Eaker Air Force Base
Encyclopedia
- For the civil use of this facility and airport information, see Arkansas International AirportArkansas International AirportArkansas International Airport is a public use airport located three nautical miles northwest of the central business district of Blytheville, a city in Mississippi County, Arkansas, United States...
Eaker Air Force Base (1942–1992) was a front-line 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...
base for over 40 years. It was located 3 miles (5 km) northwest of central Blytheville, Arkansas
Blytheville, Arkansas
Blytheville is the largest city in and one of the two county seats of Mississippi County, Arkansas, United States. The population was 15,620 at the 2010 census....
. It was closed as a military base in 1992 at the end of the Cold War
Cold War
The Cold War was the continuing state from roughly 1946 to 1991 of political conflict, military tension, proxy wars, and economic competition between the Communist World—primarily the Soviet Union and its satellite states and allies—and the powers of the Western world, primarily the United States...
pursuant to BRAC
Base Realignment and Closure
Base Realignment and Closure is a process of the United States federal government directed at the administration and operation of the Armed Forces, used by the United States Department of Defense and Congress to close excess military installations and realign the total asset inventory to reduce...
action and now operates as Arkansas International Airport
Arkansas International Airport
Arkansas International Airport is a public use airport located three nautical miles northwest of the central business district of Blytheville, a city in Mississippi County, Arkansas, United States...
.
The military still makes use of the Arkansas International Airport in flight training maneuvers, and as a landing site to pick up and drop off local Arkansas National Guard
Arkansas National Guard
The Arkansas National Guard comprises both Army and Air components. The Constitution of the United States specifically charges the National Guard with dual federal and state missions. In fact, the National Guard is the only United States military force empowered to function in a state status...
personnel.
Overview
Known for most of its operational life as Blytheville Army Airfield (1942–1946) or Blytheville Air Force Base (1953–1988), the facility was renamed Eaker Air Force Base on 26 May 1988, in honor of General Ira Eaker, an air pioneer and second commander of Eighth Air ForceEighth Air Force
The Eighth Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force Global Strike Command . It is headquartered at Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana....
during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
.
Eaker was the architect of a strategic bombing force that ultimately numbered forty groups of 60 heavy bombers each, supported by a subordinate fighter command of 1,500 aircraft, most of which was in place by the time he relinquished command of Eighth Air Force at the start of 1944.
During its operational lifetime the mission of Eaker Air Force Base was that of a training base during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
and both a tactical
Tactical Air Command
Tactical Air Command is an inactive United States Air Force organization. It was a Major Command of the United States Air Force, established on 21 March 1946 being headquartered at Langley Air Force Base, Virginia...
as well as a strategic
Strategic Air Command
The Strategic Air Command was both a Major Command of the United States Air Force and a "specified command" of the United States Department of Defense. SAC was the operational establishment in charge of America's land-based strategic bomber aircraft and land-based intercontinental ballistic...
bomber base during the Cold War
Cold War
The Cold War was the continuing state from roughly 1946 to 1991 of political conflict, military tension, proxy wars, and economic competition between the Communist World—primarily the Soviet Union and its satellite states and allies—and the powers of the Western world, primarily the United States...
. After the Cold War, the Base Realignment and Closure
Base Realignment and Closure
Base Realignment and Closure is a process of the United States federal government directed at the administration and operation of the Armed Forces, used by the United States Department of Defense and Congress to close excess military installations and realign the total asset inventory to reduce...
(BRAC) 1991 commission recommended Eaker be closed in a cost-cutting move. The facility closed on 15 December 1992.
World War II
Blytheville Army Air Field was originally a 2600 acres (10.5 km²) installation used by the United States Army Air ForcesUnited States Army Air Forces
The United States Army Air Forces was the military aviation arm of the United States of America during and immediately after World War II, and the direct predecessor of the United States Air Force....
during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
as a training airfield as part of the 70,000 Pilot Training Program. It was one of many air fields created in the country’s interior during the war. Mississippi County was a prime location because of its close proximity to the Mississippi River, where supplies could easily be shipped in. Airfield construction was that of an overlapping square design, with three large ramps for aircraft parking and four concrete runways in the following pattern: 5000x150(N/S), 5000x150(N/S) <- two parallel N/S runways; 5000x150(NE/SW), 5000x150(NW/SE).
