Fort Lee Information

Updated: June 5, 2023
In this Article

    In 2017, Fort Lee, Virginia celebrated its centennial-one hundred years of serving America and operating in the Tri-Cities area of Virginia. Fort Lee is located near Petersburg, Hopewell, and Colonial Heights.

    The post has a daytime population of well over 27 thousand and trains more than 70 thousand soldiers annually, serving as one of the largest training sites operated by the United States Army. Fort Lee is home to the Army Ordnance School, Quartermaster School, Transportation School, and Army Logistics University.

    Find information about Fort Lee, Virginia, including the main commercial and DSN numbers for the base, information on basic services, base transportation, lodging for TDY and PSCing personnel, and inprocessing.

    Fort Lee, Virginia Mission & Units

    Fort Lee is an important U.S. Army training facility, which includes the following schools:

    • U.S. Air Force 345th Training Squadron
    • U.S. Army Ordnance School
    • U.S. Army Quartermaster School
    • U.S. Army Transportation School
    • Army Logistics University
    • Army Logistics Management College
    • Combined Arms Support Command Sustainment Center of Excellence

    Other important Fort Lee units include:

    • 11th Transportation Battalion
    • 16th Ordnance Battalion
    • 23rd Quartermaster Brigade
    • 244th Quartermaster Battalion
    • 262nd Quartermaster Battalion
    • 266th Quartermaster Battalion
    • 392nd Army Band
    • 59th Ordnance Brigade
    • Defense Commissary Agency
    • Legal Services
    • Military Entrance Processing Station (MEPS)

    ADVERTISEMENT

    What Kind of Military Base is Fort Lee?

    Established in 1917, Fort Lee is an Army base located in the very center of the state near the cities of Petersburg, Colonial Heights, and Hopewell. Renowned for being a highly active base during World War II, Fort Lee is presently recognized for being one of the largest training military facilities in the United States. 

    Impressively, Fort Lee is home to Army Logistics University as well as the U.S. Army Ordnance Corps Ordnance Campus. This makes Fort Lee an essential installation as it provides crucial support to military logistics, supply chain management, and maintenance operations. 

    ADVERTISEMENT

    Fort Lee Housing: Where Should I Live if Stationed at Fort Lee?

    Like most military bases, Fort Lee offers both on-base and off-base living options. Those who choose to live off-base are eligible to receive Basic Allowance for Housing (BAH), adjusted based on location, rank, and number of dependents.

    Single-family homes, townhomes, and apartments are available on-base at Fort Lee, and they come with exciting amenities such as playgrounds, community centers, and gyms. As there is often a shortage of homes on-base, military members are required to check in with the Housing Services Office and may be placed on a waiting list.

    Notably, military members of certain rankings without dependents are required to live off base. Those who choose, or are required, to live off-base can live in surrounding towns and cities such as Petersburg, Colonial Heights, Hopewell, and Chester. The Housing Services Office provides military personnel with information and support on how to obtain off-base housing. 

    ADVERTISEMENT

    Fort Lee Family Housing

    Military members who are eligible to live on-base with their families can look forward to single-family home, townhome, and apartment options. As Fort Lee is dedicated to providing families with a positive living experience, entertainment facilities such as fitness centers, a commissary, and even a mini-mall are available.

    For those living off-base, it is recommended to contact the Housing Services Office to get started on the process of securing BAH. They can also provide essential information for military members looking to rent or purchase a home within the surrounding area. 

    What is the BAH for Fort Lee?

    As mentioned above, a variety of factors can impact an individual military personnel’s Basic Allowance for Housing (BAH) rate. Presently, those with pay grades of E01-E04 with dependents are eligible to receive $1839.00 each month, while those with the same ranking but no dependents receive $1431.00. 

    It’s recommended to routinely check for the present BAH rates for Fort Lee to ensure you are receiving the most updated information.

