Patrick Air Force Base
Encyclopedia
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 located between Satellite Beach and Cocoa Beach, in Brevard County, Florida
Brevard County, Florida
Brevard County is a county located in the U.S. state of Florida, along the coast of the Atlantic Ocean. As of 2007 U.S. Census Bureau estimates, the population is 536,521, making it the 10th most populous county in the state. Influenced by the presence of the John F. Kennedy Space Center, Brevard...
, United States. It was named in honor of Major General Mason Patrick
Mason Patrick
Mason Mathews Patrick was a U.S. Army general and air power advocate.Patrick was born in Lewisburg, West Virginia and graduated from West Point in 1886. For three years he was at the Engineer School of Application, Willets Point, New York, graduating in 1889...
. An Air Force Space Command
Air Force Space Command
Air Force Space Command is a major command of the United States Department of the Air Force, with its headquarters at Peterson Air Force Base, Colorado. AFSPC supports U.S. military operations worldwide through the use of many different types of satellite, launch and cyber operations....
(AFSPC) base, it is home to the 45th Space Wing
45th Space Wing
The 45th Space Wing is a United States Air Force unit. It is assigned to the Fourteenth Air Force, stationed at Patrick Air Force Base, Florida. It is also the host unit at Patrick AFB.-Overview:...
(45 SW). In addition to its "host wing" responsibilities at Patrick AFB, the 45 SW also controls and operates Cape Canaveral Air Force Station
Cape Canaveral Air Force Station
Cape Canaveral Air Force Station is an installation of the United States Air Force Space Command's 45th Space Wing, headquartered at nearby Patrick Air Force Base. Located on Cape Canaveral in the state of Florida, CCAFS is the primary launch head of America's Eastern Range with four launch pads...
(CCAFS) and the Eastern Range.
Additional tenant activities at Patrick AFB include the 920th Rescue Wing
920th Rescue Wing
The 920th Rescue Wing is a wing of the United States Air Force based at Patrick Air Force Base, Florida with additional geographically separated units located at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Arizona and Portland International Airport/Air Reserve Station, Oregon...
, the Air Force Technical Applications Center
Air Force Technical Applications Center
The Air Force Technical Applications Center , based at Patrick Air Force Base, Fla. is an Air Force surveillance organization assigned to the Air Force Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Agency. Its mission is to monitor nuclear treaties of all applicable signatory countries...
and the Defense Equal Opportunity Management Institute
Defense Equal Opportunity Management Institute
The Defense Equal Opportunity Management Institute is a U.S. Department of Defense joint services school located at Patrick Air Force Base, Florida, offering both resident and off-site courses in areas including equal opportunity, intercultural communication, and religious, racial, gender, and...
(DEOMI). Total employment is 10,400. There are 13,099 military, dependents, civilian employees and contractors on base.
Current operations
The host wing for Patrick AFB is the 45th Space Wing45th Space Wing
The 45th Space Wing is a United States Air Force unit. It is assigned to the Fourteenth Air Force, stationed at Patrick Air Force Base, Florida. It is also the host unit at Patrick AFB.-Overview:...
(45 SW), whose officers and airmen manage all launches of unmanned rockets at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station
Cape Canaveral Air Force Station
Cape Canaveral Air Force Station is an installation of the United States Air Force Space Command's 45th Space Wing, headquartered at nearby Patrick Air Force Base. Located on Cape Canaveral in the state of Florida, CCAFS is the primary launch head of America's Eastern Range with four launch pads...
(CCAFS). These rockets include satellites for the US military, the National Reconnaissance Office
National Reconnaissance Office
The National Reconnaissance Office , located in Chantilly, Virginia, is one of the 16 U.S. intelligence agencies. It designs, builds, and operates the spy satellites of the United States government.-Mission:...
, and the National Security Agency
National Security Agency
The National Security Agency/Central Security Service is a cryptologic intelligence agency of the United States Department of Defense responsible for the collection and analysis of foreign communications and foreign signals intelligence, as well as protecting U.S...
, as well as scientific payload launches in support of NASA
NASA
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration is the agency of the United States government that is responsible for the nation's civilian space program and for aeronautics and aerospace research...
, weather satellite launches in support of NOAA, payloads in support of international customers such as the European Space Agency
European Space Agency
The European Space Agency , established in 1975, is an intergovernmental organisation dedicated to the exploration of space, currently with 18 member states...
