Dyess Air Force Base (AFB) is a
United States Air Force
The United States Air Force (USAF) is the air service branch of the United States Armed Forces, and is one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Originally created on 1 August 1907, as a part of the United States Army Si ...
(USAF) base located about southwest of downtown
Abilene, Texas
Abilene ( ) is a city in Taylor and Jones Counties in Texas, United States. Its population was 125,182 at the 2020 census, making it the 27th-most populous city in the state of Texas. It is the principal city of the Abilene metropolitan st ...
, and west of
Fort Worth, Texas
Fort Worth is the List of cities in Texas by population, fifth-largest city in the U.S. state of Texas and the List of United States cities by population, 13th-largest city in the United States. It is the county seat of Tarrant County, Texas, T ...
.
The host unit at Dyess is the
7th Bomb Wing assigned to the
Global Strike Command Eighth Air Force
The Eighth Air Force (Air Forces Strategic) is a numbered air force (NAF) of the United States Air Force's Air Force Global Strike Command (AFGSC). It is headquartered at Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana. The command serves as Air Forc ...
. The wing is one of only two
B-1B Lancer strategic bomber wings in the USAF, the other being the
28th Bomb Wing at
Ellsworth Air Force Base
Ellsworth Air Force Base (AFB) is a United States Air Force base located about northeast of Rapid City, South Dakota, just north of the town of Box Elder.
The host unit at Ellsworth is the 28th Bomb Wing (28 BW). Assigned to the Global Str ...
,
South Dakota
South Dakota (; Sioux: , ) is a U.S. state in the North Central region of the United States. It is also part of the Great Plains. South Dakota is named after the Lakota and Dakota Sioux Native American tribes, who comprise a large po ...
.
The
317th Airlift Wing, assigned to
Air Mobility Command Eighteenth Air Force, is a tenant unit and one of four world-wide active-duty locations for the
C-130 Hercules
The Lockheed C-130 Hercules is an American four-engine turboprop military transport aircraft designed and built by Lockheed (now Lockheed Martin). Capable of using unprepared runways for takeoffs and landings, the C-130 was originally desi ...
military transport aircraft.
Dyess AFB was established in 1942 as Abilene Army Air Base. It was renamed in honor of Texas native and
Bataan Death March
The Bataan Death March ( Filipino: ''Martsa ng Kamatayan sa Bataan''; Spanish: ''Marcha de la muerte de Bataán'' ; Kapampangan: ''Martsa ning Kematayan quing Bataan''; Japanese: バターン死の行進, Hepburn: ''Batān Shi no Kōshin'') ...
survivor
Lieutenant Colonel
Lieutenant colonel ( , ) is a rank of commissioned officers in the armies, most marine forces and some air forces of the world, above a major and below a colonel. Several police forces in the United States use the rank of lieutenant colon ...
William Dyess. As of 2017, the 7th Bomb Wing is commanded by Colonel Joe Kramer. The vice commander is Colonel Kevin Kippie and the command chief master sergeant is Chief Master Sergeant Matt Coltrin.
Dyess covers , and is home to the 7th Bomb Wing, which consists of four groups. The 9th and 28th Bomb Squadrons fly the B-1B. In addition, the 28th Bomb Squadron is the USAF schoolhouse for all B-1B aircrew members.
The base employs more than 5,000 people, making it the single largest employer in the area. Dyess AFB has nearly 200 facilities on base, plus 988 units of family housing, and encompasses of land. The base has a total economic impact of nearly $310 million yearly on the local community.
History
The base is named after Lt Col
William Edwin Dyess, a native of
Albany, Texas, who was captured by the
Japanese on
Bataan
Bataan (), officially the Province of Bataan ( fil, Lalawigan ng Bataan ), is a province in the Central Luzon region of the Philippines. Its capital is the city of Balanga while Mariveles is the largest town in the province. Occupying the enti ...
in April 1942. Dyess escaped in April 1943 and fought with guerilla forces on Mindanao until evacuated by submarine in July 1943. During retraining in the United States, his
P-38 Lightning
The Lockheed P-38 Lightning is an American single-seat, twin piston-engined fighter aircraft that was used during World War II. Developed for the United States Army Air Corps by the Lockheed Corporation, the P-38 incorporated a distinctive ...
caught fire in flight on 23 December 1943 near
Burbank, California
Burbank is a city in the southeastern end of the San Fernando Valley in Los Angeles County, California, United States. Located northwest of downtown Los Angeles, Burbank has a population of 107,337. The city was named after David Burbank, who ...
