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Barksdale Air Force Base (Barksdale AFB) is a
United States Air Force The United States Air Force (USAF) is the Air force, air service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is one of the six United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Tracing its ori ...
(USAF) base in
Bossier Parish, Louisiana Bossier Parish ( ; ) is a parish located in the northwestern part of the U.S. state of Louisiana. At the 2020 census, the population was 128,746. The parish seat is Benton. The principal city is Bossier City, which is located east of the ...
, in northwest
Louisiana Louisiana ( ; ; ) is a state in the Deep South and South Central regions of the United States. It borders Texas to the west, Arkansas to the north, and Mississippi to the east. Of the 50 U.S. states, it ranks 31st in area and 25 ...
. Much of the base is within the city limits of
Bossier City, Louisiana Bossier City ( ) is a city in Bossier Parish, Louisiana, Bossier Parish in the northwestern region of the U.S. state, state of Louisiana in the United States. It is the second-most populous city in the Shreveport–Bossier City metropolitan area ...
, along the base's western and northwestern edge. Barksdale AFB occupies more than east of Bossier City and along the southern edge of Interstate 20. More than 15,000 active-duty and
Air Force Reserve Command The Air Force Reserve Command (AFRC) is a MAJCOM, 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 ...
(AFRC) members serve at Barksdale. The host unit at Barksdale is the 2nd Bomb Wing (2 BW), the oldest bomb wing in the U.S. Air Force. It is assigned to the
Air Force Global Strike Command The Air Force Global Strike Command (AFGSC) is a List of Major Commands of the United States Air Force, Major Command (MAJCOM) of the United States Air Force, headquartered at Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana. AFGSC provides combat-ready fo ...
's (AFGSC)
Eighth Air Force The Eighth Air Force (Air Forces Strategic) is a numbered air force (NAF) of the United States Air Force's Air Force Global Strike Command (AFGSC). It is headquartered at Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana. The command serves as Air Forces S ...
(8 AF). Equipped with about 44
B-52H Stratofortress The Boeing B-52 Stratofortress is an American long-range, subsonic aircraft, 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 ...
bombers, 2 BW provides flexible, responsive global combat capability and trains all AFGSC and AFRC
Boeing B-52 Stratofortress The Boeing B-52 Stratofortress is an American long-range, subsonic aircraft, 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 ...
crews. The base was established in 1932 as Barksdale Field, named for
World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...
aviator and test pilot Lieutenant
Eugene Hoy Barksdale Lieutenant Eugene Hoy Barksdale (November 5, 1896 – August 11, 1926) was a noted aviator and was a First Lieutenant in the United States Army Air Service and Army Air Corps. The new Barksdale Field (now Barksdale Air Force Base) in Bossier City ...
(1896–1926).


