Wright-Patterson Air Force Base (WPAFB) 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 Si ...

base and

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, suc ...

just east of

Dayton, Ohio Dayton () is the List of cities in Ohio, sixth-largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Montgomery County, Ohio, Montgomery County. A small part of the city extends into Greene County, Ohio, Greene County. The 2020 United S ...

, in Greene and Montgomery counties. It includes both Wright and Patterson Fields, which were originally

Wilbur Wright Field Wilbur Wright Field was a military installation and an airfield used as a World War I pilot, mechanic, and armorer training facility and, under different designations, conducted United States Army Air Corps and Air Forces flight testing. L ...

and Fairfield Aviation General Supply Depot. Patterson Field is approximately northeast of

Dayton Dayton () is the sixth-largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Montgomery County. A small part of the city extends into Greene County. The 2020 U.S. census estimate put the city population at 137,644, while Greater Da ...

; Wright Field is approximately northeast of Dayton. The host unit at Wright-Patterson AFB is the 88th Air Base Wing (88 ABW), assigned to the Air Force Life Cycle Management Center and

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 Co ...

. The 88 ABW operates the airfield, maintains all infrastructure and provides security, communications, medical, legal, personnel, contracting, finance, transportation, air traffic control, weather forecasting, public affairs, recreation and chaplain services for more than 60 associate units. The base's origins begin with the establishment of Wilbur Wright Field on 22 May and McCook Field in November 1917, both established by the Aviation Section, U.S. Signal Corps as

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, ...

installations. McCook was used as a testing field and for aviation experiments. Wright was used as a flying field (renamed Patterson Field in 1931); Fairfield Aviation General Supply Depot; armorers' school, and a temporary storage depot. McCook's functions were transferred to Wright Field when it was closed in October 1927. Wright-Patterson AFB was established in 1948 as a merger of Patterson and Wright Fields. In 1995, negotiations to end the

Bosnian War The Bosnian War ( sh, Rat u Bosni i Hercegovini / Рат у Босни и Херцеговини) was an international armed conflict that took place in Bosnia and Herzegovina between 1992 and 1995. The war is commonly seen as having started ...

were held at the base, resulting in the Dayton Agreement that ended the war. The 88th Air Base Wing is commanded by Col. Christopher B. Meeker. Its Command Chief Master Sergeant is Chief Master Sergeant Lloyd E. Morales. The base had a total of 27,406 military, civilian and contract employees in 2010. The Greene County portion of the base is a

(CDP), with a resident population of 1,821 at the 2010 census.

History

Prehistoric Indian mounds of the Adena culture at Wright-Patterson are along P Street and, at the Wright Brothers Memorial, a hilltop mound group. Aircraft operations on land now part of Wright-Patterson Air Force Base began in 1904–1905 when

Wilbur Wilbur may refer to: Places in the United States * Wilbur, Indiana, an unincorporated town * Wilbur, Trenton, New Jersey, a neighborhood in the city of Trenton * Wilbur, Oregon, an unincorporated community * Wilbur, Washington, a small farming ...

and Orville Wright used an plot of Huffman Prairie for experimental test flights with the Wright Flyer III. Their flight exhibition company and the Wright Company School of Aviation returned 1910–1916 to use the flying field.

transfers of land that later became WPAFB include (including the Huffman Prairie Flying Field) along the Mad River leased to the Army by the Miami Conservancy District, the adjacent purchased by the Army from the District for the

Fairfield Aviation General Supply Depot The Fairfield Aviation General Supply Depot is a former Aviation Section, U.S. Signal Corps military facility, located adjacent to Wilbur Wright Field in Riverside, Ohio. History The Fairfield Aviation General Supply Depot was constructed on 40 a ...

, and a complex for McCook Field just north of downtown Dayton between Keowee Street and the Great Miami River. In 1918, Wilbur Wright Field agreed to let McCook Field use hangar and shop space as well as its enlisted mechanics to assemble and maintain airplanes and engines under the direction of Chief of Air Service Mason Patrick. After

, 347 German aircraft were brought to the United States—some were incorporated into the Army Aeronautical Museum (in 1923 the Engineering Division at McCook Field "first collected technical artifacts for preservation"). The training school at Wilbur Wright Field was discontinued. Wilbur Wright Field and the depot merged after World War I to form the Fairfield Air Depot. The Patterson family formed the Dayton Air Service Committee, Inc which held a campaign that raised $425,000 in two days and purchased northeast of Dayton, including Wilbur Wright Field and the Huffman Prairie Flying Field. In 1924, the Committee presented the deeds to president Calvin Coolidge for the construction of a new aviation engineering center. The entire acreage (including the Fairfield Air Depot) was designated Wright Field, which had units such as the Headquarters, 5th Division Air Service (redesignated 5th Division Aviation in 1928), and its 88th Observation Squadron and 7th Photo Section. New facilities were built 1925–27 on the portion of Wright Field west of Huffman Dam to house all of the McCook Field functions being relocated.

