1.
Lockheed F-94 Starfire
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The Lockheed F-94 Starfire was a first-generation jet aircraft of the United States Air Force. It was developed from the twin-seat Lockheed T-33 Shooting Star in the late 1940s as an all-weather, the aircraft reached operational service in May 1950 with Air Defense Command, replacing the piston-engined North American F-82 Twin Mustang in the all-weather interceptor role. The F-94 was the first operational USAF fighter equipped with an afterburner and was the first jet-powered all-weather fighter to combat during the Korean War in January 1953. It had a brief operational life, being replaced in the mid-1950s by the Northrop F-89 Scorpion. The last aircraft left active-duty service in 1958 and Air National Guard service in 1959, the F-94 was derived from the TF-80C which was a two-seat trainer version of the F-80 Shooting Star. A lengthened nose area with guns, radar and automatic control system was added. Since the conversion seemed so simple, a contract was awarded to Lockheed in early 1949, the early test YF-94s used 75% of the parts used in the earlier F-80 and T-33As. The fire control system was the Hughes E-1, which incorporated an AN/APG-33 radar and this short-range radar system was useful only in the terminal phases of the interception. Most of the operation would be directed using ground-controlled interception, as was the case with the aircraft it replaced. The combination reduced the fuel capacity. The F-94 was to be the first US production jet with an afterburner, the J33-A-33 had standard thrust of 4,000 pounds-force, and with water injection this was increased to 5,400 pounds-force and with afterburning a maximum of 6,000 pounds-force thrust. The YF-94As afterburner had many teething problems with its igniter and the stabilization system. The initial production model was the F-94A, which entered service in May 1950. Its armament was four 0.50 in M3 Browning machine guns mounted in the fuselage with the muzzles exiting just behind the radome, two 165 US Gallon drop tanks, as carried by the F-80 and T-33, could be carried beneath the wingtips. Alternatively, these could be replaced by 1,000 lb bombs, the F-94A was in operational service for only a brief time as it was originally built, and was not received well by its aircrews. Primarily, this was due to the unreliability of its J33 engine, the aircraft was judged as unstable and hard to maneuver at high altitude by its pilots. The pilot and radar operator found that the cockpit was too narrow for them to be able to get in and out of the aircraft quickly during alerts, the clearance for the ejection seats was too small, resulting in several tragic accidents during emergency ejections. The subsequent F-94B, which entered service in January 1951, was virtually identical to the F-94A
2.
354th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron
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The 354th Fighter Squadron is part of the 355th Fighter Wing at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Arizona. It operates A-10 Thunderbolt II aircraft conducting close air support missions, the squadron conducts Close Air Support, Air Interdiction, Forward Air Control – Airborne, and Combat Search and Rescue for theater commanders worldwide. It conducted combat training from, 1971–1982 and forward air control training since 1991. In February 2015, the squadron was deployed to Spangdahlem Air Base, Germany, twelve A-10s and approximately 300 airmen were deployed. The unit will train alongside NATO allies and deploy to locations in Eastern European NATO nations to further enhance interoperability, cornett, Lloyd H, Johnson, Mildred W. A Handbook of Aerospace Defense Organization,1946 -1980, peterson AFB, CO, Office of History, Aerospace Defense Center. Maurer, Maurer, ed. Combat Squadrons of the Air Force, washington, DC, Office of Air Force History
3.
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
4.
United States Air Force
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The United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a branch of the military on 18 September 1947 under the National Security Act of 1947. It is the most recent branch of the U. S. military to be formed, the U. S. Air Force is a military service organized within the Department of the Air Force, one of the three military departments of the Department of Defense. The Air Force is headed by the civilian Secretary of the Air Force, who reports to the Secretary of Defense, the U. S. Air Force provides air support for surface forces and aids in the recovery of troops in the field. As of 2015, the service more than 5,137 military aircraft,406 ICBMs and 63 military satellites. It has a $161 billion budget with 313,242 active duty personnel,141,197 civilian employees,69,200 Air Force Reserve personnel, and 105,500 Air National Guard personnel. According to the National Security Act of 1947, which created the USAF and it shall be organized, trained, and equipped primarily for prompt and sustained offensive and defensive air operations. The stated mission of the USAF today is to fly, fight, and win in air, space and we will provide compelling air, space, and cyber capabilities for use by the combatant commanders. We will excel as stewards of all Air Force resources in service to the American people, while providing precise and reliable Global Vigilance, Reach and it should be emphasized that the core functions, by themselves, are not doctrinal constructs. The purpose of Nuclear Deterrence Operations is to operate, maintain, in the event deterrence fails, the US should be able to appropriately respond with nuclear options. Dissuading others from acquiring or proliferating WMD, and the means to deliver them, moreover, different deterrence strategies are required to deter various adversaries, whether they are a nation state, or non-state/transnational actor. Nuclear strike is the ability of forces to rapidly and accurately strike targets which the enemy holds dear in a devastating manner. Should deterrence fail, the President may authorize a precise, tailored response to terminate the conflict at the lowest possible level, post-conflict, regeneration of a credible nuclear deterrent capability will deter further aggression. Finally, the Air Force regularly exercises and evaluates all aspects of operations to ensure high levels of performance. Nuclear surety ensures the safety, security and effectiveness of nuclear operations, the Air Force, in conjunction with other entities within the Departments of Defense or Energy, achieves a high standard of protection through a stringent nuclear surety program. The Air Force continues to pursue safe, secure and effective nuclear weapons consistent with operational requirements, adversaries, allies, and the American people must be highly confident of the Air Forces ability to secure nuclear weapons from accidents, theft, loss, and accidental or unauthorized use. This day-to-day commitment to precise and reliable nuclear operations is the cornerstone of the credibility of the NDO mission, positive nuclear command, control, communications, effective nuclear weapons security, and robust combat support are essential to the overall NDO function. OCA is the method of countering air and missile threats, since it attempts to defeat the enemy closer to its source
5.
Interceptor aircraft
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An interceptor aircraft, or simply interceptor, is a type of fighter aircraft designed specifically to prevent successful missions by enemy aircraft, particularly bombers and reconnaissance aircraft. For daytime operations, conventional fighters normally fill the interceptor role, few aircraft can be considered dedicated daytime interceptors. Night fighters and bomber destroyers are, by definition, interceptors of the heavy type, examples of classic interceptors of this era include the F-106 Delta Dart, Sukhoi Su-15 and English Electric Lightning. Dedicated interceptor designs became rare, with the widely used examples designed after the 1960s being the Tornado F3, Mikoyan MiG-25 Foxbat. The first dedicated interceptor squadrons were formed up during World War I in order to defend London against attacks by Zeppelins, early units generally used aircraft withdrawn from front-line service, notably the Sopwith Pup. They were told about their targets prior to take-off from a centralized command center in the Horse Guards building. The Pup proved to have too low performance to intercept the Gotha G. IV bombers. Before Second World War started, offensive bomber speeds had improved so much that it appeared that the mission would be effectively impossible. The visual and acoustic detection had a range on the order of a few miles. This could be addressed by a cover of aircraft. The conclusion at the time was that the bomber will always get through, the introduction of radar upset this equation. Radar was able to detect aircraft at long range, on the order of 100 miles even for early systems and this provided enough time for fighters to start up, climb to altitude and chase down their targets. The introduction of jet power increased speeds from perhaps 200 miles per hour to 600 miles per hour in a single step, although radars also improved in performance, the gap between offense and defense was dramatically reduced. Large attacks could so confuse the defenses ability to communicate information to the pilots that the method of manual ground controlled interception was increasingly seen as inadequate. In the United States, this led to the introduction of the Semi-Automatic Ground Environment to computerize this task. In the 1950s, during the Cold War, an interceptor force was crucial for the great powers. Hence for a period of time they faced rapid development. Thus, the doctrine of mutually assured destruction replaced the trend of defense strengthening and their utility waned as the role became blurred into the role of the heavy air superiority fighters dominant in military thinking at the time
6.
Aerospace Defense Command
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Aerospace Defense Command was a major command of the United States Air Forces, responsible for continental air defence. It was activated in 1968 and disbanded in 1980 and its predecessor, Air Defense Command, was established in 1946, briefly inactivated in 1950, reactivated in 1951, and then redesignated Aerospace rather than Air in 1968. Its mission was to air defense of the Continental United States. It directly controlled all active measures, and was tasked to coordinate all passive means of air defense, the air districts established on 16 January 1941 before the Pearl Harbor attack. The four air districts also handled USAAF combat training with the Army Ground Forces and organization and training of bomber, fighter and other units, the USAAFs Aircraft Warning Corps provided air defense warning with information centers that networked an areas Army Radar Stations which communicated radar tracks by telephone. The AWC information centers also integrated visual reports processed by Ground Observer Corps filter centers, AWC information centers notified air defense command posts of the 4 continental air forces for deploying interceptor aircraft which used command guidance for ground-controlled interception. The USAAF inactivated the aircraft warning network in April 1944, Continental Air Forces was activated on 12 December 1944 with the four Air Forces as components to consolidate the CONUS air defense mission under one command. The Continental Air Forces reorganization began in 1945, when ground radar, the Distant Early Warning Line was first conceived—and rejected—in 1946. By 1948 there were only 5 AC&W stations, including the Twin Lights station in NJ that opened in June and Montauk NY Air Warning Station #3 --cf. SAC radar stations, e. g. at Dallas & Denver Bomb Plots. By the time ADC was inactivated on 1 July 1950, ADC had deployed the Lashup Radar Network with existing radars at 43 sites, in addition,36 Air National Guard fighter units were called to active duty for the mission. ADC was reinstated as a command on 1 January 1951 at Mitchel Air Force Base. The headquarters was moved to Ent Air Force Base in Colorado Springs on 8 January 1951 and it received 21 former ConAC active-duty fighter squadrons. ADC was also assigned the 25th, 26th 27th and 28th Air Divisions ADC completed the Priority Permanent System network for Aircraft Warning, gaps were filled by additional Federal Aviation Administration radar stations and the Ground Observation Corps. During the mid-1950s, planners devised the idea of extending the wall of powerful land-based radar seaward with Airborne early warning, the RC-121s, EC-121s and Texas Towers, it was believed, would contribute to extending contiguous east-coast radar coverage some 300 to 500 miles seaward. In terms of the air threat of the 1950s, this meant a gain of at least 30 extra minutes warning time of a bomber attack. ADCs Operation Tail Wind on 11–12 July tested its augmentation plan that required Air Training Command interceptors participate in an air defense emergency, a total of seven ATC bases actively participated in the exercise, deploying aircraft and aircrews and supporting the ADC radar net. As the USAF prepared to deploy the Tactical Air Command E-3 Sentry in the later 1970s, all remaining EC-121s were transferred to the Air Force Reserve, which formed the 79th AEWCS at Homestead Air Force Base, Florida in early 1976. Besides monitoring Cuban waters, these last Warning Stars also operated from NAS Keflavik, final EC-121 operations ended in September 1978
7.
27th Air Division
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The 27th Air Division was a United States Air Force numbered air division and the geographic Air Defense Command region controlled by the 27th AD. Its last assignment was with Air Defense Command s Tenth Air Force, at Luke Air Force Base and it was inactivated on 19 November 1969. Activated as the 27 Air Division on 7 September 1950, the unit was assigned to ADC for most of its existence, the wing was discontinued and 94th FIS reassigned directly to 27th Air Division, which had reorganized at Norton in February, one month later. In May 1958, the 27th AD directed an intercept of a declared unknown aircraft. The 27th Air Division was to transfer to the midwest with command of 2 NORAD sectors during deployment of SAGE, the Reno sector was activated 15 February 1959 and the AN/FSQ-7 at Stead Air Force Base was replaced by Backup Interceptor Control at Fallon Naval Air Station by 1970. In February 1959, the Los Angeles Air Defense Sector was activated during the deployment of the Semi Automatic Ground Environment#Deployment as a unit of the 27th AD. However, the Denver SCC/CC was cancelled in March 1959, so instead of moving from the Southwest United States to the interior, the Norton SAGE Direction Center closed in June 1966. When the 27th AD was inactivated in 1969, its mission, personnel, cornett, Lloyd H, Johnson, Mildred W. A Handbook of Aerospace Defense Organization,1946 -1980, peterson AFB, CO, Office of History, Aerospace Defense Center. The Development of Continental Air Defense to 1 September 1954, USAF Historical Study No.126, research Studies Institute, USAF Historical Division, Air University. History of Strategic Air and Ballistic Missile Defense, fort McNair, DC, Center for Military History. History of Strategic Air and Ballistic Missile Defense, fort McNair, DC, Center for Military History. Maurer, Maurer, ed. Combat Squadrons of the Air Force, washington, DC, Office of Air Force History. Air Force Combat Wings, Lineage & Honors Histories 1947-1977, washington, DC, Office of Air Force History. From Whirlwind to MITRE, The R&D Story of The SAGE Air Defense Computer
8.
