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JB Lewis-McChord

Tacoma, Washington, United States

Travelers use the AMC passenger terminal at McChord Field, on Joint Base Lewis-McChord south of Tacoma, for Space-A flights in the Pacific Northwest. The counter is on the airlift side of this Army-Air Force joint base. McChord Field is home to the 62nd Airlift Wing and its Reserve associate, which fly C-17 Globemaster III aircraft. This military terminal is distinct from the Seattle-Tacoma International Gateway across Puget Sound.

Terminal contact

Address
1422 Union Ave Bldg. 1179 McChord Field, WA 98438
Hours
0600-1800 terminal will open 30 minutes prior to roll call time during closure hours.
Commercial
(253) 982-7259
DSN
382-7259
Recording
(253) 982-7268
Sign-up email
spacea.mcchord@us.af.mil
Official webpage
https://www.amc.af.mil/AMC-Travel-Site/Terminals/CONUS-Terminals/Joint-Base-Lewis-McChord-Passenger-Terminal/

Departing Space-A Flights

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Terminal FAQ

Last verified 27 August 2026. Hours, fees, and presence rules change. Confirm with this terminal’s official page before you travel. Pop’s is unofficial.

Where is the passenger terminal?

JBLM Passenger Terminal, 1422 Union Ave, Bldg. 1179, McChord Field, WA 98438.

GPS Union Ave / Bldg 1179 on McChord Field, not a generic “Joint Base Lewis-McChord” or Lewis Main pin. On base. The AMC page does not publish a terminal-map URL.

How do I get on base / which gate should I use?

The AMC JBLM page does not print gate names or gate hours. Use the installation Visitor & Gate Information page (home.army.mil, checked 27 Aug 2026):

McChord Field (closest to Bldg 1179):

  • McChord Field Main Gate: 24 hours / 7 days — I-5 Exit 125 (Bridgeport Way)
  • McChord Field Visitor Center: 6 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. / 7 days — same exit
  • McChord Field Barnes Gate: 5 a.m. to 8 p.m. / 7 days — Perimeter Road, about ½ mile from the Lincoln Boulevard Gate exit of Lewis Main

Lewis Main (if you are coming from that side): Liberty Gate 24/7 (I-5 Exit 120); Lewis Main VCC 5 a.m. to 10 p.m. / 7 days, with the Liberty Gate guard shack processing visitors 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. daily.

CAC / DoD ID holders (adult 18+) use an open vehicle-access gate. Visitors without a qualifying DoD ID must stop at a VCC for a Temporary Pass (valid license, registration, insurance; passengers 16+ need photo ID; an adult DoD sponsor 18+ must be reachable by phone). REAL ID: IDs marked “Not Valid For Federal Purposes” or “Federal Limits May Apply” need supplemental identity documents or an escort.

VCC phones on that page: Lewis Main / Liberty 253-967-4794; McChord Field Main Gate 253-982-2119. Gate hours change; confirm before you drive.

What are hours, phone, DSN, and email?

Hours (AMC page): 0600–1800 (6 a.m.–6 p.m.) daily. Terminal opens 30 minutes prior to roll call during closure hours.

72-hour flight recording: Comm (253) 982-7268 · DSN 382-7268

Service counter: Comm (253) 982-7259 · DSN 382-7259

Fax: (253) 982-6815 · DSN fax 382-6815

Email: spacea.mcchord@us.af.mil The AMC contact block still prints (eagle@us.af.mil) in parentheses. Use spacea.mcchord@us.af.mil. Treat eagle@ as a leftover alias unless the counter tells you otherwise.

Workbook listed only (253) 982-7259. The page also publishes the 7268 recording line. HQ AMC directory lists both 7259/7268.

Do not publish AMC (312) as commercial. JBLM commercial is 253. Directory DSN is printed “(312) 382-7259”; the terminal page prints 382-7259 only.

How do I sign up for Space-A?

Email a copy of your travel documentation to spacea.mcchord@us.af.mil, or use the HQ AMC Space-A email form and select JB Lewis-McChord WA. HQ AMC does not process sign-up. Print the form or confirmation.

AMC JBLM required sign-up fields: email; rank/grade; first/middle/last name; service branch; military status; name(s) of dependent travelers; total seats required; travel eligibility status; leave dates; overseas travel-ready status (required documents in-hand?); destinations (up to five). Do not send SSN or DOB.

