New Mountain Home temporary lodging facility opens

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Brian Stives
  • 366th Fighter Wing Public Affairs Office
MOUNTAIN HOME AIR FORCE BASE, Idaho --  Base leaders officially opened the Sagebrush Inn's new temporary living facility in a ribbon-cutting ceremony April 10 in the main lobby entrance.

"This is truly a great day for Gunfighters," said Col. John Bird II, 366th Fighter Wing commander, during the opening ceremonies. "The $14.7 million it took to complete the project came from guests who have stayed in Air Force lodging facilities around the world. This facility more than doubles our capability to care for in-transit personnel and their dependents with 20 two-bedroom units and 15 one-bedroom units -- including pet friendly and American Disabilities Act compliant rooms."

"We're very excited," said Richard Oak, 366th Services Squadron Sagebrush Inn general manager. "The old buildings were built in the middle 1950s, were too small and didn't meet standards. So we're excited to be able to offer much more comfortable accommodations."

"We're especially excited about the TLF," said 1st Lt. Sarah Flackus, 366th SVS lodging officer in charge. "Moving is hard for everyone, so we're happy to provide families a comfortable place to stay with all the conveniences of a small apartment."

In total, the new lodging facility will be able to accommodate more families than the older ones. The new facility contains units for Airmen and their families, each featuring flat-panel TVs, full kitchens, in-room laundry facilities, play areas outside for children and, soon, free high-speed internet. Pet-friendly accommodations are also available for families PCSing with their pets.

"The new buildings were designed to have the look and feel of the new housing areas being built on base," said Lieutenant Flackus. "They don't stick out and everything blends in."

Matching the surroundings and getting up to code was not the only thing they wanted to do with the new building.

"The building is right in the middle of the base," said Maj. James Beaty, 366th SVS commander. "It's close to the school, base exchange, commissary and post office, which makes it easy for Airmen just arriving to get acquainted with base services. It's also next to the housing areas on base, so they can see where they will live if they decide to move onto base."

The facility also features a system that allows lodging employees to control the temperature and energy use of unoccupied rooms, saving precious amounts of energy and contributing to Mountain Home's ongoing efforts to preserve resources.

"We really love it here," said Lieutenant Flackus. "And I'm sure our visitors will like it, too."

"This is just another great example of the Air Force taking care of its Airmen," said Major Beaty. "This was built specifically for Gunfighters and their families."

"This is just as nice as a Homestead Suites," said Colonel Bird. "Airmen and their families can now come here at any time of the day or night and know they have a great place to stay and get acquainted with the local area. This helps ease a big part of the military life - the move from base to base."