Offutt AFB
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Offutt Air Force Base is a
U.S. 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 Sign ...
base south of Omaha, adjacent to
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in
Sarpy County, Nebraska Sarpy County is a county located in the U.S. state of Nebraska. As of the 2020 United States Census, the population was 190,604, making it the third-most populous county in Nebraska. Its county seat is Papillion. Sarpy County is part of the O ...
. It is the headquarters of the U.S. Strategic Command (USSTRATCOM), the
557th Weather Wing The 557th Weather Wing is a United States Air Force formation and its lead military meteorology center. It reports environmental situational awareness worldwide to the Air Force, the United States Army, joint warfighters, Unified Combatant Comm ...
, and the 55th Wing (55 WG) of the Air Combat Command (ACC), the latter serving as the host unit. Aviation use at Offutt began in September 1918 during
World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
as an
Army Air Service The United States Army Air Service (USAAS)Craven and Cate Vol. 1, p. 9 (also known as the ''"Air Service"'', ''"U.S. Air Service"'' and before its legislative establishment in 1920, the ''"Air Service, United States Army"'') was the aerial warf ...
balloon field. Originally named Fort Crook, it was renamed in honor of
World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
pilot and Omaha native 1st Lt.
Jarvis Offutt First Lieutenant Jarvis Jenness Offutt (October 26, 1894 – August 13, 1918) was an American aviator from Omaha, Nebraska, who died in World War I. Offutt Air Force Base is named in his honor. Early life Born and raised in Omaha, Offutt was ...
in 1924. Offutt AFB's legacy includes the construction of the '' Enola Gay'' and '' Bockscar'', the planes that dropped
Little Boy "Little Boy" was the type of atomic bomb dropped on the Japanese city of Hiroshima on 6 August 1945 during World War II, making it the first nuclear weapon used in warfare. The bomb was dropped by the Boeing B-29 Superfortress ''Enola Gay'' p ...
and
Fat Man "Fat Man" (also known as Mark III) is the codename for the type of nuclear bomb the United States detonated over the Japanese city of Nagasaki on 9 August 1945. It was the second of the only two nuclear weapons ever used in warfare, the fir ...
over Hiroshima and Nagasaki in
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 vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...
. Offutt served over 40 years as the headquarters for the former Strategic Air Command (SAC) and home for its associated ground and aerial command centers for the United States in the case of nuclear war during the Cold War. The population was 8,901 at the 2000 census.


History

Offutt AFB is named in honor of First Lieutenant Jarvis Jennes Offutt (26 October 1894 – 13 August 1918). The first native of Omaha to become a casualty in
World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
, Lieutenant Offutt died of injuries sustained when his SE-5 fighter crashed during a training flight near Valheureux, France. The airfield portion of Fort Crook was designated Offutt Field on 10 May 1924.


Fort Crook

Offutt's history began with the commissioning by the
War Department War Department may refer to: * War Department (United Kingdom) * United States Department of War (1789–1947) See also * War Office, a former department of the British Government * Ministry of defence * Ministry of War * Ministry of Defence * D ...
in 1890 of Fort Crook. Located some 10 miles south of Omaha and two miles west of the Missouri River, the fort was constructed between 1894 and 1896. The fort's namesake was
Major General Major general (abbreviated MG, maj. gen. and similar) is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. The disappearance of the "sergeant" in the title explains the apparent confusion of ...
George Crook, a
Civil War A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies ...
veteran A veteran () is a person who has significant experience (and is usually adept and esteemed) and expertise in a particular occupation or field. A military veteran is a person who is no longer serving in a military. A military veteran that h ...
and Indian fighter. It was first used as a dispatch point for Indian conflicts on the Great Plains. Troops from Fort Crook fought during the
Spanish–American War , partof = the Philippine Revolution, the decolonization of the Americas, and the Cuban War of Independence , image = Collage infobox for Spanish-American War.jpg , image_size = 300px , caption = (cloc ...
when the 22nd Regiment under Charles A. Wikoff was dispatched to Cuba. The regiment suffered heavy casualties in the Battle of El Caney. Only 165 of the 513 regiment members survived with most succumbing to
tropical disease Tropical diseases are diseases that are prevalent in or unique to tropical and subtropical regions. The diseases are less prevalent in temperate climates, due in part to the occurrence of a cold season, which controls the insect population by for ...
s after the battle. The oldest surviving portion of Fort Crook is the parade grounds and surrounding red brick buildings that were constructed between 1894 and 1896. These structures are still in active use today as squadron headquarters, living quarters for high-ranking generals (Generals Row), and Nebraska's oldest operational jail.


Offutt Field

In 1918, the 61st Balloon Company of the
Army Air Corps Army Air Corps may refer to the following army aviation corps: * Army Air Corps (United Kingdom), the army aviation element of the British Army * Philippine Army Air Corps (1935–1941) * United States Army Air Corps (1926–1942), or its p ...
was assigned to Fort Crook at the close of
World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
, which performed combat reconnaissance training. In the spring of 1921, the plowing, leveling, and seeding of 260 acres of land at Fort Crook created an airfield suitable for frequent takeoffs and landings and as a refueling stop for mail and transcontinental flights. The first permanent aircraft hangars were completed in 1921. Other known organizations assigned to the field were the 74th Balloon Company in November 1918; 60th Balloon Company in December 1918. On 6 May 1924, the airfield was officially named "Offutt Field". The field accommodated interim reserve flying training and regular Post Office Department airmail flights during the 1920s and 1930s; a small detachment of enlisted men (detached service) from Marshall Field and Fort Riley, Kansas, constituted the only military presence on the field between 1935 and 1940.


