673d Air Base Wing
Encyclopedia
The 673d Air Base Wing is the designation for the support unit for Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson
, a combination of the United States Air Force
's Elmendorf AFB and the United States Army
's Fort Richardson.
The 673 ABW traces its history from the 5073d Air Base Squadron, located at Shemya AFB, Alaska
. The 5073rd Air Base Squadron operated, maintained, and administered Shemya Airport (later known as Shemya Air Force Station and Shemya Air Force Base), Alaska, and provided support to tenants organizations including Army and Navy units as well as an Operating Location of the Strategic Air Command. By 1974, the support activity at Shemya had increased to a level requiring a group structure and in October 1974, the squadron was reorganized and re-designated as the 5073rd Air Base Group.
In 1990, the Alaskan Air Command inactivated and the 5073d Air Base Group was assigned to the 11th Air Force. In January 1992, the unit received its final designation when the Air Force adopted new rules that eliminated four-digit designations and the 5073d Air Base Group became the 673d Air Base Group. The unit's current designation took effect on 27 January 1992. The 673d was reassigned to the Eleventh Air Force on the 1 July 1994, inactivation of the 11th Air Control Wing. On 1 April 1995, the 673d Air Base Group inactivated at Shemya, known as Eareckson Air Force Station since 1993, and closed the second chapter of the organization.
On 30 July 2010, the 673d Air Base Wing activated as the host wing combining installation management functions of Elmendorf AFB's 3rd Wing and U.S. Army Garrison Fort Richardson.
Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson
Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson is a United States military facility adjacent to Anchorage, the largest city in Alaska. It is an amalgamation of the former United States Air Force Elmendorf Air Force Base and the United States Army Fort Richardson, which were merged in 2010.-Overview:The...
, a combination of the United States Air Force
United States Air Force
The United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...
's Elmendorf AFB and the United States Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
's Fort Richardson.
The 673 ABW traces its history from the 5073d Air Base Squadron, located at Shemya AFB, Alaska
Alaska
Alaska is the largest state in the United States by area. It is situated in the northwest extremity of the North American continent, with Canada to the east, the Arctic Ocean to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the west and south, with Russia further west across the Bering Strait...
. The 5073rd Air Base Squadron operated, maintained, and administered Shemya Airport (later known as Shemya Air Force Station and Shemya Air Force Base), Alaska, and provided support to tenants organizations including Army and Navy units as well as an Operating Location of the Strategic Air Command. By 1974, the support activity at Shemya had increased to a level requiring a group structure and in October 1974, the squadron was reorganized and re-designated as the 5073rd Air Base Group.
In 1990, the Alaskan Air Command inactivated and the 5073d Air Base Group was assigned to the 11th Air Force. In January 1992, the unit received its final designation when the Air Force adopted new rules that eliminated four-digit designations and the 5073d Air Base Group became the 673d Air Base Group. The unit's current designation took effect on 27 January 1992. The 673d was reassigned to the Eleventh Air Force on the 1 July 1994, inactivation of the 11th Air Control Wing. On 1 April 1995, the 673d Air Base Group inactivated at Shemya, known as Eareckson Air Force Station since 1993, and closed the second chapter of the organization.
On 30 July 2010, the 673d Air Base Wing activated as the host wing combining installation management functions of Elmendorf AFB's 3rd Wing and U.S. Army Garrison Fort Richardson.