, and commercial payloads for various corporate communications entities. Units and individuals from the 45 SW have also deployed abroad during wartime, most notably during Operations Enduring Freedom
War in Afghanistan (2001–present)
The War in Afghanistan began on October 7, 2001, as the armed forces of the United States of America, the United Kingdom, Australia, and the Afghan United Front launched Operation Enduring Freedom...
and Iraqi Freedom
2003 invasion of Iraq
The 2003 invasion of Iraq , was the start of the conflict known as the Iraq War, or Operation Iraqi Freedom, in which a combined force of troops from the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia and Poland invaded Iraq and toppled the regime of Saddam Hussein in 21 days of major combat operations...
Also headquartered at Patrick Air Force Base is the Air Force Technical Applications Center
Air Force Technical Applications Center
The Air Force Technical Applications Center , based at Patrick Air Force Base, Fla. is an Air Force surveillance organization assigned to the Air Force Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Agency. Its mission is to monitor nuclear treaties of all applicable signatory countries...
(AFTAC). AFTAC is the sole Department of Defense
United States Department of Defense
The United States Department of Defense is the U.S...
agency operating and maintaining a global network of nuclear event detection sensors.
The 920th Rescue Wing
920th Rescue Wing
The 920th Rescue Wing is a wing of the United States Air Force based at Patrick Air Force Base, Florida with additional geographically separated units located at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Arizona and Portland International Airport/Air Reserve Station, Oregon...
(920 RQW), part of Air Force Reserve Command
Air Force Reserve Command
The Air Force Reserve Command is a major command of the U.S. Air Force with its headquarters at Robins AFB, Georgia.It stood up as a major command of the Air Force on 17 February 1997....
, is also headquartered at Patrick AFB. An 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)-gained combat search and rescue organization, the 920 RQW is the only rescue wing in the Air Force Reserve, operating the HC-130P/N "King"
HC-130
The Lockheed HC-130 is an extended-range, search and rescue and Combat search and rescue version of the C-130 Hercules transport. The HC-130H and HC-130J versions are operated by the United States Coast Guard in a SAR and maritime reconnaissance role. The HC-130P and HC-130N Combat King models...
variant of the C-130 Hercules and HH-60G Pave Hawk helicopter, ready for worldwide deployment. The wing is also a major player in civilian rescue operations, most notably is its role in manned spaceflight support to NASA
NASA
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration is the agency of the United States government that is responsible for the nation's civilian space program and for aeronautics and aerospace research...
, providing Eastern Range monitoring and search and rescue support for Space Shuttle
Space Shuttle
The Space Shuttle was a manned orbital rocket and spacecraft system operated by NASA on 135 missions from 1981 to 2011. The system combined rocket launch, orbital spacecraft, and re-entry spaceplane with modular add-ons...
launches from Kennedy Space Center
Kennedy Space Center
The John F. Kennedy Space Center is the NASA installation that has been the launch site for every United States human space flight since 1968. Although such flights are currently on hiatus, KSC continues to manage and operate unmanned rocket launch facilities for America's civilian space program...
(KSC). Additional operations have also included searching the Caribbean for downed aircraft, as well as retrieving critically ill sailors and passengers from ships hundreds of miles out in the Atlantic, often at night and/or in bad weather. Because the USAF HH-60G can refuel in flight from the USAF HC-130
HC-130
The Lockheed HC-130 is an extended-range, search and rescue and Combat search and rescue version of the C-130 Hercules transport. The HC-130H and HC-130J versions are operated by the United States Coast Guard in a SAR and maritime reconnaissance role. The HC-130P and HC-130N Combat King models...
, MC-130, or USMC KC-130, it possesses a much greater range and mission radius versus similar military helicopters.
The 920 RQW is also a full participant in the Air Force's current Air and Space Expeditionary Task Force
Air and Space Expeditionary Task Force
An Air and Space Expeditionary Task Force is a deployed numbered air force or command echelon immediately subordinate to an NAF that is provided as the U.S...
(AETF) operating concept. Under this concept, the bulk of the wing deployed to Iraq in 2003 in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. Subsequent AETF deployments have included Djibouti
Djibouti
Djibouti , officially the Republic of Djibouti , is a country in the Horn of Africa. It is bordered by Eritrea in the north, Ethiopia in the west and south, and Somalia in the southeast. The remainder of the border is formed by the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden at the east...
in 2004 and 2006 and Afghanistan
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
in 2007 in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.
Adjacent to the 920 RQW's facilities is the NASA
NASA
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration is the agency of the United States government that is responsible for the nation's civilian space program and for aeronautics and aerospace research...
