Scott 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 in
St. Clair County, Illinois, near
Belleville and
O'Fallon, east-southeast of downtown
St. Louis
St. Louis () is the second-largest city in Missouri, United States. It sits near the confluence of the Mississippi and the Missouri Rivers. In 2020, the city proper had a population of 301,578, while the bi-state metropolitan area, which e ...
. Scott Field was
one of thirty-two Air Service training camps established after the United States entered World War I in April 1917. It is headquarters of
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), and is also the headquarters of the
U.S. Transportation Command
The United States Transportation Command (USTRANSCOM) is one of eleven unified combatant commands of the United States Department of Defense. The command is located at Scott Air Force Base, Illinois, and was established in 1987.
The USTRANSCO ...
, a
Unified Combatant Command
A unified combatant command (CCMD), also referred to as a combatant command, is a joint military command of the United States Department of Defense that is composed of units from two or more service branches of the United States Armed Forces, an ...
that coordinates transportation across all the services.
The base is operated by the
375th Air Mobility Wing (375 AMW) and is also home to the
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 ...
's
932d Airlift Wing
The 932nd Airlift Wing is an Air Force Reserve Command flying unit. It is assigned to the Twenty-Second Air Force, Air Force Reserve Command, stationed at Scott Air Force Base, Illinois.
Mission
The unit's C-40C aircraft provide first-class, w ...
(932 AW) and the Illinois
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 ...
's
126th Air Refueling Wing (126 ARW), the latter two units being operationally gained by AMC.
The base currently employs 13,000 people, 5,100 civilians with 5,500 active-duty Air Force, and an additional 2,400 Air National Guard and Reserve personnel. It was announced in June 2014 that two new cybersecurity squadrons will be added to the three currently on base.
Its airfield is also used by civilian aircraft, with civilian operations at the base referring to the facility as
MidAmerica St. Louis Airport. MidAmerica has operated as a Joint Use Airport since beginning operations in November 1997.
Allegiant Air
Allegiant Air (usually shortened to Allegiant) is an ultra low-cost U.S. carrier that operates scheduled and charter flights. It is a major air carrier, the fourteenth-largest commercial airline in North America.
Allegiant was founded in 1 ...
, the only commercial airline with scheduled flights at the airport, pulled out of the airport on January 3, 2009,
[St. Louis Post-Dispatch]
MidAmerica Wings it Without Allegiant Air
1/7/2009. Retrieved 1/30/2009. but now has multiple nonstop destinations.
History
World War I
During World War I, Secretary of War
Newton Baker
Newton Diehl Baker Jr. (December 3, 1871 – December 25, 1937) was an American lawyer, Georgist,Noble, Ransom E. "Henry George and the Progressive Movement." The American Journal of Economics and Sociology, vol. 8, no. 3, 1949, pp. 259–269. w ...
advocated an expanded role for aviation. Business and political leaders on both sides of the
Mississippi River
The Mississippi River is the second-longest river and chief river of the second-largest drainage system in North America, second only to the Hudson Bay drainage system. From its traditional source of Lake Itasca in northern Minnesota, it f ...
wanted the Midwest to be chosen as a site for one of the new "flying fields." Aerial expert
Albert Bond Lambert
Albert Bond Lambert (December 6, 1875 – November 12, 1946) was an American golfer who competed in the 1900 Summer Olympics and in the 1904 Summer Olympics. He was also a prominent St. Louis aviator and benefactor of aviation.
Early life
He ...
joined the St. Louis Chamber of Commerce and directors of the Greater Belleville Board of Trade to negotiate a lease agreement for nearly 624 acres of land.
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 ...
Scott Air Force Base History
. Accessed December 10, 2006.
After inspecting several sites, the U.S. War Department agreed to the lease June 14, 1917. Congress appropriated $10 million for its construction, and 2,000 laborers and carpenters were immediately put to work. The layout of Scott Field was typical of aviation fields built during World War I. Construction began in June 1917. The government gave the Unit Construction Company 60 days to erect approximately 60 buildings, lay a mile-long railroad spur, and to level off an airfield with a 1,600 foot landing circle. Construction was underway when the government announced, on July 20, 1917, that it would name the new field after Corporal
Frank S. Scott, the first enlisted service member killed in an aviation crash.
Scott had died after an unexpected engine failure had brought down the aircraft that Lieutenant Lewis Rockwell had been giving him an orientation flight in at College Park, Maryland, on September 28, 1912.
Scott Field began as an aviation-training field for World War I pilots in August 1917 when the
11th and
21st Aero Squadrons from
Kelly Field
Kelly Field (formerly Kelly Air Force Base) is a Joint-Use facility located in San Antonio, Texas. It was originally named after George E. M. Kelly, the first member of the U.S. military killed in the crash of an airplane he was piloting.
In ...
, Texas, arrived. Construction was completed in August, and the first flight from Scott Field occurred 2 September 1917. Flying instruction began 11 September 1917. Later the
85th and
86th Aero Squadrons arrived, and more than 300 pilots and many ground units were trained for service by the war's end in 1918.