Glenn L. Martin Bomber Plant

In 1940 as American involvement in World War II loomed, the Army Air Corps chose Offutt Field as the site for a new bomber plant that was to be operated by the Glenn L. Martin Company. The plant's construction included a two-mile (3 km)-long concrete runway, six large hangars, and a aircraft-assembly building. Production switched to
B-29 Superfortress The Boeing B-29 Superfortress is an American four-engined propeller-driven heavy bomber, designed by Boeing and flown primarily by the United States during World War II and the Korean War. Named in allusion to its predecessor, the B-17 F ...
very heavy bombers in 1944, and 531 Superfortresses were produced before the end of
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 vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...
. Among these were the '' Enola Gay'' and '' Bockscar'', the B-29's that dropped the first atomic weapons to be used in a military action (against the cities of Hiroshima and
Nagasaki is the capital and the largest Cities of Japan, city of Nagasaki Prefecture on the island of Kyushu in Japan. It became the sole Nanban trade, port used for trade with the Portuguese and Dutch during the 16th through 19th centuries. The Hi ...
, Japan). Production ended on 18 September 1945, when the last B-29 rolled out of the assembly building. With the manufacturing plant's closure, custody of the airfield and ground facilities were assumed by the 4131st Army Air Force Base Unit, Air Materiel Command.


Postwar use

In the initial months after the end of World War II, Offutt was used by the 2474th Separation Processing squadron to demobilize service members out of the armed forces after their return from overseas duty. In June 1946, the Army Air Force re-designated Fort Crook and the Martin-Nebraska facilities as Offutt Field. It became the headquarters for the Air Defense Command
Second Air Force The Second Air Force (2 AF; ''2d Air Force'' in 1942) is a USAF numbered air force responsible for conducting basic military and technical training for Air Force enlisted members and non-flying officers. In World War II the CONUS unit defende ...
on 6 June. In 1947, the airfield opened for operational use, with the
381st Bombardment Group 381st may refer to: * 381st Bombardment Squadron, inactive United States Air Force unit *381st Fighter Squadron or 18th Reconnaissance Squadron, squadron of the United States Air Force *381st Intelligence Squadron, intelligence unit located at Join ...
being assigned to the field with one squadron of B-29 Superfortresses, although the facility remained primarily a separation center. The newly established United States Air Force took control of the facility in September 1947, and on 13 January 1948, it was renamed Offutt Air Force Base. Later that same year, on 26 September, the 3902nd Air Base Group (later Wing) became the host unit at Offutt.


Strategic Air Command

On 9 November 1948, Offutt became the host base for Headquarters Strategic Air Command, which was moved from
Andrews AFB Andrews Air Force Base (Andrews AFB, AAFB) is the airfield portion of Joint Base Andrews, which is under the jurisdiction of the United States Air Force. In 2009, Andrews Air Force Base merged with Naval Air Facility Washington to form Joint Bas ...
, Maryland.
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 wh ...
Stuart Symington William Stuart Symington III (; June 26, 1901 – December 14, 1988) was an American businessman and Democratic politician from Missouri. He served as the first Secretary of the Air Force from 1947 to 1950 and was a United States Senator from ...
chose to locate the Air Force's long-range atomic strike force at Offutt primarily because the base was centrally located on the North American continent, placing it well beyond the existing range of long-range, nuclear-armed bombers to (then) stay safely out of range of hostile missiles or bomber aircraft. Offutt's population and facilities grew dramatically to keep pace with the increased operational demands during the Cold War. Several new dormitories and more than 2,000 family housing units – built in the late 1950s and 1960s under incremental Wherry and Capehart projects – quickly replaced the old quarters of Fort Crook. Headquarters SAC moved from the Martin-Nebraska complex to Building 500 in 1957, and new base facilities in the 1960s and 1970s included a hospital, main exchange, commissary, and library. During the late 1950s, Offutt housed a
Royal Air Force The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the United Kingdom's air and space force. It was formed towards the end of the First World War on 1 April 1918, becoming the first independent air force in the world, by regrouping the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) an ...
facility for servicing
Avro Vulcan The Avro Vulcan (later Hawker Siddeley Vulcan from July 1963) is a jet-powered, tailless, delta-wing, high-altitude, strategic bomber, which was operated by the Royal Air Force (RAF) from 1956 until 1984. Aircraft manufacturer A.V. Roe an ...
s, which visited the air base frequently while on exercise with SAC. Operational use of Offutt Air Force Base included the basing of alert tankers in the late 1950s and 1960s, support for intercontinental ballistic missile sites in Nebraska and Iowa in the 1960s, and worldwide reconnaissance from the mid-1960s to the present. To provide air defense of the base, the United States Army established the Offutt AFB Defense Area, and
Nike-Hercules The Nike Hercules, initially designated SAM-A-25 and later MIM-14, was a surface-to-air missile (SAM) used by U.S. and NATO armed forces for medium- and high-altitude long-range air defense. It was normally armed with the W31 nuclear warhead, but ...
surface-to-air missile sites were constructed during 1959. Sites were located near Cedar Creek, Nebraska (OF-60) , and Council Bluffs, Iowa (OF-10) . They were operational between November 1960 and March 1966. The missiles were operated by the 6th Battalion, 43rd Artillery. During the Cold War, a
general A general officer is an officer of high rank in the armies, and in some nations' air forces, space forces, and marines or naval infantry. In some usages the term "general officer" refers to a rank above colonel."general, adj. and n.". OED ...
and various support personnel from the base were airborne 24 hours a day on an EC-135 from 3 February 1961 to 24 July 1990 in Operation Looking Glass, creating an airborne command post in case of war. The 3902d Air Base Wing was inactivated on 1 March 1986, and the 55th Strategic Reconnaissance Wing assumed host-unit responsibilities for Offutt. Increased defense spending during the 1980s brought additional operational improvements to Offutt, including the Bennie Davis Aircraft Maintenance Hangar, and a new command center for Headquarters SAC.