Role and operations

Units at Barksdale include the oldest bomb wing in the USAF, the 2nd Bomb Wing (2 BW). The 2nd participated in Brig Gen
Billy Mitchell William Lendrum Mitchell (December 29, 1879 – February 19, 1936) was a United States Army officer who had a major role in the creation of the United States Air Force. Mitchell served in France during World War I and, by the conflict's end, ...
's 1921 off-shore bombing test (as the 2nd Bomb Group).F Components of the 2nd Bomb Wing are: *
2nd Operations Group The 2d Operations Group (2 OG) is the flying component of the United States Air Force 2d Bomb Wing, assigned to the Air Force Global Strike Command Eighth Air Force. The group is stationed at Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana. 2 OG is one of ...
(Tail Code: "LA") ** 11th Bomb Squadron ( Boeing B-52H Stratofortress) "Mr. Jiggs", Gold Tail Stripe ** 20th Bomb Squadron (B-52H) "Buccaneers", Blue Tail Stripe ** 96th Bomb Squadron (B-52H) "Devil's Own", Red Tail Stripe ** 2nd Operations Support Squadron * 2nd Mission Support Group * 2nd Maintenance Group * 2nd Medical Group The commander of the 2nd Bomb Wing is Colonel Michael A. Miller. He also functions as the installation commander of Barksdale Air Force Base. The vice commander is Colonel Scott Weyermuller. Other assigned units at Barksdale are: *
Air Force Global Strike Command The Air Force Global Strike Command (AFGSC) is a List of Major Commands of the United States Air Force, Major Command (MAJCOM) of the United States Air Force, headquartered at Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana. AFGSC provides combat-ready fo ...
* Headquarters,
Eighth Air Force The Eighth Air Force (Air Forces Strategic) is a numbered air force (NAF) of the United States Air Force's Air Force Global Strike Command (AFGSC). It is headquartered at Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana. The command serves as Air Forces S ...
* 307th Bomb Wing (
Air Force Reserve Command The Air Force Reserve Command (AFRC) is a MAJCOM, 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 ...
) (Tail Code: "BD") **
93d Bomb Squadron The 93rd Bomb Squadron, sometimes written as 93d Bomb Squadron, is a squadron of the United States Air Force Reserve. It is assigned to the 307th Operations Group of Air Force Reserve Command, stationed at Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana. ...
(B-52H) "Indian Outlaws", Blue/Gold Chex Tail Stripe ** 343d Bomb Squadron (B-52H) *
49th Test and Evaluation Squadron The 49th Test and Evaluation Squadron is an active United States Air Force unit. Its current assignment is with the 53d Wing, based at Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana. The 49th Test and Evaluation Squadron is an Air Combat Command (ACC) u ...
* Det 13 ACC TRSS * 8th Information Warfare Flight *
26th Operational Weather Squadron The 26th Operational Weather Squadron (26 OWS), based out of Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana, is the United States Air Force meteorological squadron responsible for the Southeastern United States. The current states in the Area of Respo ...
The base is closed to the public. However, the base is home to the
Barksdale Global Power Museum The Barksdale Global Power Museum (formerly, the 8th Air Force Museum) is an aviation museum run by the United States Air Force on Barksdale Air Force Base near Bossier City, Louisiana. Hosted by the 2nd Bomb Wing, it maintains a large collect ...
, which hosts static displays of numerous aircraft including a
Royal Air Force The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the Air force, air and space force of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies. It was formed towards the end of the World War I, First World War on 1 April 1918, on the merger of t ...
Avro Vulcan The Avro Vulcan (later Hawker Siddeley Vulcan from July 1963) was 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 ...
bomber,
Consolidated B-24 Liberator The Consolidated B-24 Liberator is an American heavy bomber, designed by Consolidated Aircraft of San Diego, California. It was known within the company as the Model 32, and some initial production aircraft were laid down as export models desi ...
,
Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress The Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress is an American four-engined heavy bomber aircraft developed in the 1930s for the United States Army Air Corps (USAAC). A fast and high-flying bomber, the B-17 dropped more bombs than any other aircraft during ...
,
North American P-51 Mustang The North American Aviation P-51 Mustang is an American long-range, single-seat fighter and fighter-bomber used during World War II and the Korean War, among other conflicts. The Mustang was designed in 1940 by a team headed by James H. Kin ...
,
Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird The Lockheed SR-71 "Blackbird" is a retired long-range, high-altitude, Mach 3+ strategic reconnaissance aircraft developed and manufactured by the American aerospace company Lockheed Corporation. Its nicknames include " Blackbird" and ...
,
General Dynamics F-111 Aardvark The General Dynamics F-111 Aardvark is a retired supersonic, medium-range, multirole combat aircraft. Production models of the F-111 had roles that included attack (e.g. interdiction), strategic bombing (including nuclear weapons capabiliti ...
, and multiple versions of the Boeing B-52 Stratofortress. There is an annual open house when non-
Department of Defense The United States Department of Defense (DoD, USDOD, or DOD) is an executive department of the U.S. federal government charged with coordinating and supervising the six U.S. armed services: the Army, Navy, Marines, Air Force, Space Force, ...
visitors are allowed. Visitors may also tour the museum from 9:30 am to 4 pm every day except official holidays.


