Kirtland AFB Guide/Directory

Directions & Transportation

Kirtland AFB is near southeast Albuquerque, adjacent to the Albuquerque International Sunport (which shares its runways with the base). You can reach the base by Interstate 40 (east/west), Exit 164 South (Wyoming Boulevard) or by Interstate 25 (north/south) at Exit 222 (Gibson Boulevard).

If you are planning to arrive by commercial

air and are TDY, you can call the Vehicle Operations Flight at 505-846-2297 before your arrival to request transportation to the base. Hours of operation are 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. weekdays. Commercial transportation is readily available at the airport for all others.

Albuquerque is a major stop for most airlines, Amtrak trains and bus lines.

Your Sponsor

Your sponsor is probably the most important person at Kirtland AFB to help you prepare for your move. Your sponsor can help you find temporary and permanent housing, and assist with in-processing. Your sponsor should send you pertinent information about the base and local communities—such things as the base guide,

housing information, maps, phone numbers and addresses.

If your sponsor does not contact you within 30 days of your reporting date, contact the commander of your new unit to assign a sponsor to you. For international students, call 505-846-9812 or DSN 246-9812.

Arriving on Base

Kirtland AFB has two visitor control gates open 24 hours a day — the Wyoming Gate and Truman Gate. The Gibson Gate is open from 5:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. The base is divided geographically into Kirtland East and Kirtland West. Major organizations on the West side include the 58th Special Operations Wing, Space Development and Test Wing, 150th Fighter Wing of the New Mexico Air National Guard, Air Force

Research Laboratory and base operations. Kirtland East organizations include the Air Force Nuclear Weapons Center, 377th Air Base Wing, 498th Nuclear Systems Wing, Air Force Operational Test and Evaluation Center, Sandia National Laboratories, Department of Energy, Defense Threat Reduction Agency, Air Force Safety Center and Air Force Inspection Agency. Kirtland AFB is home to more than 100 federal government and private-sector mission partners.

Photo by Todd Berenger

Military Newcomers

When you arrive at Kirtland AFB, your first stop should be the Lodging office, on the east side. Security officials at any visitor gate can direct you to the Lodging office, which is open 24 hours a day. Your commander’s support staff schedules in-processing. You will need to take all hand-carried records immediately to the orderly room and they will schedule you for processing, conducted in the Consolidated Support building.

Kirtland AFB’s Consolidated Support, in Building 20245, on F Street, houses most of the offices you will need to visit upon arrival. The Military Personnel Flight, Financial Management, Travel Office, Pass and Registration, Airman and Family Readiness Center, Red Cross, Department of Motor Vehicles and Housing Office are all in this one building for easy “one-stop shopping.”

Civil Service Newcomers

Civilian employees assigned to appropriated fund positions should report to the Civilian Personnel Office in the Consolidated Support Building (telephone 505-846-9556). Civilian employees assigned to nonappropriated fund positions should report to the Non-appropriated Fund

Human Resources Office, in the same building (telephone 505-846-1526).

Sandia National Laboratories employees should call 505-844-2698 for more information.

Newcomers' Orientation Program

An individual Newcomers’ Information Fair is conducted twice monthly at the Consolidated Support building. It is mandatory for all new military arrivals. DOD civilians and spouses are also welcome. The program includes briefings by the wing commander, command chief master

sergeant and various base agencies. Representatives from the Airman and Family Readiness Center, chapel, TRICARE, Services, Education Center, Traffic Management Office, legal, Red Cross and other agencies are also available to provide information on their services.

Airman & Family Readiness Center

The Airman and Family Readiness Center, in the Consolidated Support Building, (Building 20245), assists with individual and

family needs of all DOD staff and families.

The A&FRC Relocation Assistance Center (505-846-6359) has absorbed services and programs formerly provided by Family Services, and offers much more. A&FRC provides the Welcome to New Mexico Tour and has local information handouts to assist with learning about the area. A&FRC maintains a loan closet, where eligible newcomers can borrow household goods, such as futons, pots and pans, folding chairs and tables until theirs arrive.

For spouses looking for employment opportunities, the A&FRC has a computer resource room with Internet and e-mail capability, along with job search seminars and individual assistance.

The A&FRC provides information and referral, volunteer opportunities, financial education, transition assistance, family life education, family readiness and other support services.

The center is staffed from 7:15 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday. Call 846-0741 or 846-0751 to register for classes or ask questions.

Kirtland Base Housing
and Referral Office

All active-duty military members qualified to receive Basic Allowance for Housing must first report to the Kirtland Housing Management Office before engaging in any residential rental/lease agreement in privatized (on-base) or community (off-base) housing. This requirement also applies to home purchase agreements. The HMO is in the Consolidated Support Building (Building 20245), Room 145. For assistance with housing needs, call the HMO at 505-846-8217 or DSN 246-8217.

Dormitory Information/Unaccompanied Personnel Information, E-1 to E-4

All unaccompanied Airmen in grades E-1 to E-4 must in-process through the dormitory manager. There are 828 rooms available for required assignment of those in grades E-1 to E-4. Dormitory rooms are single-occupancy rooms with a shared bathroom between rooms. The dormitory manager is at 8201 F Avenue (1st floor). You may contact the dormitory manager for further information before in-processing. Call 505-853-5479 or DSN 263-5479.

