HomeGowen Field Mission:
The Mission of Gowen Field is to: Underpin Readiness of the Force by serving as a training center and a support site for power projection missions, and becoming the premier training center and force projection site of choice for America's Defense Forces.
Frequently Asked Questions
How can I register a complaint about noise
created by training at Gowen Field?
Where can I find information about the programs at Gowen Field for Family
Support and youth programs?
Can Scouts stay in the barracks at Gowen Field?
Can an individual, organization, school, club, etc., use real estate or
facilities on Gowen Field?
Can individuals or organizations borrow equipment from Gowen Field?
Where can I get my identification card (ID) renewed?
What services can Gowen Field provide to retirees?
Can the general public enter Gowen Field and what things are open to them?
Can the public search for relics on Gowen Field?
How can a student obtain facts or other information about Gowen Field?
Where can I find information about military equipment?
How can I get a tank for permanent static display for our American Legion?
How can I get information about buying surplus Department of Defense property?
How can I get surplus property donated to my organization?
Can anyone buy a tank? A machine gun? A gas mask?
Can I buy a Jeep?
How may a member of the general public obtain government publications?
Who do I contact to make arrangements for a military burial?
How may I obtain a copy of my military personnel record or information about
awards and metals I think I have received?
How may I obtain a copy of my military medical record?
How may I obtain historical information about the Army?
How may I obtain historical operational information about a particular Army unit?
Where can I find information about U.S. Army patches and insignia?
Where can I purchase patches/insignia?
How can I locate a former soldier?
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Q. How can I register a complaint about noise created by training at Gowen Field?
A. Persons with complaints regarding training-related noise should call (208) 422-5755.
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Q. Where can I find out about the programs on Gowen Field for Family support
and youth programs?
A. The program is the Idaho Army and Air National Guard Family support program
at Gowen Field. The Idaho Youth programs are also available. For more
information about the programs call 208-272-4361.
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Q. Can Scouts stay in the barracks at Gowen Field?
A. Scouts can camp at Gowen Field Training Area. For information about how
to get permission call 208-422-5268.
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Q. Can an individual, organization, school, club, etc.,use real estate or
facilities on Gowen Field?
A. Requests are considered on a case-by-case basis. Submit written requests
to the Public Affairs Office, ATTN: PAO , 4040 west Guard Street, BLDG 600, Boise, ID 83705-5004 or call 208-422-5268 for information
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Q. Can individuals or organizations borrow equipment from Gowen Field?
A. Equipment can be loaned to non-profit organizations on a case-by-case basis.
Generally, government equipment may not be loaned if it is readily available
from a commercial source. Contact the Public Affairs 208-422-5268
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Q. Where can I get my identification card (ID) renewed?
A. The Gowen Field J1 Personnel Services Branch can issue ID cards for members of all
branches of the service: active, reserve, guard, retirees and dependents. ID cards are
issued in Building 440 they are open Tues-Thurs 8am-4pm and Fridays from 8am-3pm
(closed Mondays) Please call (208)272-3795.
Additionally, this link http://www.dmdc.osd.mil/rsl/ will take you to the Site Locator for ID Card facilities worldwide.
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Q. What services can Gowen Field provide to retirees?
A. The Morale, Welfare, and Recreation Programs, as well as the Post Exchange provide a variety of activities and
services that are available to military retirees. Please visit the Idaho National Guard Retiree page for more information and to sign up for our retiree mailing list.
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Q. Can the public enter Gowen Field and what things are open to them?
A. Access to the installation is regulated. Several recreational opportunities
are available to retirees. Training areas are off-limits most of the time.
For more information contact the Public Affairs Office by calling (208)422-5268
, by writing to the Public Affairs Office, ATTN: PAO , 4040 west Guard Street,
BLDG 600, Boise, ID83705-5004
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Q. Can the public search for relics on Gowen Field?
A. Army Regulation 420-47 prohibits scavenging on an installation/post.
Any abandoned property found on the installation belongs to the United States
(40 USC 310), and may not be taken by private persons. Additionally,
Federal law prohibits the removal of archaeological resources on public lands.
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Q. How can a student obtain facts or other information about Gowen Field?