Wright and Patterson fields

Wright Field was "formally dedicated" on 12 October 1927 when "the Materiel Division moved from McCook Field to the new site" At the time of the dedication expenditures of approximately $5 million had been involved in the new facility after 18 months work, with the total amount expected to rise to between $7 and $8 million. The ceremonies included the John L. Mitchell Trophy Race (won by Lt. I. A. Woodring of the 1st Pursuit Group—Speed: 158.968 mph) and Orville Wright raising the flag over the new engineering center. On 1 July 1931, the portion of Wright Field east of Huffman Dam (land known today as Areas A and C of Wright-Patterson Air Force Base which included the Fairfield Air Depot and the Huffman Prairie Flying Field) was redesignated "Patterson Field" in honor of Lieutenant Frank Stuart Patterson. Lt. Patterson was the son of Frank J. Patterson, co-founder of

National Cash Register NCR Corporation, previously known as National Cash Register, is an American software, consulting and technology company providing several professional services and electronic products. It manufactures self-service kiosks, point-of-sale termin ...

. Shortly before the end of WW1, 1Lt Patterson and observer 2Lt LeRoy Swan, both of the

137th Aero Squadron The 137th Airlift Squadron (137 AS) is a unit of the New York Air National Guard 105th Airlift Wing located at Stewart Air National Guard Base, Newburgh, New York. The 137th is equipped with the C-17A Globemaster III. History World War II The ...

, were killed at Wright Field in the crash of their de Havilland DH.4 after its wings collapsed during a dive while firing at ground targets with a new synchronized-through–the–propeller machine gun. Patterson's grave and memorial arch is at Woodland Cemetery and Aborateum in Dayton, Ohio.

World War II

US National Park Service marker for Wright-Patterson Air Force Base

The area's World War II Army Air Fields had employment increase from approximately 3,700 in December 1939 to over 50,000 at the war's peak. Wright Field grew from approximately 30 buildings to a facility with some 300 buildings and the Air Corps' first modern paved runways. The original part of the field became saturated with office and laboratory buildings and test facilities. The Hilltop area was acquired from private landowners in 1943–1944 to provide troop housing and services. The portion of Patterson Field from Huffman Dam through the Brick Quarters (including the command headquarters in Building 10262) at the south end of Patterson Field along Route 4 was administratively reassigned from Patterson Field to Wright Field. To avoid confusing the two areas of Wright Field, the south end of the former Patterson Field portion was designated "Area A", the original Wright Field became "Area B", and the north end of Patterson Field, including the flying field, "Area C." In February 1940 at Wright Field, the Army Air Corps established the Technical Data Branch (Technical Data Section in July 1941, Technical Data Laboratory in 1942). After Air Corps Ferrying Command was established on 29 May 1941, on 21 June an installation point of the command opened at Patterson Field. The Flight Test Training unit of Air Technical Command was established at Wright Field on 9 September 1944 (moved to Patterson Field in 1946, Edwards AFB on 4 February 1951). Two densely populated housing and service areas across Highway 444, Wood City and Skyway Park, were geographically separated from the central core of Patterson Field and developed almost self-sufficient community status. (Wood City was acquired in 1924 as part of the original donation of land to the government but was used primarily as just a radio range until World War II. Skyway Park was acquired in 1943.) They supported the vast numbers of recruits who enlisted and were trained at the two fields as well as thousands of civilian laborers, especially single women recruited to work at the depot. Skyway Park was demolished after the war. Wood City was eventually transformed into Kittyhawk Center, the base's modern commercial and recreation center. In the fall of 1942, the first twelve "Air Force" officers to receive ATI field collection training were assigned to Wright Field for training in the technical aspects of "crash" intelligence (RAF Squadron Leader Colley identified how to obtain information from equipment marking plates and squadron markings. In July 1944 during the Robot Blitz, Wright Field fired a reconstructed German pulse-jet engine (an entire

V-1 flying bomb The V-1 flying bomb (german: Vergeltungswaffe 1 "Vengeance Weapon 1") was an early cruise missile. Its official Reich Aviation Ministry () designation was Fi 103. It was also known to the Allies as the buzz bomb or doodlebug and in Germany ...

was by 8 September at

Republic Aviation The Republic Aviation Corporation was an American aircraft manufacturer based in Farmingdale, New York, on Long Island. Originally known as the Seversky Aircraft Company, the company was responsible for the design and production of many importan ...

.) The first German and Japanese aircraft arrived in 1943, and captured equipment soon filled six buildings, a large outdoor storage area, and part of a flight-line hangar for Technical Data Lab study (TDL closed its Army Aeronautical Museum). The World War II Operation Lusty returned 86 German aircraft to Wright Field for study, e.g., the

Messerschmitt 262 The Messerschmitt Me 262, nicknamed ''Schwalbe'' (German: " Swallow") in fighter versions, or ''Sturmvogel'' (German: " Storm Bird") in fighter-bomber versions, is a fighter aircraft and fighter-bomber that was designed and produced by the Germ ...

jet fighter, while the post-war

Operation Paperclip Operation Paperclip was a secret United States intelligence program in which more than 1,600 German scientists, engineers, and technicians were taken from the former Nazi Germany to the U.S. for government employment after the end of World War ...

brought German scientists and technicians to Wright Field, e.g., Ernst R. G. Eckert (most of the scientists eventually went to work in the various Wright Field labs.)

UFO Studies / Sightings

Project Sign ( Project Grudge in 1949, Project Blue Book in March 1952) was WPAFB's T-2 Intelligence investigations of

unidentified flying objects An unidentified flying object (UFO), more recently renamed by US officials as a UAP (unidentified aerial phenomenon), is any perceived aerial phenomenon that cannot be immediately identified or explained. On investigation, most UFOs are ide ...

