About DM50
View DM50 Members View Community Alliance DocumentSouthern Arizona is our home. It's where we live, work, and raise our families. It's also home to one of the largest installations in the U.S. Air Force, Davis-Monthan Air Force Base. That's why, for more than two decades, the DM50 has been dedicated to the men, women, families and mission of the United States Air Force in Arizona.
Located within the city limits of Tucson, Arizona, Davis-Monthan Air Force Base plays a key role in supporting and training U.S. forces, at home and around the globe. Led by the base host unit, the 355th Fighter Wing, Davis-Monthan is home to a wide range of tenant units, including the 12th Air Force Headquarters and Headquarters Air Forces Southern Command, the 55th Electronic Combat Group, the 563rd Rescue Group, the 943rd Rescue Group, the 309th Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration, the 214th Reconnaissance Group, the AZ Air National Guard (AZANG) 162nd Fighter Wing Alert Detachment, AZANG 162nd Fighter Wing Operations Snowbird, and the 25th Operations Weather Squadron.. Other federal agencies using the base include the Federal Aviation Administration, the U.S. Customs Service Air Service Branch, the U.S. Corps of Engineers, the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center, and a detachment of the Naval Air Systems Command.
Approximately 6,900 military and 1,600 civilian employees work at DM, and over 52,000 medical beneficiaries reside in the Tucson area. The installation encompasses over 10,000 acres, 618 buildings, 1,256 homes and a 13,645 foot runway.
Why support Davis-Monthan AFB?
For over 6 decades Tucson has been a proud host for Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, and recognizes the tremendous sacrifices made by its service members and families who live and work as part of our community. Tucsonans equally recognize the significant contributions that DM brings to our community; nearing $1B economically, and their direct community support of over 68,000 hours annually. The synergy between Tucson and DM enhances our growth while ensuring our national security in these troubled times.
Need to Support Davis-Monthan AFB
The long-term mission effectiveness of a "flying" Air Force bases rests on four critical pillars: the facility's strategic military value, the ability of both the base and surrounding community to accommodate change and expansion, the stability of the living environment and the commitment of local government to meeting DoD needs.
Strategic Value
Geography is an integral component of the military value of an Air Force installation. Training installations benefit from proximity to high value training areas and open spaces with a minimum of encroachment, as do testing and evaluation facilities; research and development centers benefit from proximity to regions that have rich academic and human resources; and operating bases generally benefit from proximity to their area of responsibility.
Balancing the mission-specific benefits of geography with the realities of infrastructure capacity and evolving mission requirements is a critical challenge for Air Force planners. To that end, the intangible military value of an installation should be assessed in the context of strategic objectives. For example, the presence of and potential for joint, cross-service operations are highly desirable characteristics. Along these lines, a facility must have an institutional capacity for mission growth, including the organizational experience and track record to accommodate shifts in DoD strategy and long-term mission evolution.
Capability to Expand
The physical capability to expand is closely linked to the strategic value of an installation. To be a viable, long-term Air Force location, an installation must have adequate physical infrastructure - from housing to office space, specialized facilities to supporting utilities. Moreover, the need for expansion capability extends beyond a base's boundaries and into the surrounding community, which must have suitable infrastructure to augment or enhance the Air Force's own and an economic foundation that is solid enough to meet future challenges and growth needs.
Superlative Living Environment
Over the last 15 years, the Air Force has undergone extensive force structure changes. The force is now 40 percent smaller than it was at the end of the Cold War, yet expeditionary deployments are up due to ongoing operations in Southwest Asia, and world-wide efforts to counter International Terrorism. Despite short-term rebalancing, the long-term challenges of recruitment and retention remain the same. As the Air Force seeks to meet these challenges through institutional means, its host communities will play an important supporting role - by providing a socioeconomic environment and quality of life that provide long-term stability to airmen and their families.
Strong Local Partnerships
Finally, a spirit of partnership is a vital critical success factor in the military value of a community. This is particularly important with respect to protecting the operational capability of Air Force facilities - which requires that local and state governments work in virtual lockstep with their Air Force counterparts.
Davis-Monthan Air Force base and its host communities, the City of Tucson and Pima County, possess all of these characteristics in abundance.