. He refused to bail out over a populated area and died in the crash of his P-38 in a vacant lot.
World War II
In 1942, the
United States Army Air Forces
The United States Army Air Forces (USAAF or AAF) was the major land-based aerial warfare service component of the United States Army and ''de facto'' aerial warfare service branch of the United States during and immediately after World War II ...
built Tye Army Air Field, as it was popularly known, on the site of what is now known as Dyess AFB. On 18 December 1942, the field was opened and was initially named Abilene Army Air Base. The name was changed on 8 April 1943 to Abilene Army Airfield. The first host unit as Abilene AAB was the 474th Base HQ and Airbase Squadron, established on 18 December 1942. The airfield was initially assigned to
Second Air Force
The Second Air Force (2 AF; ''2d Air Force'' in 1942) is a USAF numbered air force responsible for conducting basic military and technical training for Air Force enlisted members and non-flying officers. In World War II the CONUS unit defende ...
and its mission was to be a flying training center for cadets.
Known groups which trained at the base during the war were:
* 77th Reconnaissance Group (6 April 1943 – 12 September 1943)
* 69th Tactical Reconnaissance Group (10 September 1943 – 12 November 1943)
* 408th Fighter-Bomber Group (10 November 1943 – January 1944)
The 77th and 69th groups were units that trained reconnaissance personnel who later served overseas. The 408th was a new group that received
A-24,
A-26,
P-40, and
P-47
The Republic P-47 Thunderbolt is a World War II-era fighter aircraft produced by the American company Republic Aviation from 1941 through 1945. It was a successful high-altitude fighter and it also served as the foremost American fighter-bomber ...
aircraft in October 1943 and began training. It was disbanded shortly after leaving Abilene on 1 April 1944.
On 25 March 1944,
Republic P-47 Thunderbolt training for flight cadets was taken over by the 261st Army Air Force Base Unit. Training continued until 1 April 1946.
With the end of the war, the base was declared inactive on 31 January 1946. Although assigned to
Continental Air Command, Abilene AAF was classified as an inactive subbase of
Fort Worth Army Airfield
A fortification is a military construction or building designed for the defense of territories in warfare, and is also used to establish rule in a region during peacetime. The term is derived from Latin ''fortis'' ("strong") and ''facere'' ...
and was sold to the city of Abilene for $1. It was used as a training facility for the
Texas Army National Guard for several years.
Cold War
Shortly after the
Korean War
{{Infobox military conflict
, conflict = Korean War
, partof = the Cold War and the Korean conflict
, image = Korean War Montage 2.png
, image_size = 300px
, caption = Clockwise from top:{ ...
broke out, the city of Abilene called for the need of a military installation. They believed the 1,500 acres (6 km
2) of the former Tye AAF were the perfect site for a new base. The city's leaders went to
The Pentagon
The Pentagon is the headquarters building of the United States Department of Defense. It was constructed on an accelerated schedule during World War II. As a symbol of the U.S. military, the phrase ''The Pentagon'' is often used as a metony ...
with their request. The city showed their determination for a new base by raising almost $1 million to purchase an additional 3,500 acres (14 km
2) adjacent to the site. They were able to attract then U.S. Senator
Lyndon B. Johnson's (D-TX) attention, who had the power to persuade military officials to reactivate the base in Abilene. Finally, in July 1952, Congress approved the $32 million needed to construct an air force base on the Tye AAF site. It was to be called Abilene Air Force Base and a little over three years after first starting construction, the base was opened on 15 April 1956.
Dyess' first active combat unit was the
341st Bombardment Wing, which activated on 1 September 1955. The 341st was part of the
Strategic Air Command
Strategic Air Command (SAC) was both a United States Department of Defense Specified Command and a United States Air Force (USAF) Major Command responsible for command and control of the strategic bomber and intercontinental ballistic missile ...
(SAC), flying the
B-47 Stratojet, which it continued to operate until its inactivation on 25 June 1961.