U.S. Strategic Command

Offutt again faced changes in 1992 when the easing of world tensions allowed the United States to reorganize the Air Force. The Strategic Air Command was inactivated on 1 June, succeeded by the U.S. Strategic Command ( USSTRATCOM), a
Unified Combatant Command A unified combatant command (CCMD), also referred to as a combatant command, is a joint military command of the United States Department of Defense that is composed of units from two or more service branches of the United States Armed Forces, an ...
of the Department of Defense. The 55th Strategic Wing then became the 55th Wing, under the newly created Air Combat Command. In 1998, the Strategic Air and Space Museum moved 30 miles (48 km) southwest to Ashland, just off Interstate 80, midway between Omaha and
Lincoln Lincoln most commonly refers to: * Abraham Lincoln (1809–1865), the sixteenth president of the United States * Lincoln, England, cathedral city and county town of Lincolnshire, England * Lincoln, Nebraska, the capital of Nebraska, U.S. * Lincol ...
. In 2005, Offutt began several major renovations. The on-base
Wherry A wherry is a type of boat that was traditionally used for carrying cargo or passengers on rivers and canals in England, and is particularly associated with the River Thames and the River Cam. They were also used on the Broadland rivers of No ...
housing area was demolished for replacement with new housing. A new fire house,
AAFES The Army & Air Force Exchange Service (AAFES, also referred to as The Exchange and The PX or The BX) is the retailer in U.S. Army and Air Force installations worldwide. The Exchange is headquartered in Dallas, Texas, and its director/chief exe ...
mini-mall, and U.S. Post Office were completed in 2006. Additionally, the Air Force Weather Agency broke ground on a new facility which was completed in 2008. The new headquarters for STRATCOM, the Command and Control Facility (C2F), is expected to be operational in September 2018. The base sustained significant damage in the spring of 2019 as a result of the Missouri River flooding; at one point, almost half of the base's runway was underwater. Flight operations and some support staff were temporarily relocated to nearby
Lincoln Air National Guard Base Lincoln most commonly refers to: * Abraham Lincoln (1809–1865), the sixteenth president of the United States * Lincoln, England, cathedral city and county town of Lincolnshire, England * Lincoln, Nebraska, the capital of Nebraska, U.S. * Lincol ...
while repairs (as well as some pre-planned construction projects) were undertaken.


President Bush Offutt Conference on 11 September 2001

On 11 September 2001, President George W. Bush conducted one of the first major strategy sessions for the response to the
September 11 attacks The September 11 attacks, commonly known as 9/11, were four coordinated suicide terrorist attacks carried out by al-Qaeda against the United States on Tuesday, September 11, 2001. That morning, nineteen terrorists hijacked four commer ...
from a bunker at the base. Bush, who was in Florida at the Emma Booker Elementary School in
Sarasota Sarasota () is a city in Sarasota County on the Gulf Coast of the U.S. state of Florida. The area is renowned for its cultural and environmental amenities, beaches, resorts, and the Sarasota School of Architecture. The city is located in the sou ...
at the time of the attacks, first flew from Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport to
Barksdale AFB Barksdale Air Force Base (Barksdale AFB) is a United States Air Force (USAF) base in northwest Louisiana, United States, in Bossier Parish. It is contiguous to Bossier City, Louisiana, along the base's western and northwestern edge. Barksdale AFB ...
in
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and then to Offutt en route back to Washington, DC. Bush arrived at 2:50pm, conducted a video conference in an underground command bunker and left for Washington, DC at 4:30pm. Air Force One left Barksdale AFB for Offutt AFB around 1:30pm. The Air Force One entourage was pared down to a few essential staffers such as Ari Fleischer,
Andrew Card Andrew Hill Card Jr. (born May 10, 1947) is an American politician and academic administrator who was White House Chief of Staff under President George W. Bush from 2001 to 2006, as well as head of Bush's White House Iraq Group. Card served as ...
, Karl Rove, Dan Bartlett, Brian Montgomery, and Gordon Johndroe, plus about five reporters. During the flight, Bush remained in "continuous contact" with both the
White House Situation Room The Situation Room, officially known as the John F. Kennedy Conference Room, is a conference room and intelligence management center in the basement of the West Wing of the White House. It is run by the National Security Council staff for the ...
and Vice President Dick Cheney in the
Presidential Emergency Operations Center The Presidential Emergency Operations Center (PEOC, ) is a bunker-like structure underneath the East Wing of the White House. It serves as a secure shelter and communications center for the president of the United States and others in case of a ...
. Air Force One landed at Offutt shortly before 3:00pm. At 3:06pm, Bush passed through security to the US Strategic Command Underground Command Center () and was taken into an underground bunker designed to withstand a nuclear blast. There, he held a teleconference call with Vice President Cheney, National Security Advisor Condoleezza Rice, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage, CIA Director George Tenet, Transportation Secretary
Norman Mineta Norman Yoshio Mineta ( ja, 峯田 良雄, November 12, 1931 – May 3, 2022) was an American politician. A member of the Democratic Party, Mineta served in the United States Cabinet for Presidents Bill Clinton, a Democrat, and George W. Bush, a ...
, and others. The meeting lasted about an hour. Rice recalled that during the meeting, Tenet told Bush, "Sir, I believe it's al-Qaeda. We're doing the assessment but it looks like, it feels like, it smells like al-Qaeda." The White House staff was preparing for Bush to address the nation from the Offutt bunker, but Bush decided instead to return to Washington. Air Force One left Offutt around 4:30pm.


