1.
United States
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Forty-eight of the fifty states and the federal district are contiguous and located in North America between Canada and Mexico. The state of Alaska is in the northwest corner of North America, bordered by Canada to the east, the state of Hawaii is an archipelago in the mid-Pacific Ocean. The U. S. territories are scattered about the Pacific Ocean, the geography, climate and wildlife of the country are extremely diverse. At 3.8 million square miles and with over 324 million people, the United States is the worlds third- or fourth-largest country by area, third-largest by land area. It is one of the worlds most ethnically diverse and multicultural nations, paleo-Indians migrated from Asia to the North American mainland at least 15,000 years ago. European colonization began in the 16th century, the United States emerged from 13 British colonies along the East Coast. Numerous disputes between Great Britain and the following the Seven Years War led to the American Revolution. On July 4,1776, during the course of the American Revolutionary War, the war ended in 1783 with recognition of the independence of the United States by Great Britain, representing the first successful war of independence against a European power. The current constitution was adopted in 1788, after the Articles of Confederation, the first ten amendments, collectively named the Bill of Rights, were ratified in 1791 and designed to guarantee many fundamental civil liberties. During the second half of the 19th century, the American Civil War led to the end of slavery in the country. By the end of century, the United States extended into the Pacific Ocean. The Spanish–American War and World War I confirmed the status as a global military power. The end of the Cold War and the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991 left the United States as the sole superpower. The U. S. is a member of the United Nations, World Bank, International Monetary Fund, Organization of American States. The United States is a developed country, with the worlds largest economy by nominal GDP. It ranks highly in several measures of performance, including average wage, human development, per capita GDP. While the U. S. economy is considered post-industrial, characterized by the dominance of services and knowledge economy, the United States is a prominent political and cultural force internationally, and a leader in scientific research and technological innovations. In 1507, the German cartographer Martin Waldseemüller produced a map on which he named the lands of the Western Hemisphere America after the Italian explorer and cartographer Amerigo Vespucci
2.
Nebraska
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Nebraska /nᵻˈbræskə/ is a state that lies in both the Great Plains and the Midwestern United States. Its area is just over 77,220 sq mi with almost 1.9 million people and its largest city is Omaha, which is on the Missouri River. The state is crossed by many trails and was explored by the Lewis. Nebraska was admitted as the 37th state of the United States in 1867 and it is the only state in the United States whose legislature is unicameral and officially nonpartisan. Nebraska is composed of two major regions, the Dissected Till Plains and the Great Plains. The Dissected Till Plains is a region of rolling hills. The Great Plains occupy most of western Nebraska, characterized by treeless prairie, the state has a large agriculture sector and is a major producer of beef, pork, corn, and soybeans. Two major climatic zones are represented in Nebraska, the half of the state has a humid continental climate, and the western half. Indigenous peoples lived in the region of present-day Nebraska for thousands of years before European exploration. The historic tribes in the state included the Omaha, Missouria, Ponca, Pawnee, Otoe, when European exploration, trade, and settlement began, both Spain and France sought to control the region. In the 1690s, Spain established trade connections with the Apaches, by 1703, France had developed a regular trade with the native peoples along the Missouri River in Nebraska, and by 1719 had signed treaties with several of these peoples. After war broke out between the two countries, Spain dispatched an expedition to Nebraska under Lieutenant General Pedro de Villasur in 1720. The party was attacked and destroyed near present-day Columbus by a force of Pawnees and Otoes. The massacre of the Villasur expedition effectively put an end to Spanish exploration of Nebraska for the remainder of the 18th century, in 1762, during the Seven Years War, France ceded the Louisiana territory to Spain. Frances withdrawal from the area left Britain and Spain competing for dominance along the Mississippi, by 1773, later that year, Mackays party built a trading post, dubbed Fort Carlos IV, near present-day Homer. In 1819, the United States established Fort Atkinson as the first U. S. Army post west of the Missouri River, the army abandoned the fort in 1827 as migration moved further west. European-American settlement did not begin in any numbers until after 1848, on May 30,1854, the US Congress created the Kansas and the Nebraska territories, divided by the Parallel 40° North, under the Kansas–Nebraska Act. The Nebraska Territory included parts of the current states of Colorado, North Dakota, South Dakota, Wyoming, the territorial capital of Nebraska was Omaha
3.