On 1 December 1956, the name of the base was changed to Dyess Air Force Base in honor of the late Lt Col William E. Dyess, USAAF.
The
96th Bombardment Wing moved to Dyess on 8 September 1957 and for a few years worked alongside the 341st. It included not just
B-47
The Boeing B-47 Stratojet (Boeing company designation Model 450) is a retired American long-range, six-engined, turbojet-powered strategic bomber designed to fly at high subsonic speed and at high altitude to avoid enemy interceptor aircraft. ...
and
B-52 nuclear bombers, but also the
KC-97 and later on the
KC-135
The Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker is an American military aerial refueling aircraft that was developed from the Boeing 367-80 prototype, alongside the Boeing 707 airliner. It is the predominant variant of the C-135 Stratolifter family of transport ...
refueling aircraft. During the
Cold War
The Cold War is a term commonly used to refer to a period of geopolitical tension between the United States and the Soviet Union and their respective allies, the Western Bloc and the Eastern Bloc. The term '' cold war'' is used because t ...
, the base was constantly on alert in case of nuclear attack. Even signs in the base's movie theater would instantly alert pilots in the scenario that the
USSR
The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, it was nominally a federal union of fifteen nati ...
would initiate a nuclear attack during a movie. These can still be seen today at the theater.
During the
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War (also known by #Names, other names) was a conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. It was the second of the Indochina Wars and was officially fought between North Vie ...
, B-52s and KC-135s (917th ARS) from the 96th BW participated heavily in various air campaigns, including
Arc Light, Young Tiger, Bullet Shot,
Linebacker
Linebacker (LB) is a playing position in gridiron football. Linebackers are members of the defensive team, and line up three to five yards behind the line of scrimmage and the defensive linemen. They are the "middle ground" of defenders, ...
, and
Linebacker II
Operation Linebacker II was an aerial bombing campaign conducted by U.S. Seventh Air Force, Strategic Air Command and U.S. Navy Task Force 77 against targets in the Democratic Republic of Vietnam (North Vietnam) during the final period of ...
missions over
North
North is one of the four compass points or cardinal directions. It is the opposite of south and is perpendicular to east and west. ''North'' is a noun, adjective, or adverb indicating direction or geography.
Etymology
The word ''north ...
and
South Vietnam
South Vietnam, officially the Republic of Vietnam ( vi, Việt Nam Cộng hòa), was a state in Southeast Asia that existed from 1955 to 1975, the period when the southern portion of Vietnam was a member of the Western Bloc during part of th ...
. The B-52s flew combat missions primarily out of
Andersen AFB
Andersen Air Force Base (Andersen AFB, AAFB) is a United States Air Force base located primarily within the village of Yigo in the United States territory of Guam. The host unit at Andersen AFB is the 36th Wing (36 WG), assigned to the Pacific ...
, Guam and
Utapao RTAFB, Thailand during these missions. The KC-135As flew primarily out of Utapao RTAFB, Thailand,
Clark AFB, Philippines,
Kadena AFB
(IATA: DNA, ICAO: RODN) is a highly strategic United States Air Force base in the towns of Kadena and Chatan and the city of Okinawa, in Okinawa Prefecture, Japan. It is often referred to as the "Keystone of the Pacific" because of its high ...
, Okinawa, Andersen AFB, Guam, and
NAS Agana, Guam.
On 19 November 1959, the
United States Army
The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, ...
conducted groundbreaking ceremonies at Dyess AFB for the battalion headquarters of the 5th Missile Battalion, 517th Artillery of the
U.S. Army Air Defense Command. Installed to defend the SAC bombers and Atlas F missile silos stationed at and around Dyess AFB, the two
Nike Hercules
The Nike Hercules, initially designated SAM-A-25 and later MIM-14, was a surface-to-air missile (SAM) used by U.S. and NATO armed forces for medium- and high-altitude long-range air defense. It was normally armed with the W31 nuclear warhead, bu ...
sites were controlled by a "BIRDIE" system installed at Sweetwater Air Force Station. Site DY-10, located at Fort Phantom Hill and site DY-50, located southwest of Abilene , remained operational from 1960 until 1966.
