Texas is home to more than 20 Military bases. The states strategic location, size and somewhat stable climate  offer the ideal conditions to be home to naval bases in the gulf, air force bases throughout the state and army bases as well. The Dallas Fort Worth Area is home to the Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base or NASJRB.

This naval air station plays a pivotal role as a joint defense facility which trains personnel as pilots and ground crew for air craft carriers. NASJRB is located seven miles northwest of the Fort Worth city center and has approximately 40 different commands consisting of active duty military, guardsmen, reservists and civilian employees.

The Naval Station has had a few different names over the years and dates as far back as World War One, but is probably best known as the Carswell Air Force base, named after a Texas Medal of Honor recipient by the name of Major Horace S. Carswell, Jr. In 1917 General John J. Pershing Invited the British Royal Flying Corps to establish training fields for U.S. pilots.

The southwestern United States were seen as ideal because the climate was more conducive to year round training. Three sites, known as the “Flying Triangle”, were established and named Hicks field, Barron field, and Carruthers field.

These fields served to train hundreds of American pilots in basic and primary flying skills during World War One. When the war ended in 1919 “The Flying Triangle” was closed. On the cusp of the Second World War, General Jacob E. Fickle, a former student at Carruthers field, visited Fort Worth on an inspection visit to open a training field for the Army Air Corp. $1.75 million was approved by President Roosevelt for the construction of an air field on June 16^th 1941 and Tarrant field, later to be known as Carswell Air Force Base, was born.  It held the name of Carswell Air Force Base from 1948 to 1993 when it was recommended that the base be closed and was subsequently reopened in 1994 as the Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base and became the home to the Marine Corps, Naval Reserve, Air Force and Air National Guard.

Naval Air Station Fort Worth consists of 1804 acres of land and is home to more than 10,000 active duty military, as well as Reservists, National Guard, civilian employees, and families. If you are a member of the military relocating to the Naval Air Station Fort Worth Joint Reserve Base keep in mind that housing is limited to a total of 83 housing units and there is typically a wait list of between 6 to 12 months.

All personnel interested in an on base residence are encouraged to add their names to the wait list as soon as possible after arriving to the base; the housing referral office can be reached at (817)782-5711. Service members assigned to NASJRB must either live in the community housing provided at the Carswell Community area until they are approved for an on base residence or they have the option of living off base in a community of their choosing.

Housing in the surrounding metropolitan area is relatively low cost compared to national averages and provides a viable alternative to living on base. Keep in mind that military personnel who have already relocated to the base will not receive additional government assistance to move a second time unless it is from an off base location to an on base location.

Any personnel considering an off base living arrangement should first move to the off base location then put their names on the wait list for on base housing, this way they can receive assistance for both moves. For more information and to ensure the best housing situation military personnel are encouraged to visit the Housing Referral Office on base or call the number listed above.

For military personnel who will be serving their First Term at NASJRB it is highly recommended that they join the sponsorship program, contact the Fleet & Family Support Center at (817)782-5287 for more information about requesting a sponsor. Your sponsor will help you with the transition to NASJRB by offering support and by helping in other ways such as picking you up from the airport and helping to set up a forwarding address for your mail.

For military personnel moving with family, Naval Air Station Fort Worth provides youth sponsorship and support programs designed to pair youths from military families with others of a similar age and with similar interests. The program is designed to help military families have a smooth transition to a new duty station. The Fleet and Family Support Center also works to help families moving to the Air Station to have a successful relocation transition, the center can be reached at (817)782-5287. The Support Service programs include but are not limited to:

• Spouse employment
• Financial education and counseling
• Personal and family wellness education and counseling
• Deployment support for military personnel and families

The Naval Air Station Fort Worth Joint Reserve Base is served by four different school districts in the Fort Worth Area, each with a number of different elementary, middle, and high schools. Listed below are the School districts and the corresponding web address. Research the district most applicable to your situation and prior to relocating set up set up any necessary school transfers to avoid interruption or discuss your options with the Fleet and Family Support Center.

• Arlington Independent School District – http://www.aisd.net
• Fort Worth Independent School District – http://www.fwisd.org/pages/FWISD
• Crowley Independent School district – http://www.crowley.k12.tx.us/site/default.aspx
• Hurst-Euless-Bedford School district – http://www.hebisd.edu/insideheb/aboutheb.asp

Above all stay positive and organized, the more preparation you are able to do, the better and more confident you will feel, which will result in a smoother move. General George Patton put it best “Accept the challenges so that you can feel the exhilaration of victory”.