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Las Cruces lies in the vicinity of three incredible military bases, covering an array of military missions. Fort Bliss, Texas, is a large army post and airfield that spreads into New Mexico southeast of Las Cruces. Troops are trained in heavy armor maneuvers and in supply and support missions. Fort Bliss borders America’s test facility, White Sands Missile Range, where numerous companies develop and test missiles and their components. Just beyond White Sands is the 60,000 acre Holloman Air Force Base, home of the F-22 Raptor fighter jet, the world’s most advanced aircraft.
The bases compliment the region’s technology core, and the rapid growth at Fort Bliss and White Sands is helping to offset the economic downturn grappling the nation. Construction is in high gear at both locations in anticipation of the troop transfers, and spillovers into area housing and other off-base services are expected.
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UNITED STATES ARMY
White Sands Missle Range
Point of Contact:
Public Affairs Office
White Sands Missile Range
TEDT-WS-PA
WSMR, NM 88002
(575) 678-1134
www.wsmr.army.mil |
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| White Sands Missile Range (WSMR) is a Test and Evaluation Command Installation operated primarily for the support of research, development, test, and evaluation of weapon and space systems, subsystems, and components. WSMR, established in 1945, is the largest all-overland test range in the Western Hemisphere, and is the Department of the Army's (DA) largest installation, covering approximately 2.2 million acres. With the addition of several extension areas, the range can be expanded to nearly four million acres for certain types of testing. WSMR is bordered by Fort Bliss (DA) to the south and by Holloman Air Force Base to the west. |
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UNITED STATES AIR FORCE
Holloman Air Force Base
Point of Contact:
49th Fighter Wing
Public Affairs Office
490 First St Ste 2800
Holloman AFB, NM 88330
(575) 572-5406
www.holloman.af.mil |
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| Holloman Air Force Base was originally established in 1942 as Alamogordo Air Field six miles west of Alamogordo, New Mexico. It was re-named in 1948 after Col. George Holloman, who was a pioneer in early rocket and pilot-less aircraft research. The base supports about 21,000 active-duty, Guard, Reserve, retirees, DoD civilians and their family members. Personnel from Holloman have participated in numerous operations, such as Desert Shield/Desert Storm, Enduring Freedom, Iraqi Freedom, and many more. |
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UNITED STATES ARMY
Ft. Bliss Army Base
Point of Contact:
Public Affairs Office
Jean Offutt, Public Affairs Officer
IMWE-BLS-PA
Fort Bliss, TX 79916
915-568-4505
www.bliss.army.mil |
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| Nestled at the base of the rugged Franklin Mountains, Fort Bliss was established in 1848 to support settlers and act as a liaison to the Native American population and the Mexican government, making it one of the oldest Army posts. The mission of Fort Bliss is to provide anti-aircraft and missile defense capabilities. As one of the largest military posts in the continental United States, Fort Bliss is also uniquely suited to conduct live fire exercises of nearly every type of military weapon in the current US Army arsenal. |
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Holloman Air Force Base
For those of us who get excited about advanced military capabilities, Holloman Air Force Base in Alamogordo is home to the new F-22 Raptor, an aircraft that cannot be matched by any known or projected fighter aircraft. It utilizes the next level of stealth capabilities and possesses a “sophisticated sensor suite allowing the pilot to track, identify, shoot and kill air-to-air threats before being detected.”
From an economic perspective, Holloman supports about 21,000 active duty, guard, reserve, retirees, Department of Defense civilians and their families. With the assignment of the Raptor wing, Holloman will remain a major economic component for the region well into the foreseeable future. |
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White Sand Missile Range
Sometimes referred to as the “Birthplace of Missile and Space Activity,” White Sands Missile Range is the largest military installation in the United States and has been involved in the testing of almost every weapon system in the U.S. military arsenal. Servicing all the military branches, the missile range provides the facilities for experimenting, testing, research, assessment, development and training on weapons systems. It is also involved with various phases of the NASA space program, including the Orion Crew Exploration Vehicle to be tested in 2009.
White Sands now has become home to deployable soldiers, and is receiving a battalion over the next two years that will provide mobility in support of force application or focused logistics. Close to $95 million is earmarked for the battalion infrastructure. By 2013, another 4000 combat soldiers and their families will have arrived at the base.
There are approximately 1755 civilian workers at White Sands Missile Range and another 1614 contractor employees representing companies like Lockheed Martin and Raytheon. Impact on the region is estimated at $1.8 million per day.
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Fort Bliss Army Base
With a massive construction effort in progress, Fort Bliss is scrambling to accommodate an additional 20,000 troops by the year 2012, for a base total of 6 combat brigades and an aviation brigade. The Fort Bliss population, including families, will likely reach 100,000.
Originally established in 1849 for protecting the El Paso area against Apache and Comanche raids, the post moved several times over the years and existed for a brief period under the flag of the Confederate States. The 1700 square mile facility is now transforming into a heavy armor training post with plenty of room for maneuver exercises.
Creating smooth transitions and good first impressions for the soldiers and families involved in this military population explosion requires super human measures. Safe and comfortable housing options, child and youth services, medical services, volunteer opportunities, driver education classes… the list goes on and on of needs to be addressed for the rapidly expanding base population.
Fort Bliss makes an enormous contribution to the economy of Central and Northeast El Paso and certainly a major indirect impact on the entire region. Even though the core of the base is located in El Paso, the majority of the land mass is located in New Mexico.
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