All military family housing units on Kirtland AFB are privatized. Privatization is a cost-effective method to ensure military families have access to safe, quality, affordable housing in a community where they choose to live.

Kirtland Family Housing, LLC, owns and operates the housing units under a 50-year contract.

Airmen planning to reside off base must process through the HMRO before making any commitments. The KAFB Housing Management and Referral Office has off-base rental and sale listings provided by area realtors or owners wishing to rent or sell property in the Albuquerque metropolitan area.

Efficiency rental prices average $421, one-bedroom apartment rental prices average $580 per month, two-bedroom, one-bathroom apartments average $662 per month, two-bedroom, two-bathroom apartments average $771 and three-bedroom apartments average $765 per month [ref: Apt. Assoc. of NM (AANM) Comprehensive Apartment Market Survey].

For more information on- and off-base housing, visit the housing Web site.

Pass & Registration

Privately owned vehicles must be registered within 72 hours of arrival on base. To register a vehicle, you must have a current driver’s license (New Mexico accepts other states’ expired licenses for active-duty military, provided the individual’s resident state does not require renewal while on active duty), original copies of state vehicle registration and proof of insurance. If your vehicle is not registered in Albuquerque or Bernalillo County, you must get an emissions test and present a vehicle pollution management program certificate. More information on emissions testing is

available from the Pass and Registration Office in the Consolidated Support Building (505-846-6429).

The Pass and Registration Office services include issue of restricted area badges and Air Force civilian identification cards, if a common access card isn’t needed. Application for civilian and contractor identification cards must be obtained from the respective personnel office and restricted area badges are requested through unit security managers. For military, retiree and family member identification cards and civilian and contractor common access cards, call the Military Personnel Flight Customer Service Section at 846-5459.

Postal Service

An important item in any move is maintaining uninterrupted mail service. Several options are available. First, ask your sponsor to provide you with an advance mailing address no earlier than 90 days before your arrival. If you are a single enlisted Airman and plan to reside in one of the dormitories, obtain a Postal Service Center box address through your sponsor.

Second, you can also use the following temporary mailing address:

YOUR RANK/NAME
GENERAL DELIVERY
2050A 2ND STREET SE
KIRTLAND AFB NM 87117-5524

Upon arrival, those using the general delivery address must visit the Postal Service Center to fill out a locator card with their new address. The Postal Service Center does not provide money order service, nor does it deliver registered or certified mail. The PSC’s primary function is to provide general delivery service to Airmen awaiting a permanent address.

For other postal needs, Kirtland AFB has a U.S. Post Office at 1400 1st Street SE. It is a fully operational post office with express and priority mail, stamps and rental post office boxes. For additional information, call the Postal Service Center at 505-846-7718 or DSN 246-7718.

Weapons & Firearms

The Law Enforcement Armory is the designated storage facility for privately owned weapons and ammunition not authorized for retention by owners. Base housing residents may keep their weapons and ammunition in their quarters or store them in the LE Armory. Individuals living in temporary quarters, lodging or the dormitories must register and store privately owned weapons in the Armory. Owners can check out their weapons temporarily, but they must return them within 72 hours, unless they’re going on leave or temporary duty, or have written permission from their first sergeant or commander.

Concealed weapons permits issued by civil authorities are not valid on Kirtland AFB without the expressed written consent of the installation commander. If you bring a firearm on base, you must inform the gate guard of the intended use and destination. The weapon must be unloaded and not

concealed. The transporting vehicle will not be left unattended and the driver must use the most direct route to and from storage. Firearms cannot be transported on motorcycles, bicycles or any other two- or three-wheeled vehicles. Call the Law Enforcement desk for more information at 846-7913.

Traffic Management Office

It is important that you contact the Inbound Personal Property Section at the Traffic Management Office as soon as you arrive in the area. Personal property is defined as household goods, unaccompanied baggage or mobile homes, and do-it-yourself moves. The owner must provide the Personal Property Section with a currently working telephone number and a temporary or permanent delivery address in order to arrange for prompt delivery of property.

Temporary storage at government expense for up to 90 days may be authorized if your property arrives before you or you cannot find suitable living quarters. You can become personally liable for storage and insurance beyond 90 days if you do not notify the Personal Property Section. The commercial carrier is required to unpack your property at its final destination and place it in the rooms you indicate.

First Term Airman Center

The Kirtland AFB First Term Airman Center is a requirement for Airmen whose first duty station is Kirtland AFB. The program is structured to assist Airmen transition from training to a mission-oriented environment. The course reinforces the military lessons first-term Airmen learned in Basic Military Training and during technical training. By providing briefings covering various topics and initial ancillary training,

the FTAC creates an environment for Airmen to develop a warrior spirit and an expeditionary mindset. The course length is 10 duty days (14 calendar days). Courses include customs and courtesies, financial management, family advocacy and disaster preparedness. Tours of Kirtland AFB and Albuquerque are also part of the program. For more information, call the FTAC at 505-853-7461.

Albuquerque Public Schools

For information on Albuquerque Public Schools, call the APS Community Relations

office at 881-8421, ext. 2, or go to the Web site: www.aps.edu.