area on the Cigna website at www.cigna.com/healthcare. All healthcare for the Serving Member and dependents is done through the Naval Hospital, Camp Lejeune (http://lej‐www.med.navy.mil/) . They provide a wide range of services, including paediatrics, obstetrics, orthopaedics, family health as well as ancillary care such as physio and occupational therapy. Once you are registered in the system appointments are made through Monica Brown at phone number: 910‐450‐3541. All health care is free of charge. All prescriptions are dispensed via the Naval Hospital Pharmacy (located within both the hospital and the Main Exchange complex) and are also free of charge. Courthouse Bay (where the Engineer School is located) also has a Medical/Dental Clinic that can be used as a first port of call for the serving member rather than driving the 14 miles to the Naval Hospital. Recommended Doctors. As stated all health care is provided by the Naval Hospital. Dentists • Anderson and Slack Dentist https://sites.televox.com/drwanderson/site.htm Optometrist • There is an Optometrist located in the MCX Mall Complex http://www.mccslejeune.com/optical.html There are also several optometrists around town, including within the Walmart complex. Hospitals The nearest hospitals are: • Naval Hospital, Camp Lejeune. Approx 3 miles from the house. As stated previously the hospital has a wide range of specialties as well and an Emergency Department. http://lej‐www.med.navy.mil/ • Onslow Memorial Hospital http://www.onslowmemorial.org/ Pharmacies The Naval Hospital has a pharmacy in the main foyer. There is also a branch of the pharmacy within the Main Exchange Complex. If you have a repeat on a prescription you 7
Camp Lejeune, NC, Regional Guide updated as at 5 Aug 08 can have these filled by calling 866‐207‐1028. This is an automated number. More information can be found at http://lej‐www.med.navy.mil/Pharmacy/automated.aspx
There are several pharmacies in town that stock medications as well as basic groceries and incidentals. The larger chain stores (Walmart, Target and Kmart) also have pharmacy sections. Walgreens: 359 Western Blvd. 910‐355‐7053 1600 Gum Branch Road 910‐478‐4952 Rite‐Aid: 377 Western Blvd 910‐353‐3424 622 N Marine Blvd 910‐455‐2911 Education All children living aboard Camp Lejeune are entitled to attend the Department of Defense Schools on Base. http://www.am.dodea.edu/lejeune/
These schools are zoned, dependant upon which area of base you live in. For children living in Paradise Point the schools are as listed below. • Child Care Centre. Paradise Point Child care centre is open children aged 3 months to 12 years (conditional on being a member of the OWC). http://camplejeuneowc.org/?page_id=11 At the time of writing this guide (July 08) there is some talk that PPCCC will be closing indefinitely as at September 08. Any changes in the status of this will be updated. • Pre‐Schools ‘Pre‐K’. Johnson Primary School at 2027 Stone Street (ph: 910‐
451‐2431), is the base school zoned for residents of Paradise Point. It includes Pre‐K to Year 2 and has an excellent reputation. http://www.am.dodea.edu/lejeune/JPS/Index.htm • Elementary Schools (Grades 3‐5). Bitz Intermediate (2028 Bevin Street 910‐
451‐2575) is the school zoned for Paradise Point residents. It caters for Grades 3‐5. http://www.am.dodea.edu/lejeune/BIS/index.htm
• Middle Schools (Grades 6‐8). Brewster Middle school. 1290 Stone Street. 910‐451‐2561. http://www.am.dodea.edu/lejeune/BMS/Index.htm • High School (Grades 9‐12). Lejeune High. 835 Stone Street ph:.910‐451‐2451. http://www.am.dodea.edu/lejeune/LHS/index.htm
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Camp Lejeune, NC, Regional Guide updated as at 5 Aug 08 •
Adult Education. o Coastal Carolina Community College. http://www.coastal.cc.nc.us/ o Campbell University has a campus aboard Camp Lejeune http://www.campbell.edu/academics/excampus/lejeune/index.html o University of North Carolina, Wilmington. http:/www.uncwil.edu/ Library The Harriotte B Smith Library aboard Camp Lejeune has a wide range of books for all family members. It was refurbished in mid 2008. The library runs a good series of classes and reading groups for children. http://www.mccslejeune.com/library.html
