Little Rock Air Force Base is a
United States Air Force
The United States Air Force (USAF) is the air service branch of the United States Armed Forces, and is one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Originally created on 1 August 1907, as a part of the United States Army Signal ...
base located approximately northeast of
Little Rock, Arkansas
(The Little Rock, The "Little Rock")
, government_type = council-manager government, Council-manager
, leader_title = List of mayors of Little Rock, Arkansas, Mayor
, leader_name = Frank Scott Jr.
, leader_ ...
.
Little Rock AFB is the primary
C-130 Hercules
The Lockheed C-130 Hercules is an American four-engine turboprop military transport aircraft designed and built by Lockheed Corporation, Lockheed (now Lockheed Martin). Capable of using unprepared runways for takeoffs and landings, the C-130 ...
training base for 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 ...
, training C-130 pilots, navigators, flight engineers, and loadmasters from all branches of the US military in tactical airlift and aerial delivery. It is home to
C-130H
The Lockheed C-130 Hercules is an American four-engine turboprop military transport aircraft designed and built by Lockheed (now Lockheed Martin). Capable of using unprepared runways for takeoffs and landings, the C-130 was originally desig ...
and
C-130J
The Lockheed Martin C-130J Super Hercules is a four-engine turboprop military transport aircraft. The C-130J is a comprehensive update of the Lockheed C-130 Hercules, with new engines, flight deck, and other systems.
The C-130J is the newest v ...
aircraft, as well as the C-130 Center of Excellence (i.e., schools for C-130H and C-130J crews).
The host unit at Little Rock AFB is the
19th Airlift Wing (19 AW), assigned to the
Air Mobility Command's 18th Air Force
Eighteenth Air Force (Air Forces Transportation) (18 AF) is the only Numbered Air Force (NAF) in Air Mobility Command (AMC) and one of the largest NAFs in the United States Air Force. 18 AF was activated on 28 March 1951, inactivated on 1 Janu ...
. The wing provides the Department of Defense the largest C-130 Hercules transport fleet in the world, supplying humanitarian airlift relief to victims of disasters, as well as airdropping supplies and troops into the heart of contingency operations in hostile areas.
Other organizations at Little Rock AFB include the
189th Airlift Wing of the
Arkansas Air National Guard
The Arkansas Air National Guard (AR ANG), commonly known as the Arkansas Air Guard, is the aerial militia of the State of Arkansas, United States of America. It is, along with the Arkansas Army National Guard, an element of the Arkansas National ...
, and the C-130 division of the U.S. Air Force Weapons School. All of these organizations fly the C-130 Hercules.
Little Rock Air Force Base is the fourth largest employer in the state of Arkansas, with a local economic impact of $813.6 million.
History
![Strategic Air Command B-47 Stratojets - 020903-o-9999r-001](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/2c/Strategic_Air_Command_B-47_Stratojets_-_020903-o-9999r-001.jpg)
Little Rock Air Force Base was authorized in 1953 and construction began on 6 November 1953.
The base opened on 24 January 1955 with 6,100 acres donated by landowners, valued at $1.2 million in 1952.
Communications and several storage buildings, JATO facility, ordnance igloos, track and loading platform were completed by 30 June 1955, and the base was opened to limited air traffic on 9 September 1955. The base headquarters facility was accepted 31 January 1956, and all runways and other operational concrete areas were completed by January 1957.
The base was officially activated by
Strategic Air Command
Strategic Air Command (SAC) was both a United States Department of Defense Specified Command and a United States Air Force (USAF) Major Command responsible for command and control of the strategic bomber and intercontinental ballistic missile ...
(SAC) on 1 August 1955, hosting SAC's
384th Bombardment Wing 384th may refer to:
* 384th Air Expeditionary Group, provisional United States Air Force unit assigned to the Air Combat Command
* 384th Air Expeditionary Wing, inactive unit of the United States Air Force
* 384th Air Refueling Squadron (384 ARS) i ...
(384 BW) flying the
Boeing B-47E 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 ...
, and the
70th Reconnaissance Wing
The 70th Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Wing (70th ISR Wing) is a United States Air Force unit assigned to the 16th Air Force. It is stationed at Fort George G. Meade, Maryland.
Known as "America's Cryptologic Wing", is the only A ...
(70 RW) flying the
RB-47 Stratojet
The Boeing B-47 Stratojet (Boeing company designation Model 450) is a retired American long-Range (aeronautics), range, six-engined, turbojet-powered strategic bomber designed to fly at high subsonic flight, subsonic speed and at high altitude ...
and
KC-97 Stratofreighter
The Boeing KC-97 Stratofreighter is a four-engined, piston-powered United States strategic tanker aircraft based on the Boeing C-97 Stratofreighter. It replaced the KB-29 and was succeeded by the Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker.