(UFO) reports that began in July 1947. The 1947 All-Altitude Speed Course at Vandalia became a detached installation of the Technical Base. After the USAF was created in September 1947, Morris' base headquarters was redesignated Headquarters, Air Force Technical Base, on 15 December 1947.

Wright-Patterson Air Force Base - 10 Oct 2000

USAF base

Wright-Patterson Air Force Base was redesignated from the Air Force Technical Base on 13 January 1948—the former Wright Field Areas A and B remained, while Patterson Field became "Area C" and Skyway Park became "Area D" of the installation. In 1951 all locally based flying activities were moved to the Area B flight line. The 1948 All-Altitude Speed Course, later the Missile Tracking Annex, at Sulphur Grove, Ohio became a detached installation of Wright-Patt. Headquarters, Air Engineering Development Division, was at WPAFB from 1 January 1950 to 14 November 1950, followed by the Air Research and Development Command from 16 November 1950 to 24 June 1951 (began move to Baltimore on 11 May 1951). By 1952 the WPAFB headquarters of the

Wright Air Development Center The Aeronautical Systems Center (ASC) is an inactivated Air Force product center that designed, developed and delivered weapon systems and capabilities for U.S. Air Force, other U.S. military, allied and coalition-partner warfighters. ASC managed ...

(WADC) included a Plans and Operations Department (WOO) and Divisions for Aeronautics (WCN), Flight Test (WCT), Research (WCR), Weapons Components (WCE), Weapons Systems (WCS). On 15 February, WADC medical examinations "for the final selection of the

Mercury astronauts The Mercury Seven were the group of seven astronauts selected to fly spacecraft for Project Mercury. They are also referred to as the Original Seven and Astronaut Group 1. Their names were publicly announced by NASA on April 9, 1959; these sev ...

were started" at the Aerospace Medical Laboratory (Wright-Patt test pilots

Neil Armstrong Neil Alden Armstrong (August 5, 1930 – August 25, 2012) was an American astronaut and aeronautical engineer who became the first person to walk on the Moon in 1969. He was also a naval aviator, test pilot, and university professor. ...

and Ed White became NASA astronauts.) From 6 March 1950 to 1 December 1951,

Clinton County Air Force Base Wilmington Air Park, effective 2009-08-27. is a public-use airport located two nautical miles (3.7 km) southeast of the central business district of Wilmington, a city in Clinton County, Ohio, United States. While DHL had privately owned ...

was assigned as a sub-base of WPAFB, and from 1950 to 1955, Wright-Patt had two Central Air Defense Force fighter-interceptor squadrons (1 from 1955 to 1960). Wright Field Map 1954

Cold War expansions

In 1954, of land adjacent to the Mad River at the northeast boundary of the base, near the former location of the village of Osborn, were purchased for a

Strategic Air Command Strategic Air Command (SAC) was both a United States Department of Defense Specified Command and a United States Air Force (USAF) Major Command responsible for command and control of the strategic bomber and intercontinental ballistic missile ...

dispersal site. Area D structures were demolished in 1957 (donated to the state in 1963 for

Wright State University Wright State University is a public research university in Fairborn, Ohio. Originally opened in 1964 as a branch campus of Miami University and Ohio State University, it became an independent institution in 1967 and was named in honor of aviation ...

). In February 1958 the Wright Field (Area B) runways were closed to all jet traffic (1959 Area C operations included 139,276 takeoffs and landings, Area B had 44,699.) The West Ramp complex was built between August 1958 and July 1960. The 4043rd Strategic Wing began

KC-135 Stratotanker The Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker is an American military aerial refueling aircraft that was developed from the Boeing 367-80 prototype, alongside the Boeing 707 airliner. It is the predominant variant of the C-135 Stratolifter family of trans ...

operations in February 1960 and

B-52 Stratofortress The Boeing B-52 Stratofortress is an American long-range, subsonic, jet-powered strategic bomber. The B-52 was designed and built by Boeing, which has continued to provide support and upgrades. It has been operated by the United States Air ...

operations in June 1960. On 1 July 1963, the wing was re-designated the 17th Bombardment Wing (Heavy) and continued its mission under this unit until 7 July 1975, when the last of its 11 B-52s was transferred to

Beale Air Force Base Beale Air Force Base (AFB) is a United States Air Force base located approximately east of Marysville, California. It is located outside Linda, about east of the towns of Marysville and Yuba City, and about north of Sacramento. The host ...

, California. From 1957–

1962 Events January * January 1 – Western Samoa becomes independent from New Zealand. * January 3 – Pope John XXIII excommunicates Fidel Castro for preaching communism. * January 8 – Harmelen train disaster: 93 die in the wor ...