Air National Guard
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When Air National Guard units are used under the jurisdiction of the state governor they are fulfilling their militia role. However, if federalized by order of the President of the United States and they are jointly administered by the states and the National Guard Bureau, a joint bureau of the Army and Air Force that oversees the National Guard of the United States. The ANG of the territories of Guam and the Virgin Islands have no aircraft assigned, ANG units typically operate under Title 32 USC. However, when operating under Title 10 USC all ANG units are operationally-gained by an active duty USAF major command. ANG units of the Combat Air Forces based in the Continental United States, conversely, CONUS-based ANG units in the Mobility Air Forces, plus the Puerto Rico ANGs airlift wing and the Virgin Islands ANGs civil engineering squadron are gained by the Air Mobility Command. The vast majority of ANG units fall under either ACC or AMC, established under Title 10 and Title 32 of the U. S. S. When not in a status, the Air National Guard operates under their respective state. The exception to rule is the District of Columbia Air National Guard. Because both state Air National Guard and the Air National Guard of the United States relatively go hand-in-hand, Air National Guard of the United States units or members may be called up for federal active duty in times of Congressionally sanctioned war or national emergency. The United States Air National Guard has about 110,000 men and women in service, even traditional part-time air guardsmen, especially pilots, navigators/combat systems officers, air battle managers and enlisted aircrew, often serve 100 or more man-days annually. As such, the concept of Air National Guard service as representing only one weekend a month, the Georgia Air National Guard and the Kansas Air National Guard previously flew the B-1B Lancer prior to converting to the E-8 Joint STARS and KC-135R Stratotanker, respectively. In addition, the 131st Fighter Wing of the Missouri Air National Guard transitioned from flying the F-15C/D Eagle at St and these proposals were eventually overruled and cancelled by the U. S. Congress. As state militia units, the units in the Air National Guard are not in the normal United States Air Force chain of command and they are under the jurisdiction of the United States National Guard Bureau unless they are federalized by order of the President of the United States. Air National Guard units are trained and equipped by the United States Air Force, the state ANG units, depending on their mission, are operationally gained by a major command of the USAF if federalized. Air National Guard personnel are expected to adhere to the moral and physical standards as their full-time active duty Air Force. The same ranks and insignia of the U. S. Air Force are used by the Air National Guard, the Air National Guard also bestows a number of state awards for local services rendered in a service members home state or equivalent. The creation of the regiments was caused by the perceived need to defend the Bay Colony against American Indians. This organization formed the basis of subsequent colonial and, post-independence, state and this distinction accounts for why there are no National Guard components in the U. S. Navy, U. S. Marine Corps or U. S. Coast Guard
4.
