Kirtland Air Force Base is a
United States Air Force
The United States Air Force (USAF) is the Aerial warfare, air military branch, 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 ...
base located in the southeast quadrant of the
Albuquerque
Albuquerque ( ; ), ; kee, Arawageeki; tow, Vakêêke; zun, Alo:ke:k'ya; apj, Gołgéeki'yé. abbreviated ABQ, is the most populous city in the U.S. state of New Mexico. Its nicknames, The Duke City and Burque, both reference its founding in ...
,
New Mexico
)
, population_demonym = New Mexican ( es, Neomexicano, Neomejicano, Nuevo Mexicano)
, seat = Santa Fe
, LargestCity = Albuquerque
, LargestMetro = Tiguex
, OfficialLang = None
, Languages = English, Spanish ( New Mexican), Navajo, Ke ...
urban area, adjacent to the
Albuquerque International Sunport
Albuquerque International Sunport is the primary international airport serving the U.S. state of New Mexico, the Albuquerque metropolitan area, and the larger Albuquerque– Santa Fe– Las Vegas combined statistical area. It handles around ...
. The base was named for the early Army aviator Col.
Roy C. Kirtland
Roy Carrington Kirtland (14 May 1874 – 2 May 1941) was a United States Army soldier, officer and aviator. Kirtland Air Force Base in Albuquerque, New Mexico was named for him. He was among the first American military aviators and he reco ...
. The military and the international airport share the same runways, making ABQ a joint civil-military airport.
Kirtland AFB is the largest installation in
Air Force Global Strike Command and sixth largest in the United States Air Force. The base occupies 51,558 acres and employs over 23,000 people, including more than 4,200 active duty and 1,000 Guard, plus 3,200 part-time Reserve personnel. In 2000, Kirtland AFB's economic impact on the City of
Albuquerque
Albuquerque ( ; ), ; kee, Arawageeki; tow, Vakêêke; zun, Alo:ke:k'ya; apj, Gołgéeki'yé. abbreviated ABQ, is the most populous city in the U.S. state of New Mexico. Its nicknames, The Duke City and Burque, both reference its founding in ...
was over $2.7 billion.
Kirtland is the home of the
Air Force Materiel Command's
Nuclear Weapons Center (NWC). The NWC's responsibilities include acquisition, modernization and sustainment of nuclear system programs for both the
Department of Defense Department of Defence or Department of Defense may refer to:
Current departments of defence
* Department of Defence (Australia)
* Department of National Defence (Canada)
* Department of Defence (Ireland)
* Department of National Defense (Philipp ...
and
Department of Energy A Ministry of Energy or Department of Energy is a government department in some countries that typically oversees the production of fuel and electricity; in the United States, however, it manages nuclear weapons development and conducts energy-re ...
. The NWC is composed of two wings–the
377th Air Base Wing and
498th Nuclear Systems Wing
The 498th Nuclear Systems Wing was a wing of the United States Air Force based at Kirtland Air Force Base, New Mexico.
World War II
The wing was initially established as the 498th Bombardment Group, Very Heavy on 19 November 1943. The group rem ...
–along with ten groups and seven squadrons.
Kirtland is home to the
58th Special Operations Wing (58 SOW), an
Air Education and Training Command
Air Education and Training Command (AETC) is one of the nine List of major commands of the United States Air Force, Major Commands (MAJCOM) of the United States Air Force (USAF), reporting to Headquarters, United States Air Force. It was establis ...
(AETC) unit that provides formal aircraft type/model/series training. The 58 SOW operates the
HC-130J
The Lockheed HC-130 is an extended-range, search and rescue (SAR)/combat search and rescue (CSAR) version of the Lockheed C-130 Hercules, C-130 Hercules military transport aircraft, with two different versions operated by two separate servic ...
, MC-130J,
UH-1N Huey,
HH-60G Pave Hawk
The Sikorsky MH-60G/HH-60G Pave Hawk is a four-blade, twin-engine, medium-lift utility military helicopter manufactured by Sikorsky Aircraft. It is a derivative of the UH-60 Black Hawk and incorporates the US Air Force PAVE electronic systems ...
and
CV-22 Osprey
The Bell Boeing V-22 Osprey is an American multi-mission, tiltrotor military aircraft with both vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) and short takeoff and landing (STOL) capabilities. It is designed to combine the functionality of a conventio ...
aircraft. Headquarters,
Air Force Operational Test and Evaluation Center
Located at Kirtland Air Force Base, New Mexico, the Air Force Operational Test and Evaluation Center is a direct reporting unit of Headquarters, United States Air Force. It is the Air Force independent test agency responsible for testing, und ...
is also located at Kirtland AFB.
The
150th Special Operations Wing
The 150th Special Operations Wing (150 SOW) is a unit of the New Mexico Air National Guard, stationed at Kirtland Air Force Base. The wing traces its history back to the expansion of the 150th Tactical Fighter Group into the 150th Fighter Wing in ...
of the
New Mexico Air National Guard, an
Air Combat Command (ACC)-gained unit, is also home-based at Kirtland.
History
![Roy Kirtland](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/dd/Roy_Kirtland.jpg)
Kirtland Air Force Base was named for
Colonel
Colonel (abbreviated as Col., Col or COL) is a senior military officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations.
In the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, a colonel was typically in charge o ...
Roy C. Kirtland
Roy Carrington Kirtland (14 May 1874 – 2 May 1941) was a United States Army soldier, officer and aviator. Kirtland Air Force Base in Albuquerque, New Mexico was named for him. He was among the first American military aviators and he reco ...
(1874–1941) in February 1942. Colonel Kirtland learned to fly in 1911 in one of the first Wright airplanes at
Dayton
Dayton () is the sixth-largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Montgomery County. A small part of the city extends into Greene County. The 2020 U.S. census estimate put the city population at 137,644, while Greater Da ...
, Ohio. During
World War I
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
, he organized and commanded a regiment of mechanics and served as an inspector of aviation facilities. Recalled from retirement in 1941 at 65, the oldest military pilot in the Air Corps, he died of a heart attack on 2 May 1941 at
Moffett Field
Moffett Federal Airfield , also known as Moffett Field, is a joint civil-military airport located in an unincorporated part of Santa Clara County, California, United States, between northern Mountain View and northern Sunnyvale. On November 10 ...
,
California
California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the m ...
.
Kirtland Air Force Base has dramatically changed since its establishment as a U.S. Army airfield in 1941. It has evolved from a hastily constructed training and testing facility necessitated by World War II, to a significant USAF center for R&D. What began as a 2,000-acre air base has grown into a 51,800-plus-acre facility.
Origins
Kirtland Air Force Base's beginnings stem from three private airfields of 1928-1939 and are similar to that of other installations choosing to adapt existing runways and hangars for military use.
In 1928, two
Santa Fe Railroad
The Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway , often referred to as the Santa Fe or AT&SF, was one of the larger railroads in the United States. The railroad was chartered in February 1859 to serve the cities of Atchison and Topeka, Kansas, and ...
employees working with the town of
Albuquerque
Albuquerque ( ; ), ; kee, Arawageeki; tow, Vakêêke; zun, Alo:ke:k'ya; apj, Gołgéeki'yé. abbreviated ABQ, is the most populous city in the U.S. state of New Mexico. Its nicknames, The Duke City and Burque, both reference its founding in ...
, graded two runways on East Mesa with one approximately 5,300 feet long and the other just under 4,000 feet. Albuquerque Airport was wholly a private venture, irrespective of the town's involvement. Immediately following construction of the airport, other individuals and promoters became interested in Albuquerque as a crossroads location for southwestern air traffic. James G. Oxnard, a New York entrepreneur, bought Franklin's interest in Albuquerque Airport, expanding the facility toward the end of 1928.
The airfield soon drew business from private flyers, as well as
Transcontinental Air Transport
Transcontinental Air Transport (T-A-T) was an airline founded in 1928 by Clement Melville Keys that merged in 1930 with Western Air Express to form what became TWA. Keys enlisted the help of Charles Lindbergh to design a transcontinental network ...
(TAT) and
Western Air Express
Western Airlines was a major airline based in California, operating in the Western United States including Alaska and Hawaii, and western Canada, as well as to New York City, Boston, Washington, D.C., and Miami and to Mexico City, London and ...
(WAE), commercial airlines that set up operations at the new airport. The city's viability as a crossroads of air traffic in the Southwest was confirmed by this early success. As the 1920s closed, the two airlines initiated competitive passenger, mail and cargo service between the Midwest and
California
California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the m ...
, positioning Albuquerque as an important transcontinental airfield.
WAE soon moved to the
West Mesa Airport
West Mesa Airport, also known as Western Air Express Airport, TWA Airport, or Cutter-Carr Airport, was an airport on the West Side of Albuquerque, New Mexico, United States, which was the city's main commercial aviation facility during the 1930s. ...
and was joined by TAT as the two airlines merged to become
Trans World Airlines (TWA). This new facility, also private, became known as Albuquerque Airport, and the first, which was renamed
Oxnard Field
Oxnard Field (also known at various times as Albuquerque Airport and Albuquerque Army Air Field) was the first airport in Albuquerque, New Mexico. It served as the home of commercial aviation in Albuquerque from 1928 to 1929 and remained in use for ...
, also continued to service general aviation needs. In the mid-1930s, Mayor Tingley, other city officials, and TWA management began to conceive of a municipal airport, the next necessary step in confirming Albuquerque's status as a "Crossroads of the Southwest." With the help of President Roosevelt's
Works Progress Administration
The Works Progress Administration (WPA; renamed in 1939 as the Work Projects Administration) was an American New Deal agency that employed millions of jobseekers (mostly men who were not formally educated) to carry out public works projects, i ...
(WPA) funds, construction on a new airport was begun four miles west of Oxnard Field and completed in 1939, on the cusp of
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...
.
In January 1939, Major General Henry "Hap" Arnold, who became chief of the U.S.
Army Air Corps Army Air Corps may refer to the following army aviation corps:
* Army Air Corps (United Kingdom), the army aviation element of the British Army
* Philippine Army Air Corps (1935–1941)
* United States Army Air Corps (1926–1942), or its p ...
(AAC), proposed to
Congress
A congress is a formal meeting of the representatives of different countries, constituent states, organizations, trade unions, political parties, or other groups. The term originated in Late Middle English to denote an encounter (meeting of ...
that money be spent on a strong air defense. It soon became a national priority to secure airfields and bombing and gunnery ranges. An effort was also being made in cooperation with the WPA and Civil Aeronautics Authority to build up civilian airports of value to national defense efforts (Tagg 1998). Albuquerque city leaders began to examine the possibility of an air base locating on the mesa, and through extensive negotiations with the AAC, succeeded in their efforts when the Army established an air base on the East Mesa in 1939.
World War II
![West Mesa Field 30 Sep 1945](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f7/West_Mesa_Field_30_Sep_1945.jpg)
As of late 1939, Army and Navy pilots began using
Oxnard Field
Oxnard Field (also known at various times as Albuquerque Airport and Albuquerque Army Air Field) was the first airport in Albuquerque, New Mexico. It served as the home of commercial aviation in Albuquerque from 1928 to 1929 and remained in use for ...
for refueling and maintenance for a variety of military flights. Later that same year, the Army Air Corps leased 2,000 acres neighboring Albuquerque Airport, four miles west of Oxnard Field. The Army eventually condemned the Oxnard Field property for military use, with subsequent transfer to the federal government.
Construction of Albuquerque Army Air Base began in January 1941 and was completed in August 1941. Albuquerque Army Air Base received its first military aircraft in March, and on 1 April 1941, a lone B-18 bomber, landed on the north–south runway. With the assignment of five pilots to the aircraft, the day marked the official opening of Albuquerque Army Air Base. The first buildings on the installation were simple wood-frame structures constructed quickly in order to fulfill the country's urgent need for trained pilots to fight the war. Most of the buildings were Theater of Operations construction while some were of the Mobilization type. The Mobilization type buildings included the station hospital, theater, chapel, and Link training buildings.
During World War II there were three levels of pilot training:
* Primary Flying School
* Basic Flying School
* Advanced Flying School (including Transition Training)
The Albuquerque Army Air Base provided advanced flying training in "AT" (advanced trainer) trainer aircraft and transition training in combat-ready aircraft, primarily the
B-17 Flying Fortress and the
B-24 Liberator. In addition to pilot training, the Albuquerque Army Air Base provided bombardier training at its Advanced Flying School. During this period, the facility was under the Flying Training Command and the Air Training Command.
In addition to the main airfield, several auxiliary airfields were used to support the flying school:
*
Oxnard Airport
Oxnard Airport is a county-owned, public airport a mile west of downtown Oxnard, in Ventura County, California. The airport has not had scheduled passenger service since June 8, 2010, when United Express (operated via a code sharing agreement ...
(Original Albuquerque Airport)
*
West Mesa Airport
West Mesa Airport, also known as Western Air Express Airport, TWA Airport, or Cutter-Carr Airport, was an airport on the West Side of Albuquerque, New Mexico, United States, which was the city's main commercial aviation facility during the 1930s. ...
* Acomita CAA Intermediate Airfield
* Paddy Auxiliary Army Airfield
*
Santa Fe Auxiliary Army Airfield
Socorro Auxiliary Army Airfield
19th Bombardment Group
The
19th Bombardment Group
19 (nineteen) is the natural number following 18 and preceding 20. It is a prime number.
Mathematics
19 is the eighth prime number, and forms a sexy prime with 13, a twin prime with 17, and a cousin prime with 23. It is the third full re ...
arrived at Albuquerque AAB from
March Field
March is the third month of the year in both the Julian and Gregorian calendars. It is the second of seven months to have a length of 31 days. In the Northern Hemisphere, the meteorological beginning of spring occurs on the first day of Ma ...
, California, in April 1941, shortly after the base was activated. Its purpose was to train air and ground crews for reconnaissance and bombing duty on Boeing B-17 "Flying Fortresses" before deployment to
Clark Field in the
Philippine Islands
The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no),
* bik, Republika kan Filipinas
* ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas
* cbk, República de Filipinas
* hil, Republ ...
. The 19th Bombardment Group became the most famous bomber unit of World War II for its part in the strategic campaign against Japan. The 30th, 32nd, and 93rd Bombardment Squadrons and the 38th Reconnaissance Squadron were assigned to the 19th Bombardment Group. The 3rd Air Base Squadron, also assigned to the 19th Bombardment Group, was the first to arrive on base. Headquarters, materiel, quartermaster, ordnance, and signal detachments accompanied it. On 10th April, the squadrons began operations.