Training units assigned to Scott Field were:
[Order of Battle of the United States Land Forces in the First World War, Volume 3, Part 3, Center of Military History, United States Army, 1949 (1988 Reprint)]
* Post Headquarters, Scott Field – October 1919
* 114th Aero Squadron, February 1918
: Re-designated as Squadron "A", July–November 1918
* 221st Aero Squadron, December 1917
: Re-designated as Squadron "B", July–November 1918
* 242d Aero Squadron (II), April 1918
: Re-designated as Squadron "C", July–November 1918
* Squadron "D", July–November 1918
* Flying School Detachment (Consolidation of Squadrons A–D), November 1918 – November 1919
By 2 September, William Couch, a civilian flying instructor, and Scott Field Commander, Major George E. A. Reinburg, made the first flight from Scott Field in a
Standard J-1
The Standard J is a two-seat basic trainer two-bay biplane produced in the United States from 1916 to 1918, powered by a four-cylinder inline Hall-Scott A-7a engine. It was constructed from wood with wire bracing and fabric covering. The J-1 ...
two-seater biplane. At least seven J-1s were already on Scott; by the time the first
Curtiss JN-4
The Curtiss JN "Jenny" was a series of biplanes built by the Curtiss Aeroplane Company of Hammondsport, New York, later the Curtiss Aeroplane and Motor Company. Although the Curtiss JN series was originally produced as a training aircraft for th ...
D "Jenny" arrived. Operable from the front or rear seat, the 8-cylinder, 90- horsepower, Jenny would become the primary trainer used on Scott Field.
Everything moved fast in a wartime environment, including the dangerous act of learning to fly airplanes. A judgment error or weather shift could produce severe accidents in the fragile aircraft of the day, so it soon became apparent that Scott Field needed a medical air evacuation capability.
![Scott Field JN-4 Ambulance](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/43/Scott_Field_JN-4_Ambulance.jpg)
Determined to improve the recovery of Scott's downed pilots, Captains Charles Bayless (post surgeon), Early Hoag (officer-in-charge of flying) and A.J. Etheridge (post engineer), along with Second Lieutenant Seth Thomas, designed two air ambulances, or hospital planes—using a configuration likely modeled after one in use at
Gerstner Field
Gerstner Field is a former World War I military airfield, located southeast of Lake Charles, Louisiana. It operated as a training field for the Air Service, United States Army between 1917 until 1919. The airfield was one of thirty-two Air Se ...
, Louisiana. By the summer of 1918, Scott Field's engineering department had completed the rear cockpit modifications needed to convert two Jennies. Not long thereafter, on 24 August 1918, as aviator with a broken leg became Scott's first air evacuated patient.
Also reassuring was the support Scott Field enjoyed from the local community. Plenty of curious sightseers came just to watch the construction or catch a glimpse of airplane activity, but many from the local community also gave morale support to their "Sammies" (Uncle Sam's boys). They hosted dances and receptions, established a library branch on the field, and invited soldiers into their homes for Thanksgiving dinners. Likewise, Scott Field hosted sporting events with their community neighbors. On 17 August 1918, they invited the public to attend a field meet and flight exhibition—Scott's first air show.
Flying was discontinued at Scott Field after the war and the base population dropped. The War Department purchased Scott Field in 1919 for $119, 285.84
Inter-War period
![Scott Field - 1930](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/67/Scott_Field_-_1930.jpg)
Scott Field's future became uncertain after the 11 November 1918 armistice with Germany and the end of World War I. Large scale demobilization closed many U.S. airfields. Scott's remaining units were organized into a Flying School Detachment, and the field itself was designated as a storage site for demobilized equipment. Welcome news came early in 1919, with the War Department's announcement of its decision to purchase Scott Field, a decision influenced by Scott's central location and exceptional purchase price of $119,285.84. This gave Scott a promise of a future; however, it still lacked a mission.
Scott was transformed into a lighter-than-air (LTA) station in 1921, with the transfer of the Army Balloon and Airship School from
Brooks Field, Texas. Lighter-than-air ships were used at Scott Field to research the capabilities of aerial photography, meteorology and conduct altitude experiments. The most notable addition was the new airship hangar. Constructed between September 1921 and January 1923, it was three blocks long, nearly one block wide and 15 stories high. One report commented that 100,000 men—nearly the entire U.S. Army in 1923—could have stood in formation inside it. Scott's hangar was second in size only to the naval station hangar in
Lakehurst, New Jersey, the largest one in the world at the time.
The base also had
hydrogen
Hydrogen is the chemical element with the symbol H and atomic number 1. Hydrogen is the lightest element. At standard conditions hydrogen is a gas of diatomic molecules having the formula . It is colorless, odorless, tasteless, non-toxic, an ...
production facilities, which were enhanced significantly around 1923.
Consistent with the transformation of the facility, Major John A. Paegelow was selected as commanding officer of the facility in 1923, succeeding Colonel C. G. Hall who left the facility "to pursue a course of instruction in rigid airships with the Navy."
Paegelow had been during World War I the commander of all Allied lighter-than-air activities on the warfront.
![Scott AFB, TC-6 over Hangar in the 1920s](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f0/Scott_AFB%2C_TC-6_over_Hangar_in_the_1920s.jpg)
A couple of highlights of Scott's LTA era (1921–1937) include the 74-mph speed record for dirigibles, set by Scott Field's TC-1 in 1923, and the American free balloon altitude record of 28,510 feet, set in 1927, by Captain Hawthorne C. Gray. Captain Gray would have set a 42,470-feet world record later that same year had he survived that flight.
