| Mountain Home Air Force Base | |||||||
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| NearMountain Home,Idaho in the U.S. | |||||||
.jpg) F-15E Strike Eagle of the391st Fighter Squadron based at Mountain Home AFB. | |||||||
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| Site information | |||||||
| Type | U.S. Air Force Base | ||||||
| Owner | Department of Defense | ||||||
| Operator | U.S. Air Force | ||||||
| Controlled by | Air Combat Command (ACC) | ||||||
| Condition | Operational | ||||||
| Website | www.mountainhome.af.mil | ||||||
| Location | |||||||
  Mountain Home AFB Location in the United States Show map of the United States | |||||||
| Coordinates | 43°02′N115°52′W / 43.04°N 115.87°W /43.04; -115.87 | ||||||
| Site history | |||||||
| Built | 1942 (1942) – 1943 | ||||||
| In use | 1943–1945 1948 – present | ||||||
| Garrison information | |||||||
| Current commander | Colonel Michael C. Alfaro | ||||||
| Garrison | 366th Fighter Wing (Host) | ||||||
| Airfield information | |||||||
| Identifiers | IATA: MUO,ICAO: KMUO,FAA LID: MUO,WMO: 726815 | ||||||
| Elevation | 913.1 m (2,996 ft)AMSL | ||||||
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| Source:Federal Aviation Administration[1] | |||||||
Mountain Home Air Force Base (IATA:MUO,ICAO:KMUO,FAALID:MUO) is aUnited States Air Force (USAF) installation in thewestern United States. Located insouthwesternIdaho inElmore County, the base is twelve miles (20 km) southwest ofMountain Home, which is forty miles (65 km) southeast ofBoise viaInterstate 84. The base also hosts theRepublic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF), which has a detachment ofF-15SG combat aircraft on long term assignment to the base and a squadron composed of RSAF and USAF personnel.[2][3]
Constructed in the early 1940s duringWorld War II as a training base forbombers, after the war it briefly hadtransports, then was a bomber and missile base. It became afighter base in 1966. The host unit at Mountain Home has been the366th Fighter Wing (366 FW) of theAir Combat Command (ACC), nicknamed the Gunfighters, since 1972. The base's primary mission is to provide combat airpower and support for worldwide contingency operations. On October 10, 2025,Pete Hegseth announced that the base would host aQatar Emiri Air Force facility.[4]
Part of the base is acensus-designated place (CDP); the population was 3,238 at the2010 census.[5]
Crews started building the base in November 1942 and the new field officially opened on 7 August 1943. Shortly thereafter, airmen at the field began trainingU.S. Army Air Forces crews forWorld War II. The396th Bombardment Group (Heavy) was the first unit assigned and its planned mission was to train crews for theB-17 Flying Fortress. However, before the first B-17s arrived, plans for the field changed and the 396th was transferred toMoses Lake AAF, Washington (state).
Mountain Home airmen then transitioned to training crews for theB-24 Liberator. The first group to do so was the470th Bombardment Group (Heavy), which trained at Mountain Home from May 1943 until January 1944, when the unit moved toTonopah AAFNevada. The490th Bombardment Group (Heavy) replaced the 470th and trained B-24 crews until it deployed toRAF Eye England in April 1944. The494th Bombardment Group then replaced the 490th, once more training Liberator crews.
The base was placed in inactive status in October 1945.
The base remained inactive for over three years until December 1948, when the newly independentU.S. Air Force (USAF) reopened the base. The 4205th Air Base Group was activated on 12 December to prepare the newly re-designatedMountain Home Air Force Base for operational use.
Three wings of theAir Resupply and Communications Service used the base in the early 1950s.
In 1953, the base was transferred toStrategic Air Command (SAC), which assigned its9th Bombardment Wing to Mountain Home. The 9th relocated to Mountain Home AFB in May 1953 and began flyingB-29 bombers andKB-29H refueling aircraft. The 9th began converting to the newB-47 Stratojet bomber and theKC-97 tanker in September 1954, keeping alert bombers ready for war at a moment's notice and continuing its mission as a deterrent force throughout theCold War years of the 1950s and early 1960s.
In 1959, construction of threeSM-68 Titan missile sites began in the local area, and missiles arrived in April 1962.[6] The569th Strategic Missile Squadron controlled these sites and was assigned to the 9th Bombardment Wing in August 1962. To prepare for the addition of missiles to its bomber forces, it was redesignated the9th Strategic Aerospace Wing in April 1962.
A few years later, SAC's mission at Mountain Home began to wind down, and in November 1964, the USAF announced that the missile sites would close by mid-1965, part of a major round ofbase closures announced bySecretary of DefenseRobert McNamara.[7][8][9][10] Other closures in the region were also USAF facilities: theCottonwood radar station inNorth Central Idaho and SAC'sLarson AFB, aB-52E Stratofortress (andKC-135A Stratotanker) installation inEasternWashington atMoses Lake.[9]
In late 1965, the USAF also began phasing out the aging B-47 and announced plans to bring the67th Tactical Reconnaissance Wing to Mountain Home, transferring the base from SAC to theTactical Air Command (TAC) in early 1966.