Because B-17s were in short supply, the pilots trained on
Douglas B-18 Bolo
The Douglas B-18 Bolo is an American heavy bomber which served with the United States Army Air Corps and the Royal Canadian Air Force (as the Digby) during the late 1930s and early 1940s. The Bolo was developed by the Douglas Aircraft Company ...
s and
Northrop A-17
The Northrop A-17, a development of the Northrop Gamma 2F model, was a two-seat, single-engine, monoplane, attack bomber built in 1935 by the Northrop Corporation for the United States Army Air Corps. When in British Commonwealth service during W ...
s, as well as
Stearman PT-17
The Stearman (Boeing) Model 75 is a biplane formerly used as a military trainer aircraft, of which at least 10,626 were built in the United States during the 1930s and 1940s. Stearman Aircraft became a subsidiary of Boeing in 1934. Widely known ...
biplanes. Under the command of Lt. Colonel Eugene Eubank, the 19th Bombardment Group focused on precision, high-altitude, and formation flying. They also flew mock attacks on New Mexico villages and ranches. Eubank was known for being a taskmaster, demanding that his pilots gain extensive cockpit experience and that the men cross-train as navigators and bombardiers. As such, it was purported that every B-17 flight had a half-dozen pilots aboard, two flying, two practicing dead reckoning and celestial navigation, and two making practice bomb runs.
Ferrying command training
The
19th Bombardment Group
19 (nineteen) is the natural number following 18 and preceding 20. It is a prime number.
Mathematics
19 is the eighth prime number, and forms a sexy prime with 13, a twin prime with 17, and a cousin prime with 23. It is the third full re ...
transferred to active duty in September 1941. It was replaced by the AAC Ferrying Command Specialized Four Engine school. The school operated under the
Army Air Corps Ferrying Command
Air Transport Command (ATC) was a United States Air Force unit that was created during World War II as the strategic airlift component of the United States Army Air Forces.
It had two main missions, the first being the delivery of supplies and ...
, which had been established in late May 1941 and charged with transporting aircraft overseas for delivery to the
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the United Kingdom's air and space force. It was formed towards the end of the First World War on 1 April 1918, becoming the first independent air force in the world, by regrouping the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) an ...
. The students were training to ferry
Consolidated B-24 Liberator bombers, (the aircraft used at the Four-Engine School) and other multi-engine aircraft to the RAF in
Great Britain
Great Britain is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean off the northwest coast of continental Europe. With an area of , it is the largest of the British Isles, the largest European island and the ninth-largest island in the world. It i ...
. TWA chose Albuquerque for the school's location because of its 10,000-foot runway, which could accommodate B-24s, as well as its fair weather. The students were trained in pilot skills, instrument flying, meteorology, radio, briefing, and general transition.
TWA pilots and ground crews were readily available as instructors; the difficulty was in housing the students because base quarters were not finished. Consequently, they doubled up in the barracks. The first contingent of B-24 trainees arrived in Albuquerque on 19 June 1941. The facility was officially titled the Air Corps Ferrying Command Four-Engine Transition School but was unofficially referred to as the "Four-Engine School" or "Jack Frye School"—for the president of TWA. Its location on the base was called the Eagle Nest Flight Center.
Using Link Trainers and B-24 training aircraft, the TWA instructors trained more than 1,100 pilots and crewmen during the eight months the company operated the school. On 7 February 1942, the U.S. Army transferred the training function from TWA back to the USAAF, and the school was redesignated the Combat Crew Training School. The Air Corps Ferrying Command was redesignated the Army Air Forces Ferrying Command in March 1942, a month after the AAC transferred the school from TWA training back to the military. The command was then redesignated the
Air Transport Command
Air Transport Command (ATC) was a United States Air Force unit that was created during World War II as the strategic airlift component of the United States Army Air Forces.
It had two main missions, the first being the delivery of supplies and ...
in July 1942—the same month that the school was transferred from Albuquerque to
Smyrna Army Airfield, Tennessee.
Bombardier training
![San Angelo Airmy Airfield Concrete Practice Bombs 1943](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c5/San_Angelo_Airmy_Airfield_Concrete_Practice_Bombs_1943.jpg)
With the departure of the
19th Bombardment Group
19 (nineteen) is the natural number following 18 and preceding 20. It is a prime number.
Mathematics
19 is the eighth prime number, and forms a sexy prime with 13, a twin prime with 17, and a cousin prime with 23. It is the third full re ...
from Albuquerque Army Air Base in the fall of 1941, Major General Arnold moved the military's bombardier school from Louisiana to Albuquerque for two reasons—good weather and the availability of vacant land on which to build bombing ranges. It was proclaimed the "World’s First Bombardier School", and on 24 December 1941 it was officially designated an Army Air Forces Advanced Flying School under the USAAF Western Flying Training Command.
The 56th and 88th School Squadrons, the 9th Materiel Squadron, and the 92nd Quartermaster Battalion arrived the week after the
Pearl Harbor Attack
The attack on Pearl HarborAlso known as the Battle of Pearl Harbor was a surprise military strike by the Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service upon the United States against the naval base at Pearl Harbor in Honolulu, Territory of Hawaii, ...
, followed shortly by the 383rd and 384th School Squadrons and the 459th Ordnance Company. The director of the school, Colonel John P. Ryan, was praised for rapidly organizing the nation's first permanent bombardier training school. Instructors, maintenance personnel, and cadets arrived so quickly that base operations such as engineering and supply had to be operated out of pyramidal tents lacking heat and protection from blowing sand. Other problems included lack of aircraft parking space and adequate lighting near the aircraft parking ramp. New construction projects began early in 1942, adding offices and housing quarters, ordnance storage, a photography lab, flightline buildings, and maintenance hangars. The base undertook paving and lighting of aircraft parking spaces, and scheduled the building of additional runways and taxiways.
Students began training on twin-engine Beechcraft
AT-11 Kansan bomber trainers. By January 1942, there were 50 aircraft on base, in addition to 28
B-18A Bolo
The Douglas B-18 Bolo is an American heavy bomber which served with the United States Army Air Corps and the Royal Canadian Air Force (as the Digby) during the late 1930s and early 1940s. The Bolo was developed by the Douglas Aircraft Company ...
bombers used for training. Eventually, about 150 AT-11s served the school. The USAAF established a new minimum proficiency standard for bombardier trainees in 1943. Trainees were required to hit their targets during at least 22 percent of their drops. Practice combat flying missions required continuous evasive action within a 10-mile radius of the intended target. The final approach was required to be straight, level and taking no longer than 60 seconds.
The school taught bombardiers the technique of bomb sighting. Bombardiers were required to crawl down shafts that gave way to the "bubble," from which they had bird's-eye views of the ground below. The bombardier's job was to feed the bombsight the needed information, air speed, wind speed, wind direction, altitude, and the angle of drift. As the aircraft approached the target, the pilot turned the aircraft over to the bombardier and the
Norden bombsight
The Norden Mk. XV, known as the Norden M series in U.S. Army service, is a bombsight that was used by the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) and the United States Navy during World War II, and the United States Air Force in the Korean and t ...
, which was also an automatic pilot that flew the aircraft as bombs were released over the target. Classroom instruction at the Albuquerque base was held at night and training missions were flown during the day to bombsights around Albuquerque. Servicemen and
WPA
WPA may refer to:
Computing
*Wi-Fi Protected Access, a wireless encryption standard
*Windows Product Activation, in Microsoft software licensing
* Wireless Public Alerting (Alert Ready), emergency alerts over LTE in Canada
* Windows Performance An ...
workers were tasked with laying out bombing ranges for training. These were located west and southwest of Albuquerque, including a major range located between the neighboring village, Los Lunas and the Rio Puerco. Contracts for day and night bombing targets on the ranges were let during January 1942, and access roads to the targets were constructed. Bomb ranges numbered 2,450 square miles on ranch and Indian reservation land by the end of 1942. At that time, a total of 24 targets, simulated cities and warships, were in use on the ranges.
Bombardier school was 12 to 18 weeks during which a student dropped approximately 160 bombs; precise records were kept of hits and misses. The elimination rate for trainees was 12 percent, and upon graduation, a new bombardier was transferred to an operational training unit and trained for overseas duty. Albuquerque was an operational training facility, and the first class of 61 bombardiers from the Albuquerque base school graduated 7 March 1942. By 1945, Albuquerque's flying training field had turned out 5,719 bombardiers and 1,750 regular pilots for the B-24 bomber alone. The 51st class to complete the bombardier training course included 143 bombardiers.
Chiang Kai-shek pilots and bombardiers received training from Kirtland Field instructors. And film actor
Jimmy Stewart
James Maitland Stewart (May 20, 1908 – July 2, 1997) was an American actor and military pilot. Known for his distinctive drawl and everyman screen persona, Stewart's film career spanned 80 films from 1935 to 1991. With the strong morality h ...
was stationed at Kirtland Field briefly, beginning in August 1942, assisting bombardier cadet training by flying bombers on training missions.
Additional training
Bombardier and pilot training was not the only focus at Kirtland Field between 1942 and 1945. In 1943, the USAAF Flying Training Command merged with the Technical Training Command in an effort to save manpower. The new command, the
Air Training Command, became responsible for all training from classification center through pilot and technical schools. In 1943, Kirtland Field facilities expanded to support existing bombardier training plus other training missions. This expansion was the result of the merging of the two training commands.
Expanded training at Kirtland Field included a ground school for glider pilots—called the Glider Replacement Center, which was established in July 1942. The center served as a temporary training area for glider pilots awaiting vacancies at glider schools. The Army Air Forces glider-training program had expanded, and prior flight training was eliminated as a necessary qualification for candidates. On 30 June, the War Department opened the program to any man between 18 and 36 who could meet the physical and mental requirements, including civilians as well as officers and enlisted men. At Kirtland Field, the Glider Replacement Center operated until February 1943.
In May 1943, a
Women's Army Auxiliary Corps (WAAC) contingent was established at Kirtland Field with the arrival of 45 women on base. WAAC quarters built at Kirtland Field included barracks, a day room, beauty shop, and supply room. A WAAC open house for the new post was held in August 1943 and several hundred men with their wives and families attended. Initially, most WAACs and WACs worked as file clerks, typists, stenographers, or motor pool drivers. Gradually, their jobs grew more technical as positions were created for weather forecasters, parachute riggers, radio operators and repair specialists, sheet metal workers, bombsight maintenance specialists, control tower operators, and cryptographers.
In August 1943, Kirtland Field became host to a USAAF Provisional
B-24 Liberator Pilot Transition School designed to train airplane commanders. Transition training was the final step after successful completion of Primary, Basic, and Advanced Flying training. The Bombardier School, for the most part, furnished facilities and maintenance, and personnel from two squadrons, that had been part of the Bombardier School, were put to work in the B-24 school. Officer pilots were selected for the new school from advanced twin-engine training schools. Instruction covered day and night navigation and instrument flying, formation and altitude flying, comprehensive ground schoolwork, engineering, radio, meteorology, weather flying, first aid and oxygen training, as well as a course on the duties of an airplane commander.
A school for navigation was also established at Kirtland Field in the summer of 1943. The six-week navigation training course extended bombardier cadets’ schooling from 12 weeks to 18 weeks, qualifying them to serve as navigators as well. The navigation instructors were often recent combat veterans; the school combined regular bombardier missions to targets throughout New Mexico with navigational missions.
A month later, headquarters of the 38th Flying Training Wing relocated from
Roswell Army Airfield
Walker Air Force Base is a closed United States Air Force base located three miles (5 km) south of the central business district of Roswell, New Mexico. It was opened in 1941 as an Army Air Corps flying school and was active during World ...
, New Mexico to Kirtland Field. One of the wings under the Western Flying Training Command, the 38th held jurisdiction not only over Kirtland Field but also the Hobbs, Roswell, and Carlsbad Army Air Fields; Williams Field, Arizona; and Victorville Air Field, California. The wing relocated to Williams Field, Arizona, in February 1945 due to Kirtland Field's conversion to a Superfortress base under the Second Air Force.
Kirtland Field served as a
B-29 Superfortress
The Boeing B-29 Superfortress is an American four-engined propeller-driven heavy bomber, designed by Boeing and flown primarily by the United States during World War II and the Korean War. Named in allusion to its predecessor, the B-17 F ...
base in support of the incendiary bombing raids on Japan. In March 1945, Kirtland Field was converted into a Superfortress base in a matter of only 45 days after its assignment to the
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 ...
. The Second Air Force, operating under the
Continental Air Forces
Continental Air Forces (CAF) was a United States Army Air Forces major command, active 1944–1946. It was tasked with combat training of bomber and fighter personnel, and for Continental United States (CONUS) air defense after the Aircraft Wa ...
, concentrated on training for heavy and very heavy bombers during the war. Kirtland Field was one of six stations in the
16th Bombardment Operational Training Wing program. Other locations were
Alamogordo Army Airfield
Alamogordo () is the seat of Otero County, New Mexico, United States. A city in the Tularosa Basin of the Chihuahuan Desert, it is bordered on the east by the Sacramento Mountains and to the west by Holloman Air Force Base. The population was ...
and
Clovis Army Airfield in New Mexico;
Biggs Army Airfield
Biggs Army Airfield (formerly Biggs Air Force Base) is a United States Army military airbase located on the Fort Bliss military base in El Paso, Texas.
History Biggs Field/Biggs Army Airfield (1916–47)
On 15 June 1919, following an attack ...
and
Pyote Army Airfield in Texas; and
Davis-Monthan Army Airfield in Arizona.
Manhattan Project
Perhaps one of the most important functions Kirtland Field served during World War II was as a transportation center for the needs of scientists developing the
atomic bomb in Los Alamos. The
Manhattan Project
The Manhattan Project was a research and development undertaking during World War II that produced the first nuclear weapons. It was led by the United States with the support of the United Kingdom and Canada. From 1942 to 1946, the project w ...
personnel in Los Alamos first became aware of the value of the location of the air base during the process of converting the atomic bomb into a practical airborne weapon. Because Kirtland Field was the closest large airport, its runways and bombloading pit supported the atomic bomb program during 1944 and 1945. It also became an important staging ground for the ferrying of men and material to various field sites.
From Kirtland Field, Manhattan Project scientists were flown back and forth to
Wendover Army Air Base
Wendover Air Force Base is a former United States Air Force base in Utah now known as Wendover Airport. During World War II, it was a training base for B-17 and B-24 bomber crews. It was the training site of the 509th Composite Group, the B ...
for testing in a disguised "Green Hornet" aircraft. Members of the USAAF made similar trips from Wendover through Albuquerque to Los Alamos. A special Manhattan Engineer District, Military Police unit was located at Kirtland Field to guard facilities used to load Los Alamos–assembled ordnance and test shapes on Silverplate aircraft. The loading pit constructed at Kirtland Field, although primitive and manually operated, operated until December 1945, when a hydraulic lift was installed.
![4825th TG B-50 at Kirtland Field Bomb Loading Pit](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/1b/4825th_TG_B-50_at_Kirtland_Field_Bomb_Loading_Pit.jpg)
On 16 July 1945, at Kirtland Field, two
B-29 Superfortress
The Boeing B-29 Superfortress is an American four-engined propeller-driven heavy bomber, designed by Boeing and flown primarily by the United States during World War II and the Korean War. Named in allusion to its predecessor, the B-17 F ...
observation planes had set out early in the morning with instructions from Oppenheimer to steer a course at least 15 miles west of the atomic detonation point,
Trinity Site
Trinity was the code name of the first detonation of a nuclear weapon. It was conducted by the United States Army at 5:29 a.m. on July 16, 1945, as part of the Manhattan Project. The test was conducted in the Jornada del Muerto desert abo ...
