Lille, FR

  • SHAPE BN

  • Point of Contact:
    HHC Commander:
    DSN 314-423-3657 or 011-32-65-44-3657
    HHC 1SG:
    DSN 314-423-3656 or 011-32-65-44-3656
    Family Readiness Support Tech:
    DSN 314-423-8128 or 011-32-65-44-8128
  • Resources

    • Lille Welcome Book (Click to view)
    • Location: The NATO Rapid Deployment Corps-France (NRDC-FR) is located on the Citadel in Lille, France. Chievres Air Base is the nearest US Army installation and is located near Chievres, Belgium about 41 miles from Lille. Soldiers assigned to NRDC-FR fall under Headquarters and Headquarters Company (HHC), US Army NATO SHAPE Battalion both of which are located on SHAPE in Mons, Belgium about 51 miles from Lille.
    • Port Call. You will arrive at Brussels International Airport which is approximately 96 miles from Lille. Coordinate with your sponsor for transportation from the airport to SHAPE where you will begin your in-processing. If you arrive and no transportation is available call your company commander during duty hours or the military police at 011-32-65-44-3353 or 5379. This number is an on-call 24-hours a day number. The military police can contact your unit and make arrangements to have you picked up. A USO is not available at Brussels Airport.
    • Passport/Visa.
      • Soldiers do not require passports to enter Belgium (may use official orders and ID card) but each Soldier and command sponsored Family member assigned to a NATO unit in France require maroon Official Passports and Official Orders that list family members by name.All Soldiers and Family members are encouraged to get tourist passports. Official Passports may be obtained through the losing installation at no cost to the Soldier.
      • Visas are not required for command-sponsored Family members who possess Official Passports and Official Orders that list them by name. While the Federal website (http://www.travel.state.gov) indicates visas are required for all Family members residing in France, Soldiers and eligible Family members assigned to NATO in France are exempt from this requirement.
      • Pet passports are not required to enter Belgium or France when arriving from the US and neither country quarantines dogs or cats, however whenever pets travel between European Union countries, they must have a valid EU pet passport. It is recommended that the rabies and the identification tags be worn on the animal at all times. Before traveling, check with your airline on any additional rules they have to ship your pet. Belgian law requires the international standard organization microchip be implanted in every dog, cat and ferret. When dogs are not confined they must be on leashes. Bring veterinary records with you during in-processing. The following websites provide additional information: Taking Pet Dog/Cat/Ferret to Belgium, Pets in France, Questions and Answers Concerning Pet Passports
    • In-processing. Report to the battalion S1 which is located in Bldg 220 on SHAPE to sign-in to the unit and receive the battalion in-processing checklist. You will have to in-process the battalion, USAG Benelux, and the Citadel. Documents you should carry with you are:
      • PCS Orders Marriage certificates, divorce decrees Medical and Dental records
      Leave Form Proof of citizenship, if naturalized Wills and Powers of Attorney
      Passports and Visas APFT and Weapons Qualification Cards HHG and vehicle shipping documents
      Social Security cards CIF printout Pet records and ID tags
      Driver’s License Children’s Education Records Vehicle titles/registrations/license plates
      Birth Certificates Copy of last evaluation (if applicable) Insurance documents (Home, Vehicles, Medical, etc)
    • Temporary lodging. It is recommended that you stay in Belgium for a few days to in-process before moving on to Lille, FR. Military lodging is available on Chievres Air Base. However, if space is not available you can stay at a local hotel in the Mons area after being issued a Statement of Non-availability by the Army Lodge. Military lodging is not available in Lille. Upon your arrival in Lille, your sponsor will take you to a local hotel. Coordinate with your sponsor for room reservations before your arrival. TLA is authorized as a reimbursable expense for up to 30 days after your arrival. During that time you must find a place to live.