Nebraska Air National Guard
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The Nebraska Air National Guard is the air force militia of the State of Nebraska, United States of America. It is, along with the Nebraska Army National Guard, an element of the Nebraska National Guard, as state militia units, the units in the Nebraska Air National Guard are not in the normal United States Air Force chain of command. They are under the jurisdiction of the Governor of Nebraska though the office of the Nebraska Adjutant General unless they are federalized by order of the President of the United States. The Nebraska Air National Guard is headquartered at Lincoln Air National Guard Base, under the Total Force concept, Nebraska Air National Guard units are considered to be Air Reserve Components of the United States Air Force. Nebraska ANG units are trained and equipped by the Air Force and are gained by a Major Command of the USAF if federalized. State missions include disaster relief in times of earthquakes, hurricanes, floods and forest fires, search and rescue, protection of public services. These unit designations were allotted and transferred to various State National Guard bureaus to provide them unit designations to re-establish them as Air National Guard units. The Nebraska Air National Guard origins date to the formation of the 173d Fighter Squadron at Lincoln Army Airfield, Lincoln and it was equipped with F-51D Mustangs and its mission was the air defense of the state. Today, the 155th Air Refueling Wing provides aerial refueling support to Air Force, Navy and Marine Corps, in 2007, the 170th Group at Offutt AFB was formed. The 170th evolved from Detachment 1, Headquarters Nebraska ANG established in June 2002 and these functional areas include requirements, weapons and tactics, intelligence, base operations, weather, and aviation resource management. After the September 11th,2001 terrorist attacks on the United States, also, Nebraska ANG units have been deployed overseas as part of Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan and Operation Iraqi Freedom in Iraq as well as other locations as directed. Nebraska State Guard Nebraska Wing Civil Air Patrol This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency website http, Nebraska National Guard Nebraska Military Department Nebraska National Guard Prairie Soldier publication
5.
Lincoln Airport (Nebraska)
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Lincoln Airport is a public/military airport five miles northwest of downtown Lincoln, the state capital, in Lancaster County, Nebraska. It is owned by the Lincoln Airport Authority and is the second-largest airport in Nebraska, the 12,901 foot primary runway was an emergency landing site for the Space Shuttle though never used as such. The runway can handle Heavy military aircraft including the C-5 Galaxy, the airport is also the home of Lincoln Air National Guard Base, an installation for the KC-135R Stratotanker aircraft operated by the 155th Air Refueling Wing of the Nebraska Air National Guard. Airliners on charter flights by visiting college football teams play the Nebraska Cornhuskers also utilize Lincoln Airport as a primary destination. The airport is home to Duncan Aviation, an aircraft maintenance. Duncan Aviation has hangars on the east side of the airport, Lincoln Airport appeared in the 2013 Walt Disney Pictures movie Planes. During World War II the airfield was Lincoln Army Air Field and used for mechanics and it closed in December 1945 and was transferred back to the City of Lincoln. In 1952 the facility re-opened as Lincoln Air Force Base, during the 1960s the two main airlines at Lincoln were United Airlines and the original Frontier Airlines. Frontier Convair 580s flew nonstop and direct to Denver and Kansas City, United Douglas DC-6Bs flew nonstop to Denver, but nonstops to Chicago didnt start until 1967. Lincolns first jets were in 1966, Frontier Boeing 727-100s MKC-LNK-DEN, United Boeing 727-100s and Boeing 737-200s began flying nonstop to Chicago and Denver about 1968, LNK later saw United 727-200s, 737-300s, 737-500s and Airbus A320s. Other jet airlines included America West with Boeing 737-200s and 737-300s nonstop to Phoenix, the original Frontier Airlines ceased operations in 1986, successor Continental Airlines flew 737s and DC-9s to Denver. United mainline jet service was replaced by flights operated by its United Express partners who now fly 50 seat regional jets from LNK. In 2005, Northwest Airlines flew to Memphis but dropped the route within nine months, in early 2006, Allegiant Air began air service to Las Vegas but after two years, announced that it was transferring service to Grand Island, NE. In May 2014 Delta Air Lines announced a flight to Atlanta would start September 8. In 2011 Delta resumed the Memphis service, but only over the summer, the new flight will be a Delta Connection Canadair CRJ700, with $750,000 in federal spending used to guarantee revenue for Delta. Today part of Lincoln Airport is home to the Nebraska Air National Guards 155th Air Refueling Wing, several Nebraska Army National Guard units are collocated at the installation, just east of Runway 36 alongside Taxiway Delta. The Air National Guards tarmac is closed to general aviation and is guarded by Air Force Security Forces 24 hours a day, Lincoln Airport covers 5,000 acres at an elevation of 1,219 feet. It has three runways, 18/36 is 12,901 by 200 feet, 14/32 is 8,649 by 150 feet
6.
