the proximity of Holloman to the German Air Force Air Defense Center at Fort Bliss, Texas, and the centralizing of German aircrew training at a single location. To facilitate this, there is a memorandum of understanding between the two governments. By offering NATO allies the benefits of available space at Holloman as well as the use of the Southwest's excellent flying weather, the U.S. can help maintain the strength of NATO's forces without the expense of forward-basing U.S. forces in great numbers overseas. On 29 September 1999, two Luftwaffe Tornados crashed near Marathon Indian Basin, about northwest of Carlsbad. The crash was investigated by Holloman AFB 49th Wing Safety and German Air Force Safety personnel. Both pilots successfully ejected, and were uninjured. In September 2004, Luftwaffe chief of staff, Klaus-Peter Stieglitz announced a reduction in its training program of roughly 20%. In March 2013, it was announced that German Air Force units at Fort Bliss will transfer to Holloman later that same year; this was to end the German Air Force presence at Fort Bliss dating back to 1956. In 2015, due to funding constraints on the planned new facilities in Europe, the German Air Force Air Defense school was to stay open at Fort Bliss until 2020. On March 13, 2019, after 27 years in southern New Mexico, the German Luftwaffe ceased flight training at Holloman AFB. Housing Afghan refugees Following the US withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021, the Biden administration housed some Afghan refugees in military bases across the country. Up to ~5,000 Afghan refugees at a time were temporarily held at Holloman while awaiting residency processing, with a total of 7,221 having residence at Aman Omid village. Based units Flying and notable non-flying units based at Holloman Air Force Base. Units marked GSU are Geographically Separate Units, which although based at Holloman, are subordinate to a parent unit based at another location. United States Air Force Air Education and Training Command (AETC) Nineteenth Air Force 49th Wing (Host Wing) Headquarters 49th Wing 49th Comptroller Squadron 49th Operations Group 6th Attack Squadron – MQ-9A Reaper 9th Attack Squadron – MQ-9A Reaper 16th Training Squadron 29th Attack Squadron – MQ-9A Reaper 49th Maintenance Group 49th Maintenance Squadron 49th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron 49th Maintenance Operations Squadron 49th Medical Group 49th Aerospace Medicine Squadron 49th Medical Operations Squadron 49th Medical Support Squadron 49th Mission Support Group 49th Civil Engineer Squadron 49th