How and when do I mark present?

Not printed as a “mark present” clock on the AMC HTML page. Remote email sign-up is not presence. Have ID (DoD ID number if the card does not show it — see documents), passports, orders, and all bags. Use the 72-hour schedule and Roll Call PDFs for show/roll-call times.

Doors open 30 minutes prior to roll call if the terminal would otherwise be closed.

When is roll call?

Not printed as a fixed “N hours prior” on the AMC HTML page. Use the 72-Hour Flight Schedule (TCM72hr.pdf) and Roll Call (TCM_RollCall.pdf) icons. All flights can change or delay without notice.

The April 2026 stamp said delay/change notes post on that HTML banner. Recheck the live page.

When should duty / PE passengers check in?

Not printed as a clock-time NLT on the AMC JBLM HTML page (unlike MacDill/Spangdahlem). Read the 72-hour PDF and the TCM AMC Gram. This terminal does not publish PE-specific check-in clocks (no 30-day PE icon on the April 2026 capture).

Does this terminal operate Patriot Express flights? If yes, to where?

Not published as a PE gateway on the AMC JBLM page. Icons on the 21 Apr 2026 capture are 72-Hour schedule little Blue.jpg (TCM72hr.pdf) and Roll Call Blue.jpg (TCM_RollCall.pdf), plus TCM AMC Gram — no 30-day PE PDF.

West Coast PE/rotator to Japan, Korea, and Guam is the Sea-Tac AMC Gateway, a different AMC terminal. A 2022 U.S. Army article described overflow PE operating at McChord that May; that is not a 2026 promise. Do not plan a PE hop from JBLM from a blog. Check the live 72-hour PDF. This FAQ does not quote live seats.

Where is short-term and long-term parking, max days, and pass rules?

Long-term (AMC page): “New Long-term parking is available for a period not to exceed 60 days. Obtain Parking Pass from a Passenger Service Representative.”

Short-term / rows / RV / overnight: Not published on the AMC HTML page. Do not copy unofficial lot-row writeups. If you need more than 60 days, ask the counter; do not invent a max.

What lodging is nearby on-base and off-base?

On base (Air Force Inns, checked 27 Aug 2026): No matching AF Inns property. The AF Inns locator dropdown (af.dodlodging.net) lists neither McChord nor Joint Base Lewis-McChord. Do not copy unofficial “Rainier Inn / IHG Army Hotels / McChord Inns” pages as verified AF Inns.

Off-base: Not listed on the AMC HTML page. Check the TCM AMC Gram. No nightly rates published here.

Is there a USO, food, Wi-Fi, showers, lockers?

AMC JBLM “TERMINAL SERVICES” list: cable television; phone charging stations; business center; wireless internet; DSN/commercial phones; special-category lounge; family lounge; children’s play room; nursery; credit-card/wallet vending machines; National Car Rental (off site); USO M–F 0900–1400; GO Transit base shuttle.

USO hours conflict: AMC page Mon–Fri 0900–1400. Official USO Northwest Shali Center (northwest.uso.org/shalicenter; adjacent to the Troop Holding building and passenger air terminal) lists Monday–Friday 0900–1500, or extended hours as local mission dictates. Use the AMC page first, then confirm in person. Showers and lockers are not named on the AMC list.

GO Transit (installation page linked from AMC): free on-demand stop-to-stop shuttle for anyone with base access. Weekdays 7:30 a.m.–6:30 p.m.; weekends 8:00 a.m.–6:30 p.m. (Go Transit Route Schedules, home.army.mil, 27 Aug 2026). TransLoc app or dispatch. That window does not cover a 0600 terminal opening or after-1800 roll call. A Feb 2025 JBLM welcome packet lists dispatch 253-477-3717; a Connection PDF still prints older 0800–1800 weekday hours — use the GO Transit page.

What documents are required?

AMC JBLM policy banner:

1. Uniformed service member’s dependents under 14 must travel with the sponsor or eligible parent and possess Federal/State/local/tribal government-issued ID (DoDI 4515.13). Example: valid current passport or a raised-seal birth certificate (not a hospital certificate). 2. U.S. USID sponsor must show proof of sponsorship for dependents under 14 (Military Personnel Office or milconnect.dmdc.osd.mil). Documentation must provide the dependent’s DoD identification and privilege number.

