Industry
Holloman Air Force Base
Holloman is the area’s largest employer and the cornerstone of its economy. The base is home to the 49th wing, which provides combat-ready Airmen and trains F-16 Viper pilots and MQ-9 Reaper pilots and sensor operators. Holloman is the location of the 46th Test Group, which tests many of the Department of Defense’s latest technologies – radars and weapons systems. The high-speed test track used by the 46th Test Group to test missiles holds the land speed record of over Mach 9.
Tourism
Tourism is a multi-million dollar industry in Otero County. The flagships of the region’s tourism destinations are the Lodge in Cloudcroft and the Inn of the Mountain Gods Resort and Casino. These two facilities employ over 1,000 hospitality workers.
In addition, Otero County is home to the newest national park, White Sands National Park, which attracts hundreds of thousands of visitors each year.
Healthcare
The healthcare industry is also a major employer here. Gerald Champion Regional Medical Center is a joint venture with Holloman Air Force Base; it’s a model of Department of Defense and community collaboration. The hospital provides state-of-the-art facilities, ranging from cardiopulmonary care to a sleep studies unit. Alamogordo is proud of this dynamic facility and the staff at GCRMC.
Film
Filmmakers have long been taking advantage of the pristine beauty of the White Sands, the desert scenery, and high-mountain streams and forests as backdrops for modeling shoots, TV, movies, and full-length feature films.