    The Fort Lee Housing Office: How to Apply for Housing at Fort Lee

    With on-base housing being managed by the Gregg-Adams Hunt Military Community, you can begin the process of finding housing by reaching out to them at (855) 587-5862. This organization is open Monday-Friday from 8 AM-5 PM. For those choosing to live off-base, you can begin by contacting the Housing Services Office at 804-765-1963. 

    These resources will help you effectively navigate Fort Lee housing selections and make informed decisions about on- or off-base housing!

    Fort Lee, Virginia History

    Not long after the United States declared war on Germany in 1917, the War Department purchased a large amount of farmland in Prince George County, Virginia and the start of what was then known as Camp Lee began.

    15 miles of road and thousands of buildings later, Troops from Pennsylvania, West Virginia, and the local area began arriving at the camp for training; ultimately more than 60 thousand troops would pass through Camp Lee on the way to World War One.

    Once the war ended, Camp Lee would focus on out processing troops leaving the service, and later the Camp would close altogether. It wasn’t until World War Two and the passage of the Selective Service Act that Camp Lee would reopen; there was much to do since all but a single original structure built on Camp Lee the first time had been torn down. The new Camp Lee had more than 350 thousand troops pass through on the way to combat.

    After World War Two ended, the camp did not close, but instead continued to operate as a training center for the Women’s Army Corps and the home of the Adjutant General School and the Army Quartermaster School. In the 1950s the Army decided to finally make the installation permanent and Camp Lee became Fort Lee.

    The coming decades would see a big modernization push, and the addition of a variety of tenant units including:

    • Army Logistics Management Center (ALMC)
    • Readiness Group Lee
    • Materiel Systems Analysis Activity
    • Gerow U.S. Army Reserve Center
    • Defense Commissary Agency (DECA)
    • USAR 80th Division

    Today’s Fort Lee is still an important training base; Army Logistics University came to the Fort in 2009 and the U.S. Army Ordnance Corps Ordnance Campus are just two of the modern operations that prepare soldiers for their role in national security and overseas operations. 2017 marked the 100th anniversary of Fort Lee.

    Fort Lee, Virginia Contacts

    Main Base Contact Information

    Fort Lee
    1231 Mahone Avenue Bldg. 9023
    Fort Lee, VA 23801-1605

    • 804-734-6388
    • (DSN) 312-687-6388

    Important Fort Lee Phone Numbers

    • Post Information (Automated) 765-3000
    • Post Status Hotline (Automated) 765-2679
    • Installation Operations Center (24/7) 734-1584
    • Military Police Desk Sergeant (24/7) 734-7400
    • CASCOM/SCoE Staff Duty (24/7) 765-7425
    • 23rd Quartermaster Brigade Staff Duty (24/7) 734-6885
    • 59th Ordnance Brigade Staff Duty (24/7) 765-9288/765-9289
    • Garrison Headquarters 734-7188
    • Kenner Army Health Clinic 734-9000
    • IHG Army Hotel (on-post) 733-4100
    • Fort Lee Family Housing (on-post) 733-1558
    • Fort Lee Housing Services Office (off-post) 765-1963/765-1597
    • Fort Lee Child Development Center 765-3765
    • Fort Lee Public Affairs Office 734-7451
    • Traveller Newspaper 734-7147/734-7610
    • Temporary Lodging/Billeting 804-733-4100, (DSN) 312-687-6700
    • Directory Assistance: (804) 765-3000
    • Post Locator: (804) 734-6855
    • Fort Lee Status Hotline: (804) 765-2679
    • ID Cards (804) 734-7394 or 7348
    • Child & Youth Services Division 804-765-3852
    • School Liaison Officer 804-765-3813

    Fort Lee, Virginia Surrounding Area

    There are plenty of things to do in and around the Fort Lee area; history buffs should visit the Petersburg National Battlefield, a Civil War historical site. Pocahontas State Park is a place fans of the outdoors should experience along with the Chester-located Point Of Rocks Park, which is known for its nature trails in addition to the more typical public park attractions including a playground, intramural spots, etc.

