Eglin Air Force Base

Eglin Air Force Base Part of Air Force Materiel Command (AFMC)
USGS aerial photo as of 15 February 1999
Location of Eglin Air Force Base
IATA: VPS ICAO: KVPS FAA LID: VPS
Summary
Airport type	Military: Air Force Base
Operator	U.S. Air Force
Location	Valparaiso, Florida
In use	1948-present
Commander	Major General David W. Eidsaune
Occupants	96th Air Base Wing
Elevation AMSL	87 ft / 27 m
Coordinates	30°29′00″N 086°31′31″W
Website	www.eglin.af.mil
Runways
Direction Length Surface ft m 1/19 10,012 3,052 Asphalt 12/30 12,005 3,659 Asphalt/Concrete
Source: official site and FAA

File:Team Eglin.jpg

Team Eglin Logo

Eglin Air Force Base (IATA: VPS, ICAO: KVPS, FAA LID: VPS) is a United States Air Force base located 1-mile (1.6 km) southwest of Valparaiso in Okaloosa County, Florida, United States. It was named in honor of WWI aviator and test pilot Lt Col Frederick Irving Eglin. Since its founding in 1933 Eglin has evolved from a remote bombing and gunnery range in the 1930s (although very little actual bombing was done at the outset) into the military's primary non-nuclear test facility, it now supports a wide variety of multi-service test missions as well as providing a home for many special operations functions.

Units

Eglin is the home of the Air Armament Center (AAC) and is one of four product centers in the Air Force Materiel Command (AFMC). Serving as the focal point for all Air Force armaments, the AAC is the center responsible for the development, acquisition, testing, deployment and sustainment of all air-delivered weapons.

The host wing at Eglin is the 96th Air Base Wing (96 ABW) whose mission consists of supporting the Air Armament Center and the myriad of tenant commands and associate units with traditional military services as well as all the services of a small city, to include civil engineering, personnel, logistics, communications, computer, medical, security, and all other host services. Critical to the success of Eglin’s mission, the 96th Air Base Wing provides a large number of base operating support functions.

The residential portion of the base is a census-designated place; its population was 8,082 at the 2000 census. The base covers 463,128 acres (1,874.2 km²).

Major Units

• Air Armament Center (AAC)
  The center plans, directs and conducts test and evaluation of U.S. and allied air armament, navigation and guidance systems, and command and control systems and supports the largest single base mobility commitment in the Air Force. It operates two Air Force installations, providing host support not only to Eglin, but also Kirtland AFB, New Mexico.

AAC accomplishes its mission through four components:

• • Armament Product Directorate (Eglin AFB, FL)
  • 46th Test Wing (Eglin AFB, FL)
  • 96th Air Base Wing (Eglin AFB, FL)
  • 377th Air Base Wing (Kirtland AFB, NM)

• 46th Test Wing (46 TW)
  The 46 TW is the test and evaluation center for Air Force air-delivered weapons, navigation and guidance systems, Command and Control (C2) systems, and Air Force Special Operations Command systems. The Eglin Gulf Test Range provides approximately 130,000 square miles (340,000 km²) of over water airspace.

• 96th Air Base Wing (96 ABW)
  The 96 ABW supports the Air Armament Center and other tenant units of the installation with traditional military services as well as all the services of a small city, to include civil engineering, personnel, logistics, communications, computer, medical, security.

F-15C of the 33rd Fighter Wing.

• 33d Fighter Wing (33 FW) (F-15C/D Eagles) Tail Code: "EG"
  The 33 FW “Nomads” are the largest tenant combat unit at Eglin, as well as a premier air-to-air combat unit of the Air Combat Command (ACC). With two F-15C/D squadrons and an air control squadron, the wing’s mission is to deploy worldwide and provide air superiority and air control. First established as the 33d Pursuit Group, the wing’s contribution to tactical airpower during its 50-year history has been significant with participation in campaigns around the world, while flying various fighter aircraft.
  • 58th Fighter Squadron (Blue tail stripe)
  • 60th Fighter Squadron (Red tail stripe)

• 53d Wing (53 WG)
  The 53 WG is headquartered at Eglin and serves as the Air Force’s focal point for operational test and evaluation of armament and avionics, aircrew training devices, chemical defense, aerial reconnaissance improvements, electronic warfare systems, and is responsible for the QF-4 Phantom II Full Scale Aerial Target (FSAT) program and subscale drone programs (located at Tyndall Air Force Base, Florida). The wing tests every fighter, bomber, unmanned aerial vehicle, and associated weapon system in the Air Force inventory.

