Photo Information

The Honorable Mrs. Phyllis L. Bayer, left, assistant secretary of the Navy for energy, installations and the environment, and Brig. Gen. Benjamin T. Watson, right, commanding general, Marine Corps Installations East-Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune tour privatized military housing with spouses during a visit to Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, Feb. 15, 2019. Bayer visited MCB Camp Lejeune residential communities to assess on going restoration efforts on the installation. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Isaiah Gomez)

Photo by Lance Cpl. Isaiah Gomez

Carolina MAGTF leaders double down on readiness with CMC's housing outreach program

5 Mar 2019 | Sgt. Sean Berry The Official United States Marine Corps Public Website

As Camp Lejeune continues recovery from Hurricane Florence, II Marine Expeditionary Force and base leadership will increase its engagement with service members to understand if assistance is needed on the home front to maintain personal and operational readiness.

Along with the installation commanders, leaders across II MEF will execute the Commandant of the Marine Corps' Marine Housing Outreach Program to offer voluntary home visits to improve their respective command's awareness and better advocate for Marines, Sailors, Civilian Marines and their families. As referenced in the CMC's White Letter 1-19, the goal of the visits is to help leaders identify maintenance and safety concerns and ensure service members know about programs and resources which have been established to address potential housing problems.

"Our Marines, Sailors and their families matter to us, and part of that is being available to assist with concerns regarding housing," said Lt. Gen. Robert F. Hedelund, the II MEF commanding general. "These voluntary home visits and phone calls are not meant to be intrusive, but to show that personal and family readiness is an important part of being America's force in readiness."

With hurricane season quickly approaching, II MEF leaders emphasized that they want to ensure their service members and families are prepared to handle conditions that may impact their readiness.

"The Carolina [Marine Air-Ground Task Force] was hit hard during Hurricane Florence and some Marines, Sailors and their families are still impacted by the damage the storm left in its wake," Lt. Gen. Hedelund added. "This is a specific concern affecting those stationed here and as we prepare for the upcoming hurricane season, we as leaders, need to be there for our Marines and ensure they are prepared."

The Marine Housing Outreach Program will apply to service members in government quarters, as well as those living in rental or personally owned properties off of Marine Corps installations. The program is completely voluntary with service members allowed to decline the home visits offered by their respective commands. Service members may opt to receive a phone call from their command and inform them about their housing living conditions instead of participating in the in-person visits.

With the knowledge of the negative impacts from last year's hurricane, and the threat of hurricane season on the horizon II MEF disseminated guidance throughout the command to make sure the program is conducted efficiently and with minimal impact to service members and families.

"Bottom line, we want our troops and their families to have an avenue to bring up issues they may be having with their housing situation, and we want our leaders to be able to assist with that process where able,” Lt. Gen. Hedelund added.

For more information regarding II MEF’s efforts towards executing the CMC Housing Outreach Program home visits for off base rental or personally owned housing and the military family housing resolution process, contact your chain of command. For issues with public private venture housing on Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, Marine Corps Air Station New River, MCAS Cherry Point or MCAS Beaufort please contact Atlantic Marine Corps Communities, Lincoln Military Housing or the military family housing office.

For more information, contact your chain of command or the applicable housing office for the Carolina MAGTF: 
MCAS Beaufort
843-228-6000
beaufort_housing@usmc.mil
https://www.beaufort.marines.mil/Welcome-Aboard/Housing/

MCAS Cherry Point
252-466-2732
chpt.fac.housing.omb@nmci.usmc.mil
https://www.cherrypoint.marines.mil/Offices/Housing/Family-Housing-Office/

MCB Camp Lejeune and MCAS New River
910-450-1628
lejeunefamilyhousing@usmc.mil
https://www.lejeune.marines.mil/Offices-Staff/Family-Housing-Division/