Oxnard Air Force Base
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Oxnard Air Force Base is a former United States Air Force base located in Camarillo, California on the Oxnard Plain approximately 3 miles west of the historic business district. A fighter training airfield during World War II, it was part of the Air Defense Command, later renamed Aerospace Defense Command, Oxnard Airport was opened in 1934 by the County of Ventura and consisted of a 3, 500-foot dirt runway. The first fixed-base operator on the field was Joe Plosser and he owned only two aircraft, but had no housing for them. During the thirties Howard Hughes erected a tent on the airport to shelter his H-1 racer, the County of Ventura paved the runway in 1938 and a large hangar was built by the Works Progress Administration. In 1939 James Elmo McLean opened the Oxnard Flying School with two aircraft, a 40 hp J-3 Cub and a Kinner two-seater. The U. S. Army Air Corps moved its training program onto the airport in 1940 to establish an Air Corps Flying Training Command contract flying school called Mira Loma Flight Academy. Housing was built across the street for the cadets and instructors, the airfield was first activated on 12 September 1940. The school was one of many in California that trained aviation cadets in flying skills. The airport was established when the California State Highway Department constructed an auxiliary landing field with a 5,000 ft runway. These squadrons provided training on high-performance fighters for pilots prior to their deployment to combat theaters. The contract flying school was inactivated on 27 June 1944, the facility, renamed Oxnard Flight Strip, was reassigned to Second Air Force on 1 September 1944, with the 29th Fighter Squadron being assigned from Bakersfield Airport. The 29ths mission was a unit for P-59 Airacomet and P-80 Shooting Star jet aircraft. Oxnard was closed on 10 July 1945 as part of a consolidation of AAF fields at the end of World War II, the County of Ventura officially regained control of the airport from the federal government in 1948 by receiving a final quitclaim deed. The State of California issued the airport an operating permit in 1949, the first scheduled airline flights began in 1946 by Southwest Airlines and later Pacific Airlines, flying Douglas DC-3s and Fokker F-27s respectively. The airfield was reactivated during the Cold War as an Air Defense Command base in 1951, the runway was extended to 8,000 ft, and the Air Force ground station was rebuilt in 1951. Oxnard Air Force Base was assigned to ADCs 27th Air Division, initially part of the Western Air Defense Force, Oxnard was reassigned to the Los Angeles Air Defense Sector in February 1959. Operations began in 1952 with the activation of the 354th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron, initially equipped with surplus F-51 Mustangs, the squadron received F-94C Starfire jet interceptors in 1953. The 354th FIS remained at Oxnard until 1955 when it was reassigned to McGhee Tyson Airport/McGhee Tyson AFB, near Knoxville and these units would remain at Oxnard until its closure in 1969
9.
483d Airlift Group
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The 483d Airlift Group is an inactive unit last assigned to Pacific Air Forces at Osan AB Korea. It was assigned to Twenty-Second Air Force as a VIP transport unit for Headquarters and it was inactivated on 1 June 1992. During World War II, the 483d Bombardment Group was the last B-17 Flying Fortress unit trained in the United States and it was deployed to Fifteenth Air Force in the Mediterranean Theater of Operations in 1944. It was later re-activated during the Korean War as a carrier group. The group was constituted as 483d Bombardment Group on 14 September 1943, the group trained with Boeing B-17 Flying Fortresses under Third Air Force in Florida. While in training at MacDill Field, the 818th Bombardment Squadron, the 483d deployed to the Mediterranean Theater of Operations, assigned to Fifteenth Air Force in Southern Italy. Southern Germany, Austria, Czechoslovakia, and the Balkans, assisting the strategic bombardment of enemy industry the group received another DUC for braving fighter assaults and antiaircraft fire to bomb tank factories at Berlin on 24 March 1945. It struck targets in southern France in preparation for Operation Dragoon, the group also operated in support of ground force in northern Italy during the Allied offensive in April 1945 and continued strategic bombardment until German capitulation in May 1945. After V-E Day, assisted with Air Transport Command s Green Project which was the movement of troops from Pisa Airfield to an area in Morocco in preparation for return to the United States. The groups B-17s were dearmed with flooring and seats for 25 passengers installed, the flight crew for this operation consisted of a pilot, copilot, navigator and flight engineer. The 483d carried passengers from Pisa to Port Lyautey Airfield, French Morocco where ATC transports moved them across the Atlantic or to Dakar for movement via South Atlantic Transport Route, the group was inactivated in Italy on 25 September 1945. It flew 215 combat missions and 75 aircraft lost, the group was assigned to the 483d Troop Carrier Wing and controlled the wings operational squadrons. It received a Korean Presidential Unit Citation for these actions, for its actions in transporting United Nations troops in Korea and training with airborne units, the group was one of the first units to earn an Air Force Outstanding Unit Award. Between April 1953 and September 1954, the wing aided the French Air Force in Indochina by training personnel, in 1956, the group became non-operational and its squadrons were attached to the 483d Troop Carrier Wing as Far East Air Forces began to convert to the dual-deputy organizational model. It was inactivated in 1958 as the conversion was complete and its squadrons reassigned to the wing, the group was briefly reactivated in the early 90s as the 483d Airlift Group of Military Airlift Command at Osan Air Base, Korea as VIP airlift units were being realigned. Los Angeles, CA, Ward Ritchie Press, the United States Air Forces in Korea 1950-1953. Washington, DC, Office of Air Force History, ann Arbor, MI, 483d Bombardment Group Association. Maurer, Maurer, ed. Air Force Combat Units of World War II, washington, DC, Office of Air Force History
10.
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
11.
Squadron (aviation)
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In most armed forces, two or more squadrons will form a group or a wing. Some air forces use the term squadrons for non-flying ground units. In contrast to United States Air Force units where flying squadrons are separate from supporting administrative and aircraft maintenance squadrons, in United States Marine Corps Aviation the nomenclature squadron is also used to designate all battalion-equivalent, aviation support organizations. These squadrons include, wing headquarters, tactical air command, air control, air support, aviation logistics, wing support, exceptions are USN helicopter mine countrmeasures squadrons, USMC composite medium tilt-rotor squadrons, heavy helicopter and light/attack helicopter squadrons, and Marine attack squadrons. Although part of U. S. naval aviation, United States Coast Guard aviation units are centered on an air station versus a squadron or group/wing organizational structure, the one exception to this is the Coast Guards Helicopter Interdiction Squadron, which is engaged primarily in counter-narcotics interdiction operations. In U. S. Army Aviation, flying units may be organized in battalions or squadrons reporting to an aviation brigade, an escadron is the equivalent unit in Frances Armée de lAir. It is normally subdivided into escadrilles of eight aircraft, in the Air Training Corps of the United Kingdom and many Commonwealth nations, a Squadron is a group of cadets who parade regularly. In the U. S. Civil Air Patrol, a squadron is the administrative unit. In the Swedish Air Force a helicopter squadron is a detachment from the Helicopter Wing
12.
414th Fighter Group
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The 414th Fighter Group is an Air Reserve Component of the United States Air Force. It is assigned to the 944th Fighter Wing of Tenth Air Force, Air Force Reserve Command, stationed at Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, the group was first activated in the fall of 1944 as a long-range fighter unit. It moved to the Pacific Ocean Theater, where it saw limited combat as an element of Twentieth Air Force, the 414th was activated again in the summer of 1955 at Oxnard Air Force Base, California as part of the air defenses of the Pacific coast. It was the United States Air Force host organization at Oxnard and it flew various interceptor aircraft at Oxnard through 1969 when it was inactivated in a reduction of manned interceptors as the United States faced a reduced threat from Soviet bombers. The group was activated in its current role as a unit in 2010. The 414th Fighter Group was reactivated as an Air Force Reserve Command associate unit in July 2010, the group is an associate unit of the 4th Fighter Wing of Air Combat Command and if mobilized the wing is gained by ACC. Media related to 414th Fighter Group at Wikimedia Commons The 414th Fighter Group as activated on 15 October 1944 at Seymour Johnson Field, most of the pilots had been flying Curtiss P-40s at Harris Neck Army Air Field, Georgia. The group consisted of three squadrons, the 413th, 437th and 456th Fighter Squadrons, in November 1944 the group relocated to Selfridge Field, Michigan where they transitioned into long-range P-47N Thunderbolts. On 19 March 1945, the Group moved to Bluethenthal Field, an advance echelon left in May 1945 and the remainder of the group left for the Pacific on converted aircraft carriers. The first element left from the Pacific Coast in June on the USS Cape Esperance, with 49 planes for Iwo Jima, the USS Casablanca, with 60 planes departed on 7 July 1945 and arrived at Guam on 22 July 1945. On arrival in the Pacific, the 414th Group was assigned to the 301st Fighter Wing of VII Fighter Command, part of Twentieth Air Force. The air echelon that was based temporarily on Guam flew two missions from Harmon Field to Truk, one of the Caroline Islands, beginning on 13 July intending to attack Japanese planes, the group suffered its first combat loss on these missions. The portion of the group on Iwo Jima began operations with an attack against a radar station on Chichi Jima with guns and rockets on 29 July. Operations during August were directed primarily against enemy airfields in Japan but the group also strafed hangars, barracks, ammunition dumps, trains, marshalling yards and shipping. A raid on Okazaki was diverted due to visibility and the target, Nagoya Airfield, had no planes. Boeing B-29 Superfortress navigation pathfinders led the Thunderbolts to and from Japan, if the rendezvous with the pathfinder for the return journey was missed, it was a daunting prospect to find the way back to Iwo Jima 600 miles away. Lt. Robert Dunnavant, of the 437th Fighter Squadron, spent 8 hours and 45 minutes in the air in his Thunderbolt, rather than trying to land at North Field he landed at a small Navy airstrip on the islands coast because of his lack of fuel. On 12 August 1945, the portion of the group at Guam attempted to join the rest of the unit on Iwo Jima, two pilots, Roy Abbott, and George W. Caka, were lost on this flight due to the weather
13.
Sterparone Airfield
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Sterparone Airfield is an abandoned World War II military airfield in Italy. It was located 11.1 Kilometers south-southeast of San Severo, the airfield was abandoned and dismantled after the end of the war in 1945. Sterparone airfield was a wartime facility, built by the US Army Corps of Engineers. Construction was initiated in September 1943, after Allied forces seized control of the Tavoliere plain around Foggia, Apulia, the only known use of the airfield was by the Fifteenth Air Force 483d Bombardment Group, which arrived from Tortorella Airfield, Italy on 22 April 1944. There may have been some temporary hangars and buildings, however it appears that personnel were quartered primarily in tents and it also had a steel control tower. The 483d departed after the end of the war, moving to Pisa Airport for service with Air Transport Command on 15 May 1945, sometime after that departure, the engineers moved in and dismantled the facility. Today Sterparone airfield has returned to agriculture, however extensive scarring of the landscape remains, showing various dispersal pads and taxiways
14.
Victory in Europe Day
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It thus marked the end of World War II in Europe. The term VE Day existed as early as September 1944, in anticipation of victory, on 30 April 1945, Adolf Hitler, the Nazi leader, committed suicide during the Battle of Berlin. Germanys surrender, therefore, was authorised by his successor, Reichspräsident Karl Dönitz, the administration headed by Dönitz was known as the Flensburg Government. The act of surrender was signed on 7 May in Reims, France and on 8 May in Berlin. The former Soviet Union and Eastern Bloc countries have historically celebrated the end of World War II on 9 May, however, the Baltic countries now commemorate VE day on 8 May. In Ukraine from 2015,8 May was designated as a day of Remembrance and Reconciliation, upon the defeat of Germany, celebrations erupted throughout the world. From Moscow to Los Angeles, people celebrated, in the United Kingdom, more than one million people celebrated in the streets to mark the end of the European part of the war. Princess Elizabeth and her sister Princess Margaret were allowed to wander incognito among the crowds, in the United States, the victory happened on President Harry Trumans 61st birthday. He dedicated the victory to the memory of his predecessor, Franklin D. Roosevelt, flags remained at half-staff for the remainder of the 30-day mourning period. Truman said of dedicating the victory to Roosevelts memory and keeping the flags at half-staff that his wish was that Franklin D. Roosevelt had lived to witness this day. Later that day, Truman said that the victory made it his most enjoyable birthday, massive celebrations also took place in Chicago, Los Angeles, Miami and especially in New Yorks Times Square. As the Soviet representative in Reims had no authority to sign the German instrument of surrender, the surrender ceremony was repeated in Berlin on 8 May, where the instrument of surrender was signed by supreme German military commander Wilhelm Keitel, by Georgy Zhukov and Allied representatives. East Germany as Tag der Befreiung, a holiday from 1950 to 1966. Between 1975 and 1990, as Tag des Sieges, France as Victoire 1945 Slovakia as Deň víťazstva nad fašizmom Czech Republic as Den vítězství or Den osvobození Poland as Narodowy Dzień Zwycięstwa – National Victory Day. Norway as Frigjøringsdagen Ukraine День памяті та примирення Ukraine День перемоги над нацизмом у Другій світовій війні — from 2015
15.