    • Privately Owned Vehicle (POV) Shipment. French Federal Laws do not allow local inspection stations to issue inspection certificates to USA vehicles that are not given complete European Conformity Certificates at the point of manufacture. You may ship your POV if you are willing to pay the hefty cost to convert to EU specs and deal with the lengthy time (up to 12-months) to convert to EU specs. Do not ship your vehicle if your vehicle does not meet all European specs and you are not willing to pay to change to EU specs. If you do ship your POV and cannot get an inspection certificate upon arrival you will have to store the POV at your own expense. You may purchase vehicles that conform to European standards upon your arrival.
    • Initial PCS Costs. Soldiers should arrive with sufficient funds ($6-10K) to pay for initial costs until vehicles and HHG arrive, and ASHA/OHA/COLA requests are processed. Click here for a list of initial PCS costs.
    • Medical/Dental. For those who choose to enroll, Medical services in Lille are covered by TRICARE Overseas Program – Prime Remote (TOP-PR) through International SOS (ISOS), and dental care through United Concordia at local civilian clinics/hospitals. TOP-PR offers the ability to see local network doctors using a cashless claimless system, however pharmacy and dental claims require reimbursement. MAJ Hawkins is the official TOP-PR POC for Lille, France and can be reached by commercial phone at 011-33-630-05-5055. He can explain more about the program, help enroll you upon arrival, and help you interface with the Medical/Dental system. You also have the option to enroll in TRICARE-Standard and use the SHAPE clinic if you are willing to drive the distance to SHAPE. The SHAPE Healthcare Facility is the closest military health and dental clinic to Lille and is a multi-national outpatient clinic. It is staffed for routine outpatient care during normal duty days and limited morning hours on weekends and SHAPE holidays. There are no in-patient services at SHAPE. For appointment information call the SHAPE Healthcare Facility at 011-32-65-44-5886.
    • Schools. The SHAPE American School (elementary and high school) is located on SHAPE and is a unique institution, operating under the authority of the Department of Defense Dependents Schools Europe Region (DODDS-Europe). High school students are currently authorized to be bused to SHAPE to attend school and elementary aged children can ride the bus on a space available basis. Otherwise, children must attend local elementary and high schools in Lille. The NRDC-FR School Liaison Officer can provide additional information on schools in Lille, contact MAJ Dimarco at 011-33-64-202-5863.
    • Child Care. US Army Child Development Center (CDC) & Child, Youth & School (CYS) Service centers are not available in Lille. Child care centers are not as numerous in France as they are in the United States. Waiting for child care for children ages 6 weeks to 5 years (pre-kindergarten) can range from 2-12 months.
    • Housing. Single Soldier barracks and military family housing are not available in Lille, FR. Everyone must live in private rental homes. Soldiers are authorized 30 days of TLA to find housing; extensions may be granted by the USAG Benelux Housing Services Office (HSO). The HSO is responsible for assisting in finding housing, coordinating with the landlords, reviewing leases, setting up utilities, and coordinating with the Centralized Furnishings Management Office (CFMO) for appliances and loaner furniture. The USA Benelux HSO can be contacted at 011-32-68-27-5138.
    • Shopping. The nearest US PX and Commissary are located at Chievres Air Base in Belgium.
    • Mail. Mail from the US is delivered through the Military Postal System to The Army Post Office (APO) on SHAPE. The SHAPE Battalion S1 delivers mail twice a week to Lille. Mail is kept in the NSE room for pick-up. Your sponsor can open a mailbox on your behalf with a copy of your orders to allow you to mail needed items before you arrive and send out change-of-address information to correspondents. You will also receive mail such as utility bills and tax forms via host nation mail which will be mailed to your home address.
    • Drivers License. The minimum age for driving in France is 18 years. Soldiers and Family members must have a stateside and an international driver’s permit. Prior to departing, ensure that your stateside driver's license is current and not near expiration. You can request an international driver’s permit through AAA before you PCS or you can request one through the USAG Benelux Driver’s License Office upon arrival. If you elect to request an international driver’s license during inprocessing you will need to have 1) 16 Euros in cash (exact change); 2) two recent ID size pictures; 3) your current SHAPE ID card (bring a photocopy also); and 4) your current US driver’s license (bring a photocopy also).
    • Websites