Joint Base Anacostia–Bolling (JBAB) is a 905-acre (366 ha) military installation, located in Southeast, Washington, D.C., established on 1 October 2010 in accordance with congressional legislation implementing the recommendations of the 2005 Base Realignment and Closure Commission.CNIC Joint Base Anacostia–Bolling
/ref> The legislation ordered the consolidation of Naval Support Facility Anacostia (NSF) and Bolling Air Force Base (BAFB), which were adjoining, but separate military installations, into a single joint base, one of twelve formed in the country as a result of the law. The base hosts the

Defense Intelligence Agency Headquarters The Defense Intelligence Agency Headquarters (DIA HQ) is the main operating center of the Defense Intelligence Agency. It is located on the premises of Joint Base Anacostia–Bolling in Washington, DC. Overview DIA Headquarters (sometimes called ...

amongst its other responsibilities. The only aeronautical facility at the base is a 100-by-100-foot (30 by 30 m) helipad (

ICAO The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO, ) is a specialized agency of the United Nations that coordinates the principles and techniques of international air navigation, and fosters the planning and development of international ...

: KBOF).

Overview

Joint Base Anacostia–Bolling (JBAB) is responsible for providing installation support to 17,000 military, civilian employees and their families, 48 mission and tenant units, including ceremonial units (United States Air Force Honor Guard, USAF Band, USAF Chaplains, the Navy Ceremonial Guard), various Army, Marine Corps, Coast Guard, Joint Service commands and other DOD and federal agencies. Bolling Air Force Base units also provide ceremonial support to the

White House The White House is the official residence and workplace of the president of the United States. It is located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue Northwest, Washington, D.C., NW in Washington, D.C., and has been the residence of every U.S. preside ...

, the

Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (CJCS) is the presiding officer of the United States Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS). The chairman is the highest-ranking and most senior military officer in the United States Armed Forces Chairman: a ...

, the

Secretary of the Air Force A secretary, administrative professional, administrative assistant, executive assistant, administrative officer, administrative support specialist, clerk, military assistant, management assistant, office secretary, or personal assistant is a ...

, and the Air Force Chief of Staff, mainly through 11th Wing, the United States Air Force Honor Guard and The United States Air Force Band. NSF Anacostia falls under the command of Naval District Washington. The tenant commands for the navy aspect of the base include: * Commander, Naval Installations * District of Columbia Army National Guard * Department of Defense Inspector General * Marine Forces Reserve Center * Marine Helicopter Squadron (HMX-1) * NEXCOM BEM Gary Elliott * Office of Chief of Information * White House Communications Agency Additionally, the

has been located at Joint Base Anacostia–Bolling since 1987, and Coast Guard Station Washington, D.C., is located on the post next to the Capitol Cove Marina. The Naval Research Laboratory is not part of the Joint Base but is located immediately adjacent to it. Department of Homeland Security Office of Inspector General is also located in the base. The Naval Media Center was transferred to Fort Meade in 2011.

History

Nacotchtank history

Prior to European colonization, the area where the Joint Base Anacostia–Bolling is located was inhabited by the Nacotchtank, an Algonquian people. The largest village of the Nacotchtank was located just north of the base, south of Anacostia Park. Two ossuaries (burial grounds) have been discovered at Bolling Air Force Base and other Nacotchtank archaeological sites have been found at Giesboro Point on the Potomac River. The two burial mounds, which included Nacotchtank bones and skulls, were discovered in 1936 by crews working at the air force base. The burial site was also likely once a Nacotchtank village.

Slavery

The Giesborough site was owned by one of the largest slave holders in the area, George Washington Young. The site was purchased in 1833 and operated as a large plantation until the start of the civil war. Large tracts of land were donated to the Union so that a cavalry post could be established.

Naval Support Facility Anacostia

The Navy began testing

seaplane A seaplane is a powered fixed-wing aircraft capable of takeoff, taking off and water landing, landing (alighting) on water.Gunston, "The Cambridge Aerospace Dictionary", 2009. Seaplanes are usually divided into two categories based on their tec ...

s at this facility in 1918, and it eventually became a naval air station supporting conventional aircraft. Located immediately north of Bolling Air Force Base, NAS Anacostia remained in service as an active naval air station until 1962, when its runways were deactivated concurrent with Bolling's due to traffic pattern issues with nearby

Washington National Airport Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport , sometimes referred to colloquially as National Airport, Washington National, Reagan National Airport, DCA, Reagan, or simply National, is an international airport in Arlington County, Virginia, across ...

