Scott Air Force Base in Illinois is an Air Mobility Command base located in what is locally known as the greater St. Louis Metro East area; it is a southern Illinois Air Force base with convenient access to St. Louis, Missouri and Illinois destinations.
Those destinations include the state capitol, Springfield, which is home to the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library. The base itself has a global mission which includes 18th Air Force, C-21 aircraft, and partner operations with Guard and Reserve units flying KC-135s and C-40s. Scott Air Force Base is also home to the United States Transportation Command.
Find information about Scott Air Force Base, Illinois, including the main commercial and DSN numbers for the base, information on basic services, base transportation, lodging for TDY and PSCing personnel, and inprocessing.
Scott Air Force Base, Illinois Mission & Units
Scott Air Force Base missions include two headquarters operations-Headquarters Air Mobility Command (AMC) and Headquarters Air Force Network Integration Center; Scott is also home to 18th Air Force, and the Tanker Airlift Control Center (TACC) which has the ability to globally track Air Force “tanker” aircraft used to refuel other jets mid-air. Scott Air Force Base is an important center for Air Force mobility operations, training, and logistics.
Important units at Scott Air Force Base include:
- 126 Air Refueling Wing (IL Air National Guard)
- 15 Operational Weather Squadron (OWS)
- 18th Air Force
- 3 Manpower Requirement Sq (MRS):
- 345 Recruiting Squadron
- 375 Aeromedical Evacuation Sq (AES)
- 375 Aerospace Medical Sq (AMDS)
- 375 Air Mobility Wing
- 375 Air Mobility Wing Chaplain (HC)
- 375 Air Mobility Wing Command and Control
- 375 Air Mobility Wing Equal Opportunity (EO)
- 375 Air Mobility Wing Inspector General (IG)
- 375 Air Mobility Wing Judge Advocate (JA)
- 375 Air Mobility Wing Plans, Programs, and Readiness (XP)
- 375 Air Mobility Wing Public Affairs (PA)
- 375 Air Mobility Wing Safety (SE)
- 375 Civil Engineer Sq (CES)
- 375 Communications Group (CG)
- 375 Communications Sq (CS)
- 375 Communications Support Squadron (CSPTS)
- 375 Comptroller Squadron (CPTS)
- 375 Contracting Sq (CONS)
- 375 Dental Sq (DS)
- 375 Force Support Squadron (FSS)
- 375 Logistics Readiness Sq (LRS)
- 375 Medical Group (MDG)
- 375 Medical Operations Sq (MDOS)
- 375 Medical Support Sq (MDSS)
- 375 Mission Support Group (MSG)
- 375 Operations Group (OG)
- 375 Operations Support Squadron (OSS)
- 375 Security Forces Sq (SFS)
- 458 Airlift Sq (AS)
- 54 Airlift Sq (AS)
- 635 Supply Chain Management Group (SCMG)
- 906 Air Refueling Sq (ARS)
- 932 Airlift Wing (USAF Reserve)
- Air Force Global Logistics Support Center (AFGLSC)
- Air Force Office of Special Investigations (AFOSI)
- Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA) CONUS
- Defense Information Technology Contracting Office (DITCO)
- HQ Air Force Network Integration Center
- HQ Air Mobility Command
- Military Surface Deployment and Distribution Command (SDDC)
- Tanker Airlift Control Center
- U.S. Air Force Band of Mid-America
- US Transportation Command
Scott Air Force Base, Illinois History
Unlike some Air Force bases, Scott has its’ roots in World War One. At the time, the United States Secretary of War was lobbying for increased consideration of air power as an important part of U.S. strategy.
Newton Baker, who held the position at the time, was not the only one keen on establishing military airfields-according to some sources business and political leaders were also interested. By the time Scott Field was under construction (named after the first U.S. enlisted person to die in an aviation accident, Corporal Frank Scott) the government had allocated approximately $10 million, and more than 2000 workers with a demand that the base be completed in two months.
The base was finished in August 1917 and on September 11, 1917, the first flight training instruction began at the base.
Scott would be known at this time for both heavier-than-air flight as well as lighter-than-air flight. But the days of lighter-than-air operations were numbered; by 1937 it was ended altogether in favor of the base becoming the new location for General Headquarters Air Force.
At this time, military air power was still under the jurisdiction of the Army; in 1947, Scott Field’s destiny would change thanks to the creation of the United States Air Force as a separate branch of military service. It was redesignated as Scott Air Force Base in 1948.
In the coming years, Scott Air Force Base would become an important part of the military’s aeromedical evacuation mission; by the end of the 1950s there would be more than 200 patients a day flown into Scott from the Korean War. Over the years Scott also became responsible for what was known as “Operational Support Airlift” in the 1970s.
Some twenty years later, the base became a crucial part of the then-brand-new Air Mobility Command, including the activation of the Tanker Airlift Control Center, which radically changed the way airlift, passenger operations, and other AMC missions were handled.
More changes would come in the form of the creation of Expeditionary Mobility Task Forces in 2003, and the activation of 18th Air Force. Mobility operations at Scott under this reorganization promised more efficient support of contingency and humanitarian missions world wide. This mission continues today including reserve missions launched from Scott to assist in disasters such as Hurricane Katrina and elsewhere.
