Sponsorship

To help prepare sponsors for success, the Sponsorship Program provides training and access to important information and resources that can help newcomers master their move. The Sponsorship Program helps sponsors fulfill their responsibilities, which may include:

• Contacting the service member and family with an introductory email
• Staying in contact with the service member throughout the moving process
• Sending information about the new community and duty assignment, responding to questions and providing information about resources
• Confirming transportation and lodging arrangements
• Helping with post office arrangements
• Meeting service members and family members upon arrival
• Going with service members to unit check-in point
• Introducing service members to the Military and Family Support Center and loan closet, if it’s available
• Familiarizing service members and families with the installation and key locations, like the commissary

Note: Responsibilities may vary based on service-specific policies and guidance. Make sure to check with your service branch for sponsor training requirements.

Overall, the Sponsorship Program aims to:

• Provide newcomers with a sense of belonging
• Ease the transition for inbound service members or civilians and their family members
• Increase productivity of service members and loved ones
• Help newcomers make informed decisions
• Cultivate new friendships
• Improve morale

For more information on the Sponsorship Program, contact your installation Military and Family Support Center.

Sponsorship is also available for youth. Installation youth sponsorship programs help military-connected youth make a successful transition to a new community. Primarily directed to preteen and teenaged youth, installation youth programs/centers provide information and materials on programs and services available at their new location. Where available, youth can exchange emails, talk on the phone or chat online with other youth. The youth program staff at your new installation can offer more information on installation youth sponsorship programs.

You can also contact your installation School Liaison Program office for information about school-based youth sponsorship programs such as Anchored4Life and Student2Student. These peer-to-peer programs help your student adjust to and navigate their new school.

If your child would like to become a youth sponsor, contact your installation School Liaison Program or youth program/center.

Sponsors are identified and assigned as soon as the receiving command is notified of a prospective gain in personnel. The sponsor then sends the inbound service member a letter with an address and phone number, as well as useful information about the Weapons Station. The service members will then utilize the Command's address in order to forward personal mail to his/her new command while in transit. If you do not hear from your sponsor and your transfer date is approaching, please contact the Command Sponsor Coordinator at 757-887-7572/4144 or DSN 953-4835.

Military personnel attached to Naval Weapons Station Yorktown and Tenant commands are to report directly to their command upon arrival. If you arrive on a weekend, report to Combined Bachelor Quarters, Nelson House, Building 704 located inside Gate three, then to the command on the next working day. Yorktown Administrative Office can be reached at 757-887-4355/4144 from 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Monday through Friday to answer questions regarding check-in procedures. After hours the Command Duty Officer can be reached by cell phone at 757-268-6250.