1.
Boeing
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The Boeing Company is an American multinational corporation that designs, manufactures, and sells airplanes, rotorcraft, rockets, and satellites worldwide. The company also provides leasing and product support services, Boeing stock is a component of the Dow Jones Industrial Average. The Boeing Companys corporate headquarters are located in Chicago and the company is led by President, Boeing is organized into five primary divisions, Boeing Commercial Airplanes, Boeing Defense, Space & Security, Engineering, Operations & Technology, Boeing Capital, and Boeing Shared Services Group. Boeing bought Heaths shipyard in Seattle on the Duwamish River, which became his first airplane factory. Boeing was incorporated in Seattle by William Boeing, on July 15,1916, Boeing was later incorporated in Delaware, the original Certificate of Incorporation was filed with the Secretary of State of Delaware on July 19,1934. Boeing, who studied at Yale University, worked initially in the timber industry and this knowledge proved invaluable in his subsequent design and assembly of airplanes. The company stayed in Seattle to take advantage of the supply of spruce wood. William Boeing founded his company a few months after the June 15 maiden flight of one of the two B&W seaplanes built with the assistance of George Conrad Westervelt, a U. S. Navy engineer. Boeing and Westervelt decided to build the B&W seaplane after having flown in a Curtiss aircraft, Boeing bought a Glenn Martin Flying Birdcage seaplane and was taught to fly by Glenn Martin himself. Boeing soon crashed the Birdcage and when Martin informed Boeing that replacement parts would not become available for months, Westervelt agreed to build a better airplane and soon produced the B&W Seaplane. This first Boeing airplane was assembled in a hangar located on the northeast shore of Seattles Lake Union. Many of Boeings early planes were seaplanes, on April 6,1917, the U. S. declared War on Germany and later in the year entered World War I. On May 9,1917, the became the Boeing Airplane Company. With the U. S. entering the war, Boeing knew that the U. S. Navy needed seaplanes for training, so Boeing shipped two new Model Cs to Pensacola, Florida, where the planes were flown for the Navy. The Navy liked the Model C and ordered 50 more, the company moved its operations to a larger former shipbuilding facility known as Boeing Plant 1, located on the lower Duwamish River, Washington state. Others, including Boeing, started selling other products, Boeing built dressers, counters, and furniture, along with flat-bottom boats called Sea Sleds. In 1919 the Boeing B-1, flying boat made its first flight and it accommodated one pilot and two passengers and some mail. Over the course of eight years, it made international airmail flights from Seattle to Victoria, on May 24,1920, the Boeing Model 8 made its first flight
2.
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
3.
Boeing C-135 Stratolifter
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The Boeing C-135 Stratolifter is a transport aircraft derived from the prototype Boeing 367-80 jet airliner in the early 1950s. It has a fuselage and is shorter than the 707. Boeing gave the aircraft the designation of Model 717. Since the first one was built in August 1956, the C-135, a large majority of the 820 units were developed as KC-135A Stratotankers for mid-air refueling. However, they have performed numerous transport and special-duty functions. Forty-five base-model aircraft were built as C-135A or C-135B transports with the tanking equipment excluded, as is the case with the KC-135, the C-135 is also recognized as the Model 717 by Boeing. Fifteen C-135As, powered by Pratt & Whitney J57 turbojets, were built, in later years, almost all were upgraded with Pratt & Whitney TF33 turbofan engines and wide-span tail planes, and were re-designated C-135E. Most were converted to special roles, including airborne command posts, missile-tracking platforms, and VIP transports. Thirty C-135Bs were built with the TF33 turbofans and wide-span tail planes from the start, ten were modified for a weather reconnaissance role and designated WC-135B Stratolifter. Additional airframes were converted to RC-135s from the 1970s to 2006, the C-135C designation applies to three WC-135B weather reconnaissance aircraft, which reverted to transport status. Most of the other C-135Bs were converted to various special mission variants following their service with the Military Airlift Command, developmental tests using this aircraft have demonstrated the capability to fly precision approaches using a local area differential GPS system. This modified C-135 has been fitted with a millimeter wave camera, Speckled Trout is the official name of a combined SAF/CSAF support mission and concurrent test mission. It was also the nickname given to a modified C-135C, serial number 61-2669, that was used by the Secretary. The 412th Flight Test Squadron of the Air Force Material Command at Edwards AFB, California operated the C-135 Speckled Trout airframe, the name Speckled Trout applies to both the organization and the aircraft. The name was chosen in honor of a program monitor, Faye Trout. The word speckled was added because Trout apparently had a lot of freckles, Speckled Trout acquired the C-135C, serial number 61-2669, in 1974 and retired the aircraft on 13 January 2006. The current KC-135R Speckled Trout also supports additional tests and air refueling requirements that the C-135C could not, the C-135F were new-built aircraft used by France as dual-role tanker/cargo and troop carrier aircraft. C-135A Cargo/passenger variant of the KC-135A with seating for 126 passengers and it is given the Boeing model number 717-157
4.