Units stationed at Dyess Air Force Base while the 5/517th was operational included SAC's 819th Strategic Aerospace Division, the 96th BW, and the 578th Strategic Missile Squadron. Several of the 578th's Altas F Silos are located near the Nike sites. The Army Air Defense Command Post was located 37 miles west at Sweetwater AFS. Both of the sites were located near former Army posts. Camp Barkeley served as a World War II infantry division training center, while Fort Phantom Hill was a frontier outpost and stop on the Butterfield stage route.
Since 1961, various models of
C-130
The Lockheed C-130 Hercules is an American four-engine turboprop military transport aircraft designed and built by Lockheed (now Lockheed Martin). Capable of using unprepared runways for takeoffs and landings, the C-130 was originally desi ...
Hercules aircraft have been stationed at Dyess AFB. The C-130s were originally assigned to the 64th Troop Carrier Wing (TCW) and from 1963 to 1972, the 516th Troop Carrier Wing was the host C-130 wing. In 1972, the 516 TCW was replaced with the 463d Tactical Airlift Wing (463 TAW). During the Vietnam War, TAC C-130 crews routinely rotated to forward based C-130 wings in the Pacific theater to support operations in Vietnam. In 1974, the 463 TAW was reassigned from
Tactical Air Command to
Military Airlift Command (MAC) as part of a USAF-wide initiative to place both strategic and tactical airlift assets under MAC control.
From 1962 to 1965, Dyess Air Force Base had 12
SM-65 Atlas missile sites stationed around it. The Dyess sites were operated by the 578th Strategic Missile Squadron. After being decommissioned in 1965, the Atlas missiles were removed and all sites demilitarized.
In June 1985, the 96th received its first
B-1B Lancer replacing the
B-52 Stratofortress
The Boeing B-52 Stratofortress is an American long-range, subsonic, jet-powered strategic bomber. The B-52 was designed and built by Boeing, which has continued to provide support and upgrades. It has been operated by the United States Air ...
, and in October 1986, assumed nuclear alert status. Since achieving IOC, Dyess has been recognized as the premier bomber-training center and leads the fleet in maintaining the highest mission capability status of its aircraft, avionics test stations and support equipment. Shortly after, the
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, it was nominally a federal union of fifteen nationa ...
fell and left many wondering the fate of the base. In 1991, the 463d Tactical Airlift Wing was simply designated the 463d Airlift Wing (463 AW). In October 1992, the parent commands of both wings changed. The 96 BW was reassigned to the newly established
Air Combat Command
Air Combat Command (ACC) is one of nine Major Commands (MAJCOMs) in the United States Air Force, reporting to Headquarters, United States Air Force (HAF) at the Pentagon. It is the primary provider of air combat forces for the Air Force, and i ...
, and the 463 AW was assigned to the new
Air Mobility Command.
The 1990s
On 1 October 1993, the 96 BW and 463 AW were both inactivated and replaced by the
7th Wing, a former B-52 and KC-135 wing that had been located at the former
Carswell AFB, which was being realigned as
NAS Fort Worth JRB/Carswell ARS as a result of
Base Realignment and Closure
Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) is a process by a United States federal government commission to increase United States Department of Defense efficiency by coordinating the realignment and closure of military installations following the end ...
action. The 7th Wing incorporated Dyess' B-1Bs and C-130s, the latter which transferred from Air Mobility Command to Air Combat Command.
Within its first year, the 7th Wing's diverse mission made it one of the most active units in the
United States Air Force
The United States Air Force (USAF) is the air service branch of the United States Armed Forces, and is one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Originally created on 1 August 1907, as a part of the United States Army Si ...
. The
C-130
The Lockheed C-130 Hercules is an American four-engine turboprop military transport aircraft designed and built by Lockheed (now Lockheed Martin). Capable of using unprepared runways for takeoffs and landings, the C-130 was originally desi ...
s were deployed around the globe performing several airlift missions to Europe and the Persian Gulf. The crews and support people of the
B-1s focused on enhancing the purpose of the Lancer in a post-Soviet 21st century.
In 1997, Dyess' C-130s were transferred back to Air Mobility Command, and the
317th Airlift Group was created as the parent unit for Dyess' C-130 squadrons. At the same time, the 7th Wing was redesignated the 7th Bomb Wing. Despite this separation as units, both the 7th Bomb Wing and the 317th Airlift Group remained at Dyess.