, WADC's

Hurricane Supersonic Research Site The Hurricane Supersonic Research Site (HSRS) was formerly on Hurricane Mesa in Washington County, Utah. It was a United States Air Force, United States Air Force (USAF) launch complex with a rocket research track that launched a rocket ejectio ...

in Utah was a detached installation of Wright-Patt. The NORAD Manual Air Defense Control Center for

58th Air Division The 58th Air Division (58th AD) is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with Air Defense Command, based at Wright Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio. It was inactivated on 1 February 1959. History World War II B-2 ...

interceptors was at

Wright-Patterson AFB Wright-Patterson Air Force Base (WPAFB) is a United States Air Force base and census-designated place just east of Dayton, Ohio, in Greene and Montgomery counties. It includes both Wright and Patterson Fields, which were originally Wilbur W ...

by 1958, and

Brookfield Air Force Station Brookfield Air Force Station is a closed United States Air Force General Surveillance Radar station. It is located south-southeast of Brookfield, Ohio. It was closed in 1959. History Brookfield Air Force Station constructed as part of the ...

near the Pennsylvania state line became operational as an April 1952 – January 1963 sub-base of WPAFB. The 1954–79 "Wright-Patterson Communications Facility #4" was at Yellow Springs, Ohio (which also had the 1965–77 Celestial Guidance Research Site.) WPAFB also had an

Army Air Defense Command Post An army (from Old French ''armee'', itself derived from the Latin verb ''armāre'', meaning "to arm", and related to the Latin noun ''arma'', meaning "arms" or "weapons"), ground force or land force is a fighting force that fights primarily on ...

for nearby Project Nike

surface-to-air missile A surface-to-air missile (SAM), also known as a ground-to-air missile (GTAM) or surface-to-air guided weapon (SAGW), is a missile designed to be launched from the ground to destroy aircraft or other missiles. It is one type of anti-aircraft syst ...

sites of the Cincinnati-Dayton Defense Area were at Wilmington (CD-27, ); Felicity (CD-46, ); Dillsboro (CD-63), and Oxford (CD-78, ). The AADCP activated in the spring of 1960 and moved to Wilmington—with

BIRDIE Birdy or Birdie may refer to: Places in the United States * Birdie, Georgia, an unincorporated community * Birdie, Mississippi, an unincorporated community People with the name * Birdie Blye (1871–1935), American pianist * Birdy (sing ...

CCCS—by 1965 ( closed March 1971). from the 4950th Test Wing to AFRC's 445th Airlift Wing with

C-17 Globemaster III The McDonnell Douglas/Boeing C-17 Globemaster III is a large military transport aircraft that was developed for the United States Air Force (USAF) from the 1980s to the early 1990s by McDonnell Douglas. The C-17 carries forward the name of t ...

transports. The permanent party work force at WPAFB as of 30 September 2005, numbered 5,517 military and 8,102 civilian.

Dayton Agreement

In 1995, Alija Izetbegović, the

President of Bosnia and Herzegovina The presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina ( sh-Latn-Cyrl, Predsjedništvo Bosne i Hercegovine, separator=" / ", Предсједништво Босне и Херцеговине) is a three-member body which collectively serves as head of state o ...

;

Franjo Tuđman Franjo Tuđman (; 14 May 1922 – 10 December 1999), also written as Franjo Tudjman, was a Croatian politician and historian. Following the country's independence from Yugoslavia, he became the first president of Croatia and served as p ...

, the

President of Croatia The president of Croatia, officially the President of the Republic of Croatia ( hr, Predsjednik Republike Hrvatske), is the head of state, commander-in-chief of the military and chief representative of the Republic of Croatia both within t ...

; and

Slobodan Milošević Slobodan Milošević (, ; 20 August 1941 – 11 March 2006) was a Yugoslav and Serbian politician who was the president of Serbia within Yugoslavia from 1989 to 1997 (originally the Socialist Republic of Serbia, a constituent republic of ...

, the

President of Serbia The president of Serbia ( sr, Председник Србије, Predsednik Srbije), officially styled as the President of the Republic ( sr, Председник Републике, Predsednik Republike) is the head of state of Serbia. The cu ...

, arrived at Wright-Patterson AFB to commence negotiations to end the

, an ethnic conflict that by 1995 was between the Bosnia and Herzegovina's Bosniaks and the Croats (who had put aside their differences) on one side versus Bosnia and Herzegovina's Serbs on the other side. American diplomat

Richard Holbrooke Richard Charles Albert Holbrooke (April 24, 1941 – December 13, 2010) was an American diplomat and author. He was the only person to have held the position of Assistant Secretary of State for two different regions of the world (Asia from 1977 ...

led the negotiations. Eventually an agreement was made to have Bosnia and Herzegovina have two internal entities, a Bosniak-Croat federation known as the

Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina The Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina is one of the two entities within the State of Bosnia and Herzegovina, the other being Republika Srpska. The Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina consists of 10 autonomous cantons with their own gove ...

, and a Serb territory known as

Republika Srpska Republika Srpska ( sr-Cyrl, Република Српска, lit=Serb Republic, also known as Republic of Srpska, ) is one of the two entities of Bosnia and Herzegovina, the other being the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is located ...

2019–22 coronavirus pandemic

In response to the

COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identi ...

, the base sent

airmen An airman is a member of an air force or air arm of a nation's armed forces. In certain air forces, it can also refer to a specific enlisted rank. An airman can also be referred as a soldier in other definitions. In civilian aviation usage, ...

from the 88th Medical Group to

Detroit Detroit ( , ; , ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is also the largest U.S. city on the United States–Canada border, and the seat of government of Wayne County. The City of Detroit had a population of 639,111 at t ...

for two months, where they setup a COVID-19 vaccination site in support of the Federal Emergency Management whole-of-government COVID response. The base sent medical Air Force professionals to

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...

after airmen from the 445th Airlift Wing were deployed to aid the city's response.

Assignments

Air Materiel Command Air Materiel Command (AMC) was a United States Army Air Forces and United States Air Force command. Its headquarters was located at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio. In 1961, the command was redesignated the Air Force Logistics Command ...