TheRepublic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) has been training at Mountain Home since 1998. As such, the428th Fighter Squadron consists of a joint squadron of air forces of both countries. Prior to this, the RSAF has also been training atLuke Air Force Base inArizona since the 1980s.[11]
On 10 October 2025,Secretary of DefensePete Hegseth announced that a formal letter of acceptance had been signed withQatar to establish anQatar Emiri Air Force facility at Mountain Home AFB; it shall host a contingent ofF-15s.[12][13] The announcement took place with Qatar's Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of DefenseSaoud bin Abdulrahman Al Thani sitting at his side.[14] Rep.Mike Simpson hailed the agreement onX: "This development is beneficial for training, enhances our partnership with America's allies, and strengthens national security."[15]
The 366th Fighter Wing (in various designations) has been the host unit at Mountain Home for over 50 years, following its return from theVietnam War in late 1972.
Before the 366th Tactical Fighter Wing's arrival at Mountain Home, the 389th, 390th, and 391st Tactical Fighter Squadrons had returned from South Vietnam, joined the 347th, and began converting toF-111A Aardvark aircraft. For the first time since it left for Vietnam, the wing once again had its three original flying units.
During 1969, a tenant unit began operating at the south end of the base, using part of the original SAC alert area, and about half of theMole Hole alert facility, sharing the other half with anNCO leadership school from the main base. Det. 1, 320 BW carried out an alert mission with two B-52 bombers and two KC-135 tankers. The unit disbanded in the spring of 1975 and returned toMather AFB.
Operations continued unchanged for several years. The wing tested its readiness in August 1976 when a border incident inKorea prompted the U.S. to augment its military contingent inSouth Korea as a show of force. The 366th deployed a squadron of 20 F-111 fighters, which reached South Korea only 31 hours after receiving launch notification. Tensions eased shortly afterward and the detachment returned home.
In early 1991, the USAF announced that the 366th would become the Air Force's premier "air intervention" composite wing. The wing would grow with the addition of a squadron ofEF-111A Raven electronic warfare aircraft and a squadron ofB-1B Lancer bombers to become a dynamic, five squadron wing with the ability to deploy rapidly and deliver integrated combat airpower.
The air intervention composite wing's rapid transition from concept to reality began in October 1991 when the USAF redesignated the wing as the366th Wing. The wing's newly reactivated "fighter squadrons" became part of the composite wing in March 1992. The 389th Fighter Squadron began flying the dual-roleF-16C Fighting Falcon, while the 391st Fighter Squadron was equipped with the newF-15E Strike Eagle. These two squadrons provide the Gunfighters round-the-clock precision strike capability.
Following theterrorist attacks on 11 September 2001, the resultant initiation ofOperation Enduring Freedom, the 366th Wing once again got the call. While the 34th Bomb Squadron deployed toDiego Garcia as the B-1 component of the28th Air Expeditionary Wing, the wing sent a Base Operations Support package toAl Udeid Air Base,Qatar, to transform the bare base into a fully functional airfield for large-scale combat operations. In October 2001, the 391st Fighter Squadron deployed toAl Jaber Air Base,Kuwait, while the 389th Fighter Squadron went to Al Udeid in November.
Following the wing's return fromSouthwest Asia, the USAF began consolidating its B-1 Lancer and KC-135 Stratotanker forces. This led to the reallocation of the wing's bombers and tankers. The 22 ARS' aircraft began transferring toMcConnell AFB, Kansas, in May 2002 and the squadron inactivated the following August. The 34 BS' B-1Bs began moving toEllsworth AFB,South Dakota, in June and the squadron officially moved in September. Following the departure of these assets, the USAF re-designated the 366th as a Fighter Wing. With these changes, the wing's 10-year mission as the Air Force's only standing air expeditionary wing came to an end. A continued reconstruction of the 366 Fighter Wing was official with the 2005 base realignment, coinciding with the large scale integration of the 150+F-22 Raptors. After the F-16 departure, Mountain Home AFB was chosen to become an F-15E installation because of its ideal training terrain range that is suited for air-to-ground, and air-to-air training missions.
The base was the site of aThunderbirds crash on 14 September 2003 in which no one was killed.[16][17] Captain Chris Stricklin, flying Thunderbird 6 (opposing solo, serial #87-0327), attempted a "Split S" maneuver (which he had performed over 200 times) immediately after takeoff based on an incorrectmean-sea-level elevation. Similar in desert appearance, Mountain Home AFB is over 1,100 feet (340 m) higher than the Thunderbirds' home atNellis AFB nearLas Vegas, Nevada.