Design and developme ...
.
In 1960, the Air Force announced that Little Rock Air Force Base would house 18
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 ...
Intercontinental Ballistic Missile
An intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) is a ballistic missile with a range greater than , primarily designed for nuclear weapons delivery (delivering one or more thermonuclear warheads). Conventional, chemical, and biological weapons c ...
s located throughout the state of Arkansas. In 1961, the 70 RW was redesignated as the
70th Bombardment Wing (Medium) and converted to the B-47, but was inactivated the following year before being declared combat-ready.
In September 1962, the 154th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron of the
Arkansas Air National Guard
The Arkansas Air National Guard (AR ANG), commonly known as the Arkansas Air Guard, is the aerial militia of the State of Arkansas, United States of America. It is, along with the Arkansas Army National Guard, an element of the Arkansas National ...
relocated to Little Rock AFB and reorganized as the
189th Tactical Reconnaissance Group (189 TRG).
In October 1962, the 384th Bomb Wing deployed 11
Boeing 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 ...
aircraft to civilian municipal airports around the nation for dispersal alert purposes during the
Cuban Missile Crisis
The Cuban Missile Crisis, also known as the October Crisis (of 1962) ( es, Crisis de Octubre) in Cuba, the Caribbean Crisis () in Russia, or the Missile Scare, was a 35-day (16 October – 20 November 1962) confrontation between the United S ...
. Also in 1962, SAC established the
308th Strategic Missile Wing
3 (three) is a number, numeral and digit. It is the natural number following 2 and preceding 4, and is the smallest odd prime number and the only prime preceding a square number. It has religious or cultural significance in many societie ...
(308 SMW) as the host organization for Little Rock AFB's Titan II missile operations, with the first of the Titan II missiles installed at a site in
Searcy, Arkansas
Searcy ( ) is the largest city and county seat of White County, Arkansas, United States. According to 2019 Census Bureau estimates, the population of the city is 23,767. It is the principal city of the Searcy, AR Micropolitan Statistical Area ...
in February 1963.
In September 1964, the 384th Bomb Wing inactivated following the retirement of the B-47 from front-line service in SAC. That same year, SAC's
43d Bombardment Wing
The 43rd Airlift Wing is an inactive United States Air Force unit last stationed at Pope Field, part of Fort Bragg, North Carolina, where it was inactivated in March 2011. The wing performed en route operations support at Pope Field to include ...
transferred from
Carswell AFB
Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base Fort Worth (abbreviated NAS JRB Fort Worth) includes Carswell Field, a military airbase located west of the central business district of Fort Worth, in Tarrant County, Texas, United States. This military a ...
, Texas with its
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 ...
supersonic aircraft. The 43d Bomb Wing would continue to operate at Little Rock until the B-58s were withdrawn from operational service in January 1970.
In June 1965, Little Rock's 189 TRG became the first
Air National Guard
The Air National Guard (ANG), also known as the Air Guard, is a federal military reserve force of the United States Air Force, as well as the air militia of each U.S. state, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, and the ter ...
unit to operate the
RF-101 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 by December, had assumed the RF-101 Replacement Training Unit (RTU) mission for the entire Air Force. The same year, the base and associated flying units also participated in various relief efforts such as a tornado that ripped through
Conway, Arkansas
Conway is a city in the U.S. state of Arkansas and the county seat of Faulkner County, located in the state's most populous Metropolitan Statistical Area, Central Arkansas. Although considered a suburb of Little Rock, Conway is unusual in that ...
in April and
Hurricane Betsy
Hurricane Betsy was an intense and destructive tropical cyclone that brought widespread damage to areas of Florida and the central United States Gulf Coast in September 1965. The storm's erratic nature, coupled with its intensity and minim ...
in
Louisiana
Louisiana , group=pronunciation (French: ''La Louisiane'') is a state in the Deep South and South Central regions of the United States. It is the 20th-smallest by area and the 25th most populous of the 50 U.S. states. Louisiana is borde ...
in September.
In the 1970s the base went through significant changes, with the first
C-130 Hercules
The Lockheed C-130 Hercules is an American four-engine turboprop military transport aircraft designed and built by Lockheed Corporation, Lockheed (now Lockheed Martin). Capable of using unprepared runways for takeoffs and landings, the C-130 ...
aircraft arriving in March 1970.
On 31 March 1970, Little Rock Air Force Base officially transferred from SAC to
Tactical Air Command
Tactical Air Command (TAC) is an inactive United States Air Force organization. It was a Major Command of the United States Air Force, established on 21 March 1946 and headquartered at Langley Air Force Base, Virginia. It was inactivated on 1 J ...
