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According to BestPlaces, San Antonio's Cost of Living score is 91.3, which means the total cost of housing, food, childcare, transportation, healthcare, taxes and other necessities is 8.7% lower than the U.S. average and 3.1% lower than the average for Texas.
Joint Base San Antonio
Defense Switched Network Dialing Instructions: The DSN is the provider of long-distance communications services for the Department of War. Every installation has a unique DSN number, and the numbers vary by world-wide location. To place a call using DSN, the caller must be using a military phone on an installation. Cell phones cannot dial DSN numbers.
If you would like to make a call on the Defense Switched Network please use the following guide:
JBSA Fort Sam Houston
Fort Sam Houston finds its roots as far back as 1845 when the Army established a garrison in San Antonio. In 1876, the Army began constructing the Quadrangle on land donated by the city, and the Army garrison moved to the site a few years later. Fort Sam Houston was formally named for General Sam Houston, the hero of the battle of San Jacinto and the first president of the Republic of Texas, in 1890. It is unique among Army posts. On the one hand, it is a major, active military installation that plays a vital role in defense of the nation. On the other hand, it contains some of the oldest structures on any Army installation. Two of those sights are the Pershing House and The Quadrangle. This blend of old and new gives today's soldiers pride in a history that dates back over 150 years.
Fort Sam Houston is home to over 36,000 active-duty and DOW civilians, 48,000 family members, and 76,000 retirees. It is home to 502d Air Base Wing, United States Army North, United States Army South, the Army Medical Department, Army Regional Health Command Central, Brooke Army Medical Center, US Army Medical Center of Excellence Navy Regional Recruiting, and the Medical Education and Training Campus, which graduates over 16,500 students from 49 medical programs annually.
JBSA Lackland Air Force Base
Lackland AFB is named after Brigadier General Frank Lackland, who was commissioned into the Army after serving in the District of Columbia National Guard. Construction on the base began on June 15, 1941, and was originally part of Kelly Field. One year later, it became an independent organization called the San Antonio Aviation Cadet Center. On February 3, 1948, the facility became Lackland AFB, Gateway to the Air Force. For more information, please visit the Lackland AFB homepage.
The base consists of more than 24,000 active duty members; 10,000 DOW civilians; and 11,000 contractors and family members. Lackland is comprised of the 37th Training Wing; 149th Fighter Wing; 59th Medical Wing; the Air Force Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Agency; 24th Air Force Wing, 67th Network Warfare Wing; the Cryptologic Systems Group; the National Security Agency; and 70 additional associate units.
JBSA Randolph Air Force Base
Randolph Field was dedicated on June 20, 1930, as a flying training base and continues in this mission today. The idea for Randolph began soon after the establishment of the Air Corps Act in 1926, which changed the name of the Army Air Service to the Army Air Corps. General Frank P. Lahm was placed in charge of all flying training and established the Air Corps Training Center and set up its headquarters at Duncan Field, next to Kelly Field, TX. After deciding the facilities at Kelly and Brooks Fields were not enough for proper training, the Air Corps soon decided an additional training field was needed. Randolph Field was named after Captain William Millican Randolph, who crashed his AT-4 on takeoff returning to duty at Kelly. He contributed immeasurably to the progress of aviation and served on the base name selection committee. After the Air Force became a separate service on September 18, 1947, Randolph Field was officially named Randolph Air Force Base on January 14, 1948. For more history visit Randolph's homepage.
Randolph is home to more than 4,000 military members; 5,000 dependents; and 5,000 DOW civilians. It is home to numerous units, including Headquarters Air Education and Training Command, Air Force Personnel Center, and the host unit, the 12th Flying Training Wing.
Obtained number via Randolph MFRC. Called and confirmed number is legitimate.
Forwarding Address:
Joint Base San Antonio's history began with a 2005 Base Realignment and Closure Commission recommendation that resulted in congressional legislation directing the consolidation of installations in the San Antonio area. The Air Force's 502 Air Base Wing (502d ABW) is the lead support wing that operates JBSA, which is comprised of three primary operating locations at JBSA-Fort Sam Houston, JBSA-Lackland, and JBSA-Randolph, plus eight other operating areas. The wing's mission is to deliver unrivaled installation support and services to enable mission partner success. JBSA is home to 200 mission partners who conduct specialized missions in training, healthcare, installation management, security cooperation, recruiting, and more for the Department of War.