In the late 1920s, emphasis shifted from airships to balloons. In 1929, the 12th Airship Company was inactivated and replaced the next day by the 1st Balloon Company. Airplanes began to dominate activities at Scott Field by the mid-1930s, and a series of airship mishaps led the Chief of the Army Air Corps to recommend an end to LTA activities in May 1937, and the following month Scott's LTA-era came to an abrupt end.
Scott Field's central location was advantageous when it was considered for the relocation site of the
General Headquarters Air Force
The United States Army Air Corps (USAAC) was the aerial warfare service component of the United States Army between 1926 and 1941. After World War I, as early aviation became an increasingly important part of modern warfare, a philosophical ri ...
(GHQAF), which managed the combat arm of the U.S. Army. Scott Field grew from 628 acres in 1938 to 1,882 acres in 1939. Most of the frame World War I and lighter-than-air constructions were torn down—only a few, such as the 9th Airstrip Squadron headquarters/barracks building, a brick theater and nine sets of brick non-commissioned officers' quarters at the south end of the field were saved.
New housing, industrial and administrative buildings were completed by May 1939. The expansion program continued into 1940 with the construction of 21 more buildings, including a 200-man barracks, a 300,000-gallon elevated water tank, a 43-bed hospital, Hangar No. 1 and a General Headquarters Air Force office.
Scott Field, as it existed at the end of the 1940 expansion program, is listed as the
Scott Field Historic District
Scott Field Historic District began as a World War I era air base built in 1917 near O'Fallon, Illinois, and was expanded and rebuilt before World War II. The district contains primarily that portion of the base built prior to 1941, and is now ...
on the
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...
.
World War II
![Scott Field - 1943](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/2a/Scott_Field_-_1943.jpg)
With the outbreak of World War II, the GHQAF move to Scott was cancelled. Instead, Scott Field reverted to its former role as a training installation. On 1 June 1939, one of Scott's Balloon Groups was redesignated as a headquarters unit of the Scott Field Branch of the Army Air Corps Technical Schools. Subsequently, various technical schools moved to Scott. Its communications training era began in September 1940 with the opening of the Radio School.
After September 1940, the primary wartime mission of Scott was to train skilled radio operator/maintainers; to produce, as the Radio School's slogan proclaimed, "the best damned radio operators in the world!" Scott's graduates flew in aircraft and operated command and control communications in every Theater of the War, and were often referred to as the "Eyes and Ears of the Army Air Forces." By the end of World War II, Scott's Radio School—becoming something of a "Communications University of the Army Air Forces", where it expanded during the war to fill about 46 large school buildings on base. It was from this course that many specialized radio and communications courses evolved, and had graduated 77,370 radio operator/mechanics. While all had been important to the nation's victory, two of the schools better known graduates were
Medal of Honor
The Medal of Honor (MOH) is the United States Armed Forces' highest military decoration and is awarded to recognize American soldiers, sailors, marines, airmen, guardians and coast guardsmen who have distinguished themselves by acts of valor. ...
recipient Technical Sergeant
Forrest Lee Vosler, and the future first
Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force
The Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force (acronym: CMSAF) is a unique non-commissioned rank in the United States Air Force. The holder of this rank and position of office represents the highest enlisted level of leadership in the Air Force, ...
,
Paul Airey.
Though the Radio School was the primary World War II-era mission, it was not intended to be Scott's only mission. The Air Corps had also planned for Scott to become a major air terminal due to its centralized location in the United States. In 1940, a $1 million project began to construct four mile-long concrete runways. Though not fully completed until November 1942, the portions that were complete provided a capability to give advanced flying school graduates instruction in instrument and night flying, navigation, photography, and administrative flights. By late 1943, the Radio School students were in the air as well, practicing code transmission under actual flight conditions. Unfortunately, airfield operations had to be sharply curtailed in May 1944, after an accidental tool-spark set fire to Hangar 1—Scott's only hangar. Repairs were not completed until May 1945.
United States Air Force
The U.S. Air Force became a separate service on 18 September 1947, and on 13 January 1948, Scott Field was re-designated as Scott Air Force Base and the 3310th Technical Training Wing assumed host responsibility from the 3505th Army Air Forces Base Unit. In 1948, Scott's Radio School was re-organized, with the radio operator and control tower courses relocated to
Keesler AFB
Keesler Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base located in Biloxi, Mississippi, Biloxi, a city along the Gulf Coast in Harrison County, Mississippi, Harrison County, Mississippi, United States. The base is named in honor of aviator 2nd ...
, Mississippi. In addition, the fixed wire courses at Scott went to
Francis E. Warren AFB
Francis E. Warren Air Force Base , shortened as F.E. Warren AFB is a United States Air Force base (AFB) located approximately west of Cheyenne, Wyoming. It is one of three strategic-missile bases in the U.S. It was named in honor of Francis E ...
, Wyoming, so that Scott had room to expand its radio mechanic school.