There is a public library in Jacksonville, but we have found the Base library to be more than adequate for all our needs. http://www.onslowcountync.gov/library/
Vets Use these contact details to find a local, Government approved, Vet and Testing labs for pre‐departure immunizations and testing as required under the AQIS guidelines. These guidelines can be found under the AQIS website and should be followed completely. Eric Coleman AVIC USDA APHIS VS 930 Main Campus Drive Suite 200 Raleigh NC 27606 Ph: 919 855 7700 Fax: 919 855 7720 Local vet in Jacksonville: Animal Hospital 292 Doctors Drive Jacksonville (near the Mall) 910‐353‐1722. (NB: We have no personal experience with this surgery but neighbours have mentioned it). Dining/Night Life Jacksonville has a number of steak house style restaurants (Lone Star, Outback, Texas etc) and many casual dining premises (mainly belonging to large chains e.g.; Ruby Tuesday, Olive Garden, Applebee’s etc). There is very little in the way of family owned 9
Camp Lejeune, NC, Regional Guide updated as at 5 Aug 08 (or ‘Mom and Pop’) cafes and restaurants. Swansboro (about 30 mins away) does have a few of these type places, such as Yana’s and Gourmet Café and the Church Street Irish Pub. Wilmington has a larger range of good quality/up market restaurants. Restaurants • Smedley’s Cafe. Located in the Paradise Point O Club is great for casual family dining. It is open Wed‐Sat from 1700‐2100 and is an easy stroll form the house. • Shogun Japanese restaurant. 1230 Western Blvd. Caters for takeaway and dine in meals. Also has tepanyaki barbeques • Thai House 150 Western Blvd. Good quality, reasonable priced Thai food. Dine –in and Take away. Bars/Clubs • Follow Me Bar located within the O Club. Open Wed‐Fri 1630‐2100. Shopping Groceries. Camp Lejeune Commissary has a good range of all grocery needs, including fresh produce and meat. There is a small International Foods section where you are buy things such as Weetabix (English version of Weetbix) and English Cadbury chocolate, however there is no Australian food available. The Commissary is closed on Mondays. Food Lion is a supermarket chain that has a couple of stores in Jacksonville. The range is reasonable but the prices are significantly higher than at the commissary. Alcohol There is a liquor store in the Main Exchange complex. It carries a wide variety of beer, spirits and wines. It has a reasonable selection of Australian wine at very good prices. • The ‘Convenience Store’ and ‘Hadnot Point 7 Day store’ also carry a small selection of beer, wine and spirits. s
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Camp Lejeune, NC, Regional Guide updated as at 5 Aug 08 Clothing • The Marine Corps Exchange carries a good selection of clothing for men, women and children at good prices (and sales tax free). Brands include Billabong, Quicksilver, Roxy, Liz Claiborne, Calvin Klein, DKNY etc. • Jacksonville Mall has numerous clothing stores, including Gap, Gap Kids, American Eagle, the Children’s Place, JC Penney, Sears and Belk. • Old Navy on Western Blvd has great priced clothing for all the family. • Marshall’s (in the same complex as Old Navy) is a great place to hunt for bargain priced designer clothing, footwear and home wares. Appliances/Electronics • Best Buy • Staples • Dept Stores e.g. JC Penney, Belk and Sears. Miscellaneous Hairdressers • Hairtage 240 Henderson Drive Extension Housecleaners • Attention to Detail Cleaning Service. 824 Gum Branch Road 910‐21‐1526. Banking and Credit Unions • Marine Federal • Navy Federal Things To Do (year‐round or seasonal) Day‐trips • New Bern. Tryon Palace built in 1769 and the home of Governor. New Bern also has a great historic district. • Wilmington http://www.wilmington.net/ and Wrightsville Beach. http://www.visitwrightsville.com/ 11