Whistleblower suit

In May 2011, base civilian employee George Sarris successfully settled with the government over claims that he was subjected to retaliation for talking to the media in 2008 about poor maintenance of RC-135 aircraft at the base. After Sarris' allegations appeared in the '' Kansas City Star'', base officials revoked his security clearance and reassigned him to menial duties. Later investigations by the government substantiated many of Sarris' claims. As part of the settlement, the USAF agreed to pay Sarris his full salary until he retired in 2014 and paid $21,000 of his attorney's fees. After retiring, Sarris published a book titled, ''Cowardice in Leadership – A Lesson in Harassment, Intimidation, and Reprisals''. Ten years after Sarris blew the whistle, the '' Omaha World Herald'' published a three-part series titled "In-flight emergency", which confirmed his earlier claims.


Previous names

* Fort Crook, 3 March 1891 * Offutt Flying Field, Fort Crook, 1920 * Offutt Field, 6 May 1924


Major commands to which assigned

* Seventh Corps Area, United States Army, 1920 * Army Air Forces Materiel Command, 13 October 1942 * Army Air Forces Materiel and Services Command, 1944 : Redesignated: AAF Technical Service Comd, 31 August 1944 : Redesignated: Air Technical Service Command, 1945 : Redesignated: Air Materiel Command, 9 March 1946 : : The United States Army Seventh Service Command exercised overall jurisdiction until 11 June 1946 * Air Defense Command, 11 June 1946 * Strategic Air Command, 1 October 1948 * Air Combat Command, 1 June 1992


Major units assigned

*
Second Air Force The Second Air Force (2 AF; ''2d Air Force'' in 1942) is a USAF numbered air force responsible for conducting basic military and technical training for Air Force enlisted members and non-flying officers. In World War II the CONUS unit defende ...
, 6 June 1946 – 1 July 1948 *
381st Bombardment Group 381st may refer to: * 381st Bombardment Squadron, inactive United States Air Force unit *381st Fighter Squadron or 18th Reconnaissance Squadron, squadron of the United States Air Force *381st Intelligence Squadron, intelligence unit located at Join ...
, 24 July 1947 – 27 June 1949 *
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 ...
, 1 July – 24 August 1948 * 3902d Air Base Group (later Wing), 26 September 1948 – 1 March 1986 * Strategic Air Command, 8 November 1948 – 1 June 1992 * 438th Troop Carrier Wing, 27 June 1949 – 14 March 1951 *
5th Air Division The 5th Air Division (5th AD) is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with Strategic Air Command, based at Sidi Slimane Air Base, Morocco. It was inactivated on 15 July 1958. The unit's origins begin with its predec ...
, 14 January – 25 May 1951 * 1st Weather Group, 20 April 1952 – 8 October 1956 * 544th Strategic Intelligence Wing, 12 April 1952 – 1 June 1992 * 3d Weather Wing, 8 October 1956 – 1 June 1992 * 34th Air Refueling Squadron, 1 October 1958 – 25 June 1966 * 4321st Strategic Wing, 1 October 1959 – 1 January 1963 * 549th Strategic Missile Squadron, 1 July 1961 – 15 December 1964 * 385th Strategic Aerospace Wing, 1 January 1963 – 15 December 1964 * 55th Strategic Reconnaissance Wing (and subsequent redesignations), 16 August 1966 – present * Air Force Global Weather Center (and subsequent redesignations), 8 July 1969 – present *
1st Airborne Command and Control Squadron The 1st Airborne Command Control Squadron is part of the 595th Command and Control Group at Offutt Air Force Base, Nebraska. It operates the Boeing E-4 aircraft conducting airborne command and control missions. The squadron is one of the ol ...
(and subsequent redesignations), 1 July 1977 – present *
United States Strategic Command United States Strategic Command (USSTRATCOM) is one of the eleven unified combatant commands in the United States Department of Defense. Headquartered at Offutt Air Force Base, Nebraska, USSTRATCOM is responsible for Strategic_nuclear_weapon, ...
, 1 June 1992 – present *
55th Electronic Combat Group The 55th Electronic Combat Group, Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, provides combat-ready EC-130H Compass Call aircraft, crews, maintenance and operational support to combatant commanders. The group is a Geographically Separated Unit (GSU) that ...
, 1 April 1992 – present * General Curtis Lemay Offutt Composite Squadron Civil Air Patrol *
595th Command and Control Group The 595th Command and Control Group is an active unit of the United States Air Force. It is organized under Air Force Global Strike Command (AFGSC), and its operations are centered at Offutt Air Force Base, Nebraska. It was activated in a ceremo ...
*
1st Air COMM Group, then 1st Air Comm Wing, then 1st Air Information Systems Wing First or 1st is the ordinal form of the number one (#1). First or 1st may also refer to: *World record, specifically the first instance of a particular achievement Arts and media Music * 1$T, American rapper, singer-songwriter, DJ, and rec ...
at least August 1984 – April 1988. The Squadrons were 390th, 1850th, 1851st, and the 1853rd.