The wing reports to the USAF Air Warfare Center at Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada, a Direct Reporting Unit (DRU) to Headquarters, Air Combat Command (ACC).

• • 49th Test and Evaluation Squadron (a squadron attached to the 53d Wing but located at Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana)
    The squadron plans, executes and reports ACC's weapon system evaluation programs for bombers (B-52, B-1 and B-2) and nuclear-capable fighters (F-15E and F-16). These evaluations include operational effectiveness and suitability, command and control, performance of aircraft hardware and software systems, employment tactics, and accuracy and reliability of associated precision weapons. These weapons include air-launched cruise missiles, standoff missiles, and gravity bombs. Results and conclusions support acquisition decisions and development of war plans. The unit also performs operational testing on new systems and tactics development for the B-52.

• 308th Armament Systems Wing (308 ASW)
  A joint U.S. Air Force and U.S. Navy organization responsible for cradle-to-grave management of air dominance weapon system programs equipping warfighters with strike weapons to fight and win decisively.

The mission of the 308 ASW is to equip warfighters with strike weapons to fight and win decisively. The wing designs, develops, produces, fields, and sustains a family of air-to-ground munitions, enhancing warfighter capabilities (both U.S. and Allies) in defeating a spectrum of enemy targets.

• AFRL Munitions Directorate (AFRL/RW)
  AFRL/RW develops, demonstrates, and transitions science and technology for air-launched munitions for defeating ground fixed, mobile/relocatable, air and space targets to assure pre-eminence of U.S. air and space forces. The directorate conducts basic research, exploratory development, and advanced development and demonstrations. It also participates in programs focused on technology transfer, dual-use technology and small business development. The directorate is dedicated to providing the Air Force with a strong revolutionary and evolutionary technology base upon which future air-delivered munitions can be developed to neutralize potential threats to the United States.

Other Units

• 919th Special Operations Wing (919 SOW)
  The 919 SOW, located about five miles (8 km) south of Crestview and 20 miles (32 km) from Eglin main at Eglin AFB Auxiliary Field #3 (Duke Field) and is the only special operations wing in the Air Force Reserve Command (AFRC). In wartime or a contingency, the 919 SOW reports to Air Force Special Operations Command (AFSOC) at Hurlburt Field, Florida, its gaining major command.

• 20th Space Control Squadron (20 SCS)
  The mission of the 20 SCS is to detect, track, identify, and report near earth and deep space objects in earth’s orbit, and provide space object identification data in support of United States Strategic Command’s space control mission. A unit of the Air Force Space Command (AFSPC), the men and women of the 20th SCS operate and maintain the AN/FPS-85 radar, the Air Force’s only phased-array radar dedicated to tracking earth-orbiting objects.

• 6th Ranger Training Battalion (6th RTB)
  Eglin AFB Auxiliary Field #6 (Biancur Field) is the site of Camp James E. Rudder and the home of the U. S. Army’s 6th Ranger Training Battalion. The 6th RTB conducts the final phase of the U.S. Army Ranger Course. The entire course is 61 days in length and is divided into three phases. Each phase is conducted at different geographical and environmental locations. Its mission at Eglin is to expose Ranger students to a fast-paced, 18 day field training exercise.

• Naval School of Explosive Ordnance Disposal
  The Naval School of Explosive Ordnance Disposal (NAVSCOLEOD) is a Navy-managed command, jointly staffed by Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marine Corps personnel. NAVSCOLEOD had its official ribbon cutting on the new consolidated training facility in April 1999.

• The Joint Fires Integration and Interoperability Team (JFIIT)
  This is a subordinate, functional command of U.S. Joint Forces Command (USJFCOM), tasked with improving the integration, interoperability, and effectiveness of Joint fires.

USJFCOM established JFIIT in February 2005 to provide assistance to Joint force commanders and Service headquarters in planning, coordinating, and executing Joint fires at the tactical level. JFIIT's 120-member team is made up of members from all four Services and Department of Defense (DoD) civilians with contractor support.