Treaty on Open Skies
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The Treaty on Open Skies entered into force on January 1,2002, and currently has 34 States Parties. It establishes a program of unarmed aerial surveillance flights over the territory of its participants. Open Skies is one of the most wide-ranging international efforts to date promoting openness, the treaty was eventually signed as an initiative of US president George H. W. Bush in 1989. Negotiated by the then-members of NATO and the Warsaw Pact, the agreement was signed in Helsinki, Finland and this treaty is not related to civil-aviation open skies agreements. Kyrgyzstan has signed but not yet ratified, Canada and Hungary are the depositories of the treaty in recognition of their special contribution to the Open Skies process. Depository countries maintain treaty documents and provide administrative support, the treaty is of unlimited duration and open to accession by other States. States of the former Soviet Union that have not already become States Parties to the treaty may accede to it at any time, the Organization for Security and Co-Operation in Europe meets monthly at its Vienna headquarters. Eight states have acceded to the treaty since entry into force, Finland, Sweden, Latvia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Slovenia, Estonia, and Lithuania. The Open Skies regime covers the territory over which the State Party exercises sovereignty, including land, islands, the treaty specifies that the entire territory of a State Party is open to observation. Observation flights may only be restricted for reasons of flight safety, observation aircraft may be provided by either the observing Party or by the observed Party, at the latters choice. All Open Skies aircraft and sensors must pass specific certification and pre-flight inspection procedures to ensure that they are compliant with treaty standards, the official certified U. S. Open Skies aircraft is the OC-135B Open Skies. Canada uses a C-130 Hercules aircraft equipped with a SAMSON sensor pod to conduct flights over other treaty nations, the pod is a converted CC-130 fuel tank modified to carry the permitted sensors, along with associated on-board mission systems. A consortium of nations consisting of Belgium, Netherlands, Luxemburg, Canada, France, Greece, Italy, Portugal, the costs of maintaining the SAMSON Pod are shared, based on each nations flight quota and actual use. Bulgaria, Romania, Russia and Ukraine use the Antonov An-30 for their flights, the Czech Republic also used to use the An-30 for this purpose but they apparently retired all of theirs from service in 2003. Russia also use a Tu-154M-ON Monitoring Aircraft, germany formerly used this type as well until the aircraft was lost in a 1997 accident. Russia is phasing out both An-30 and Tu-154M-ON and replacing them with two Tu-214ON serial numbers RA-64519 and RA-64525, Sweden uses a Saab 340 aircraft that was certified in 2004. Until 2008, UK designated aircraft was an Andover C.1 aircraft, since then the UK has used a variety of aircraft including a Saab 340, An-30, and an OC-135. Photographic image quality will permit recognition of military equipment, thus allowing significant transparency of military forces and activities
5.