. Because of thunderstorms, the planes dropped from 23,000 to 18,000 feet before circling the Trinity Site during the
first atomic bomb detonation. While "The Gadget" underwent field-testing at Trinity, the nuclear components for the bombs and the active materials were being sent piecemeal to
Tinian
Tinian ( or ; old Japanese name: 天仁安島, ''Tenian-shima'') is one of the three principal islands of the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. Together with uninhabited neighboring Aguiguan, it forms Tinian Municipality, one of the ...
. Shortly before the bomb testing at the Trinity site, components of
Little Boy
"Little Boy" was the type of atomic bomb dropped on the Japanese city of Hiroshima on 6 August 1945 during World War II, making it the first nuclear weapon used in warfare. The bomb was dropped by the Boeing B-29 Superfortress ''Enola Gay'' p ...
were driven from Los Alamos to Kirtland Field and then flown to
San Francisco
San Francisco (; Spanish for " Saint Francis"), officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the commercial, financial, and cultural center of Northern California. The city proper is the fourth most populous in California and 17th ...
. This included some of the
U-235
Uranium-235 (235U or U-235) is an isotope of uranium making up about 0.72% of natural uranium. Unlike the predominant isotope uranium-238, it is fissile, i.e., it can sustain a nuclear chain reaction. It is the only fissile isotope that exist ...
. From San Francisco, they were transported to Hunters Point to board the cruiser , bound for Tinian. Following that, the
Fat Man
"Fat Man" (also known as Mark III) is the codename for the type of nuclear bomb the United States detonated over the Japanese city of Nagasaki on 9 August 1945. It was the second of the only two nuclear weapons ever used in warfare, the fir ...
plutonium core and its initiator were driven down to Albuquerque. They left Kirtland Field on 26 July and were flown in a
C-54 Skymaster
The Douglas C-54 Skymaster is a four-engined transport aircraft used by the United States Army Air Forces in World War II and the Korean War. Like the Douglas C-47 Skytrain derived from the DC-3, the C-54 Skymaster was derived from a civilian a ...
to Tinian, where they arrived 28 July. Such was Kirtland Field's last important role in the U.S. defeat of Japan, thereby ending World War II.
However, it was not its last connection with the Manhattan Project at Los Alamos, which largely would determine the base's fate in the postwar economy.
To the east of the air base, at Oxnard Field, the U.S. Army also acquired 1,100 acres of land to develop a school for aircraft mechanics. An Air Depot Training Station, it was unofficially referred to as "
Sandia Base
Sandia Base was the principal nuclear weapons installation of the United States Department of Defense from 1946 to 1971. It was located on the southeastern edge of Albuquerque, New Mexico. For 25 years, the top-secret Sandia Base and its subsidi ...
". After various other incarnations—as a convalescent center and aircraft burial ground—Sandia Base became the precursor to
Sandia National Laboratories
Sandia National Laboratories (SNL), also known as Sandia, is one of three research and development laboratories of the United States Department of Energy's National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA). Headquartered in Kirtland Air Force Bas ...
when the Manhattan Project's Z Division relocated from Los Alamos to continue top-secret work development of atomic weapons.
The New Mexico Proving Grounds (NMPG) was constructed concurrently with the development of the Albuquerque Army Air Base and the activities at the old Oxnard Field. It was built to the south to serve as the base for testing the top-secret
proximity fuze, a device that played an important role in defeat of the German Vergeltungswaffe (V-1) rocket. The proximity fuze, a weapon that was later dubbed by the media as the second most important one developed during the war. By war's end, nearly 50,000 acres had been acquired for the NMPG, this acreage is to the south of the runway and main base that today makes up the greatest portion of Kirtland AFB.
Postwar aircraft storage depot
![Kirtland Aircraft Storage 1946](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/74/Kirtland_Aircraft_Storage_1946.jpg)
With the end of World War II, the base again became Albuquerque Army Air Field and was used by the
Reconstruction Finance Corporation—later called the
War Assets Administration
The War Assets Administration (WAA) was created to dispose of United States government-owned surplus material and property from World War II. The WAA was established in the Office for Emergency Management, effective March 25, 1946, by Executive Ord ...
. Old or surplus aircraft were to be sold or demolished at the site. Albuquerque Army Air Field received some 2,250 old or surplus aircraft, such as obsolete
B-24 Liberator and
B-17 Flying Fortress bombers, and smaller aircraft like
AT-6 Texan
The North American Aviation T-6 Texan is an American single-engined advanced trainer aircraft used to train pilots of the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF), United States Navy, Royal Air Force, Royal Canadian Air Force and other air forces ...
trainers, Curtiss
P-40 Warhawk
The Curtiss P-40 Warhawk is an American single-engined, single-seat, all-metal fighter and ground-attack aircraft that first flew in 1938. The P-40 design was a modification of the previous Curtiss P-36 Hawk which reduced development time and ...
and Bell
P-39 Airacobra
The Bell P-39 Airacobra is a fighter produced by Bell Aircraft for the United States Army Air Forces during World War II. It was one of the principal American fighters in service when the United States entered combat. The P-39 was used by the ...
fighters. Aircraft that the
Civil Aeronautics Administration licensed for public use were sold to the public, with prices ranging from $100 for a
PT-17
The Stearman (Boeing) Model 75 is a biplane formerly used as a military trainer aircraft, of which at least 10,626 were built in the United States during the 1930s and 1940s. Stearman Aircraft became a subsidiary of Boeing in 1934. Widely known ...
Stearman to $90,000 for a
C-54 Skymaster
The Douglas C-54 Skymaster is a four-engined transport aircraft used by the United States Army Air Forces in World War II and the Korean War. Like the Douglas C-47 Skytrain derived from the DC-3, the C-54 Skymaster was derived from a civilian a ...
.
North American Aviation bought back a large number of their AT-6s, overhauled and resold them to customers including the Dutch and Chinese governments. The remaining 1,151 aircraft were put up for bid in the fall of 1946. The Denver contracting firm that successfully bid on the surplus planes sold some of the engines for commercial air transports, but by the end of the year, the remaining surplus planes were "chopped into sections and melted into ingots in a constantly burning smelter". This storage and recycling effort was the last of Albuquerque Army Air Field's wartime contributions.
Cold War
Kirtland AAB was put on a temporary inactive basis on 31 December 1945. When World War II ended, it was not clear whether Kirtland Field would be closed or become a permanent USAF facility. The transformation of the Air Depot Training Station into Sandia
Base, home to Sandia Laboratory and the AFSWP, kept the facility open and ultimately determined its fate. Kirtland Field was renamed Kirtland AFB, and it became the USAF's main facility for integrating new weapons designs produced by Sandia Laboratory with operational USAF aircraft and equipment.
Atomic weapons development
On 1 February 1946, Kirtland was transferred to the
Fourth Air Force
The Fourth Air Force (4 AF) is a numbered air force of the Air Force Reserve Command (AFRC). It is headquartered at March Air Reserve Base, California.
4 AF directs the activities and supervises the training of more than 30,000 Air Force Res ...
for use as a flight test center. Kirtland Field was returning to
B-29 Superfortress
The Boeing B-29 Superfortress is an American four-engined propeller-driven heavy bomber, designed by Boeing and flown primarily by the United States during World War II and the Korean War. Named in allusion to its predecessor, the B-17 F ...
activity as the flight-testing headquarters for the
58th Bombardment Wing, which had been stationed at
Roswell Army Airfield
Walker Air Force Base is a closed United States Air Force base located three miles (5 km) south of the central business district of Roswell, New Mexico. It was opened in 1941 as an Army Air Corps flying school and was active during World ...
, New Mexico under the Fourth Air Force. This B-29 unit would assist the Z Division at Sandia Base with flight-testing new atomic weapons designs. The 428th AAF Base Unit (Flight Test) was activated as a unit of the 58th Bombardment Wing and the host of Kirtland Field on 1 February 1946. At that time, there were fewer than 300 officers and enlisted men at the field. Because there were so few personnel on hand, morale was low and workloads were strenuous for the installation throughout the early
Cold War period.
On 21 March 1946,
Strategic Air Command (SAC) was activated and on 31 March 1946, SAC's
Fifteenth Air Force assumed operation of Kirtland Field. The 58th Bombardment Wing remained in command of the installation under SAC, and there was a return of personnel. Shortly thereafter, an "S-2 Section" was established on base and became responsible for the security of Kirtland Field and the "W-47 Project". The W-47 Project had been the wartime operation established at
Wendover Army Air Base
Wendover Air Force Base is a former United States Air Force base in Utah now known as Wendover Airport. During World War II, it was a training base for B-17 and B-24 bomber crews. It was the training site of the 509th Composite Group, the B ...
to train the
509th Composite Group
The 509th Composite Group (509 CG) was a unit of the United States Army Air Forces created during World War II and tasked with the operational deployment of nuclear weapons. It conducted the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan, in ...
to drop the atomic bombs on
Hiroshima and
Nagasaki
is the capital and the largest Cities of Japan, city of Nagasaki Prefecture on the island of Kyushu in Japan.
It became the sole Nanban trade, port used for trade with the Portuguese and Dutch during the 16th through 19th centuries. The Hi ...
. In keeping with Kirtland Field's mission to assist Sandia Base's Z Division with the marriage of bombs and aircraft, the 509th Composite Group's Flight Test Section was transferred to Kirtland.
As these arrangements were taking place, a new subgroup of the
Manhattan Project
The Manhattan Project was a research and development undertaking during World War II that produced the first nuclear weapons. It was led by the United States with the support of the United Kingdom and Canada. From 1942 to 1946, the project w ...
at Los Alamos was being organized. Titled the Z Division for its chief, Dr.
Jerrold Zacharias
Jerrold Reinach Zacharias (January 23, 1905 – July 16, 1986) was an American physicist and Institute Professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, as well as an education reformer. His scientific work was in the area of nuclear physics ...
, a Los Alamos scientist from the
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) is a private land-grant research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Established in 1861, MIT has played a key role in the development of modern technology and science, and is one of the ...
(MIT), the new group's mission was to manage the engineering design, production, assembly, and field-testing of the non-nuclear components associated with nuclear bombs. Construction began on guard, storage, administrative, and laboratory facilities for the Z Division. Because the airfield was still receiving surplus warplanes, the U.S. Army constructed a fenced area for classified activities. They employed security measures including tanks, guard towers, and watch dogs to protect the small stockpile of atomic weapons parts. In the years after the war, Sandia Base boundaries would vastly expand to include the thousands of acres owned by the NMPG, which occupied much of the East Mesa.
Base operations began to increase in June 1946 with the organization of a full-scale Ground Training Program and the arrival of the Special Ordnance Squadron and Special Transport Flight of the 58th Bombardment Wing. Aircraft being maintained by the 58th Bombardment Wing included five
B-29 Superfortress
The Boeing B-29 Superfortress is an American four-engined propeller-driven heavy bomber, designed by Boeing and flown primarily by the United States during World War II and the Korean War. Named in allusion to its predecessor, the B-17 F ...
es and
C-45 Expeditor
The Beechcraft Model 18 (or "Twin Beech", as it is also known) is a 6- to 11-seat, twin-engined, low-wing, tailwheel light aircraft manufactured by the Beech Aircraft Corporation of Wichita, Kansas. Continuously produced from 1937 to November ...
s, two
C-47s,
B-25 Mitchells and L-5s, and a
C-46 Commando
The Curtiss C-46 Commando is a twin-engine transport aircraft derived from the Curtiss CW-20 pressurised high-altitude airliner design. Early press reports used the name "Condor III" but the Commando name was in use by early 1942 in company pub ...
,
AT-11 Kansan,
F-80 Shooting Star
The Lockheed P-80 Shooting Star was the first jet fighter used operationally by the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) during World War II. Designed and built by Lockheed in 1943 and delivered just 143 days from the start of design, prod ...
,
F-61 Black Widow
The Northrop P-61 Black Widow is a twin-engine United States Army Air Forces fighter aircraft of World War II. It was the first operational U.S. warplane designed as a night fighter, and the first aircraft designed specifically as a night fight ...
, and
F-59 Airacomet. Prior to the new Ground Training Program, which began officially on 24 June 1946, some training was carried out by individual units, primarily physical engineering, bombardiering, and armament. With the new program came a push for development of a comprehensive organization, with training in navigation, bombing, personnel equipment, chemical warfare, physical training, synthetic training, and use of the gunnery range.
A primary mission for Kirtland Field was recorded in the September 1946 narrative history: "
oprovide aerial and ground functioning testing facilities and conduct functional tests on all equipment and materiel related to the use of special weapons and radioactive materials". Between late 1946 and early 1947, after the Atomic Energy Act creating the
Atomic Energy Commission was passed, the AFSWP was established with Sandia Base as an installation under its control. A special engineering battalion was also created to aid in the assembly and maintenance of atomic bombs at Sandia Base.
![Operation Crossroads Baker Edit](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/09/Operation_Crossroads_Baker_Edit.jpg)
In July and August 1946, Kirtland Field and Sandia Base personnel took part in
Operation Crossroads
Operation Crossroads was a pair of nuclear weapon tests conducted by the United States at Bikini Atoll in mid-1946. They were the first nuclear weapon tests since Trinity in July 1945, and the first detonations of nuclear devices since the ...
at the
Eniwetok Proving Ground
Enewetak Atoll (; also spelled Eniwetok Atoll or sometimes Eniewetok; mh, Ānewetak, , or , ; known to the Japanese as Brown Atoll or Brown Island; ja, ブラウン環礁) is a large coral atoll of 40 islands in the Pacific Ocean and with it ...
in the Pacific's
Marshall Islands
The Marshall Islands ( mh, Ṃajeḷ), officially the Republic of the Marshall Islands ( mh, Aolepān Aorōkin Ṃajeḷ),'' () is an independent island country and microstate near the Equator in the Pacific Ocean, slightly west of the Intern ...
. Operation Crossroads was the first of many atmospheric nuclear weapons tests in the early Cold War years. The Kirtland Field Narrative Histories do not make specific reference to participation in Operation Crossroads by groups at Kirtland Field, but this is most likely due to the high security that the operation garnered.
With the focus on atomic weapons, in early December 1946, Kirtland Field was again transferred, this time to the
Air Materiel Command
Air Materiel Command (AMC) was a United States Army Air Forces and United States Air Force command. Its headquarters was located at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio. In 1961, the command was redesignated the Air Force Logistics Command wi ...