Climbing to only 1,670 ft (510 m)above ground level (AGL) instead of 2,500 ft (760 m), Stricklin had insufficient altitude to complete the descending half-loop maneuver. He guided the F-16C aircraft down runway 30, away from the spectators andejected less than one second before impact. His parachute deployed when he was just above the ground and Stricklin survived with only minor injuries. No one on the ground was injured, but the $20 million aircraft was destroyed.[16]
Official procedure for demonstration "Split-S" maneuvers was changed, and the USAF now requires Thunderbird pilots and airshow ground controllers to both work inabove mean-sea-level (AMSL) altitudes, as opposed to ground control working in AGL and pilots in AMSL, which led to two sets of numbers that had to be reconciled by the pilot. Thunderbird pilots now also climb an extra 1,000 ft (300 m) before performing the Split S maneuver.[16]
On June 24, 2022, nineteen Air ForceROTC cadets were participating in a training exercise when there was an accident involving aHumvee. One cadet, nineteen-year-old Mackenzie Wilson, was pronounced dead at the scene while two other cadets were taken to nearby St. Alphonsus Hospital in Boise and treated for injuries.[18]
After an investigation by the Idaho State Police, with assistance from theAir Force Office of Special Investigations, it was discovered that the Humvees were not authorized for use as transportation and did not meet Air Force standards for maintenance. The investigator of the case told the bomb range manager, who had let the cadets drive the Humvees unsupervised on their final day of training, that he was suspected for the crime of misusing government property. An ROTC officer who had been supervising the group during the week was also informed he was suspected of dereliction of duty under the military code.[19]
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The569th Strategic Missile Squadron Operated threeHGM-25A Titan I ICBM sites: (1 Jun 1961 – 25 Jun 1965). The first missiles arrived in April 1962.[6]
Mountain Home AFB is the home of the366th Fighter Wing (366 FW), which reports toAir Combat Command (ACC). The mission of the 366 FW is to prepare Airmen and their families, professionally and personally, for expeditionary operations and foster an environment that promotes integration of all facets of wing operations.
The wing comprises three operational fighter squadrons:
In addition, the 726th Air Control Squadron gives an air picture to the aircraft as they train. An activeIdaho Air National Guard unit, the 266th Range Squadron, controls and maintains emitter sites within the 7,412 sq mi (19,200 km2) operational training range in southwestern Idaho.
The following flying and notable non-flying units have been based at Mountain Home.[20][21][22]
Units marked GSU are Geographically Separate Units, which although based at Mountain Home, are subordinate to a parent unit based at another location.
Air Combat Command (ACC)
| Air National Guard (ANG)
|
Mountain Home AFB is located at (43.049511, −115.866452),[23] at anelevation of 2,996 ft (913 m)above sea level. It is in the western portion of theSnake River Plain, about 3 miles (5 km) north ofC. J. Strike Reservoir, an impoundment of theSnake River (andBruneau River).
According to theUnited States Census Bureau, the CDP has a total area of 9.9 mi2 (26 km2), and 0.10% is water.
It is connected to the city of Mountain Home byState Highway 67.
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 6,038 | — | |
| 1980 | 6,403 | 6.0% | |
| 1990 | 5,936 | −7.3% | |
| 2000 | 8,894 | 49.8% | |
| 2010 | 3,238 | −63.6% | |
| source:[24][25] | |||
As of the census[26] of 2000, there were 8,894 people, 1,476 households, and 1,452 families residing in the CDP. The population density was 896 inhabitants per square mile (346/km2). There were 1,590 housing units at an average density of 160 per square mile (62/km2). The racial makeup of the CDP was 83.2%White, 6.9%Black orAfrican American, 0.8%Native American, 2.5%Asian, 0.2%Pacific Islander, 2.7% fromother races, and 3.7% from two or more races.Hispanic orLatino of any race were 6.5% of the population.
There were 1,476 households, of which 76.4% had children under the age of 18, 91.9% were married couples, 4.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 1.6% were non-families. 1.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and none had anyone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.40 and the average family size was 3.43.
In the CDP, the population was spread out, with 24.0% under the age of 18, 24.4% from 18 to 24, 49.7% from 25 to 44, 1.8% from 45 to 64, and 0.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 25 years. For every 100 females, there were 180.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 219.5 males.
The median income for a household in the CDP was $31,634, and the median income for a family was $31,377. Males had a median income of $24,865 versus $20,664 for females. The per capita income for the CDP was $17,671. About 6.5% of families and 7.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 9.1% of those under age 18 and none of those age 65 or over.
Mountain Home School District 193 operates Stephenson Elementary School (grades Pre-Kindergarten to Grade 4) on-post.[27] The onward upper elementary and secondary schools are Hacker Middle School (grades 5-6), Mountain Home Junior High School (grades 7-8), andMountain Home High School (grades 9-12).[28]
There are noDepartment of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA) schools on-post.[27]
This article incorporatespublic domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency This article incorporatespublic domain material fromMountain Home Air Force Base. United States Air Force.
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