The initial USAAF unit at Blytheville was the 326th Base Headquarters and Air Base Squadron, which organized the ground support units at the field. Activated on 10 June 1942 for flight operations, the field was used as a third-phase advanced Twin-Engine flying school in the Army Air Forces Training Command
Army Air Forces Training Command
Army Air Forces Training Command was a command of the United States Army Air Forces. It was redesignated Air Training Command on 1 July 1946 as part of the reorganization of the Army Air Forces after World War II....
Southeastern Training Command's pilot training program. The 25th Twin-Engine Flying Training Group was activated at Blytheville on 25 June 1942 with four (700,701,702,703) training squadrons. Flying training commenenced in the fall of 1942. Aircraft used at the facility were mostly AT-6 Texans
T-6 Texan
The North American Aviation T-6 Texan was a single-engine advanced trainer aircraft used to train pilots of the United States Army Air Forces, United States Navy, Royal Air Force and other air forces of the British Commonwealth during World War II and into the 1950s...
, AT-9s
Curtiss AT-9
-Related content:Related development:Comparable aircraft:Beech C-45 Expeditor-Bibliography:* Bowers, Peter M. Curtiss Aircraft, 1907-1947. London: Putnam & Company Ltd., 1979. ISBN 0-370-10029-8....
, and Beech AT-10s. In September 1943, facilities for instrument flying training were completed. Throughout 1944, Blytheville trained many female WASP pilots as B-25 co-pilots, and AT-10 pilots with TB-25 Mitchells
B-25 Mitchell
The North American B-25 Mitchell was an American twin-engined medium bomber manufactured by North American Aviation. It was used by many Allied air forces, in every theater of World War II, as well as many other air forces after the war ended, and saw service across four decades.The B-25 was named...
. Assignments included engineering test pilots, instrument check pilots, ferrying, and flight checks for returning overseas pilots.
Training Command ended control of Blytheville on 16 June 1945, the facility being taken over by Continental Air Forces. The 809th Army Air Forces Base Unit assumed control of the station and the mission of Blytheville was changed to that of a troop carrier combat crew training facility with C-46 Commando
C-46 Commando
The Curtiss-Wright C-46 Commando was a transport aircraft originally derived from a commercial high-altitude airliner design. It was instead used as a military transport during World War II by the United States Army Air Forces as well as the U.S. Navy/Marine Corps under the designation R5C...
and C-47 Skytrain
C-47 Skytrain
The Douglas C-47 Skytrain or Dakota is a military transport aircraft that was developed from the Douglas DC-3 airliner. It was used extensively by the Allies during World War II and remained in front line operations through the 1950s with a few remaining in operation to this day.-Design and...
aircraft. The flight school closed on 31 October 1945. after the war ended.
In the immediate postwar era, the airfield was then used as a processing center for military personnel who were being discharged at a rapid rate as the country demobilized. On 1 April 1946, the base was assigned to the new Tactical Air Command
Tactical Air Command
Tactical Air Command is an inactive United States Air Force organization. It was a Major Command of the United States Air Force, established on 21 March 1946 being headquartered at Langley Air Force Base, Virginia...
, however demobilization was rapidly reducing the size of the Army Air Force and the facility was officially closed on 15 August 1946; being turned over to the War Assets Administration
War Assets Administration
The War Assets Administration was established in the Office for Emergency Management, effective March 25, 1946, by EO 9689, January 31, 1946. American factorieshad produced massive amounts of weaponry during the World War II...
(WAA) for disposal. Control of base and land was transferred to the city of Blytheville by the WAA.
During the postwar era, the base was closed and generally unused. However the United States Air Force activated the 387th Communications Squadron (USAFR) at the former wartime communications facility briefly in 1949.