(AMC), specifically the Directorate, Research and Development, HQ, AMC. AMC was responsible for all USAF R&D, including atomic weapons. The transfer took place due to Kirtland Field's close proximity to Sandia Base and the Z Division. The AMC mission at Kirtland Field was "to provide flight services for the Manhattan
ngineeringDistrict at Sandia and Los Alamos in atomic bomb testing".
In early 1947, the AMC established Kirtland Field's mission as the USAAF nuclear weapons facility, a continuation of the wartime
Wendover Army Air Base
Wendover Air Force Base is a former United States Air Force base in Utah now known as Wendover Airport. During World War II, it was a training base for B-17 and B-24 bomber crews. It was the training site of the 509th Composite Group, the B ...
(
509th Composite Group
The 509th Composite Group (509 CG) was a unit of the United States Army Air Forces created during World War II and tasked with the operational deployment of nuclear weapons. It conducted the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan, in ...
)–
Manhattan Project
The Manhattan Project was a research and development undertaking during World War II that produced the first nuclear weapons. It was led by the United States with the support of the United Kingdom and Canada. From 1942 to 1946, the project w ...
operations. Kirtland's role in the testing and evaluation of atomic weapons increased in 1947 when Kirtland Army Air Field, became Kirtland Air Force Base.
Secondary missions at Kirtland Field during the inception of the Cold War included furnishing facilities for the
Air Force Reserve and
Civil Air Patrol (CAP). The establishment of the Air Reserve facilities, and in July 1947 the
New Mexico Air National Guard (NM ANG) was assigned to Kirtland Field and federally recognized as the
188th Fighter-Bomber Squadron
The 188th Rescue Squadron is unit of the New Mexico Air National Guard. It is assigned to the New Mexico Air National Guard, 150th Special Operations Wing located at Kirtland Air Force Base, New Mexico.
History World War II
The squadron was f ...
. The unit was composed of a flight equipped with
Douglas A-26 Invader
The Douglas A-26 Invader (designated B-26 between 1948 and 1965) is an American twin-engined light bomber and ground attack aircraft. Built by Douglas Aircraft Company during World War II, the Invader also saw service during several major Col ...
light bombers, a fighter squadron flying 25
P-51 Mustangs and three
T-6 Texan
The North American Aviation T-6 Texan is an American single-engined advanced trainer aircraft used to train pilots of the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF), United States Navy, Royal Air Force, Royal Canadian Air Force and other air force ...
trainers, plus a small weather detachment.
Aircraft atomic weapons modification center
![B-36 Kirtland September 1948](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/92/B-36_Kirtland_September_1948.jpg)
The Convair
B-36 Peacemaker
The Convair B-36 "Peacemaker" is a strategic bomber that was built by Convair and operated by the United States Air Force (USAF) from 1949 to 1959. The B-36 is the largest mass-produced piston-engined aircraft ever built. It had the longest win ...
aircraft arrived at Kirtland AFB in September 1948, most likely into the hands of the HQ Squadron
3170th Special Weapons Group
The 4925th Test Group is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last was assigned to the 4901st Support Wing (Atomic), stationed at Kirtland Air Force Base, New Mexico. It was inactivated on 31 August 1961. Known as "The Megaton Blasters" ...
. The B-36 was a state-of-the-art bomber and was large and heavy, weighing 300,000 pounds. It was limited to a small number of bases. Kirtland, with its 10,000-foot-long and 200-foot-wide runway, was one of those bases, and as such was one of few installations around the country to receive the aircraft. In anticipation of the arrival of the B-36, facilities at Kirtland were improved, including new overlays on the north–south runway.
The B-36 was the first intercontinental bomber able to carry any weapon in the U.S. arsenal across distances up to 3,900 miles. Thus, it was the principal means of deterrence from 1948 to the late 1950s. It was flown extensively in later atomic weapons tests at the
Marshall Islands
The Marshall Islands ( mh, Ṃajeḷ), officially the Republic of the Marshall Islands ( mh, Aolepān Aorōkin Ṃajeḷ),'' () is an independent island country and microstate near the Equator in the Pacific Ocean, slightly west of the Intern ...
and at the
Nevada Proving Ground. Yet, in its entire history, the "Peacemaker" never dropped a bomb in combat. Although the six-engine B-36 bomber was one of the newest aircraft in the USAF, it was not initially designed to carry atomic weapons and therefore required modifications in order to be coupled with such weapons. These modifications and weapons marriage occurred at Kirtland under the HQ Squadron 3170th Special Weapons Group.
Many other marriages of aircraft and weapons were completed at Kirtland. The X
B-47 Stratojet
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. ...
, the first U.S. swept-wing, multi-engine bomber, shortly followed the arrival of the B-36 at Kirtland for modification. According to Kirtland monthly histories, during that period, as new types of aircraft were acquired by the USAF, they were flown to Kirtland to undergo modifications and fly missions related to their incorporation into the special weapons arena.
The following summer (June 1949), the assigned organizations of KAFB were again redesignated, by General Order No. 52, HQ, AMC. They were as follows:
* HQ and HQ Squadron, 2758th Experimental Wing
* HQ and HQ Squadron, 3170th Special Weapons Group
* HQ and HQ Squadron, 2930th Maintenance and Supply Group
* HQ and HQ Squadron, 2797th Medical Group
* HQ and HQ Squadron, 3078th Air Base Group
Air Force Special Weapons Command
![Exercise Desert Rock I (Buster-Jangle Dog) 002](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/50/Exercise_Desert_Rock_I_%28Buster-Jangle_Dog%29_002.jpg)
In response to the explosion of a
Soviet atomic bomb in the fall of 1949, and following the U.S.’s new military strategy of deterrence, in December 1949 the
Special Weapons Command
The Air Force Nuclear Weapons Center (AFNWC) is a USAF Named Unit, assigned to the Air Force Materiel Command at Kirtland Air Force Base, New Mexico. The AFNWC operates at the Center level of the AFMC. It is currently under the command of Maj ...
(SWC), a USAF
Major Command Major Command or Major Commands are large formations of the United States Armed Forces. Historically, a Major Command is the highest level of command. Within the United States Army, the acronym MACOM is used for Major Command. Within the United Stat ...
, was established to develop and test atomic weapons.
New Mexico Air Defense
![34thAD - Map - 1951-1960](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/80/34thAD_-_Map_-_1951-1960.jpg)
Along with its assignment under SWC, Kirtland AFB received a related air defense mission for
Air Defense Command (ADC). Kirtland housed an ADC Air Defense Detection Center (ADDC) which would then alert the Fighter-Interceptor squadrons and the Air Defense Control Center (ADCC) for unknown aircraft intrusions in ADC monitored airspace. The ADCC would then alert ADC's
Central Air Defense Force
The Central Air Defense Force (CADF) is an inactive United States Air Force organization. Its last assignment was with Air Defense Command being stationed at Richards-Gebaur Air Force Base, Missouri. It was inactivated on July 1, 1960.
History
...
, which consisted of the
Western Air Defense Force
The Western Air Defense Force (WADF) is an inactive United States Air Force organization. Its last assignment was with Air Defense Command being stationed at Hamilton Air Force Base, California. It was inactivated on July 1, 1960.
History
WADF ...
ADF the Central Air Defense Force
ADF and the
Eastern Air Defense Force
The Eastern Air Defense Force (EADF) is an inactive United States Air Force organization. Its last assignment was with Air Defense Command being stationed at Stewart Air Force Base, New York. It was inactivated on July 1, 1960.
History
EADF was ...
ADF Kirtland hosted one of the first ADCCs in the country, which was under construction at Kirtland in late 1950 and operational before the close of 1951 as part of the
34th Air Division
The 34th Air Division (34th AD) is an inactive United States Air Force organization. Its last assignment was with Air Defense Command at Custer Air Force Station, Michigan. It was inactivated on 31 December 1969.
History
Assigned to Air De ...
(Defense). ADCCs were innovative buildings that were proto-hardened and designed for protection from atomic, biological, and chemical warfare. A single ADCC controlled multiple FISs for its air defense jurisdiction. Along with the ADCC at KAFB was a corresponding ADDC.
The central New Mexico region was considered a high air defense priority in the early
Cold War because of
Sandia Laboratory, Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory (LASL), and the newly created nuclear weapons stockpile. On 25 April 1950, KAFB became HQ for the newly created 34th Air Division (Defense). The 34th Air Division (Defense) protected
New Mexico
)
, population_demonym = New Mexican ( es, Neomexicano, Neomejicano, Nuevo Mexicano)
, seat = Santa Fe
, LargestCity = Albuquerque
, LargestMetro = Tiguex
, OfficialLang = None
, Languages = English, Spanish ( New Mexican), Navajo, Ke ...
and
Arizona
Arizona ( ; nv, Hoozdo Hahoodzo ; ood, Alĭ ṣonak ) is a state in the Southwestern United States. It is the 6th largest and the 14th most populous of the 50 states. Its capital and largest city is Phoenix. Arizona is part of the Fou ...
, most of
Colorado
Colorado (, other variants) is a state in the Mountain states, Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It encompasses most of the Southern Rocky Mountains, as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the wes ...
and
Utah
Utah ( , ) is a state in the Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. Utah is a landlocked U.S. state bordered to its east by Colorado, to its northeast by Wyoming, to its north by Idaho, to its south by Arizona, and to it ...
, and a portion of West
Texas
Texas (, ; Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2020, it is the second-largest U.S. state by ...
. This included Los Alamos, the Sandia Kirtland complex, the
White Sands and
Biggs,
Walker
Walker or The Walker may refer to:
People
* Walker (given name)
*Walker (surname)
* Walker (Brazilian footballer) (born 1982), Brazilian footballer
Places
In the United States
*Walker, Arizona, in Yavapai County
*Walker, Mono County, California ...
and
Davis-Monthan Air Force Bases.
In tandem with its hosting of HQ 34th Air Division (Defense), Kirtland began hosting a subordinate Aircraft Control and Warning (AC&W) radar station in 1950. The 690th Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron in charge of the station was supported, at the outset of the mission, directly on base in temporary Jamesway huts—round Quonset-hut type structures.
KAFB remained the HQ for the 34th Air Division (Defense) throughout the 1950s until 1 January 1960. From that date until 1 November 1960, the zone was referred to as the
Albuquerque Air Defense Sector
The Albuquerque Air Defense Sector (AADS) is an inactive United States Air Force organization. It was briefly active between 1 January and 1 November 1960, assigned to the 33d Air Division at Kirtland Air Force Base, New Mexico. The sector was r ...
. By the early 1960s, however, the USAF began shifting emphasis away from intercepting bombers in favor of the detection of
Intercontinental ballistic missiles. Funding cutbacks began to cripple ADC programs, and that particular era of air defense drew to a close.
81st Fighter-Interceptor Wing
![92d Fighter-Interceptor Squadron - North American F-86A-5-NA Sabre - 49-1161](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/09/92d_Fighter-Interceptor_Squadron_-_North_American_F-86A-5-NA_Sabre_-_49-1161.jpg)
In June 1949, Kirtland AFB became host to one of the earliest alert
Air Defense Command fighter interceptor wings created for air defense of the U.S., the
81st Fighter Wing
The 81st Training Wing is a wing of the United States Air Force and the host wing at Keesler Air Force Base, Mississippi. The 81st Training Wing has the Air Force's largest Technical Training Group and trains more than 40,000 students annually. ...
, which had been established in May 1948 at
Wheeler AFB
Wheeler Army Airfield , also known as Wheeler Field and formerly as Wheeler Air Force Base, is a United States Army post located in the City & County of Honolulu and in the Wahiawa District of the Island of O'ahu, Hawaii. It is a National His ...
, Hawaii. The 81st Fighter Wing was redesignated the
81st Fighter-Interceptor Wing in January 1950, flew the
F-86A Sabre Jet day fighter and was responsible for defense of the areas around LASL and Sandia Base. The 81st Fighter-Interceptor Wing was on constant alert, with aircraft typically parked at the ends of runways and their crews on duty in nearby makeshift structures. In July 1950 Kirtland was one of only 14 priority FIS locations in the continental U.S.
However, the air defense area in New Mexico for the 81st Fighter-Interceptor Wing lasted only a short while. In May 1950, the 81st Fighter-Interceptor Wing departed for
Moses Lake AFB, Washington, along with the 91st and 92d FIS, which were under its jurisdiction. The
93d Fighter-Interceptor Squadron took the 81st Fighter-Interceptor Wing's place at Kirtland and was attached to the
Albuquerque Air Defense Sector
The Albuquerque Air Defense Sector (AADS) is an inactive United States Air Force organization. It was briefly active between 1 January and 1 November 1960, assigned to the 33d Air Division at Kirtland Air Force Base, New Mexico. The sector was r ...
in the same month. The 93d FIS employed the F-86A Sabre jet, the USAF's first swept-wing jet designed as a high-altitude day fighter, was on ready alert, and was continually training to increase its combat efficiency.
Air Force Special Weapons Center
![RB-57D 53-3979](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/77/RB-57D_53-3979.jpg)
By 1952, the
Atomic Energy Commission had substantially increased both the quantity and variety of nuclear weapons, requiring Special Weapons Command to engage in R&D work and expand its test support activities. It was subsequently reduced to an operating agency level, losing its major command status, and was incorporated within the framework of the new Air Research and Development Command (ARDC), which had been established in September 1950 as a major command devoted to R&D. Kirtland AFB became an ARDC facility on 1 April 1952. SWC was re-designated the Air Force Special Weapons Center (AFSWC). Also at this time, the responsibility for biological and chemical research and testing—which had been established at Kirtland during the tenure of SWC—was transferred to
Eglin AFB
Eglin Air Force Base is a United States Air Force (USAF) base in the western Florida Panhandle, located about southwest of Valparaiso in Okaloosa County.
The host unit at Eglin is the 96th Test Wing (formerly the 96th Air Base Wing). The 9 ...
,
Edwards AFB
Edwards Air Force Base (AFB) is a United States Air Force installation in California. Most of the base sits in Kern County, but its eastern end is in San Bernardino County and a southern arm is in Los Angeles County. The hub of the base is E ...
, and
Holloman AFB
Holloman Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base established in 1942 located six miles (10 km) southwest of the central business district of Alamogordo, and a census-designated place in Otero County, New Mexico, United States. ...
. Kirtland then maintained an administrative role over those programs, presumably through the AFSWC.
AFSWC became one of the distinct R&D centers within the ARDC. Its principal task was the proper marriage of aircraft and weapons: the best combinations of aircraft/weaponry were to be analyzed, designed, developed, and tested. The AFSWC was to conduct this development and test work in conjunction with the AEC,
Sandia Laboratory, LASL, and the FC/AFSWP at Sandia Base.
In short, LASL would build the "physics package" of a new weapon. This included the high explosive, the physical nuclear material, and the package.
Sandia Laboratory would put the weapon in a case and install firing, fusing, timing, and safety systems, the electromechanical element. The AFSWC would track all of this new development for USAF use and drop test the new weapon designs. The AFSWC was also required to monitor the development work of aircraft contractors to assure compatibility of plane and bomb. Lastly, it provided support concerning special weapons to other USAF commands and support for full-scale atmospheric testing, as had the SWC.