A. The Idaho Military History Museum web site contains historical
and current information about the installation as well as a series of fact sheets. If
additional information is needed, contact the Public Affairs Office by
calling (208)-422-5268 or by writing to the Public Affairs Office, ATTN: PAO
, 4040 west Guard Street, BLDG 600, Boise, ID 83705-5004
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Q. Where can I find information about military equipment?
A. Military equipment fact sheets can be found at the Department of Defense web site.
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Q. How can I get a tank for permanent static display for our American Legion?
A. Certain organizations can get excess combat vehicles for static display.
The U.S. Army Tank Automotive Command coordinates this program. For further
information call 1-800-325-2920 extension 7360.
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Q. How can I get information about buying surplus Department of Defense property?
A. The Defense Reutilization and Marketing Service is the agency responsible for the disposition of surplus property.
To learn about the surplus equipment being sold throughout the Defense Reutilization
and Marketing Service (DRMS), visit the Government Liquidation, LLC Web site at www.governmentliquidation.com , or call (480)367-1300, fax to (480) 367-1450. Inquiries can be mailed to:
Government Liquidation, LLC; 6263 Scottsdale Road, Suite 371; Scottsdale, AZ 85250.
For more information about the DRMS, visit their Web site at wex.drms.dla.mil.
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Q. How can I get surplus property donated to my organization?
A. If a use cannot be found for property within the Department of Defense
or non-Department of Defense federal activities, items are donated to state
or local governments through the General Service Administration's (GSA’s)
State Surplus Property Program. Through GSA, donations are made to eligible
non-profit organizations.
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Q. Can anyone buy a tank? A machine gun? A gas mask?
A. No. Offensive and defensive military equipment is sold only as scrap,
rendered useless for its intended purpose. This process is called demilitarization.
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Q. Can I buy a Jeep?
A. The Department of Defense does not sell the M-151 series of vehicles commonly
referred to as jeeps. The Department of Transportation has ruled that jeeps are
built for off-the-road use, and could be unsafe at high speeds. Jeeps, therefore,
are rendered inoperable prior to sale (i.e. cutting or crushing the unitized body
and suspension system) for reasons of public safety
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Q. How may a member of the general public obtain government publications?
A. The office of the Superintendent of Documents carries a free catalog of all
its documents and their cost. To request a catalog or document, call toll free
(866) 512-1800 or write to: Superintendent of Documents, P.O. Box 371954,
Pittsburgh, PA 15250-7954. The National Technical Information Service (NTIS)
also carries government publications. To contact NTIS, you may call (703) 487-6000
or write to: 5285 Port Royal Road, Springfield, VA 22161. The NTIS Web site
is located here http://www.ntis.gov/
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Q. Who do I contact to make arrangements for a military burial?
A. The Idaho J1 Personnel Division can provide information regarding military
burials. Call (208) 272-3792.
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Q. How may I obtain a copy of my military personnel record?
A. To request a copy of your military record, write to The National Personnel Records Center ; Military Personnel Records; 9700 Page Avenue; St. Louis, MO 63132-5100.
Or call (800) 318-5298. At minimum, please include the service member’s
complete name, social security number and/or serial number, and the requester's
return address.
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Q. How may I obtain a copy of my military medical record?
A. Medical records are maintained at one of 58 regional Veterans Affairs (VA) centers around the country or at the national Veterans Affairs
Records Management Center in St. Louis. Call (800) 827-1000 for information on
your regional VA Center. The national VA Records Management Center can be reached
by calling (314)538-4550.
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Q. How may I obtain historical information about the Army?
A. For historical information, such as a the history of an Army unit or a
retired generals military biography, please contact the Center for Military History , Franklin Square, 1099 14th St. N.W., Washington, D.C. 20005-3402.
The Center’s art and documents collections, library facilities, and
reference services are open to private researchers. Official priorities permitting,
its historians, curators, and archivists advise researchers on military history
topics and stand ready to share their expertise concerning the location of
sources. Specific inquiries should be addressed to: U.S. Army Center of Military
History, ATTN: Executive Officer, 103 Third Avenue, Fort McNair, Washington,
D.C. 20319-5058.
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Q. How may I obtain historical operational information about a particular Army unit?
A. The National Archives has historical operational information on Army Units-Army and Air Guard. For
military information for 1941 and prior, contact the National Archives One at
(202) 501-5390. For military information from 1942 and later, contact the
National Archives Two at (301)713-7250.