In early 1949, Secretary of Defense
Louis Johnson initiated a series of economic measures throughout the armed forces. His purpose was to effect greater utilization of the assets assigned to all services. As a result of these actions, a number of bases transferred between major commands, schools moved, and other bases closed. Because of these DOD-directed initiatives, Headquarters USAF decided to move
Air Training Command
Air Training Command (ATC) is a former United States Air Force (USAF) Major Command designation. It was headquartered at Randolph Air Force Base, Texas, but was initially formed at Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana. It was re-designated as Ai ...
(ATC) headquarters from
Barksdale AFB
Barksdale Air Force Base (Barksdale AFB) is a United States Air Force (USAF) base in northwest Louisiana, United States, in Bossier Parish. It is contiguous to Bossier City, Louisiana, along the base's western and northwestern edge. Barksdale AFB ...
, Louisiana to Scott AFB, effective 17 October 1949. The new ATC headquarters established in Building P-3, which was originally designed to be Headquarters, General Headquarters Air Force (GHQ Air Force). Air Training Command moved its headquarters into the building on 17 October 1949. At Scott, ATC absorbed the functions of its previous three subordinate headquarters—Flying, Technical, and Indoctrination Divisions.
[Manning, Thomas A. (2005), ''History of Air Education and Training Command, 1942–2002''. Office of History and Research, Headquarters, AETC, Randolph AFB, Texas ]
Throughout the USAF transition, Scott's primary mission remained technical training; however, Scott's aeromedical evacuation mission continued to grow. By the end of 1950, Douglas
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 ...
s were bringing 200 patients a week to Scott.
![Scott AFB Welcome Sign](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b5/Scott_AFB_Welcome_Sign.jpg)
In 1957,
Military Air Transport Service
The Military Air Transport Service (MATS) is an inactive Department of Defense Unified Command. Activated on 1 June 1948, MATS was a consolidation of the United States Navy's Naval Air Transport Service (NATS) and the United States Air Force's ...
(MATS) moved to Scott AFB to help facilitate management of its east and west coast units, and between July and October 1957, ATC transferred its headquarters to
Randolph AFB
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 Un ...
, Texas. During the changeover some technical training continued, however, by February 1959, the few remaining technical courses left Scott for other bases. As part of the air mobility transition, ATC's 3310th Technical Training Wing was re-designated on 1 October 1957, as the 1405th Air Base Wing, a MATS organization. With the transition complete, Scott's new primary mission became air mobility.
With the re-alignment to MATS, Aeromedical evacuation continued to grow and in 1964, Scott's host wing was re-designated as the 1405th Aeromedical Transport Wing. Increasing importance placed on airlift and the decision by the Navy to set up its own transport command led to the Military Air Transport Service being re-designated as
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) in 1966. Associated with this reorganization, the 1405th was discontinued and its mission and resources were absorbed by the newly activated AFCON
375th Aeromedical Airlift Wing. The addition of a fleet of
C-9A Nightingale
The McDonnell Douglas C-9 was a military version of the McDonnell Douglas DC-9 airliner. It was produced as the C-9A Nightingale for the United States Air Force, and the C-9B Skytrain II for the United States Navy, U.S. Navy and United States Ma ...
s in 1968 further expanded the 375th's aeromedical mission. In 1973, Scott's Patient Airlift Center coordinated 61 aeromedical missions to bring 357 former Vietnam War
Prisoners of War
A prisoner of war (POW) is a person who is held Captivity, captive by a belligerent power during or immediately after an armed conflict. The earliest recorded usage of the phrase "prisoner of war" dates back to 1610.
Belligerents hold priso ...
back to the United States. In June 1973, the 1400th Air Base Wing inactivated, the 375th Air Base Group (today the 375th Mission Support Group) reactivated, and host wing responsibilities reverted to the 375th Aeromedical Airlift Wing. By 1975, the 375th gained responsibility for the worldwide aeromedical evacuation system.
The 375th gained another mission in 1978; Operational Support Airlift. Scott received its first
T-39A Sabreliner in 1962. After 1978, the 375th was managing a dispersed continental fleet of 104 Sabreliners flying a combined 92,000 hours a year. The CT-39As were phased out in 1984, the same year the first Gates
C-21A Learjets arrived at Scott.
![Old Scott Field Gate](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b5/Old_Scott_Field_Gate.jpg)
As the 375th reorganized, it transitioned to a Military Airlift Wing in 1990 and an Airlift Wing in 1991. In 1992, Military Airlift Command inactivated and its personnel and assets were combined with others to form
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). Later in the 1990s, two new partners joined Scott's team,
MidAmerica Airport
MidAmerica St. Louis Airport is a public use airport next to Scott Air Force Base. It is 14 nautical miles (16 mi, 26 km) east of the central business district of Belleville and 18 nautical miles (21 mi, 33&nbs ...
and the
Illinois Air National Guard
The Illinois Air National Guard (IL ANG) is the aerial militia of the State of Illinois, United States of America. It is, along with the Illinois Army National Guard, an element of the Illinois National Guard.
As state militia units, the units ...