Tactical Air Command
Cold War
The Cold War was the continuing state from roughly 1946 to 1991 of political conflict, military tension, proxy wars, and economic competition between the Communist World—primarily the Soviet Union and its satellite states and allies—and the powers of the Western world, primarily the United States...
and the expansion 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...
, Blytheville Air Force Base was reopened on 10 June 1953. However a much needed construction program was begun at the former World War II training facilities to rehabilitate the wartime facilities into a permanent base. The wartime runways were removed and reduced to aggregate, being used in the construction of a 10000 feet (3,048 m) main runway, capable of being used by the Air Force's largest aircraft.
Blytheville Air Force Base was officially christened as a single-mission base on July 19, 1955. It consumed 3771 acres (15.3 km²) of area farmland, most of which had been used by the original air field; the rest was purchased from local farmers. The base was assigned to Tactical Air Command
Tactical Air Command
Tactical Air Command is an inactive United States Air Force organization. It was a Major Command of the United States Air Force, established on 21 March 1946 being headquartered at Langley Air Force Base, Virginia...
(TAC), and plans were made to make the base ready by the end of 1955, with operational status to be restored by mid-1956 with combat units assigned there. The provisional 4431st Air Base Squadron was the initial tenant at the base as a "housekeeping" unit; the 764th Bombardment Squadron
764th Bombardment Squadron
The 764th Bombardment Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was last assigned to the 461st Bombardment Wing. It was last stationed at Amarillo Air Force Base, Texas, and was inactivated on 28 March 1968.-History:...
was moved to the base on 8 October 1955 from Hill Air Force Base
Hill Air Force Base
Hill Air Force Base is a major U.S. Air Force Base located in northern Utah, just south of the city of Ogden, and near the towns of Clearfield, Riverdale, Roy, Sunset, and Layton. It is about north of Salt Lake City. The base was named in honor of Major Ployer Peter Hill of the U.S. Army Air...
, Utah equipped with Martin B-57B Canberra twin-engined tactical bombers to begin the base's operational use.
Enough construction was completed by the spring that on 8 April 1956, the full 461st Bombardment Wing was assigned to Blytheville from Hill, along with two more B-57 squadrons (765th, 766th). The mission of the 461st Bomb Wing was to provide training in air support of ground forces and air interdiction from lessons learned during the Korean War
Korean War
The Korean War was a conventional war between South Korea, supported by the United Nations, and North Korea, supported by the People's Republic of China , with military material aid from the Soviet Union...
. However, a number of B-57Bs were lost in accidents, particularly during high-speed, low-level operations when aircraft suddenly and unexplainably dove into the ground. As these accidents persisted, all tactically-assigned B-57Bs were grounded in May 1956 for a period of four months while the problem was investigated. The fault was eventually traced to a faulty tailplane actuator which set the trim incorrectly. The installation of a new actuator switch cured the problem.
However, the USAF was not very happy with the B-57B as it was initially produced. It was still deemed to be inadequate to meet the night intruder and close support role for which it had originally been designed. The target acquisition system was inadequate, the navigational range was too short, and the radio navigation could not recover the aircraft after strikes. The armament was inadequate—the gun-bomb-rocket sight, the gun charging systems, and the external stores release mechanisms were all unreliable.
After three years of service with the B-57, the decision was made by TAC to phase out the B-57B in favor of supersonic F-100 Super Sabre
F-100 Super Sabre
The North American F-100 Super Sabre was a supersonic jet fighter aircraft that served with the United States Air Force from 1954 to 1971 and with the Air National Guard until 1979. The first of the Century Series collection of USAF jet fighters, it was the first USAF fighter capable of...
aircraft. The wing turned in its aircraft to Air Materiel Command for disposition and the wing inactivated on 1 April 1958.
Strategic Air Command
With the inactivation of the TAC 461st Bombardment Wing on 1 April 1958, Strategic Air CommandStrategic Air Command
The Strategic Air Command was both a Major Command of the United States Air Force and a "specified command" of the United States Department of Defense. SAC was the operational establishment in charge of America's land-based strategic bomber aircraft and land-based intercontinental ballistic...