United States Army Air Forces
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Each of these forces had a commanding general who reported directly to the Army Chief of Staff. S. Army to control its own installations and support personnel, the peak size of the AAF during the Second World War was over 2.4 million men and women in service and nearly 80,000 aircraft by 1944, and 783 domestic bases in December 1943. By V-E Day, the Army Air Forces had 1.25 million men stationed overseas, in its expansion and conduct of the war, the AAF became more than just an arm of the greater organization. By the end of World War II, the Army Air Forces had become virtually an independent service and this contrast between theory and fact is. fundamental to an understanding of the AAF. Gen. Billy Mitchell that led to his later court-martial, a strategy stressing precision bombing of industrial targets by heavily armed, long-range bombers emerged, formulated by the men who would become its leaders. Since 1920, control of units had resided with commanders of the corps areas. Both were created in 1933 when a conflict with Cuba seemed possible following a coup détat. Activation of GHQ Air Force represented a compromise between strategic airpower advocates and ground force commanders who demanded that the Air Corps mission remain tied to that of the land forces. GHQ Air Force organized combat groups administratively into a force of three wings deployed to the Atlantic, Pacific, and Gulf coasts but was small in comparison to European air forces. Corps area commanders continued to control over airfields and administration of personnel. The expected activation of Army General Headquarters prompted Army Chief of Staff George C. Marshall to request a study from Chief of the Air Corps Maj. Gen. Henry H. Arnold resulting on 5 October 1940 in a proposal for creation of an air staff, unification of the air arm under one commander, and equality with the ground and supply forces. Marshall implemented a compromise that the Air Corps found entirely inadequate, naming Arnold as acting Deputy Chief of Staff for Air but rejecting all organizational points of his proposal. GHQ Air Force instead was assigned to the control of Army General Headquarters, although the latter was a training and not an operational component, when it was activated in November 1940. A division of the GHQ Air Force into four air defense districts on 19 October 1940 was concurrent with the creation of air forces to defend Hawaii. The air districts were converted in March 1941 into numbered air forces with an organization of 54 groups. Marshall had come to the view that the air forces needed a simpler system, Arnold and Marshall agreed that the AAF would enjoy a general autonomy within the War Department until the end of the war, while its commanders would cease lobbying for independence. Marshall, a proponent of airpower, left understood that the Air Force would likely achieve its independence following the war
16.
North American P-51 Mustang
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The North American Aviation P-51 Mustang is an American long-range, single-seat fighter and fighter-bomber used during World War II, the Korean War and other conflicts. The Mustang was designed in 1940 by North American Aviation in response to a requirement of the British Purchasing Commission, the Purchasing Commission approached North American Aviation to build Curtiss P-40 fighters under license for the Royal Air Force. Rather than build an old design from another company, North American Aviation proposed the design, the prototype NA-73X airframe was rolled out on 9 September 1940,102 days after the contract was signed, and first flew on 26 October. The Mustang was originally designed to use the Allison V-1710 engine and it was first flown operationally by the RAF as a tactical-reconnaissance aircraft and fighter-bomber. The addition of the Rolls-Royce Merlin to the P-51B/C model transformed the Mustangs performance at altitudes above 15,000 ft, the P-51 was also used by Allied air forces in the North African, Mediterranean, Italian and Pacific theaters. During World War II, Mustang pilots claimed to have destroyed 4,950 enemy aircraft, despite the advent of jet fighters, the Mustang remained in service with some air forces until the early 1980s. After the Korean War, Mustangs became popular civilian warbird and air racing aircraft, in April 1940 the British government established a purchasing commission in the United States, headed by Sir Henry Self. Self was given responsibility for Royal Air Force production and research and development, and also served with Sir Wilfrid Freeman. Self also sat on the British Air Council Sub-committee on Supply and one of his tasks was to organize the manufacturing and supply of American fighter aircraft for the RAF. At the time, the choice was limited, as no U. S. aircraft then in production or flying met European standards. The Curtiss-Wright plant was running at capacity, so P-40s were in short supply, North American Aviation was already supplying its Harvard trainer to the RAF, but was otherwise underutilized. NAA President Dutch Kindelberger approached Self to sell a new medium bomber, instead, Self asked if NAA could manufacture the Tomahawk under license from Curtiss. Kindelberger said NAA could have an aircraft with the same engine in the air sooner than establishing a production line for the P-40. In March 1940,320 aircraft were ordered by Sir Wilfred Freeman who had become the head of the Ministry of Aircraft Production. The NA-73X, which was designed by a led by lead engineer Edgar Schmued, followed the best conventional practice of the era. One was a wing designed using laminar flow airfoils which were developed co-operatively by North American Aviation and these airfoils generated very low drag at high speeds. The results of this test showed the superiority of the wing designed with the NAA/NACA 45–100 airfoils, the other feature was a new cooling arrangement that reduced the cooling drag. It was later discovered that, after lot of development, the assembly could take advantage of the Meredith Effect
17.
Aerospace Defense Command Fighter Squadrons
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Air Defense Command, was headquartered at Mitchel Army Airfield, New York. The growth and development of the ADC air defense system grew steadily throughout the Cold War era, the long range P-47N/P-51H models, developed for the invasion of Japan, were especially well-suited for the air defense role and were used into the mid-1950s by Air National Guard units. Generally P-47s were based east of the Mississippi River, while P-51s were stationed to the west, the twin-engined P-61 night fighter was the first American aircraft specifically designed from the outset for the night fighting role, and with its long range was also well-suited for air defense. On June 11,1948, the newly formed United States Air Force eliminated the P-for-pursuit category, North American F-82F/G Twin Mustang In 1948, the F and G night-fighter versions of the Twin Mustang were placed in service with the Air Defense Command. They were painted all-black and had flame-damped exhausts and replaced the F-61 Black Widow by 1949, in 1950, some units based in the United States were already beginning to replace their Twin Mustangs with jets. Lockheed F-80 Shooting Star In 1948, F-80Cs began to reach operational ADC units, however, during the Korean War the introduction of the MiG-15 into Korean combat On November 1,1950, proved to be a nasty surprise. It was soon apparent that the F-80C was no match for the swept-wing MiG-15, f-80s were withdrawn from Korea and served in ADC units for a few years before being sent to Air Force Reserve squadrons where they were flown until the late 1950s. Lockheed F-94 Starfire Between 1950 and 1953, the F-94 played a role in the defense of the continental United States from attack by nuclear-armed Soviet Tu 4 bombers. It was the only jet-powered all-weather interceptor available in quantity at that time, the total air-to-air score ended up as nine MiGs downed as opposed to 18 Thunderjets lost, which gave the Thunderjet a 2 to 1 inferiority against the MiG-15. Northrop F-89 Scorpion The Northrop F-89 Scorpion was one of the defenders of North American airspace during the Cold War. Production was authorized in January 1949, with the first production F-89A entering USAF service in September 1950, the final production model, the F-89H served with the ADC through 1959 and with the Air National Guard through 1969. North American F-86A/E/F/H Sabre The Sabrejet started to reach ADC units during the Korean War as the A models were replaced with E and F versions. Later, as the North American F-100 Super Sabre was introduced, North American F-86D/L Sabre The F-86D was the interceptor version of the F-86 Sabre air superiority fighter. The F-86D was originally designated as the F-95A, however for reasons the designation of the F-95 was changed to F-86D on July 24,1950. The F-86D entered ADC service in 1953 however it saw active ADC service for a few years. The phaseout of the F-86D from the ADC began in August 1956, as ADC F-86Ds were phased out, some of them were turned over to the Air National Guard. Many of the ANGs F-86Ds were quickly supplanted by F-86Ls, and by June 1961, the F-86L was the designation given to late-1950s conversions of existing USAF F-86Ds to use the Semi-Automatic Ground Environment datalink system. During the Cuban Missile Crisis of 1962, six ANG F-86L squadrons were on alert, the last F-86Ls were withdrawn from ANG service during the summer of 1965
18.
F-94 Starfire units of the United States Air Force
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The Lockheed F-94 Starfire was the first United States Air Force jet-powered day/night all-weather interceptor. It was also the first operational USAF fighter equipped with an Afterburner, introduced in February 1950, its primary user was the Air Defense Command. It also saw service in the Korean War, replacing the F-82G Twin Mustang used by Far East Air Force in 1952, the aircraft had a relatively short operational life, being retired by the active-duty Air Force in November 1957 and the Air National Guard by June 1959. This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency website http, //www. afhra. af. mil/
19.
International Standard Book Number
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The International Standard Book Number is a unique numeric commercial book identifier. An ISBN is assigned to each edition and variation of a book, for example, an e-book, a paperback and a hardcover edition of the same book would each have a different ISBN. The ISBN is 13 digits long if assigned on or after 1 January 2007, the method of assigning an ISBN is nation-based and varies from country to country, often depending on how large the publishing industry is within a country. The initial ISBN configuration of recognition was generated in 1967 based upon the 9-digit Standard Book Numbering created in 1966, the 10-digit ISBN format was developed by the International Organization for Standardization and was published in 1970 as international standard ISO2108. Occasionally, a book may appear without a printed ISBN if it is printed privately or the author does not follow the usual ISBN procedure, however, this can be rectified later. Another identifier, the International Standard Serial Number, identifies periodical publications such as magazines, the ISBN configuration of recognition was generated in 1967 in the United Kingdom by David Whitaker and in 1968 in the US by Emery Koltay. The 10-digit ISBN format was developed by the International Organization for Standardization and was published in 1970 as international standard ISO2108, the United Kingdom continued to use the 9-digit SBN code until 1974. The ISO on-line facility only refers back to 1978, an SBN may be converted to an ISBN by prefixing the digit 0. For example, the edition of Mr. J. G. Reeder Returns, published by Hodder in 1965, has SBN340013818 -340 indicating the publisher,01381 their serial number. This can be converted to ISBN 0-340-01381-8, the check digit does not need to be re-calculated, since 1 January 2007, ISBNs have contained 13 digits, a format that is compatible with Bookland European Article Number EAN-13s. An ISBN is assigned to each edition and variation of a book, for example, an ebook, a paperback, and a hardcover edition of the same book would each have a different ISBN. The ISBN is 13 digits long if assigned on or after 1 January 2007, a 13-digit ISBN can be separated into its parts, and when this is done it is customary to separate the parts with hyphens or spaces. Separating the parts of a 10-digit ISBN is also done with either hyphens or spaces, figuring out how to correctly separate a given ISBN number is complicated, because most of the parts do not use a fixed number of digits. ISBN issuance is country-specific, in that ISBNs are issued by the ISBN registration agency that is responsible for country or territory regardless of the publication language. Some ISBN registration agencies are based in national libraries or within ministries of culture, in other cases, the ISBN registration service is provided by organisations such as bibliographic data providers that are not government funded. In Canada, ISBNs are issued at no cost with the purpose of encouraging Canadian culture. In the United Kingdom, United States, and some countries, where the service is provided by non-government-funded organisations. Australia, ISBNs are issued by the library services agency Thorpe-Bowker
20.
OCLC
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The Online Computer Library Center is a US-based nonprofit cooperative organization dedicated to the public purposes of furthering access to the worlds information and reducing information costs. It was founded in 1967 as the Ohio College Library Center, OCLC and its member libraries cooperatively produce and maintain WorldCat, the largest online public access catalog in the world. OCLC is funded mainly by the fees that libraries have to pay for its services, the group first met on July 5,1967 on the campus of the Ohio State University to sign the articles of incorporation for the nonprofit organization. The group hired Frederick G. Kilgour, a former Yale University medical school librarian, Kilgour wished to merge the latest information storage and retrieval system of the time, the computer, with the oldest, the library. The goal of network and database was to bring libraries together to cooperatively keep track of the worlds information in order to best serve researchers and scholars. The first library to do online cataloging through OCLC was the Alden Library at Ohio University on August 26,1971 and this was the first occurrence of online cataloging by any library worldwide. Membership in OCLC is based on use of services and contribution of data, between 1967 and 1977, OCLC membership was limited to institutions in Ohio, but in 1978, a new governance structure was established that allowed institutions from other states to join. In 2002, the structure was again modified to accommodate participation from outside the United States. As OCLC expanded services in the United States outside of Ohio, it relied on establishing strategic partnerships with networks, organizations that provided training, support, by 2008, there were 15 independent United States regional service providers. OCLC networks played a key role in OCLC governance, with networks electing delegates to serve on OCLC Members Council, in early 2009, OCLC negotiated new contracts with the former networks and opened a centralized support center. OCLC provides bibliographic, abstract and full-text information to anyone, OCLC and its member libraries cooperatively produce and maintain WorldCat—the OCLC Online Union Catalog, the largest online public access catalog in the world. WorldCat has holding records from public and private libraries worldwide. org, in October 2005, the OCLC technical staff began a wiki project, WikiD, allowing readers to add commentary and structured-field information associated with any WorldCat record. The Online Computer Library Center acquired the trademark and copyrights associated with the Dewey Decimal Classification System when it bought Forest Press in 1988, a browser for books with their Dewey Decimal Classifications was available until July 2013, it was replaced by the Classify Service. S. The reference management service QuestionPoint provides libraries with tools to communicate with users and this around-the-clock reference service is provided by a cooperative of participating global libraries. OCLC has produced cards for members since 1971 with its shared online catalog. OCLC commercially sells software, e. g. CONTENTdm for managing digital collections, OCLC has been conducting research for the library community for more than 30 years. In accordance with its mission, OCLC makes its research outcomes known through various publications and these publications, including journal articles, reports, newsletters, and presentations, are available through the organizations website. The most recent publications are displayed first, and all archived resources, membership Reports – A number of significant reports on topics ranging from virtual reference in libraries to perceptions about library funding
21.