Flight Operations Facility, which provides support for NASA's permanently based UH-1H helicopters supporting Kennedy Space Center
Kennedy Space Center
The John F. Kennedy Space Center is the NASA installation that has been the launch site for every United States human space flight since 1968. Although such flights are currently on hiatus, KSC continues to manage and operate unmanned rocket launch facilities for America's civilian space program...
and transient NASA fixed-wing aircraft such as the T-38 Talon
T-38 Talon
The Northrop T-38 Talon is a twin-engine supersonic jet trainer. It was the world's first supersonic trainer and is also the most produced. The T-38 remains in service as of 2011 in air forces throughout the world....
.
The U.S. State Department's Bureau for International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs
Bureau for International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs
__FORCETOC__The Bureau for International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs is a part of the Department of State within the United States government that advises the President, Secretary of State, other bureaux within the Department of State, and other departments and agencies within the U.S...
Air Wing helps foreign countries combat drugs and narcotics criminals. The Bureau operates a fleet of aircraft, primarily former USAF and USMC OV-10 and former USAF C-27 aircraft at Patrick AFB to help detect and interdict the drug trade in Bolivia
Bolivia
Bolivia officially known as Plurinational State of Bolivia , is a landlocked country in central South America. It is the poorest country in South America...
, Colombia
Colombia
Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia , is a unitary constitutional republic comprising thirty-two departments. The country is located in northwestern South America, bordered to the east by Venezuela and Brazil; to the south by Ecuador and Peru; to the north by the Caribbean Sea; to the...
, Peru
Peru
Peru , officially the Republic of Peru , is a country in western South America. It is bordered on the north by Ecuador and Colombia, on the east by Brazil, on the southeast by Bolivia, on the south by Chile, and on the west by the Pacific Ocean....
and Afghanistan
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
.
History
The facility which is today Patrick AFB initially started as Naval Air Station Banana RiverNaval Air Station Banana River
Naval Air Station Banana River was a U.S. Navy airfield and seaplane base located just north of Satellite Beach, Florida along the Banana River prior to and during World War II...
, having been commissioned on October 1, 1940. NAS Banana River supported seaplane patrol operations during World War II and it continued to operate as a Navy
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
support base for two years after the war. The installation was deactivated and placed in a caretaker status on August 1, 1947.
The Navy transferred NAS Banana River to the 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...
on September 1, 1948. The station was renamed the Joint Long Range Proving Ground (JLRPG) Base on June 10, 1949. On October 1, 1949, the Joint Long Range Proving Ground Base was transferred from Air Materiel Command to the Air Force Division of the Joint Long Range Proving Ground.
Five of the victims of the Khobar Towers bombing
Khobar Towers bombing
The Khobar Towers bombing was a terrorist attack on part of a housing complex in the city of Khobar, Saudi Arabia, located near the national oil company headquarters of Dhahran. In 1996, Khobar Towers was being used to house foreign military personnel.Al-Qaeda has incorrectly been described by...
in 1996 were stationed at Patrick.
The 9/11 attacks prompted the Air Force to close the heavily used 4-lane Florida State Road A1A
Florida State Road A1A
State Road A1A is a Florida State Road that runs mostly along the Atlantic Ocean, with sections from Key West at the southern tip of Florida, to Callahan, just south of Georgia. It is the main road through most oceanfront towns. SR A1A is designated the A1A Scenic and Historic Coastal Highway, a...
which ran near the AFTAC building for awhile. Then it was reopened to two lane traffic with car inspections; then two-lane traffic until a barrier was constructed in front of the building and the building reinforced with steel and concrete with the windows sealed.
In February 2005, the officers club was destroyed by an accidental fire.
In 2010, the Air Force announced its intention to replace the AFTAC building with a new one costing from $100 to $200 million. This was the largest construction project in the US for the AF. It will be 276000 ft2 multistory command and control building with a 38000 ft2 radiochemistry laboratory, 18000 ft2 central utility plant and a 600 space 180000 ft2 parking garage.
Boeing E-6 Mercurys, part of Operation Looking Glass were sometimes seen at PAFB in 2010-11 and often mistaken by onlookers for the President's Plane, Air Force One
Air Force One
Air Force One is the official air traffic control call sign of any United States Air Force aircraft carrying the President of the United States. In common parlance the term refers to those Air Force aircraft whose primary mission is to transport the president; however, any U.S. Air Force aircraft...
which looks similar.