(TAC), with TAC's
314th Tactical Airlift Wing (314 TAW) taking over host wing responsibilities.
Although SAC's 308 SMW and its
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 ...
ICBMs continued to be a major tenant, the base's primary mission became C-130 tactical airlift operations and training, with two operational C-130 squadrons assigned and two C-130 training squadrons assigned.
In 1974, following the divestiture of C-130 tactical airlift aircraft from TAC, both the 314 TAW and Little Rock AFB transferred from TAC control to that of the
Military Airlift Command
The Military Airlift Command (MAC) is an inactive United States Air Force major command (MAJCOM) that was headquartered at Scott Air Force Base, Illinois. Established on 1 January 1966, MAC was the primary strategic airlift organization of the ...
(MAC).
On 1 January 1976, the 189 TRG transferred being a TAC-gained unit to a SAC-gained unit when it converted to the
KC-135 Stratotanker
The Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker is an American military aerial refueling aircraft that was developed from the Boeing 367-80 prototype, alongside the Boeing 707 airliner. It is the predominant variant of the C-135 Stratolifter family of transpo ...
and was redesignated the 189th Air Refueling Group (189 ARG), becoming one of the first
Air National Guard
The Air National Guard (ANG), also known as the Air Guard, is a federal military reserve force of the United States Air Force, as well as the air militia of each U.S. state, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, and the ter ...
units to be assigned to
Strategic Air Command
Strategic Air Command (SAC) was both a United States Department of Defense Specified Command and a United States Air Force (USAF) Major Command responsible for command and control of the strategic bomber and intercontinental ballistic missile ...
with a concomitant requirement to maintain a 24-hour alert force at Little Rock as well as deployments to support worldwide tanker task forces.
Damascus incident
On 18 September 1980, an airman conducting maintenance on a USAF
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 ...
missile at Little Rock Air Force Base's
Launch Complex 374-7 in Southside (Van Buren County), just north of
Damascus, Arkansas
Damascus is a town in Faulkner and Van Buren counties of central Arkansas, United States. The population of Damascus was 382 at the 2010 census.
History
Damascus is a town located in the Oark foothills on a platea surrounded by clear streams al ...
, dropped a
socket
Socket may refer to:
Mechanics
* Socket wrench, a type of wrench that uses separate, removable sockets to fit different sizes of nuts and bolts
* Socket head screw, a screw (or bolt) with a cylindrical head containing a socket into which the hexag ...
which fell impacting the rocket's first stage fuel tank resulting in a leak.
In response, evacuations were made in the area.
The leaking fuel exploded on 19 September.
The force of the blast resulted in the
W53
The Mk/B53 was a high-yield bunker buster thermonuclear weapon developed by the United States during the Cold War. Deployed on Strategic Air Command bombers, the B53, with a yield of 9 megatons, was the most powerful weapon in the U.S. nucle ...
nuclear warhead being hurled about from the launch complex's entry gate; its safety features operated correctly and prevented any loss of radioactive material.
An Air Force airman was killed and the launch complex was destroyed.
Recent years
On 1 October 1986, the 189 ARG saw yet another mission change when it was redesignated as the 189th Tactical Airlift Group (189 TAG) and converted to the C-130 aircraft, with transfer of operational claimancy to MAC.
![Little-rock-afb-main-gate](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/72/Little-rock-afb-main-gate.jpg)
During the 1991
Gulf War
The Gulf War was a 1990–1991 armed campaign waged by a 35-country military coalition in response to the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait. Spearheaded by the United States, the coalition's efforts against Iraq were carried out in two key phases: ...
, the 314 TAW's two operational C-130 squadrons and the 189 TAG's C-130 squadron supported operations from both the middle east and European theaters. Later that year, the 314th Tactical Airlift Wing was redesignated as the
314th Airlift Wing
The 314th Airlift Wing (314 AW) is a wing of the United States Air Force based at Little Rock Air Force Base in Little Rock, Arkansas. Its mission is to carry out Lockheed C-130 Hercules combat airlift training.
The wing was activated in Novem ...
(314 AW), and following the disestablishment of MAC in 1992, the base and the 314 AW were transferred to the new
Air Mobility Command
Air Mobility Command (AMC) is a major command (MAJCOM) of the U.S. Air Force. It is headquartered at Scott Air Force Base, Illinois, east of St. Louis, Missouri.
Air Mobility Command was established on 1 June 1992, and was formed from elements ...
(AMC). The 189 TAG was also redesignated as the 189th Airlift Group (189 AG) the same year, followed by redesignation as the
189th Airlift Wing (189 AW) in 1995.