Scott Air Force Base Contacts
Scott Air Force Base Main Address And Phone Numbers
Scott Air Force Base
404 W. Martin Street
Scott AFB, IL 62225-5359
- 618-256-8668
- (DSN) 312-576-8668
Important Scott Air Force Base Contact Numbers
- Barracks/Single Service Member Housing – 618-256-8059 / (DSN) 312-576-8059/
- Scott AFB Child Development Center – 618-256-2669 / (DSN) 312-576-2669
- Child and Youth Registration and Referral – 618-256-8047
- Dental Clinics – 618-256-6667 / (DSN) 312-576-6667
- Family Advocacy Officer – 618-256-WELL / 618-256-7500 / (DSN) 576-7203/7204
- Family Center – 618-256-8668 / 618-256-4369
- Family Child Care (FCC) – 618-256-8047
- Finance Office – 618-256-7798 / (DSN) 312-576-7798
- 375th Medical Group – 618-256-WELL (9355) / (DSN) 312–576-9355
- Household Goods/Transportation Office (inbound) – 618-256-1201 / (DSN) 312-576-1201
- Household Goods/Transportation Office (outbound) – 618-256-1201 / (DSN) 312-576-1201
- Housing Referral Office/Housing Privatization – 618-746-4911
- ID/CAC Card Processing – 618-256-4112 / (DSN) 312-576-4112
- Legal Services/JAG – 618-256-2358 / 618-256-3542 / (DSN) 312-576-2358
- New Parent Programs – 618-256-7203/7204 / (DSN) 312-576-7203/7204
- Military Personnel Flight – 618-256-4112 / (DSN) 312-576-4112
- Relocation Assistance Program 618-256-8668/1466 / (DSN) 312-576-8668/1466
- Retirement Services – 618-256-5092
- School Age Care – 618-256-5139
- School Liaison Office – 618-256-9595 / 618-256-8668 / (DSN) 312-576-9595
- Airman & Family Readiness Center – 618-256-8668 / 618-256-8670
- Temporary Lodging/Billeting – 618-256-1844 / (DSN) 312-576-1844
- Victim Advocate Services – 618-975-7203 / (DSN) 312-576-7203
- Visitor’s Center – 618-256-2008
Scott Air Force Base Surrounding Area
Scott AFB is within convenient driving distance of St. Louis, Missouri which features arts, culture, and two major league sports teams-baseball fans will want to visit Busch Stadium and see the St. Louis Cardinals, while hockey fans have the St. Louis Blues to cheer for or against. St. Louis features the famous Arch, Riverwalk, and there are plenty of riverboat casino attractions unique to the area.
Every year there are St. Louis-unique special events including the Blues Festival, the Greek Festival, and a food-centric event known as Taste of St. Louis.
St. Louis has devoted a great deal of resources in the last few decades to development, improvement, and tourism; there is mass transit to Scott Air Force Base via MetroLink rail from St. Louis and it’s easier than ever to get from Scott to the area. Scott Air Force Base is also within reasonable driving distance to plenty of Civil War-era history including the Lincoln Presidential Library in Springfield Illinois.
Scott Air Force Base Inprocessing and Check-In
There is a 24-hour check-in point at Scott Air Force Base; new arrivals are directed to the Air Force Lodging Office/ Scott Inn that has a courtesy phone you can use to contact your sponsor. New arrivals must check in with their gaining unit for inprocessing instructions, which may vary depending on the gaining unit’s policies and procedures.
You will be scheduled for Scott Air Force Base inprocessing at the Military Personnel Section, plus Accounting and Finance. Group welcome briefings are held every Monday, Wednesday, Friday at 10 a.m in Bldg. P-10. Be sure to hand-carry all records, orders, amendments and other information for these briefings. There is a mandatory base-orientation and an optional bus tour of Scott AFB available.
Scott Air Force Base Services
Health Care
Emergency services are not available at Scott AFB; emergency care is available from two nearby civilian facilities- St Elizabeth’s Hospital and Memorial Hospital East. On base, the Scott community is served by the 375th Medical Group. Services include:
- Allergy and Immunizations
- Bioenvironmental Engineering
- Dental
- Dermatology
- Exceptional Family Member Program (EFMP)
- Family Health
- Flight Medicine
- Immunizations
- Internal Medicine
- Laboratory
- Mental Health
- Minor Procedures Unit
- Office of Healthcare Integration
- Optometry Clinic
- Outpatient Records / Release of Information
- Pediatric Clinic
- Pharmacy Information
- Physical Therapy and Chiropractic Clinic
- Public Health
- Diagnostic Imaging (X-Ray)
- Referral Management
- Resource Management Office
- Patient Administration
- Women’s Health
The Scott AFB official site reminds new arrivals that care that your primary care manager does not provide (including urgent care, routine care, preventative medicine, mental health, and specialty care) all patients need to obtain a referral from a primary care manager.