(SAC) assumed control of Blytheville AFB. The provisional 4229th Air Base Squadron assumed operational control of the base and remained in charge until 1 July 1959, when the 97th Bombardment Wing took control, being moved from Biggs AFB, Texas. At Blytheville, the 97th was under the control of the SAC 4th Air Division, Eighth Air Force
Eighth Air Force
The Eighth Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force Global Strike Command . It is headquartered at Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana....
with a mission to "provide command and staff supervision over assigned combat tactical units that execute bombardment missions designed to destroy enemy forces and facilities."
Official dedication ceremonies were held on January 10, 1960, with the arrival of the 97th BMW's first B-52G Stratofortress, The City of Blytheville, being assigned to the wing's 340th Bombardment Squadron. In addition to the B-52G, the base also housed the KC-135A Stratotanker aerial refueling aircraft beginning in October 1961 with the activation of the 914th Air Refueling Squadron. The aerial refueling capability of the KC-135s extended the range of the wing's B-52s. Along with refueling the B-52s on training missions, the tankers participated in an ongoing command-wide rotation to bases in Southern Europe to support CHROME DOME bombers.
The 97th BMW earned an Air Force Outstanding Unit Award
Outstanding Unit Award
The Air Force Outstanding Unit Award is an award of the United States Air Force which was first created in 1954. The award is presented as a ribbon to any command of the U.S...
(AFOUA) for activities during the Cuban Missile Crisis
Cuban Missile Crisis
The Cuban Missile Crisis was a confrontation among the Soviet Union, Cuba and the United States in October 1962, during the Cold War...
in 1962. On 22 October SAC responded by establishing Defense Condition Three (DEFCON III), and ordered the 97th to place two B-52s on airborne alert. Tension grew and the next day SAC declared DEFCON II, a heightened state of alarm. While at DEFCON II the 97th maintained two B-52s on airborne alert. One of the 97th's bombers carried AGM-28 Hound Dog
AGM-28 Hound Dog
The North American Aviation Corporation AGM-28 Hound Dog was a supersonic, jet propelled, air-launched cruise missile. The Hound Dog missile was first given the designation B-77, then redesignated the GAM-77, and finally designated the AGM-28, permanently...
and ADM-20 Quail
ADM-20 Quail
The McDonnell ADM-20 Quail was a subsonic, jet powered, air-launched decoy cruise missile built by McDonnell Aircraft Corporation. The Quail was designed to be launched by the Boeing B-52 Stratofortress strategic bomber and its original Air Force designation was GAM-72 .-Development:In 1955 the...
missiles, the other carried nuclear and conventional ordnance. No missions were aborted or canceled during the crisis. The 97th and other units deployed KC-135 tankers to Zaragoza Air Base
Zaragoza Air Base
Zaragoza Air Base was a NATO military airbase located near Zaragoza, Spain. It was located west of Zaragoza, west of Barcelona, and northeast of Madrid.It was closed as a NATO base in in April 1992...
, Spain to refuel the alert force. Reconnaissance photographs taken on 1 November 1962 indicated that the Soviets had begun dismantling the SS-4 IRBM missile sites in Cuba. The wing returned to DEFCON III on the 15th and subsequently resumed normal activity on 20 November.
During the Vietnam War
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
, the wing supported SAC's combat operations in Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia, South-East Asia, South East Asia or Southeastern Asia is a subregion of Asia, consisting of the countries that are geographically south of China, east of India, west of New Guinea and north of Australia. The region lies on the intersection of geological plates, with heavy seismic...