The U.S. Army Military History Institute maintains an extensive collection of
unit histories. Biographies for such histories can be accessed online at http://carlisle-www.army.mil/usamhi/UnitHistories.html . Once a history has been identified, you can contact your local library to
inquire about interlibrary load possibilities. You also may wish to
investigate out-of-print book dealers in your area if you wish to see
about purchasing such items.
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Q. Where can I find information about U.S. Army patches and insignia?
Where can I purchase patches/insignia?
A. Inquiries about patches/insignia can be made to the U.S. Army Institute of
Heraldry, Bldg. 1466, 9325 Gunston Road, Room S-112, Fort Belvoir 22060-5579;
telephone: 703-806-4970. Inquiries should include as much information as
possible about the unit and parent Units-Army and Air Guard. Click here to access The Institute of Heraldry on line.
There also are several commercial businesses that advertise the sale of
patches/insignia in a variety of magazines and newspapers.
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Q. How can I locate a former soldier?
A. The Privacy Act of 1974 prohibits releasing the last known address of former
Army personnel without their written consent. However, the agency identified below
will assist your search by forwarding your letter to the service member’s
last known address.
To pursue locating a former soldier:
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Write a letter to the soldier. Place this letter in a sealed and stamped envelope, including your full name and return address.
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Write a letter addressed to the National Personnel Records Center requesting their assistance with your search. Be sure to include the service member’s name, serial number and/or social security number, and date of birth if available.
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Place your envelope addressed to the service member AND the letter to the National Personnel Records Center in ONE envelope. Address this envelope to: National Personnel Records Center , 9700 Page Boulevard, St. Louis, Missouri 63132-5200. Please note current addresses for discharged service members are not maintained at the records center -- this center only has the service member’s last officially recorded address. Letters to service members the record center cannot identify or who are known to be deceased will be returned to you.
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The Department of Veterans Affairs maintains a list of Veterans' Service Organizations at http://www.va.gov/vso/
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The Department of Veterans Affairs information on finding a servicemate http://www.va.gov/customer/reunion.asp
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The American Legion provides a service to locate veterans. For more information, contact Finders/Seekers at 1-800-449-VETS, or write to VETS, PO Box 411007, St. Louis, MO 63141.
Some links below may be useful for locating veterans. -
You may also wish to advertise in service magazines or publications of veterans' organizations.
A list of links to military services and veterans organizations:
http://www.archives.gov/facilities/mo/st_louis/military_personnel_records/other_helpful_sites.html -
The National D-Day Museum-How to locate someone who fought in WWII:
http://www.ddaymuseum.org/contact_us/dday_contact_howtolocate.html?bhcp=1 -
Lost and Found Vietnam Veterans Location Service http://grunt.space.swri.edu/lostfnd.htm
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Air Force Times, 6883 Commercial Drive, Springfield VA 22159 http://www.airforcetimes.com/
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The Retired Officer, Reader's Exchange, TROA, 201 N Washington Street
Alexandria VA 22314-2539 http://www.troa.org/Magazine/ -
Sergeant's Magazine, 5211 Auth Road, Suitland, MD 20746
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Army Times, 475 School Street SW, Washington, DC 20024 http://www.armytimes.com/
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American Legion Magazine, 700 North Pennsylvania St, PO Box 1055, Indianapolis, IN 46206 http://www.legion.org/index.php
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VFW Magazine, VFW Building, 34th and Broadway, Kansas City, MO 64111 http://www.vfw.org/insidethevfw/ins_VfwMagazine.htm
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The following are examples of how-to books and articles about finding living persons:
- Gormley, Myra Vanderpool. "20th Century Military Records." Heritage Quest, 10 (May-June 1987) 3-7.
- Hinckley, Kathleen W. "Locating the living: Twentieth Century Research Methodology." National Genealogical Society Quarterly, 77 (September 1989): 186-196.
- Johnson, Richard S. How to Locate Anyone Who Is or Has Been in the Military, Fourth Edition. Fort Sam Houston, TX: Military Information Enterprises, 1991.
- Martin, Amy Suzanne. "Playing Detective: How Government Records and the Freedom of Information Act Can Help You Locate a Missing Person." Heritage Quest 7 (July-August 1991): 7-8.
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Gowen Field Organizational Beliefs:
Be Customer Driven.
Focus on Results and Accountability.
Demonstrate Quality in what we do.
Strive for continuous improvement.