• AFOTEC Det 2
  The Air Force Operational Test and Evaluation Center stood up Detachment 2 at Eglin to meet the growing demand to provide realistic operational testing for new and modified weapon systems. Since then, Detachment 2 has partnered with the warfighter and the developmental test community to provide the most thorough and rigorous operational test programs found anywhere in the world.

History

1930s

What became Eglin Air Force Base had its beginnings with the creation in 1933 of the Valparaiso Airport, when an arrowhead-shaped parcel of 137 acres was cleared for use as an airdrome. Two unpaved runways, with a supply house at their intersection, were in use by 1935. "On 1 March 1935, application was made for an FERA grant to pave the runways and to build an office, a barracks 30 by 120, a mess hall and kitchen, and an oil storage building..."

Eglin Air Force Base was initially established as the U.S. Army Air Corps' Valparaiso Bombing and Gunnery Base on 14 Jun 1935. On 4 Aug 1937, the installation was renamed Eglin Field in honor of Lt Col Frederick Irving Eglin (1891-1937). First rated as a military aviator in 1917, Lt Col Eglin helped train other Army flyers during World War I. On 1 Jan 1937, while assigned to General Headquarters, Air Force at Langley Field, VA, Colonel Eglin was killed in the crash of his Northrop A-17 pursuit aircraft on a flight from Langley to Maxwell Field, Alabama.

A ceremony was held in June 1939 for the dedication and unveiling of a plaque honoring Valparaiso, Florida banker and businessman James E. Plew, as founder of Eglin Field. Embedded in the stone gate to the airfield, the plaque read "In memory of James E. Plew, 1862-1938, whose patriotism and generosity made this field possible."

1940s

On Friday, 16 August 1940, the Okaloosa News-Journal, Crestview, Florida, reported that the Southern Bell Telephone Company was cutting a right-of-way for a line directly across the military reservation to connect the Eglin Field Army headquarters to the company line at Holt, Florida. The newspaper also stated that President Franklin Roosevelt had approved a plan on 14 August for a Works Projects Administration (WPA) expenditure of approximately $64,842 to make additional improvements at Eglin, including grading and surfacing a road to the machine gun range, clearing and grubbing 500 additional acres of landing field, and other work. A Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) camp was erected at Valparaiso, Florida from November 1940 to house 1,000-plus CCC workers engaged in base construction.

On 1 Oct 1940, the installation was renamed the Eglin Field Military Reservation in recognition of its increased importance to the Air Corps and its increasing size, as characterized by the construction of numerous auxiliary airfields in Okaloosa, Walton and Santa Rosa counties, the clearing of areas in the Choctawhatchee Forest for which was begun in January 1941. Clearing and grading for Auxiliary Field No.2 began 9 January, Auxiliary Field No. 3 on 23 January, and $800,000 allocated for the grading and paving of fields 1, 3, 5, and 6 on 24 April 1941. The Okaloosa News-Journal on Friday, 31 January 1941, listed the following construction: 30 enlisted men's barracks, eight day rooms, an enlisted men's mess building, a flying cadets mess building, four officers' quarters, eight supply rooms, eight administration buildings, a hospital, a post exchange, a motor repair shop, a theatre, four warehouses, six operations buildings, a Link trainer building, a parachute building, five magazines, and necessary utilities. The Louisville and Nashville Railroad laid a long sidetrack in Crestview, Florida to handle the number of oil tankcars required to supply the Asphault Products Company with material for the vast paving job of the new airfields. A fleet of trucks were operated round the clock to offload an estimated 180 car loads of petroleum product for the task. There were more than just a few vehicle accidents under the urgent tasking. The clearing of Auxiliary Field No. 6 began 7 March 1942. Building construction at Auxiliary Field No. 7 began 14 March 1942.

A severe housing shortage in the region for the burgeoning base-oriented expansion was partially alleviated by the construction of 100 units of the Plew Heights Defense Housing Project near Valparaiso for civil service employees and enlisted personnel. The Federal Works Agency, Division of Defense Housing, awarded the contract for the task to the Paul A. Miller Construction Company of Leesburg, Florida on 5 May 1941, with construction beginning on 8 May. The 11 November 1941 deadline for completion was beaten by almost a month.

