Little Rock Air Force Base

Established:1955
Base Type: Air Force

About

Little Rock Air Force Base is, as the name alludes, and Air Force Base near Little Rock, Arkansas. The installation itself is specifically 17 miles northeast of Little Rock. Little Rock AFB is where all C-130 pilots, flight engineers, navigators and loadmasters learn their craft — it’s the main training base for the C-130 Hercules, a four-engine military aircraft designed for troops and supply transport as well as medevac. It also supports the C-130H and C-130J aircraft, and the C-130 Center of Excellence, where aspiring C-130 aircraft specialists go to be educated. Little Rock AFB is, in fact, the seventh-largest employer in Arkansas, and generated an economic impact of $469 million in 2016.

The main commands/units at Little Rock Air Force Base include: Air Mobility Command, 19th Airlift Wing, Air Education and Training Command, 82nd Training Wing, 189th Airlift Wing, 314th Airlift Wing, 913th Airlift Group, and United States Air Force Mobility Weapons School.

Construction for Little Rock Air Force Base began on Nov. 6, 1953, and the base was officially opened in January of 1955. It’s situated on just over 6,000 acres of land, which was donated by local landowners. This land was valued at $1.2 million in 1952. At the time, the base consisted of a runway, communications building, storage buildings, JATO facility, track and loading platform, and ordnance igloos; no housing or real community. The first planes it hosted were the Boeing B-47E Stratojet, RB-47 Stratojet and KC-97 Stratofreighter. And in 1960, the base began housing intercontinental ballistic missiles. This led to the 384th Bomb Wing deploying to several civilian airports for readiness during the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis. When a tornado devastated Conway, Arkansas in 1965 and Hurricane Betsy ravaged the coast, units from Little Rock AFB provided support. In 1970, the base’s primary focus shifted from ballistic missiles to the C-130 Hercules as the first C-130 arrived in Arkansas.

1980 brought about what is known as the “Damascus incident.” An airman was working on one of the ballistic missiles on the southside of the base, just north of Damascus, Arkansas, and he accidentally dropped a socket, damaging the missile’s fuel tank. Everyone quickly evacuated the area, and a day later the missile exploded. The force of the explosion killed one airman, destroyed the launch complex and hurled a nuclear warhead 100 feet from the entry gate. Luckily, there were no radioactive consequences.

Several units from Little Rock Air Force Base have participated in air combat. C-130 squadrons from the 314th Airlift Wing supported operations in both the Middle East and European theaters during the Gulf War. They also supported the air war over Serbia in the mid- to late-1990s. The 463rd Airlift Group supported Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom before it was deactivated in 2008.

Almost 12,000 airmen, family members and civilian employees call Little Rock Air Force Base home. The base is also nearby the Little Rock suburb of Jacksonville, which boasts a population of nearly 30,000. Housing on base is managed by Hunt Companies, and features four communities with nearly 1,000 updated single family homes. This includes perks like 24/7 maintenance, utilities included, washer/dryer hookups, central AC and a safe, gated neighborhood. There are no schools on Little Rock AFB, so students will need to attend school in the Jacksonville North Pulaski School District. Lodging on post is offered by the Razorback Inn, which can be reached at (501) 988-1141 or (501) 987-6753 / 6652. Other hotels and motels near base are likely to offer a military discount.

If you’re PCSing to Little Rock Air Force Base or have a loved one stationed there, be assured: This base’s history of excellence doesn’t stop here. It has a wealth of resources and support from military families just like you.

Gate and Hours

Little Rock AFB has two 24-hour gates.
Main Gate: 24/7
Arnold Road Gate: 24/7
Marshall Road Gate: Hours vary for special events and construction
Harris Road gate: Mon-Fri/ 0600-0830 & 1430-1630

Quick Reference

Chapel
Pastoral Advisory Council
Music Ministry
Catholic Women of the Chapel
Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults
Catholic Religious Education
(501) 987-6014
erica.lander.ctr@us.af.mil

Dining Facility
Hangar 1080 Club
Building 1080
Address:  1080 Cannon Circle
Little Rock AFB, AR 72099
(501) 987-5555

Education Office
Building 1490
Address:  1490 Vandenberg Blvd.
Jacksonville, AR 72076
Customer Service:  (501) 987-3417
Base Training:  (501) 987-3776
Formal Training:  (501) 987-8626

