Tinker Airforce Base FAQs

Since the early 1940s, Tinker Air Force Base—named for Maj. Gen. Clarence L. Tinker, a one-eighth Osage from Pawhuska killed in the Pacific while leading a bombing strike against the Japanese—has been a vital part of Oklahoma’s history and economy. The base spans more than 5,000 acres and is home to one of the largest and most important aircraft maintenance depots in the country. It has played a pivotal role in supporting nearly all the major conflicts in the modern era while consistently remaining one of Oklahoma’s largest single-site employers.

Tinker AFB has become synonymous with Oklahoma City—and vice versa—and for good reason. The base is considered part of the central Oklahoman community and offers military personnel and their families a chance to experience the best the state has to offer.

Tinker AFB sits just southeast of Oklahoma City proper between Interstates 40 and 240. Surrounding cities include Del City, Midwest City, Moore, Edmond, and Choctaw. Tinker AFB is also an easy commute from other OKC suburbs and bedroom communities like Norman, Spencer, Newcastle, Blanchard, and Mustang.

Tinker AFB is less than 10 miles southeast of downtown Oklahoma City, but the main part of the base is located within the city limits, making the outskirts of the city even closer.

The Tinker Air Show is an annual event held on the first weekend of July and features aerial performances by the U.S. Navy Blue Angels, the Blue Angels’ Fat Albert C-130J support aircraft, the Air Force’s F-35A Demo Team, C-17 Globemaster III, E-3 Sentry AWACS, KC-135 Stratotanker, Wings of Blue skydiving team, Tora Tora Tora World War II reenactment, Red Tail P-51, Kent Pietsch’s Jelly Belly Interstate Cadet, F-35A & F-5 heritage flight, KC-135 Low-Level Refueling Demonstration, Matt Younkin’s Twin Beech 18, Adam Baker’s Extra 330, and Greg Colyer’s T-33A Shooting Star.

There are also static ground displays of aircraft like the F-35A Lightning II, F-22A Raptor, U.S. Navy E-6B Mercury, B-1B Lancer, B-2 Spirit, B-52H Stratofortress, KC-46A Pegasus, KC-135 Stratotanker, MC-12W Liberty, T-38 Talon and the XQ-58A Valkyrie unmanned aerial vehicle.

The free event is open to the public and draws thousands of visitors every year, offering a unique opportunity for people from around the community and across the state to learn more about the installation as well as the robotic, drone, and air power technology used on the base.

Oklahoma’s low cost of living makes it among the most affordable places to live in the country. With lower housing and transportation costs than the national average and a diverse job market, Oklahoma offers plenty of opportunities for a high quality of life at a lower price.

While BAH at Tinker AFB varies according to rank and number of dependents, it is often more than enough to find suitable housing in the area, thanks to low home prices and rental rates as well as a surplus of options.

You can calculate your estimated BAH with this calculator.

Tinker AFB is the host site for the Air Force Sustainment Center, which provides warfighting capabilities through depot maintenance for several air logistics complexes, supply chain management for Scott and Langley Air Force Bases, and installation support to more than 141 units and 75,000+ personnel.

Tinker AFB is also home to the Oklahoma City Air Logistics Complex, which employs more than 9,400 military and civilian personnel supporting maintenance, repair, and overhaul for Air Force, Air Force Reserve, Air National Guard, Navy, and foreign military aircraft.

Will Rogers World Airport in Oklahoma City is the closest civilian airport to Tinker AFB, located about 20 miles west of the installation and easily accessible via Interstate routes.

Tinker AFB is just 15 minutes from downtown Oklahoma City and about 2 hours from Tulsa. Other popular places include:

• Fort Cobb State Park, 1.5 hours
• Roman Nose State Park in Watonga, 1.5 hours
• Broken Bow, 3.5 hours
• Tahlequah, 2.5 hours
• Stillwater, 1 hour
• Thackerville and Winstar Casino, 2 hours
• Durant and Choctaw Casino, 2.5 hours
• Vinita and Grand Lake O’ the Cherokees, 3 hours

If you’d like to venture further, Dallas/Ft. Worth is an easy 3-hour drive straight south on I-35 and Wichita is less than 2.5 hours north. Ft. Smith, Arkansas, is 2.5 hours east and Branson is less than a day’s drive.

Oklahoma experiences all four seasons. While there can be dramatic weather shifts during seasonal transitions, temperatures are generally mild. There is the occasional snow or ice storm, but accumulation is usually low and the duration of the storm is short-lived, with temperatures quickly rebounding. Tornados are not uncommon, but tend to be sporadic in location and frequency, so while they do happen, they are not widespread. Summers are hot and dry, but temperature and rainfall vary in different parts of the state.