, 9 March 1946 :

Air Force Logistics Command 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 fo ...

, 1 April 1961 :

, 1 July 1992

Units

In addition to the command headquarters, major units formerly assigned to Wright-Patterson Air Force Base include: * Air Materiel Command Technical Intelligence Department, 10 October 1947 – 21 May 1951 : Redesignated: Air Technical Intelligence Center, 21 May 1951 – 1 July 1961 * USAF Technical Intelligence School, 1 May 1953 – 1 July 1961 * 1702d Air Transport Group, 1 October 1948 – 17 July 1950 *

, 8 September 1955 – 1 February 1959 * 4043d Strategic Wing, 1 April 1959 – 1 February 1963 *

17th Bombardment Wing 17 (seventeen) is the natural number following 16 and preceding 18. It is a prime number. Seventeen is the sum of the first four prime numbers. In mathematics 17 is the seventh prime number, which makes seventeen the fourth super-prime, ...

, 1 July 1963 – 30 September 1975

Museum

Located adjacent to the base proper is the National Museum of the United States Air Force. The oldest and largest military aircraft museum in the world, it houses such aircraft as the only XB-70 Valkyrie in existence, an F-117 Nighthawk stealth fighter, and the

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...

B-17 The Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress is a four-engined heavy bomber developed in the 1930s for the United States Army Air Corps (USAAC). Relatively fast and high-flying for a bomber of its era, the B-17 was used primarily in the European Theater ...

bomber A bomber is a military combat aircraft designed to attack ground and naval targets by dropping air-to-ground weaponry (such as bombs), launching torpedoes, or deploying air-launched cruise missiles. The first use of bombs dropped from an air ...

, '' Memphis Belle''.

Role and operations

Wright-Patterson AFB is "one of the largest, most diverse, and organizationally complex bases in the Air Force" with a long history of flight tests spanning from the Wright Brothers into the

Space Age The Space Age is a period encompassing the activities related to the Space Race, space exploration, space technology, and the cultural developments influenced by these events, beginning with the launch of Sputnik 1 during 1957, and continuing ...

. It is the headquarters of the

, one of the major commands of the Air Force. "Wright-Patt" (as the base is colloquially called) is also the location of a major USAF Medical Center (hospital), the Air Force Institute of Technology, and the National Museum of the United States Air Force, formerly known as the U.S. Air Force Museum. The 88th Air Base Wing consists of more than 5,000 officers, enlisted Air Force, civilian and contractor employees responsible for three primary mission areas: operating the installation; deploying expeditionary Airmen in support of the Global War on Terrorism; and defending the base and its people. It is also the home base of the 445th Airlift Wing of 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 commis ...

, an

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 elemen ...

-gained unit which flies the

C-17 Globemaster The McDonnell Douglas/Boeing C-17 Globemaster III is a large military transport aircraft that was developed for the United States Air Force (USAF) from the 1980s to the early 1990s by McDonnell Douglas. The C-17 carries forward the name of tw ...

heavy airlifter. Wright-Patterson is also the headquarters of the Air Force Life Cycle Management Center and the

Air Force Research Laboratory The Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) is a scientific research organization operated by the United States Air Force Materiel Command dedicated to leading the discovery, development, and integration of aerospace warfighting technologies, pl ...

. Wright-Patterson is the host of the annual United States Air Force Marathon which occurs the weekend closest to the Air Force's anniversary. The base conducts neurotechnology research.

Based units

Flying and notable non-flying units based at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base. Units marked GSU are Geographically Separate Units, which although based at Wright-Patterson, are subordinate to a parent unit based at another location.

United States Air Force

(AFMC) * Headquarters Air Force Materiel Command * Air Force Life Cycle Management Center ** Headquarters Air Force Life Cycle Management Center ** 21st Intelligence Squadron ** 645th Aeronautical Systems Group ** Business & Enterprise Systems Directorate *** Financial Systems Division (GSU) ** Propulsion Directorate *** Propulsion Acquisition Division (GSU) ** Rapid Sustainment Directorate ** Fighters & Advanced Aircraft Directorate *** Advanced Aircraft Division *** Special Programs Division *** F-15 FMS Division ** Bombers Directorate *** Strike Systems Division *** B-2 Spirit Division ** Air Force Security Assistance & Cooperation Directorate *** International Logistics Support Division *** Global Facilities Support Division *** Financial Management & Comptroller Division *** International Division *** Contract Execution Division *** Central Division *** Policy & Programs Division *** Operations Division *** Information Technology Services Division ** Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance & Special Operations Forces Directorate *** RQ-4 Global Hawk & U-2 Dragon Lady Division *** Medium Altitude Unmanned Aerial Systems Division *** Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Sensors & FMS Division *** Special Operations Forces & Personnel Recovery Division *** Helicopter Program Office *** Attack Systems Directorate ** Joint Strike Fighter Directorate ** Mobility & Training Aircraft Directorate *** International Acquisition Programs Division *** T-7 Division *** KC-46 Division ** Agile Combat Support Directorate *** Portfolio Analysis Division *** Foreign Military Sales Division *** Simulators Division *** Human Systems Division ** Presidential & Executive Aircraft Directorate *** VC-25B "Next Air Force One" Division ** Acquisition Excellence Directorate ** Personnel Directorate ** Engineering Directorate ** Judge Advocate Office ** Financial Management Directorate ** Information Protection Directorate ** Logistics Directorate ** Contracting Directorate ** Plans & Programs Directorate ** Small Business Office ** Safety Office ** Program Execution Directorate *** Test & Evaluation Division ** Personnel Execution Directorate ** Technical Engineering Directorate ** Architecture & Integration Directorate ** Financial Management Mission Execution Directorate ** Logistics Services Directorate ** Contract Execution Directorate ** Plans & Programs Execution Directorate *** Center Information Technology Office ** Intelligence Directorate ** 88th Air Base Wing (Host wing) *** Headquarters 88th Air Base Wing *** United States Air Force Marathon Office *** 88th Comptroller Squadron *** 88th Operations Support Squadron *** 88th Medical Group **** 88th Inpatient Operations Squadron **** 88th Dental Squadron **** 88th Diagnostics and Therapeutics Squadron **** 88th Healthcare Operations Squadron **** 88th Surgical Operations Squadron **** 88th Operational Medical Readiness Squadron **** 88th Medical Support Squadron *** 88th Civil Engineer Group **** 88th Civil Engineer Squadron **** 788th Civil Engineer Squadron *** 88th Mission Support Group **** 88th Communications Squadron **** 88th Force Support Squadron **** 88th Security Forces Squadron **** 88th Logistics Readiness Squadron * National Museum of the United States Air Force * Air Force Installation and Mission Support Center ** Detachment 6 (GSU) ** Air Force Installation Contracting Center (GSU) *

