5. Register Your Car
Next up, you’ll want to have your service member take you to get your car registered on base/post. Some will require you to have a sticker placed on your car so that you can enter, while others do not.
Now is also the time to inquire about the installation’s entrance policy. Some questions to have answered:
Will you need to show your military ID while going through the gate?
Will everyone in the car have to show one?
And, if family and/or friends are coming to visit you, will they need a special pass to be allowed on base/post?
6. Power of Attorney
The Power of Attorney is one of the most essential tools for the military spouse. Basically, a power of attorney grants you the power to make decisions for your spouse if he or she is otherwise unavailable or deployed.
A POA can be incredibly specific or relatively general, so you and your spouse should get together and decide what works best for you.
But, you absolutely DO NOT want to get one week into a deployment when the electricity goes out, only to realize that the account is under your spouses name and you are not authorized to make any changes.
Obtaining a POA will not take you very long, and it is an incredibly common procedure. Military Lawyers will help you prepare your Power of Attorney, and they are located on nearly every installation. You and your spouse should make an appointment with your legal office to set up an appointment.
7. Helpful Hints
Driving through those gates the first few times can be scary, but there is no need to worry! There may be signs telling you if IDs are being checked, but as a general rule, having your ID ready is a good idea.
Drive up, stop, roll down your window and be courteous to the guard. On installations where a sticker is required to enter, those stickers may indicate if the car belongs to an officer or enlisted service member or dependent. If the vehicle has an “officer” sticker on the windshield, the person guarding the gate may salute when they wave the car through.
Civilians are not expected to salute back. A nod of the head as a sign of acknowledgement is appropriate, but not required.
On rare occasions, depending on the security situation at your particular installation, they will do random searches of vehicles. Don’t take it personally: Any vehicle that enters a military installation is subject to these searches. Being polite often helps to speed the process along.