One of the many unique features of Dyess is its extensive collection of static military aircraft on display. Collectively known as the "
Linear Air Park", it contains 30 aircraft from World War II to the present, many of them formerly based at Dyess, and is located along the base's main road, Arnold Blvd. All but one plane has been flown before. Its most recent addition is the first operational B-1B Lancer, known as ''The Star of Abilene'', which made its final flight in 2003. It can be seen at the front gate to Dyess along with a recently retired C-130 Hercules located on the other side of the road (a tribute to the two main aircraft currently housed at Dyess).
Another unique feature of Dyess is its main source of energy. In January 2003, Dyess became the first Department of Defense installation in the United States to be powered exclusively from renewable wind energy. Today, most of the energy Dyess receives is from other sources of renewable energy, such as biomass, and is considered one of the "greenest" bases in the USAF.
The remnants of Tye AAF can still be seen today. Parts of the old runway still exist, as well as part of its parking area on the west side of Dyess.
Global War on Terrorism
The 7th Bomb Wing and 317th Airlift Group were called to duty once again shortly after 11 September 2001. Both played and continue to play vital roles in both
Operation Enduring Freedom
Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) was the official name used synonymously by the U.S. government for both the War in Afghanistan (2001–2014) and the larger-scale Global War on Terrorism. On 7 October 2001, in response to the September 11 a ...
(OEF) and
Operation Iraqi Freedom
{{Infobox military conflict
, conflict = Iraq War {{Nobold, {{lang, ar, حرب العراق (Arabic) {{Nobold, {{lang, ku, شەڕی عێراق (Kurdish languages, Kurdish)
, partof = the Iraq conflict (2003–present), I ...
(OIF). Many of the 7th BW's B-1s and support personnel deploy to
Southwest Asia. From there, the 7 BW provides close air support to troops in the field and precision strike missions with the B-1B Lancer. The 317th Airlift Group has been deployed continuously to Southwest Asia since December 2003, where the group provides airlift support to OIF, OEF, and
Combined Joint Task Force-Horn of Africa operations.
On 1 October 2015, Dyess became part of
Global Strike Command.
Role and operations
The host unit at Dyess is the 7th Bomb Wing of the Global Strike Command, which was activated on 1 October 1993. The wing performs combat training with the Boeing B-1B Lancer bomber and is the USAF's premier operational B-1B unit with 36 aircraft.
The wing consists of these groups:
* 7th Operations Group (Tail Code: "DY") - Responsible for executing global conventional bombing directed by proper command authority, it is the Air Force's largest B-1 operations group comprising 36 B-1s.
**
28th Bomb Squadron (B-1B) (blue/white chex tail stripe)
**
9th Bomb Squadron (B-1B) (black tail stripe)
** 7th Operations Support Squadron
* 7th Mission Support Group
* 7th Maintenance Group
* 7th Medical Group
The
317th Airlift Wing (317 AW), an Air Mobility Command tenant unit, performs
Lockheed Martin C-130J Super Hercules airlift missions with 28 aircraft assigned. The wing is now the largest C-130J unit in the world.
The 317th AW consists of these squadrons:
*
39th Airlift Squadron
The 39th Airlift Squadron is a United States Air Force unit based at Dyess Air Force Base, Texas. The unit flies the Lockheed C-130J Super Hercules. It is primarily tasked to transport cargo and personnel, and where circumstances require, ai ...
"Trail Blazers" (C-130J) ("Dyess" Texas state flag tail stripe)
*
40th Airlift Squadron
The 40th Airlift Squadron is a United States Air Force unit based at Dyess Air Force Base, Texas. It currently flies the Lockheed Martin C-130J Super Hercules aircraft. Nicknamed the Screaming Eagles, it is one of the most decorated airlift uni ...
"Screaming Eagles" (C-130J) ("Dyess" Texas state flag tail stripe)
* 317th Maintenance Squadron
* 317th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron
* 317th Maintenance Operations Squadron (inactivated June 2013)
* 317th Operations Support Squadron
Dyess AFB is also home to several tenant units, including
Air Force Office of Special Investigations Detachment 222.
Based units
Flying and notable nonflying units based at Dyess Air Force Base:
Units marked GSU are
geographically separate units, which although based at Dyess, are subordinate to a parent unit based at another location.
