Quantico Marine Base

May 13
Saturday

Pre-registration is required and will open Monday, 8 May at 6pm and close on FRIDAY, 12 May at 12 noon; there is no day-of registration.

Welcome back to the expansive woodland around Landing Zone (LZ) Canary in the northwest part of Marine Corps Base Quantico (MCBQ) also known as Training Area 16B. The site is nine miles driving distance from I-95, Exit 148 (a detailed locator map is here [2]). The base entry procedure for non-DoD card-holders (see below) went very smoothly at last October's MCBQ event, and we expect the same for this meet. Aaron Linville has designed a full set of classic courses (stats & comments are below).

Note that this QOC event will be FREE for all active-duty military personnel, and we look forward to seeing lots of students from The Basic School at MCBQ at LZ Canary!
Parking will be on LZ Canary. Look for a parking volunteer wearing a safety vest when you arrive per directions in the locator map. Port-a-johns will be on site.
Note that this is a Saturday event. Participants without a DoD CAC/DoD ID Card must get a pass at the Visitor Control Center (VCC) before going through the security checkpoint. We will be using essentially the same procedures that we did in the Fall of 2022. Directions to the VCC are also on the locator map [2]. With the requirement for a pass from the MCBQ VCC and the distance to LZ Canary, you should allow 50 minutes from the time you arrive at the VCC until you get to LZ Canary.
Key point: The VCC hours on Saturday are 7:30am to 11:30am. Please time your arrival for no later than 11:00am in case there is a waiting line.

Access to Marine Corps Base Quantico:
Because this event is taking place on a US military installation, access is controlled. The process for gaining access to MCBQ is similar to the procedures we used for the past few years, but the identification requirements are strict and non-negotiable, so read the following carefully in order to understand what will be required this year:
1. If you are a DoD CAC/DoD ID card holder (including retirees with a DoD card), there is no change to access requirements. Just show your card at the security checkpoint as always and proceed on to the event site per this graphic [2] and the QOC signage on the ground.
2. If you are able to travel with a DoD CAC/DoD ID card holder, show your government-issued photo ID, when the card-holder’s vehicle arrives at the checkpoint, if asked.
3. If you are older than 18, not a DoD CAC/DoD ID card holder and are not traveling with one, you will need to acquire a one-day base access pass.
4. If you have CAC issued from another agency (Federal PIV Cards – DHS, FBI, DEA, NASA, State Department, etc) you will have to register using the Defense Biometric Identification System (DBIDS) link below, prior to being allowed access to the base.

For those in category 3, one-day access passes can be obtained at the nearby Visitor Control Center (VCC) not far from the access gate. Your navigation system will not send you to the correct location, so instead, see this locator map [2] and its annotated directions. The VCC is easily identified, as it is a temporary building with no other buildings directly adjacent to it. (There is another Visitor Center specifically for the Russell-Knox complex in a permanent building off Tallmadge Rd, which is NOT the one you want.)

Depending on the number of people getting passes, it will take 10-20 minutes to get your pass. You can speed up the process by pre-registering (which is distinct from QOC pre-registration) in the DBIDS system at URL https://dbids-global-enroll.dmdc.mil/preenrollui/#!/ [3]. You will have to provide your SSN online to pre-register. You will also need to provide a sponsor. If you want to pre-register with DBIDS, email Bill Wright [4], our liaison to MCBQ, and he will provide the required sponsor information.

If you do not pre-register in DBIDS, you will simply show up at the VCC and present your identification. If you have a Real ID Maryland, Virginia or DC driver’s license you will not have to provide additional identification. However, if you do not have a Real ID driver’s license, you MUST bring either (1) a passport OR (2) driver license plus birth certificate plus Social Security Card. There will be no exceptions to this requirement. The Visitor Center will have the sponsor information for the QOC orienteering meet.

If you are not a US citizen, but you are a permanent resident, bring your permanent resident ID card and passport. If you are neither a US citizen nor a permanent resident, contact Bill Wright [4] BEFORE you pre-register to discuss options.