World War II
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World War II, also known as the Second World War, was a global war that lasted from 1939 to 1945, although related conflicts began earlier. It involved the vast majority of the worlds countries—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing alliances, the Allies and the Axis. It was the most widespread war in history, and directly involved more than 100 million people from over 30 countries. Marked by mass deaths of civilians, including the Holocaust and the bombing of industrial and population centres. These made World War II the deadliest conflict in human history, from late 1939 to early 1941, in a series of campaigns and treaties, Germany conquered or controlled much of continental Europe, and formed the Axis alliance with Italy and Japan. Under the Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact of August 1939, Germany and the Soviet Union partitioned and annexed territories of their European neighbours, Poland, Finland, Romania and the Baltic states. In December 1941, Japan attacked the United States and European colonies in the Pacific Ocean, and quickly conquered much of the Western Pacific. The Axis advance halted in 1942 when Japan lost the critical Battle of Midway, near Hawaii, in 1944, the Western Allies invaded German-occupied France, while the Soviet Union regained all of its territorial losses and invaded Germany and its allies. During 1944 and 1945 the Japanese suffered major reverses in mainland Asia in South Central China and Burma, while the Allies crippled the Japanese Navy, thus ended the war in Asia, cementing the total victory of the Allies. World War II altered the political alignment and social structure of the world, the United Nations was established to foster international co-operation and prevent future conflicts. The victorious great powers—the United States, the Soviet Union, China, the United Kingdom, the Soviet Union and the United States emerged as rival superpowers, setting the stage for the Cold War, which lasted for the next 46 years. Meanwhile, the influence of European great powers waned, while the decolonisation of Asia, most countries whose industries had been damaged moved towards economic recovery. Political integration, especially in Europe, emerged as an effort to end pre-war enmities, the start of the war in Europe is generally held to be 1 September 1939, beginning with the German invasion of Poland, Britain and France declared war on Germany two days later. The dates for the beginning of war in the Pacific include the start of the Second Sino-Japanese War on 7 July 1937, or even the Japanese invasion of Manchuria on 19 September 1931. Others follow the British historian A. J. P. Taylor, who held that the Sino-Japanese War and war in Europe and its colonies occurred simultaneously and this article uses the conventional dating. Other starting dates sometimes used for World War II include the Italian invasion of Abyssinia on 3 October 1935. The British historian Antony Beevor views the beginning of World War II as the Battles of Khalkhin Gol fought between Japan and the forces of Mongolia and the Soviet Union from May to September 1939, the exact date of the wars end is also not universally agreed upon. It was generally accepted at the time that the war ended with the armistice of 14 August 1945, rather than the formal surrender of Japan
7.
155th Air Refueling Wing
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The 155th Air Refueling Wing is a unit of the Nebraska Air National Guard, stationed at Lincoln Air National Guard Base, Nebraska. If activated to service, the Wing is gained by the United States Air Force Air Mobility Command. The 155th operates the KC-135R Stratotanker, which is responsible for conducting air refueling missions around the world, the 155th currently has eight aircraft, six of them operational. There is almost always one aircraft undergoing an inspection in the hangar. The unit runs like an active duty base on a smaller scale, full-time Air Force Security Forces personnel patrol the base and provide security for the aircraft 24 hours a day while firefighter personnel are always on station and on call. The other units on the base usually operate during the day and are staffed by Active Guard Reserve or civilian Technician personnel. The 173d FIS had won the coveted Spaatz Trophy, as the Guards finest flying unit in 1963, following second, in 1962,1963 and 1964 the unit won its second, third and fourth Winston P. Wilson Trophies. In May 1964 the mission of the Nebraska Air Guard changed from air defense to tactical reconnaissance using the RF-84 Thunderflash aircraft, the 173rd became the 173rd Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron and the 155th Fighter Group became the 155th Tactical Reconnaissance Group. The first RF-4C Phantom II came to Lincoln in November 1971, in 1972 the unit began its conversion to the RF-4C from the RF-84F. In April 1992 the unit was directed to convert to the KC-135R Stratotanker mission when the U. S. Air Force decided to begin retiring the last of the F-4 Phantom II aircraft. The conversion to the refueling mission began in September 1993 with the arrival of the first KC-135E tanker. On 1 Oct.1995, the unit was re-designated as the 155th Air Refueling Wing after achieving initial operational capability in the mission three months early. In April 1999, the unit flew its first combat missions and it was the first Air Guard tanker unit to be tasked with supporting Operation Allied Force, the NATO bombing campaign of Serbia and Kosovo. The unit successfully deployed two aircraft and more than 80 personnel to Germany in less than three days and soon became the unit for all American tanker operations from its German air base. Along with its mission, the Nebraska unit is tasked with supporting the state government as well. afhra. af. mil/. 155th Air Refueling Wing – Nebraska Air National Guard
8.
Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker
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The Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker is a military aerial refueling aircraft. It and the Boeing 707 airliner were developed from the Boeing 367-80 prototype and it is the predominant variant of the C-135 Stratolifter family of transport aircraft. The KC-135 was the US Air Forces first jet-powered refueling tanker, the KC-135 entered service with the United States Air Force in 1957, it is one of six military fixed-wing aircraft with over 50 years of continuous service with its original operator. The KC-135 is supplemented by the larger KC-10, studies have concluded that many of the aircraft could be flown until 2040, although maintenance costs have greatly increased. The aircraft will eventually be replaced by the Boeing KC-46 Pegasus, like its sibling, the commercial Boeing 707 jet airliner, the KC-135 was derived from the Boeing 367-80 jet transport proof of concept demonstrator, which was commonly called the Dash-80. The KC-135 is similar in appearance to the 707, but has a fuselage and is shorter than the 707. The KC-135 predates the 707, and is quite different from the civilian airliner. Boeing gave the future KC-135 tanker the initial designation Model 717, in 1954 USAFs Strategic Air Command held a competition for a jet-powered aerial refueling tanker. Lockheeds tanker version of the proposed Lockheed L-193 airliner with rear fuselage-mounted engines was declared the winner in 1955, in the end, orders for the Lockheed tanker were dropped rather than supporting two tanker designs. Lockheed never produced its jet airliner, while Boeing would eventually dominate the market with a family of airliners based on the 707. In 1954, the Air Force placed an order for 29 KC-135As. The first aircraft flew in August 1956 and the initial production Stratotanker was delivered to Castle Air Force Base, California, the last KC-135 was delivered to the Air Force in 1965. These basic features make it resemble the commercial Boeing 707 and 720 aircraft. The USAF EC-135 Looking Glass was subsequently replaced in its role by the U. S. Navy E-6 Mercury aircraft, the KC-135Q variant was modified to carry JP-7 fuel necessary for the Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird, segregating the JP-7 from the KC-135s own fuel supply. The tanker also had special fuel systems for moving the different fuels between different tanks, the only external difference between a KC-135R and a KC-135T is the presence of a clear window on the underside of the empennage of the KC-135T where a remote controlled searchlight is mounted. It also has two ground refueling ports, located in rear wheel well so ground crews can fuel both the body tanks and wing tanks separately. Eight KC-135R aircraft are receiver-capable tankers, commonly referred to as KC-135R, All eight aircraft were with the 22d Air Refueling Wing at McConnell AFB, Kansas, in 1994. They are primarily used for extension and Special Operations missions
9.
