Fairchild is the 92nd Air Refueling Wing's home station and the Air Force's largest KC-135 tanker operation — plus the schoolhouse that trains aircrew across the entire service to survive behind enemy lines. If you just got orders to Spokane, this page is your first 30 days, sorted.
The Post
Fairchild is a one-mission base with a very big footprint: the 92nd Air Refueling Wing flies and maintains the KC-135 Stratotanker, the airplane that lets every other aircraft in the fleet go farther than its own fuel tank allows. Fairchild has been the Air Force's largest KC-135 operating location, with active-duty and Air National Guard tankers flying off the same ramp. The wing also runs airlift and aeromedical evacuation missions on top of the refueling job.
Fairchild is also home to the Air Force's Survival, Evasion, Resistance and Escape school, run by the 336th Training Group — the schoolhouse that trains aircrew from across the entire Air Force to survive if things go wrong behind enemy lines. Get stationed here and you'll share the base with a rotating population of students from every flying wing in the service, not just the 92nd.
None of that runs without people: roughly 5,200 active-duty Air Force, Air National Guard, and tenant-organization personnel work here, making Fairchild the largest employer in Eastern Washington. The base traces back to 1942 as the Spokane Army Air Depot and was renamed in 1950 for General Muir S. Fairchild, a Spokane native. It sits about 12 miles southwest of downtown Spokane, on the plateau west of the city — closer to Airway Heights and Medical Lake than to Spokane's urban core.
Where You'll Actually Live
Four real options around the flightline — from the town that's basically Fairchild's front yard to Spokane proper.
Your PCS Checklist
From your first orders to closing on a house — sorted by where you actually are.
Report date, gaining command, dependent authorization, and any special instructions — mistakes here cascade into every later step.
Schedule your household-goods counseling session and pick a move type (full move, PPM/DITY, or partial DITY).
Book your packout date with your Personal Property Office as early as your report date allows.
Confirm every family member's DEERS record is current before you leave — it gates TRICARE, base access, and commissary privileges at the new station.
Pull your Certificate of Eligibility now so you know your buying power before you start touring homes.
TRICARE regions changed in 2024 — confirm your plan and provider network transfer automatically.
Many states now have expedited licensure compacts for military spouses — confirm before you arrive so there's no gap in income.
Can I Afford This?
Real basic pay, real BAH, real nearby home values — not a guess.
On the Map
The installation's actual location — pan, zoom, get directions.
Where People Live
Real, opt-in reports from people stationed here — never an exact address, just the general area.
Not enough reports yet to show a map for Fairchild Air Force Base.
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Local Favorites
Real spots around Airway Heights and Spokane, WA -- Airway Heights' first and only brewpub, a historic CCC-built swinging bridge over the Spokane River, and a family-run drag strip and road course operating since 1972.
Spokane's award-winning craft brewery, a short drive from Fairchild -- distinct from the Airway Heights brewpub also on this list.
Airway Heights' first and only brewpub -- the closest taproom to the base gate.
A historic CCC-built pedestrian swinging bridge over the Spokane River near the Bowl and Pitcher formation in Riverside State Park -- a genuine locals' walk, not a tourist stop.
A family-run drag strip and road course near Airway Heights operating since 1972 -- a real local motorsports scene most PCS guides miss entirely.
A longtime Airway Heights family-owned restaurant near the base -- a genuine local favorite, not a chain.
The Kalispel Tribe's resort complex in Airway Heights -- shopping, dining, and entertainment within a few minutes of the base gate.
Jodi's List
Spokane and the Inland Northwest have a real veteran-business community — verified listings, straight from the directory.
Listings from Jodi's List, the veteran-owned business directory.
Own a veteran business near Fairchild Air Force Base?Get Listed Free →On-Post Resources
We only publish numbers we've verified — none are on file for this installation yet. The base operator directory on the official site is the reliable source.
Live From the Installation
Pulled from Fairchild's official public channels — updated automatically.
No updates ingested for Fairchild Air Force Base yet.
This feed pulls straight from the installation's official public channels once its news feed is connected — check the base's official site in the meantime.
The Playbook
Airway Heights and Medical Lake units near the flightline move fast every summer PCS season — decide rent-vs-buy early. A VA loan preapproval costs nothing and strengthens every offer.
Knock out in-processing, DEERS updates, and TRICARE region transfer in week one — everything downstream (CDC waitlists, referrals) keys off it.
Medical Lake School District serves the base itself; Cheney and Spokane run their own districts — register as soon as you have an address, not after you arrive.
Eastern Washington runs real snowy winters and real summer wildfire risk — the 2023 Gray Fire hit the Medical Lake area. Budget and insure for both before you're caught flat-footed.
Zero-down VA loans for eligible buyers, all 50 states from day one, and Personal Bankers who know the Spokane market. Start before you out-process.
Subject to credit approval and VA eligibility. The Veteran Alliance is a fintech company, not a bank; banking services provided through partner institutions.
Where are you at with housing near Fairchild Air Force Base?
Local Favorites
Spokane's award-winning craft brewery, a short drive from Fairchild -- distinct from the Airway Heights brewpub also on this list.
Airway Heights' first and only brewpub -- the closest taproom to the base gate.
A historic CCC-built pedestrian swinging bridge over the Spokane River near the Bowl and Pitcher formation in Riverside State Park -- a genuine locals' walk, not a tourist stop.
A family-run drag strip and road course near Airway Heights operating since 1972 -- a real local motorsports scene most PCS guides miss entirely.
A longtime Airway Heights family-owned restaurant near the base -- a genuine local favorite, not a chain.
The Kalispel Tribe's resort complex in Airway Heights -- shopping, dining, and entertainment within a few minutes of the base gate.
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