Boeing WC-135 Constant Phoenix
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The WC-135 Constant Phoenix is a special-purpose aircraft derived from the Boeing C-135 and used by the United States Air Force. Its mission is to collect samples from the atmosphere for the purpose of detecting and identifying nuclear explosions and it is also informally referred to as the weather bird or the sniffer by workers on the program. The WC-135 was introduced in December 1965, replacing Boeing WB-50 aircraft in the weather-reconnaissance, detachments were located at various bases throughout the United States and worldwide. While most aircraft were placed into storage in the early 1990s, 61-2666 was converted to an NC-135 and remains in service as a testbed for RC-135 equipment upgrades. 61-2667 was upgraded to a WC-135W, given the project name Constant Phoenix, 61-2674 was converted to the first OC-135B Open Skies observation aircraft, reentering service in 1993. It was later stored in 1997 and replaced two additional aircraft. In 1998, a former EC-135C, serial no, 62-3582, was converted into a WC-135C, also designated Constant Phoenix. The Constant Phoenix’s modifications are primarily related to the aircrafts on-board atmospheric collection suite, the aircraft is equipped with external flow-through devices to collect particulates on filter paper and a compressor system for whole air samples collected in high-pressure holding spheres. Despite the different designations, both the C and W carry the mission equipment. The interior seats 33 people, including the crew, maintenance personnel. On operational sorties, the crew is minimized to just pilots, navigator, the Constant Phoenix aircraft was used to gather information on the nuclear tests conducted by Pakistan and India in 1998. On October 6,2006 Japans Kyodo News agency reported that a US military aircraft, equipped to detect radiation from a nuclear test and this was believed to be part of US efforts to prepare to monitor a North Korean nuclear test. On October 9,2006 North Koreas official Korean Central News Agency reported that the country had performed a successful nuclear test. On October 13,2006 CNN reported, The U. S. Air Force flew a WC-135 Constant Phoenix atmospheric collection aircraft on Tuesday to collect air samples from the region. The statement, from the office of Director of National Intelligence John Negroponte, was sent to Capitol Hill, CNN obtained it from a congressional source. The national intelligence office statement said the air samples were collected Wednesday, the South Korean Defense Ministry told CNN that the United States has informed it that radioactivity has been detected. The aircraft was based at Offutt AFB and was sent to Kadena Air Base on Okinawa to operate during the sampling missions. On November 23,2010 Sankei Shimbun reported that a WC-135 had been moved to Kadena Air Base in September 2010, on February 17,2017, it was reported that the WC-135C had been deployed to Europe
6.
4950th Test Wing
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The 4950th Test Wing, a wing of the United States Air Force, was established in March 1971. It was created as the unit of the Wright Air Development Center. Wright ADC changed to Division status in December 1959 until it was replaced by the Aeronautical Systems Division in April 1961, the 4951st, 4952d and 4953d Test Squadrons were activated in July 1975 and based at the West Ramp of Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio. In addition, the wing supported programs conducted by other AFMC departments, the majority of AFMCs large transport aircraft were assigned to the 4950th Test Wing and were loaned to other agencies as required. The 4950th Test Wing operated a variety of testbed C-135s, many of which have featured major modifications, the wing was consolidated with the AFMC Flight Test Centers 412th Test Wing at Edwards AFB, CA and inactivated in 1994. Air Force Systems Command Air Force Materiel Command - New MAJCOM created by the consolidation of Air Force Logistics Command, Command Headquarters is located in Area A of Wright-Patterson Air Force Base. 4950th Avionics Maintenance Squadron, The 4950th Avionics Maintenance Squadron was located in Building 4042, the squadron was part of the 4950th Test Wing, until the Wing moved to Edwards Air Force Base, in the 1990s. 4950th Field Maintenance Squadron, The 4950th Field Maintenance Squadron was located in Building 13 of Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, personnel assigned to the squadron were responsible for the shop and flightline level maintenance of specific aircraft systems. This included Engine Shop, Hydraulic Shop, Electric Shop, Sheet Metal Shop, Machine Shop, aerospace Ground Equipment and Engine Flightline Dispatch Shop were located on the West Ramp and the Engine Test Cell was located across from Building 13 in Area C. The 4950th FMS was absorbed into the 4950th Organizational Maintenance Squadron in 1990 when the Wing reorganizated its maintenance units under Rivet Workforce, the 4950th Organizational Maintenance Squadron was located in building 4022, also known as Dock 2. The OMS consisted of aircraft, small-aircraft, inspection. OMS owned and operated buildings 4022,4026,4024 and 4028, section updated by Major Tony Sylvain, Maj, USAF, 4950th OMS,11 Jun 84 to 21 Jan 92. These aircraft had multiple subtle differences evolved during design, most notable was the crew door. These aircraft were never fitted with air refueling capability and were never converted to C-141Bs, aircraft specifics, 61-2775 was the first C-141 to enter service. She was named First of the Fleet, now on display at the Air Mobility Command Museum at Dover AFB. 61-2776 was named the Desert Rat by her Crew Chiefs, TSgt Patrick Goss and she was mainly configured for Central Inertial Guidance Test Facility missions and regularly performed cargo operations and unique missions such as ARIA Rescue. She was retired to the yard at Davis-Monthan AFB, AZ. 61-2777 was named The Gambler by her Crew Chief, WG-13 Sam Brasel and she had a large tail can or beer can appendage added to support tests of various tail-warning detector sensor systems, as well as a side-mounted radome bubble for testing side-looking radars
7.
