Newcomers

Welcome to Hanscom Air Force Base. Hanscom is in Middlesex County, Mass., and touches the towns of Bedford, Concord, Lincoln and Lexington -- the birthplace of America. Hanscom is approximately 20 miles northwest of Boston; 25 miles south of Nashua, N.H.; and 85 miles from Portland, Maine. Hanscom is about four hours from New York City.


Military Installations
Download and print complete, up-to-date information on Hanscom by visiting https://installations.militaryonesource.mil/ and choosing Hanscom AFB from the drop down menu. Find answers to questions about schools, child care, employment, medical care, recreation, adult education and more. Email 66.FSS.FSFR.CMB@us.af.mil for further questions.

 

Local Area Lodging Establishments
Listing of lodging establishments within the local area.

 

UPDATED! Employment and education support for military personnel, families
Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker signed the Military Spouse Licensure Portability, Education and Enrollment of Dependents, or SPEED, Act into law Aug. 5. The bill makes relocating to Hanscom easier for military families by overhauling professional licensing procedures and waiving the school registration proof of residency requirement for military families on relocation orders. Additionally, the law grants service members and their families in-state tuition at public colleges and universities, establishes tax credits for those employing National Guard members, and guarantees support for military members exposed to toxic burn pits and airborne hazards. To view the bill in its entirety, visit https://malegislature.gov/Bills/192/S3075/BillHistory. For state licensure information, visit https://www.mass.gov/orgs/division-of-occupational-licensure. For elementary and secondary education information, visit https://www.doe.mass.edu/.

In February 2021, the Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker signed an Executive Order that directs the Division of Professional Licensure (DPL) to improve license portability for military personnel and their spouses so that they can continue their civilian careers and provide for their families without interruption. The entire EO is available at https://www.mass.gov/doc/reciprocal-licensing-military-families-executive-order/download.


Additional Resources

Housing
Visit the Air Force Housing website for further information.

Mail Enroute
Please contact the Hanscom Postal Service Center (PSC) at 781-225-2543 between the hours of 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. or 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. EST Monday through Friday approximately three weeks prior to arrival.

Relocation Assistance
Stop by the Airman and Family Readiness Center, Building 1240, between 8:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. for a personal welcome, extensive area information, personal invitation to all arrival events and loan locker items to borrow while awaiting household goods. Use the lending library, computers, phones, fax and more in the Resource Center. Inbound Hanscom personnel and DoD civilians with relocation questions may Email 66.FSS.FSFR.CMB@us.af.mil or call 781-225-2765.

Tax Information
You should know that Massachusetts is a very tax-oriented state. Please view the Massachusetts tax information fact sheet for further information. Free tax assistance is available year-round at the Retiree Activities Office, Building 1305. Call 781-225-1310 for further information.

Recreational Vehicle Policy 
The following vehicles are permitted to be operated on base: go-carts, motorized scooters, and mechanical carts, provided they registered as low-speed vehicles. The following personally owned vehicles are not permitted to be operated on base: snowmobiles, all-terrain vehicles, dirt bikes or any other off-road motorized vehicles.

RVs will be parked and stored in the base RV lot located, in the civil engineering compound. Before an RV can be stored in the RV lot, the owner must register with Outdoor Recreation. Temporary parking in marked parking spaces or parking lots to make minor repairs, clean the vehicle, or prepare the vehicle for use is allowed. RVs are allowed in the housing area for up to 24 hours.

Trailers longer than 28 feet are not considered RVs; they are classified as house trailers and are subject to the following rules: Incoming personnel assigned to HAFB whose travel orders authorize them to move with their trailers must make arrangements to park them at the FamCamp, subject to Service's FamCamp rules and regulations. Outgoing personnel whose travel orders do not authorize them to move with their trailers must sell or otherwise dispose of them before the owner departs the installation.

Rental Vehicles/Recreational Vehicles/Trailers. Authorized personnel (military, dependents, retirees, Department of Defense civilian identification card holders) driving rental trucks (e.g., U- Haul, Ryder) and recreational vehicles or towing trailers (e.g., campers, boats, motorcycles, ATVs) which are not commercial in nature will be allowed entry without requiring a search. However, these vehicles will be subject to entry requirements as a normal POV, to include random vehicle inspections. 

Rideshare and delivery policy
RideShare services such as Uber, Lyft, The Ride, Limo, or taxis to include other services such as Grubhub and DoorDash can be processed onto the installation. The sponsor requesting these services will call the Base Defense Operations Center and provide their information. The information required is as follows.

Name of the person requesting services
DoD ID Number
Date of Birth
Address services area being delivered
Phone numbers

Entry control will verify the service address once the delivery arrives at the gate via a receipt of phone application. Once the delivery has been properly vetted, a Defense Biometrics Identification System (DBIDS) pass will be issued for 20 minutes. The EC will utilize the sponsor's information to issue the pass. The service driver's mobile number must be recorded on the visitor pass. A cursory check of the vehicle will be conducted prior to entry.

The EC will maintain physical control of the delivery driver's license until he/she exits the installation. Upon exiting the installation, the delivery driver will exchange the visitor pass for his/her driver's license. If the driver does not return in 30 minutes, BDOC will dispatch a patrol to the delivery location and attempt to contact sponsor.

Customers on base requesting pickup services form taxis or limos will contact BDOC at (781) 225-5000 and provide the desk sergeant with the taxi company's name, customer name and pickup location. BDOC will notify the gates with the information provided, this will serve as the driver's receipt/bill of lading.

Taxi/limo drivers will provide a valid driver's license. SF will validate the information received from BDOC and verify the cards are valid. If the driver cannot provide the required information the installation entry will be denied.

Taxi/limo drivers entering the installation for the purpose of personnel drop off will need to provide a valid driver's license. Additionally, the passenger(s) must provide a valid base credential(s) prior to being allowed entry. In the event a driver in the categories listed above refuses a vehicle search, the entry controller will revoke the DBIDS card and turn it in to BDOC.

Companies are responsible for tracking and retrieving base credentials from employees within 10 days of separation, termination, and/or completion of business on Hanscom AFB. Base credentials must be returned to the Visitor's Control Center, phone: (781) 225-6648 or Defense Force Operations Support, Bldg. 1725, Phone: (781) 225-5605. Base Access requested to be revoked from employees in the form of a Real ID must notify the VCC or S5PR within 24 hours of the employee's separation, termination, and/or completion of business on Hanscom AFB.

Businesses who fail to maintain control over issued DBIDS cards may lose base access privileges.

For towing/wrecker vehicles, sponsors will instruct the company to gain base access through the Commercial Vehicle Search Area located on Hanscom Drive just Outside the Sartain Gate. During non-duty hours, the sponsors will call BDOC at (781) 225-5000 to coordinate the arrival of the towing/wrecker service. The towing/wrecker will be denied entry unless coordinated or accompanied by sponsor. A one-day pass will be issued to a towing/wrecker with a sponsor after successful identity proofing, vetting, and vehicle search. The tow/wrecker may enter the installation through the Sartain Gate for after-hour emergencies.