By September 1956, AFSWC included a group with three squadrons trained in the testing of atomic weapons (the atom bomb) and a group trained in testing thermonuclear weapons (the hydrogen bomb). AFSWC was organized into the following units:
* Research Directorate
* Development Directorate
* 4900th Air Base Group
*
4925th Test Group
The 4925th Test Group is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last was assigned to the 4901st Support Wing (Atomic), stationed at Kirtland Air Force Base, New Mexico. It was inactivated on 31 August 1961. Known as "The Megaton Blasters ...
(Atomic)
*
4950th Test Group (Nuclear)
![Boyne 4925th Test Group 1960s](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a3/Boyne_4925th_Test_Group_1960s.jpg)
AFSWC's Research Directorate became a focal point for USAF research in nuclear matters and advanced weaponry. Its mission was to "conduct applied research in the fields of nuclear weapons analysis, requirements and development, and to advise Air Force Special Weapons Center staff on nuclear research matters". In 1953 the Research Directorate began a weapons data-indexing project and maintained a technical library for all data on USAF contributions to the atomic energy program. The Research Directorate essentially led the charge in USAF efforts to conduct special weapons testing for weapons survivability and vulnerability. It also provided the groundwork for USAF interest in directed energy and weapons.
The Research Directorate also conducted numerous studies on the hazards of neutron and gamma radiation exposure for aircraft crews both in the air and on the ground. For example, directorate scientists accompanied AFSWC's
4926th Test Squadron
The 1211th Test Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was last assigned to the 9th Weather Reconnaissance Group, stationed at Kirtland AFB, New Mexico. It was inactivated on 8 June 1963.
History
The squadron conducted nuclear ...
(Sampling) during nuclear cloud samplings taken at atmospheric tests in the Pacific and in Nevada.
The Development Directorate's mission was to study, research, and develop nuclear weapons, weapons systems, components, and associated equipment for the USAF. In the early 1950s, the Development Directorate conducted numerous nuclear weapons studies focusing on specific target effectiveness and detonation conditions of atomic weapons. The Development Directorate was the AFSWC division working in conjunction with LASL and
Sandia Laboratory as new bomb designs were developed. In terms of the stockpile-to-target sequence, the Directorate conducted R&D on techniques for suspension and release of the bombs created by Sandia Laboratory, retardation devices and lay-down delivery of the bombs, as well as monitoring their designs for USAF requirements.
In the mid-1950s, the AFSWC's Development Directorate began work on atomic warhead installations in guided missile weapons and the development of warhead support equipment. In January 1955,
Douglas Aircraft Company was awarded the development contract for the weapon that became known as the
Genie
Jinn ( ar, , ') – also romanized as djinn or anglicized as genies (with the broader meaning of spirit or demon, depending on sources)
– are invisible creatures in early pre-Islamic Arabian religious systems and later in Islamic myt ...
. The Genie was an air-to-air, unguided nuclear-tipped rocket that was designed for arming in the air moments before it was fired. The nuclear warhead of the Genie was a
W-25 with a yield of approximately two kilotons. It was the only nuclear rocket to actually be launched and detonated from an aircraft, which took place at 20,000 feet over the
Nevada Test Site
The Nevada National Security Site (N2S2 or NNSS), known as the Nevada Test Site (NTS) until 2010, is a United States Department of Energy (DOE) reservation located in southeastern Nye County, Nevada, about 65 miles (105 km) northwest of the ...
on 19 July 1957. The original Genie was referred to as the MB-1 and later redesignated the AIR-2A; the carrier aircraft included the
F-89J Scorpion,
F-101B Voodoo
The McDonnell F-101 Voodoo is a supersonic jet fighter which served the United States Air Force (USAF) and the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF).
Initially designed by McDonnell Aircraft Corporation as a long-range bomber escort (known as a '' ...
, and
F-106A Delta Dart
The Convair F-106 Delta Dart was the primary all-weather interceptor aircraft of the United States Air Force from the 1960s through to the 1980s. Designed as the so-called "Ultimate Interceptor", it proved to be the last specialist interceptor i ...
. Other aerodynamic missiles developed at the Development Directorate were the
SM-62 Snark
The Northrop SM-62 Snark is an early-model intercontinental range ground-launched cruise missile that could carry a W39 thermonuclear warhead. The Snark was deployed by the United States Air Force's Strategic Air Command from 1958 through 1961 ...
,
SM-64 Navaho
The North American SM-64 Navaho was a supersonic intercontinental cruise missile project built by North American Aviation (NAA). The final design was capable of delivering a nuclear weapon to the USSR from bases within the US, while cruising at ...
,
CIM-10 Bomarc
The Boeing CIM-10 BOMARC (Boeing Michigan Aeronautical Research Center) (IM-99 Weapon System prior to September 1962) was a supersonic ramjet powered long-range surface-to-air missile (SAM) used during the Cold War for the air defense of Nor ...
and
MGM-1 Matador
The Martin MGM-1 Matador was the first operational surface-to-surface cruise missile designed and built by the United States. It was developed after World War II, drawing upon their wartime experience with creating the Republic-Ford JB-2, a ...
.
The atmospheric tests conducted throughout the 1950s were critical to the definition of nuclear weapons effects for the design of survivable U.S. offensive and defensive weapons systems. Conducted under the auspices of the AEC, each test series was directed by a Joint Task Force appointed by the JCS. In early nuclear test series, the USAF assembled one Air Task Group per test to perform air support and missions. The frequency of tests and these issues justified a permanent group, and the USAF looked to AFSWC to fill the requirements. In response, in 1956 AFSWC established the
4950th Test Group (Nuclear) to serve as a permanent USAF Air Task Group for atmospheric testing, replacing the
4925th Test Group
The 4925th Test Group is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last was assigned to the 4901st Support Wing (Atomic), stationed at Kirtland Air Force Base, New Mexico. It was inactivated on 31 August 1961. Known as "The Megaton Blasters ...
(Atomic), which then focused on the aircraft/weapon marriage mission.
In 1958, efforts were underway between the
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...
and
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, ...
to agree on a moratorium for atmospheric nuclear testing. The anticipated limitations on determining weapons effects inspired efforts by the Special Weapons Center and Sandia Corporation to develop methods of simulating nuclear effects with non-nuclear techniques. In 1962, Kirtland AFB and Sandia personnel participated in
Operation Dominic
Operation Dominic was a series of 31 nuclear test explosions with a total yield conducted in 1962 by the United States in the Pacific. This test series was scheduled quickly, in order to respond in kind to the Soviet resumption of testing af ...
, a series of atmospheric and subsurface tests in the Pacific. They were the last such tests conducted before the
Partial Nuclear Test Ban Treaty
The Partial Test Ban Treaty (PTBT) is the abbreviated name of the 1963 Treaty Banning Nuclear Weapon Tests in the Atmosphere, in Outer Space and Under Water, which prohibited all test detonations of nuclear weapons except for those conducted ...
was signed with the Soviet Union in late 1962, prohibiting testing in the atmosphere, in space and under water.
In April 1961, the Air Research and Development Command was redesignated the
Air Force Systems Command (AFSC). The new command was given the weapons procurement and production functions of ARDC's longtime rival Air Materiel Command, which effectively ended the ten years of contention between the ARDC and AMC. With the disestablishment of ARDC in 1961, AFSC took command of Kirtland and AFSWC. The replacement of ARDC with AFSC resulted in significant changes for AFSWC, but there were many adjustments that did not result solely from the change in command. AFSWC's primary role as "the AEC’s Air Force"—the primary USAF flight support for
atmospheric testing—was no longer a military priority by the early 1960s owing to the 1958 moratorium on atmospheric testing.
As the phase-down of testing activities continued during the moratorium, in August 1961 the
4950th Test Group (Nuclear) and
4925th Test Group
The 4925th Test Group is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last was assigned to the 4901st Support Wing (Atomic), stationed at Kirtland Air Force Base, New Mexico. It was inactivated on 31 August 1961. Known as "The Megaton Blasters ...
(Atomic) were disestablished. Also during this moratorium period most of the missions of the AFSWC's
4926th Test Squadron
The 1211th Test Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was last assigned to the 9th Weather Reconnaissance Group, stationed at Kirtland AFB, New Mexico. It was inactivated on 8 June 1963.
History
The squadron conducted nuclear ...
(Sampling) consisted of
U.S. Weather Bureau projects. On 16 August 1961 the 4926th Test Squadron (Sampling) was placed under HQ,
9th Weather Reconnaissance Group
The 9th Weather Reconnaissance Wing is an inactive United States Air Force organization. Its last assignment was with Air Weather Service at McClellan Air Force Base, California, where it was inactivated on 31 August 1975.
History
Weather r ...
,
Air Weather Service of the
Military Air Transport Service (MATS), since MATS also used the
RB-57D Canberra
The Martin RB-57D Canberra was a specialized high-altitude strategic reconnaissance aircraft developed from the Martin B-57 Canberra tactical bomber, a licence-built version of the English Electric Canberra. It was used by the United States Air ...
aircraft and could easily add the unit to their inventory (Jones et al. 1976). The new unit designation was the
1211th Test Squadron
The 1211th Test Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was last assigned to the 9th Weather Reconnaissance Group, stationed at Kirtland AFB, New Mexico. It was inactivated on 8 June 1963.
History
The squadron conducted nuclea ...
(Sampling). Although the unit was no longer under AFSC, it remained based out of Kirtland.
Shortly after the testing groups were disestablished, the testing ban was lifted briefly when the Soviet Union detonated a nuclear device in the atmosphere in September 1961. A flurry of full-scale U.S. test activity resulted during 1961 and 1962. These tests were part of the National Nuclear Test Readiness Program, which had been set up as a direct response to President
John F. Kennedy
John Fitzgerald Kennedy (May 29, 1917 – November 22, 1963), often referred to by his initials JFK and the nickname Jack, was an American politician who served as the 35th president of the United States from 1961 until his assassination ...
’s Safeguard C, which required readiness to promptly resume atmospheric testing should the need arise. Atmospheric testing of nuclear weapons finally ended with the 1963
Limited Test Ban Treaty
The Partial Test Ban Treaty (PTBT) is the abbreviated name of the 1963 Treaty Banning Nuclear Weapon Tests in the Atmosphere, in Outer Space and Under Water, which prohibited all test detonations of nuclear weapons except for those conducted ...
.
Atmospheric sampling
![Martin General Dynamics WB-57F 63-13503](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c8/Martin_General_Dynamics_WB-57F_63-13503.jpg)
On 16 June 1963, also after the Limited Test Ban Treaty, the 1211th Test Squadron was inactivated, and its assets were re-designated as the
58th Weather Reconnaissance Squadron
The 58th Reconnaissance Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force squadron. Its last was assigned to the 9th Weather Reconnaissance Wing at Kirtland Air Force Base, New Mexico, where it was inactivated in 1974.
History
Activated as the 40 ...
, and the unit activated on 1 February 1964. The new designation created no change in unit mission, although the squadron then emerged into the "Age of the F Troop" . The "F" was from the assignment of the
RB-57F Canberra
The Martin/General Dynamics RB-57F Canberra is a specialized strategic reconnaissance aircraft developed in the 1960s for the United States Air Force by General Dynamics from the Martin B-57 Canberra tactical bomber, which itself was a license- ...
to the squadron. According to the official history of the "F Troop 58th Weather Squadron," the RB-57F proved itself to be an aircraft gifted with the capabilities of exceptional payload, high altitude, long-range performance, and extended loiter time, all of which were useful for taking air samples.
This monitoring activity was directly related to Kennedy's LTBT safeguards: to monitor testing by other nations. An ongoing assignment of the 58th Weather Reconnaissance Squadron was observation for evidence of
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, ...
and
Communist Chinese
, anthem = "The Internationale"
, seats1_title = National People's Congress (13th)
, seats1 =
, seats2_title = NPC Standing Committee
, seats2 =
, flag = Flag of the Chinese Communist Pa ...
nuclear tests, a direct response to Safeguard D. For example, the 58th Weather Reconnaissance Squadron flew back and forth to
Argentina
Argentina (), officially the Argentine Republic ( es, link=no, República Argentina), is a country in the southern half of South America. Argentina covers an area of , making it the second-largest country in South America after Brazil, th ...
during 1965 for its top secret "Quick Dip" program. Quick Dip involved biweekly flights of two RB-57Fs to
El Plumerillo Airport in
Mendoza, Argentina
Mendoza (, ), officially the City of Mendoza ( es, Ciudad de Mendoza) is the capital of the province of Mendoza in Argentina. It is located in the northern-central part of the province, in a region of foothills and high plains, on the eastern si ...
, for periods of four to five days. During each period, five to six air samplings were to be taken to estimate the amount of plutonium being produced by the Soviets.
In 1968 the Air Weather Service's RB-57Fs were redesignated WB-57Fs, and they continued to be used in the atmospheric sampling role, mostly on behalf of the AEC. Some of the aircraft were fitted with probes to scoop up airborne particles in a program of ongoing monitoring of nuclear tests. Most of this activity was centered on the nuclear tests carried out in
Communist China, but some of it was used in U.S. air space to monitor air in the aftermath of underground nuclear tests.
The 58th Weather Reconnaissance Squadron was the last squadron in the USAF to use the WB-57F; in the spring of 1972, the decision was made to transfer 12 F-Troop aircraft, WB-57Fs and WB-57Cs, to Davis-Monthan AFB in Arizona for storage at the Military Aircraft Storage and Disposition Center. By the summer of 1973 there were rumors of squadron reductions, and inactivation of the squadron was announced officially in March 1974 as a result of the continual downsizing since the 1958 moratorium.
Missile development
Throughout the remainder of the 1960s, the AFSWC worked closely with the Air Force Missile Development Center at
Holloman AFB
Holloman Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base established in 1942 located six miles (10 km) southwest of the central business district of Alamogordo, and a census-designated place in Otero County, New Mexico, United States. ...
. The AFSWC's responsibilities at this time included the testing and evaluation of airborne missiles, aircraft reconnaissance systems, and missile reentry. Calling itself the "Gateway to the White Sands Missile Range," the AFSWC sponsored all USAF programs at White Sands and an AFSWC office was located at
White Sands Missile Range
White Sands Missile Range (WSMR) is a United States Army military testing area and firing range located in the US state of New Mexico. The range was originally established as the White Sands Proving Ground on 9July 1945. White Sands National P ...
for day-to-day operations. The AFSWC provided flight test support from Kirtland, and mission control support and drone launch from the Air Force Missile Development Center at Holloman AFB.