    Those looking for a family-oriented outing should visit the King’s Dominion amusement park, the Edgar Allen Poe museum, or take a two hour drive from the Fort Lee area to explore the nation’s captial-Washington D.C. has much to offer including the Smithsonian, the Vietnam War Memorial, the White House, etc. Richmond, Virginia is also a short drive from Fort Lee and includes a NASCAR speedway and the John Marshall house among many other attractions.

    Fort Lee, Virginia Inprocessing and Check-In

    Check-in procedures into Fort Lee will vary depending on whether the military member is permanent party, going through AIT, attending schools on-post, or otherwise on temporary duty.

    Fort Lee Check-In Procedures For Permanent Party Military

    The Soldier Support Center (SSC) is where permanent party Army personnel reporting to Fort Lee must go during regular duty hours. After duty hours, permanent party military members should report to the Installation Operations Center.

    Air Force members should check with at the 345th Training Squadron, Navy personnel Report to the Naval Detachment, and Marines will report to Report to the USMC Detachment.

    Student Check-In Procedures

    The Fort Lee official site says students, including those headed for the Combined Logistics Captains Career Course (CLC3), Basic Officer Leaders Course (BOLC), Warrant Officer Basic or Advanced Course, Advanced Leader Course (ALC), Senior Leader Course (SLC), and international students must report to the 71st Student Battalion at Army Logistics University.

    Students attending the following courses must report to the 23rd Quartermaster Brigade;

    • Quartermaster
    • Transportation
    • MOS-T
    • Paralegal AIT students
    • 23rd Quartermaster Brigade.

    AIT and MOS-T students arriving at Fort Lee via privately owned vehicles must report in uniform no later than 2PM Fridays.

    Students reporting to Ordnance School (Ordnance AIT/TDY/MOS-T Students, 59th Ordnance Brigade) are required to check in with the Ordnance Campus.

    Fort Lee Services

    Health Care

    Fort Lee is served by Kenner Army Health Clinic, which is responsible for outpatient care; Kenner refers patients who need services above and beyond outpatient treatment to a local network healthcare provider. Sick call services are available for active duty military members.

    Make an appointment for outpatient services by calling 1-866-LEE-KAHC (533-5242); After duty hours call the “Nurse Advice Line” at 1-800-TRICARE, option 1.

    Services available at Kenner include;

    • Dental Clinic (active duty, AIT, and other military only)
    • Family Medicine
    • Occupational Medicine
    • Optometry
    • Orthopedics
    • Pediatric Medicine
    • Physical Therapy
    • Radiology
    • Social Work

    Child Care

    Fort Lee child care on-post is provided by post Child Development Centers (CDCs, offering fully accredited child care programs for part-time, full-time, and hourly care. Full and part-day programs are for children ages six weeks to five years old. Part-day programs are not for children attending Kindergarten.

    Respite care is also available for families of deployed, TDY, unaccompanied, and wounded soldiers.

    To be eligible for CDC care, the child must be a family member of active duty military personnel, DoD civilians, or DoD contractors. All children must be registered through the Child Youth and School Service (CYSS) registration office; call 804-765-3852 or DSN 312-539-3852 for more information.

    There is a waiting list for on-base child care; the military member’s rank, status on the base as permanent party or TDY personnel and other factors may determine the duration of the wait list times for an individual applicant.

    Fees for on-base child care are income based and CDC child care options are not a military entitlement or benefit. In-home family child care options are also available on-post. This care is available from private homes on Fort Lee and care providers must meet certification and inspection standards.

    Dependent And Retiree ID Card Renewal, Replacement, And New Issue

    All personnel who need replacement Common Access Cards, dependent IDs, retiree ID cards, etc. are directed to use the RAPIDS appointment system to scheduled appointment at the Fort Lee Identification and DEERS office or call 804-734-7394 for more information.

    Walk-in service is available but waiting times can run between 30 minutes to two hours. For dependent ID cards, the sponsor must be present to complete/sign DD Form 1172-2 or the dependent must have a previously signed DD 1172-2 which is permitted within 90 days of signature.