Fort Sam Houston's primary mission is medical training support, graduating over 16,500 students annually from the Medical Education and Training Campus. The installation hosts over 100 mission partners including the headquarters for U.S. Army North, U.S. Army South, Army Medical Command, Brooke Army Medical Center (BAMC), Medical Center of Excellence, Installation Management Command, and the 502nd Air Base Wing. Camp Bullis, located northwest of San Antonio, functions as a field training site particularly for medical units.
Lackland's mission is to:
On February 2, 2010, the 802nd Mission Support Group was activated at Lackland and realigned under the new 502nd Air Base Wing at Fort Sam Houston.As part of this change, several staff agencies from the 37th Training Wing were reorganized to enhance operational training and base-wide support missions. The responsibilities were divided as follows:
Randolph AFB is home to numerous Department of War units, including Headquarters Air Education and Training Command, the Air Force Personnel Center and the host unit, the 12th Flying Training Wing.
AETC's mission is to find, recruit, train and educate the multi-capable Airmen required to deter war and secure the nation. They take volunteers from across America and develops them into professional Airmen, instilling a warrior ethos and the core values of integrity, service before self and excellence. The command is focused on developing Airmen with the specific competencies needed to win in high-end competition against any peer adversary. To achieve this, AETC operates 11 major installations and partners with Air National Guard and Reserve wings to deliver a comprehensive network of recruiting, basic military training and various forms of specialized instruction, including technical, flying and medical training, as well as professional military education across a nationwide network.
AFPC is the central agency responsible for managing personnel programs and carrying out policies affecting the U.S. Air Force active-duty and civilian members. It is the division implementing personnel, manpower and services programs for nearly 315,000 active-duty members and 161,000 civilian employees through a worldwide network of personnel flights. AFPC carries out the programs covering all life cycles of military and civilian personnel for the Air Force, including defining resource requirements and developing and delivering airmen for the Air Force and the joint environment. It also manages the implementation of services programs for airmen and their families.
The 12th Flying Training Wing is the source of America's airpower, delivering unrivaled airpower leaders for the future of the U.S. Air Force. The wing, headquartered at Joint Base San Antonio-Randolph, consists of three flying groups and a maintenance directorate spanning more than 1,600 miles. The 12th FTW is responsible for four single-source aviation pipelines. These pipelines include combat systems officer training and pilot instructor training and remotely piloted aircraft pilot indoctrination and basic sensor operator qualification. The wing manages all airmanship programs for the U.S. Air Force Academy and serves as the single screening point for all hopeful aviators, including pilots, remotely piloted aircraft pilots, and combat systems officers. The wing also hosts the introduction to Fighter Fundamentals program and conducts electronic warfare training for the U.S. Air Force and multi-national forces.
Commonly called Greater San Antonio, the metropolitan area has a population of 2.76 million based on United States Census Bureau data, making it the 24th-largest metropolitan area in the United States and second-largest in Texas.
Joint Base San Antonio (JBSA) resides in the heart of San Antonio (Bexar County), the seventh-largest city in the United States. JBSA’s three primary operating locations—JBSA-Fort Sam Houston, JBSA-Lackland, and JBSA-Randolph, plus eight other operating areas are located on 67 square miles, throughout the city.
USO Military Reception Area
The USO in the San Antonio International Airport offers service members a place to call their own while traveling to/from our city. The Military Reception Area is in Terminal B by baggage claim. It offers snacks, coffee, and plenty of room to sit down and relax. Open daily from 9:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m. Contact information: 210-233-9279.
Ground Transportation
SATX offers various ground transportation options for travelers to include rental cars, taxi cabs, and rideshare. Below are a few key points:
Directions from the San Antonio Airport
To JBSA Fort Sam Houston:
Please check for current gate and Visitor Control Center hours at https://www.jbsa.mil/Gate-Hours/. If you have any issues or concerns regarding installation access, please contact the Base Defense Operations Center at 210-221-2244.
To JBSA Randolph Air Force Base:
Please check for current gate and Visitor control Center hours at https://www.jbsa.mil/Gate-Hours/. If you have any issues or concerns regarding installation access, please contact the Base Defense Operations Center at 210-652-5700.
To JBSA Lackland Air Force Base:
Please check for current gate and Visitor Control Center hours at https://www.jbsa.mil/Gate-Hours/. If you have any issues or concerns regarding installation access, please contact the Base Defense Operations Center at 210-671-2018.
Automated Base Operators
Base Defense Operations Center: