Base will resume its popular tours on June 17
The Los Alamitos Joint Forces Training Base (JFTB) is pleased to announce the return of its popular public base tour program following a 16-month suspension due to the pandemic.
This year’s tour dates include June 17, Aug. 19 and Nov. 18. Tours are scheduled on Thursday afternoons and participants should plan for approximately three hours.
The fully guided bus tour includes an introduction and historical overview of the base— highlighting its current state and federal missions.
The JFTB is a busy center of military training and ground zero for emergency management and disaster support for Southern California.
The sprawling base, which includes the Los Alamitos Army Airfield, is fewer than 5 miles from Leisure World. Eight miles of perimeter fencing surround the base.
The base is perhaps best known for the Los Alamitos Army Airfield with two all-weather runways that measure 8,000 and 6,000 feet long.
The JFTB is gated and patrolled 24 hours a day, 365 days a year and strategically located near the junction of the 605 and 405 freeways. It contains more than 160 buildings—1.5 million square feet of space—with 45 tenant organizations, most of them military.
During normal times, the base opens its gates for public tours, patriotic fireworks displays, swimming in an Olympic-grade pool, golfing, theater-going and more.
It is the oldest military base in Orange County and the only disaster support center in Southern California.
As part of the tour, featured stops include the 40th Infantry Division Headquarters, Los Alamitos Army Airfield (including an upclose look at a Cal Guard UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter) and JFTB’s engagement skills trainer.
Space is limited to 45 pre-registered participants. Admission is free. Everyone will receive a group photo as a souvenir of their visit.
To register for a tour, send an e-mail to the JFTB Public Affairs Officer at richard.w.lalor2.nfg@mail.mil.
Emails must include full name, address (including ZIP code), phone number, email address and California driver’s license number for each participant.
Due to enhanced force protection requirements and COVID- 19 protocols, all participants are required to show current government-issued photo identification at the main gate for access to the installation.
Masks are required for everyone taking the tour. For more information, contact Col. (CA) Richard Lalor at (562) 795-2096 or via email at richard.w.lalor2.nfg@mail.mil, or Staff Sgt. Crystal Housman at (805) 458-3825 or via email at crystal.c.housman.mil@mail.mil.
