Italy
Aviano Air Base
📍 Aviano, Italy
Home to the 31st Fighter Wing flying F-16 Fighting Falcons, Aviano is a key NATO base providing combat airpower across southern Europe and the Mediterranean.
OHA (Overseas Housing Allowance)
OHA applies — rates vary by location and rank. Visit DTMO for details.
Aviano Air Base is an OCONUS assignment. Overseas Housing Allowance replaces BAH for overseas locations.
Housing
View full housing guide →- On-base: Government housing managed by the Aviano Housing Office — mix of townhomes and apartments; wait lists vary by rank and family size, typically 2-6 months
- Off-base (Italian economy): Most families rent in surrounding towns; OHA covers rent up to cap; typical costs €700-€2,000/month for apartments and villas
- OHA: Covers rent and utilities within cap; Italian utilities are expensive — gas for heating can run €200-400/month in winter
- Top pick: Roveredo in Piano and San Quirino — quiet, family-friendly towns 10-15 min from base with English-speaking landlords
- Note: Italian rentals are often unfurnished and may lack kitchens, light fixtures, and window screens — budget for initial setup costs
Neighborhoods
View full neighborhoods guide →- Roveredo in Piano — Closest town to base, 5-10 min commute, popular with American families, has a small American community feel, schools nearby
- Aviano town — Charming historic center at the base of the mountains, 5-10 min commute, good mix of shops and restaurants, less Americanized
- Pordenone — Larger city 20-25 min south, more urban amenities, train station to Venice, lively piazzas and shopping streets, popular with singles and childless couples
- Sacile — Picturesque town 25-30 min south known as 'the garden of the Serenissima,' waterfront dining along the Livenza River, excellent gelato and markets
Schools
View full schools guide →🏫 Elementary Schools
Aviano Elementary (DoDEA)⭐ 7/10
On-base, K-5
Area 1 Elementary (DoDEA)⭐ 6/10
Support site
🏫 Middle Schools
Aviano Middle/High School (DoDEA)⭐ 7/10
On-base, grades 6-12
🏫 High Schools
Aviano Middle/High School (DoDEA)⭐ 7/10
On-base, AP courses available
Gates & Commute
- Main Gate (Area 1) — Primary entry from Aviano/Roveredo side, 5-15 min peak waits (7:00-8:30 AM), 24/7 operations
- Area F Gate — Serves the flightline and industrial area, shorter waits but more restricted hours
- Note: Italian Carabinieri occasionally set up checkpoints on approach roads; always carry license, passport, NATO orders, and SOFA card
- Tip: Traffic on SP7 and Pontebbana can be heavy during Italian commute hours (8:00-9:00 and 17:00-18:30); plan accordingly
Internet Providers
- TIM (Telecom Italia) — Largest national provider, DSL and fiber expanding in Aviano/Pordenone area, speeds up to 100 Mbps DSL, 1 Gbps fiber in select towns
- Vodafone Italia — Competitive fiber and DSL, good coverage in Pordenone and larger towns, plans up to 1 Gbps fiber where available
- Fastweb — Strong fiber presence in urban areas, competitive pricing, good customer service reputation
- Starlink — Increasingly popular for families in rural villages where wired speeds are limited; excellent for remote work and streaming
- Top pick: Vodafone fiber in Pordenone/Sacile; Starlink for rural locations with poor DSL
Shopping & Dining
- On-base: AAFES Exchange and commissary with U.S. products; shoppette and Class Six for essentials
- Pordenone — Corso Vittorio Emanuele II for Italian fashion, boutique shopping, and the Wednesday/Saturday outdoor market in Piazza XX Settembre
- Groceries: On-base commissary; off-base Conad, Coop, Esselunga, and Lidl throughout the area; the Friday market in Aviano town is excellent for fresh produce and cheese
- Dining: Ristorante La Torre in Aviano, Antica Trattoria da Bepi in Roveredo, and pizzerias everywhere — the local Friulian cuisine is a highlight of this assignment
- Outlet: Palmanova Outlet Village (45 min east) — designer Italian brands at discount prices, popular weekend trip
Gyms & Recreation
- Aviano Fitness Center — Well-equipped on-base gym with cardio, weights, group classes, and indoor basketball
- Outdoor Recreation (ODR) — Epic trips: skiing in the Dolomites, Venice boat tours, wine tasting in Prosecco country, and hiking in the Friulian Alps at subsidized rates
- Dolomiti Friulane Natural Park — Literally out the back gate: world-class hiking, via ferrata climbing routes, mountain biking, and skiing at Piancavallo (30 min drive)
- On-base: Bowling alley, movie theater, swimming pool (seasonal outdoor), sports fields, and community center
- Day trips: Venice (1 hr by train from Pordenone/Sacile), Trieste (1.5 hrs), Ljubljana Slovenia (2 hrs), Austrian Alps (2 hrs), Croatian coast (3 hrs)
- Golf: Golf Club Castel d'Aviano — 18-hole course in the foothills, open year-round
Jobs & Spouse Employment
- On-base: AAFES, commissary, MWR, CDC, DODEA schools — primary local employers for spouses; USAJobs for GS/N AF positions
- Defense contractors: Lockheed Martin, Leonardo, and L3Harris all maintain Aviano-area positions supporting the F-16 mission and NATO operations
- Italian economy: SOFA spouses can work off-base but face Italian language and work-permit hurdles; tourism and hospitality sectors are most accessible
- Remote work: Growing trend among Aviano spouses; fast internet enables U.S.-based remote jobs (CET time zone, 6 hrs ahead of EST)
- Employment Readiness: Airman & Family Readiness Center provides job search workshops tailored to OCONUS employment challenges
- Volunteer: Aviano has an active Thrift Store and Spouses' Club — great networking entry point and resume builder
Local Attractions
- Venice — 1 hour by train from Pordenone/Sacile; St. Mark's Square, Grand Canal, Rialto Bridge; an easy day trip or weekend getaway
- Dolomites — UNESCO World Heritage mountains start 30 min north; Cortina d'Ampezzo (1.5 hrs) for skiing, hiking, and stunning alpine scenery
- Lake Bled, Slovenia — 2 hours east; iconic church-on-an-island, castle on a cliff, and pristine alpine lake
- Prosecco Wine Road (Conegliano-Valdobbiadene) — 45 min west; drive through rolling vineyards, stop at family wineries for tastings
- Trieste — 1.5 hours east; Habsburg-era coffee houses, Miramare Castle on the Adriatic, and a unique Italian-Austrian-Slovenian cultural blend
- Verona (2 hrs) and Florence (3.5 hrs by train) make realistic weekend trips from Pordenone station
Area Maps
Photo Gallery
base
F-16 Fighting Falcons on the Aviano flight line with the Dolomites as backdrop
nature
The Dolomites rising behind Aviano town — skiing and hiking paradise
neighborhood
Historic town center of Aviano at the foot of the mountains
housing
On-base family housing in the Roveredo in Piano area
downtown
Pordenone's Corso Vittorio Emanuele — shopping and dining hub
restaurant
Traditional Friulian frico and polenta at a local trattoria