. Redesignated as a naval support facility, NSF Anacostia serves as headquarters for Commander, Naval Installations, Navy Office of the Chief of Information, and continues to maintain a large heliport facility, primarily used by Marine Helicopter Squadron One ( HMX-1) in support of " Marine One"

presidential President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) *President (education), a leader of a college or university * President (government title) President may also refer to: Automobiles * Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese fu ...

transport operations with VH-3D and VH-60N aircraft.

Bolling Air Force Base

Bolling's property has been a Department of Defense (DOD) asset since 1917. From its beginning, the installation has included the Army Air Corps (predecessor to today’s Air Force) and Navy aviation and support elements. The tract of land selected for the base was scouted by

William C. Ocker Colonel William Charles Ocker (June 18, 1880 – September 15, 1942) was an American aviation pioneer. He was known as the "Father of Instrument Flying". Biography He was born on June 18, 1880, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Ocker was one of s ...

at the direction of General Billy Mitchell. The base began near Anacostia in 1918, as the only military airfield near the

United States Capitol The United States Capitol, often called The Capitol or the Capitol Building, is the Seat of government, seat of the Legislature, legislative branch of the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government, which is form ...

and was originally named The Flying Field at Anacostia on 2 October 1917. It was renamed Anacostia Experimental Flying Field in June 1918. Not long after its acquisition by the military, the single installation evolved into two separate, adjoining bases; one Army (later Air Force) and one Navy. Bolling Field was officially opened 1 July 1918 and was named in honor of the first high-ranking air service officer killed in

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was List of wars and anthropogenic disasters by death toll, one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, ...

, Colonel Raynal C. Bolling. Colonel Bolling was the Assistant Chief of the Air Service, and was killed in action near Amiens, France, on 26 March 1918 while defending himself and his driver, Private Paul L. Holder, from an attack by German soldiers. In the late 1940s, Bolling Field’s property became Naval Air Station Anacostia and a new Air Force base, named Bolling Air Force Base, was constructed just to the south on 24 June 1948. Bolling AFB has served as a research and testing ground for new aviation equipment and its first mission provided aerial defense of the capital. It moved to its present location, along the Potomac in the city's southwest quadrant, in the 1930s. Over the years, Marine Corps, Coast Guard and National Guard units, as well as DOD and federal agencies also found the installation to be an ideal place from which to operate. Throughout World War II, the installation served as a training and organizational base for personnel and units going overseas. In 1962, fixed-wing aircraft operations at the air force and naval installations ceased, due to congested airspace around Washington National Airport on the opposite shore of the Potomac River. Although fixed-wing aircraft operations ceased, the installations continued their important service to the country and the world, serving in many capacities, including service with the Military Airlift Command (MAC); the headquarters for the Air Force District of Washington; the Air Force 11th Wing; Commander, Naval Installations Command, Naval Media Center (now, Defense Media Activity-Navy) and many other military commands and federal agencies Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling - Emblem

The Air Force District of Washington (AFDW) was created and activated at Bolling on 1 October 1985 with the mission of providing administrative support to Air Force members. On 15 July 1994, AFDW was inactivated, but was reactivated 5 January 2005 to "provide a single voice for Air Force requirements in the National Capital Region" according to the base's website.

Joint base

By 2020, more than half of the activity at Anacostia–Bolling fell under the US Air Force. Consequently, it was decided that installation management and support at the base would transfer from the US Navy to the Air Force. To facilitate the change, on 11 June 2020 the 11th Wing inactivated as the host wing at Joint Base Andrews and reactivated as the 316th Wing. After fifteen years of being based at Andrews, the 11th Wing returned to Anacostia-Bolling on 12 June 2020 and activated as the host wing at the base. A memorandum of agreement was signed between the Navy and the Air Force on 24 June 2020 which formalised the transition, however the Air Force did not officially take control until 1 October 2020.

Based units

Notable units based at Joint Base Anacostia–Bolling:

Defense Information Systems Agency

* White House Communications Agency ** Headquarters White House Communications Agency

Defense Intelligence Agency The Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) is an intelligence agency and combat support agency of the United States Department of Defense, specializing in defense and military intelligence. A component of the Department of Defense (DoD) and th ...