. Its involvement began on 14 December 1965 when the wing sent one KC-135 to participate in YOUNG TIGER, the operation to refuel fighters involved in the conflict. At first, the wing's B-52Gs remained at Blytheville while bomber crews went to Guam
Guam
Guam is an organized, unincorporated territory of the United States located in the western Pacific Ocean. It is one of five U.S. territories with an established civilian government. Guam is listed as one of 16 Non-Self-Governing Territories by the Special Committee on Decolonization of the United...
to fly ARC LIGHT
Operation Arc Light
Operation Arc Light was the 1965 deployment of B-52D Stratofortresses as conventional bombers from bases in the US to Guam to support ground combat operations in Vietnam...
bombing missions. However, by the summer of 1972 all the 97th's bombers were at Andersen Air Force Base
Andersen Air Force Base
Andersen Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base located approximately northeast of Yigo in the United States territory of Guam....
, Guam, detached to the 72d Strategic Wing (Provisional)
72d Air Base Wing
The 72d Air Base Wing is a United States Air Force unit assigned to the Air Force Materiel Command Oklahoma City Air Logistics Center . It is stationed at Tinker Air Force Base, Oklahoma...
.
From Andersen wing crews flew LINEBACKER II
Operation Linebacker II
Operation Linebacker II was a US Seventh Air Force and US Navy Task Force 77 aerial bombing campaign, conducted against targets in the Democratic Republic of Vietnam during the final period of US involvement in the Vietnam War...
(sometimes called the "11-Day War" because of its intensity) missions in December 1972. On 18 December 1972 Hanoi
Hanoi
Hanoi , is the capital of Vietnam and the country's second largest city. Its population in 2009 was estimated at 2.6 million for urban districts, 6.5 million for the metropolitan jurisdiction. From 1010 until 1802, it was the most important political centre of Vietnam...
's air defenses claimed the lives of nine crew members during this operation, while North Vietnamese ground forces captured another four and held them as prisoners of war. On 15 August 1973, after months of committing most of the wing's people and resources to the conflict, crew E-21 had the distinction of flying the last mission over a target in Cambodia
Cambodia
Cambodia , officially known as the Kingdom of Cambodia, is a country located in the southern portion of the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia...
. This marked the end of the United State's bombing in Southeast Asia.
After the United States' involvement in the Vietnam War ended, the 97th resumed its bomber training and refueling missions while it continued to participate in contingency operations and assume new roles. Tanker crews and aircraft refueled other Air Force units supporting the rescue of American citizens in Grenada in October and November 1983. In 1984 the wing upgraded its B-52G force to carry the AGM-86B air launched cruise missile (ALCM). The wing further expanded its mission in 1987 to include conventional bombing, sea search and surveillance, and aerial mining.
In 1988, the installation was reanmed as Eaker AFB.
After August 1990, the 97th began practicing for missions overseas in the Middle East
Middle East
The Middle East is a region that encompasses Western Asia and Northern Africa. It is often used as a synonym for Near East, in opposition to Far East...
as a result of Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
's invasion of Kuwait
Kuwait
The State of Kuwait is a sovereign Arab state situated in the north-east of the Arabian Peninsula in Western Asia. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to the south at Khafji, and Iraq to the north at Basra. It lies on the north-western shore of the Persian Gulf. The name Kuwait is derived from the...
. In late December, 97th Bombardment Wing B-52 crews practiced high altitude bombing missions at the Nellis AFB test range in Nevada
Nevada
Nevada is a state in the western, mountain west, and southwestern regions of the United States. With an area of and a population of about 2.7 million, it is the 7th-largest and 35th-most populous state. Over two-thirds of Nevada's people live in the Las Vegas metropolitan area, which contains its...
, anticipating their role in the inevitable war to come.
On 1 February 1991 major elements of the 97th deployed to RAF Fairford
RAF Fairford
RAF Fairford is a Royal Air Force station in Gloucestershire, England. It is a standby airfield, not in everyday use. Its most prominent use in recent years has been as an airfield for United States Air Force B-52s during the 2003 Iraq War, Operation Allied Force in 1999, and the first Gulf War in...
, United Kingdom, forming the 806th Bombardment Wing (Provisional). At Fairford, the Wing participated as part of the expeditionary unit during Operation Desert Storm
Gulf War
The Persian Gulf War , commonly referred to as simply the Gulf War, was a war waged by a U.N.-authorized coalition force from 34 nations led by the United States, against Iraq in response to Iraq's invasion and annexation of Kuwait.The war is also known under other names, such as the First Gulf...