** Headquarters Air Force Research Laboratory **

711th Human Performance Wing The 711th Human Performance Wing (711 HPW) is a wing of the United States Air Force based at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base near Dayton, Ohio. Air Force officials redesignated the inactive Harry G. Armstrong Aerospace Medical Research Labora ...

*** Airman Systems Directorate *** Human Systems Integration Directorate *** US Air Force School of Aerospace Medicine ** Air Force Research Laboratory D'Azzo Research Library ** Air Vehicles Directorate ** Materials and Manufacturing Directorate ** Propulsion Directorate ** Sensors Directorate

Air Education and Training Command Air Education and Training Command (AETC) is one of the nine Major Commands (MAJCOM) of the United States Air Force (USAF), reporting to Headquarters, United States Air Force. It was established 1 July 1993, with the realignment of Air Training ...

(AETC) * Air University ** Detachment 1 (GSU) ** Air Force Institute of Technology (GSU) *** Mission Support Directorate *** Communications & Information Directorate *** Financial Management Directorate *** Requirements, Plans & Programs Directorate *** Safety Directorate *** Security Directorate *** Judge Advocate *** The Civil Engineer School *** Civilian Institution Programs *** The Graduate School of Engineering & Management *** The School of Strategic Force Studies *** The School of Systems & Logistics * Air Force Recruiting Service ** 360th Recruiting Group *** 338th Recruiting Squadron (GSU)

(AMC) *

375th Air Mobility Wing The 375th Air Mobility Wing (375 AMW) is a unit of the United States Air Force stationed at Scott Air Force Base, Illinois and assigned to Eighteenth Air Force under Air Mobility Command (AMC). The wing has four primary missions. It supports ae ...

375th Operations Group The 375th Operations Group (375 OG) is the operational flying component of the United States Air Force 375th Air Mobility Wing. It is stationed at Scott Air Force Base, Illinois. The unit's World War II predecessor unit, the 375th Troop Carri ...

*** Detachment 4 (GSU)

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) *

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 ...

** 688th Cyberspace Wing ***

690th Cyberspace Operations Group The 690th Cyberspace Operations Group, at Lackland Air Force Base, Texas, is a United States Air Force group operating the Cyber Security and Control System weapon system. The group was established 1 April 1991 as the 6900 Communications-Computer ...

**** 83rd Network Operations Squadron ***** Detachment 3 (GSU) *

First Air Force The First Air Force (Air Forces Northern; 1 AF-AFNORTH) is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force Air Combat Command (ACC). It is headquartered at Tyndall Air Force Base, Florida. Its primary mission is the air defense of the C ...

** Headquarters Civil Air Patrol-United States Air Force (HQ CAP-USAF) *** Great Lakes Region Liaison Office (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 Reporti ...

(AFDW) * US Air Force Bands ** The United States Air Force Band of Flight Air Force Field Operating Agency (FOA) *

National Air and Space Intelligence Center The National Air and Space Intelligence Center (NASIC) is the United States Air Force unit for analyzing military intelligence on foreign air and space forces, weapons, and systems. NASIC assessments of aerospace performance characteristics, ca ...

** Directorate of Communications and Information ** Directorate of Personnel ** Directorate of Facilities and Logistics ** Directorate of Plans and Operations ** Air and Cyberspace Intelligence Group *** Aircraft Analysis Squadron *** Operational Requirements Squadron *** Information Warfare Analysis Squadron *** Integrated Command, Control, Communications, Computers Intelligence Surveillance and Reconnaissance Analysis Squadron ** Geospatial and Signatures Intelligence Group *** Persistent Infrared Analysis Squadron *** Measurements and Signatures Intelligence Analysis Squadron *** Geospatial Intelligence Analysis Squadron ** Global Exploitation Intelligence Group *** Regional Threats Analysis Squadron *** Future Threats Analysis Squadron *** Foreign Materiel Exploitation Squadron *** Global Activities Squadron *** Signals Analysis Squadron ** Space, Missiles and Forces Intelligence Group *** Ballistic Missile Analysis Squadron *** Special Analysis Squadron * Air Force Office of Special Investigations ** 1st Federal Investigations Region (GSU) *** Headquarters 1st Federal Investigations Region *** Headquarters Operating Location Alpha *** 10th Federal Investigations Squadron ** Procurement Fraud *** Detachment 4 (GSU) ** Special Projects *** Headquarters Operating Location Charlie (GSU) *** Detachment 2 (GSU) *

Air Force Legal Operations Agency The Air Force Legal Operations Agency (AFLOA) includes all senior defense counsel, senior trial counsel, and appellate defense and government counsel in the Air Force, as well as all Air Force civil litigators defending the Air Force against civi ...