In 1993, the base and the 314 AW transferred to
Air Combat Command (ACC), as part the U.S. Air Force's decision to transfer continental U.S.-based C-130s from AMC to ACC. In 1997, the U.S. Air Force reversed this decision, returning most C-130 airlift back to AMC claimancy. However, given the 314 AW's primary training mission as the Formal Training Unit (FTU) for C-130s, the base and the 314 AW were transferred to the
Air Education and Training Command
Air Education and Training Command (AETC) is one of the nine Major Commands (MAJCOM) of the United States Air Force (USAF), reporting to Headquarters, United States Air Force. It was established 1 July 1993, with the realignment of Air Training ...
(
AETC), and the base's two operational Regular Air Force C-130 squadrons were organized under the
463d Airlift Group, an AMC unit.
From the mid-1990s to the late 1990s, the 314 AW and the 463 AG supported the air war over Serbia and since the
September 11, 2001 attacks
The September 11 attacks, commonly known as 9/11, were four coordinated suicide terrorist attacks carried out by al-Qaeda against the United States on Tuesday, September 11, 2001. That morning, nineteen terrorists hijacked four commercial ...
, the 463 AG has supported both
Operation Enduring Freedom
Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) was the official name used synonymously by the U.S. government for both the War in Afghanistan (2001–2014) and the larger-scale Global War on Terrorism. On 7 October 2001, in response to the September 11 at ...
and
Operation Iraqi Freedom
{{Infobox military conflict
, conflict = Iraq War {{Nobold, {{lang, ar, حرب العراق (Arabic) {{Nobold, {{lang, ku, شەڕی عێراق (Kurdish languages, Kurdish)
, partof = the Iraq conflict (2003–present), I ...
until the 463 AG was inactivated on 1 October 2008.
![littlerockafb](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/44/Littlerockafb.jpg)
In its 50-year history, Little Rock Air Force Base has been operated by six Air Force Major Commands (MAJCOMs): SAC, TAC, MAC, AMC, ACC, and AETC.
These represent every possible MAJCOM a continental U.S.-based operational flying base could have been assigned to except for the former
Air Defense Command
Aerospace Defense Command was a major command (military formation), command of the United States Air Force, responsible for continental air defense. It was activated in 1968 and disbanded in 1980. Its predecessor, Air Defense Command, was est ...
/
Aerospace Defense Command
Aerospace Defense Command was a major command of the United States Air Force, responsible for continental air defense. It was activated in 1968 and disbanded in 1980. Its predecessor, Air Defense Command, was established in 1946, briefly inac ...
(ADC),
Air Force Systems Command
The Air Force Systems Command (AFSC) is an inactive United States Air Force Major Command. It was established in April 1951, being split off from Air Materiel Command. The mission of AFSC was Research and Development for new weapons systems.
Ove ...
(AFSC), and the current
Air Force Global Strike Command
Air Force Global Strike Command (AFGSC) is a Major Command (MAJCOM) of the United States Air Force, headquartered at Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana. AFGSC provides combat-ready forces to conduct strategic nuclear deterrence and global stri ...
(AFGSC).
In 2012, First Lady
Michelle Obama
Michelle LaVaughn Robinson Obama (born January 17, 1964) is an American attorney and author who served as first lady of the United States from 2009 to 2017. She was the first African-American woman to serve in this position. She is married t ...
visited the Little Rock base to mark the second anniversary of the
Let's Move initiative.
Major commands to which assigned
*
Strategic Air Command
Strategic Air Command (SAC) was both a United States Department of Defense Specified Command and a United States Air Force (USAF) Major Command responsible for command and control of the strategic bomber and intercontinental ballistic missile ...
, 1 February 1955
*
Tactical Air Command
Tactical Air Command (TAC) is an inactive United States Air Force organization. It was a Major Command of the United States Air Force, established on 21 March 1946 and headquartered at Langley Air Force Base, Virginia. It was inactivated on 1 J ...
, 1 April 1970
*
Military Airlift Command
The Military Airlift Command (MAC) is an inactive United States Air Force major command (MAJCOM) that was headquartered at Scott Air Force Base, Illinois. Established on 1 January 1966, MAC was the primary strategic airlift organization of the ...
, 1 December 1974
*
Air Mobility Command
Air Mobility Command (AMC) is a major command (MAJCOM) of the U.S. Air Force. It is headquartered at Scott Air Force Base, Illinois, east of St. Louis, Missouri.
Air Mobility Command was established on 1 June 1992, and was formed from elements ...
, 1 June 1992 – 1 July 1993; 1 April 1997 – present
: Attached to:
Air Education and Training Command
Air Education and Training Command (AETC) is one of the nine Major Commands (MAJCOM) of the United States Air Force (USAF), reporting to Headquarters, United States Air Force. It was established 1 July 1993, with the realignment of Air Training ...