By the mid-1970s, missile development support within the AFSWC reached a plateau—with advanced missiles work entirely focused through the AFSC's Space and Missile Systems Organization (SAMSO) at Los Angeles Air Force Station. SAMSO was a precursor to today's
Space and Missile Systems Center
Space Systems Command (SSC) is the United States Space Force's space development, acquisition, launch, and logistics field command. It is headquartered at Los Angeles Air Force Base, California and manages the United States' space launch ...
at what is now known as
Los Angeles Air Force Base
Los Angeles Air Force Base (LAAFB) is a United States Space Force Base located in El Segundo, California. Los Angeles Air Force Base houses and supports the headquarters of the United States Space Force's Space Systems Command (SSC), which w ...
. By September 1974 the function of the AFSWC had become largely obsolete, and in 1976 the center was officially disestablished by the AFSC.
Air Force Weapons Laboratory
![EMP simplator Krtland AFB New Mexico](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/97/EMP_simplator_Krtland_AFB_New_Mexico.jpg)
In the wake of the full-scale tests and signing of the test ban treaty, the
Air Force Weapons Laboratory (AFWL) was created from elements of the Special Weapons Center. The AFWL was responsible for researching nuclear weapons and the vulnerability of U.S. weapons systems to nuclear attack. Because atmospheric testing had been prohibited in 1963, weapons vulnerability testing now focused on nuclear weapons effects simulations. AFWL's original mission was to explore the military uses of nuclear power, weapons, and
support equipment, and to reduce the vulnerability of U.S. systems to nuclear weapons effects. This involved studying nuclear weapons effects through testing, ensuring the compatibility of nuclear weapons with USAF delivery systems, providing advanced nuclear weapons delivery techniques, and investigating nuclear power concepts.
Throughout the 1960s, AFWL scientists built facilities to simulate nuclear effects such as transient radiation, x-rays and electromagnetic pulse. For example, in 1965, AFWL's Civil Engineering Research Branch began studies using conventional high explosives to simulate a nuclear blast to test the hardness or survivability of underground missile silos and command centers. The Weapons Laboratory built facilities during the 1960s to simulate nuclear effects such as transient radiation, x-rays and electromagnetic pulse. To study the latter, the ATLAS-I (better known as
TRESTLE), the largest simulation facility ever built, was completed on the east side of Kirtland AFB during the late 1970s.
AFWL also made important contributions throughout the decade to improve the nuclear systems related to such aircraft as the
F-4 Phantom II,
F-105 Thunderchief
The Republic F-105 Thunderchief is an American supersonic fighter-bomber that served with the United States Air Force from 1958 to 1984. Capable of Mach 2, it conducted the majority of strike bombing missions during the early years of the Viet ...
,
F-111
The General Dynamics F-111 Aardvark is a retired supersonic, medium-range, multirole combat aircraft. Production variants of the F-111 had roles that included ground attack (e.g. interdiction), strategic bombing (including nuclear weapons ca ...
, and the
B-58 Hustler
The Convair B-58 Hustler, designed and produced by American aircraft manufacturer Convair, was the first operational bomber capable of Mach 2 flight.
The B-58 was developed during the 1950s for the United States Air Force (USAF) Strategic Air ...
. The weapons systems corresponding to these aircraft included the air-to-ground missiles (AGM)
AGM-28 Hound Dog
The North American Aviation AGM-28 Hound Dog was a supersonic, turbojet-propelled, nuclear armed, air-launched cruise missile developed in 1959 for the United States Air Force. It was primarily designed to be capable of attacking Soviet gr ...
,
AGM-69 SRAM
The Boeing AGM-69 SRAM (Short-Range Attack Missile) was a nuclear air-to-surface missile. It had a range of up to , and was intended to allow US Air Force strategic bombers to penetrate Soviet airspace by neutralizing surface-to-air missile de ...
"Short-Range Attack Missile," as well as the
LGM-25C Titan II
The Titan II was an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) developed by the Glenn L. Martin Company from the earlier Titan I missile. Titan II was originally designed and used as an ICBM, but was later adapted as a medium-lift space l ...
and
LGM-30 Minuteman
The LGM-30 Minuteman is an American land-based intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) in service with the Air Force Global Strike Command. , the LGM-30G Minuteman III version is the only land-based ICBM in service in the United States and ...
ICBMs, and the
LIM-49 Spartan
The LIM-49 Spartan was a United States Army anti-ballistic missile, designed to intercept attacking nuclear warheads from Intercontinental ballistic missiles at long range and while still outside the atmosphere. For actual deployment, a five-me ...
ABM.
On 1 July 1971, Kirtland merged with
Sandia Base
Sandia Base was the principal nuclear weapons installation of the United States Department of Defense from 1946 to 1971. It was located on the southeastern edge of Albuquerque, New Mexico. For 25 years, the top-secret Sandia Base and its subsidi ...
and
Manzano Base Manzano is a Spanish word used for apple trees, Malus domestica, and is also used as a patronymic name. Manzano can refer to any of the following:
Places
* El Manzano, a village in Spain
* Manzano, Italy, a municipality in Italy
* Manzano, New ...
, its neighbors to the east. Twelve months after the merger, Kirtland AFB became home to one of the country's most important industrial management units when the Air Force Contract Management Division (a component of
Air Force Systems Command) moved to the base from
Los Angeles
Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, largest city in the U.S. state, state of California and the List of United States cities by population, sec ...
. Early in 1974, at the direction of the
Air Force Chief of Staff
The chief of staff of the Air Force (acronym: CSAF, or AF/CC) is a statutory office () held by a general in the United States Air Force, and as such is the principal military advisor to the secretary of the Air Force on matter pertaining to th ...
, the
Air Force Operational Test and Evaluation Center
Located at Kirtland Air Force Base, New Mexico, the Air Force Operational Test and Evaluation Center is a direct reporting unit of Headquarters, United States Air Force. It is the Air Force independent test agency responsible for testing, und ...
was organized at Kirtland to direct and oversee operational testing of aircraft and other equipment.
Laser technology
![Boeing NKC-135A Airborne Laser Lab USAF](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/8f/Boeing_NKC-135A_Airborne_Laser_Lab_USAF.jpg)
Laser R&D became a mission for AFWL during the 1960s and was its main focus into the 1970s. The military began to view lasers as potentially superior to conventional weapons because of lasers’ intensity over great distances and envisioned developing them for ballistic missile defense, as well as anti-satellite and anti-aircraft missions. In 1968, the USAF authorized the AFWL to design, build, and fire a GDL capable of engaging targets that were static or in motion. The Advanced Radiation Technology Office at AFWL built its TSL at SOR in 1971, naming it the Air Force Laser (AFL). Mating of the AFL and Field Test Telescope (FTT)—the first step toward shooting down an aerial target with a laser—took place in October 1972. The successful mating of the AFL and FTT in 1972 was a milestone in the USAF high-energy laser research. That same year, AFSC assigned responsibility for the USAF's portion of the DoD's high-energy laser program to AFWL. AFWL scientists were determined to use the AFL to shoot down a drone aircraft. A year later, in November 1973, the AFWL met the three milestones and succeeded in the first shoot down of an aerial target by a laser.
While a ground laser could track and engage a moving target, an airborne laser had the added difficulties of vibrations, beam propagation, and pointing a laser from an aerial platform. Development of the Airborne Laser Laboratory (ALL) became the centerpiece of AFWL's laser program in the 1970s. The ALL term was coined in 1972, and the ALL program began with Cycle I testing in 1973 and ended with the completion of Cycle III in September 1983. The ALL was a modified NKC-135, and the
4900th Flight Test Group was formed for aircraft operations. Laboratory testing occurred in the 400 area of Kirtland AFB and initial ground tests in hangar 1001, while the hangar at the Advanced Radiation Test Facility (ARTF) at the southeast corner of the runway was being constructed. ARTF was used for later ground tests that aimed the APT from the ARTF test pad to a target in the atmosphere in order to calibrate aircraft instruments in preparation for flight tests. Along with the five NKC-135, the 4900th FTG operated a fleet of five F-4Ds, one RF-4C, three NC-135As, five C-130s, and several A-37s, F-100s, and helicopters.
These flights tests took place from January to July 1975, with the first "good" beam generation occurring in March. Testing ended in 1976, and although the airborne tests demonstrated the need to upgrade the tracker, the optical quality of the mirrors, and the stabilization of the APT, they clearly proved that a laser could be accurately pointed in an airborne environment. After 1977, work continued on the ALL, which would reach its goal in 1983.
In 1979, AFWL achieved a milestone in the development of airborne high-energy laser weapons. The High Energy Laser Radar Acquisition and Tracking System (HELRATS) was designed specifically to track enemy aircraft and missiles. Installed at North Oscura Peak on the White Sands Missile Range between May and November 1979, HELRATS underwent extensive testing against aircraft and missiles. These tests were critically important steps to developing the DoD's high-energy laser program. Range tests took place from May to December 1979. The most successful of the tests was one that shot an AIM-9B downrange; the beam in the test cell delivered and locked onto the aim point on the missile dome, causing damage to the dome, guidance, and seeker unit inside the AIM-9B. This test demonstrated that
the ALL systems could work as a unit and disable a target.
In July 1980 a "hot firing" test of the system was made being the first airborne test of the system. The flight took place near WSMR at 10,000 feet. A series of airborne systems tests were then made prior to extracting a beam from the ALL. In January 1981 a high-energy laser beam was generated inside the ALL, directed through the APT, and propagated in the air outside the aircraft; this was the first demonstration that the ALL components could work as a unified system and point to a target. The highlight of the ALL program occurred in May 1983, over the Naval Weapons Center Range at China Lake, California, where the laser was combined with a sophisticated pointer and tracker to negate, or disable, five AIM-9 "Sidewinder" missiles. While the missiles did not fall from the sky in pieces, they were disabled to the point that they could no longer locate, track, and strike their target.
Despite its success, weapons planners ignored the ALL because its missions had been categorized as "proof of concept" rather than demonstrations of a viable war tool. The ALL aircraft was retired in 1984 and stored in hangar 760 at Kirtland. Four years later it took its final flight to Wright Patterson AFB, where it is now on display at the
United States Air Force Museum
The National Museum of the United States Air Force (formerly the United States Air Force Museum) is the official museum of the United States Air Force located at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, northeast of Dayton, Ohio. The NMUSAF is the ...
. About a decade later, after the Gulf War, the concept of an anti-missile laser was revitalized in the
Boeing YAL-1 airborne laser program.
Air Force Test and Evaluation Center
In 1974, the Air Force Test and Evaluation Center (AFTEC) was organized at KAFB "to direct and oversee operational testing of emerging Air Force aircraft and systems". The purpose of AFTEC was to answer questions about how safe, effective, reliable, maintainable, compatible, and logistically supportable new USAF systems would be for acquisition purposes. The F-16 Falcon fighter and the BGM-109 Tomahawk cruise missile were among the weapons the center tested in the 1970s, and the Kirtland Base Information Resources and Economic
Impact statement of FY 1984 reported that AFTEC was then "evaluating more than 90 major systems. Among them are the Peacemaker missile, the HH-60 helicopter, a new version of the F-15 advanced medium range air-to-air missile, the Maverick air-to-ground missile, TRI-TAC
multiservice communication system and the B-1 bomber".
Due to budget restrictions and reorganization, the Special Weapons Center was disestablished during 1976. Its responsibilities as Kirtland AFB's landlord’ were transferred to Contract Management Division, and a new support organization, the 4900th Air Base Wing, was created to discharge those responsibilities.
1550th Combat Crew Training Wing
![MH-53J Pave Low Kirtland AFB](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/33/MH-53J_Pave_Low_Kirtland_AFB.jpg)
In 1976, as these organizational changes were being made, the
Aerospace Rescue and Recovery Service moved its 1550th Aircrew Training and Test Wing (later becoming the
1550th Combat Crew Training Wing) to Kirtland AFB from
Hill AFB
Hill Air Force Base is a major U.S. Air Force (USAF) base located in northern Utah, just south of the city of Ogden, and bordering the Cities of Layton, Clearfield, Riverdale, Roy, and Sunset with its largest border immediately adjacent t ...
, Utah. That unit's helicopter and fixed wing training brought regular flight operations to Kirtland in addition to the usual support provided for transient military aircraft. The 1550th ATTW was responsible for all USAF advanced helicopter training. The unit also conducted fixed-wing rescue and recovery training in the HC-130 Hercules aircraft, as well as testing new helicopter systems and techniques.
On 1 July 1977, the base once again changed hands as the 1606th Air Base Wing was created when Military Airlift Command (MAC) took over responsibility for operating Kirtland AFB from
Air Force Systems Command.
In the mid-1980s, the wing was equipped with a fleet of 32 aircraft, which included five HC-130 rescue transports, eight H-3 and seven H-53 heavy lift helicopters or "Jolly Green Giants," and six UH-1F and six UH-1N light lift helicopters or "Hueys." Flying training in the 1550th ATTW included basic aircraft qualifications, instrument and transition flying, aerial refueling of the
Jolly Green Giant helicopters by HC-130 tankers, combat tactics, air drops of pararescue personnel and equipment, land-water helicopter hoist training, simulated search missions, and locating and intercepting lost or distressed aircraft. Initial training for all USAF Pararescuemen was also given at Kirtland. The training included classes in mountain climbing, survival, navigation, scuba-equipped parachute jumps, hoisting from a helicopter, emergency medicine, combat tactics, and weapons. In 1985, the wing
graduated approximately 1,250 students from its 34 formal courses.
Air Force Space Technology Center
On 1 October 1982, the Air Force Space Technology Center (AFSTC) was established at Kirtland to coordinate and manage research into Air Force space systems. It was to plan and execute "Air Force R&D programs in space technology, advanced nonconventional weapons and weapons effects, rocket propulsion and geophysics". The AFSTC operated under the oversight of the Space Systems Division of
Air Force Systems Command (AFSC), located at Los Angeles AFB. The AFSTC supervised the AFWL, the Air Force Rocket Propulsion Laboratory at
Edwards AFB
Edwards Air Force Base (AFB) is a United States Air Force installation in California. Most of the base sits in Kern County, but its eastern end is in San Bernardino County and a southern arm is in Los Angeles County. The hub of the base is E ...
, California, and the Air Force Geophysics Laboratory at Hanscom AFB, Massachusetts. The announcement for the new center was made two days after Secretary of State Alexander Haig revealed that the Soviet Union had made practice runs with several space weapons, including one that could destroy U.S. satellites. The new AFSTC was responsible for military satellites, the anti-satellite program, military payloads orbited by Space Shuttles, the tracking of Soviet satellites, and other related programs.
The militarily strategic value of space became a new focus for AFWL in the early 1980s. In March 1983, President Ronald Reagan announced a major research effort to determine the feasibility of advanced defenses against ballistic missiles. In the mid-1980s, AFWL made
important contributions to the SDI program through its studies of the laser vulnerability of solid and liquid-fueled ICBM boosters. AFWL used the mid-infrared advanced chemical laser (MIRACL) to demonstrate such vulnerabilities, and successful MIRACL tests destroyed both stationary and rotating reflective targets. By fiscal year 1986, Reagan's Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI) accounted for more than 60 percent of AFWL's budget.