Wright-Patterson Air Force Base
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Wright-Patterson Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base and census-designated place just east of Dayton, Ohio, in Greene and Montgomery counties. It includes both Wright and Patterson Fields, which were originally Wilbur Wright Field and Fairfield Aviation General Supply Depot, Patterson Field is approximately 10 miles northeast of Dayton, Wright Field is approximately 5 miles northeast of Dayton. The host unit at Wright-Patterson AFB is the 88th Air Base Wing, assigned to the Air Force Life Cycle Management Center and Air Force Materiel Command. The bases origins begin with the establishment of Wilbur Wright Field on 22 May and McCook Field in November 1917, McCook was used as a testing field and for aviation experiments. Wright was used as a field, Fairfield Aviation General Supply Depot, armorers’ school. McCooks functions were transferred to Wright Field when it was closed in October 1927, Wright-Patterson AFB was established in 1948 as a merger of Patterson and Wright Fields. In 1995, negotiations to end the Bosnian War were held at the resulting in the Dayton Agreement that ended the war. The 88th Air Base Wing is commanded by Col. John M. Devillier Its Command Chief Master Sergeant is Chief Master Sergeant John M. Mazza, the base had a total of 27,406 military, civilian and contract employees in 2010. The Greene County portion of the base is a census-designated place, Wright-Patterson AFB is one of the largest, most diverse, and organizationally complex bases in the Air Force with a long history of flight tests spanning from the Wright Brothers into the Space Age. It is the headquarters of the Air Force Materiel Command, one of the commands of the Air Force. It is also the base of the 445th Airlift Wing of the Air Force Reserve Command. Wright-Patterson is also the headquarters of the Aeronautical Systems Center and the Air Force Research Laboratory, Wright-Patterson is the host of the annual United States Air Force Marathon which occurs the weekend closest to the Air Forces anniversary. The Wing reports to the Aeronautical Systems Center, a major development and their flight exhibition company and the Wright Company School of Aviation returned 1910–1916 to use the flying field. In 1918, Wilbur Wright Field agreed to let McCook Field use hangar and shop space as well as its enlisted mechanics to assemble, after World War I,347 German aircraft were brought to the United States—some were incorporated into the Army Aeronautical Museum. The training school at Wilbur Wright Field was discontinued, Wilbur Wright Field and the depot merged after World War I to form the Fairfield Air Depot. In 1924, the Committee presented the deeds to president Calvin Coolidge for the construction of a new engineering center. The entire acreage was designated Wright Field, which had such as the Headquarters, 5th Division Air Service. New facilities were built 1925–27 on the portion of Wright Field west of Huffman Dam to house all of the McCook Field functions being relocated, on 1 July 1931, the portion of Wright Field east of Huffman Dam was redesignated Patterson Field in honor of Lieutenant Frank Stuart Patterson
8.
