Since 1942, Mountain Home Air Force Base has enjoyed a warm and friendly relationship with the nearby community of Mountain Home, Idaho.
The town is proud of its base and celebrates its longstanding relationship with the military. Many residents are retired airmen, attracted to the area by the small town atmosphere and outdoor recreation opportunities.
MHAFB FACILITY
Located 10 miles south of Mountain Home, the base offers many compelling reasons to serve as an operations base for the F-35.
The base is the home of the 366th Fighter Wing, which is comprised of four groups: the 366th Operations Group, 366th Maintenance Group, 366th Mission Support Group and 366th Medical Group.
The wing population consists of about 4,800 military and civilian members and about 5,200 family members.
BASE INFRASTRUCTURE
- 910 new homes with an additional 480 planned.
- The Mountain Home Range Complex is comprised of 7,400 square miles of associated airspace and 122,000 acres of land space used for two air-to-ground training ranges, five no-drop target complexes, 30 multi-size electronic combat sites, and is only two minutes flight-to-fight from the MHAFB runway. While primarily used by active duty units from MHAFB and air national guard units from Gowen Field in Boise, Idaho, the Range Complex also supports other Air Force and Department of Defense users across the nation. It is also used for allied coalition training, and has ample capacity for new planes.
MHAFB BENEFIT TO MISSION
Mountain Home Air Force Base offers many benefits that meet the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter basing criteria.
F 35 Fact Sheet (PDF 4 MB)
Weather: MHAFB offers 343 flyable days, providing ceiling and visibility of 3000 feet/3 miles or greater.
Airspace: The Mountain Home Range Complex comprised of 7,400 square miles of associated airspace and 122,000 acres of land space, and is only 2 minutes flight-to-fight from the MHAFB runway. It includes two air-to-ground training ranges Saylor Creek Range and Juniper Butte Range, plus five no-drop target complexes and 30 multi-size electronic combat sites. Additional mission activities include search and rescue training, survival training and convoy escort training. Ground based air defense radar threat simulations also occur on the land space areas of the Range Complex. A proposed expansion will increase airspace size to nearly 9,600 square miles.
Capacity: The base has operations capacity due to the consolidation of the Air Force’s KC-135 and B-1 force, which led to the reallocation of the wing’s bombers and tankers to McConnell AFB, Kansas, and Ellsworth AFB, S.D. The wing was also home to F-16CJ Fighter Falcon aircraft from 1991 to March 2007. The F-16CJs left the base in an effort to consolidate from multiple to single airframes at Air Force installations across the country. The Base Closure and Realignment Act of 2005 will move additional F-15 C’s from the base, leaving 2 squadrons of F-15 E’s and one squadron of F-15SG’s from the Republic of Singapore. This will create additional capacity. The base’s 13,500 ft runway, large ramp capable of holding 220 planes, will complement the F-35 Operations Mission.
MHAFB also offers capacity for personnel and their families with the 910 new homes on base, plus an additional 480 planned for construction on base. There is also a good supply of off-base housing in Mountain Home and nearby Boise.
Environmental: Because of the base’s relative isolation, the region is in attainment for all National Ambient Air Quality Standards. Thanks to the foresight of the Mountain Home city founders, development has been restricted near the base for 30-plus years making encroachment a non issue.
MHAFB offers more than a cost effective home for the F-35 Lightning II. The community and state have a tradition of support for our military personnel and Armed Forces. Mountain Home Air Force Base is a good and trusted partner. We believe in the F-35 Mission.
Living:Mountain Home and Boise offer excellent lifestyle choices, ranging from a small town community to an urban living environment with health care, excellent schools and employment opportunities for non-military spouses. Both cities have high standards of living with costs of living that are 7% lower than the US average.
We are proud of the Mountain Home Air Force’s long history of serving as a training and operations base, bringing hundreds of personnel and their families to Idaho. TOM RIST, MOUNTAIN HOME MAYOR