, executing multiple KC-135 air refueling missions in the region and B-52 strike missions over Iraq and Kuwait. The wing conducted over 60 conventional bombing sorties and many air-refueling sorties. Tragically, the only B-52 lost during the Gulf War was from Eaker AFB. It was not shot down but went down in the Indian Ocean due to a mechanical failure. Aircraft and personnel returned to Eaker AFB by mid-1991.
Closure
Eaker Air Force Base topped the Strategic Air Command’s list of base closures in 1991. The Cold War was coming to an end, U.S. defense spending was declining, and the U.S. Air Force, under the provisions of the START ISTART I
START was a bilateral treaty between the United States of America and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics on the Reduction and Limitation of Strategic Offensive Arms. The treaty was signed on 31 July 1991 and entered into force on 5 December 1994...
treaty, began retiring the B-52G model of the Stratofortress, the housing and launching of which was the single mission of the base.
Official closure of Eaker Air Force Base was announced in 1991, and on March 6, 1992, the last aircraft, The City of Blytheville, left the base. With the disestablishment of Strategic Air Command
Strategic Air Command
The Strategic Air Command was both a Major Command of the United States Air Force and a "specified command" of the United States Department of Defense. SAC was the operational establishment in charge of America's land-based strategic bomber aircraft and land-based intercontinental ballistic...
in the summer of 1992, claiamcy of Eaker AFB briefly shifted to the newly-established Air Combat Command
Air Combat Command
Air Combat Command is a major command of the United States Air Force. ACC is one of ten major commands , reporting to Headquarters, United States Air Force ....
(ACC). The official closure ceremony for Eaker AFB was held on 15 December 1992, and the transition from military to civilian, general aviation airport began.
Current uses
For a short period of time it was in the hands of USA FLORAL. In December 1998 USA FLORAL leased the former Eaker Air Force Base to become a distribution facility. They said "We plan to use this facility not only as a distribution center for our North American Wholesale Distribution operations but also as a production hub where we will process incoming flowers (i.e., break bulk, hydrate, re-cut stems and re-package to suit customer demand) to facilitate distribution of flowers and hardgoods to retail florists, mass-market retailers, wholesale distributors and Internet- based marketers throughout North America." USA FLORAL went out of business soon after.Over the years, the facility has grown from a general aviation airport to the Arkansas International Airport
Arkansas International Airport
Arkansas International Airport is a public use airport located three nautical miles northwest of the central business district of Blytheville, a city in Mississippi County, Arkansas, United States...
and the adjacent Arkansas Aeroplex industrial park.
Major Commands to Which Assigned
- Army Air Force Flying Training CommandAir Education and Training CommandAir Education and Training Command was established July 1, 1993, with the realignment of Air Training Command and Air University. It is one of the U.S. Air Force's ten major commands and reports to Headquarters, United States Air Force....
, 10 June 1942 - 16 June 1945 - Continental Air Forces, 16 June 1945 - 21 March 1946
- Redesignated Strategic Air CommandStrategic Air CommandThe Strategic Air Command was both a Major Command of the United States Air Force and a "specified command" of the United States Department of Defense. SAC was the operational establishment in charge of America's land-based strategic bomber aircraft and land-based intercontinental ballistic...
, 21 March 1946 - 1 April 1946- Tactical Air CommandTactical Air CommandTactical Air Command is an inactive United States Air Force organization. It was a Major Command of the United States Air Force, established on 21 March 1946 being headquartered at Langley Air Force Base, Virginia...
, 1 April 1946 - 15 August 1946, 10 June 1953 - 1 October 1953 - Air Materiel CommandAir Force Materiel CommandAir Force Materiel Command is a major command of the United States Air Force. AFMC was created July 1, 1992 through the reorganization of Air Force Logistics Command and Air Force Systems Command....