AFWL carried out tests of its Booster Vulnerability Test Program. In these tests scientists used MIRACL to destroy a decommissioned Titan I second stage booster under simulated flight loads at White Sands Missile Range, and the derived data were used to determine the vulnerabilities of representative solid motor cases and liquid boosters to lasers. In December 1990, the Air Force Space Technology Center and Weapons Laboratory consolidated to become Phillips Laboratory, and later, the Air Force Research Laboratory.
On 1 October 1991, the 1606th Air Base Wing and 1550th Combat Crew Training Wing merged into one "super" wing called the 542d Crew Training Wing.
Modern era
![Kirtland AFB USGS 2006](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/56/Kirtland_AFB_USGS_2006.jpg)
In 1992, the Kirtland Underground Munitions Maintenance and Storage Complex (KUMMSC) was activated at Kirtland AFB. The facility provides storage, shipping and maintenance for the
United States Air Force
The United States Air Force (USAF) is the Aerial warfare, air military branch, 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 ...
. It is operated by the 898th Munitions Squadron (898 MUNS) and the 377th Weapons Systems Security Squadron (377 WSSS). The facility is state of the art, with more than located entirely underground. KUMMSC is the largest storage facility for nuclear weapons in the world. Total number of deliverable nuclear warheads stored there is over 3,000. The majority of the munitions include the B83 nuclear bomb, B83 and B61 nuclear bomb, B61 gravity bombs, and W80 (nuclear warhead), W80, W78, and W87 warheads for the Air Launched Cruise Missile (ALCM), Minuteman III and Peacekeeper ICBMs.
On 1 January 1993, the base again changed hands as the newly formed
Air Force Materiel Command acquired Kirtland AFB from Air Mobility Command. The
377th Air Base Wing was reactivated to become the base's host organization.
On 1 April 1994 the 1550th Combat Crew Training Wing was re-designated as the
58th Special Operations Wing under
Air Education and Training Command
Air Education and Training Command (AETC) is one of the nine List of major commands of the United States Air Force, Major Commands (MAJCOM) of the United States Air Force (USAF), reporting to Headquarters, United States Air Force. It was establis ...
(AETC). In addition to the helicopter training, it also trained crews in special operations aircraft, including helicopters and modified C-130 Hercules aircraft. It performed pararescue training and search and rescue missions as well. Additionally, the wing trained for missile site support and airlift for distinguished visitors. At the same time the wing continued to deploy personnel worldwide for contingency and combat operations. The wing airlifted a federal task force to Pennsylvania to investigate the crash site of the fourth airliner following the 11 September 2001 terrorist attacks. Since that time the 58th has deployed personnel and equipment to support Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Today, the 58th SOW trains aircrews in the MC-130J Commando II, MC-130H Combat Talon II, and the CV-22 Osprey for the Air Force Special Operations Command; the HC-130P Combat King, HC-130J Combat King II, and the HH-60G Pavehawk for the Air Combat Command and Pacific Air Forces; the UH-1 Huey for Air Force Space Command; and those aircrew operationally gained to those commands from the Air Force Reserve Command and the Air National Guard.
On 31 March 2006, the
Nuclear Weapons Center was created and became the parent organization at Kirtland AFB. The 498th Armament Systems Wing (later the 498th Nuclear Systems Wing) was also created to be the maintenance arm of the NWC, while the 377th ABW remained the host support unit on base. On 1 October 2015, Kirtland AFB was repositioned under Air Force Global Strike Command.
In November 2009 the 377th Air Base Wing, commanded by Colonel Michael S. Duvall, and 498th Nuclear Systems Wing, commanded by Colonel Richard M. Stuckey, failed their nuclear security inspections. The inspections were conducted by Air Force Materiel Command and the Defense Threat Reduction Agency.
On 27 January 2010 the 898th Munitions Squadron was decertified. The action meant that the squadron could no longer perform its mission of safeguarding the weapons at the Kirtland Underground Munitions Maintenance and Storage Complex until it passed a nuclear surety inspection. The squadron was recertified on 11 June 2010.
The 498 Nuclear Systems Wing was inactivated on 27 Jan 2012 as the Air Force transferred oversight of the nuclear munitions to the Air Force Global Strike Command.
Major commands assigned
* AF Combat Command, c. 8 March 1941 – 6 December 1941
* West Coast Air Corps Training Command, 6 December 1941 – 23 January 1942
* Air Corps Flying Training Command, 23 January 1942 – March 1942
* AAF Flying Training Command, March 1942 – 31 July 1943
* Army Air Forces Training Command, 31 July 1943 – 1 March 1945
*
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 ...
, 1 March 1945 – 21 January 1946
*
Fourth Air Force
The Fourth Air Force (4 AF) is a numbered air force of the Air Force Reserve Command (AFRC). It is headquartered at March Air Reserve Base, California.
4 AF directs the activities and supervises the training of more than 30,000 Air Force Res ...
, 31 January 1946 – 14 April 1946
*
Continental Air Forces
Continental Air Forces (CAF) was a United States Army Air Forces major command, active 1944–1946. It was tasked with combat training of bomber and fighter personnel, and for Continental United States (CONUS) air defense after the Aircraft Wa ...
, 16 April 1946 – 21 March 1946
*
Strategic Air Command, 21 March 1946 – 1 December 1946
*
Air Materiel Command
Air Materiel Command (AMC) was a United States Army Air Forces and United States Air Force command. Its headquarters was located at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio. In 1961, the command was redesignated the Air Force Logistics Command wi ...
, 1 December 1946 – 1 December 1949
* Air Force Special Weapons Command, 1 December 1949 – 1 April 1952
* Air Research and Development Comd, 1 April 1952 – 1 April 1961
*
Air Force Systems Command, 1 April 1961 – 1 July 1977
* Military Airlift Command, 1 July 1977 – 1 July 1992
*
Air Force Materiel Command, 1 July 1992 – 1 October 2015
*
Air Force Global Strike Command, 1 October 2015 – present
Major units assigned
* 3d Air Base Squadron *, 10 April 1941 – 30 April 1944
* Air Corps Advanced Flying School
: Re-designated: Army Air Forces Advanced Flying School
: Re-designated: Army Air Forces Bombardier School, 22 December 1941 – 28 February 1945
* 301st Bombardment Group, 27 May-17 June 1942
* 303d Bombardment Group, 12 June-7 August 1942
* Army Air Forces Glider Replacement Center, 22 July 1942 – 22 May 1943
* 37th Flying Training Wing, 10 September 1943 – 31 January 1945
* 392d Bombardment Group, 18 March-18 July 1943
* 400th Bombardment Group, 19 September-11 December 1943
* 449th Bombardment Group, 5 July 1943 – 25 January 1944
* 460th Bombardment Group, 1 July-10 September 1943
* 466th Bombardment Group, 1 August 1943 – 2 February 1944
* 487th Bombardment Group, 15 December 1943 – 10 March 1944
* 492d Bombardment Group, 1 October 1943 – 1 January 1944
* Army Air Forces Pilot School (Specialized Four-Engine), 2 August 1943 – 28 February 1945
* 418th Bombardment Group, 11 March-1 April 1944
* 3004th Army Air Forces Base Unit, 1 May 1944 – 26 February 1945
* 3007th Army Air Forces Base Unit *, 1 May 1944 – 28 February 1945
* 4029th Army Air Forces Base Unit, 1 May-24 August 1944
* 237th Army Air Forces Base Unit *, 1 March 1945 – 31 January 1946
* 467th Bombardment Group, 24 August-8 September 1945
* 492d Bombardment Group, 17 August-17 October 1945
* 4160th Army Air Forces Base Unit, 15 January-1 November 1945
* 428th Army Air Forces Base Unit *
: Re-designated: 428th Air Force Base Unit
: Re-designated: 2758th Experimental Wing
: Re-designated: 4901st Special Weapons Wing
: Re-designated: Air Force Special Weapons Command
: Re-designated: Air Force Special Weapons Center, 1 February 1946 – 1 April 1976
: Re-designated: Nuclear Weapons Center, 14 February 2006
: Re-designated: Air Force Nuclear Weapons Center, 28 February 2008 – present
* 636th Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron, 15 September 1948 – 8 December 1949
* 1140th Special Reporting Wing
: Re-designated: 1100th USAF Special Reporting Group
: Re-designated: 1090th USAF Special Reporting Group, 18 August 1948 – 31 December 1971
: (Handled base operations, including maintenance and security)
* 3170th Special Weapons Group
: Re-designated: 4925th Special Weapons Group
: Re-designated:
4925th Test Group
The 4925th Test Group is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last was assigned to the 4901st Support Wing (Atomic), stationed at Kirtland Air Force Base, New Mexico. It was inactivated on 31 August 1961. Known as "The Megaton Blasters ...
, 28 August 1948 – 1 April 1961
* 3078th Air Base Group *
: Re-designated: 4910th Air Base Group *, 5 July 1949 – 1 May 1955
* 81st Fighter Wing
: Re-designated:
81st Fighter-Interceptor Wing, 5 January 1949 – 1 May 1950
* 91st Fighter-Interceptor Squadron, 17 June 1949 – 1 May 1950
* 92d Fighter-Interceptor Squadron, 17 June 1949 – 1 May 1950
*
93d Fighter-Interceptor Squadron, 17 June 1949 – 8 July 1960
* 690th Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron, 8 December 1949 – 6 February 1952
* 725th Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron, 27 April 1950 – 8 June 1951
*
Albuquerque Air Defense Sector
The Albuquerque Air Defense Sector (AADS) is an inactive United States Air Force organization. It was briefly active between 1 January and 1 November 1960, assigned to the 33d Air Division at Kirtland Air Force Base, New Mexico. The sector was r ...
, 1 May 1950 – 5 January 1951
*
34th Air Division
The 34th Air Division (34th AD) is an inactive United States Air Force organization. Its last assignment was with Air Defense Command at Custer Air Force Station, Michigan. It was inactivated on 31 December 1969.
History
Assigned to Air De ...
(Defense), 5 January 1951-January 1960
* 4901st Support Wing (Atomic)
: Re-designated: 4901st Air Base Wing
: Re-designated: 4901st Air Base Group
: Re-designated: 4900th Air Base Wing *, 1 February 1951 – 1 July 1977
: Replaced by: 1606th Air Base Wing *, 1 July 1977 – 1 June 1993
* 682d Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron, 1 December 1953 – 1 August 1954
* 684th Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron, 1 December 1953 – 19 April 1954
* 685th Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron, 1 December 1953 – 17 January 1955
* 687th Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron, 1 October 1953 – 20 June 1956
* 904th Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron, 18 June 1953 – 14 June 1955
* 4926th Test Squadron
: Re-designated:
1211th Test Squadron
The 1211th Test Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was last assigned to the 9th Weather Reconnaissance Group, stationed at Kirtland AFB, New Mexico. It was inactivated on 8 June 1963.
History
The squadron conducted nuclea ...
, 1 April 1953 – 8 June 1963
: Assets assigned to:
58th Weather Reconnaissance Squadron
The 58th Reconnaissance Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force squadron. Its last was assigned to the 9th Weather Reconnaissance Wing at Kirtland Air Force Base, New Mexico, where it was inactivated in 1974.
History
Activated as the 40 ...
, 1 February 1964 – 1 July 1974
* 697th Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron, 8 December 1956 – 21 February 1957
*
4950th Test Group, 1 September 1956 – 16 August 1961
* 612th Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron, 8 March 1957 – 12 February 1958
* 57th Weather Reconnaissance Squadron 16 February 1962 – 13 September 1963
* Air Force Weapons Laboratory
: Re-designated: Air Force Research Laboratory, 1 May 1963 – present
* 4900th Test Group (Flight Test)
: Re-designated:
4900th Flight Test Group, 1 August 1970 – 1 April 1976
* Air Force Test and Evaluation Center
: Re-designated:
Air Force Operational Test and Evaluation Center
Located at Kirtland Air Force Base, New Mexico, the Air Force Operational Test and Evaluation Center is a direct reporting unit of Headquarters, United States Air Force. It is the Air Force independent test agency responsible for testing, und ...
, 11 December 1973 – present
* 1550th Aircrew Training and Test Wing
: Re-designated: 1550th Combat Crew Training Wing, 15 March 1976 – 1 October 1991
: Replaced by: 542d Crew Training Wing, 1 October 1991 – 1 April 1994
* 542d Operations Group, 1 October 1991 – 1 April 1994
* 1550th Flying Training Squadron
: Re-designated: 550th Flying Training Squadron
: Re-designated: 550th Special Operations Squadron, 15 March 1976 – present
* 1551st Flying Training Squadron
: Re-designated: 1551st Flying Training Squadron
: Re-designated: 551st Special Operations Squadron, 15 March 1976- 2007
: Inactivated 2007, Reactivated at Cannon AFB NM 2009 – present
* Air Force Space Technology Center, 1 October 1982 – 13 December 1990
: Combined into: Phillips Laboratory, 13 December 1990 – 30 September 1997
: Split into: Air Force Research Laboratory Space Vehicle and Directed Energy Directorates, 1 October 1997 – present
*
377th Air Base Wing *, 1 June 1993 – present
*
58th Special Operations Wing, 1 April 1994 – present
* 512th Special Operations Squadron, 1 Apr 1994 – present
: Re-designated: 512th Rescue Squadron (RQS) 6 Oct 2000
* 71st Special Operations Squadron, 2005 – present
* 898th Munitions Squadron 1 July 1994 – present
* 498th Armament Systems Wing
: Re-designated:
498th Nuclear Systems Wing
The 498th Nuclear Systems Wing was a wing of the United States Air Force based at Kirtland Air Force Base, New Mexico.
World War II
The wing was initially established as the 498th Bombardment Group, Very Heavy on 19 November 1943. The group rem ...
, 31 Mar 2006 – present
.* Base Operating Unit
Previous names
* Albuquerque Army Air Base, 8 March 1941
* Kirtland Army Air Field, 24 February 1942
* Kirtland Air Force Base, 13 January 1948 – present
Role and operations
The missions of Kirtland AFB fall into four major categories: munitions maintenance; readiness and training; research, development and testing; and base operating support to more than 100 federal government and private sector associates.
Major units
![Team Kirtland](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/fe/Team_Kirtland.jpg)
* Air Force Nuclear Weapons Center
: The mission of the NWC is to ensure safe, secure and reliable nuclear weapons are available to support the National Command Structure and Air Force war fighter.
*
377th Air Base Wing
: The wing provides munitions maintenance, readiness and training, and base operating support to approximately 76 Federal government and 384 private sector tenants and associate units. Among these is the Defense Threat Reduction Agency's Defense Nuclear Weapons School, the mission of which is to provide nuclear weapons core competencies and chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear, and high explosive (CBRNE) response training to DoD, other Federal and State Agencies, and National Laboratory personnel.