126th Air Refueling Wing. A 1987
Federal Aviation Administration
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is the largest transportation agency of the U.S. government and regulates all aspects of civil aviation in the country as well as over surrounding international waters. Its powers include air traffic m ...
authorization, followed by a 1991 joint use agreement resulted in the 1998 opening of the new MidAmerica Airport. Similarly, the 1992 realignment of refueling units to AMC, plus the planned MidAmerica construction, led to a 1995
Base Realignment and Closure
Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) is a process by a United States federal government commission to increase United States Department of Defense efficiency by coordinating the realignment and closure of military installations following the end o ...
committee recommendation to relocate the 126th Air Refueling Wing to Scott AFB.
AMC's
15th and
21st Air Forces became Expeditionary Mobility Task Forces in 2003. They, along with all AMC wings and independent groups realigned to a newly activated
18th Air Force. The new ready mobility operations capability would speed AMC's support for contingencies and humanitarian missions. In 2003, age, noise, maintenance and lack of demand led to the retirement of the C-9A Nightingale. In the years that followed, the C-21A fleet was reorganized and reduced. These events caused a flying mission restructuring that today has Scott using a diverse mix of assigned and non-assigned aircraft to support aeromedical airlift, operational support airlift and air refueling missions.
The 375th Airlift Wing officially became the 375th Air Mobility Wing on 30 September 2009. The Total Force Integration effort called for the creation of an associate unit consisting of active duty KC-135 pilots, boom operators, and maintainers who worked side by side with their counterparts in the 126th Air Refueling Wing. The 375th Operation Group staff had administrative responsibilities for 135 aircrew members and maintainers under the
906th Air Refueling Squadron
The 906th Air Refueling Squadron is an active United States Air Force unit. It is an active associate squadron and part of the 375th Air Mobility Wing at Scott Air Force Base, Illinois.
The squadron was first activated in United States milita ...
, a unit that moved from
Grand Forks AFB
Grand Forks Air Force Base (AFB) is a United States Air Force installation in northeastern North Dakota, located north of Emerado and west of Grand Forks.
The host unit is the 319th Reconnaissance Wing (319 RW) assigned to the Air Combat C ...
, North Dakota. The 126th Air Refueling Wing maintained the operational direction and control of the mission execution responsibility of these Airmen. Scott AFB served as one of six locations in Air Mobility Command and one of 10 throughout the Air Force where TFI efforts unfolded.
On June 25, 2014, the base was awarded two new cybersecurity squadrons that will add over 300 personnel, and an additional $16 million infrastructure improvements. The base presently has three cyber units.
Major Commands to which assigned
* Signal Corps, U.S. Army, 20 July 1917
* Bureau of Military Aeronautics, 20 May 1918
*
United States Army Air Service
The United States Army Air Service (USAAS)Craven and Cate Vol. 1, p. 9 (also known as the ''"Air Service"'', ''"U.S. Air Service"'' and before its legislative establishment in 1920, the ''"Air Service, United States Army"'') was the aerial war ...
, 24 May 1918
*
United States Army Air Corps
The United States Army Air Corps (USAAC) was the aerial warfare service component of the United States Army between 1926 and 1941. After World War I, as early aviation became an increasingly important part of modern warfare, a philosophical r ...
, 2 July 1926
*
General Headquarters Air Force
The United States Army Air Corps (USAAC) was the aerial warfare service component of the United States Army between 1926 and 1941. After World War I, as early aviation became an increasingly important part of modern warfare, a philosophical ri ...
, 1 March
* Air Corps Technical Service (exempted station), 1 July 1939
* Air Corps Technical Training Command, 26 March 1941
* AAF Training Command, 31 July 1943
: Re-designated:
Air Training Command
Air Training Command (ATC) is a former United States Air Force (USAF) Major Command designation. It was headquartered at Randolph Air Force Base, Texas, but was initially formed at Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana. It was re-designated as Ai ...
, 1 July 1946
*
Military Air Transport Service
The Military Air Transport Service (MATS) is an inactive Department of Defense Unified Command. Activated on 1 June 1948, MATS was a consolidation of the United States Navy's Naval Air Transport Service (NATS) and the United States Air Force's ...
, 1 October 1957
*
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 January 1966
*
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 – present
[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]
Major units assigned
* Post Headquarters, Camp Scott, 1 September 1917 – 1920
* Army Balloon and Airship School, 26 June 1922 – 30 June 1937
* Air Corps/AAF/USAF Technical School, 1 June 1939 – 1 April 1959
* 3505th Army Air Forces Base Unit, 1 May 1944 – 28 August 1948
* 3310th Technical Training Wing, 26 August 1948 – 1 April 1959
* Headquarters,
Air Training Command
Air Training Command (ATC) is a former United States Air Force (USAF) Major Command designation. It was headquartered at Randolph Air Force Base, Texas, but was initially formed at Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana. It was re-designated as Ai ...
, 17 October 1949 – 17 July 1957
*
85th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron, 1 November 1952 – 1 July 1959
* 1731st Air Transport Squadron, 1 June 1952 – 8 November 1956
*
11th Aeromedical Transport Squadron, 8 November 1956 – 30 September 2003
*
73d Troop Carrier/Military Airlift/Aeromedical Airlift Squadron, 16 November 1957 – present
* 3310th Air Base Group
: Later 1405th Air Base Group, 1 October 1957 – 12 January 1966
* Headquarters,
Air Weather Service
The atmosphere of Earth is the layer of gases, known collectively as air, retained by Earth's gravity that surrounds the planet and forms its planetary atmosphere. The atmosphere of Earth protects life on Earth by creating pressure allowing for ...