Rick Husband Amarillo International Airport
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Rick Husband Amarillo International Airport is a public airport six miles east of downtown Amarillo, in Potter and Randall Counties, Texas, United States. The airport was renamed in 2003 after NASA astronaut and Amarillo native Rick Husband, harold English opened English Field in 1929. That year Transcontinental & Western Air began passenger service to Amarillo. In 1931, Amarillo was a stop on coast-to-coast service between Los Angeles and New York City operated by Transcontinental & Western Air with Ford Trimotor aircraft, Transcontinental & Western Air eventually changed its name to Trans World Airlines which in turn continued to serve Amarillo for many years. In later years, Braniff International, Central Airlines and successor Frontier Airlines as well as Continental Airlines began serving Amarillo, the April 1957 Official Airline Guide lists 23 weekday departures, eleven on Braniff, eight on TWA, two on Central and two on Continental. Trans-Texas Airways also then began serving the airport, Trans World Airlines operated flights to Wichita, Kansas City, St. Louis, Chicago, Albuquerque, Las Vegas, and Los Angeles. In 1960, TWA was operating all of its flights into Amarillo with Lockheed Constellation propliners, in 1966, Braniff was operating Lockheed L-188 Electra turboprop service nonstop to Dallas Love Field as well as direct to Denver via Colorado Springs. Trans-Texas Airways began serving the airport during the mid 1960s with Convair 240 prop aircraft flying Amarillo-Lubbock-Abilene-Austin-Houston Hobby Airport service, the first scheduled jet service into Amarillo was flown by Trans World Airlines in 1964. In 1967, TWA was flying nonstop Boeing 727 service from Amarillo to LAX, by 1983, TWA had ceased all flights into the airport thus ending over 50 years of passenger service for Amarillo. By 1968, Braniff International had introduced jet service into the airport with Boeing 727-100, Braniff later operated nonstop Boeing 727-100 and Boeing 727-200 flights from the airport to Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport. Continental would subsequently end its Amarillo service but would return in 1982 when the airline merged with Texas International. Also in 1978, Southwest Airlines began operating nonstop Boeing 737-200 service to Dallas Love Field, aspen Airways also operated jet service into Amarillo in the past with British Aerospace BAe 146-100 aircraft flying both independently and later as United Express with nonstop flights to Denver. In 1952 the airport changed to Amarillo Air Terminal. After the adjacent Amarillo Air Force Base was deactivated in 1968 a portion became part of Amarillo Air Terminal. The primary instrument runway, built for the USAF Strategic Air Command base, during the mid-1970s the airport was used for jet training by West German national airline Deutsche Lufthansa AG. In 1976 the airport changed its name to Amarillo International Airport upon the opening of a U. S. Customs facility, the original English Field terminal building was converted in 1997 to a museum maintained by the Texas Aviation Historical Society. This museum lost its lease with the City of Amarillo and is now located in buildings southeast of the main runway, the name of the original airfield is memorialized in the English Fieldhouse, a local restaurant located adjacent to the general aviation terminal. In 2003 the airport building was rededicated to NASA astronaut Rick Husband, the commander of mission STS-107 of the Space Shuttle Columbia
22.
Beale Air Force Base
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Beale Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base located approximately 8 miles east of Marysville, California. The host unit at Beale is the 9th Reconnaissance Wing assigned to the Air Combat Command, the 9 RW collects intelligence essential for Presidential and Congressional decisions critical to the national defense. The wing also maintains a state of readiness in its combat support. The 940th Air Refueling Wing is a tenant Air Force Reserve Command wing at Beale AFB flying the KC-135 Stratotanker, Camp Beale became a United States Air Force installation on 1 April 1951 and was renamed Beale Air Force Base. Beale AFB is the home of the 9th Reconnaissance Wing, which serves as the host wing for the base. The installation is located outside of Linda, about 10 miles east of the towns of Marysville and Yuba City, Beale is a large base in terms of land and has five gates providing access on all sides of the base. Visitors enter the base through a gate that local merchants, individuals. The base is home for approximately 4,000 military personnel, Beale Air Force Base covers nearly 23,000 acres of rolling hills in northern California. The bases natural resources are as rich as its significant cultural and historical heritage, Native Americans lived on this land, the mortar bowls they carved into the bedrock lie embedded in a shallow stream. To preserve these and other areas, the base proudly maintains 38 Native American sites,45 homestead sites. The 9th Reconnaissance Wing is composed of four groups at Beale AFB, 9th Operations Group Consists of multiple squadrons and detachments. 9th Maintenance Group Consists of the 9th Maintenance Operations Squadron, the 9th Maintenance Squadron, the 9th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, the group is responsible for a $5.8 million annual budget. The group is also the Air Forces single focal point for providing mass ammunition production training, 9th Mission Support Group Provides trained combat support forces to theater commanders- in-chief worldwide. 9th Medical Group Consists of three squadrons, 9th Medical Operations, 9th Medical Support and 9th Physiological Support Squadrons and they provide for the medical needs of Beale AFB beneficiaries and support Beales high-altitude flyers in the U-2 aircraft. The Beale Clinic is located at 15301 Warren Shingle Road on a hillside near base housing. The clinics primary mission is to support the operational readiness. They provide comprehensive care, physiological and environmental support and promote health education. This outpatient clinic consists of both the 9th Medical Operations and 9th Medical Support Squadrons that provide primary care services with aerospace medicine, no inpatient or emergency services are available and minimal specialty services exist
23.
Charleston Air Force Base
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Charleston Air Force Base is a United States military facility located in the City of North Charleston, South Carolina. The facility is under the jurisdiction of the United States Air Forces 628th Air Base Wing and it is part of Joint Base Charleston, which combined Charleston Air Force Base with Naval Support Activity Charleston. The 437th Airlift Wing of the Air Mobility Command and the 315th Airlift Wing of the Air Force Reserve Command operate the C-17A Globemaster III from the base. The installation has also in the past maintained an alert site for rotational Air Combat Command, Charleston Air Force Base is home to the 628th Air Base Wing, the host wing for installation support. Additionally, they also provide expeditionary Airmen to combatant commanders in support of joint, the air base has four operational groups consisting of 21 squadrons and two wing staff directorates. It is augmented by a parallel, collocated Air Force Reserve Command associate wing, the 315th Airlift Wing, which shares the same C-17 aircraft with the 437 AW. In addition, the USAF Auxiliary / Civil Air Patrols Coastal Charleston Composite Squadron is also assigned to Charleston Field, utilizing the Charleston AFB Aero Club facility near the control tower. The history of Charleston Air Force Base began in 1919 when U. S. Army Colonel Herbert A. Dargue, then Chief of the Air Service, visited the area looking for a suitable landing field for aeroplanes. But it was Charles Lindberghs nonstop solo crossing of the Atlantic Ocean in 1927 that heightened city officials interest to air operations in Charleston. In 1928, the City of Charleston rented land and began operating a simple airfield about twelve miles north of city limits, foreseeing a commercial future in air travel, the city formed the Charleston Aircraft Corporation to acquire the land for a municipal airport. In May 1931, the corporation purchased 432 acres for $25,000 from the South Carolina Mining and Manufacturing Company, later in the year, the city acquired the airport facility for $60,000 and immediately began improvements. During the 1930s, airport operations expanded to keep pace with advances in general and commercial aviation being experienced throughout the country, despite the Great Depression, the Federal Government stepped in to assist the city with modernizing the airport. In 1935, the Works Progress Administration literally poured $313,000 into the airport, workers paved one 3, 500-foot-long runway and constructed a second 3, 000-foot one. The project also improved upon the existing lighting system with up-to-date field lighting, given the continuing growth in passenger aviation, Pan American Airways selected Charleston Airport as its western terminus for trans-Atlantic flights. Although this plan never came to fruition, it contributed to a increase in traffic for the airport. As a result, the city purchased 300 more acres of surrounding the airport for $300,000 in 1937 to accommodate additional service buildings. In 1939, with world tensions heightening, the United States Army Air Corps began a buildup of troops, bases. As a result, Charleston acquired more land in 1940 for additional improvements that included construction of a hangar
24.
Dobbins Air Reserve Base
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Dobbins Air Reserve Base or Dobbins ARB is a United States Air Force reserve air base located in Marietta, Georgia, a suburb about 20 miles northwest of Atlanta. Originally known as Dobbins Air Force Base, it was named in honor of Captain Charles M. Dobbins and it is also home to the Army Aviation Service Facility #2 of the Georgia Army National Guard and their fleet of UH-60 Blackhawks. Dobbins is also home to Marine and Navy Reserve units, Dobbins ARB has two runways which it shares with the General Lucius D. Clay National Guard Center to its south. Runway 11/29 is the runway and is 10,000 feet long and 300 feet wide with directions 110 and 290 magnetic. The second runway, called a strip, is a 3500×60-foot runway referred to as 110-290. This air traffic environment takes place within the area of the busiest airport in the world and is as busy as many medium-sized commercial airports, originally intended by Cobb County, Georgia as an alternative airfield for Atlantas Candler Field, this airfield was constructed in 1941 as Rickenbacker Field. About 450 to 500 of these were built in preparation for any war against the United States - from the east or from the west. In 1940, the CAA offered to build a paved airport in Cobb County if the local governments provided the land. Due to the labor force for defense factories in this area. On October 24, the government of Cobb County announced the existence of this airport project, the Atlanta City Council also passed a resolution endorsing this project on January 2,1941. Since the Army Air Corps had recently taken part of Candler Field, the principal municipal airport for Atlanta. The CAA next allocated $400,000 for construction of two 4, 000-foot -long runways on the land, the W. L. Florence Company of Powder Springs, Georgia, the low bidder with a bid of $290,000, won the contract. This bid, well-below the estimated cost of $400,000, the construction began on 14 July 1941. In the next month, the Gulf Oil Corporation and Georgia Air Services agreed to lease the airport, once completed, in the same month, the U. S. Navy requested permission to use this airport for the flight training of Naval aviators. In October, Georgia Air Services signed a $70,000 contract for two 180x160-ft, although it was far from completion, the dedication of this airfield took place in October 1941 After the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, work on this new airfield accelerated rapidly. In January 1942, Lawrence Dale Bell, the founder and president of the Bell Aircraft Company, meanwhile, the Department of the Navy announced its intention to take over the new airfield as an auxiliary naval air station. The Navy shortly began land-condemnation proceedings, the Department of War, in turn, announced that it would not contest the wish of the Department of the Navy to take over Rickenbacker Field, and that it would build its new factory elsewhere. The Cobb County government appealed to the Secretary of the Navy, Frank Knox, since other options were available for flight training
25.