Minors who have not reached their 18th birthday do not require passes if accompanied by a parent. For scouts or other youth organizations, it is preferable that scouts travel with a parent or with a CAC/DoD ID card holder. Contact Bill Wright [4] with any additional questions.

JROTC Units are encouraged to come by bus for this event, as the JROTC cadre will be able to bring the entire bus of cadets under 18 through the gate without going to the VCC. Units should plan on at least one cadre member per bus. More information to follow shortly on requirements for over-18 cadets and any non-ID-carrying adults who may be accompanying the unit on the bus.

Again, the Visitor Center hours on Saturday are 7:30 – 11:30 AM.

To ensure enough time to get your pass, drive to the event site, and check in, we recommend allowing 50 minutes from your arrival at the VCC to your arrival at the event site at LZ Canary. If those who possess requisite DoD ID cards would consider selecting later start times, leaving most of the earlier start times for those who have to go through the VCC between 7:30 and 11:30, it would be appreciated (though certainly not required).

If you need a base-access pass from the Visitor Control Center, keep in mind the event check-in window that you will have pre-registered for and the fact that the Visitor Center closes at 11:30am. Passes can be acquired up to two weeks before the event for those who might be in the MCBQ area prior to our meet. Weekday hours for the VCC are 6am to 3pm Monday through Friday. In general, arriving early on Saturday is good so we can exploit as much of the four-hour window in which the VCC is opened as possible and minimize backlogs.

Base Waiver Requirement:
Each attendee over the age of 18 (both those who run courses and those who do not) will have to sign and submit a special adult waiver [5] for MCBQ. Please click the link, print out, sign and turn the waiver in to us (QOC) when you check-in at the event. If you arrive without a signed waiver, there will be blank waiver forms at registration, but it will speed the registration process and better conform to our COVID-19 risk reduction efforts if you have it done in advance.

For each attendee under the age of 18, there is a waiver form for minors [6] that must be signed by his/her parent/guardian. Those under the age of 18 who will not be accompanied by their parent/guardian must ensure that a parent/guardian has signed the form before they depart for the event. Each junior running individually and each start-team with a junior must present the requisite waiver to us (QOC) at our event check-in. Check-in crew will verify each junior on the start team has a signed waiver. No minor will be allowed to run without the waiver signed by his/her parent/legal guardian.

Back By Popular Demand - Jersey Orders: Come check out the custom QOC jerseys and confirm your preferred size and style! We'll have them on display at this event from ~10:30am - 12pm. Orders must be placed by May 22; details are here [7].

Post Event Social: meet after the event if you wish at Bar Louie, located here [8], in nearby Stonebridge, VA. Bring your map and let the manager (Alyssa) know you're with QOC and get a free appetizer (under Bar Bites on the menu) for your table!

Keep in mind:

• QOC will continue to use pre-registration as the ONLY method of signing up for our meets. There will be NO day-of, on-site registration. Refunds are paid only in the case of event cancellation.
• Masks are optional at all locations connected with the event. Please continue to minimize clustering at and around the check-in, e-punch, start and finish areas.
• There is no water on the course. Participants are responsible for their own hydration. A very limited supply of bottled water for emergency use will be on hand with the Meet Director; but it is vital to stay well hydrated. Please come prepared!
• There will be no snacks offered by QOC.
• For this event (as with most others this season) there will be eight 15-minute check-in windows followed by two 45-minute windows.
• There are no pavilions or park shelters at this check-in/parking site.
• The size of start teams (groups of individuals orienteering together with one e-punch) on a course must be no more than four (4) individuals (juniors and adults combined).
• Port-a-johns will be on site.
• Pets are permitted in the park but must be leashed at all times.
• Youth group leaders please contact the Event Director [9] to provide numbers and plans for your attendance.
• The National Museum of the Marine Corps is a great place to visit as long as you are coming down to Quantico anyway. Daily hours are 9:00am to 5pm. NMMC is a 10-15 minute drive (entirely off base) from the access gate and Visitors Center.