Arriving at Tinker AFB in the summer? Check out 12 ways to spend your days.

Tinker AFB offers privatized military family housing managed by Balfour Beatty Communities. You must apply for on-base housing through the Housing Referral Office as soon as you receive notification you will be relocating here. Tinker’s privatized housing is comparable to other local housing options and offers a variety of amenities and support services.

The Housing Referral Office also offers personalized support services to help DoD personnel find suitable housing within the local community. In addition to providing guidance on lease agreements and military release clauses, the HRO partners with trusted local property managers, realtors, and landlords to help monitor available housing units.

You can find more information on base housing, as well as tips for living off-base, here.

• Inspecting housing for suitability based on environmental conditions
• Advising owners and agents of what must be done to correct any deficiencies for their property to meet acceptable standards
• Recommending approval of advertising in base publications
• Negotiating complaints between landlords and military tenants
• Advising on and administering the Oklahoma Residential Landlord and Tenant Act
• Ensuring military members are not discriminated against
• Maintaining a harmonious relationship between the local community and all DoD personnel stationed at Tinker AFB

The purpose of a military clause is to help tenants and landlords negotiate and understand lease terms that can be affected by military duty and residence changes and provide a way for servicemembers to break leases legally and without financial hardship in the event of a deployment or relocation. However, after the passage of the federal Servicemembers Civil Relief Act (SCRA) in 2003, military clauses are less common and less often necessary.

The Mid-Del school district serves Tinker specifically, with on-base residents attending Tinker Elementary, Jarman Middle School, and Midwest City High School. The district serves more than 14,000 students and boasts a 98.8 percent graduation rate as well as some of the highest-ranked schools in the state. All elementary schools in the district offer a pre-k program and full-day kindergarten, and all students receive world language education from elementary school through high school.

Mid-Del Public Schools—along with Oklahoma Virtual Charter Academy—is also a 2022 Purple Star Honoree, a designation awarded to schools that support military-connected children.

Oklahoma offers a wide range of benefits and incentives to service members, veterans, and their families, from military
discounts at museums and attractions to income tax exemptions on military and retired pay, free or reduced prices for
hunting and fishing privileges, and discounts on vehicle and boat registration.
Other ways Oklahoma seeks to help servicemembers and their family include:

• Income tax exemptions for nonresident spouses of nonresident service members if:
  • The service member is stationed in Oklahoma due to military orders
  • The spouse is in Oklahoma to be with the service member
  • The spouse has the same state of residency as the service member
• Professional licensure benefits for service members and their spouses, such as:
  • Automatic extension of professional license or certification, which ensures the professional licenses of deployed service members remain valid until the end of their deployment and do not incur renewal fees or dues for renewal.
  • Opportunities to use military education, training, and experience for professional licensing and certification requirements
  • Military spouse applicant equivalency, which is the ability for spouses of active duty service members assigned to Tinker AFB who hold valid professional or certification from another state to receive expedited processing for an Oklahoma professional license or certification. Spouses may also be granted a temporary license or certification while they continue to work towards Oklahoma licensing requirements.
• The Oklahoma Interstate Compact on Educational Opportunity for Military Children (MIC3), which is intended to remove barriers to educational success faced by children of military families. MIC3 helps facilitate prompt enrollment, accurate placement, on-time graduation, flexibility and cooperation among the educational system and parents, and students.

Military life can make it hard to complete or further your education. From a GED or technical degree to an associate’s, bachelor’s, master’s or more, 2 years or 4, you can find in-person and online programs that fit your needs and your lifestyle from the 20+ colleges, universities, and technical institutions in the Oklahoma City area. And, depending on the university, you, your spouse, and/or dependents may be eligible for in-state status and tuition if you meet certain criteria.

The great thing about living near Tinker Air Force Base and the Oklahoma City area is that no matter where you are, you aren’t far from fun. Take just a short drive in any direction to find a lake, a golf course, a museum, a park, or an attraction, not to mention world-class shopping, family-friendly sporting and entertainment events, and eclectic dining. Check out our area guide here.

Liberty Creek Village is refined, military-friendly living at its finest, with luxury apartment options for anyone needing housing. Located just minutes from Tinker AFB at I-240 and Sooner Road, Liberty Creek Village offers artfully designed 1-, 2-, and 3-bedroom apartments that include washers and dryers, generous storage, routine maintenance, and garage parking, as well as units that are fully furnished and pet-approved.

The team at Liberty Creek Village is proud to serve our military renters, and we work closely with the Tinker AFB housing office to help service members and their families find the safe, high-quality housing they deserve. For more information, contact our leasing staff at 405-604-3377. You can also email us at info@libertycreekvillage.com or fill out our convenient online contact form.