Intercontinental ballistic missile facilities

The 549th Strategic Missile Squadron operated three SM-65D Atlas ICBM sites (1 October 1960 – 15 December 1964). Each site was composed of three missile silos (9 total). * 549-A, 3.4 mi SE of Mead, NE * 549-B, 3.6 mi NE of Arlington, NE * 549-C, 4.3 mi SE of Missouri Valley, IA Beginning in 1958, the Army Corps of Engineers began planning for the sites, and construction began in 1959. The construction project was completed on 28 July 1960. In April and May 1961, the three complexes became the last Atlas D missiles to go on alert. The missiles were manned by the 549th Strategic Missile Squadron which was activated on 1 October 1960. The squadron began to phase down with the inactivation of the Atlas-D on 1 October 1964, and was inactivated 14 December 1964. Confusingly, the squadron was originally the 566th but on 1 July 1961 SAC swapped designators with the 549th at F.E. Warren AFB. The 549th SMS was under the 385th Strategic Aerospace Wing. Site "A" was abandoned for many years, until the late 1970s when the Nebraska National Guard took over ownership of the site to establish a training area called the Mead Training Site. The site is managed by the Camp Ashland Training Site Command. The training area has been used by the National Guard, United States Air Force, local law enforcement, and other entities as a training site for many years. 3/209th RTI out of Camp Ashland began using Mead Training Site in 2008 as the primary training facility for their 88M military occupational specialty reclassification school and continues to use the site year round. A MOUT site (
Military Operations in Urban Terrain Urban warfare is combat conducted in urban areas such as towns and cities. Urban combat differs from combat in the open at both the operational and the tactical levels. Complicating factors in urban warfare include the presence of civilians and ...
) was constructed at the site in 2009. Two Nebraska National Guard armories were built directly alongside the training area in 2012. Many other National Guard units use the site for drill weekends and annual trainings. Airmen out of Offutt Air Force Base practice Survival, Evasion, Resistance and Escape (SERE) Training at the site several weekends a year. Site "B" is in use for agricultural storage. Site "C" has been demolished, with only the access roads remaining.


1983 killings

Serial killer John Joubert murdered two boys while stationed at the base in 1983.


2019 shooting

In September 2019, a shooting took place in Offutt's private housing community, killing Sgt. Zachary Firlik and his wife Kari Firlik. The case was identified as a murder-suicide; the shooter was an active off-duty airman, who afterwards killed himself.


Role and operations

Offutt Air Force Base is the host station for the 55th Wing (55 WG), the largest wing of the United States Air Force's Air Combat Command. Additionally, the base is home to many significant associate units, including US Strategic Command Headquarters, the 557th Weather Wing, the Omaha operating location of the Defense Finance and Accounting Service, and many others.


55th Wing

The 55th Wing is composed of five groups at Offutt AFB and at various locations worldwide: *55th Operations Group : The 55th Operations Group, Air Combat Command's (ACC) largest group, has operational control over 11 squadrons and two detachments worldwide. The group consists of approximately 3,200 personnel. It employs 46 aircraft, including 13 models of seven different types. The 55th Operations Group uses the tail code OF for its aircraft ::
38th Reconnaissance Squadron The 38th Reconnaissance Squadron is a United States Air Force unit. It is a part of the 55th Wing at Offutt Air Force Base, Nebraska. It operates the Boeing RC-135 aircraft conducting reconnaissance missions. Mission The mission of the 38th ...
(RC-135) :: 343d Reconnaissance Squadron (RC-135) :: 45th Reconnaissance Squadron (OC-135, RC-135, TC-135, WC-135) :: 338th Combat Training Squadron (Simulator) :: 82d Reconnaissance Squadron (RC-135) ::: Operates from
Kadena AB (IATA: DNA, ICAO: RODN) is a highly strategic United States Air Force base in the towns of Kadena and Chatan and the city of Okinawa, in Okinawa Prefecture, Japan. It is often referred to as the "Keystone of the Pacific" because of its highl ...
, Japan ::
95th Reconnaissance Squadron The 95th Reconnaissance Squadron is a squadron of the United States Air Force. It is assigned to the 55th Operations Group, Air Combat Command, stationed at Offutt Air Force Base, Nebraska. The squadron is equipped with several variants of the B ...
(RC-135) ::: Operates from:
RAF Mildenhall Royal Air Force Mildenhall or RAF Mildenhall is a Royal Air Force (RAF) station located near Mildenhall in Suffolk, England. Despite its status as a Royal Air Force station, it primarily supports United States Air Force (USAF) operations, ...
, England *55th Electronic Combat Group : The
55th Electronic Combat Group The 55th Electronic Combat Group, Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, provides combat-ready EC-130H Compass Call aircraft, crews, maintenance and operational support to combatant commanders. The group is a Geographically Separated Unit (GSU) that ...
, stationed at
Davis–Monthan Air Force Base Davis–Monthan Air Force Base (DM AFB) is a United States Air Force base southeast of downtown Tucson, Arizona. It was established in 1925 as Davis–Monthan Landing Field. The host unit for Davis–Monthan AFB is the 355th Wing (355 WG) assi ...
, is an operations group and geographically separated unit (GSU) of the 55th Wing. It consists of 5 squadrons, 3 flying squadrons, 1 support squadron and 1 maintenance squadron. All 3 flying squadrons utilize various models of the
EC-130 The Lockheed Martin EC-130 series comprises several slightly different versions of the Lockheed C-130 Hercules that have been and continue to be operated by the U.S. Air Force and, until the 1990s, the U.S. Navy. The EC-130E Airborne Battlefi ...
aircraft. ::
41st Electronic Combat Squadron The 41st Electronic Combat Squadron is a United States Air Force unit. Its current assignment is with the 55th Electronic Combat Group at Davis–Monthan Air Force Base, Arizona as a geographically separated unit from its parent wing, the 55 ...
(ECS) :: 42d Electronic Combat Squadron (ECS) :: 43d Electronic Combat Squadron (ECS) :: 755th Operations Support Squadron (OSS) :: 755th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron (AMXS) *55th Maintenance Group : The 55th Maintenance Operations Squadron provides centralized direction of all maintenance staff functions providing support to world-wide aircraft reconnaissance missions. *55th Mission Support Group : The 55th Mission Support Group provides mission support for Offutt AFB through engineering, security, mission support, services, supply, transportation, contracting & deployment readiness programs. *55th Communications Group : The 55th Communications Group provides worldwide command, control, communications and computer (C4) systems, information management and combat support to warfighting and national leadership. It also provides communications technology and support to the 55th Wing and 44 tenant units. *55th Medical Group : The 55th Medical Group serves 28K enrolled patients with outpatient clinic capabilities, and ancillary support.