, 1 April 1997 – present
*
Air Combat Command
Air Combat Command (ACC) is one of nine Major Commands (MAJCOMs) in the United States Air Force, reporting to Headquarters, United States Air Force (HAF) at the Pentagon. It is the primary provider of air combat forces for the Air Force, and i ...
, 1 July 1993 – 1 April 1997
Major units assigned
* 70th Strategic Reconnaissance Wing, 24 January 1955 – 25 October 1961
: Redesignated:
70th Bombardment Wing
The SCC68070 is a Philips Semiconductors-branded, Motorola 68000-based 16/32-bit processor produced under license. While marketed externally as a high-performance microcontroller, it has been almost exclusively used combined with the Philips SC ...
, 25 October 1961 – 25 June 1962
*
384th Bombardment Wing 384th may refer to:
* 384th Air Expeditionary Group, provisional United States Air Force unit assigned to the Air Combat Command
* 384th Air Expeditionary Wing, inactive unit of the United States Air Force
* 384th Air Refueling Squadron (384 ARS) i ...
, 1 August 1955 – 1 September 1965
*
825th Air Division
8 (eight) is the natural number following 7 and preceding 9.
In mathematics
8 is:
* a composite number, its proper divisors being , , and . It is twice 4 or four times 2.
* a power of two, being 2 (two cubed), and is the first number of t ...
, 1 August 1955 – 1 June 1962
: Redesignated: 825 Strategic Aerospace Division, 1 June 1962 – 1 April 1970
*
308th Strategic Missile Wing
3 (three) is a number, numeral and digit. It is the natural number following 2 and preceding 4, and is the smallest odd prime number and the only prime preceding a square number. It has religious or cultural significance in many societie ...
, 1 April 1962 – 18 August 1987
*
189th Airlift Wing (various designations), 1 October 1962 – present
*
43d Bombardment Wing
The 43rd Airlift Wing is an inactive United States Air Force unit last stationed at Pope Field, part of Fort Bragg, North Carolina, where it was inactivated in March 2011. The wing performed en route operations support at Pope Field to include ...
, 1 September 1964 – 31 January 1970
*
64th Tactical Airlift Wing, 9 March 1970 – 30 May 1971
*
314th Tactical Airlift Wing, 1 April 1971 – 1974
: Redesignated: 314th Military Airlift Wing, 1974 – 1991
: Redesignated: 314th Airlift Wing, 1991 – present
*
834th Airlift Division, 1 January 1972 – 31 December 1974
* 34th Tactical Airlift Training Group, 15 September 1978 – 1 December 1991
*
463d Airlift Group, 1 April 1997 – 1 October 2008
*
United States Air Force Mobility Weapons School, 3 February 2003 – present
*
19th Airlift Wing, 1 October 2008 – present
*
913th Airlift Group
The 913th Airlift Group is a United States Air Force Reserve unit. It is assigned to 22d Air Force and is stationed at Little Rock Air Force Base, Arkansas. It was activated 13 July 2014.
Mission
The 913th Airlift Group trains and equips Ai ...
, 13 July 2014 – present
[Mueller, Robert (1989). Volume 1: Active Air Force Bases Within the United States of America on 17 September 1982. USAF Reference Series, Office of Air Force History, United States Air Force, Washington, D.C. , ]
Aircraft assigned (Strategic Air Command)
*
Boeing 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 ...
(bomber)
*
Convair 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 ...
(supersonic bomber)
*
Boeing KC-97 Stratofreighter
The Boeing KC-97 Stratofreighter is a four-engined, piston-powered United States strategic tanker aircraft based on the Boeing C-97 Stratofreighter. It replaced the KB-29 and was succeeded by the Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker.
Design and developm ...
(aerial refueling aircraft)
*
Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker
The Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker is an American military aerial refueling aircraft that was developed from the Boeing 367-80 prototype, alongside the Boeing 707 airliner. It is the predominant variant of the C-135 Stratolifter family of transpor ...
(aerial refueling aircraft)
Role and operations
![Little-rock-afb-19aw-headquarters](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e9/Little-rock-afb-19aw-headquarters.jpg)
Little Rock Air Force Base is the home of the
19th Airlift Wing, the host unit. There are also two major associate units located here, the 314th Airlift Wing reports to Air Education and Training Command, and the C-130 division of the U.S. Air Force Weapons School reports to Air Combat Command. Additionally, the 189th Airlift Wing of the Arkansas Air National Guard is located here. The 189th AW also reports to Air Education and Training Command.
