Offutt Air Force Base

Offutt Air Force Base, Nebraska, is host to the 55th Wing, “the largest wing in Air Combat Command and the second largest in the Air Force”, and is also home to U.S. Strategic Command, the 557th Weather Wing, the 95th Wing and the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency CONUS Annex, according to the Offutt MilitaryINSTALLATIONS page. Aircraft at Offutt include the RC-135V/W Rivet Joint, the E-4B National Airborne Operations Center and the Navy’s E-6B Mercury. The base is in an area subject to severe seasonal weather, the installation page notes: wind chill warnings, ice, sleet and snow in winter, and thunderstorms with the potential for tornadoes in spring, summer and fall. If you arrive by car in winter, the page asks that your vehicle be winterized, and the Snow and Information line for base closures is 402-232-COLD (2653).

Checking in

Report to your unit Commander’s Support Staff as soon as possible after you arrive; if you arrive after duty hours, keep your sponsor’s contact information handy, per the check-in page. Your CSS gives you an in-processing checklist. The base-level Newcomer Orientation, a four-and-a-half-hour briefing, is mandatory for all personnel in-processing, and spouses are highly encouraged to register; register through the Military and Family Readiness Center (402-294-4329). First-term enlisted members must attend the First Term Enlisted Course no later than 45 calendar days after arriving.

Lodging: book early in summer

The check-in page warns that PCS moves can exceed the number of temporary lodging facilities available, especially during the peak PCS months of May through October, so reserve well ahead; reservations can be made up to 120 days in advance and before you receive PCS orders (402-281-1292). Reconfirm three days before arrival, or the reservation is canceled at 6 p.m. on the check-in date unless guaranteed with a credit card.

Housing: Burlington Capital Properties

“At Offutt Air Force Base, military family housing is privatized. Burlington Capital Properties (BCP) owns the family housing”, the housing page says; the community is called Rising View. Contact the Military Housing Office as soon as you know you are moving (402-294-6242). Leases typically run one year and include a military clause, and rent is paid by an allotment of your BAH.

Medical care: no emergency services at the clinic

The Ehrling Bergquist Clinic, 2501 Capehart Road (402-232-2273), “does not offer emergency services”; for threats to life, limb or eyesight, call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room, per the health care page. The page names Bellevue Medical Center, at 25th Street and Highway 370 in Bellevue, as the nearest emergency room. Most services are by appointment only.

Schools: Bellevue Public Schools

“Children residing in base housing attend Bellevue Public Schools”, and three elementary schools on the base are run by the district, the education page says. Other local districts include Papillion/LaVista and Westside Community Schools.

Before you arrive

Winterize your car if you are driving in winter, reserve lodging early for a summer move, and save the Snow and Information line.