In June 1941, the Officers Club of Eglin Field made arrangements to take over the Valparaiso Inn, Valparaiso, Florida, as the "O Club". Doolittle Raiders would later lodge here during their training at Eglin.

In June 1941, the Army Air Corps became the U.S. Army Air Forces (USAAF) in order to provide the air arm a greater autonomy in which to expand more efficiently, and to provide a structure for the additional command echelons required by a vastly increased force. Although other nations already had separate air forces independent of the army or navy (such as the British Royal Air Force and the German Luftwaffe), the USAAF remained a part of the United States Army. Following the 7 Dec 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor and the United States entry into World War II, Eglin became a major stateside installation in support of the war effort.

Eglin became a major training location for the Doolittle Raid on the Japanese mainland. The 24 crews selected and led by led by Lieutenant Colonel James "Jimmy" Doolittle picked up modified North American B-25B Mitchell medium bombers in Minneapolis, Minnesota and flew them to Eglin beginning on 1 March 1942. "9-25 March: Lieutenant Colonel James Doolittle and a B-25 detachment of 72 officers and 75 enlisted men from Lexington County Airport, Columbia, South Carolina, were at Eglin Field in rehearsals for the Tokyo raid." There the crews received intensive training for three weeks in simulated carrier deck takeoffs by Naval Aviators from nearby Naval Air Station Pensacola, as well as low-level and night flying, low altitude bombing, and over water navigation. Lt Col Doolittle stated in his after action report that an operational level of training was reached despite several days when flying was not possible due to rain and fog. One aircraft was heavily damaged in a takeoff accident at Eglin and another aircraft was taken off the mission because of a nose wheel shimmy that could not be repaired in time.

On 25 March, the remaining 22 B-25s departed Eglin for McClellan Field, California, arriving on 27 March for final modifications at the Sacramento Air Depot. A total of 16 B-25s were subsequently flown to Naval Air Station Alameda, California on 31 March for embarkation aboard USS Hornet (CV 8). When now-promoted-to-General Doolittle toured the growing base in July 1942 with C.O. Grandison Gardner, the press made no mention of his recent training at Eglin.

On 28 Dec 1944, Eglin reverted to its original name of Eglin Field as part of a new standardization practice by the USAAF. With the creation of a separate United States Air Force in 1947, Eglin Field continued to retain its name until 24 Jun 1948, when it was renamed to its current designation as Eglin Air Force Base.

1950s

The XB-46 concluded its test program at Eglin Air Force Base in July 1950 where its pneumatic system was tested under the coldest conditions in the large climatic facility there. When this concluded in November 1950 the Air Force no longer had need for it and on 13 January 1951 the nose section was sent to the U.S. Air Force Museum at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio. The rest of the airframe was scrapped 28 February 1952.

A base railroad was constructed from an interchange with the Louisville & Nashville Railroad at Mossy Head, Florida to the main base, with spurs to Auxiliary Fields 1 and 2, the ammunition dump, and other parts of the military reservation, some 45 miles of track. It was constructed with materials salvaged from the Claiborne and Polk Railroad, Camp Polk, Louisiana, abandoned in 1945. The line, nicknamed the "B & F" (for back and forth), began operation in late 1951 as part of the transportation division, Air Proving Ground Command, and utilised three ALCO RSD-1 military diesel-electric locomotives. Its first yard manager was Shelby White. Construction of such a rail spur had been discussed as early as 1941. The line was abandoned and pulled up in the late 1970s. Building 538, formerly the two-track, four-engine capacity engine house, serves as the vehicle maintenance corrosion control shop in 2009. Two of its four oversize doors have been walled closed. The (by then) four RSD-1 diesels were donated to the Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum.

Building 100 on the flightline is named the Audette Airborne Systems Building. A dedication plaque at the front entrance reads: "In memory of Lieutenant Colonel Leo R. Audette, United States Air Force - in recognition of his contribution in the development of airborne electronics systems - who on August 25th, 1952, while a member of this command, gave his life while participating in operations which advanced the development of these systems."