, 23 June 1958 – 15 October 1997
* Headquarters,
Air Force Communications Service
The atmosphere of Earth is the layer of gases, known collectively as air, retained by Earth's gravity that surrounds the planet and forms its planetary atmosphere. The atmosphere of Earth protects life on Earth by creating pressure allowing for ...
, 15 January 1968 – 16 July 1970
* Headquarters,
Military Air Transport Service
The Military Air Transport Service (MATS) is an inactive Department of Defense Unified Command. Activated on 1 June 1948, MATS was a consolidation of the United States Navy's Naval Air Transport Service (NATS) and the United States Air Force's ...
, 15 January 1958 – 1 January 1966
* Headquarters,
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 January 1966
: Re-designated:
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 – present
*
932d Troop Carrier/Military Airlift/Aeromedical Airlift Group/Wing (AFRC), 11 February 1963 – present
*
375th Airlift Wing, 12 January 1966 – present
*
126th Air Refueling Wing (ANG), 31 July 1999 – present
*
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 ...
, 1 October 2003 – present
* Scott Composite Squadron
Civil Air Patrol
Civil Air Patrol (CAP) is a congressionally chartered, federally supported non-profit corporation that serves as the official civilian auxiliary of the United States Air Force (USAF). CAP is a volunteer organization with an aviation-minded mem ...
Based units
Flying and notable non-flying units based at Scott 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 Scott, 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)
* Headquarters Air Mobility Command
*
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 ...
** Headquarters Eighteenth Air Force
** 618th Air Operations Center
*** 618th Air Communications Squadron
**
375th Air Mobility Wing (Host Wing)
*** Headquarters 375th Air Mobility Wing
*** 375th Comptroller Squadron
***
375th Operations Group
****
54th Airlift Squadron –
C-40C Clipper
**** 375th Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron
**** 375th Operations Support Squadron
****
458th Airlift Squadron
The 458th Airlift Squadron is part of the 375th Airlift Wing at Scott Air Force Base, Illinois. It operates C-21 aircraft providing executive airlift and aeromedical evacuation. It has performed its current mission since activating in 1975 ...
–
C-21A Learjet
****
906th Air Refueling Squadron
The 906th Air Refueling Squadron is an active United States Air Force unit. It is an active associate squadron and part of the 375th Air Mobility Wing at Scott Air Force Base, Illinois.
The squadron was first activated in United States milita ...
–
KC-135R 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 transport ...
*** 375th Communications Group
**** 375th Communications Squadron
**** 375th Communications Support Squadron
*** 375th Medical Group
**** 375th Aerospace Medicine Squadron
**** 375th Dental Squadron
**** 375th Medical Support Squadron
**** 375th Medical Operations Squadron
*** 375th Mission Support Group
**** 375th Civil Engineer Squadron
**** 375th Contracting Squadron
**** 375th Force Support Squadron
**** 375th Logistics Readiness Squadron
**** 375th Security Forces 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)
*
Cyberspace Capabilities Center
The Cyberspace Capabilities Center (CCC), located at Scott Air Force Base, Illinois, is the primary organization that develops cyber domain requirements in the United States Air Force.
The center's goals are to attain a unity of effort of funct ...
*
Sixteenth Air Force
The Sixteenth Air Force (Air Forces Cyber) (16 AF) is a United States Air Force (USAF) organization responsible for information warfare, which encompasses intelligence gathering and analysis, surveillance, reconnaissance, cyber warfare and ele ...
**
67th Cyberspace Wing
The 67th Cyberspace Wing is a United States Air Force wing stationed at Lackland Air Force Base, Texas. It was activated in October 1993 as a military intelligence unit and is assigned to the Sixteenth Air Force.
The wing was first activated ...
***
567th Cyberspace Operations Group
The 567th Cyberspace Operations Group is a United States Air Force organization at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, Texas, assigned to the 67th Cyberspace Wing. It was activated in June 2018.
The group's predecessor was activated as the 567th ...
(GSU)
**** 835th Cyberspace Operations Squadron
**** 837th Cyberspace Operations Squadron
**
557th Weather Wing
The 557th Weather Wing is a United States Air Force formation and its lead military meteorology center. It reports environmental situational awareness worldwide to the Air Force, the United States Army, joint warfighters, Unified Combatant Comma ...
***
1st Weather Group
****
15th Operational Weather Squadron (GSU)
Air Force Materiel Command
Air Force Materiel Command (AFMC) is a major command (MAJCOM) of the United States Air Force (USAF). AFMC was created on July 1, 1992, through the amalgamation of the former Air Force Logistics Command (AFLC) and the former Air Force Systems Com ...
(AFMC)
*
Air Force Sustainment Center
The atmosphere of Earth is the layer of gases, known collectively as air, retained by Earth's gravity that surrounds the planet and forms its planetary atmosphere. The atmosphere of Earth protects life on Earth by creating pressure allowing for ...
