Holloman Air Force Base

Holloman Air Force Base is located six miles southwest of Alamogordo, New Mexico, in the Tularosa Basin between the Sacramento and San Andres mountain ranges. Construction began in February 1942, and the site was initially designated as Alamogordo Field Training Station before becoming Alamogordo Army Air Field. On January 13, 1948, the installation was renamed Holloman Air Force Base in honor of Colonel George V. Holloman, a pioneer in guided missile research.

During World War II, the base served as a training center for more than 20 groups flying B-17 Flying Fortresses and B-24 Liberators. Post-war missions focused on research and development for guided missiles and space flight, supporting projects such as the NATIV, Matador, and Aerobee rockets. The installation also hosted aero-medical research, including high-altitude balloon flights and space flight training for primates. Between 1963 and 2014, the base hosted tactical fighter wings operating F-4, F-15, F-117, and F-22 aircraft.

Current operations are conducted by the Air Education and Training Command, with the 49th Wing serving as the host unit. The primary mission involves training aircrews for Remotely Piloted Aircraft (RPA) and fighter aircraft. Stationed units include the 49th Operations Group, which operates squadrons of MQ-9A Reapers, and the 54th Fighter Group, which conducts F-16 aircrew training. The 704th Test Group, a geographically separated unit of the 96th Test Wing, performs operational testing and evaluation. The base also hosts the Royal Air Force RPAS Formal Training Unit and Italian Air Force RPA training programs.

Infrastructure includes a high-speed test track used for rocket-powered sled testing and the Radar Target Scatter Facility. The base hosts squadrons of F-16C/D Fighting Falcons, T-38C Talons, and MQ-9A Reapers. The 82nd Aerial Targets Squadron maintains a detachment of QF-16 Full Scale Aerial Target drones. Additionally, the 635th Materiel Maintenance Group manages the storage and deployment of Basic Expeditionary Airfield Resources (BEAR) for the U.S. Air Force.