100% DAV: USID sponsor card with “100% DAV” in the affiliation block; dependents the same.

Retired: USID sponsor card with “Retired”; dependents the same.

If the ID card does not show a DoD ID number, the PSA must collect it from MilConnect.

Space-A: DoDI 4515.13 eligibility, passports/visas as required, FCG / Force Health Protection. Bring sign-up confirmation.

Have passports, orders, and pet paperwork on your person, not in a checked bag.

What are baggage limits and Space-A/PE fees if published?

Bags (AMC JBLM page): 2 bags per person, 70 lb and 62 linear inches each. One carry-on that must fit under any aircraft seat. The page does not add a separate “personal item” line (unlike some other AMC pages).

Fees: Not published on the AMC JBLM HTML page. Do not invent a PE head tax for this terminal.

Can I travel with pets from here?

The AMC JBLM HTML page does not publish a local pet-slot policy, kennel sizes, or a “pets accepted / not accepted” banner. It links the HQ AMC Pet Travel page. You own the paperwork. Ask the counter before you count on a pet space. Unofficial “cargo-jet pets” writeups are flagged unofficial.

Where are schedules posted?

On the official AMC JBLM page (not a terminal Facebook board):

  • 72-Hour Flight Schedule (TCM72hr.pdf; icon 72-Hour schedule little Blue.jpg)
  • Roll Call (TCM_RollCall.pdf; icon Roll Call Blue.jpg) — trends, not today’s board
  • TCM AMC Gram (TCM_AMCGram.pdf)

HQ AMC directory channel for this terminal: flight information recording (253-982-7268). home.army.mil’s “JBLM Passenger Terminal” page only points back to AMC and to Sea-Tac Space-A. All flights are subject to change or delay without notice.

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Is this the same as the Sea-Tac AMC Gateway?

No. Sea-Tac is a civilian-airport PE gateway (Japan/Korea/Guam). JBLM Bldg 1179 is the on-base McChord Field terminal. Sign up, parking, and hours are different. Do not use Sea-Tac PE show times at McChord.

Which gate for a 0500 roll call?

McChord Field Main Gate is 24/7. McChord VCC is 0600–1930. If you need a visitor pass, a 0500 show is a planning problem. Liberty Gate’s after-hours visitor processing is on the Lewis Main side (I-5 Exit 120), not McChord Exit 125.

Do I email eagle@us.af.mil or spacea.mcchord@us.af.mil?

spacea.mcchord@us.af.mil. eagle@ is only in parentheses on the AMC block.

Can I leave a car for two months?

Long-term passes go to 60 days, issued by a Passenger Service Representative. The page does not print row numbers. Ask the counter before you exceed 60 days.

Is there a 30-day PE board?

Not on the April 2026 capture. Do not treat a 2022 overflow-PE news story as a current rotator.

What if I don’t have a CAC and I’m a retiree trying to Space-A?

You still need base access: REAL ID or supplemental ID, and VCC if the gate requires a visitor pass. McChord VCC closes 1930. A late-night roll call without an existing pass is a problem. Confirm with VCC 253-982-2119.

Does GO Transit run to the 0600 opening?

No. Official GO Transit hours start 0730 weekdays / 0800 weekends. Plan another ride for first-light roll calls.

USO 1400 or 1500?

AMC says 0900–1400 M–F. USO Shali Center says 0900–1500 M–F. Confirm in person. Do not assume Sunday USO.

Is Wi-Fi only in the USO?

AMC lists wireless internet under terminal services, separate from the USO line. That is the official list; it does not print an SSID or hours.

Are unofficial “0500–2100 daily” hours still good?

No. AMC page is 0600–1800, plus 30 minutes before roll call when closed. Base-directory 0500–2100 listings are stale / unofficial.

Do I send Social Security numbers to sign up?

No. The AMC page says do not provide PII such as SSN or DOB.

Where is the TCM AMC Gram?

Quick Link TCM AMC Gram on the AMC JBLM page (TCM_AMCGram.pdf). Read that PDF for local travel items not on the HTML (off-base hotels, if any). This FAQ does not quote an unread Gram as current rules.

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For general Space-A questions, see the Space-A FAQ.