** Air Force Claims Service Center (GSU) * Air Force Audit Agency ** Acquisition, Logistics, and Financial Management Directorate (GSU) ** Field Activities Directorate *** Operating Location Wright-Patterson (GSU) * Air Force Manpower Analysis Agency ** Operating Location Wright-Patterson (GSU) * Air Force Personnel Center ** Operating Location Wright-Patterson (GSU) * Air Reserve Personnel Center ** Headquarters Individual Reservist Readiness Integration Organization (HQ RIO) *** Detachment 4 **** Operating Location Wright-Patterson (GSU)

(AFRC) *

Fourth Air Force The Fourth Air Force (4 AF) is a numbered air force of the Air Force Reserve Command (AFRC). It is headquartered at March Air Reserve Base, California. 4 AF directs the activities and supervises the training of more than 30,000 Air Force Res ...

** 445th Airlift Wing *** Headquarters 445th Airlift Wing *** 445th Aeromedical Staging Squadron *** 445th Aerospace Medicine Squadron ***

445th Operations Group The 445th Operations Group (445 OG) is the flying component of the 445th Airlift Wing, assigned to Fourth Air Force of the United States Air Force Reserve. The group is stationed at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio. The group (military avia ...

****

89th Airlift Squadron The 89th Airlift Squadron is a United States Air Force Reserve squadron, assigned to the 445th Operations Group, stationed at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio. The squadron was first activated in June 1943 as the 89th Troop Carrier Squadr ...

–

C-17A Globemaster III The McDonnell Douglas/Boeing C-17 Globemaster III is a large military transport aircraft that was developed for the United States Air Force (USAF) from the 1980s to the early 1990s by McDonnell Douglas. The C-17 carries forward the name of two ...

**** 445th Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron **** 445th Operations Support Squadron *** 445th Maintenance Group **** 445th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron **** 445th Maintenance Operations Squadron **** 445th Maintenance Squadron *** 445th Mission Support Group **** 87th Aerial Port Squadron **** 445th Civil Engineer Squadron **** 445th Communications Element **** 445th Force Support Squadron **** 445th Logistics Readiness Squadron **** 445th Military Personnel Flight **** 445th Security Forces Squadron *

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 Carswel ...

655th Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Wing The United States Air Force's 655th Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Wing (655 ISRW) is an intelligence unit stationed at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio. Units The 655th ISR Wing is currently made up of: * 655th Intelligence ...

*** Headquarters 655th Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Wing ***

655th Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Group The United States Air Force's 655th Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Wing (655 ISRW) is an intelligence unit stationed at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio. Units The 655th ISR Wing is currently made up of: * 655th Intelligence ...

**** 14th Intelligence Squadron **** 64th Intelligence Squadron **** 71st Intelligence 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 ...

(CAP) * Great Lakes Region ** Headquarters Great Lakes Region ** Ohio Wing *** Group 7 **** Headquarters Group 7 **** Wright Patterson Composite Squadron

United States Space Force

Space Operations Command (SpOC) *

Space Delta 7 Space Delta 7 (DEL 7) is a United States Space Force unit responsible for Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) for the United States Space Force. The delta provides actionable and time-sensitive intelligence for space domain op ...

** 73rd Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Squadron (GSU) * Space Delta 18 ** 1st Space Analysis Squadron ** 2nd Space Analysis Squadron

United States Army

United States Army Reserve The United States Army Reserve (USAR) is a reserve force of the United States Army. Together, the Army Reserve and the Army National Guard constitute the Army element of the reserve components of the United States Armed Forces. Since July 20 ...

(USAR) *

Military Intelligence Readiness Command The United States Army Military Intelligence Readiness Command (MIRC, The MIRC, formally USAMIRC) was stood up as the first Army Reserve functional command in 2005. Headquartered at Fort Belvoir, Virginia, MIRC is composed mostly of reserve soldie ...

** National Intelligence Support Group *** 2100th Military Intelligence Group (GSU)

United States Marine Corps

Marine Forces Reserve (MARFORRES) *

Force Headquarters Group Force Headquarters Group (FHG) is a major subordinate command (MSC) of the United States Marine Corps based in New Orleans, Louisiana. It was established as a part of the command element for Marine Forces Reserve. It was activated on July 18, 201 ...

4th Law Enforcement Battalion Force Headquarters Group (FHG) is a major subordinate command (MSC) of the United States Marine Corps based in New Orleans, Louisiana. It was established as a part of the command element for Marine Forces Reserve. It was activated on July 18, 2012 ...