Dover Air Force Base
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Dover Air Force Base or Dover AFB is a United States Air Force base located 2 miles southeast of the city of Dover, Delaware. It was previously the base to solely operate the massive C-5 Galaxy. The 436 AW has two flying squadrons, and the 512 AW has two Air Force Reserve flying squadrons. It was also a site for identifying the remains of military personnel killed in the 9/11 attacks. Two sections of the 436th Aerial Port Squadron warehouse collapsed on February 18,2003, no one was injured in the collapse that caused more than an estimated $1 million in damages. The damage covered two of the six cargo processing bays in the facility, Dover AFB is also home to the Air Mobility Command Museum. Construction of Municipal Airport, Dover Airdrome began in March 1941 and it was converted to a U. S. Army Air Corps airfield just weeks after the December 7,1941, attack on Pearl Harbor. It was renamed Dover Army Airbase on April 8,1943, *Dover Subbase on June 6,1943, with the establishment of the United States Air Force on September 18,1947, the facility was renamed Dover Air Force Base on January 13,1948. * Was a subbase of Camp Springs AAF, Maryland, June 6,1943 – April 15,1944, once the airport came under military control an immediate construction program began to turn the civil airport into a military airfield. Construction involved runways and airplane hangars, with three runways, several taxiways and a large parking apron and a control tower. Several large hangars were also constructed, buildings were ultimately utilitarian and quickly assembled. Most base buildings, not meant for use, were constructed of temporary or semi-permanent materials. Initially under USAAC, the name of the facility was Municipal Airport, Dover Airdrome, on 8 April 1943, the name of the airfield was changed to Dover Army Air Base. The antisubmarine mission ended on 6 June and construction crews moved back to the base for a major upgrading project that lengthened the runway to 7,000 feet. During the construction period and continuing into June 1944, Dover AAB became a sub-base of Camp Springs Army Airfield, full operational capability was restored to Dover in September, and seven P-47 Thunderbolt squadrons arrived for training in preparation for eventual involvement in the European Theater. The 83d Fighter Group was assigned to Dover as the Operational Training Unit, the 83d was redesignated the 125th Base Unit on 10 April 1944 with little change in its mission. It was further redesignated as the 125th Army Air Force base Unit on 15 September 1944, in 1944 the Air Technical Service Command chose Dover as a site to engineer, develop, and conduct classified air-launched rocket tests. The information collected during these experiments resulted in the deployment of air-to-surface rockets in both the European and Pacific combat theaters
26.
Bangor Air National Guard Base
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Bangor Air National Guard Base is a United States Air National Guard base. Created in 1927 as the commercial Godfrey Field, the airfield was taken over by the U. S. Army just before World War II and renamed Godfrey Army Airfield and later Dow Army Airfield. It became Dow Air Force Base in 1947, when the new U. S. Air Force took over many Army air assets. In 1968, the base was sold to the city of Bangor, Maine, Godfrey Field opened in 1927 as a commercial airport. Northeast Airlines began commercial operations there in 1931, just before World War II, the United States Army Air Corps took over the base, renamed it Godfrey Army Airfield, and placed it under the 8th Service Group, Air Service Command. Godfrey AAF prepared and maintained the Lend-Lease aircraft that would be flown by AAC Ferrying Command to RCAF Stations in Newfoundland for eventual transport to Britain, during this time, Milford Auxiliary Airfield was opened nearby at the Bangor Precision Bombing Range. On 28 February 1942, Dow Army Airfield was transferred to Air Service Command because of its proximity to the Air Transport Command North Atlantic air ferry route to the United Kingdom, on 5 March 1944, Dow AAF was transferred to Air Transport Commands North Atlantic Wing. In 1944, more than 8,400 aircraft passed though Dow, after the end of the European war in May 1945, many aircraft returned to the United States via Dow. The base was drawn down during the demobilization in late 1945, one of the first USAAF groups assigned to Air Defense Command, the unit was responsible for the air defense of the northeastern United States. In July 1947, the deployed to Muroc AFB, California. First operational production USAF F-84Bs arrived at Dow AFB on 7 November, throughout the winter of 1947–48, the 14th Fighter Wing lost three F-84s at Dow. Investigators found that the aircraft performed better in the cold Maine climate than during testing in the California desert, on 25 August 1948, Dow Air Force Base was assigned to one of ADCs first Air Divisions, the 26th Air Division. That year, Deblois Bombing Range was opened nearby and the old Milford Air Force Auxiliary Airfield became part of an Air Force survival school a few years later, in July 1949, the 14th Fighter Wing sent sixteen F-84Bs to celebrate New York Citys new Idlewild Airport. The group was inactivated on 2 October 1949 due to budget cuts, in the early 1950s, Dow AFB was expanded and rebuilt. A long jet runway was laid parallel to the wartime NW/SE main runway. The older facilities were abandoned and ultimately were torn down, today, they are a wooded area on the southwest side of the airport. Dow AFB was activated on 1 January 1951, the 4009th Air Base Squadron supported the facility and supervise the remaining construction. During the Korean War, the Maine Air National Guard was brought into service at the base
27.
Duluth Air National Guard Base
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Duluth Air National Guard Base is a United States Air National Guard base located on the grounds of Duluth International Airport. It is home to the 148th Fighter Wing, the City of Duluth purchased the original property for the airport in 1929 from St. Louis County. The airport was constructed on 640 acres of land with two 2, 650-foot sod runways, subsequently, in 1930, the airfield was dedicated as a public airport. The airport was called the Williamson-Johnson Municipal Airport until 1963 at which time it was renamed Duluth International Airport. After World War II, the U. S. Air Force constructed permanent and semi-permanent facilities on land leased from the City of Duluth for use by the active Air Force and the Air National Guard. Beginning in 1948, the Minnesota Air National Guard built permanent facilities on the east end of the field. Air Defense Command activated the 11th Fighter Interceptor Squadron on 1 December 1952, the 11th flew from Duluth until 1968, flying F-51H Mustangs, F-86D Sabrejets, F-89H/J Scorpions, F-102A Delta Daggers, and lastly F-106A Delta Dart interceptors. In 1968, the squadron was redesignated the 87th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron, in 1966, the Air Defense Command 29th Air Division, operated a Semi Automatic Ground Environment radar command and control center from the airport. SAGE was a control system for tracking and intercepting enemy bomber aircraft used by NORAD. In later versions, the system could direct aircraft to an interception by sending commands directly to the aircrafts autopilot. In 1969, the SAGE facility closed and the 23d Air Division replaced it, the 23d AD which was responsible for the air defense of the upper midwest. The USAF phased out its Air Defense facilities in 1982, along with its commercial airport usage, the Minnesota Air National Guards 148th Fighter Wing, an Air Combat Command -gained unit, is located at the airport. The air national guard base occupies 153.3 acres on the northeast corner of the airport, the munitions storage area, which is physically separated from the main base, occupies 16.71 acres north of Runway 09/27. The base has a total of 37 buildings,18 industrial and 19 administrative, normal ANG population is 320 personnel but surges to 1100 at least once each month during unit training assembly drill sessions for the entire wing. The 148th previously flew the F-16A ADF and currently flies the F-16C Fighting Falcon. afhra. af. mil/. A Handbook of Aerospace Defense Organization 1946 -1980, by Lloyd H. Cornett and Mildred W. Johnson, Office of History, Aerospace Defense Center, Peterson Air Force Base, Colorado Winkler, David F. Searching the skies, the legacy of the United States Cold War defense radar program, prepared for United States Air Force Headquarters Air Combat Command. Information for Duluth AFS, MN information for Duluth, MN
28.
Eglin Air Force Base
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Eglin Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base located approximately 3 miles southwest of Valparaiso, Florida in Okaloosa County. The host unit at Eglin is the 96th Test Wing, the 96 TW is the test and evaluation center for Air Force air-delivered weapons, navigation and guidance systems, Command and Control systems, and Air Force Special Operations Command systems. Eglin AFB was established in 1935 as the Valparaiso Bombing and Gunnery Base and it is named in honor of Lieutenant Colonel Frederick I. Eglin, who was killed in a crash of his Northrop A-17 pursuit aircraft on a flight from Langley to Maxwell Field, Eglin is an Air Force Materiel Command base serving as the focal point for all Air Force armaments. Eglin is responsible for the development, acquisition, testing, deployment and sustainment of all air-delivered non-nuclear weapons, the base plans, directs and conducts test and evaluation of U. S. and allied air armament, navigation and guidance systems, and command and control systems. Severe weather testing of aircraft and other equipment is carried out here at the McKinley Climatic Laboratory, the residential portion of the base is a census-designated place, its population was 8,082 at the 2000 census. Eglin Air Force Base has 2,359 military family housing units, unmarried junior enlisted members generally live in one of Eglin’s seven dormitories located near the dining hall, chapel, base gym, Enlisted Club and bus lines on base. Each individual unit generally handles dormitory assignments, bachelor Officer Quarters are not available. Several units and one dormitory are currently being renovated in 2011, Eglin is also one of the few military air bases in the U. S. to have scheduled passenger airline service as the Destin–Fort Walton Beach Airport is co-located on the base property. The 96 TW is the test and evaluation wing for Air Force air-delivered weapons, navigation and guidance systems, Command and Control systems, the Eglin Gulf Test Range provides approximately 130,000 square miles of over water airspace. The 96 TW reports to the Air Force Test Center at Edwards AFB, the 33d FW Nomads is the largest tenant unit at Eglin. The 33 FW is a joint graduate flying and maintenance training wing for the F-35 Lightning II, organized under Air Education and Training Commands 19th Air Force. Reactivated at Eglin on 1 April 1965 with F-4C Phantom IIs, as of 1 October 2009, the 33d FW transitioned to a training wing for the new F-35 Joint Strike Fighter. The final F-15s assigned to the 33d departed the base in September 2009, as the first of its kind in the Department of Defense, the joint wing is responsible for F-35 JSF pilot and maintainer training for the Air Force, Marine Corps and the Navy. The first of 59 F-35s arrived from Fort Worth, Texas on 14 July 2011, the F-35A made its first flight on 15 December 2006. The VFA-101 Grim Reapers are authorized operate 15 assigned F-35C aircraft, the F-35C is a carrier-capable low-observable multi-role fighter aircraft, designed to provide unmatched airborne power projection from the sea. The F-35C bears structural modifications from the other variants, necessitated by the increased resiliency required for carrier operations, the wing tests every fighter, bomber, unmanned aerial vehicle, and associated weapon system in the Air Force inventory. The wing reports to the USAF Air Warfare Center at Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada and these weapons include air-launched cruise missiles, standoff missiles, and gravity bombs
29.
Edwards Air Force Base
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Edwards Air Force Base is a United States Air Force installation in southern California, located approximately 22 miles northeast of Lancaster and 15 miles east of Rosamond. It operates the U. S. Air Force Test Pilot School and is home to NASAs Armstrong Flight Research Center, previously known as Muroc Air Force Base, Edwards AFB is named in honor of Captain Glen Edwards. Edwards became a test pilot in 1943 and spent much of his time at Muroc Army Air Field, on Californias high desert and he died in the crash of a Northrop YB-49 flying wing near Muroc AFB on 5 June 1948. The base is next to Rogers Dry Lake, an endorheic salt pan whose hard dry lake surface provides a natural extension to Edwards runways. This large landing area, combined with excellent year-round weather, makes the good for flight testing. The lake is a National Historic Landmark, the base has played a significant role in the development of virtually every aircraft to enter the Air Force inventory since World War II. Almost every United States military aircraft since the 1950s has been at least partially tested at Edwards, the Wing also oversees the base’s day-to-day operations and provides support for military, federal civilian, and contract personnel assigned to Edwards AFB. 412th Operations Group. There are eight flight test squadrons under the 412th Operations Group with as many as 20 aircraft assigned to each, the 412 OS flies an average of 90 aircraft with upwards of 30 different aircraft designs. It also performs more than 7,400 missions on an annual basis and they provide the tools, talent and equipment for the core disciplines of aircraft structures, propulsion, avionics and electronic warfare evaluation of the latest weapon system technologies. The Project and Resource Management Divisions provide the foundation for the program management of test missions. 412th Civil Engineer Division 412th Maintenance Group 412th Medical Group 412th Mission Support Group U. S, the comprehensive curriculum of Test Pilot School is fundamental to the success of flight test and evaluation. There are a vast array of organizations at Edwards that do not fall under the 412th Test Wing and these units do everything from providing an on-base grocery store to testing state-of-the-art rockets. The 31st Test and Evaluation Squadron provides Air Combat Command personnel to support combined test, established in 1917, it is one of the oldest units of the United States Air Force. The Desert Pirates are part of the 53d Test and Evaluation Group, Nellis AFB, Nevada, the 31st is staffed with a mixture of operations, maintenance and engineering experts who plan and conduct tests, evaluate effectiveness and suitability, and influence system design. The squadrons personnel are integrated into the B-1, B-2, B-52, Global Hawk, MQ-9 and their results and conclusions support Department of Defense acquisition, deployment and employment decisions. AFOTEC Detachment 5 is responsible for conducting the operational test and evaluation of USAF aircraft, certification by Detachment 5 is required in advance prior to new aircraft prior to AFMC full rate production and combat fielding decisions. During 1978 and 1979, an AFFTC test pilot and a pair of flight test engineers were engaged in testing with Lockheeds low-observable technology demonstrator. The successful conduct of tests led immediately to the development of the F-117A Nighthawk
30.
