6-04-2024 6:41am

Alamogordo and Holloman Celebrate Altus Award at Reception

Chris Edwards Editor

On the hills of a weekend celebration at Holloman Air Force base via the Legacy of Liberty Air Show from Sunday. Dr. Joe Leverett with the Altus Military Affairs Committee of Altus Air Force Base is was featured at a special event at the Museum of Space History in Alamogordo, New Mexico this weekend to present Holloman Air Force Base the Altus Trophy on Monday.

The Altus Trophy has been an annual award given since 2010 to those who model excellence in community/military base relations. The Altus Military Affairs Committee is pleased to present the 2023 Altus Trophy Award to Holloman Air Force Base and Alamogordo.

An awards ceremony was attended well on Monday with a plethora of congratulations to the base leadership and the community.

When Alamogordo was named in February, the commander of Holloman at the time stated, “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,” said U.S. Air Force Col. Justin Spears, 49th Wing commander.

Civic leader support has been key in the development of housing options in the local area, recently securing the future development of the first new apartment complex in over 20 years.

“The strong bond between Holloman Air Force Base and Alamogordo can be attributed to several factors, primarily centered around their shared history, economic interdependence and a common pioneering and resilient spirit,” said Jerrett Perry and echoed by Nick Paul from the Alamogordo Center of Commerce, wrote in the nomination package.

“Supporting Holloman AFB gives the local community a significant sense of pride and is a demonstration of the appreciation for military personnel and their service to our country. The Alamogordo Center of Commerce, MainGate United and Veterans Affairs committee bring local clubs and organizations together to interact with Airmen, Guardians and military families.”

Members of the 49th Wing support national security objectives by deploying worldwide to support peacetime and wartime contingencies. The wing provides combat-ready Airmen, training F-16 Fighting Falcon pilots and MQ-9 Reaper pilots and sensor operators.

The trophy was presented Monday at the Space Museum in Alamogordo in partnership with Holloman leadership and local civic leaders.