19th Airlift Wing
*
19th Operations Group
: Provides and sustains combatant commands with precise and responsive theater combat aerial delivery. The group trains and develops Airmen to lead the Air Force and innovates and shapes future combat aerial delivery options. The 19th Operations Group is composed of two flying squadrons—the 41st and 61st Airlift Squadrons. The 41st is the Air Force's first active-duty combat-ready C-130J squadron. These squadrons are operational and deploy throughout the world.
* 19th Mission Support Group
: The 19th Mission Support Group encompasses the support and logistic functions for the base. The group includes contracting, civil engineer, communications, security forces, force support and the logistic readiness squadrons.
* 19th Maintenance Group
: Deploys and trains C-130 maintainers and aircraft. The 19th Maintenance Group’s goal in completing that mission are to deploy mission-ready combat airlifters, support AETC’s training mission with maintenance, generate maintained C-130s in order to execute combat airlift, support AMC partners with T-56 engines and develop C-130 Isochronal Inspection process.
* 19th Medical Group
: The 19th Medical Group offers family practice, pediatrics and flight medicine clinics that will provide the bulk of care. The 19th Medical Group also has women's health, physical therapy, optometry, life skills, and dental clinics along with a full array of diagnostic services and prevention programs. For specialty medical services not available in the immediate medical facility, the 19th have partnered with doctors and hospitals in the area.
*
314th Airlift Wing
The 314th Airlift Wing (314 AW) is a wing of the United States Air Force based at Little Rock Air Force Base in Little Rock, Arkansas. Its mission is to carry out Lockheed C-130 Hercules combat airlift training.
The wing was activated in Novem ...
: Directly reporting to
Nineteenth Air Force
The Nineteenth Air Force (19 AF) is an active Numbered Air Force of the United States Air Force. During the Cold War it was a component of Tactical Air Command, with a mission of command and control over deployed USAF forces in support of Unit ...
at
Randolph Air Force Base
Randolph Air Force Base was an United States Air Force base located at Universal City, Texas ( east-northeast of Downtown San Antonio).
Opened in 1931, Randolph has been a flying training facility for the United States Army Air Corps, the Uni ...
,
Texas
Texas (, ; Spanish language, Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2 ...
, the 314th Airlift Wing is composed of one C-130 flying squadron—the 62nd Airlift Squadron. It is the premier C-130 training base in the Department of Defense, training C-130 crew members from all branches of the service and the U.S. Coast Guard.
*
314th Operations Group
: The 314th Operations Group is a united team of diverse professionals providing the best training, airpower support and functional expertise for the 314th Airlift Wing mission through personal commitment to excellence. The 314th Operations Group mission is to train world-class, combat capable aircrews to sustain global airlift operations. The 314th Operations Group vision is to develop combat leaders of all ranks, support the warfighter, and develop world's premier C-130 and C-21 centers of excellence.
* 314th Maintenance Group
: The 314th Maintenance Group provides direct support for the wing's primary mission forces, an AMC operational group and the Mobility Weapons School. The group’s mission includes direct sortie production, aircraft equipment support, aircraft preventive maintenance and inspections, component repair, maintenance training, and health of the fleet management. The group mission statement is: "Supporting the United States Air Force and worldwide C-130 community by providing the highest quality aircraft maintenance for aircrew initial qualification and continuation training." The group is composed of a command staff element and two reporting squadrons; 314th Maintenance Operations Squadron and 314th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron.
Air National Guard and Air Reserve operations
*
189th Airlift Wing (Arkansas ANG)
: The Arkansas Air National Guard's 189th Airlift Wing is located on Little Rock Air Force Base and is aligned in the standard combat wing organization with the 189th AW headquarters staff, 189th Operations Group, 189th Maintenance Group, 189th Mission Support Group and the 189th Medical Group. The wing provides support to five geographically separated units: the Arkansas Air National Guard headquarters, the 123rd Intelligence Squadron and the 154th Weather Flight on Little Rock AFB, the 223rd Combat Communications Squadron in Hot Springs, Arkansas, and the National Guard Marksmanship Training Center at
Camp Joseph T. Robinson in North Little Rock, Arkansas.
*
913th Airlift Group
The 913th Airlift Group is a United States Air Force Reserve unit. It is assigned to 22d Air Force and is stationed at Little Rock Air Force Base, Arkansas. It was activated 13 July 2014.
Mission
The 913th Airlift Group trains and equips Ai ...
(Air Force Reserve Command)
: The 913th Airlift Group is part of the 22nd Air Force, Air Force Reserve Command. The group began as the 22nd Air Force Detachment 1, activated October 2010. The detachment was re-designated the 913th Airlift Group on July 13, 2014. The group provides C-130J combat airlift capability on a world-wide scale, becoming a Reserve associate of the 19th Airlift Wing, Little Rock AFB, Ark., in December 2015. The mission of the 913th is to "Train, ready and support the world's best warrior airman to project dominant and globally responsive tactical airlift." In addition, the 913th Airlift Group has extensive global reach capabilities, capable of an array of operational missions.