**
635th Supply Chain Operations Wing
*** Headquarters 635th Supply Chain Operations Wing
*** 635th Supply Chain Operations Group
**** 435th Supply Chain Operations Squadron
**** 436th Supply Chain Operations Squadron
**** 437th Supply Chain Operations Squadron
*
Air Force Installation and Mission Support Center
The Air Force Installation and Mission Support Center (AFIMSC), headquartered at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland (JBSA-Lackland), Texas, is one of six centers aligned under Air Force Materiel Command for the United States Air Force. AFIMSC serve ...
** Detachment 9 (GSU)
Air Force District of Washington
The Air Force District of Washington (AFDW) is a Direct Reporting Unit of the United States Air Force. AFDW oversees Air Force operations in the Washington, D.C. region (also known as the "National Capital Region" or "NCR").
As a Direct Report ...
*
US Air Force Bands
** The US Air Force Band of Mid-America (GSU)
Air Force Field Operating Agencies
* Air Force Manpower Analysis Agency
** Operating Location - Scott (GSU)
** Operating Location - USTRANSCOM (GSU)
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)
*
Illinois Air National Guard
The Illinois Air National Guard (IL ANG) is the aerial militia of the State of Illinois, United States of America. It is, along with the Illinois Army National Guard, an element of the Illinois National Guard.
As state militia units, the units ...
**
126th Air Refueling Wing
*** Headquarters 126th Air Refueling Wing
*** 126th Operations Group
****
108th Air Refueling Squadron
The 108th Air Refueling Squadron (108 ARS) is a unit of the Illinois Air National Guard 126th Air Refueling Wing located at Scott Air Force Base, Belleville, Illinois. The 108th is equipped with the KC-135R Stratotanker.
The squadron is a desce ...
– KC-135R Stratotanker
*** 126th Maintenance Group
**** 126th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron
**** 126th Maintenance Squadron
**** 126th Maintenance Operations Flight
*** 126th Mission Support Group
**** 126th Civil Engineer Squadron
**** 126th Force Support Squadron
**** 126th Security Forces Squadron
**** 126th Logistics Readiness Squadron
**** 126th Communications Flight
*** 126th Medical 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)
*
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- ...
**
932nd Airlift Wing
The 932nd Airlift Wing is an Air Force Reserve Command flying unit. It is assigned to the Twenty-Second Air Force, Air Force Reserve Command, stationed at Scott Air Force Base, Illinois.
Mission
The unit's C-40C aircraft provide first-class, wo ...
** Headquarters 932nd Airlift Wing
** 932nd Operations Group
*** 12th Operations Weather Flight
***
73rd Airlift Squadron – C-40C Clipper
*** 932nd Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron
*** 932nd Operations Support Flight
** 932nd Maintenance Group
*** 932nd Maintenance Squadron
*** 932nd Maintenance Operations Flight
*** 932nd Aircraft Maintenance Squadron
** 932nd Medical Group
*** 932nd Aerospace Medicine Squadron
*** 932nd Aeromedical Staging Squadron
*** 932nd Medical Squadron
** 932nd Mission Support Group
*** 932nd Civil Engineer Squadron
*** 932nd Force Support Squadron
*** 932nd Logistics Readiness Flight
*** 932nd Military Personnel Flight
*** 932nd Security Forces Squadron
*** 932nd Services Flight
*
Tenth Air Force
The Tenth Air Force (10 AF) is a unit of the U.S. Air Force, specifically a numbered air force of the Air Force Reserve Command (AFRC). 10 AF is headquartered at Naval Air Station Fort Worth Joint Reserve Base/Carswell Field (formerly Carswell AF ...
** 960th Cyberspace Wing
***
960th Cyberspace Operations Group
**** 42d Cyberspace Operations Squadron (GSU)
Civil Air Patrol
Civil Air Patrol (CAP) is a congressionally chartered, federally supported non-profit corporation that serves as the official civilian auxiliary of the United States Air Force (USAF). CAP is a volunteer organization with an aviation-minded mem ...
(CAP)
* Great Lakes Region
**
Illinois Wing
*** Group 1
**** Scott Composite Squadron (IL-205)
United States Army
Surface Deployment and Distribution Command
A surface, as the term is most generally used, is the outermost or uppermost layer of a physical object or space. It is the portion or region of the object that can first be perceived by an observer using the senses of sight and touch, and is ...
(SDDC)
* Headquarters Surface Deployment and Distribution Command
* Transportation Engineering Agency
Department of Defense
United States Transportation Command
The United States Transportation Command (USTRANSCOM) is one of eleven unified combatant commands of the United States Department of Defense. The command is located at Scott Air Force Base, Illinois, and was established in 1987.
The USTRANSCO ...
(USTRANSCOM)
* Headquarters United States Transportation Command
*
Joint Operational Support Airlift Center
Joint Operational Support Airlift Center (JOSAC) is the airlift branch of United States Transportation Command (USTRANSCOM). JOSAC specializes in airlift within the continental United States. JOSAC schedules aircraft assigned to the U.S. Air Force, ...
Defense Information Systems Agency
The Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA), known as the Defense Communications Agency (DCA) until 1991, is a United States Department of Defense (DoD) combat support agency composed of military, federal civilians, and contractors. DISA prov ...