Ellington Field Joint Reserve Base
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The host wing for the installation is the Texas Air National Guards 147th Reconnaissance Wing. Opened in 1917, Ellington Field was one of thirty-two Air Service training camps established after the United States entry into World War I. It is named for 1st Lt. Eric Ellington, a U. S. Army aviator who was killed in a crash in San Diego. The United States Air Forces 147th Reconnaissance Wing is an Air National Guard unit operationally-gained by the Air Combat Command, the 147 RW provides a 24/7 capability with MQ-1B Predator Unmanned Aerial Systems. A collocated Air Support Operations Squadron provides terminal control for weapons employment in a Close Air Support scenario, integrating combat air, new construction designated under the Grow the Army project was completed in 2010. The project consisted of ten buildings for the Army National Guard and reserve units, “This will be a tremendous cost benefit to the Army Reserve as travel and logistical costs will be streamlined, ” noted Major General Eldon Regua, 75th division commander. The $80 million construction project includes a 40, 000-square-foot Battle Command Training Center, a second Armed Forces Reserve Center with an assembly hall and offices, a Welcome Center, which will handle retention, recruitment and military identification services. In 1917, the U. S. government purchased 1,280 acres of land from Dr. R. W. Knox, the location, near Genoa Township in southeast Houston, was selected because the weather conditions were ideal for flight training. Soldiers from nearby Camp Logan briefly assisted with the construction of the airfield when civilian workers went on strike. Soon after construction began on the airfield, the base was named after Lt. Eric Lamar Ellington, the base, which consisted of a few hangars and some wooden headquarters buildings, was completed in a matter of months. In December, the first planes from Ellington Field flew over Houston for a benefit for the American Red Cross, a flight of ten JN-4s took off from grass runways and followed the interurban tracks stretching north from Genoa to Houston. Throngs of men, women, and children watched in amazement as the JN-4s flew overhead, the roar of the aircraft was almost drowned out by the wail of sirens and factory whistles as the planes passed over. As the planes circled the city, they dropped paper flyers for the American Red Cross, next, the formation flew to Camp Logan and then turned south toward Galveston Island. The entire flight took about an hour, during World War I, Ellington served as an advanced flight training base. As of 1918, Ellington had its own gunnery and bombing range on a peninsula in the Gulf of Mexico near San Leon. Within the year, however, this changed for the worse. By August 1918, Ellington Field recorded the most pilot fatalities of the 18 U. S. Army Air Service training bases in the United States, before the end of the war, approximately 5,000 men and 250 aircraft were assigned to the base. Ellington was considered surplus to requirements after World War I and the base was inactivated as an active duty airfield in January 1920, in May 1923, the War Department had ordered the small caretaker force at Ellington Field to dismantle all remaining structures and to sell them as surplus
31.
Ellsworth Air Force Base
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Ellsworth Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base located approximately 10 miles northeast of Rapid City, South Dakota just north of Box Elder, South Dakota. The host unit at Ellsworth is the 28th Bomb Wing assigned to the Global Strike Commands Eighth Air Force. The 28 BW is one of only two B-1B Lancer strategic bomber wings in the United States Air Force, the other being the 7th Bomb Wing at Dyess AFB, Texas. Since 2015 the 28th Bomb Wing is commanded by Colonel Gentry Boswell, a controversial expansion of a bomber training area encompassing the Northern Plains known as the Powder River Training Complex began in 2008. Ellsworth AFB is 10 miles east of Rapid City, S. D, the mission of the 28th Bomb Wing is to deliver combat power for global military response. It is divided into the 28th Operations Group, the 28th Maintenance Group, the 28th Mission Support Group, Ellsworths population of approximately 8,000 includes military members, family members and civilian employees. The bases sister city, Rapid City, has a population of just more than 62,500, there are about 3,800 military retirees in Western South Dakota. 28th Operations Group Provides combat-ready B-1 aircraft and crews to support Joint Chiefs of Staff taskings, including conventional theater operations and power projection. The 28th Operations Group has three squadrons under its command to assist in accomplishing its mission—the 28th Operations Support Squadron, the 34th Bomb Squadron, additionally, the group directs the implementation of plans supporting pre-planned and contingency mobility taskings in support of national objectives. 28th Mission Support Group Provides mission essential “city” services at home, additionally, the group supports the base community through fire protection, disaster preparedness, family support. Recreational opportunities are provided in the form of clubs, fitness facilities. 28th Medical Group Tenant Units Air Force Financial Services Center Area Defense Counsel Detachment 226 AFOSI Detachment 8,372 TRS Ellsworth AFB was established in 1941 as Rapid City Army Air Base. It is named in honor of Brigadier General Richard E. Ellsworth, during World War II Ellsworth flew 400 missions in the China Burma India Theater. At the time of his death he commanded the 28th Strategic Reconnaissance Wing, on 2 January 1942, the U. S. War Department established Rapid City Army Air Base as a location for B-17 Flying Fortress heavy bomber units. The airfield had three runways, 7050x300, 7000x300, 7872x300. Rapid City AAF was assigned to the 17th Bombardment Training Wing, the 88th Bombardment Group was reassigned to the new base in October 1942 to be the bases Operational Training Unit. The fields instructors taught thousands of pilots, navigators, radio operators and gunners from nine heavy bombardment groups, all training focused on the Allied drive to overthrow the Axis powers in Europe
32.
England Air Force Base
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England Air Force Base is a former United States Air Force base in Louisiana, located 5 miles Northwest of Alexandria and about 170 miles Northwest of New Orleans. Originally known as Alexandria Army Air Base, on 23 June 1955 the facility was renamed England Air Force Base in honor of Lt Col John Brooke England, the base was closed in 1992. The airfield and buildings are now Alexandria International Airport, the base was opened on 21 October 1942 and during the Second World War performed Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress aircrew training. It was placed on inactive status on September 23,1946, although a cadre of Army. On 10 October 1950, the United States Air Force reopened Alexandria Air Force Base during the Korean War, the stations primary mission was tactical fighter operations for Tactical Air Command. ANG personnel trained at Alexandria AFB 1950/51, being replaced by active duty Air Force personnel in 1951/52, 366th Fighter-Bomber Wing,1 January 1953 –1 April 1959 Active duty Air Force wing activated at Alexandria AFB. Three operational squadrons being equipped with North American F-51D Mustang. Wing became first TAC unit to perform six-month TDY rotations with NATO at Aviano AB, Italy, with continuing to support NATO in France. Redesignated 366th Tactical Fighter Wing 1 July 1958, inactivated 1 April 1959 as part of a general budgetary reduction of USAF wings. Aircraft transferred to Air National Guard, 420th Air Refueling Squadron,18 March 1954 –4 October 1955. 1st Air Commando/Special Operations Wing 15 January 1966 –15 July 1969 317th, 319th, redesignated 1st SOW8 July 1968. Redesignated as Group,15 September 1970, inactivated July 1973 due to US withdrawal from South Vietnam. Upon group inactivation, 6th SOTS reassigned to 1st SOW at Hurlburt Field but remained at England AFB until inactivation, on 15 September 1970, the 4403d Tactical Fighter Wing, a temporary Major Air Command-Controlled unit, activated at England. With its subordinate 416th and 431st Tactical Fighter Squadrons, it absorbed returning North American F-100 Super Sabre aircraft of 31st TFW from Tuy Hoa Air Base South Vietnam and it transferred aircraft and other assets to the Air National Guard. Acted as holding unit for arriving LTV A-7D Corsair II aircraft starting April 1972, the 4403d TFW and the 416th TFS both inactivated on 1 July 1972. On 1 July 1972, the 23d Tactical Fighter Wing reactivated at the base, without personnel or equipment, three A-7D tactical fighter squadrons formed. The wing re-equipped with Fairchild Republic A-10 Thunderbolt II aircraft in 1981, redesignated 23d Fighter Wing 1 October 1991. Alexandria AFB was base for Air Defense Command interceptor and radar units along the Gulf Coast, in 1959, the 332d Fighter-Interceptor Squadron, assigned to the 32d Air Division stationed F-102 Delta Dagger interceptors at the base between 1959-1960
33.
Ent Air Force Base
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The Ent Air Force Base was an Air Force base located in the Knob Hill neighborhood of Colorado Springs, Colorado. A tent city, established in 1943 to build the base, was commanded by Major General Uzal Girard Ent for whom the base is named. The base was opened in 1951, from 1957 to 1963, the base was the site of North American Aerospace Defense Command, which moved to the Cheyenne Mountain Air Force Station. The base became the Ent Annex to the Cheyenne Mountain facility in 1975, the facility was closed in 1976. The Ent Air Force Base site later became the location of the United States Olympic Training Center, the first Air Defense Command was established on 26 February 1940 by the War Department. On 2 March 1940, it was put under the First Army Commander and it managed air defense within four geographic air districts. It was deactivated in mid-1944 when the threat of air attack seemed minimal, by the time of the United States Air Force creation in 1947, as a separate service, it was widely acknowledged the Air Force would be the center point of this defensive effort. The Air Force established the Continental Air Command under both the Air Defense Command and Tactical Air Command on 1 December 1948, at which time Commanding General Gordon P. Saville took command, the Air Defense Command was deactivated as a major command on 1 July 1950. The Air Defense Command was reconstituted by the United States Air Force 1 January 1951 to protect the United States air space, the portion of the country east of the 103rd meridian was managed by the Eastern Air Defense Force. The command for the Western Air Defense Force was at Ent Air Force Base, the functions included an early warning system to identify and respond to impending air attacks, including fighter interception. Subordinate Air Force commands were given responsibility to protect the regions of the United States. The Colorado Springs Tent Camp was the headquarters for the Second Air Force beginning early June 1943 and it was moved from Fort George Wright in the state of Washington to the more central location within the western half of the United States—the Second Air Force territory. The tent city was used for soldiers who worked on the conversion of the National Methodist Sanatorium for military use, beginning in 1943, the Second Air Force was commanded by Major General Uzal Girard Ent who became the Commanding General after having been the Chief of Staff. Ent retired due to disability in the line of duty, due to injuries he sustained in a B-25 crash in October 1944 during takeoff, Major General Robert B. Williams became the commanding officer of the Second Air Force in October 1944, he retired 1 July 1946. The facility became inactive when the 15th Air Force headquarters was assigned to March Air Force Base in November 1949. There were discussions about the city taking over the now unused property, on 1 January 1951, the Air Defense Command was reestablished at Mitchel Air Force Base, under the command of Commanding General Ennis Whitehead, later Lieutenant General. One week later the command was moved to Colorado Springs, the Ent Air Force Base, named for Major General Uzal Girard Ent, opened on 8 January 1951. The Air Defense Command inherited 21 fighter squadrons from Continental Air Command and 37 Air National Guard fighter squadrons assigned an M-Day air defense mission and it was also assigned four Air Divisions
34.
Burlington International Airport
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Burlington International Airport is a joint-use civil-military airport in Chittenden County, Vermont, United States. It is owned by the city of Burlington, Vermont, the airport is located in South Burlington, three nautical miles east of the central business district of Burlington. As per Federal Aviation Administration records, the airport had 640,790 passenger boardings in calendar year 2010 and this airport is included in the FAAs National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems for 2011–2015, which categorized it as a primary commercial service airport. The airport serves as the base of the 158th Fighter Wing, Vermont Air National Guard, on Saturday, August 14,1920, the first aircraft landed at what became the Burlington Municipal Airport. It had been a 72 acres cornfield, Airport developers took a lease on the land for one year for $100. On May 22,1934, at the airport, Amelia Earhart was presented with the keys to the city of Burlington. With the onset of the Second World War, the United States government created a Defense Zone extending inland 150 miles from the coastline, where private aircraft were restricted from operating. Due to increased demand, the Burlington Municipal Airport was noted as being the busiest airport in the world on both August 14,1942 and February 11,1943, with 662 and 793 landings respectively, in 1970, Mohawk Airlines introduced the first jet service to the airport. On May 11,1971 Burlington voters approved a $1.25 Million bond for a new 40 and this terminal opened October 7,1973. From 2000 to 2008, the experienced a increase in growth. Since 2000, $24 million in renovations and expansion has been invested at Burlington, the airport set a local record in July 2008 when 79,154 passengers flew from Burlington, the first time the figure has crossed 70,000. BTV enplaned over 759,000 people in 2008, a 7. 3% increase from 2007, Burlington International Airport serves its metropolitan area, which contained over 206,000 residents as of 2006 U. S. Census estimates. Due to the small size of the market, airlines mostly fly regional airliners on their Burlington routes. JetBlue Airways, United Airlines, and Delta Air Lines notably fly some of the daily flights using mainline aircraft. Atlanta, Georgia is the farthest destination served by any airline out of BTV, in 2008, Big Sky Airlines stopped flying the Boston route. The airport has used natural resources such as marble and granite, in 2009, the airport had fifteen gates serving seven airlines. On February 3,2010, it was announced that AirTran Airways would not be returning to Burlington, AirTran planned on resuming service in the spring of 2010, but due to various reasons not specified they did not. AirTran service lasted for 8 months in 2009, allegiant Air ended service from BTV in March of 2017
35.