United States Air Force
Air Force Global Strike Command
Air Force Global Strike Command (AFGSC) is a Major Command (MAJCOM) of the United States Air Force, headquartered at Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana. AFGSC provides combat-ready forces to conduct strategic nuclear deterrence and global stri ...
(AFGSC)
*
Eighth Air Force
The Eighth Air Force (Air Forces Strategic) is a numbered air force (NAF) of the United States Air Force's Air Force Global Strike Command (AFGSC). It is headquartered at Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana. The command serves as Air Forc ...
**
7th Bomb Wing (host wing)
***
7th Operations Group
**** 7th Operations Support Squadron
****
9th Bomb Squadron – B-1B Lancer
****
28th Bomb Squadron – B-1B Lancer
*** 7th Mission Support Group
**** 7th Civil Engineer Squadron
**** 7th Contracting Squadron
**** 7th Communications Squadron
**** 7th Force Support Squadron
**** 7th Logistics Readiness Squadron
**** 7th Security Forces Squadron
*** 7th Maintenance Group
**** 7th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron
**** 7th Component Maintenance Squadron
**** 7th Equipment Maintenance Squadron
**** 7th Munitions Squadron
*** 7th Medical Group
**** 7th Aerospace Medicine Squadron
**** 7th Medical Operations Squadron
**** 7th Medical Support Squadron
Air Mobility Command (AMC)
*
Eighteenth Air Force
**
317th Airlift Wing
***
317th Operations Group
****
39th Airlift Squadron
The 39th Airlift Squadron is a United States Air Force unit based at Dyess Air Force Base, Texas. The unit flies the Lockheed C-130J Super Hercules. It is primarily tasked to transport cargo and personnel, and where circumstances require, ai ...
– C-130J Super Hercules
****
40th Airlift Squadron
The 40th Airlift Squadron is a United States Air Force unit based at Dyess Air Force Base, Texas. It currently flies the Lockheed Martin C-130J Super Hercules aircraft. Nicknamed the Screaming Eagles, it is one of the most decorated airlift uni ...
– C-130J Super Hercules
**** 317th Operations Support Squadron
*** 317th Maintenance Group
**** 317th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron
**** 317th Maintenance Squadron
Air Combat Command
Air Combat Command (ACC) is one of nine Major Commands (MAJCOMs) in the United States Air Force, reporting to Headquarters, United States Air Force (HAF) at the Pentagon. It is the primary provider of air combat forces for the Air Force, and i ...
(ACC)
*
US Air Force Warfare Center
**
53rd Wing
The 53d Wing is a wing of the United States Air Force based at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida. The wing reports to the United States Air Force Warfare Center at Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada, which in turn reports to Headquarters Air Combat Comman ...
***
53rd Test and Evaluation Group
****
337th Test and Evaluation Squadron
The 337th Test and Evaluation Squadron is a squadron of the United States Air Force. It is a part of the 53d Test and Evaluation Group of the 53d Wing. The 337th is stationed at Dyess Air Force Base, Texas, though it operates out of a number ...
(GSU) – B-1B Lancer
*** 53rd Test Management Group
****
29th Training Systems Squadron (GSU)– B-1B Lancer
**
57th Wing
The 57th Wing (57 WG) is an operational unit of the United States Air Force (USAF) 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 ...
***
USAF Weapons School
The USAF Weapons School is a unit of the United States Air Force and United States Space Force, assigned to the 57th Wing and Space Delta 1. It is located at Nellis AFB, Nevada.
Mission
The mission of the USAF Weapons School is to teach gra ...
****
77th Weapons Squadron (GSU)– B-1B Lancer
*
436th Training Squadron
The 436th Training Squadron is a non-flying training squadron of the United States Air Force. The 436th Training Squadron, located at Dyess Air Force Base, Texas, is a geographically separated unit (GSU) within Air Combat Command’s 552nd Air ...
(GSU)
Air Force Reserve Command
The Air Force Reserve Command (AFRC) is a major command (MAJCOM) of the United States Air Force, with its headquarters at Robins Air Force Base, Georgia. It is the federal Air Reserve Component (ARC) of the U.S. Air Force, consisting of commis ...