Operational history
On May 17, 1950, the base was renamed the "Long Range Proving Ground Base" but three months later was renamed "Patrick Air Force Base", in honor of Major General Mason PatrickMason Patrick
Mason Mathews Patrick was a U.S. Army general and air power advocate.Patrick was born in Lewisburg, West Virginia and graduated from West Point in 1886. For three years he was at the Engineer School of Application, Willets Point, New York, graduating in 1889...
.
On May 3, 1951, the Long Range Proving Ground Division was assigned to the newly-created Air Research and Development Command (ARDC). The next month the division was redesignated the Air Force Missile Test Center (AFMTC).
Cost comparison studies done in the early 1950s pointed out the desirability of letting contractors operate the station. The first range contract was signed with Pan American World Services on December 31, 1953. The Air Force Missile Test Center began transferring property and equipment to Pan American
Pan American World Airways
Pan American World Airways, commonly known as Pan Am, was the principal and largest international air carrier in the United States from 1927 until its collapse on December 4, 1991...
World Services at the end of that year. Pan American operated under contract to the Air Force for the next 34 years (until early October 1988). In 1988, the old range contract was divided into the Range Technical Services (RTS) and the Launch Base Services (LBS) contracts. The RTS contract was awarded to Computer Sciences Raytheon
Computer Sciences Raytheon
Computer Sciences Raytheon joint venture partnership of Computer Sciences Corporation and Raytheon Technical Services Company. CSR is the contractor that has managed the Eastern Test Range since 1988. CSR is headquartered at Patrick Air Force Base, Florida...
(CSR) in June 1988, and the LBS contract was awarded to Pan American World Services (later known as Johnson Controls
Johnson Controls
Johnson Controls, Inc. is a company, based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA. It was founded in 1885 by professor Warren S. Johnson, inventor of the first electric room thermostat....
) in August 1988.
I Dream of Jeannie
I Dream of Jeannie is a 1960s American sitcom with a fantasy premise. The show starred Barbara Eden as a 2,000-year-old genie, and Larry Hagman as an astronaut who becomes her master, with whom she falls in love and eventually marries...
, which was set in nearby Cocoa Beach (no cast was present). But by the mid-1970s, the demise of the Apollo
Project Apollo
The Apollo program was the spaceflight effort carried out by the United States' National Aeronautics and Space Administration , that landed the first humans on Earth's Moon. Conceived during the Presidency of Dwight D. Eisenhower, Apollo began in earnest after President John F...
manned space program and the end of land-based ballistic missile development at nearby Cape Canaveral Air Force Station
Cape Canaveral Air Force Station
Cape Canaveral Air Force Station is an installation of the United States Air Force Space Command's 45th Space Wing, headquartered at nearby Patrick Air Force Base. Located on Cape Canaveral in the state of Florida, CCAFS is the primary launch head of America's Eastern Range with four launch pads...
signaled a downturn in fortunes, and on February 1, 1977, the "Air Force Eastern Test Range" organization was inactivated and its functions transferred to Detachment 1 of the Space and Missile Test Center (SAMTEC) until the activation of the Eastern Space and Missile Center in 1979 on October 1, 1979. In 1990, ESMC was transferred from the inactivating Air Force Systems Command
Air Force Systems Command
Air Force Systems Command is a former United States Air Force command. Its headquarters was located at Andrews Air Force Base, Maryland...
(AFSC) to the newly established Air Force Space Command
Air Force Space Command
Air Force Space Command is a major command of the United States Department of the Air Force, with its headquarters at Peterson Air Force Base, Colorado. AFSPC supports U.S. military operations worldwide through the use of many different types of satellite, launch and cyber operations....
(AFSPC). On November 12, 1991 ESMC was inactivated and the 45th Space Wing (45 SW) assumed its remaining functions.
Air Defense Command
In 1961, Patrick AFB began hosting a joint Federal Aviation AdministrationFederal Aviation Administration
The Federal Aviation Administration is the national aviation authority of the United States. An agency of the United States Department of Transportation, it has authority to regulate and oversee all aspects of civil aviation in the U.S...
/Air Defense Command joint-use radar site featuring an AN/FPS-66 general surveillance radar set for air defense of the Patrick AFB/Cape Canaveral area. Designated site "Z-211" (FAA J-05), the 645th Radar Squadron
645th Radar Squadron
The 645th Radar Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was last assigned to the 20th Air Division, Aerospace Defense Command, stationed at Patrick Air Force Base, Florida...
was reactivated on 28 June 1962 to operate the radar, feeding data to SAGE
Semi Automatic Ground Environment
The Semi-Automatic Ground Environment was an automated control system for tracking and intercepting enemy bomber aircraft used by NORAD from the late 1950s into the 1980s...