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96th APS (Air Force Reserve Command)
: Little Rock Air Force Base is also home to the 96th Aerial Port Squadron also known as the "Combat Hogs", assigned to the 913th Airlift Group. Established in 1975, the 142 authorized personnel are one of the most recognized Aerial port squadrons in AFRC (Air Force Reserve Command). The 96th augments the 19th yearly to fill vacancies due to their AEF (Aerospace Expeditionary Force) commitments. The mission of the aerial port is to provide Citizen Airmen to defend the United States and protect its interests through air space and power and to prepare qualified individuals to deploy and perform Aerial Port Operations anywhere, at any time in support of Air Force global airlift operations.
Based units
Flying and notable non-flying units based at Little Rock Air Force Base.
Units marked GSU are
Geographically Separate Unit
In the United States military a Geographically Separate Unit (GSU) is a base that is physically separate from, yet not autonomous of its "parent" base. GSUs are "owned" by their parent organization and are typically quite small.
Assignment to a ...
s, which, although based at Little Rock, are subordinate to a parent unit based at another location.
United States Air Force
Air Mobility Command
Air Mobility Command (AMC) is a major command (MAJCOM) of the U.S. Air Force. It is headquartered at Scott Air Force Base, Illinois, east of St. Louis, Missouri.
Air Mobility Command was established on 1 June 1992, and was formed from elements ...
(AMC)
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Eighteenth Air Force
Eighteenth Air Force (Air Forces Transportation) (18 AF) is the only Numbered Air Force (NAF) in Air Mobility Command (AMC) and one of the largest NAFs in the United States Air Force. 18 AF was activated on 28 March 1951, inactivated on 1 Janu ...
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19th Airlift Wing (host wing)
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19th Operations Group
**** 19th Operations Support Squadron
**** 34th Combat Training Squadron
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41st Airlift Squadron –
C-130J Super Hercules
The Lockheed Martin C-130J Super Hercules is a four-engine turboprop military transport aircraft. The C-130J is a comprehensive update of the Lockheed C-130 Hercules, with new engines, flight deck, and other systems.
The C-130J is the newest v ...
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61st Airlift Squadron – C-130J Super Hercules
*** 19th Maintenance Group
*** 19th Medical Group
**** 19th Aeromedical Dental Squadron
**** 19th Aerospace Medicine Squadron
**** 19th Medical Operations Squadron
*** 19th Mission Support Group
Air Force Reserve Command
The Air Force Reserve Command (AFRC) is a major command (MAJCOM) of the United States Air Force, with its headquarters at Robins Air Force Base, Georgia. It is the federal Air Reserve Component (ARC) of the U.S. Air Force, consisting of commiss ...
(AFRC)
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Twenty-Second Air Force
Twenty-Second Air Force (22 AF) is a Numbered Air Force component of Air Force Reserve Command (AFRC). It was activated on 1 July 1993 and is headquartered at Dobbins Air Reserve Base, Georgia.
In the event of mobilization, some of the Twenty- ...
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913th Airlift Group
The 913th Airlift Group is a United States Air Force Reserve unit. It is assigned to 22d Air Force and is stationed at Little Rock Air Force Base, Arkansas. It was activated 13 July 2014.
Mission
The 913th Airlift Group trains and equips Ai ...
*** 96th Aerial Port Squadron
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327th Airlift Squadron
The 327th Airlift Squadron (327 AS) is a United States Air Force Reserve squadron, assigned to the 913th Airlift Group at Little Rock Air Force Base, Arkansas. It operates C-130J aircraft supporting the United States Air Force global reach mis ...
– C-130J Super Hercules
*** 913th Aerospace Medical Squadron
*** 913th Force Support Squadron
*** 913th Maintenance Squadron
*** 913th Operations Support Squadron
Air National Guard
The Air National Guard (ANG), also known as the Air Guard, is a federal military reserve force of the United States Air Force, as well as the air militia of each U.S. state, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, and the ter ...
(ANG)
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Arkansas Air National Guard
The Arkansas Air National Guard (AR ANG), commonly known as the Arkansas Air Guard, is the aerial militia of the State of Arkansas, United States of America. It is, along with the Arkansas Army National Guard, an element of the Arkansas National ...
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189th Airlift Wing
*** 189th Operations Group
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154th Training Squadron –
C-130H Hercules
The Lockheed C-130 Hercules is an American four-engine turboprop military transport aircraft designed and built by Lockheed (now Lockheed Martin). Capable of using unprepared runways for takeoffs and landings, the C-130 was originally desig ...