(AFRC)
*
Tenth Air Force
The Tenth Air Force (10 AF) is a unit of the U.S. Air Force, specifically a numbered air force of the Air Force Reserve Command (AFRC). 10 AF is headquartered at Naval Air Station Fort Worth Joint Reserve Base/Carswell Field (formerly Carswel ...
**
307th Bomb Wing
***
489th Bomb Group (GSU)
**** 489th Aerospace Medicine Flight
**** 345th Bomb Squadron – B-1B Lancer
**** 489th Maintenance Squadron
Previous names
* Established as: Abilene Army Air Base, 18 December 1942
: Prior to this date popularly known as Tye Field and Tye Army Air Base
* Abilene Army Airfield, 8 April 1943 – 13 January 1947
* Abilene Air Force Base, 1 October 1953
* Dyess Air Force Base, 1 December 1956–present
Major commands to which assigned
* Second Air Force, 13 October 1942
* Third Air Force, 2 March 1943
* Second Air Force, 15 November 1943
* Continental Air Forces, 16 April 1945 – 31 January 1946
* Strategic Air Command, 1 October 1953 to 31 May 1992
* Air Combat Command, 1 June 1992 – 30 September 2015
* Global Strike Command, 1 October 2015 – present
Base operating units
* 474th HQ and Air Base Sq, 18 December 1942
* 261st AAF Base Unit, 1 April 1944
* 233d AAF Base Unit (Det), March 1946-c. January 1947
* 4021st Air Base Sq, 1 January 1955
* 341st Air Base Gp, 1 September 1955
* 819th Air Base Gp, 15 June 1956 (rdsgd 819th Combat Support Gp, 1 November 1958)
* 96th Combat Support Gp, 25 June 1961
* 7th Mission Support Group, 1 October 1993–present
Major units assigned
* 69th Tactical Reconnaissance Group, 10 September 1943 – 12 November 1943
* 77th Reconnaissance Group, 6 April-12 September 1943
* 408th Fighter-Bomber Group, 10 November 1943 – January 1944
* 341st Bombardment Wing, 1 September 1955 – 25 June 1961
* 819th Air Division, 1 February 1956 – 2 July 1966
* 96th Bombardment Wing, 8 September 1957 – 1 October 1993
* 64th Troop Carrier Wing, 8 February 1961 – 1 January 1963
* 516th Troop Carrier Wing, 19 July 1962 – 1 June 1972
* 12th Air Division, 30 September 1976 – 15 July 1988
* 7th Bomb Wing, 1 October 1993–present
SM-65F Atlas missile sites
The
578th Strategic Missile Squadron operated twelve missile sites, of one missile at each site.
* 578–1 1.5 mi SE of Lake Fort Phantom Hill, TX
* 578–2 1.5 mi S of Albany, TX
* 578–3 2.5 mi SE of Clyde, TX
* 578–4 9.6 mi SSW of Clyde, TX
* 578–5 1.5 mi SE of Lake Coleman, TX
* 578–6 2.7 mi E of Lawn, TX
* 578–7 3.4 mi NE of Bradshaw, TX
* 578–8 4.9 mi ENE of Winters, TX
* 578–9 11.9 mi NW of Bradshaw, TX
* 578–10 13.1 mi S of Trent, TX
* 578–11 3.2 mi SSW of Anson, TX
* 578–12 1.4 mi WNW of Corinth, TX
See also
*
List of United States Air Force installations
*
Texas World War II Army Airfields
References
* 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, ).
* Ravenstein, Charles A. ''Air Force Combat Wings Lineage and Honors Histories 1947–1977''.
Maxwell Air Force Base,
Alabama
(We dare defend our rights)
, anthem = " Alabama"
, image_map = Alabama in United States.svg
, seat = Montgomery
, LargestCity = Huntsville
, LargestCounty = Baldwin County
, LargestMetro = Greater Birmingham
, area_total_km2 = 135,7 ...
: Office of Air Force History 1984. .
* 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
External links
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Historic American Engineering Record (HAER) documentation, filed under Winters, Runnels County, Texas:
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{{Authority control
Installations of the United States Air Force in Texas
Installations of Strategic Air Command
Military airbases established in 1942
Buildings and structures in Taylor County, Texas
Historic American Engineering Record in Texas
Abilene metropolitan area
1942 establishments in Texas
Space Shuttle Emergency Landing Sites