The Holloman AFB guide

• Fly into El Paso International (ELP) and rent a car; it is about 90 miles and roughly an hour and 45 minutes north via US-54 to Alamogordo, then US-70 west to the base. Alamogordo-White Sands Regional (ALM) is general aviation only, with no commercial service, and Albuquerque (ABQ) is about 3.5 hours. You will need a car here; there is no practical transit to the base.
• The Main Gate, just off US-70 south of the base, is the only 24/7 gate. The West Gate runs inbound only 0600-0800 and outbound only 0600-1800 Monday through Friday, and the La Luz Gate is permanently closed. Gate hours change during exercises and holidays, so confirm on the base's Newcomers gate page before you arrive.
• The Visitor Control Center is at the Main Gate (Building 1, Holloman AFB, NM 88330). It operates during weekday duty hours; outside those hours the Main Gate can only issue escort-required passes, so arrive with your CAC or a REAL ID-compliant license and have your sponsor ready to escort if you are landing late. The center is listed at 575-572-4283; confirm hours on the official page.
• Traffic is light by any standard, but two things bite: White Sands Missile Range periodically closes US-70 between Alamogordo and Las Cruces for missile tests, usually for one to three hours with little notice, and spring dust storms can close it too. Check the WSMR roadblock line (575-678-1178) before driving the pass.

• Two Alamogordo Public Schools campuses sit on base: Holloman Elementary (750 Arnold Ave, PK-5, about 520 students) and Holloman Middle (381 1st St, grades 6-8, about 170 students). High schoolers ride to Alamogordo High School in town.
• Alamogordo Public Schools serves Alamogordo, Holloman AFB, La Luz, High Rolls and Mountain Park; the on-base schools and Alamogordo High earned Purple Star designations in 2021 for military-family support. Cloudcroft Municipal Schools is the small mountain district for families living up the hill.
• The Holloman School Liaison (575-572-3944) is the single best first call for enrollment, transfers and IEP handoffs; the office also runs a Facebook page with district updates.
• The Child Development Center (575-572-3753) and Family Child Care program are managed through the 49th FSS; get on MilitaryChildCare.com the day you have orders, because CDC waitlists here run months for infant and toddler slots.

• The 49th Medical Group is an outpatient clinic only, open Monday through Friday 0730-1630, with no emergency room. The appointment line is listed at 575-572-2778; confirm on holloman.tricare.mil.
• Emergencies go to Gerald Champion Regional Medical Center in Alamogordo, about 10 minutes from the gate, a civilian hospital where Air Force physicians hold admitting privileges. Major trauma and specialty care typically route to El Paso or Las Cruces.
• New Mexico is in the TRICARE West Region, administered by TriWest Healthcare Alliance since January 2025 (888-874-9378). Update your PCM and referrals through TriWest when you arrive.

Commissary

• 751 New Mexico Ave, Bldg 787; open Tuesday-Friday 0900-1900, Saturday 0900-1800, Sunday 1100-1700, closed Monday.
• Deli and bakery.

Exchange

Main Exchange at 551 Fourth St, Bldg 227 (575-479-1509) with a food court (Subway, Charleys, Taco Bell, coffee) and 24-hour gas pumps.

Fitness

Domenici Fitness Center (575-572-3229) with an indoor pool and 24/7 access available to adults who register; the outdoor pool opens in summer.

Dining

Shifting Sands Dining Facility for TDY meal cards, plus Club Holloman, the Oasis Bar & Grill and Strikers Grill at the bowling center.

MWR

Outdoor Recreation rents gear and runs trips, plus a FamCamp, Aero Club, Strikers Bowling Center, base theater, library, auto hobby shop and ITT ticket office; see 49fss.com.

Newcomers

The Military & Family Readiness Center (575-572-7754) runs the relocation program and newcomer orientation; the 49th FSS New Arrivals PDF on holloman.af.mil is the best one-stop packet.

1. 01The Main Gate is the only 24/7 entrance. The West Gate is inbound only 0600-0800 on weekdays, so if you are coming from Alamogordo for a mid-morning show, plan on the Main Gate off US-70.
2. 02Spring wind season (roughly March through May) is the local hazard: gypsum dust from the basin can drop visibility on US-70 to near zero. If a blowing dust advisory is up, wait it out; do not drive into a brown wall.
3. 03White Sands Missile Range closes US-70 toward Las Cruces for tests, usually one to three hours and sometimes with little notice. Call 575-678-1178 the afternoon before any El Paso or Las Cruces run.
4. 04Book the Holloman Inn the day you have orders; reservations open 120 days out and 50 suites go quickly when a B-course start overlaps an exercise. If it is full, get the non-availability letter in writing before you book off base.
5. 05Alamogordo's hotel inventory is a short strip on White Sands Boulevard, and it sells out during Project Iron Agility-style exercises and holiday weekends. For a 3-month-plus TDY, a furnished house is cheaper and quieter.
6. 06You are at 4,000 feet with almost no humidity and 300 sunny days. Bring sunscreen, a hat, lip balm and a real water bottle; new arrivals get dehydrated on day one at the track or the flightline.
7. 07The 49th MDG is a clinic, not a hospital. Know the way to Gerald Champion Regional Medical Center (10 minutes into town) before you need it, and register your family with TriWest on arrival.
8. 08Winter is mild in the basin but Cloudcroft gets real snow; if you plan to live up the hill, get all-weather tires and expect US-82 to ice in the tunnel and switchbacks. Families with kids in APS should call the School Liaison (575-572-3944) before signing a lease, since on-base schools zone to Desert Skies housing.

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