The Low Altitude Bombing System (LABS), or toss bombing, tactic was first made public in 1957 at Eglin AFB, when a B–47 Stratojet entered its bombing run at low altitude, pulled up sharply (3.5 g) into a half loop, releasing its bomb under computer control at a predetermined point in its climb, then executed a half roll, completing a maneuver similar to an Immelmann turn or Half Cuban Eight. The bomb continued upward for some time in a high arc before falling on a target which was a considerable distance from its point of release. In the meantime, the maneuver had allowed the bomber to change direction and distance itself from the target.

1970s

Specially-selected raiders for Operation Ivory Coast, the attempted POW rescue from Son Tay prison in North Vietnam, were extensively trained and rehearsed at Eglin Air Force Base, while planning and intelligence gathering continued from 25 May to 20 November 1970. The mission failed when it was found during the raid that all the prisoners had been previously moved to another camp.

Flight-testing of a modified C-130 Hercules for Operation Credible Sport were conducted at Eglin and Auxiliary Field 3 (Duke Field in 1980.

2000s

The 'Massive Ordnance Air Blast' or 'Mother of All Bombs' (MOAB) was first tested at Eglin AFB on March 11, 2003.

As of 2009, the original World War II-era base theatre still exists, and is used for a briefing space.

A move is afoot in 2009 to get the base hangar in which the modifications and maintenance of the Doolittle Raiders B-25s was performed, declared a national historic site. This work was performed by personnel from Wagner Field, Aux. Fld 1.

The Air Force Armament Museum is located on the south side of Eglin main base after originally opening in 1975 in a converted World War II-era base gymnasium near the Valparaiso gate. When the gymnasium/museum structure was razed, it was replaced by a new facility housing the Eglin Training Center.

Commanders

• Capt Arnold H. Rich, 1935 - 19 May 1938
• Capt George A. Whatley, 19 May 1938 (official on 25 May 1939) - 20 Aug 1939
• Col Warren A. Maxwell, 20 Aug 1939 -
• Col Donald P. Muse, - 23 Aug 1941
• Maj Joseph H. Atkinson, 23 Aug 1941 - 22 Oct 1941
• Maj George W. Munday, 22 Oct 1941 - Apr 1942
• Brig Gen Grandison Gardner, Apr 1942 - 1945
• Brig Gen Carl A. Brandt, Oct 1946 - Oct 1948
• Brig Gen William E. Kepner, Oct 1948 -

Major Commands

USAAC/USAAF

• Air Corps Training Center, 9 Jun 1935 - 27 Aug 1940
• Southeast Air Corps Training Center, 27 Aug 1940 - 1 Apr 1942
• AAF Proving Ground Command, 1 Apr 1942 - 1 Jun 1945
• AAF Center, 1 Jun 1945 - 8 Mar 1946
• AAF Proving Ground Command, 8 Mar 1946 -10 Jul 1946
• Air Proving Ground Command, 10 Jul 1946 - 20 Jan 1948

United States Air Force

• Air Materiel Command, 20 Jan 1948 - 1 Jun 1948
• Air Proving Ground, 1 Jun 1948 - 20 Dec 1951
• Air Proving Ground Command, 20 Dec 1951 - 1 Dec 1957
• Air Research and Development Command, 1 Dec 1957 - 1 Apr 1961
• Air Force Systems Command, 1 Apr 1961 - 1 Jul 1992
• Air Force Materiel Command, 1 Jul 1992 - Present

Base Operating Units

USAAC/USAAF

• 84th Service Sq (Det), 14 Jun 1935 - 1 Sep 1936
• Section V, Eglin Field Section, 13th Air Base Sq, 1 Sep 1936 - 1 Aug 1940
• Det 13th Air Base Sq, 1 Aug 1940 - 1 Dec 1940
• 61st Air Base Gp, 1 Dec 1940 - 19 Jun 1942
• 51st Base HQ and Air Base Sq, 19 Jun 1942 - 1 Apr 1944
• 610th AAF Base Unit, 1 Apr 1944 - 30 Jun 1947
• 609th AAF Base Unit, 1 Jul 1947 - 1 Jul 1948

United States Air Force

• 3201st Air Base Gp, 1 Jul 1948 - 31 Mar 1951
• 3201st Air Base Wg, 31 Mar 1951 - 8 Aug 1951
• 3201st Air Base Gp, 8 Aug 1951 - 1 Jul 1953
• 3201st Air Base Wg, 1 Jul 1953 - 16 Sep 1964
• 3201st Air Base Gp, 16 Sep 1964 - 1 Jun 1992
• 96th Air Base Wing, 1 Jun 1992 - Present

Operational History

In 1931, personnel of the Air Corps Tactical School (Maxwell Field, Alabama) while looking for a bombing and gunnery range, saw the potential of the sparsely populated forested areas surrounding Valparaiso and the vast expanse of the adjacent Gulf of Mexico.