Camp Lejeune, NC, Regional Guide updated as at 5 Aug 08 • Swansboro http://swansboro‐nc.org/ Weekend Trips • Raleigh. There are some fantastic museums, shopping and arts facilities located in Raleigh. http://www.raleigh‐nc.org/ • Myrtle Beach. SC. Very much the Surfer’s Paradise of the region. Loads of beach front hotels, golf courses and touristy entertainment. Includes many Ripley’s Believe it or Not attractions (The Ripley’s Aquarium is probably the best Aquarium that we have ever been to). Myrtle Beach also has a House of Blues, Dixie Stampede and Medieval Times which are not to be missed. Approx 3‐ 3.5 hours south of Camp Lejeune. http://www.myrtlebeach.com/ • Virginia. Virginia offers many lovely places to see and things to do for a weekend away. For anyone interested in Civil War History, Virginia is full of historic battlefields, houses and museums. http://www.virginia.org/ • The Outer Banks. This chain of sand islands off the coast of North Carolina is a must see. Either take the ferry from Cedar Island or drive across from Northern NC. Things of interest include the Elizabethan Gardens on Roanoke Island, NC Aquarium, the Wright Brothers Memorial at Kitty Hawk and Jockey’s Ridge (the United States tallest sand dune). http://www.outerbanks.org/index.asp • The Blue Ridge Mountains in Western NC. Asheville (including Biltmore Estate). Zoos and Aquariums • NC Zoo at Ashboro (3 hours from Jacksonville) http://www.nczoo.org/ • NC Aquariums. Pine Knoll Shores or Roanoke Island. http://www.ncaquariums.com/ Sport and Air Shows • MCAS New River and MCAS Cherry Point hold annual air shows. More information can be found at their websites. Outdoor Activities Beaches 12
Camp Lejeune, NC, Regional Guide updated as at 5 Aug 08 •
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Onslow Beach. Private Beach located on Camp Lejeune. Holiday Cottages can be booked for a nominal fee (but must be booked well in advance over the summer months). http://www.mccslejeune.com/beach/index.html TopSail Beach, not far outside the back gate of Camp Lejeune is also a good place to swim. • Wrightsville Beach near Wilmington (see previous link) Snow Fields • Beech Mountains NC is one of only 2 ski resorts in NC. http://www.skibeech.com/ • More skiing can be found in the Shenandoah Valley of West Virginia or on the other side of the Appalachians in Tennessee. Public swimming pools • O Club Pool, Camp Lejeune and the Area 2 Pool. http://www.mccslejeune.com/recleisure/pools.html Golf • Paradise Point Golf Club. Located around 1 mile from the Australian LO house, provides two 18 hole courses, 2 driving ranges and a putting practice area. http://www.mccslejeune.com/recleisure/golf.html Tennis • There are tennis courts located at Paradise Point (next to the soccer fields) around 0.5 mile from the house. These are free of charge. Other Sports The Base offers a wide variety of sports for both adults and children. More information can be found at: http://www.mccslejeune.com/ under the recreation/leisure tab. Other sports include fishing, running clubs and archery. Local Newspapers The Globe. This is the Camp Lejeune paper. Delivered free of charge every Thursday. http://www.camplejeuneglobe.com/ • The Jacksonville Daily News. www.jdnews.com Extreme Weather The summer months are very hot and humid with heat index (temp + humidity) often well into the high 30’s and low 40’s (over 100 degrees Fahrenheit). Severe thunderstorms are common and hurricanes are a threat from 1 June to 30 November. 13
Camp Lejeune, NC, Regional Guide updated as at 5 Aug 08 The Base has a good warning and evacuation system in place. Any threats to the area from severe weather are broadcast on Channel 10 (Camp Lejeune channel) or on the radio as well as on all other television stations. Details of any inclement weather that will effect school can be found by calling the Base information number 910‐451‐1717 (selection 5) . 14