595th Command and Control Group

The
595th Command and Control Group The 595th Command and Control Group is an active unit of the United States Air Force. It is organized under Air Force Global Strike Command (AFGSC), and its operations are centered at Offutt Air Force Base, Nebraska. It was activated in a ceremo ...
(C2G) was activated in a ceremony held on 6 October 2016. The mission of the 595th C2G is to consolidate the Air Force's portion of the nuclear triad, including Air Force nuclear command and control communications, under the auspices of Air Force Global Strike Command (AFGSC). Previously, portions of the Air Force's command and control of nuclear operations had been divided among AFGSC, Air Combat Command, and the
Twentieth Air Force The Twentieth Air Force (Air Forces Strategic) (20th AF) is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force Global Strike Command (AFGSC). It is headquartered at Francis E. Warren Air Force Base, Wyoming. 20 AF's primary mission is Interco ...
. The 595th Command and Control Group is composed of four squadrons: *
1st Airborne Command and Control Squadron The 1st Airborne Command Control Squadron is part of the 595th Command and Control Group at Offutt Air Force Base, Nebraska. It operates the Boeing E-4 aircraft conducting airborne command and control missions. The squadron is one of the ol ...
* 595th Strategic Communications Squadron * 595th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron *
625th Strategic Operations Squadron The 625th Strategic Operations Squadron (STOS) is a United States Air Force nuclear missile control & support squadron. The 625th STOS has five flights that play different roles in this mission. The Latin motto of the 625th STOS is ''Si vis pacem ...


557th Weather Wing

The
557th Weather Wing The 557th Weather Wing is a United States Air Force formation and its lead military meteorology center. It reports environmental situational awareness worldwide to the Air Force, the United States Army, joint warfighters, Unified Combatant Comm ...
, formerly the Air Force Weather Agency, is headquartered at Offutt AFB. It is the lead weather center of the
United States Air Force The United States Air Force (USAF) is the Aerial warfare, air military branch, 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 ...
.


United States Strategic Command

Offutt AFB is the headquarters of
United States Strategic Command United States Strategic Command (USSTRATCOM) is one of the eleven unified combatant commands in the United States Department of Defense. Headquartered at Offutt Air Force Base, Nebraska, USSTRATCOM is responsible for Strategic_nuclear_weapon, ...
( USSTRATCOM) which is one of the ten
Unified Combatant Command A unified combatant command (CCMD), also referred to as a combatant command, is a joint military command of the United States Department of Defense that is composed of units from two or more service branches of the United States Armed Forces, an ...
s of the
United States Department of Defense The United States Department of Defense (DoD, USDOD or DOD) is an executive branch department of the federal government charged with coordinating and supervising all agencies and functions of the government directly related to national sec ...
(DoD). USSTRATCOM was established in 1992 as a successor to Strategic Air Command (SAC). It is charged with space operations (such as military satellites), information operations (such as
information warfare Information warfare (IW) (as different from cyber warfare that attacks computers, software, and command control systems) is a concept involving the battlespace use and management of information and communication technology (ICT) in pursuit of a ...
), missile defense, global command and control, intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (C4ISR), global strike and strategic deterrence (the United States nuclear arsenal), and combating weapons of mass destruction.


Based units

Flying and notable non-flying units based at Offutt Air Force Base. Units marked GSU are
Geographically Separate Unit In the United States military a Geographically Separate Unit (GSU) is a base that is physically separate from, yet not autonomous of its "parent" base. GSUs are "owned" by their parent organization and are typically quite small. Assignment to a ...
s, which although based at Offutt, are subordinate to a parent unit based at another location.