*** Military Police Company Charlie (GSU)

United States Department of the Navy

Bureau of Medicine and Surgery (BUMED) * Naval Medical Research Center **

Naval Medical Research Unit Dayton Naval Medical Research Unit Dayton (NAMRU-D) is a biomedical research laboratory of the United States Navy in Dayton, Ohio. It is one of seven subordinate commands of the Naval Medical Research Center and incorporates two research divisions. Th ...

(GSU)

Department of Defense

Defense Security Cooperation University (DSCU) * Defense Institute of Security Cooperation Studies

Defense Logistics Agency The Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) is a combat support agency in the United States Department of Defense (DoD), with more than 26,000 civilian and military personnel throughout the world. Located in 48 states and 28 countries, DLA provides su ...

(DLA) * Defense Automated Addressing System

Geography

Wright-Patterson Air Force Base includes Area A (former Patterson Field and Wood City area) and Area B (former Wright Field). The

USGS The United States Geological Survey (USGS), formerly simply known as the Geological Survey, is a scientific agency of the United States government. The scientists of the USGS study the landscape of the United States, its natural resources, ...

Geographic Names Information System The Geographic Names Information System (GNIS) is a database of name and locative information about more than two million physical and cultural features throughout the United States and its territories, Antarctica, and the associated states of ...

separately designates the military installation, the airport, and the

(CDP). The CDP area, entirely in Greene County, primarily in Bath Township and extending south into Beavercreek Township, is , with of it (0.80%) being water. The southwest end of the base, now the National Museum of the United States Air Force, is within the city of Riverside in Montgomery County.

Demographics

In 2010, Wright-Patt had a total of 27,406 military, civilian and contract employees. As of the census of 2000, there were 6,656 people, 1,754 households, and 1,704 families residing on the base. The population density was 219.8/km² (569.2/sq mi). There were 2,096 housing units at an average density of 69.2/km² (179.2/sq mi). The racial makeup of the base was 76.11%

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 ...

, 15.25%

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 ha ...

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 ...

, 0.45% Native American, 2.30% Asian, 0.12%

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the Pacific Islands. As an ethnic/ racial term, it is used to describe the original peoples—inhabitants and diasporas—of any of the three major subregions of O ...

, 2.09% from other races, and 3.68% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, 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 viceroyalties for ...

or Latino of any race were 4.45% of the population. There were 1,754 households, out of which 78.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 89.0% were married couples living together, 6.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 2.8% were non-families. 2.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and none had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.60 and the average family size was 3.64. On the base the population was spread out, with 42.5% under the age of 18, 11.6% from 18 to 24, 41.5% from 25 to 44, 4.2% from 45 to 64, and 0.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 23 years. For every 100 females there were 105.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 104.1 males. The median income for a household on the base was $43,342, and the median income for a family was $43,092. Males had a median income of $30,888 versus $21,044 for females. The per capita income for the base was $15,341. About 1.6% of families and 1.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 2.4% of those under age 18 and none of those age 65 or over. As of 30 September 2005, Wright-Patterson had base housing amounting to 2,012 single-family units, 300 units for unaccompanied enlisted personnel, and 455 visitor or temporary living units.

Environmental problems

In May 2016, the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency ordered a drinking water well on the base to be shut down because of water contamination with perfluorooctane sulfonate (

PFOS Perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS) (conjugate base perfluorooctanesulfonate) is a chemical compound having an eight- carbon fluorocarbon chain and a sulfonic acid functional group and thus a perfluorosulfonic acid. It is an anthropogenic (man-m ...

), a persistent chemical used in firefighting foam. April 2016 water samples from two wells showed 110 parts per trillion of PFOS, which is above the new EPA lifetime threshold of 70 parts per trillion. In June 2016, the EPA asked the base commander to speedily clean up the wells to prevent the contaminants from reaching more wells on base and Dayton's seven drinking water wells at Huffman Dam. Base officials stated in June 2020 that the on-base ground water tests confirmed that current PFOS contamination is below EPA required levels, a claim the City of Dayton disputes.

In popular culture

Hangar 18 in Area B is purported to be the repository of a crashed UFO from

Roswell, New Mexico Roswell () is a city in, and the seat of, Chaves County in the U.S. state of New Mexico. Chaves County forms the entirety of the Roswell micropolitan area. As of the 2020 census it had a population of 48,422, making it the fifth-largest city ...

and UFO research in general. Thrash metal band

Megadeth Megadeth is an American thrash metal band formed in Los Angeles in 1983 by vocalist/guitarist Dave Mustaine. Known for their technically complex guitar work and musicianship, Megadeth is one of the "big four" of American thrash metal along wit ...

released the song " Hangar 18" on their 1990 album '' Rust in Peace''. In Season 2, Episode 8, the

History Channel History (formerly The History Channel from January 1, 1995 to February 15, 2008, stylized as HISTORY) is an American pay television network and flagship channel owned by A&E Networks, a joint venture between Hearst Communications and the Disney ...

's series '' Project Blue Book'' makes mention of "Hangar 18" being a storage facility the Roswell crash UFO and other alien artifacts. The base was featured in the young adult book series '' The 5th Wave'' and the 2016 film of the same name as the base of operations for " The Others".

Notable person

* Steve Hertz, baseball player and coach, born on the base

References

External links

Logistics Management Careers
* * *

Historic American Engineering Record Heritage Documentation Programs (HDP) is a division of the U.S. National Park Service (NPS) responsible for administering the Historic American Buildings Survey (HABS), Historic American Engineering Record (HAER), and Historic American Landscapes ...