Equal Opportunity
1260 Thomas Ave, Room 120
(501) 987-8629

Family Advocacy
19th Medical Group
1090 Arnold Drive
Little Rock Air Force Base, AR 72099-0000
(501) 987-7377

Military and Family Readiness
Bldg. 940 Arnold Drive
(501) 987-2667

Military & Family Life Counselor
(501) 366-7703

Public Affairs
1255 Vandenberg Blvd.
Suite 138
Little Rock AFB, AR 72099-4929
(501) 987-6744

Fire Emergency Service
624 South Chester Street
Little Rock, AR 72201
(501) 918-3700

Finance Office
1255 Vandenberg Drive
Little Rock Air Force Base, AR 72099-0000
(501) 987-8294

Housing Office
Little Rock Family Housing
101 Arkansas Boulevard
Jacksonville, AR 72076
Office: (888) 314-6994
Office Fax: (501) 983-9021
Maintenance Requests: (501) 983-9050
After Hours Maintenance:  (501) 983-9043

Legal/JAG
Little Rock AFB Legal Office
Bldg 1250 Thomas Ave, 2nd Floor
Little Rock Air Force Base, AR 72099
(501) 987-7886

Post Office
988 Cannon Cir,
Jacksonville, AR 72076
(800) 275-8777

Base Surroundings

Clinton Presidential Center
1200 President Clinton Ave,
Little Rock, AR 72201
(501) 374-4242

Magic Springs and Crystal Falls
1701 E Grand Ave,
Hot Springs, AR 71901
(501) 624-0100

Pinnacle Mountain State Park
11901 Pinnacle Valley Rd,
Roland, AR 72135
(501) 868-5806

Little Rock Zoo
1 Zoo Dr,
Little Rock, AR 72205
(501) 666-2406

Old State House
300 W Markham St,
Little Rock, AR 72201
(501) 324-9685

Little Rock River Market District
400 President Clinton Ave,
Little Rock, AR 72201
(501) 375-2552

Medical Care

Tricare Numbers
Nurse Advice Hotline TRICARE: (800) 874-2273 Opt 1
Primary Care Appointments: (800) 600-9332
TRICARE for Life: (866) 773-0404

TRICARE
Tricare partners with United Healthcare Military & Veterans as its regional contractor in the Western United States to provide health care services and support to beneficiaries.

Home TRICARE:
https://www.tricare.mil

Tricare Home Page allows access to Enroll in or Purchase a Plan, File or Check a Claim, View Referrals, Find a Health Care Provider, Change Your Primary Care Manager, Compare Plans, Manage Prescriptions and much more.

Nurse Advice Line TRICARE: (800) 874-2273 Opt 1.

The Nurse Advice Line is available to all TRICARE beneficiaries in the U.S., except those enrolled in US Family Health Plan. You can call the Nurse Advice Line 24/7, at no cost to you, to talk to a registered nurse who can: Answer your urgent care questions.

New to TRICARE:
https://www.tricare.mil/Plans/New

Learn more about TRICARE- Watch an overview video & take free public TRICARE courses online.

TRICARE Online:
https://www.tricareonline.com/

You can make Primary Care appointments, check lab results and even order your pharmacy refills using TOL, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Contact: (800) 600-9332

TRICARE For Life:
https://www.tricare.mil/tfl
Contact- (866) 773-0404

TRICARE for Life is your Medicare-wraparound coverage for TRICARE-eligible beneficiaries who have Medicare Part A and B. TRICARE for Life beneficiaries can receive care at military hospitals and clinics, but only on a space-available basis.

TRICARE Pharmacy Program:
https://www.tricare.mil/pharmacy

The TRICARE Pharmacy Program provides the prescription drugs you need, when you need them, in a safe, easy, and affordable way.

Customer Service Community Directory:
https://www.tricare.mil/bcacdcao/

The directory helps you connect with a Beneficiary Counseling and Assistance Coordinator (BCAC), Debt Collection Assistance Officer (DCAO), or other members of the customer service community. If you have questions or issues specific to a single clinic or hospital, contact someone listed for that facility.

You may contact any customer service community representative for general TRICARE issues.

Must be registered in the DEERS program to be eligible for TRICARE
Defense Enrollment Eligibility Reporting System:
https://www.tricare.mil/deers