Local businessman and airplane buff James E. Plew saw the potential of a military payroll to boost the local area’s depression-stricken economy. He leased from the City of Valparaiso the 137 acres (0.6 km²) on which an airport was established in 1933, and in 1934, Plew offered the U.S. government a donation of 1,460 acres (6 km²) contiguous for the bombing and gunnery base. This leasehold became the headquarters for the Valparaiso Bombing and Gunnery Base activated on June 14, 1935, under the command of Captain Arnold H. Rich.

With the outbreak of war in Europe, a proving ground for aircraft armament was established at Eglin. The U.S. Forestry ceded to the War Department the Choctawhatchee National Forest on 18 October 1940. Hunters had to be reminded regularly that the base reservation was now off-limits in 1941-1942 and there was some local resentment at the handover. On 15 May 1941, the Air Corps Proving Ground (later the Proving Ground Command) was activated, and Eglin became the site for gunnery training for Army Air Forces fighter pilots, as well as a major testing center for aircraft, equipment, and tactics. The 23rd Composite Group moved from Orlando to Eglin Field, 1 July 1941. It comprised the 1st Pursuit Squadron, the 54th Bombardment Squadron (M), the 24th Bombardment Squadron (L), the 54th School Squadron, the 61st Air Base Group, and the 3rd Gunnery and Bombing Range Detachment.

In March 1942, the base served as one of the sites for Lieutenant Colonel Jimmy Doolittle to prepare his B-25 crews for their raid against Tokyo. A number of auxiliary fields were constructed on the Eglin reservation at this time, many of which are still in service in various roles, either in support of flight operations or special test activities.

On 12 July 1943, Eglin suffered its worst loss of life when 17 personnel were killed in an explosives test. Wartime censorship and the fact that 15 of the 17 were airmen of the African-American-staffed 867th Aviation Engineering Battalion contributed to the accident receiving virtually no publicity. The identities of the dead, including the two white officers supervising, were never released, and only one small newspaper article was published mentioning the incident. A documentary, the "Eglin 17", debuted at the 2009 African American Heritage Month luncheon at the Eglin Air Force Base Officer's Club on 18 February 2009, providing the story of the forgotten accident. "The cause and circumstances surrounding the incident remain 'clouded in mystery,' according to the documentary," although Lt. Col. Allen Howser (Ret.), featured in the documentary, recalled that it was part of an exercise to test fire a newly acquired explosive.

At its wartime peak, the base employed more than 1,000 officers, 10,000 enlisted personnel and 4,000 civilians.

After the war, Eglin became a pioneer in developing the techniques for missile launching and handling; and the development of drone or pilotless aircraft. The 1st Experimental Guided Missiles Group was activated at Eglin Field, Florida on 6 February 1946. Pursuant to an order from the War Department, dated 25 January 1946, the Commanding General of the Army Air Forces Center at Eglin Field was directed to activate the Headquarters, 1st Experimental Guided Missiles Group, the 1st Experimental Guided Missiles Squadron and the 1st Experimental Air Service Squadron. The total authorized strength for the three organizations was 130 officers, one warrant officer and 714 enlisted men. Eglin's commander was directed to supply manpower for the units from his own resources, but, given the recent postwar demobilization, his ability to do so was extremely limited. Operations were conducted out of Auxiliary Field 3 (Duke Field). On 13 January 1947, a successful drone flight from Eglin to Washington, D.C. was conducted utilizing a QB-17 Flying Fortress.

January 1948 was the first month without an aviation accident since the base was founded. Total flying hours for the month were 3,725, "an usually high number for the Proving Ground," said Lt. Gerald E. Gibson, aircraft safety officer for the base. A six-month fatality-free period came to an end on 9 April 1948 when a pilot was killed in a P-51 crash N of Crestview, Florida.