Make an appointment or get more information with the following phone numbers:
- Medical Group Patient Advocate – 618-256-7374
- 618-256-WELL (9355)
- 1-866-MTF-APPT (683-2778)
Child Care
Child care at Scott AFB is provided by two Scott Child Development Centers (CDC). These centers are monitored, accredited, and offer care for children six weeks to kindergarten age. Hourly, full time and specialty care is available; hourly care may be booked up to four weeks in advance, and there is a waiting list for full-time weekly care. The waiting list average is approximately eight weeks.
Join the waiting list for full time care at a Scott AFB CDC by submitting a Request For Care Form once your PCS orders are available. These forms are available from any Child Development Center at any Air Force base; complete the form and send it as soon as possible.
Child care is also available on base at Scott AFB via Family Child Care homes, which are private homes at Scott that offer day care services with the approval of base authority. Availability, hours, and services may vary depending on the provider, mission requirements, and other factors.
Call 618-256-2375 or 618-256-2669 for more information about signing up for waiting lists, availability, and other requirements.
Household Goods
All new arrivals are directed to use the Defense Personal Property System at Move.mil to track and manage inbound household goods shipments. When you are ready to schedule delivery of your goods or have them put into storage, you may also contact the Inbound TMO office to learn more or to get assistance with the delivery requirements.
Call them at 618-256-1201 or (DSN) 312-576-1201 for more details. The Scott AFB official site directs all new arrivals to contact the Inbound TMO office on arrival.
Dependent and Retiree ID Card Renewal, Replacement, And New Issue
Those who need new, replacement, or renewed ID cards or related issues should contact the 375th Force Support Squadron Defense Enrollment Eligibility Reporting System and Identification Card Office to schedule an appointment. In most cases, for family members the military member must be present or a power of attorney must authorize another person to obtain ID on the servicemember’s behalf.
Two forms of valid ID are required for all appointments plus other documentation such as Social Security Cards, birth certificates (where required) and other paperwork. On-base, call 256-8897 to get more information or schedule an appointment.
Scott Air Force Base Schools
Dependent children who live on Scott AFB attend schools in the Mascoutah Community Unit School District #19. Schools available include:
- Scott Elementary School
- Mascoutah Elementary School
- Mascoutah Junior High School
- Mascoutah High School
Learn more about local area schools, programs, and registration on base by calling the Airman and Family Readiness Center; (618) 256-8668.
Those who reside off base will send their children to the appropriate school district based on the location of the home.
The Scott AFB official site advises military families coming to Scott AFB that while living in temporary quarters, parents who “have proof that you will live in a particular school district within 60 days”, a transferring military child may attend school, “in that school district without having to pay out-of-district tuition”.
Contact the Scott School Liaison Officer at 256-9595 for help with on or off-base school issues. Enrollment requirements include:
- Certified Birth Certificate
- Proof of Residency
- Current immunization record
- A physical exam performed in-state.
- If the student is coming from another Illinois school, a Student Transfer Form is required form the last school attended.
Scott Air Force Base Housing
Family Housing at Scott AFB is privatized and operated by Hunt Building Corporation. A waiting list may apply, and all inbound members with PCS orders are directed to contact the Scott AFB Housing Management Office as soon as orders are available to learn more about waiting list times, and other requirements.
Off-base housing is also an option, but PCSing military members are directed to contact the housing office before entering into any legally binding agreement for housing in the local community. Contact the Housing Office at (618) 744-9880 or (618) 744-9882 for more assistance or to sign up for the waiting list.
Unaccompanied Airmen E-4 and below with less than 3 years of service are housed on-base in Unaccompanied Housing. All incoming personnel are required to make contact with their sponsor for the gaining unit to arrange for Unaccompanied Housing.
Scott Air Force Base PCS and TDY Lodging
The Scott Inn provides temporary housing for PCS and TDY personnel; the Scott AFB official site says this includes “85 fully furnished 3 bedroom homes designed to accommodate a family of up to five members (or six if one of the children is of crib age). Each unit contains the items needed to set up a temporary home”.
Those with PCS orders, TDY orders, or who have TDY-for-house-hunting orders are directed to contact the Scott AFB Lodging Office as far out as three months in advance of the date of arrival.
Reservations are generally first-come, first-served, but reservation requests accepted by the lodging office “cannot be confirmed until a space is available”. Those traveling on orders must contact the Lodging Office seven days before arriving to check the availability of temporary lodging. Call 618-256-2045 to reserve or get more information.
Scott Air Force Base Transportation
Most inbound arrivals to Scott AFB will land at Lambert-St. Louis International Airport. Those without other transportation have the option to take a MetroLink train from the airport to Scott AFB, which features two airport stops near the airport baggage claims area at Lambert. The ride on MetroLink from the airport to Scott is approximately 80 minutes. Entry on base requires military ID checks for all.
Scott Air Force Base Vehicle Registration And Driver’s License
All vehicles must be in compliance with Illinois state law including minimum insurance requirements, seat belts, license requirements, etc. Scott AFB requires all entering the base to have either a DoD approved ID or obtain Air Force Form 75, which is a visitor/vehicle pass authorizing the driver to enter and operate a motor vehicle on-base. Drivers must observe all posted speed limits, and all vehicles entering, leaving, or operating on the base are subject to search and 100% ID checks.