Alpena Combat Readiness Training Center

Alpena Combat Readiness Training Center at a glance

Alpena Combat Readiness Training Center is a Michigan Air National Guard training location that serves military organizations, coalition partners and emergency responders. Its mission includes facilities, instruction and support for the requirements of both combatant commanders and civil authorities. This makes the center a resource for visiting training organizations with different missions, rather than the home of a single operational flying wing.

The airfield also serves Alpena County Regional Airport, linking military training with a civilian aviation setting. The center's public history traces the airport's dedication as Phelps Collins Field to 1931 and military training use to the late 1930s. A runway modernization completed in 2024 supported the shared airport environment and the center's continuing all-season training role.

Also searched as: Alpena CRTC, Phelps Collins Field.

Sources: Alpena CRTC mission; Alpena CRTC history; Alpena runway reopening, November 2024

Mission and major activities

• Alpena CRTC provides training facilities, instruction and mission support.
• Serves DoD, Homeland Security, coalition and emergency-response organizations.
• Supports readiness requirements of military commanders and civil authorities.

Sources: Alpena CRTC mission

History and identity

The airport was dedicated as Captain Phelps Collins Field on August 31, 1931. Military organizations began using it for training in the late 1930s.

Sources: Alpena CRTC history

Location and community

The center is in Alpena, Michigan, and its airfield is shared with Alpena County Regional Airport.

Sources: Alpena runway reopening, November 2024

Alpena’s mission centers on supporting training visitors

Alpena CRTC’s official mission describes support, facilities, instruction and airspace for Defense Department, Homeland Security, coalition and emergency-response organizations. That is broader than a single resident flying wing and helps explain the variety of organizations appearing in Alpena training stories. For a course or exercise participant, the training organizer is the practical starting point for the visit’s approved arrangements. A temporary training stay and a full-time installation assignment create different needs. Confirm which organization owns the reporting instructions before arranging household travel or assuming that services normally found at a larger permanent-duty base are available here.

Official sources: Alpena CRTC: mission and installation resources

Dormitory accommodation and group dining need coordination

The published facilities sheet describes several dormitory configurations, including single-person, shared and open-bay arrangements, along with a visiting-unit front desk. Its dining description concerns support for training groups and flexible food-service arrangements. This context is useful when interpreting a course’s accommodation plan: training lodging should not automatically be read as a private hotel room or family temporary lodging. Confirm the actual room arrangement, meals and any individual requirements with the organizer. The fact sheet’s capacity figures describe facilities rather than live vacancies, so this guide does not use them to promise that a bed or meal service will be available.

Official sources: Alpena CRTC: facilities and services

Plan for a limited exchange and no commissary

Alpena’s official FAQ states that the installation has no commissary and describes its Base Exchange as offering a limited selection of everyday goods and uniform items. A visitor expecting the retail and grocery range of a major active-duty installation should plan accordingly. Ask the training organizer what is supplied during the stay and which personal items are needed. Treat any off-base errand as a separate transportation question rather than assuming the training schedule provides time or a vehicle. The FAQ is a useful orientation resource; it does not establish current stock, store access for every visitor or a particular opening schedule.

Official sources: Alpena CRTC: official frequently asked questions

Training, troop quarters and campground requests are separate

The Train at Alpena resource presents separate scheduling, lodging and campground options and lists distinct request forms for training facilities, troop quarters and the campground. This makes the visit’s purpose important: a recreation request is not the same process as a unit’s training accommodation. Use the form and office matching the actual activity, and have the organizer confirm all approved arrangements. The page also emphasizes the visiting unit’s own safety responsibilities. As an editorial planning step, retain the organizer’s reporting and contact information with the reservation confirmation rather than treating a form submission alone as proof that every part of the visit is approved.

Official sources: Alpena CRTC: training and coordination forms

Published addresses and access

Use the destination label below to distinguish visitor access, a service office and postal mail. A published address does not authorize entry. Confirm current access, sponsorship, appointments and reporting instructions with the official office before travelling.

Before you arrive

Use these questions with your sponsor or gaining organization. They are a starting point for planning, including assignments, courses and training periods that differ from a routine permanent change of station.

1. Confirm the organization, duration and reporting instructions shown on your orders. Ask which office handles your arrival.
2. Clarify lodging and housing arrangements before booking. Ask about availability, required approvals and how to handle a late arrival.
3. Before choosing a home, compare the commute, lease terms, school needs and your household budget. Ask the housing office about the options that apply to your situation.
4. Coordinate household goods and personal travel with the appropriate transportation office. Keep orders, receipts and important family records together.
5. Make a short list of contacts for medical care, schools, childcare and family support, where applicable to your assignment.

Official PCS planning resources   Housing allowance information

Sources: Alpena CRTC mission; Alpena runway reopening, November 2024

Resources for service members and families

Start with the official resources for Alpena Combat Readiness Training Center and ask which services your household can use. For a training site, rotational location or Reserve component assignment, confirm arrangements with your unit rather than assuming the services of a large residential installation are available.

From this mission to your next career

The mission at Alpena Combat Readiness Training Center suggests the following areas to consider when describing your experience. These are LockLeed career suggestions based on the public mission, not a list of vacancies or qualifications held by everyone assigned here.

Write down the equipment, systems, processes and teams you personally supported. Add a specific result you can discuss publicly, then match that evidence to the civilian role you want. Keep operational details and sensitive information out of your application.

Official transition resources   Explore SkillBridge programs

Official contacts and installation services

Use the named official resource for this installation or its support community. A directory link does not establish service eligibility, availability or a reporting location. Confirm arrangements with the office or your gaining organization.

Frequently asked questions

Sources and editorial notes

Installation facts above are drawn from the official sources below. Career suggestions and planning questions are LockLeed editorial guidance. Use official offices for current policies, eligibility and arrangements.

1. Alpena CRTC missionSupports: overview, mission, planning note
2. Alpena CRTC historySupports: overview, history
3. Alpena runway reopening, November 2024Supports: overview, local context, planning note
4. Alpena CRTC: facilities and servicesSupports: expanded guide and official services
5. Alpena CRTC: official frequently asked questionsSupports: expanded guide and official services
6. Alpena CRTC: training and coordination formsSupports: expanded guide and official services

Reviewed 2026-09-30. This independent guide is not affiliated with or endorsed by the U.S. Department of Defense. Map points are approximate and are not routing or reporting instructions.