In 1950, the Air Force Armament Center was established at Eglin. After the start of the Korean War, test teams moved to the combat theater for testing in actual combat. In 1957, the Air Force combined the Air Proving Ground Command and the Air Force Armament Center to form the Air Proving Ground Center. In 1968, the Air Proving Ground Center was redesignated the Armament Development and Test Center to centralize responsibility for research, development, test and evaluation, and initial acquisition of nonnuclear munitions for the Air Force.

On 1 December 1958, the 4135th Strategic Wing of the Second Air Force, Strategic Air Command, flying the B-52 Stratofortress and KC-135 Stratotanker, was assigned to Eglin as part of SAC's dispersal program. The wing was reassigned to the Eighth Air Force, 822nd Air Division on 1 January 1959.

In 1975, the installation served as one of four main U.S. Vietnamese Refugee Processing Centers, where base personnel housed and processed more than 10,000 Southeast Asian refugees. Eglin again became an Air Force refugee resettlement center processing over 10,000 Cubans who fled to the U.S. between April and May 1980.

During a 1992 reorganization, the Air Force disestablished Eglin's parent major command, Air Force Systems Command (AFSC) and merged its functions with the former Air Force Logistics Command (AFLC). The newly created major command from this merger, Air Force Material Command (AFMC), remains Eglin's parent command to this day.

In 1998, as part of the Air Forces' strategic plan to guide the service into the 21st century, the Air Force Development Test Center became the Air Force Materiel Command's Air Armament Center (AAC), responsible for development, acquisition, testing, and fielding all air-delivered weapons.

In February 2009 it was announced that Eglin would become the home base to 59 F-35B fighters, divided into one squadron each for the USAF, USN, and USMC. The first aircraft would arrive in March 2010, and deliveries would continue until 2014. In an ironic turn from the past, given how closely the founding of the base is tied to the history and businesses of Valparaiso, Florida, the Valparaiso Commission voted, 3-0, on Wednesday 18 February 2009 to sue the Air Force over the Record of Decision on 6 February to bring the F-35 training operations to Eglin. Citing concerns over noise levels of the new jet, the city has until 5 April to file suit in federal court, sixty days from the military's announcement. The city had previously filed a Freedom of Information Act lawsuit to gain more information on the potential impact of the JSF operations on the community, located under certain potential flight paths. The Air Force has received five bids for the $100 million in military construction money in preparation for arrival of the F-35 since the 6 February announcement, with at least four more bids in the works. "Military construction is expected to bring nearly $700 million to the area," reported the Northwest Florida Daily News on 19 February, but this may be jeopardized by the actions of Valparaiso city officials. Other communities in the region view the Valparaiso actions with disdain, and billboards have been erected in the Fort Walton Beach area supporting the F-35 decision. The Valparaiso mayor, Bruce Arnold, called the special meeting when he knew that the two city commissioners in favor of the F-35 basing decision would be unavailable - one out of town at Creech Air Force Base, Nevada, on business, and the other attending to his regular job.

Eglin AFB Emblem Gallery

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Demographics

Eglin employs more than 8,500 military and approximately 4,500 civilians, with an additional 2,200 jobs due to move to Eglin under the 2005 BRAC.

As of the censusTemplate:GR of 2000, there were 8,082 people, 2,302 households, and 2,262 families residing on the base. The population density was 2,640.1 people per square mile (1,019.8/km²). There were 2,320 housing units at an average density of 757.9/sq mi (292.7/km²). The racial makeup of the base was 71.79% White, 14.82% Black or African American, 0.48% Native American, 2.96% Asian, 0.38% Pacific Islander, 4.23% from other races, and 5.33% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 11.19% of the population.

There were 2,302 households out of which 79.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 89.8% were married couples living together, 5.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 1.7% were non-families. 1.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 0.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.50 and the average family size was 3.51.

On the base the population was spread out with 43.5% under the age of 18, 15.2% from 18 to 24, 39.6% from 25 to 44, 1.6% from 45 to 64, and 0.1% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age was 22 years. For every 100 females there were 100.6 males.