Ohio
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Ohio /oʊˈhaɪ. oʊ/ is a Midwestern state in the Great Lakes region of the United States. Ohio is the 34th largest by area, the 7th most populous, the states capital and largest city is Columbus. The state takes its name from the Ohio River, the name originated from the Iroquois word ohi-yo’, meaning great river or large creek. Partitioned from the Northwest Territory, the state was admitted to the Union as the 17th state on March 1,1803, Ohio is historically known as the Buckeye State after its Ohio buckeye trees, and Ohioans are also known as Buckeyes. Ohio occupies 16 seats in the United States House of Representatives, Ohio is known for its status as both a swing state and a bellwether in national elections. Six Presidents of the United States have been elected who had Ohio as their home state, Ohios geographic location has proven to be an asset for economic growth and expansion. Because Ohio links the Northeast to the Midwest, much cargo, Ohio has the nations 10th largest highway network, and is within a one-day drive of 50% of North Americas population and 70% of North Americas manufacturing capacity. To the north, Lake Erie gives Ohio 312 miles of coastline, Ohios southern border is defined by the Ohio River, and much of the northern border is defined by Lake Erie. Ohios neighbors are Pennsylvania to the east, Michigan to the northwest, Ontario Canada, to the north, Indiana to the west, Kentucky on the south, Ohio is bounded by the Ohio River, but nearly all of the river itself belongs to Kentucky and West Virginia. Ohio has only that portion of the river between the rivers 1792 low-water mark and the present high-water mark, the border with Michigan has also changed, as a result of the Toledo War, to angle slightly northeast to the north shore of the mouth of the Maumee River. Much of Ohio features glaciated plains, with a flat area in the northwest being known as the Great Black Swamp. Most of Ohio is of low relief, but the unglaciated Allegheny Plateau features rugged hills, in 1965 the United States Congress passed the Appalachian Regional Development Act, at attempt to address the persistent poverty and growing economic despair of the Appalachian Region. This act defines 29 Ohio counties as part of Appalachia, the worst weather disaster in Ohio history occurred along the Great Miami River in 1913. Known as the Great Dayton Flood, the entire Miami River watershed flooded, as a result, the Miami Conservancy District was created as the first major flood plain engineering project in Ohio and the United States. Grand Lake St. Marys in the west central part of the state was constructed as a supply of water for canals in the era of 1820–1850. For many years this body of water, over 20 square miles, was the largest artificial lake in the world and it should be noted that Ohios canal-building projects were not the economic fiasco that similar efforts were in other states. Some cities, such as Dayton, owe their emergence to location on canals. Summers are typically hot and humid throughout the state, while winters generally range from cool to cold, precipitation in Ohio is moderate year-round
9.
24th Expeditionary Reconnaissance Squadron
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The 24th Expeditionary Reconnaissance Squadron is a provisional unit of the United States Air Force. It is assigned to United States Air Forces Europe to activate or inactivate as needed and its last known attachment was to the 100th Air Refueling Wing, stationed at RAF Mildenhall, Suffolk, UK in 2007. Constituted in spring 1944 as a B-29 Superfortress very heavy bombardment squadron, when training was completed moved to North Field Tinianin the Mariana Islands of the Central Pacific Area in January 1945 and assigned to XXI Bomber Command, Twentieth Air Force. Its mission was the bombardment of the Japanese Home Islands. Flew shakedown missions against Japanese targets on Moen Island, Truk, the squadron began combat missions over Japan on 25 February 1945 with a firebombing mission over Northeast Tokyo. The squadron continued to participate in wide area firebombing attack, until then the squadron flew conventional strategic bombing missions using high explosive bombs. The squadron continued attacking urban areas with incendiary raids until the end of the war in August 1945, attacking major Japanese cities, also conducted raids against strategic objectives, bombing aircraft factories, chemical plants, oil refineries, and other targets