401st Fighter Squadron
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The 401st Fighter Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last was assigned to the 370th Fighter Group, Ninth Air Force, stationed at Camp Myles Standish and it was inactivated on 7 November 1945. Established in mid-1943 at Westover Field, Massachusetts, equipped with P-47 Thunderbolts, trained under I Fighter Command in New England, being deployed to the European Theater of Operations, and assigned to Ninth Air Force in England. Its ETO fuselage code was 9D, was converted from P-47s to P-38 Lightnings upon arrival in the ETO. The group provided cover for Allied forces that crossed the Channel on 6 June 1944, on 17 July 1944, napalm incendiary bombs were dropped for the first time in war on a fuel depot at Coutances, near St. Lô, France. After the D-Day invasion, squadron moved to its Advanced Landing Ground at Cardonville, France on 20 July to support the Allied ground advance across France, flew armed reconnaissance during the Battle of the Bulge, attacking warehouses, highways, railroads, motor transports, and other targets. Converted to P-51 Mustangs during February - March 1945, flew last mission, a sweep over Dessau and Wittenberg, on 4 May 1945. Returned to the United States during September–November 1945, and was inactivated on 7 November 1945, the unit was re-designated as the 173d Fighter Squadron and allocated to the Nebraska Air National Guard on 24 May 1946. afhra. af. mil/. Maurer, Maurer, ed. Combat Squadrons of the Air Force, washington, DC, Office of Air Force History
10.
Westover Air Reserve Base
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Westover Air Reserve Base is an Air Force Reserve Command installation located in the Massachusetts communities of Chicopee and Ludlow, near the city of Springfield, Massachusetts. Westover hosts the largest Air Reserve Base in the world in terms of area, until 2011, it was a backup landing site for the NASA Space Shuttle and in the past few years has expanded to include a growing civilian access airport sharing Westovers military-maintained runways. The installation was named for Major General Oscar Westover who was commanding officer of the Army Air Corps in the 1930s, the host unit is the 439th Airlift Wing of the Fourth Air Force, Air Force Reserve Command. Outside of the AFRC command structure, the 439 AW and Westover are operationally gained by the Air Mobility Command. Due to its location as one of the few remaining active military air bases in the northeast United States, Westover ARB is transitted by many different U. S. military aircraft of all the services. S. In 1951, Air Defense Command arrived, but then turned over the base in 1955 to Strategic Air Command, the 99th Bombardment Wing arrived in 1956. In case of war, an alternate SAC command bunker. The 2005 Base Realignment and Closure Commission ruled that Westover would absorb other military units in New England, the expansion proposed the transfer of all military operations at Bradley International Airport to Westover and the nearby Barnes Municipal Airport. The exception to this decision is the 103rd Airlift Wing, which remain at Bradley. A $32 million building project is underway to accommodate the additional 1600 service members required by the plan, the new Armed Forces Reserve Center will host Army, Air Force, Marine Corps, and Navy Reserve operations. The Massachusetts Army National Guard will also make its debut at the base, the base celebrated its 75th anniversary with an air show on May 16-17,2015, where the Blue Angels headlined the 2015 Great New England Air Show. During this time, it was announced that the Westover was in the running for a squadron of the new KC-46A Pegasus. Later that year, it was announced that the base would not be receiving the plane, Westover was also in competition with Tinker Air Force Base and Grissom Air Reserve Base for the plane. The local government credits Westover with spurring development of the Memorial Drive corridor, including several planned hotels, as a center for military air operations, Westover Air Reserve Base poses several hazards to local residents. These include air pollution, noise pollution, and water contamination hazards – all of which are shared with similar-sized commercial airports, Westovers extended operations history has produced numerous hazardous waste sites. The portion of the Westover complex still under military control covers an area of 2,500 acres which contains two runways, 5/23, measuring 11,597 x 301 ft and 15/33 measuring 7,082 x 150 ft. A new Air Traffic Control tower was constructed in 2002 and the old tower was demolished, there were 46 aircraft based at this airport, 35% military, 50% single engine, 9% multi-engine, 2% jet aircraft, 2% helicopters and 2% ultralight. Military facilities are control of the Commander, 439th Airlift Wing
United States
Nebraska
Air National Guard
This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency website http://www.afhra.af.mil/.