The median income for a household on the base was $31,951, and the median income for a family was $31,859. Males had a median income of $25,409 versus $19,176 for females. The per capita income for the base was $10,670. About 4.5% of families and 4.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 4.5% of those under the age of 18 and none of those 65 and older.

National historic status

There are two U.S. National Historic Landmark Districts with connections to the base: Camp Pinchot and Eglin Field.

Notable Residents

• Infielder Jay Bell was born here.
• Author Hunter S Thompson served here in the 1950s.

Eglin AFB in pop culture

• Three movies have been filmed in part at Eglin Air Force Base or its outlying auxiliary airfields, Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo in 1944, Twelve O' Clock High in 1948, and On the Threshold of Space in 1955.

Climate

Warm, subtropical weather lasts almost nine months out of the year. The annual precipitation ranges from 25 inches (640 mm) to 60 inches (1,500 mm). Year-round, the average temperatures run:

Jan - Mar: 60-69 High and 42-51 Low
Apr - Jun: 76-88 High and 58-72 Low
Jul - Sep: 86-89 High and 70-77 Low
Oct - Dec: 63-79 High and 44-69 Low

The area gets only 50 to 60 days of annual precipitation or more rainfall. There are few days without sunshine, which allows year-round outdoor activities.

Environment

The forests and shores of Eglin Air Force Base are at the center of one of the most biodiverse locations in North America. Over 50 species threatened in Florida are found on the base, including sea turtles that nest on its white-sand beaches and red-cockaded woodpeckers that thrive in its longleaf pine forests. The base has a natural resources management team that constantly monitors important species within the base with the goal of balancing their national defense mission with environmental stewardship. Longleaf pine forest, a forest type reduced to 5% of its former range in the last few centuries, covers 200,000 acres (810 km²) of the base. Part of this forest, 6,795 acres (27.50 km²), is old growth, making the base home to one of the most extensive old-growth longleaf pine forests in the world.

Civil rocketry

Eglin Air Force Base is also a launch site for civil rockets of NASA. There are three launch pads: one at 29.6700 N, 85.3700 W at Cape San Blas; and two on Santa Rosa Island at 30.3800 N, 86.7400 W and 30.3800 N, 86.8170 W. Rockets launched here have included Arcas, Nike Cajun, Nike Apaches, and Nike Iroquois. This site was formerly operated by the 4751st ADS with CIM-10 Bomarcs, inactivated in 1973. In the 1940s, captured V-1 flying bombs and American copies, Republic-Ford JB-2 LOONs, were launched out over the Gulf of Mexico from these sites.

See also

• Air Force Materiel Command
• Air Force Armament Museum
• Rocket launch sites
• Tactical Air Command
• Air Combat Command
• Ninth Air Force
• Khobar Towers
• Duke Field (Eglin AFB Auxiliary Field #3)
• Hurlburt Field (Eglin AFB Auxiliary Field #9)
• Northwest Florida Regional Airport (located with Eglin AFB)
• Florida World War II Army Airfields
• Fort Walton Beach-Crestview-Destin, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area
• List of accidents and incidents involving military aircraft
• List of aircraft accidents at Eglin Air Force Base

References

• This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain: Airman magazine online, Organization facilities list
• This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain: Eglin Air Force Base
• 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., 1989
• Ravenstein, Charles A., Air Force Combat Wings Lineage and Honors Histories 1947-1977, Office of Air Force History, 1984
• Endicott, Judy G., USAF Active Flying, Space, and Missile Squadrons as of 1 October 1995. Office of Air Force History
• Martin, Patrick, Tail Code: The Complete History Of USAF Tactical Aircraft Tail Code Markings, 1994
• USAAS-USAAC-USAAF-USAF Aircraft Serial Numbers--1908 to present

External links

• Eglin Air Force Base official site
  • Eglin history
  • USJFCOM JFIIT
• Eglin Air Force Base at GlobalSecurity.org
• Aviation: From Sand Dunes to Sonic Booms, a National Park Service Discover Our Shared Heritage Travel Itinerary
• Resources for this U.S. military airport:
  • FAA airport information for VPS
  • AirNav airport information for KVPS
  • ASN accident history for VPS
  • NOAA/NWS latest weather observations
  • SkyVector aeronautical chart for KVPS