Fairfax Field
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Fairfax Field was an early United States Air Force installation north of Kansas City, Kansas. Military use of the site continued as late as 1957 by the Strategic Air Commands 3903rd Radar Bomb Scoring Group for bombing practice, the airfield was first used in 1921 for an air meet and became the 1925 Sweeney Airport and the 1928 Fairfax Airport. A naval reserve air base was established at Fairfax Field in 1935, a Navy squadron, in 1937 Fairfax acted as an army reserve base with Douglas O-46 observation planes, and by 1938 the airport had four runways, including one 2,700 ft long. Fairfaxs U. S. Naval Reserve aviation base, had a 30-day pre-flight training course in 1940, Fairfax still had Barracks U. S. Navy in 1946. Survey work for Air Force Plant NC had begun in December 1940, the USAAF leased the Fairfax Airport from the city and the Works Projects Administration sponsored expansion of the four civilian runways. The government purchased a 75 acres alfalfa field for the plant, b-25 production began in December 1941, and Fairfaxs first B-25D was accepted in February 1942. About 300 students were admitted before the school was closed in October as a duplicate of a Chanute Field course, the 81st AAF Technical Training Detachment activated 22 February 1943 and designated, effective 30 August, to supervise apprentice crew chiefs at the Modification Center. January AAF policy was for each selected as a crew chief to be assigned an aircraft as it left the factory, review its modifications at the center. B-25 modifications only took a week until the B-25G gunship modifications for Pacific War anti-shipping missions, from May-Sep 1944 a detachment of Women Airforce Service Pilots was at Fairfax. The 33d Ferrying Group was designated on 1 April 1944 from the 2d Ferrying Squadron, womens Air Service Pilots were organized at Fairfax on 1 May 1944, and from Fairfax the 33d delivered 6,202 aircraft to CONUS bases and 251 abroad. During the Fairfax transition to P-80 production, the 33d Ferrying Group was discontinued, on 2 March 1945, Military Air Transport moved an air freight terminal to Fairfax from Kansas City, Missouri, and had 362 personnel in June, the largest operating location in the division. For ferrying, Fairfax became a location of Rosecrans Army Airfield on 15 April 1945 with its pilots traveling to Fairfax for sorties. In 1945,1,044 military transports used the field in July, a USAAF C-47 crashed on September 15,1945 on take off into the north bank of the Missouri Rivers curve, killing all 24 aboard. The detachment scored Convair B-36 Peacemaker runs during 1953, the 1955 SAC Bombing and Navigation Competition, the Kansas City aiming point for the 1957 operation was the base of the northeast corner of the Columbian Steel Tank Company at the corner of 12th/Liberty streets. In October 1948,37 Air Force Reserve planes at Fairfax flew 1,844 hours and in 1949, on May 22,1950, Fairfaxs 2472d AF Reserve Training Center and 442d Troop Carrier Wing moved to Naval Air Technical Training Center Olathe. In 1953, a F-94 crashed on attempting a return, killing the pilot, from 18 December 1953 –1 March 1954, the 326th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron was assigned to Fairfax, and a F-84 crashed near the citys business district killing the pilot and three residents. On September 1,1954, Air Defense Command was placed under Continental Air Defense Command and all Fairfax ADC units moved nearby to the new Grandview Air Force Base near Kansas City, History of Strategic Air and Ballistic Missile Defense, Volume I, 1945-1955. US Army Center of Military History
36.
Naval Air Station Fallon
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Naval Air Station Fallon or NAS Fallon is the United States Navys premier air-to-air and air-to-ground training facility. It is located southeast of the city of Fallon in western Nevada in the United States, since 1996, it has been home to the Naval Fighter Weapons School, and the surrounding area contains 240,000 acres of bombing and electronic warfare ranges. It is also home to the Naval Strike and Air Warfare Center, which includes TOPGUN, the Carrier Airborne Early Warning Weapons School, Navy SEAL Combat Search and Rescue training also takes place here. The airfield is named Van Voorhis Field in honor of Lieutenant Bruce Van Voorhis who was awarded a posthumous Medal of Honor, the airfield at NAS Fallon was originally built in 1942 as part of a defensive network to repel a feared Japanese invasion of the west coast. It was soon taken over by the Navy for training use and has used as such ever since with the exception of the period of 1946 to 1951. During these same years prior to 1972, many troops were temporarily assigned to NAAS Fallon for their hot weather training. The Navy relocated its Navy Fighter Weapons School, or TOPGUN, from NAS Miramar to NAS Fallon in 1996, following the transfer of NAS Miramar to the Marine Corps and this move resulted in the construction of a new ramp, hangars and academic buildings. As a result, VFC-13 replaced the disestablished VFA-127 in the adversary role. Associated bombing ranges checker the surrounding Lahontan Valley and Dixie Valley, Dixie Valley also contains a simulated air defense network, including approximately 20 operational radar installations. Many demilitarized armored vehicles, including some exotics, have been scattered throughout the area, most of this area is publicly accessible, with the exception of areas immediately surrounding the radar installations. The entire training area surrounding NAS Fallon is known as the Fallon Range Training Complex, between 1956 and 1975, the United States Air Force Air Defense Command operated a General Surveillance Radar station at NAS Fallon. The Air Force area was named Fallon Air Force Station and designated ADC site SM-156, the 858th Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron moved to Fallon AFS from Hamilton Air Force Base, California in the south central section of NAS Fallon in 1956. It initially activated AN/MPS-7 search and AN/MPS-14 height-finder radar sets, and initially the station functioned as a Ground Control Intercept, as a GCI station, the squadrons role was to guide interceptor aircraft toward unidentified intruders picked up on the units radar scopes. An AN/FPS-3 search set briefly saw service in 1959, during 1962 Fallon AFS joined the Semi Automatic Ground Environment system, initially feeding data to DC-16 at Stead AFB, Nevada. After joining, the squadron was redesignated as the 858th Radar Squadron on 1 December 1962, the radar squadron provided information 24/7 the SAGE Direction Center where it was analyzed to determine range, direction altitude speed and whether or not aircraft were friendly or hostile. Also in this frame, the radar site was relocated from the original location in the south central part of the Naval Air Station grounds to the far southwest corner. At the new SAGE radar site, the squadron used an AN/FPS-35 search radar replaced the AN/MPS-7 set in 1963. In 1964 an AN/FPS-6 height-finder radar was added, the AN/MPS-14 radar was retired in 1969
37.
Fort Heath
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The fort was part of the Harbor Defenses of Boston and was garrisoned by the United States Army Coast Artillery Corps. The Grover Cliff geodetic survey station marker was emplaced in 1847, November 1890 planning for the military site was for 3 artillery rifles and 16 mortars, and by spring 1898 Lieutenant Sewail was in charge of construction. Major Morris of the Seventh Heavy Artillery was the initial commander, additional land was considered in 1901 for a Fort Heath garrison, and the fort was inspected by the Ordnance Department in 1902. Fort Heath was a station for a 1907 naval exercise. In 1908 the fort had a house and a sea wall was considered. After the 1925 renaming of the Coast Defenses of Boston to the Harbor Defenses of Boston, a federal survey marker was set in the roof of the southernmost of the three fire control buildings at the fort in line at the northern end of Battery Winthrop. The marker on the BC structure is indicated on the 1921 map. Gun #3 of Battery Winthrop was about 120 ft. southeast of this marker, the United States Coast Guard radio station at Fort Heath opened on November 12,1931, and was initially used for testing traffic…relayed from Point Bonita, California. The station had three 50-foot masts in 1934 but as a trial for determining if Navy facilities could instead handle USCG radio traffic, the station at Winthrop closed from 1934 to 1936. Subsequently, operating until 1939 when the site was taken over by the Army, antiaircraft Artillery Battery No.4 was designated in 1935 after the 3rd gun pad was constructed in 1934 for 3 AAA guns. The three emplacements were south of a radar and west of the Theo, Winthrop foundations, and the three guns were approved on January 8,1942, to be moved to Fort Ruckman. The United States Navy Field Test Station, Fort Heath, established by 1938 included a Massachusetts Institute of Technology research facility for Fire Control Systems, from September–November 1941 the camouflage training school for the First Coast Artillery District was conducted by the Corps of Engineers at Fort Heath. The FAA operated the ARSR-1 until the mid-to-late 1990s, and by 2005, 9th Coast Artillery Seacoast defense in the United States United States Army Coast Artillery Corps Berhow, Mark A. Ed. American Seacoast Defenses, A Reference Guide, Third Edition, Seacoast Fortifications of the United States
38.
Fort Lee (Virginia)
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Fort Lee also hosts two Army museums, the U. S. Army Quartermaster Museum and the U. S. Army Womens Museum. The Armys Ordnance Museum relocated to Fort Lee in 2009-2010 and has plans to return its collection to display at Fort Lee. The fort is named for Confederate General Robert E. Lee, Fort Lee is also a census-designated place, with population of 3,393 at the 2010 census. Just 18 days after a state of war with Germany was declared, in June 1917, building began and within sixty days some 14,000 men were on the installation. When construction work ended, there were accommodations for 60,335 men, on 15 July 1917, the War Department announced that the camp would be named in honor of General Robert E. Lee, the most famous of the Confederate Civil War commanders. After World War I, Camp Lee was taken over by the Commonwealth of Virginia, later, portions of the land were incorporated into the Petersburg National Battlefield and the Federal Correctional Institution, Petersburg. In 1920 Camp Lee was still active, as the US1920 Census showed many soldiers stationed there. In October 1940, the War Department ordered the construction of another Camp Lee on the site of the earlier installation, built as rapidly as the first, construction was still ongoing when the Quartermaster Replacement Training Center started operation in February 1941. Their number grew to 25,000 in 1942, and peaked at 35,000 in 1944, Camp Lee was also the home of a Medical Replacement Training Center, but as the Quartermaster training increased, it was decided to relocate the MRTC at Camp Pickett. Later, the QMRTC was re-designated as an Army Services Forces Training Center, while the QMRTC was getting underway, the Quartermaster School was transferred to Camp Lee. A full program of courses was conducted, including Officer Candidate School, by the end of 1941, Camp Lee was the center of both basic and advanced training of Quartermaster personnel and held this position throughout the war. When World War II ended, the fate of Camp Lee was in question, in 1946, the War Department announced that Camp Lee would be retained as a center for Quartermaster training. Official recognition of its permanent status was obtained in 1950 and the post was redesignated as Fort Lee, immediately troops began Quartermaster training for the Korean War and continued for the next three years. Fort Lee also had a Womens Army Corps training center, after the Korean War, progress was made on an ambitious permanent building program. Under the twenty-year program, Fort Lee changed from an installation of wooden structures to a modern Army post with permanent brick. The Quartermaster Training Center, created to supervise the training of Quartermaster personnel and troop units, as a result, the courses formerly taught at other locations were incorporated in the curriculum of the Quartermaster School. Profound changes were evident at Fort Lee during 1962, the post became a Class 1 military installation under Second United States Army. The Quartermaster School became a part of the Continental Army Command service school system and was selected to serve as the home of the Quartermaster Corps and Corps Historian
39.
Spokane International Airport
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Spokane International Airport is a commercial airport located approximately 5 miles west of downtown Spokane, Washington. The airports code, GEG, is derived from its airfields namesake, as of 2015, Spokane International Airport ranks as the 70th-busiest airport in the United States in terms of passenger enplanements. At 3,234,095 total passengers served in 2016, GEG is currently served by five airlines with non-stop service to 13 airports in 12 markets. Known as Sunset Field before 1941, it was purchased from the county by the War Department and renamed Geiger Field after Major Harold Geiger and it was also used by Air Technical Service Command as an aircraft maintenance and supply depot, Deer Park Airport and Felts Field were auxiliaries. Geiger Field was served by a connection to the Great Northern Railway. Geiger was closed in late 1945 and turned over to War Assets Administration, then transferred to Spokane County, the airport hosted USAF Air Defense Command interceptor units during the Cold War for air defense of Hanford Nuclear Reservation and Grand Coulee Dam. Built in 1942 as the Spokane Air Depot, Fairchild Air Force Base is four miles to the west. It became Spokanes municipal airport in 1946, replacing Felts Field, the airport code is still GEG, for Geiger Field. The current Concourse A and B complex opened in 1965 and was designed by Warren C, occasional non-stop flights to southern California since the 1970s have been among the first to be suspended during economic downturns. A second level was added to Concourse A and Concourse B in 1974, the airport has a Master Plan, which includes a third runway and gates added to Concourse C. A new control tower has been south of the airport. The new control tower is the tallest one in the State, the Terminal, Rotunda, and Concourse C Enhancement Project was recently completed, designed by Bernardo/Wills Architects, P. C. The project, which concluded in November 2006, added retail space, in 2010,2000 feet was added to Runway 3–21, and parallel taxiways A and G enabling heavier aircraft departures in summer months. Concourse A and B are located in the area and are connected by a central rotunda area with dining and shopping vendors. Concourse A houses 5 gates, while Concourse B houses 8 gates, the concourse originally opened in 1965 and was designed by Warren C. Designed to the Neo-Expressionism style, the buildings architecture prominently features exposed concrete as well as distinct sculpted and monolithic architectural shapes and forms. However, as the airport has continued to expand through its modern history. While several expansions to the concourse matched and extended the architectural style of the building
40.
