Schriever 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...
located approximately 10 miles (16 kilometers) east of Peterson AFB near Colorado Springs
Colorado Springs, Colorado
Colorado Springs is a Home Rule Municipality that is the county seat and most populous city of El Paso County, Colorado, United States. Colorado Springs is located in South-Central Colorado, in the southern portion of the state. It is situated on Fountain Creek and is located south of the Colorado...
in El Paso County
El Paso County, Colorado
El Paso County is the most populous of the 64 counties of the state of Colorado of the United States, now more populous than Denver County. The United States Census Bureau concluded that the county population was 622,371 in 2010. In recent years, the population had come closer to that of Denver...
, Colorado
Colorado
Colorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
Overview
This Air Force Base is named in honor of General Bernard Adolph SchrieverBernard Adolph Schriever
General Bernard Adolph Schriever , also known as Bennie Schriever, was a United States Air Force general. He was born in Bremen, Germany, and after immigrating to the United States, played a major role in the U.S. Air Force programs for space and ballistic missile research.-Early years:Bernard...
, who pioneered in the development of the American ballistic missile programs. It is the home of the 50th Space Wing
50th Space Wing
The 50th Space Wing is a wing of the United States Air Force under the major command of Air Force Space Command . It was activated on 30 January 1992, replacing the 2d Space Wing, which was deactivated on the same date.-Overview:...
of the 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....
, and this base provides command and control for over 170 Department of Defense
United States Department of Defense
The United States Department of Defense is the U.S...
warning, navigational, and communications satellites. Also housed at Schriever AFB are the Missile Defense Integration and Operations Center and the Space Innovation & Development Center. Schriever AFB is the main control point for the Global Positioning System
Global Positioning System
The Global Positioning System is a space-based global navigation satellite system that provides location and time information in all weather, anywhere on or near the Earth, where there is an unobstructed line of sight to four or more GPS satellites...
(GPS).
Units
- Source: USAF Schriever AFB
- 50th Space Wing50th Space WingThe 50th Space Wing is a wing of the United States Air Force under the major command of Air Force Space Command . It was activated on 30 January 1992, replacing the 2d Space Wing, which was deactivated on the same date.-Overview:...
- some medical personnel from the 21st Medical Group
- 310th Space Wing310th Space WingThe 310th Space Wing is a United States Air Force unit assigned to the Air Force Reserve Command Tenth Air Force. It is a tenant unit at Schriever Air Force Base, Colo....
(AFRCAir Force Reserve CommandThe 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....
) - Space Innovation and Development Center
- Missile Defense AgencyMissile Defense AgencyThe Missile Defense Agency is the section of the United States government's Department of Defense responsible for developing a layered defense against ballistic missiles. The agency has its origins in the Strategic Defense Initiative, which was established in 1983 and was headed by Lt...
's Missile Defense Integration and Operations Center, formerly named the Joint National Integration Center (JNIC) - 527th Space Aggressor Squadron527th Space Aggressor SquadronThe 527th Space Aggressor Squadron is a non-flying United States Air Force unit assigned to the 57th Adversary Tactics Group. The 527 SAS is stationed at Schriever Air Force Base, Colorado, being a Geographically Separated Unit of the 57 ATG, which is stationed at Nellis AFB,...
, geographically separated from the 57th Wing57th WingThe 57th Wing is an operational unit of the United States Air Force Warfare Center, stationed at Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada.The 57 WG's mission is to provide well trained and well equipped combat forces ready to deploy into a combat arena to conduct integrated combat operations.-Mission:The 57... - AFOTEC Det. 4
- Space and Missile Defense Command-Space and Ballistic Missile Defense Forces (JFCC-IMD)
- U.S. Army 100th Missile Defense Brigade (GMD)
- Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 53rd Signal Battalion
- Detachment 1, 392d Training Squadron392d Training SquadronThe United States Air Force's 392d Training Squadron is an intercontinental ballistic missile training unit at Vandenberg AFB, California...
- Detachment 11, Space and Missile Systems CenterSpace and Missile Systems CenterThe Space and Missile Systems Center is a part of Air Force Space Command of the United States Air Force. SMC is the Air Force’s product center for the development and acquisition of space and missile systems...
- Detachment 12, 1st Space Test Squadron
- 11th Space Warning Squadron
- 50th Space Wing
History
- Source: USAF Schriever AFB
Groundbreaking for what would become Schriever Air Force Base took place in May 1983. It was originally called the Consolidated Space Operations Center (CSOC) during the development phase, and was renamed Falcon Air Force Station upon becoming operational. In September 1985 the Second Space Wing was activated at this base, and 230 Air Force members and civilian employees moved into its 12 new buildings. This wing took operational control of the Air Force Satellite Control Network
Air Force Satellite Control Network
The Air Force Satellite Control Network provides support for the operation, control, and maintenance of a variety of United States Department of Defense and some non-DoD satellites. This involves continual execution of the tasks involved in Tracking, Telemetry, and Command...
in October 1987.
In June 1988, Falcon Air Force Station was redesignated Falcon Air Force Base. On 30 January 1992 the 2nd Space Wing was deactivated and the 50th Space Wing
50th Space Wing
The 50th Space Wing is a wing of the United States Air Force under the major command of Air Force Space Command . It was activated on 30 January 1992, replacing the 2d Space Wing, which was deactivated on the same date.-Overview:...
took its place.
On 5 June 1998, Falcon Air Force Base was renamed Schriever Air Force Base in honor of the retired General Bernard Adolph Schriever
Bernard Adolph Schriever
General Bernard Adolph Schriever , also known as Bennie Schriever, was a United States Air Force general. He was born in Bremen, Germany, and after immigrating to the United States, played a major role in the U.S. Air Force programs for space and ballistic missile research.-Early years:Bernard...
, who pioneered in the development of the American ballistic missile
Ballistic missile
A ballistic missile is a missile that follows a sub-orbital ballistic flightpath with the objective of delivering one or more warheads to a predetermined target. The missile is only guided during the relatively brief initial powered phase of flight and its course is subsequently governed by the...
programs. Schriever AFB is the only Air Force base that was named for an Air Force veteran who was living at the time. General Schriever died June 20, 2005.
The Colorado Springs Post Office (ZIP Code
ZIP Code
ZIP codes are a system of postal codes used by the United States Postal Service since 1963. The term ZIP, an acronym for Zone Improvement Plan, is properly written in capital letters and was chosen to suggest that the mail travels more efficiently, and therefore more quickly, when senders use the...
80912) serves Schriever AFB postal addresses.
On November 21, 2011, an airman from the 50th Security Forces Squadron surrendered to authorities after barricading himself in a building with a personal handgun. No injuries were reported.
See also
- Communications satellites
- Milstar
- Satellite navigation systems