in Japan. The squadron flew its last combat missions on 14 August when hostilities ended, afterwards, its B 29s carried relief supplies to Allied prisoner of war camps in Japan and Manchuria. Squadron remained in Western Pacific, assigned to Twentieth Air Force on Okinawa, maintained as a strategic bombardment squadron until inactivated due to budget reductions in late 1948. Some aircraft scrapped on Tinian, others flown to storage depots in the United States, reactivated in 1951 and redesigned as a heavy bomb squadron, the unit was initially issued with B-29s for training. It was equipped with B-36 Peacemaker intercontinental strategic bombers in 1953 for operational use and it began with B-36Fs, the featherweight B-36J was added, the squadron operating both types. These aircraft carried a yellow stripe on the tip of the stabilizer, the lip of the jet intakes. SAC, eliminated tail codes in 1953, in 1957 the B-36s were replaced by B-52E Stratofortresses and all squadron markings were eliminated. The squadron remained equipped with the B-52s until the closure of Walker AFB in 1967, the squadron was inactivated as part of the post Cold War drawdown in 1994 and replaced by the 45th Reconnaissance Squadron. Combat Operations, Combat in Western Pacific,27 Jan-14 Aug 1945, campaigns, World War II, Eastern Mandates, Western Pacific, Air Offensive, Japan. Decorations, Distinguished Unit Citations, Tokyo, Japan,25 May 1945, Japanese Empire, Air Force Outstanding Unit Award,1 May 1960 –31 May 1962. afhra. af. mil/. Maurer, Maurer, ed. Combat Squadrons of the Air Force, washington, DC, Office of Air Force History. A Tale of Two Airplanes by Kingdon R. King Hawes, Lt Col, USAF
10.
Offutt Air Force Base
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Offutt Air Force Base is a U. S. Air Force installation near Omaha, and lies adjacent to Bellevue in Sarpy County, Nebraska. It is the headquarters of the U. S. Strategic Command, the Air Force Weather Agency, and the 55th Wing of the Air Combat Command, aviation use at Offutt began in September 1918 during World War I as an Army Air Service balloon field. It was renamed in honor of World War I pilot and Omaha native 1st Lt. Jarvis Offutt in 1924. S. in case of war during the Cold War. The population was 8,901 at the 2000 census, Offutt Air Force Base is the host station for the 55th Wing, the largest wing of the United States Air Forces Air Combat Command. One of the units, the 55th Operations Group, operates 46 aircraft. The group consists of approximately 3,200 personnel and it employs 46 aircraft, including 13 models of seven different types. It consists of 5 squadrons,3 flying squadrons,1 support squadron and 1 maintenance squadron, all 3 flying squadrons utilize various models of the EC-130 aircraft. It also provides technology and support to the 55th Wing and 44 tenant units. 55th Medical Group The 55th Medical Group serves 28K enrolled patients with extensive outpatient clinic capabilities, Offutt AFB is the headquarters of United States Strategic Command which is one of the nine Unified Combatant Commands of the United States Department of Defense. USSTRATCOM was established in 1992 as a successor to Strategic Air Command, the 557th Weather Wing, formerly the Air Force Weather Agency, is headquartered at Offutt AFB. It is the weather center of the United States Air Force. For over a century, Offutt AFB has played a key role in American military history, from its beginnings as Fort Crook in the late 19th century, Offutt has adapted to the defense needs of the United States. The historical significance of Offutt is a source of pride for military, Offutt AFB is named in honor of First Lieutenant Jarvis Jennes Offutt. The first native of Omaha to become a casualty in World War I, Lieutenant Offutt died of injuries sustained when his SE-5 fighter crashed during a flight near Valheureux. The airfield portion of Fort Crook was designated Offutt Field on 10 May 1924, offutts great heritage began with the commissioning by the War Department in 1890 of Fort Crook. Located some 10 miles south of Omaha and two miles west of the Missouri River, the fort was constructed between 1894 and 1896, the forts namesake was Major General George Crook, a Civil War veteran and Indian fighter. It was first used as a point for Indian conflicts on the Great Plains. Troops from Fort Crook fought during the Spanish–American War when the 22nd Regiment under Charles A. Wikoff was dispatched to Cuba, the regiment suffered heavy casualties in the Battle of El Caney