:
* Air Force Research Laboratory, Kirtland AFB
:Air Force Research Laboratory#Directed Energy Directorate, Directed Energy Directorate
:: This lab develops, integrates, and transitions science and technology for directed energy to include high-power microwaves, lasers, adaptive optics, imaging and effects to assure the preeminence of the United States in air and space.
: Phillips Research Site
:: Organized to support Air Force Research Laboratory's Directed Energy (RD) and the Space Vehicles (RV) Directorates site functions overarch both directorates. Those site specific support functions include Business Opportunities, Employment and the AFRL-PRS Reserves.
:Air Force Research Laboratory#Space Vehicles Directorate, Space Vehicle Directorate
:: This lab develops and transitions high pay-off space technologies supporting the warfighter while leveraging commercial, civil and other government capabilities.
:Air Force Research Laboratory#Directed Energy Directorate, Airborne Laser System Program Office
:: Department of Defense's Center of Expertise for laser development of all types
* Operationally Responsive Space
: On 21 May 2007 the Deputy Secretary of Defense and Executive Agent for Space established the Operationally Responsive Space (ORS) Office as a proactive step to adapt space capabilities to changing national security requirements and to be an agent for change across the community.
*
58th Special Operations Wing
: The 58th Special Operations Wing is a major unit in the 19th Air Force under
Air Education and Training Command
Air Education and Training Command (AETC) is one of the nine List of major commands of the United States Air Force, Major Commands (MAJCOM) of the United States Air Force (USAF), reporting to Headquarters, United States Air Force. It was establis ...
. The wing’s mission is to train mission-ready special operations, combat search and rescue, missile site support and UH-1 distinguished visitor airlift aircrews in direct support of Air Expeditionary Forces to six major commands in the Air Force.
Associate units
*
150th Special Operations Wing
The 150th Special Operations Wing (150 SOW) is a unit of the New Mexico Air National Guard, stationed at Kirtland Air Force Base. The wing traces its history back to the expansion of the 150th Tactical Fighter Group into the 150th Fighter Wing in ...
(
New Mexico
)
, population_demonym = New Mexican ( es, Neomexicano, Neomejicano, Nuevo Mexicano)
, seat = Santa Fe
, LargestCity = Albuquerque
, LargestMetro = Tiguex
, OfficialLang = None
, Languages = English, Spanish ( New Mexican), Navajo, Ke ...
Air National Guard) (1947–present)
: The wing provides search and rescue capabilities for the region.
* Air Force Inspection Agency (AFIA)
: A field-operating agency that reports to the Inspector General of the Department of the Air Force. AFIA’s 120 military and civilian personnel provide Air Force senior leaders with timely, independent assessments to improve the Air Force.
* Defense Threat Reduction Agency, Albuquerque
: DTRA’s mission is to safeguard America and its allies from weapons of mass destruction (chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear and high yield explosives) by providing capabilities to reduce, eliminate and counter the threat and mitigate its effects.
* Kirtland AFB NCO Academy (closed)
* 505th Distributed Warfare Group
* 705th Combat Training Squadron
* Air Force Safety Center
*
Air Force Operational Test and Evaluation Center
Located at Kirtland Air Force Base, New Mexico, the Air Force Operational Test and Evaluation Center is a direct reporting unit of Headquarters, United States Air Force. It is the Air Force independent test agency responsible for testing, und ...
* 351st Special Warfare Training Squadron (Pararescue and Combat Rescue Officer Training School)
* Space Development Test Directorate, Space & Missile System Center
* Air Force Nuclear Weapons and Counterproliferation Agency
* Defense Reutilization and Marketing Service
Non-military organizations
*
Sandia National Laboratories
Sandia National Laboratories (SNL), also known as Sandia, is one of three research and development laboratories of the United States Department of Energy's National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA). Headquartered in Kirtland Air Force Bas ...
: Sandia National Laboratories is a national security lab with the core purpose of "Helping Our Nation Secure a Peaceful and Free World through Technology." It provides technology solutions to the most challenging problems that threaten peace and freedom. Sandia has two primary facilities: a large laboratory and headquarters in Albuquerque, N.M., and a smaller laboratory in Livermore, Calif.
*
Department of Energy A Ministry of Energy or Department of Energy is a government department in some countries that typically oversees the production of fuel and electricity; in the United States, however, it manages nuclear weapons development and conducts energy-re ...
, National Nuclear Security Administration
: Detachment 1,
Air Force Operational Test and Evaluation Center
Located at Kirtland Air Force Base, New Mexico, the Air Force Operational Test and Evaluation Center is a direct reporting unit of Headquarters, United States Air Force. It is the Air Force independent test agency responsible for testing, und ...
: Detachment 3,
Air Force Operational Test and Evaluation Center
Located at Kirtland Air Force Base, New Mexico, the Air Force Operational Test and Evaluation Center is a direct reporting unit of Headquarters, United States Air Force. It is the Air Force independent test agency responsible for testing, und ...
* New Mexico Veterans Affairs Health Care System
* Lovelace Respiratory Research Institute, a non-profit biomedical research organization
Based units
Flying and notable non-flying units based at Kirtland Air Force Base.
Units marked GSU are Geographically Separate Units, which although based at Kirtland, are subordinate to a parent unit based at another location.
United States Air Force
Air Force Global Strike Command (AFGSC)
* Twentieth Air Force
**
377th Air Base Wing (Host Wing)
*** 377th Maintenance Group
*** 377th Medical Group
*** 377th Mission Support Group
*** 377th Security Forces Group
Air Force Materiel Command (AFMC)
* Air Force Nuclear Weapons Center
** Headquarters Air Force Nuclear Weapons Center
** Air Delivered Capabilities Directorate
** Nuclear Command, Control and Communications Integration Directorate
** Nuclear Technology and Integration Directorate
* Air Force Research Laboratory
** Phillips Research Site
*** Directed Energy Directorate
*** Space Vehicles Directorate
Air Education and Training Command
Air Education and Training Command (AETC) is one of the nine List of major commands of the United States Air Force, Major Commands (MAJCOM) of the United States Air Force (USAF), reporting to Headquarters, United States Air Force. It was establis ...
(AETC)
* Nineteenth Air Force
**
58th Special Operations Wing
*** 58th Operations Group
**** 58th Operations Support Squadron
**** 58th Training Squadron
**** 71st Special Operations Squadron – Bell Boeing V-22 Osprey, CV-22B Osprey
**** 415th Special Operations Squadron – HC-130J Combat King II and MC-130J Commando II
**** 512th Rescue Squadron – Sikorsky HH-60 Pave Hawk, HH-60G Pave Hawk and Bell UH-1N Twin Huey, UH-1N Iroquois
*** 58th Maintenance Group
**** 58th Aircraft Maintenance
Squadron
**** 58th Maintenance Squadron
**** 58th Maintenance Operations Squadron
* United States Air Force Pararescue, Pararescue and Combat Rescue Officer Training School
** 351st Special Warfare Training Squadron
Air Combat Command (ACC)
* United States Air Force Warfare Center, US Air Force Warfare Center
** 505th Command and Control Wing
*** 705th Combat Training Squadron (GSU)
*** USAF Distributed Mission Operations Center
Air National Guard (ANG)
*
New Mexico Air National Guard
**
150th Special Operations Wing
The 150th Special Operations Wing (150 SOW) is a unit of the New Mexico Air National Guard, stationed at Kirtland Air Force Base. The wing traces its history back to the expansion of the 150th Tactical Fighter Group into the 150th Fighter Wing in ...
*** 150th Operations Group
**** 188th Rescue Squadron – CV-22B Osprey, HC-130J Combat King II, HH-60G Pave Hawk
MC-130J Commando II, Fairchild C-26 Metroliner, RC-26B Condor and UH-1N Iroquois
*** 150th Maintenance Group
*** 150th Medical Group
*** 150th Mission Support Group
** Rapid Engineer Deployable Heavy Operational Repair Squadron Engineers, 210th RED HORSE Squadron
** 250th Intelligence Squadron
Direct Reporting Units (DRU)
*
Air Force Operational Test and Evaluation Center
Located at Kirtland Air Force Base, New Mexico, the Air Force Operational Test and Evaluation Center is a direct reporting unit of Headquarters, United States Air Force. It is the Air Force independent test agency responsible for testing, und ...
** Headquarters Air Force Operational Test and Evaluation Center
United States Army
United States Army Forces Command, US Army Forces Command
* 20th CBRNE Command
** 71st Ordnance Group (EOD), 71st Ordnance Group (Explosive Ordnance Disposal)
*** 242nd Ordnance Battalion (Explosive Ordnance Disposal)
**** 21st Explosive Ordnance Disposal Company (GSU)
United States Space Force
Space Systems Command
* Advanced Systems and Development Directorate
Department of Defense
United States Space Command
* Combined Force Space Component Command
** Joint Navigation Warfare Center
Department of the Air Force
Field Operating Agency, Field Operating Agencies
* Air Force Inspection Agency (AFIA)
** Headquarters Air Force Inspection Agency
* Air Force Safety Center (AFSC)
** Headquarters Air Force Safety Center
** Analysis and Cyberspace Operations Division
** Aviation Safety Division
** Human Factors Division
** Occupational Safety Division
** Office of the Staff Judge Advocate
** Personnel and Resource Division
** Public Affairs Division
** Space Safety Division
** Training and Force Development Division
** Weapons Safety Division
Missile Defense Agency
* Sensor & Laser Technology Program Office
Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA)
* DTRA Albuquerque
** Defense Nuclear Weapons School
** Defense Threat Reduction Information Analysis Center
Environmental contamination due to jet fuel spill
A jet fuel leak was discovered at Kirtland Air Force Base in 1999.
Suspected to have been leaking undetected for decades, an estimated 6 to 24 million gallons of fuel saturated the soil, posing a serious hazard to wells in the south valley connected to the municipal water supply.
Air Force Manual 85-16 required annual and five-year inspections of the Bulk Fuels Facility. The inspections were not performed for three decades. In 1985, a waiver was issued to not perform pipeline pressure testing. In 1992, leaking was discovered at the fuels facility pump house Bldg. 1033. In 1994, two waivers were issued: one for the annual pipeline testing and another for pressure testing. In 1999, another jet fuel leak was discovered from a broken 16-inch pipe.
It was later learned that the pipe had been leaking fuel undetected since 1953. The Air Force initially estimated that pipe leaked roughly between of jet fuel in that 46-year span. However, state environmental officials believe the number may be as high as , which could make the spill more than twice the size of the 1989 Exxon Valdez oil spill in Prince William Sound, Alaska. In 2007, 18 inches of fuel floated over the water table when a well was dug.
The escaped jet fuel is submerged 500 ft beneath the ground in the drinking water aquifer. As of 2010, a 6000 ft long plume of contaminants, the most dangerous chemical being ethylene dibromide (EDB), moved within 4000 ft towards the municipal wells that supply the city's drinking water. EDB causes liver and kidney disease and is a suspected human carcinogen.
In June 2014, the board of directors of Albuquerque's municipal water utility approved a resolution that "any amount of 1,2-Dibromoethane, ethylene dibromide, no matter how small, would be cause to shut down the affected well". It also called for the Air Force "to move more quickly in cleaning up the spill", as the slow progress has frustrated members of the community. The contaminated water plume could reach the nearest drinking water well in between five and 40 years, according to 2014 estimates.
However, as of January 2020, there had been no incidents of drinking water contamination, and no threats of future contamination.
Remediation
Several interim measures have already been completed including the removal of approximately 5000 tons of contaminated soil near the source of the leak and the removal of the equivalent of approximately 775,000 gallons of fuel through a combination of soil vapor extraction and bioslurping. In addition, the Air Force replaced the decades-old bulk fueling facility with a state-of-the-art fueling facility.
To mitigate any potential threats to the Albuquerque Bernalillo County Water Utility Authority Ridgecrest drinking water supply wells the Air Force implemented a groundwater pump and treat interim measure to collapse and treat the dissolved-phase ethylene dibromide (EDB) plume in the Target Capture Zone north of Ridgecrest Drive. This interim measure consists of four extraction wells and a groundwater treatment plant, which uses granular activated carbon to remove the EDB. As of January 2020, approximately 800 million gallons of groundwater have been successfully treated and approximately 91% of the EDB mass (approximately 122 grams) in the Target Capture Zone has been removed.
For more information, visit
Kirtland Air Force Base > Home > Environment > BFF
Education
Kirtland AFB is zoned to Albuquerque Public Schools.
Sandia Elementary School (Building # 21000) and Wherry Elementary School (Building #25000) are in the Kirtland AFB boundary while Kirtland Elementary School and Van Buren Junior High School are outside of the Kirtland AFB boundary.
Kirtland in popular culture
* Kirtland served as Bagram Air Base in the film ''Lone Survivor (film), Lone Survivor'' (2013).
* The RKO Radio Pictures film ''Bombardier (film), Bombardier'' (1943) was primarily filmed at the base.
* On the science-fiction television series ''The X-Files'', part of the episode "Space (The X-Files), Space" takes place on the base.
* This was mentioned in the film ''Contact (1997 American film), Contact'' (1997) as being the place where E-3 Sentry, AWACS planes originated from.
* The character Jane Margolis on the AMC television series ''Breaking Bad'' says in the episode "Phoenix" of Breaking Bad (season 2), season 2 that she draws tattoos for "college kids and airmen from Kirtland".
* Kirtland AFB becomes the temporary United States capital after a nuclear blast destroys Washington, D.C. and four other cities in Lee Boyland's "Clash of Civilizations" trilogy.
See also
* Kirtland AFB UFO sighting
* List of United States Air Force installations
* New Mexico World War II Army Airfields
Notes and references
Sources
* Much of this text in an early version of this article was taken from pages on th
Kirtland Air Force Base Website which as a work of the U.S. Government is presumed to be a public domain resource. That information was supplemented by:
* Maurer, Maurer (1983). ''Air Force Combat Units Of World War II''. Maxwell AFB, Alabama: Office of Air Force History. .
*
* Mueller, Robert (1989). ''Active Air Force Bases Within the United States of America on 17 September 1982''. USAF Reference Series, Maxwell AFB, Alabama: Office of Air Force History.
* Ravenstein, Charles A. (1984). ''Air Force Combat Wings Lineage and Honors Histories 1947–1977''. Maxwell AFB, Alabama: Office of Air Force History. .
* Shaw, Frederick J. (2004), ''Locating Air Force Base Sites, History’s Legacy'', Air Force History and Museums Program, United States Air Force, Washington DC.
External links
*
377th Force Support Squadron
{{authority control
Installations of the United States Air Force in New Mexico
Buildings and structures in Bernalillo County, New Mexico
Military in Albuquerque, New Mexico
Military installations established in 1947
Airports in New Mexico
Installations of the United States Air National Guard
Post-World War II aircraft storage facilities
Reconstruction Finance Corporation disposal facilities
Transportation in Bernalillo County, New Mexico
1942 establishments in New Mexico
Environmental disasters in the United States
World War II airfields in the United States
Military in New Mexico