Department of the Air Force

Office of the Secretary of the Air Force The secretary of the Air Force, sometimes referred to as the secretary of the Department of the Air Force, (SecAF, or SAF/OS) is the head of the Department of the Air Force and the service secretary for the United States Air Force and United S ...

* Administrative Assistant to the Secretary ** Air Force Departmental Publishing Office * Inspector General of the Air Force Direct Reporting Unit * Air Force District of Washington ** 11th Wing (host wing) *** Headquarters 11th Wing *** 11th Comptroller Squadron *** 11th Operations Group ****

US Air Force Band The United States Air Force Band is a U.S. military band consisting of 184 active-duty members of the United States Air Force. It is the Air Force's premier musical organization and is based at Bolling Air Force Base, Washington, D.C.. Within t ...

**** US Air Force Honor Guard **** Arlington Chaplaincy *** 11th Medical Group **** 11th Medical Support Squadron **** 11th Medical Squadron *** 11th Mission Support Group **** 11th Civil Engineer Squadron **** 11th Contracting Squadron **** 11th Force Support Squadron **** 11th Logistics Readiness Squadron **** 11th Mission Support Group **** 11th Security Forces Squadron Field Operating Agency * Air Force Historical Research Agency **

Air Force History and Museums Program 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 ...

*** Air Force Historical Support Division

Department of the Army The United States Department of the Army (DA) is one of the three military departments within the Department of Defense of the U.S. The Department of the Army is the federal government agency within which the United States Army (U.S.) is or ...

US Army Military District of Washington * Joint Air Defense Operations Center

Department of the Navy

Office of the Secretary of the Navy *

Naval Criminal Investigative Service The United States Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS) is the primary law enforcement agency of the U.S. Department of the Navy. Its primary function is to investigate criminal activities involving the Navy and Marine Corps, though its ...

(NCIS) ** NCIS Washington Field Office

United States Marine Corps The United States Marine Corps (USMC), also referred to as the United States Marines, is the maritime land force service branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for conducting expeditionary and amphibious operations through ...

Headquarters Marine Corps *

Deputy Commandant for Aviation The Deputy Commandant for Aviation (DCA) is the United States Marine Corps' principle advisor on all aviation matters and is the spokesperson for Marine Corps Aviation programs, requirements, and strategy throughout the Department of the Navy ...

** Marine Helicopter Squadron 1 (HMX-1) – UH-3D Sea King, VH-3D Sea King, UH-60N Black Hawk, VH-60N White Hawk and MV-22B Osprey US Marine Corps Reserve (USMCR) * Force Headquarters Group ** 4th Civil Affairs Group *** Marine Corps Advisor Company A

United States Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage ...

Commander, Navy Installations Command * Naval District Washington ** US Navy Ceremonial Guard

United States Coast Guard The United States Coast Guard (USCG) is the maritime security, search and rescue, and law enforcement service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the country's eight uniformed services. The service is a maritime, military, mu ...

Atlantic Area * Fifth District ** Sector Maryland-National Capital Region *** Coast Guard Station Washington

Housing

Residents are zoned to District of Columbia Public Schools. Residents are zoned to Leckie Elementary School, Hart Middle School, and

Ballou High School Frank W. Ballou Senior High School is a public school located in Washington, D.C., United States. Ballou is a part of the District of Columbia Public Schools. The principal is Willie Jackson (a 1987 alumnus). History Ballou High School was founde ...

. There is a charter school on JBAB, LEARN D.C. There was previously a proposal for an on-base school dating to the 1960s. In 2010 Leckie had about 33% of its students from military families. Leckie Elementary is near Anacostia-Bolling's south gate. Around that time Anacostia–Bolling parents have advocated establishing a charter school for secondary grades on Anacostia–Bolling so they do not have to enroll their children in faraway schools. They perceived the zoned secondary schools as being of low quality; around that time about 20% of the students in the local schools had adequate or higher performance in mathematics and reading. In 2010 Anacostia-Bolling parents drove around 300 children to their schools, while 255 children took school buses to their schools. In 2021 the LEARN organization signed an agreement to lease space at JBAB. It was scheduled to begin operations in Fall 2021 and is to expand to be a PreK-8 school.

References

* *

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling 1917 establishments in Washington, D.C. Defense Intelligence Agency Intelligence agency headquarters Military facilities in Washington, D.C. Anacostia Southwest (Washington, D.C.)