    Household Goods

    All PCSing military members with household goods shipments en route to Fort Lee are directed to track and manage their household goods shipments via the Defense Personal Property System at Move.mil. Questions and appointments can be made via the Fort Lee Transportation Office (inbound) at 804-734-4187 or DSN 312-687-4187.

    Fort Lee Schools

    There are no DoD schools at Fort Lee. Those living on post will send their children to schools operated by the Prince George County Public School District. Off-post, school districts are assigned based on location; out-of-district attendance is generally not permitted. School districts near the Fort Lee area include:

    • Chesterfield County Public Schools
    • Colonial Heights Public Schools
    • Dinwiddie County Public Schools
    • Hopewell Public Schools
    • Petersburg Public Schools

    Contact the Fort Lee School Liaison Officer to get help with schools and school district options by phone at (804)765-3813.

    Fort Lee Housing

    Housing at Fort Lee is privatized and managed by Fort Lee Hunt Companies. All PCSing military members are required to check in with the Housing Services Office in the Soldier Support Center; those who need permissive TDY for house hunting must check in on the first day of the TDY with orders to receive a “housing stamp” verifying the permissive TDY.

    In cases where this the proper procedures are not followed, the service member will be charged leave rather than be considered on TDY status.

    Fort Lee has a variety of separate neighborhoods to choose from, but there may be a waiting list depending on TDY/PCS season, the number of incoming troops, and other variables.

    Qualifying single E5s and below may be eligible to live in unaccompanied housing via the First Sergeant’s Barracks Program 2020; learn more by calling 804-734-6177. Soldiers who are geographically separated from family are not eligible for unaccompanied housing; All soldiers E6 and above without dependents are required to live off post.

    Fort Lee PCS and TDY Lodging

    Those TDY or PCSing to Fort Lee, Virginia are directed to make booking arrangements via the IHG Army Hotels official site for the Fort Lee Lodge.

    Fort Lee Transportation

    Transportation from Richmond International Airport is available for soldiers attending Advanced Individual Training (AIT). The Fort Lee official site says this option is available at no cost (as long as the soldier has military orders) from James River Transportation: (804) 249-1052.

    There is also an Airport Taxi service authorized to operate on post, available by phone at (804) 222-6666.

    The Petersburg Area Transit operates buses on Fort Lee to and from the installation to Petersburg with connections to the surrounding communities. The bus stop may be found outside the Fort Lee PXtra on Mahone Ave.

    For soldiers attending one of Fort Lee’s many training facilities, on-post shuttle services are available with around 20 stops and bus pickups once every 25 minutes. Using the on-post shuttle requires a valid DoD ID card and the busses operate on a space available basis only.

    Fort Lee Vehicle Registration And Driver’s License

    Fort Lee no longer requires base decals for privately owned vehicles to access the post. A Common Access Card is required to enter the base; those who do not have one will be required to submit to a background check at the Fort Lee Visitor Center before entry to the post may be approved.

    Motorcycle operators may be required to furnish proof of completion of the Motorcycle Safety Foundation Experienced Rider Course; this is a free class held at Fort Lee by volunteers who work with the Installation Safety Office.

    All drivers entering Fort Lee are required to observe traffic restrictions on the post’s official physical training route; these restrictions are effective between 5AM and 7:30 AM weekdays. The training restrictions include a complete closure of Shop Road from the Main Post Exchange to the Quartermaster Museum.

    During this time there is also no traffic permitted for the entirety of B Avenue. These areas are considered “Prohibited routes” and are marked with cones and signs during the traffic restrictions.

    Written by Joe Wallace

    Joe Wallace is a 13-year veteran of the United States Air Force and a former reporter for Air Force Television News.

    Edited by Veteran.com Team

    The editorial team here at Veteran.com works to help the U.S. military community discover the many military benefits available to them. Our team is supported by our Veteran Review Board and its Standard of Care, which all content on Veteran.com is reviewed to meet.