Data Center DC-09 at Gunter AFB, Alabama.
Aerospace Defense Command operated the radar until 25 April 1976 when it was replaced by a detachment of the 20th Air Defense Squadron (OLA-A). The USAF radar was removed around 1988. After its closure by the Air Force, and turned over to the Federal Aviation Administration
Federal Aviation Administration
The Federal Aviation Administration is the national aviation authority of the United States. An agency of the United States Department of Transportation, it has authority to regulate and oversee all aspects of civil aviation in the U.S...
(FAA).
The former ADC site was replaced by a new site near Melbourne, Florida
Melbourne, Florida
Melbourne is a city in Brevard County, Florida, United States. As of 2009, the population estimated by the U.S. Census Bureau is 78,323. The municipal area is the second largest by size and by population in the county. Melbourne is a principal city of the Palm Bay – Melbourne – Titusville, Florida...
, as part of the Joint Surveillance System
Joint Surveillance System
The Joint Surveillance System is a joint United States Air Force and Federal Aviation Administration system for the atmospheric air defense of North America...
(JSS), designated by NORAD as Southeast Air Defense Sector
Southeast Air Defense Sector
The Southeast Air Defense Sector , was a unit of the US Air Force located at Tyndall Air Force Base near Panama City, Florida. It provided air defense and surveillance of the southeastern region of the US...
(SEADS) Ground Equipment Facility "J-5", with a new ARSR-4 radar.
Major commands assigned
- Air Proving Ground Command, October 1, 1949
- Air Research and Development Command, May 14, 1951
- Redesignated: Air Force Systems CommandAir Force Systems CommandAir Force Systems Command is a former United States Air Force command. Its headquarters was located at Andrews Air Force Base, Maryland...
, April 1, 1961- Air Force Space CommandAir Force Space CommandAir Force Space Command is a major command of the United States Department of the Air Force, with its headquarters at Peterson Air Force Base, Colorado. AFSPC supports U.S. military operations worldwide through the use of many different types of satellite, launch and cyber operations....
, October 1, 1991–present
- Air Force Space Command
Major units assigned
- 2nd Combat Communications Group (inactivated 1993)
- 2770th Standby Squadron, November 20, 1948 - October 1, 1949
- Advance HQ, Joint Long Range Proving Ground, October 1, 1949 - August 15, 1950
- Redesignated, 4820th Air Base Squadron, August 15, 1950 - September 4, 1951
- 6550th Air Base Wing, September 4, 1951 - March 1, 1953
- Redesignated: 6550th Air Base Group, March 1, 1953 - October 1, 1990
- Redesignated: 1040th Space Support Group, October 1, 1990 - November 12, 1991
- Redesignated: 45th Support Group, November 12, 1991 - present
- Air Force Eastern Test Range, October 1, 1949 - February 1, 1977
- Det. 1 Space and Missile Test Center (SAMTEC), February 1, 1977 - October 1, 1979
- Eastern Space & Missile Center (ESMC), October 1, 1979 - November 1, 1991
- 4802d (later 6555th) Guided Missile Squadron, April 10, 1951 - August 15, 1959
- Redesignated: 6555th Guided Missile Group, August 15, 1959 - July 1, 1992
- 6541st Missile Test Wing, September 4, 1951 - September 7, 1954
- 45th Space Wing45th Space WingThe 45th Space Wing is a United States Air Force unit. It is assigned to the Fourteenth Air Force, stationed at Patrick Air Force Base, Florida. It is also the host unit at Patrick AFB.-Overview:...
on November 12, 1991–present
- 45th Support Group became subordinate of Wing
- Eastern Space & Missile Center became subordinate of Wing
- 920th Rescue Wing920th Rescue WingThe 920th Rescue Wing is a wing of the United States Air Force based at Patrick Air Force Base, Florida with additional geographically separated units located at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Arizona and Portland International Airport/Air Reserve Station, Oregon...