George Air Force Base
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George Air Force Base is a former United States Air Force base located within city limits,8 miles northwest of central Victorville, California, about 75 miles northeast of Los Angeles, California. The facility was closed by the Base Realignment and Closure 1992 commission at the end of the Cold War and it is now the site of Southern California Logistics Airport. Established by the United States Army Air Corps as an Advanced Flying School in June 1941 and it was again activated as a training base by the United States Air Force with the outbreak of the Korean War in November 1950. It remained a training base throughout the Cold War, primarily for Tactical Air Command training pilots in front-line USAF fighters until being closed in 1993. Since 2009, the California Air National Guards 196th Reconnaissance Squadron has operated an MQ-1 Predator Remotely Piloted Aircraft training facility at the Southern California Logistics Airport, George Air Force Base was named in honor of Brigadier General Harold Huston George. He was a World War I fighter ace, serving with the 185th and 139th Aero Squadrons, at the beginning of World War II he was assigned to the V Interceptor Command, Far East Air Force in the Philippines. There, he directed air operations in defense of the islands in Manila Bay. Withdrawn to Australia, he died on 29 April 1942 in an accident near Darwin. A Curtiss P-40 of the 49th Fighter Group, piloted by Lt. George, Time-Life war correspondent Melvin Jacoby, and base personnel 2nd Lt. Robert D. Jasper, a number of others received injuries, but the P-40 pilot survived. George Air Force Base was named for the general in June 1950. In April 1940, civic leaders from Victorville, California approached the United States Army with a proposal to develop an airfield in the High Mojave Desert. They promoted the areas 360-days per year of sunny weather, abundance of wide-open spaces, runway construction consisted of a four runway configuration along with seven hangars. To conserve critical materials, most facilities were constructed of wood, concrete, brick, gypsum board, the station was designed to be nearly self-sufficient, with not only hangars, but barracks, warehouses, hospitals, dental clinics, dining halls, and maintenance shops were needed. There were libraries, social clubs for officers, and enlisted men, over 250 buildings, together with complete water, sewer, electric and gas utilities, the airfield served over 4,000 military personnel. Training began in February 1942 on Curtiss AT-9s, T-6 Texans, and AT-17s for pilots, the Army operated an advanced twin-engine pilot training school at the field, its graduated generally flying C-47 Skytrain transports, B-25 Michell or B-26 Marauder medium bombers. The school also trained replacement crew members in the B-25 and B-26, the first class of flying cadets graduated on April 24,1942. In addition to the training, a USAAF Bombardier training school was operated. The 516th, 517th and 518th Twin-Engine Flying Training Squadrons being the flying squadrons, Bombardier training was conducted by the 519th, 520th, 521st and 522d Bombardier Training Squadrons
41.
Glasgow Air Force Base
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Glasgow Air Force Base is a former United States Air Force base located approximately 17 miles north of the city of Glasgow, Valley County, Montana, not far from the Canada–US border. Prior to DoD ownership,605 acres of land were used as a municipal airport. Today the facility is all but unused, being known as Glasgow Industrial Airport which had 30 aircraft landings/takeoffs in 1991, in recent years, the former Air Force Base has seen intermittent use as a testing site for Boeing aircraft designs. The former base housing area is now the community of St. Marie, Montana. Construction of the began in 1955, and GAFB was activated in 1957 as part of Air Defense Command. It was used as a base for interceptors, which operated from a single 8. Glasgow was the home of the ADC 476th Fighter Group from 1957 to 1960, and the 13th Fighter Interceptor Squadron from 1959 to 1968, the base was transferred to the Strategic Air Command in 1960. With the transfer, the length was significantly increased to 13,500 feet, to support the coming operation of Boeing B-52 Stratofortress bombers. In its first year, this became the top wing in Fifteenth Air Force, the wing also received and converted to B-52D aircraft and its 907th Air Refueling Squadron received KC-135A aircraft. With the pending closure of Glasgow, the 91st was taken off alert status, the wing was subsequently inactivated on June 25,1968 and became the 91st Strategic Missile Wing, operating Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missiles at Minot Air Force Base, North Dakota. When the base closed in 1968,16,000 people left the Glasgow area, in 1970, Glasgow had an emigration rate of 33 percent, in 1980 the population fell to 4,500, and it was expected to fall below 4,000 in 1990. The Boeing Company continues to own most of the former Glasgow AFB, the facility supports Boeing Technology Services customers and is maintained and operated by Montana Aviation Research Company, a subsidiary of The Boeing Company
42.
Grand Forks Air Force Base
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Grand Forks Air Force Base is a United States Air Force installation in northeastern North Dakota, located north of Emerado and 16 miles west of Grand Forks. In the 2010 census, the base was counted as a place with a total population of 2,367. Opened 60 years ago in early 1957, the current host unit is the 319th Air Base Wing assigned to the Expeditionary Center of the Air Mobility Command. The 319th Air Base Wing is commanded by Colonel Rodney Lewis, schools on base, Nathan Twining Elementary School. During the Cold War, GFAFB was an installation of the Strategic Air Command, with B-52 bombers, KC-135 tankers. Grand Forks AFB is the home of the Air Mobility Commands 319th Air Base Wing, the 319 ABW is organized into two distinct groups, Mission Support and Medical. It was occupied for use on 28 January 1957, and was named after the city of Grand Forks. Due to the continuance of the Cold War between the United States and the Soviet Union, GFAFB was originally an Air Defense Command fighter-interceptor air base. The site was chosen in 1954 and the land was paid for by the citizens of Grand Forks, the beginning of the 5, 400-acre air base started in 1956 with the construction of a 12, 300-foot runway. On 18 February 1957, the 478th Fighter Group was activated at Grand Forks, the 18th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron was moved from Wurtsmith AFB, Michigan on 1 May 1960, and flew the F-101B Voodoo until 15 April 1971, when it was inactivated and the Voodoos were retired. It was replaced by the 460th FIS, moved from Kingsley Field at Klamath Falls, the 460th FIS flew F-106 Delta Darts until it also was inactivated on 15 July 1974. In addition to the squadrons, a Semi Automatic Ground Environment Data Center was established at Grand Forks in 1958. DC-11 was operated by the Grand Forks Air Defense Sector, activated on 8 December 1957 under the 31st Air Division at Snelling AFS, on 1 January 1959, GFADS was transferred to the operational control of the 29th Air Division at Malmstrom AFB at Great Falls, Montana. SAGE operations were extremely expansive and GFADS was inactivated on 1 December 1963, with the inactivation of DC-11, Grand Forks AFB was reassigned from the Air Defense mission to Strategic Air Command. In 1971, the 18th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron was inactivated and the 460th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron replaced the unit, the DC-11 SAGE blockhouse was later the headquarters of the SAC 321st Strategic Missile Wing. Following the end of Minuteman IIIMinuteman III]] missile operations in 1998, on 3 November 1967, the Department of Defense revealed that GFAFB was one of 10 initial locations to host a Sentinel Anti-Ballistic Missile site. With president Richard Nixons 14 March 1969, announcement constructing a Safeguard installation at Grand Forks became a top priority, however, construction was stalled throughout mid-1969, as Congress debated the merits of BMD. Finally, after the Senate defeated amendments to kill Safeguard deployment, survey teams selected sites in flat wheatlands close to the Canada-Minnesota border, north-northwest of Grand Forks
43.
Griffiss Air Force Base
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Griffiss Air Force Base is a former United States Air Force installation, located in Rome, New York, about 15 miles northwest of Utica in central New York state. Missions at Griffiss AFB included fighter interceptors, electronic research, installation, and support activities, aerial refueling, opened in 1942, the base closed pursuant to BRAC action in 1995 and its airfield is now Griffiss International Airport, owned by Oneida County. In November 1984 the site was added to the National Priorities List because hazardous chemicals were found in soil, in 1999, the site was chosen for the Woodstock 99 Festival, which was held in late July. The festival, notorious for overpricing, triple digit heat, aggressive music, Griffiss Air Force Base is located in Rome, New York, in the Mohawk Valley among the Mohawk River, Six Mile Creek, and the New York State Barge Canal. On April 3,1941, the War Department began looking for an area to construct an air depot in central New York, orders to begin construction came from the War Department on June 23,1941 and ground was broken on August 2,1941. Facilities were completed in February 1942, and flight operations on the airfield began on February 18,1942. Construction had been supervised by Kenneth Nichols of the United States Army Corps of Engineers Syracuse Engineer District, Marshall and then Nichols became District Engineer for the Manhattan Engineer District which built the atomic bomb. After a series of names and realignments, the base was finally named Griffiss Air Force Base in 1948. On February 1,1942, the Rome Air Depot was activated and throughout World War II the depot provided aircraft maintenance and repair. With the end of the war and the reduction of AAF aircraft operations. The Rome Air Depot continued operations well into the 1960s as an Air Force Logistics Command Air Materiel Area supporting USAF electronics, the depot began a phasedown in the early 1960s, with the depot closing in 1967 with its functions being transferred to other AFLC Air Materiel Areas. Although many aircraft landed at Griffiss during the war, the airfield had no permanently stationed flying units, on October 3,1950 the 1st Fighter-Interceptor Group of Air Defense Command became the first permanently assigned USAF flying unit at Griffiss. Although the group moved to California in 1951, its 27th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron remained behind, ADC units were stationed there for the next 30 years as Griffiss became a center for the Northeast air defense mission, and was headquarters of the Northeast Air Defense Sector. The 27th FIS flew Lockheed F-80 Shooting Stars, North American F-86 Sabres, Northrop F-89 Scorpion, Lockheed F-94 Starfires, in October 1955, the 465th FIS was assigned to Griffiss with F-89 Scorpion all-weather fighters. ADC activated the 4727th Air Defense Group as a headquarters for the two squadrons in February 1957 and it became a tenant at Griffiss. The 49th FIS moved, less personnel, equipment, and aircraft from Hanscom AFB, Massachusetts and replaced the 465th FIS in October 1959, receiving, after the transfer, later that year, when the 27th FIS departed Griffiss, the 4727th was discontinued. Electronic research began at the Rome Air Depot in 1949, the Watson Laboratory complex was transferred to Rome from Red Bank, New Jersey between 1950 and 1951. The Rome Air Development Center was begun at the base on June 12,1951, the RADC would be renamed to Rome Laboratory in 1991 as a response to its changing role in research and development
44.
Gunter Annex
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Gunter Annex is a United States Air Force installation located in the North-northeast suburbs of Montgomery, Alabama. The base is named after former Montgomery mayor William Adams Gunter, until 1992 it was known as Gunter Air Force Base or Gunter Air Force Station. It has been a training base since its opening in 1940. Gunter Annex is an installation under the administration of the 42d Air Base Wing at nearby Maxwell Air Force Base. Gunter Annex is the home of the Business and Enterprise Systems, the BES provides and supports secure combat information systems and networks for the United States Air Force, the Department of Defense and other Federal Government Agencies. The BES is a part of the Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, which is headquartered at Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio, the 26th Network Operations Squadron provides network defense for the Air Force Enterprise Network. The host unit of Gunter Annex is the 42d Air Base Wing, the facility is named after William Adams Gunter, a long-time mayor of Montgomery Alabama. Mayor Gunter was an advocate who championed aviation and was a major force behind the construction of the original Montgomery Municipal Airport at this site in 1929. There were several efforts to have the officially named in his honor while he was still living. Although he successfully resisted these efforts, the site is commonly referred to by residents as Gunter Field. In 1940, the Plan for the Expansion of the Air Corps Training Program was published and indicated a need for a flying school in the Montgomery area. The Commandant of the Air Corps Tactical School at Maxwell Field, Colonel Walter Weaver, picked the Montgomery Municipal Airport and this included a newly built, but as yet unoccupied state hospital for tuberculosis patients. In June 1940, the War Department approved the recommendation to lease the land, in August 1940 the first military personnel arrived and construction began. The hospital was used as a building and Colonel Aubrey Hornsby was the project officer and later the first commanding officer. The Army leased the 187 acre municipal airport and purchased an additional 300 acres for the cantonment area, the first class to train at Gunter was 41-C which began instruction on November 28,1940. In late 1940, Mayor Gunter died and, on the recommendation of Colonel Hornsby, by July 1941, construction of the field was largely complete. Gunter was the first base established by the Southeastern Training Center exclusively for Basic Flight Training, students would come to Basic Flight Training after completing Primary Training. In 1941, the Basic course was 10 weeks in length in which the student received 70 flying hours, after completion of the course, students would be chosen for advanced single or multi-engine training
United States
United States Air Force
This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency website http://www.afhra.af.mil/.
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