Altus Trophy awarded to Holloman Air Force Base, City of Alamogordo

Juan Corral, Alamogordo Daily News
·3 min read

The City of Alamogordo was awarded the 2023 Altus Trophy by the Altus Chamber of Commerce for its continued support of Holloman Air Force Base.

For three years the City of Alamogordo and Holloman Air Force Base have attempted to secure the award to no avail. The 200-page nomination netted Alamogordo and HAFB its first ever Altus Trophy.

Members of the Alamogordo community and Holloman Air Force Base personnel pose for a group photo celebrating the announcement of winning the 2023 Altus Trophy award at the Alamogordo Chamber of Commerce, New Mexico, Feb. 8, 2024.
Members of the Alamogordo community and Holloman Air Force Base personnel pose for a group photo celebrating the announcement of winning the 2023 Altus Trophy award at the Alamogordo Chamber of Commerce, New Mexico, Feb. 8, 2024.

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The Air Education and Training Command, along with Altus Chamber of Commerce, partner each year to award a community the Altus Trophy for their support of an Air Education and Training Command Wing or tenant unit.

There are approximately 12,000 Airmen, family members and employees that make up over a third of the Alamogordo population, according to a news release by the Holloman Air Force Base.

“On behalf of the many proud Airmen of the 49th Wing, I can honestly say that the community of Alamogordo has earned the trophy through their steadfast support and dedication of both our mission and to the community,” U.S. Air Force Col. Justin Spears, 49th Wing commander said.

The nomination package included projects and events planned by the town and Air force base, including education projects, on- and off- base volunteering and military construction projects.

One educational point highlighted in the Altus Trophy submission by Holloman Air Force Base were efforts to build Holloman Elementary.

"The mission was achieved and now there beholds a $34.2 million facility with 74,000 square feet that houses up to 600 students," read the submission.

The submission also included the long-awaited middle school that will be built on the base.

"Working in tandem, local leaders and Holloman Air Force Base, APS (Alamogordo Public Schools) secured funding for the construction of a new Middle School at Holloman. Working with the Office of Local Defense Community Cooperation for Public School on Military Installations, federal funding for a new $59.6 million/ 52,000 gross square foot building was secured," according to the HAFB submission.

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Outside of educational partnerships, HAFB touched on some of the volunteer work it contributed to the city. Holloman Air Force Base members worked to clean up the Dudley School after a fire damaged it, volunteered at White Sands Balloon and Music Festival and apple and cherry festivals around Otero County.

"On behalf of the Nichols Ranch and Orchards, I would like to express our wholehearted support for Holloman Air Force Base (HAFB) as a candidate for the prestigious Altus Trophy Award," Nichols Ranch and Orchards Owner Roy Nichols said. "The service members and their family members stationed at Holloman Air Force Base bring incredible value to our community and we are extremely thankful for them."

Another Alamogordo official that showed her thanks on behalf of the community was Mayor Susan Payne, she said she was proud to live in a military community.

"It would be an honor to represent a community that is home to an Altus Award recipient and I humbly ask the Altus Committee award the Altus Trophy to Holloman AFB," she wrote in her submission letter. "I am confident that there is no other community that supports their military installation like we support Holloman Air Force Base and there is no other Air Force Base that is more deserving of this distinction."

The Altus Trophy was awarded to the Goodfellow Air Force Base, in San Angelo, Texas in 2022.

Juan Corral can be reached at JCorral@gannett.com or on X, formerly Twitter at @Juan36Corr.

This article originally appeared on Alamogordo Daily News: Altus Trophy awarded to Holloman Air Force Base, City of Alamogordo