, 1 October 1953 - 1 July 1954 - Tactical Air CommandTactical Air CommandTactical Air Command is an inactive United States Air Force organization. It was a Major Command of the United States Air Force, established on 21 March 1946 being headquartered at Langley Air Force Base, Virginia...
, 1 July 1954 - 1 April 1958 - Strategic Air CommandStrategic Air CommandThe Strategic Air Command was both a Major Command of the United States Air Force and a "specified command" of the United States Department of Defense. SAC was the operational establishment in charge of America's land-based strategic bomber aircraft and land-based intercontinental ballistic...
, 1 April 1958 - 1 June 1992 - Air Combat CommandAir Combat CommandAir Combat Command is a major command of the United States Air Force. ACC is one of ten major commands , reporting to Headquarters, United States Air Force ....
, 1 June 1992 - 15 December 1992 (Not operational)
- Tactical Air Command
Major units assigned
- 25th Twin Engine Flying Training Group, 25 July 1942 - 29 February 1944
- Army Air Force Pilot School, 3 May 1942 - 31 May 1945
- 211th Army Air Force Base Unit, 1 May 1944 - 15 June 1945
- 809th Army Air Force Base Unit, 16 June 1945 - 31 March 1946
- 334th Army Air Force Base Unit, 1 April 1946 - 25 November 1946
- 461st Bombardment Wing, 8 April 1956 - 1 April 1958
- 4329th Air Base Squadron, 1 April 1958 - 1 July 1959
- 97th Bombardment Wing97th Air Mobility WingThe 97th Air Mobility Wing is a United States Air Force unit assigned to the Air Education and Training Command Nineteenth Air Force. It is stationed at Altus Air Force Base, Oklahoma. The wing is also the host unit at Altus...
, 1 July 1959 - 1 September 1991
- Redesignated: 97th Wing, 1 September 1991 - 1 April 1992
Major aircraft assigned
- North American AT-6T-6 TexanThe North American Aviation T-6 Texan was a single-engine advanced trainer aircraft used to train pilots of the United States Army Air Forces, United States Navy, Royal Air Force and other air forces of the British Commonwealth during World War II and into the 1950s...
, 1942–1944 - Curtiss AT-9Curtiss AT-9-Related content:Related development:Comparable aircraft:Beech C-45 Expeditor-Bibliography:* Bowers, Peter M. Curtiss Aircraft, 1907-1947. London: Putnam & Company Ltd., 1979. ISBN 0-370-10029-8....
, 1942–1944 - Beech AT-10, 1942–1944
- Republic AT-12, 1942–1944
- North American TB-25B-25 MitchellThe North American B-25 Mitchell was an American twin-engined medium bomber manufactured by North American Aviation. It was used by many Allied air forces, in every theater of World War II, as well as many other air forces after the war ended, and saw service across four decades.The B-25 was named...
, 1944 - Curtiss C-46C-46 CommandoThe Curtiss-Wright C-46 Commando was a transport aircraft originally derived from a commercial high-altitude airliner design. It was instead used as a military transport during World War II by the United States Army Air Forces as well as the U.S. Navy/Marine Corps under the designation R5C...
, 1945 - Douglas C-47C-47 SkytrainThe Douglas C-47 Skytrain or Dakota is a military transport aircraft that was developed from the Douglas DC-3 airliner. It was used extensively by the Allies during World War II and remained in front line operations through the 1950s with a few remaining in operation to this day.-Design and...
, 1945
- Martin B-57 CanberraB-57 CanberraThe Martin B-57 Canberra was a United States-built, twin jet engine light bomber and reconnaissance aircraft, which entered service with the United States Air Force in 1953. The B-57 was initially a version of the English Electric Canberra built under license. However, the Glenn L...
, 1956–1958 - Boeing B-52G Stratofortress, 1960–1992
- Boeing KC-135A Stratotanker, 1961–1992
See also
- Arkansas World War II Army AirfieldsArkansas World War II Army AirfieldsDuring World War II, the United States Army Air Force established numerous airfields in Arkansas for training pilots and aircrews of USAAF fighters and bombers....