(DISA)
* DISA Global Operations Center East
Geography
![St](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/95/St._Clair_County_Illinois_incorporated_and_unincorporated_areas_Scott_AFB_highlighted.svg)
The residential part of the base is a
census-designated place
A census-designated place (CDP) is a concentration of population defined by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes only.
CDPs have been used in each decennial census since 1980 as the counterparts of incorporated places, such ...
; the population was 3,612 at the
2010 census.
According to the
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of the ...
, the base has a total area of , all land.
Demographics
As of the
census
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses incl ...
of 2000, there were 2,707 people, 682 households, and 662 families residing on the base. The population density was . There were 715 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the base was 78.9%
White
White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White on ...
, 13.5%
Black
Black is a color which results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without hue, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness. Black and white have o ...
or
African American
African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...
, 0.3%
Native American, 3.0%
Asian
Asian may refer to:
* Items from or related to the continent of Asia:
** Asian people, people in or descending from Asia
** Asian culture, the culture of the people from Asia
** Asian cuisine, food based on the style of food of the people from Asi ...
, 0.1%
Pacific Islander
Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the list of islands in the Pacific Ocean, Pacific Islands. As an ethnic group, ethnic/race (human categorization), racial term, it is used to describe the original p ...
, 1.8% from
other races
Other often refers to:
* Other (philosophy), a concept in psychology and philosophy
Other or The Other may also refer to:
Film and television
* ''The Other'' (1913 film), a German silent film directed by Max Mack
* ''The Other'' (1930 film), a ...
, and 2.4% from two or more races.
Hispanic
The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad.
The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to Vic ...
or
Latino
Latino or Latinos most often refers to:
* Latino (demonym), a term used in the United States for people with cultural ties to Latin America
* Hispanic and Latino Americans in the United States
* The people or cultures of Latin America;
** Latin A ...
people of any race were 4.1% of the population.
There were 682 households, out of which 78.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 90.5% were married couples living together, 4.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 2.9% were non-families. Of all households, 2.8% were made up of individuals, and none had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.83, and the average family size was 3.90.
On the base the age distribution of the population shows 44.7% under the age of 18, 7.8% ages 18 to 24, 40.6% ages 25 to 44, 6.6% ages 45 to 64, and 0.3% were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 22 years. For every 100 females there were 100.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 99.2 males.
The median income for a household on the base was $51,290, and the median income for a family was $52,258. Males had a median income of $39,289 versus $24,674 for females. The
per capita income
Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population.
Per capita i ...
for the base was $15,421. About 0.9% of families and 1.5% of the population were below the
poverty line
The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for t ...
, including 1.9% of those under age 18 and none of those age 65 or over.
Public transportation
Light rail
Shiloh–Scott (St. Louis MetroLink) rail station links Scott Air Force Base with direct trains to downtown St. Louis on
MetroLink's Red Line. One-ride and all-day tickets can be purchased from vending machines on the platforms. MetroLink lines provide direct or indirect service to St. Louis, the
Clayton area, and Illinois suburbs in
St. Clair County.
MetroBus
Four
MetroBus lines serve Scott Air Force Base via Shiloh–Scott (St. Louis MetroLink) station.
* 12 O'Fallon Fairview Heights
* 17X Lebanon – Mascoutah Express
* 21 Main & East Base Shuttles
* 512 Metrolink Station Shuttle
In popular culture
The location was featured in the 2018 film ''
Rampage''.
Scenes from the 2021 Netflix film ''
Don't Look Up
''Don't Look Up'' is a 2021 American apocalyptic political satire black comedy film written, co-produced, and directed by Adam McKay from a story he co-wrote with David Sirota. It stars Leonardo DiCaprio, Jennifer Lawrence, Rob Morgan, ...
'' are set at Scott Air Force Base.
See also
*
Illinois World War II Army Airfields
*
Central (later Eastern) Technical Training Command
*
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
...
(Air Defense Command)
*
List of Training Section Air Service airfields
With the purchase of its first airplane, built and successfully flown by Orville and Wilbur Wright, in 1909 the United States Army began the training of flight personnel. This article describes the training provided in those early years, though W ...
References
Further reading
* Kennedy, Betty R. ''An Illustrated History of Scott Air Force Base, 1917–1987.'' Scott AFB, Ill: Military Airlift Command, Historical Office, U.S. Air Force, 1987.
* ''Scott Air Force Base.'' Baton Rouge, La: Army and Navy Pub. Co, 1950.
* ''Scott Air Force Base.''
.l. Book On Demand Ltd, 2012.
* Warner, Patricia K. ''A Brief History of Scott Air Force Base, 1917–1992.'' Scott AFB, Ill: Twenty-second Air Force, Military Airlift Command, U.S. Air Force, 1992.
External links
* Scott AFB
*
Scott AFB Directory and PCS Guide360 Degree Virtual Tourof Scott Heritage Air Park
{{Authority control
Installations of the United States Air Force in Illinois
Installations of the United States Air National Guard
National Register of Historic Places in St. Clair County, Illinois
Initial United States Air Force installations
USAF Air Training Command Installations
Census-designated places in St. Clair County, Illinois
Buildings and structures in St. Clair County, Illinois
Military facilities on the National Register of Historic Places in Illinois
1917 establishments in Illinois