Kirtland Air Force Base, Albuquerque, New Mexico
Posted by Eloise Gift on August 25, 2007
What is Kirtland Air Force Base
Kirtland Air Force Base is a name that is almost synonymous with Albuquerque, New Mexico. And with good reason.
- Having absorbed two other neighboring bases over the years, Kirtland Air Force Base at its southeast Albuquerque location is the longest surviving base in the region. It will celebrate sixty years of operation next month, September 14, 2007.
- Apart from Air Force activities, KAFB is well known for its close links and collaborative efforts in scientific research and development with the Sandia National Laboratories and the Department of Energy.
- KAFB plays a significant and ever expanding role in the local economy, currently providing jobs for 51, 678 military and civilian personnel. (See the Library Fact Sheet.)
Base Impact on the Community
For all the impact the base has on the community, I sometimes think it is rather unobtrusive, tucked away as it is in the southeast corner of the city, framed between the southern end of the Sandia Mountains and the northern tip of the Manzanos.
But the general population is perhaps touched more than it knows by the presence of the base.
- I remember the day I drove my car onto the curb and blew out the front tire of my car. I was nowhere near the base, but a man in uniform was the first to notice my predicament while I waited for AAA to arrive. He stopped, got out of his car, came over, and offered to help. Was I impressed!
- My hair stylist is a military spouse who lives on base but conducts business for women on and off base. Many of her non-military clients are probably totally unaware of her KAFB connections.
- Ex-Air Force friends who meet who use base facilities for social gatherings invite me along from time to time and after going the process of getting the required passes I get a glimpse of a world outside my own.
I love having the privilege of helping military clients from the base find homes off base. I can empathize with them because of my own frequent relocations of my past life in the diplomatic service. With them, in particular, I try to exceed expectations, seeking to give back for the many kindnesses I received while living in “foreign” lands, and also to make up for the times when service did not measure up to my expectations.
I am looking forward to the September 14 anniversary celebrations. I understand they will be spectacular!
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