United States Air Force

Air Combat Command (ACC) * Sixteenth Air Force ** 55th Wing (Host Wing) *** 55th Operations Group ****
38th Reconnaissance Squadron The 38th Reconnaissance Squadron is a United States Air Force unit. It is a part of the 55th Wing at Offutt Air Force Base, Nebraska. It operates the Boeing RC-135 aircraft conducting reconnaissance missions. Mission The mission of the 38th ...
RC-135V/W Rivet Joint, TC-135W **** 45th Reconnaissance Squadron
OC-135B Open Skies The OC-135B Open Skies is a United States Air Force observation aircraft that supports the Treaty on Open Skies. The aircraft, a modified WC-135B, flies unarmed observation flights over participating parties of the treaty. Three OC-135B aircr ...
, RC-135S Cobra Ball, RC-135U Combat Sent, TC-135W, WC-135W Constant Phoenix **** 55th Intelligence Support Squadron **** 55th Operations Support Squadron **** 97th Intelligence Squadron **** 338th Combat Training Squadron – RC-135, OC-135, WC-135 **** 343rd Reconnaissance Squadron – RC-135V/W Rivet Joint, TC-135W **** 390th Intelligence Squadron **** 488th Intelligence Squadron *** 55th Communications Group **** 55th Communications Squadron **** 55th Strategic Communications Squadron *** 55th Maintenance Group **** 55th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron **** 55th Maintenance Squadron *** 55th Medical Group **** 55th Operational Medical Readiness Squadron **** 55th Dental Squadron **** 55th Medical Operations Squadron **** 55th Medical Support Squadron *** 55th Mission Support Group **** 55th Civil Engineering Squadron **** 55th Contracting Squadron **** 55th Force Support Squadron **** 55th Logistics Readiness Flight **** 55th Security Forces Squadron **
363rd Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Wing The 363rd Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Wing (363 ISRW) is a United States Air Force unit. The group is assigned to the United States Air Force Sixteenth Air Force, stationed at Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Virginia. The mission ...
*** 363rd Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Group **** 20th Intelligence Squadron (GSU) **
557th Weather Wing The 557th Weather Wing is a United States Air Force formation and its lead military meteorology center. It reports environmental situational awareness worldwide to the Air Force, the United States Army, joint warfighters, Unified Combatant Comm ...
*** 1st Weather Group *** 2nd Weather Group **** 2nd Weather Squadron **** 2nd Weather Support Squadron **** 2nd Systems Operations Squadron **** 16th Weather Squadron **** American Forces Network Weather Center Air Force Global Strike Command (AFGSC) * Eighth Air Force **
595th Command and Control Group The 595th Command and Control Group is an active unit of the United States Air Force. It is organized under Air Force Global Strike Command (AFGSC), and its operations are centered at Offutt Air Force Base, Nebraska. It was activated in a ceremo ...
*** 1st Airborne Command Control SquadronE-4B Advanced Airborne Command Post *** 595th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron *** 595th Strategic Communications Squadron ***
625th Strategic Operations Squadron The 625th Strategic Operations Squadron (STOS) is a United States Air Force nuclear missile control & support squadron. The 625th STOS has five flights that play different roles in this mission. The Latin motto of the 625th STOS is ''Si vis pacem ...
Air Force Reserve Command (AFRC) *
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 *** 655th Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Group **** 49th Intelligence Squadron (GSU) ***
755th 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 ...
**** 820th Intelligence Squadron (GSU) ** 960th Cyberspace Wing *** 960th Cyberspace Operations Group **** 52nd Network Warfare Squadron (GSU) Air National Guard (ANG) *
Nebraska Air National Guard The Nebraska Air National Guard (NE ANG) is the aerial militia of the State of Nebraska, United States of America. It is, along with the Nebraska Army National Guard, an element of the Nebraska National Guard. As state militia units, the units ...
** 170th Group *** 170th Operations Support Squadron *** 238th Combat Training Squadron – RC-135, OC-135, WC-135


Department of Defense

United States Strategic Command United States Strategic Command (USSTRATCOM) is one of the eleven unified combatant commands in the United States Department of Defense. Headquartered at Offutt Air Force Base, Nebraska, USSTRATCOM is responsible for Strategic_nuclear_weapon, ...
(USSTRATCOM) * Headquarters United States Strategic Command * Global Operations Center
Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) is an agency within the U.S. Department of Defense whose mission is to recover American military personnel listed as prisoners of war (POW) or missing in action (MIA) from designated past conflicts, ...
(DPAA) * Headquarters Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency


General's Row

Most of the high-ranking officials at Offutt live on General's Row, a row of 4-story duplexes that was built in 1895.


Radio transmissions

Because of its central position in the US, radio traffic to and from Offutt is often heard by shortwave listeners on 11175 kHz, USB.


Demographics

As of the census of 2000, there were 8,901 people, 2,304 households, and 2,255 families residing on the base. The population density was 2,113.1 people per square mile (816.3/km). There were 2,429 housing units at an average density of 576.6/sq mi (222.8/km). The racial makeup of the base was 78.0%
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 o ...
, 10.4%
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 ...
or
African American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...
, 0.7% Native American, 2.7% Asian, 0.3%
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 ...
, 3.6% from
other races Other often refers to: * Other (philosophy), a concept in psychology and philosophy Other or The Other may also refer to: Film and television * ''The Other'' (1913 film), a German silent film directed by Max Mack * ''The Other'' (1930 film), a ...
, and 4.3% 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 forme ...
or Latino of any race were 7.4% of the population. There were 2,304 households, out of which 79.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 90.5% were married couples living together, 5.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 2.1% were non-families. 1.9% 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 3.61 and the average family size was 3.64. On the base the population was spread out, with 41.9% under the age of 18, 16.8% from 18 to 24, 39.7% from 25 to 44, 1.4% from 45 to 64, and 0.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 22 years. For every 100 females, there were 105.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 109.7 males. The median income for a household on the base was $36,742, and the median income for a family was $36,619. Males had a median income of $25,391 versus $21,593 for females. The per capita income for the base was $11,580. About 4.4% of families and 5.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 7.1% of those under age 18 and none of those age 65 or over.


Geography

Offutt Air Force Base is located at . According to the
United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of t ...
, the base has a total area of 4.3 square miles (11.3 km), of which, 4.2 square miles (10.9 km) of it is land and 0.1 square miles (0.4 km) of it (3.22%) is water.