*** 189th Maintenance Group
*** 189th Medical Group
*** 189th Mission Support Group
Air Education and Training Command
Air Education and Training Command (AETC) is one of the nine Major Commands (MAJCOM) of the United States Air Force (USAF), reporting to Headquarters, United States Air Force. It was established 1 July 1993, with the realignment of Air Training ...
(AETC)
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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 defended ...
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82nd Training Wing
The 82d Training Wing, sometimes written as 82nd Training Wing, (82 TRW) is a United States Air Force unit assigned to the Air Education and Training Command, Second Air Force. It is stationed at Sheppard Air Force Base, Texas where it is also t ...
*** 982nd Training Group
**** 373rd Training Squadron
***** Detachment 4 (GSU)
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Nineteenth Air Force
The Nineteenth Air Force (19 AF) is an active Numbered Air Force of the United States Air Force. During the Cold War it was a component of Tactical Air Command, with a mission of command and control over deployed USAF forces in support of Unit ...
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314th Airlift Wing
The 314th Airlift Wing (314 AW) is a wing of the United States Air Force based at Little Rock Air Force Base in Little Rock, Arkansas. Its mission is to carry out Lockheed C-130 Hercules combat airlift training.
The wing was activated in Novem ...
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314th Operations Group
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62nd Airlift Squadron – C-130J Super Hercules
**** 714th Training Squadron
*** 314th Maintenance Group
**** 314th Maintenance Squadron
**** 314th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron
**** 314th Maintenance Operations Squadron
*** 314th Mission Support Group
**** 314th Civil Engineer Squadron
**** 314th Communications Squadron
**** 314th Contracting Squadron
**** 314th Logistics Readiness Squadron
**** 314th Mission Support Squadron
**** 314th Security Forces Squadron
**** 314th Services Squadron
*** 314th Medical Group
**** 314th Medical Operations Squadron
**** 314th Medical Support Squadron
Air Combat Command
Air Combat Command (ACC) is one of nine Major Commands (MAJCOMs) in the United States Air Force, reporting to Headquarters, United States Air Force (HAF) at the Pentagon. It is the primary provider of air combat forces for the Air Force, and i ...
(ACC)
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US Air Force Warfare Center
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57th Wing
The 57th Wing (57 WG) is an operational unit of the United States Air Force (USAF) Warfare Center, stationed at Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada.
The 57 WG's mission is to provide well trained and well equipped combat forces ready to deploy ...
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USAF Weapons School
The USAF Weapons School is a unit of the United States Air Force and United States Space Force, assigned to the 57th Wing and Space Delta 1. It is located at Nellis AFB, Nevada.
Mission
The mission of the USAF Weapons School is to teach gradu ...
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29th Weapons Squadron
The 29th Weapons Squadron is a United States Air Force unit, stationed at Little Rock Air Force Base, Arkansas. It is assigned to the USAF Weapons School at Nellis Air Force Base. The mission of the squadron is to provide advanced Lockheed C-1 ...
(GSU) – C-130H Hercules and C-130J Super Hercules
See also
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List of United States Air Force installations
This is a list of installations operated by the United States Air Force located within the United States and abroad. Locations where the Air Force have a notable presence but do not operate the facility are also listed.
Background
The locatio ...
References
Bibliography
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* Maurer, Maurer. ''Air Force Combat Units of World War II''. Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office 1961 (republished 1983, Office of Air Force History, ).
* Ravenstein, Charles A. ''Air Force Combat Wings Lineage and Honors Histories 1947–1977''.
Maxwell Air Force Base
Maxwell Air Force Base , officially known as Maxwell-Gunter Air Force Base, is a United States Air Force (USAF) installation under the Air Education and Training Command (AETC). The installation is located in Montgomery, Alabama, United States. O ...
,
Alabama
(We dare defend our rights)
, anthem = "Alabama (state song), Alabama"
, image_map = Alabama in United States.svg
, seat = Montgomery, Alabama, Montgomery
, LargestCity = Huntsville, Alabama, Huntsville
, LargestCounty = Baldwin County, Al ...
: Office of Air Force History 1984. .
* Mueller, Robert, ''Air Force Bases Volume I, Active Air Force Bases Within the United States of America on 17 September 1982'', Office of Air Force History, 1989
Brief History of Little Rock Air Force Base(source of history)
Further reading
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External links
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{{Authority control
Installations of the United States Air Force in Arkansas
Airports in Arkansas
Installations of the United States Air National Guard
Installations of Strategic Air Command
Transportation in Pulaski County, Arkansas
Buildings and structures in Pulaski County, Arkansas
1955 establishments in Arkansas