, April 15, 1997–present
- 920th Rescue Wing
Reference for history summation, major commands assigned and major units assigned
Buildings
The base has the Space Coast Inn for visiting personnel, dormitories for permanent party single enlisted personnel, quarters for families in three separate housing areas, recreational housing on the beach, beach access, combined officers and enlisted clubs, commissary, a large base exchange (BX), library and numerous morale, welfare and recreation (MWR) facilities.There are several chapels including Chapel One, Chapel Two, South Chapel at the South Housing area, and Seaside Chapel (Building 440). There is also a "45th Space Wing Chapel" which travels with the Wing when it is deployed. The Catholic Group is called "St. George Parish" and meets in Chapel One or Two. While the buildings are owned by the Air Force, the Catholic Parish is under the spiritual direction of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese for the Military Services, USA.
In 2009, base housing was privatized and became available for lease by members of the Reserve and Guard, military retirees, Department of Defense civil service employees and DOD contractors.
In 2010, the construction of a new 74000 ft2 medical clinic was started. It is expected to cost $18.5 million.
Surrounding areas
- Atlantic OceanAtlantic OceanThe Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about , it covers approximately 20% of the Earth's surface and about 26% of its water surface area...
Cocoa BeachCocoa Beach, FloridaCocoa Beach is a city in Brevard County, Florida, United States. The population was 12,482 at the 2000 census. According to the U.S. Census Bureau estimates of 2008, the city had a population of 11,920...
South Patrick ShoresSouth Patrick Shores, FloridaSouth Patrick Shores is a census-designated place in Brevard County, Florida, United States. The population was 8,913 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Palm Bay–Melbourne–Titusville Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:...
Banana RiverBanana RiverThe Banana River is a lagoon that lies between Cape Canaveral and Merritt Island in Brevard County, Florida in the United States. It is part of the Indian River Lagoon system, and connects at its south end to the Indian River; it is the only part of the lagoon system not in the Intracoastal...
, Merritt Island, LotusLotus, FloridaLotus is a former village in Brevard County, Florida, United States. It is the location of Honeymoon Hill, the highest point on Merritt Island. In some sections of the area, citrus groves grow between the Indian and Banana river lagoons...
Access
Patrick Air Force Base lies on a barrier island, and is primarily accessed from the mainland by the Pineda Causeway (State Road 404) in Satellite BeachSatellite Beach, Florida
Satellite Beach is a city in Brevard County, Florida, United States. The population was 9,577 at the 2000 census. As of 2005, the population estimated by the U.S. Census Bureau is 9,811. It is part of the Palm Bay–Melbourne–Titusville Metropolitan Statistical Area...
, or Florida State Road A1A
Florida State Road A1A
State Road A1A is a Florida State Road that runs mostly along the Atlantic Ocean, with sections from Key West at the southern tip of Florida, to Callahan, just south of Georgia. It is the main road through most oceanfront towns. SR A1A is designated the A1A Scenic and Historic Coastal Highway, a...
which runs the entire length of Patrick AFB.
See also
- Joint Functional Component Command for Space and Global StrikeJoint Functional Component Command for Space and Global StrikeJoint Functional Component Command for Space and Global Strike was a component of the United States Strategic Command. It was headquartered at Offutt Air Force Base, Nebraska. The Commander, JFCC SGS was dual hatted as the Commander, Eighth Air Force and Commander, JFCC SGS...
- Department of Defense Manned Space Flight Support OfficeDepartment of Defense Manned Space Flight Support OfficeThe Department of Defense Manned Space Flight Support Office coordinates all United States Department of Defense contingency support to the United States manned space flight programs.-History:...
Other sources
- Maurer, Maurer. Air Force Combat Units Of World War II. Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office 1961 (republished 1983, Office of Air Force History, ISBN 0-912799-02-1).
- Ravenstein, Charles A. Air Force Combat Wings Lineage and Honors Histories 1947–1977. Maxwell Air Force BaseMaxwell Air Force BaseMaxwell Air Force Base , officially known as Maxwell-Gunter Air Force Base, is a United States Air Force installation under the Air Education and Training Command . The installation is located in Montgomery, Alabama, US. It was named in honor of Second Lieutenant William C...
, AlabamaAlabamaAlabama is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Tennessee to the north, Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gulf of Mexico to the south, and Mississippi to the west. Alabama ranks 30th in total land area and ranks second in the size of its inland...
: Office of Air Force History 1984. ISBN 0-912799-12-9. - Mueller, Robert, Air Force Bases Volume I, Active Air Force Bases Within the United States of America on 17 September 1982, Office of Air Force History, 1989
- History of the 45th Wing
- 71st Rescue Squadron at GlobalSecurity.orgGlobalSecurity.orgGlobalSecurity.org, launched in 2000, is a public policy organization focusing on the fields of defense, space exploration, intelligence, weapons of mass destruction and homeland security...