Education

Most of the base is in the Bellevue Public Schools
school district A school district is a special-purpose district that operates local public primary and secondary schools in various nations. North America United States In the U.S, most K–12 public schools function as units of local school districts, wh ...
. A portion is in the Papillion-La Vista School District.


Offutt in popular culture

Offutt was brought to popular attention during its SAC period when the command was depicted in the 1955 film '' Strategic Air Command'' starring
Jimmy Stewart James Maitland Stewart (May 20, 1908 – July 2, 1997) was an American actor and military pilot. Known for his distinctive drawl and everyman screen persona, Stewart's film career spanned 80 films from 1935 to 1991. With the strong morality h ...
, the 1963 film '' A Gathering of Eagles'' starring
Rock Hudson Rock Hudson (born Roy Harold Scherer Jr.; November 17, 1925 – October 2, 1985) was an American actor. One of the most popular movie stars of his time, he had a screen career spanning more than three decades. A prominent heartthrob in the Golde ...
, and 1964's ''
Fail-Safe In engineering, a fail-safe is a design feature or practice that in the event of a specific type of failure, inherently responds in a way that will cause minimal or no harm to other equipment, to the environment or to people. Unlike inherent safe ...
'' starring
Henry Fonda Henry Jaynes Fonda (May 16, 1905 – August 12, 1982) was an American actor. He had a career that spanned five decades on Broadway and in Hollywood. He cultivated an everyman screen image in several films considered to be classics. Born and ra ...
(which not only claimed to show portions of the base but also a nearby Omaha neighborhood) and '' Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb'' starring
Peter Sellers Peter Sellers (born Richard Henry Sellers; 8 September 1925 – 24 July 1980) was an English actor and comedian. He first came to prominence performing in the BBC Radio comedy series ''The Goon Show'', featured on a number of hit comic songs ...
(which depicts a nuclear first strike from a mad general at the fictional Burpelson Air Force Base). Offutt appeared in the '' Star Trek'' episode "
Tomorrow Is Yesterday "Tomorrow Is Yesterday" is the nineteenth episode of the first season of the American science fiction television series ''Star Trek''. Written by D. C. Fontana and directed by Michael O'Herlihy, it first aired on January 26, 1967. It was the f ...
" (identified as 'the Omaha installation'), when a fighter pilot stationed there detects the approaching USS ''
Enterprise Enterprise (or the archaic spelling Enterprize) may refer to: Business and economics Brands and enterprises * Enterprise GP Holdings, an energy holding company * Enterprise plc, a UK civil engineering and maintenance company * Enterpris ...
'' and is transported aboard. The Dale Brown novel ''Plan of Attack'' saw nuclear missiles launched by Russian bombers attacking multiple bomber bases all over the U.S, including Offutt, which is destroyed by four
Kh-15 The Raduga Kh-15 or RKV-15 (russian: Х-15; NATO: AS-16 "Kickback"; GRAU:) is a Russian hypersonic aero-ballistic air-to-ground missile carried by the Tupolev Tu-22M and other bombers. Originally developed as a standoff nuclear air-to-ground ...
(AS-17 Kickback) missiles. Only one
Boeing E-4 The Boeing E-4 Advanced Airborne Command Post (AACP), the current "Nightwatch" aircraft, is a strategic command and control military aircraft operated by the United States Air Force (USAF). The E-4 series are specially modified from the Boeing ...
NEACP escapes in time, and the officials of the Eighth Air Force and STRATCOM are eliminated in the process. Pat Frank's iconic Cold War novel '' Alas, Babylon'' (1959) has Air Force Colonel Mark Bragg, the brother of the protagonist Randy Bragg, stationed at Offutt. In the 1983 post apocalyptic feature film for television, "The Day After", Offutt is represented as a SAC Aircraft departs the field as the cameras then change focus to the countryside as the credits roll. Offutt is also mentioned in Strike Three, a post-apocalyptic novel, by Joy V. Smith.


See also

* Nebraska World War II Army Airfields * SAC Elite Guard * David Wade, Strategic Air Command chief of staff at Offutt in middle 1950s


References


Other sources

* * * Maurer, Maurer. ''Air Force Combat Units of World War II''. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Government Printing Office 1961 (republished 1983, Office of Air Force History, ). * Ravenstein, Charles A. ''Air Force Combat Wings Lineage and Honors Histories 1947–1977''. Maxwell Air Force Base,
Alabama (We dare defend our rights) , anthem = "Alabama" , image_map = Alabama in United States.svg , seat = Montgomery , LargestCity = Huntsville , LargestCounty = Baldwin County , LargestMetro = Greater Birmingham , area_total_km2 = 135,765 ...
: Office of Air Force History 1984. . * Mueller, Robert. ''Air Force Bases Volume I, Active Air Force Bases Within the United States of America on 17 September 1982'', Office of Air Force History, 1989


External links


US Strategic Command
official web site

at Strategic-Air-Command.com

at GlobalSecurity.org * * * *
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 ...
documentation, filed under Bellevue, Sarpy County, NE: ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** {{authority control Installations of the United States Air Force in Nebraska Airports in Nebraska Buildings and structures in Sarpy County, Nebraska Census-designated places in Nebraska Census-designated places in Sarpy County, Nebraska Installations of the United States Air National Guard Historic American Engineering Record in Nebraska History of Sarpy County, Nebraska Initial United States Air Force installations Military headquarters in the United States September 11 attacks Fort Crook United States nuclear command and control