History

Barksdale Field was named in honor of 2nd Lieutenant
Eugene Hoy Barksdale Lieutenant Eugene Hoy Barksdale (November 5, 1896 – August 11, 1926) was a noted aviator and was a First Lieutenant in the United States Army Air Service and Army Air Corps. The new Barksdale Field (now Barksdale Air Force Base) in Bossier City ...
(1895–1926) on 2 February 1933. Lieutenant Barksdale received his wings in Great Britain in 1918 and flew with the British
Royal Flying Corps The Royal Flying Corps (RFC) was the air arm of the British Army before and during the First World War until it merged with the Royal Naval Air Service on 1 April 1918 to form the Royal Air Force. During the early part of the war, the RFC sup ...
during
World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...
. Barksdale died on 11 August 1926, over
McCook Field McCook Field was an airfield and aviation experimentation station in Dayton, Ohio, United States. It was operated by the Aviation Section, U.S. Signal Corps and its successor the United States Army Air Service from 1917 to 1927. It was named f ...
near
Dayton, Ohio Dayton () is a city in Montgomery County, Ohio, United States, and its county seat. It is the List of cities in Ohio, sixth-most populous city in Ohio, with a population of 137,644 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. The Dayton metro ...
, when testing a Douglas O-2 observation airplane for spin characteristics. He did not recover from a flat spin, and while parachuting out of the plane his parachute was caught in the wing's brace wires, causing Barksdale to fall to his death. He was buried with full military honors in
Arlington National Cemetery Arlington National Cemetery is the largest cemetery in the United States National Cemetery System, one of two maintained by the United States Army. More than 400,000 people are buried in its 639 acres (259 ha) in Arlington County, Virginia. ...
. 25th Aero Squadron.jpg, 25th AS, Lt Barksdale pictured (bottom row, 2nd from left) 25th Aero Squadron Pilots.jpg, 25th AS, Lt Barksdale pictured (fourth from right, back row) Barksdale_aircraft1.jpg, Lt Barksdale, date unknown EH_Barksdale.jpg, Lt Barksdale, date unknown US Army Air Force Lt. Eugene Hoy Barksdale.jpg, Lt Barksdale, date unknown The name of the airfield was changed to Barksdale Air Force Base on 13 February 1948, concurrent with the establishment of the United States Air Force as a separate military branch.
Airship An airship, dirigible balloon or dirigible is a type of aerostat (lighter-than-air) aircraft that can navigate through the air flying powered aircraft, under its own power. Aerostats use buoyancy from a lifting gas that is less dense than the ...
s were still in use when field construction began, so
Hangar A hangar is a building or structure designed to hold aircraft or spacecraft. Hangars are built of metal, wood, or concrete. The word ''hangar'' comes from Middle French ''hanghart'' ("enclosure near a house"), of Germanic origin, from Frankish ...
s One and Two were built large enough to accommodate them. No airships were ever assigned, but each hangar was large enough to accommodate two Boeing B-52 Stratofortress bombers wingtip to wingtip, which proved invaluable for ''Big Belly'' and ''Pacer Plank'' modifications managed by
Boeing The Boeing Company, or simply Boeing (), is an American multinational corporation that designs, manufactures, and sells airplanes, rotorcraft, rockets, satellites, and missiles worldwide. The company also provides leasing and product support s ...
's Wichita plant between 1965 and 1973. Half of the B-52Fs were deployed from Barksdale, but never returned as they were replaced by B-52Gs after the
Vietnam War The Vietnam War (1 November 1955 – 30 April 1975) was an armed conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia fought between North Vietnam (Democratic Republic of Vietnam) and South Vietnam (Republic of Vietnam) and their allies. North Vietnam w ...
.


Origins

As early as 1924, the citizens of
Shreveport Shreveport ( ) is a city in the U.S. state of Louisiana. It is the List of municipalities in Louisiana, third-most populous city in Louisiana after New Orleans and Baton Rouge, Louisiana, Baton Rouge. The bulk of Shreveport is in Caddo Parish, Lo ...
became interested in hosting a military flying field. In 1926, Shreveport citizens learned that the 3rd Attack Wing stationed at Fort Crockett,
Texas Texas ( , ; or ) is the most populous U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. It borders Louisiana to the east, Arkansas to the northeast, Oklahoma to the north, New Mexico to the we ...
, would be enlarged by 500 percent and would require at least to support aerial gunnery and a bombing range. The efforts to procure the government's commitment to build the facility in the Shreveport metropolitan area were spearheaded by a committee co-chaired by local civic leaders Andrew Querbes and John D. Ewing, beginning in 1927. It took a great deal of correspondence between the interested parties and the original proposal was rejected. However, in February 1928, a young crop duster, a U.S. Army Air Corps captain named Harold Ross Harris, was hired to fly over the local area in order to find a suitable site for the airfield. Captain Harris selected what he felt was an adequate location for a military airfield. It was a sprawling section of cotton plantation near Bossier City. The site selection committee, representing the wealthiest taxpayers in the city, unanimously agreed upon the Barksdale Field location. A delegation of citizens traveled to Washington, D.C., to personally present the advantages of the proposed site to the War Department. Following the return of this delegation, a special U.S. Army board visited Shreveport and reported the location met all requirements of the Air Corps. The site was selected 5 December 1928, as the location of the airfield. The land in Bossier Parish on which the airfield was built was unincorporated land near Bossier City that was annexed by the city of Shreveport once the site had been selected among 80 candidates. The real estate was purchased from over 800 property owners via a
municipal bond A municipal bond, commonly known as a muni, is a bond issued by state or local governments, or entities they create such as authorities and special districts. In the United States, interest income received by holders of municipal bonds is often ...
issue approved by Shreveport voters in 1929 in fulfillment of the pledge that the citizens of Shreveport made to the U.S. government. The last of these bonds matured on 31 December 1959. After acquisition, Shreveport then donated the land to the federal government per their agreement, while the federal government assumed all the costs of building construction and equipment installation. Shreveport had originally proposed a site adjacent to Cross Lake (Shreveport, Louisiana), in
Caddo Parish, Louisiana Caddo Parish () () is a Parish (administrative division), parish located in the northwestern corner of the U.S. state of Louisiana. According to the 2020 United States census, 2020 U.S. census, the parish had a population of 237,848. The paris ...
, but the War Department deemed this location inappropriate due to the lack of suitable terrain for the facility's future expansion. Subsequent to the establishment of the military installation, Bossier City grew and expanded southward and eastward, eventually enveloping the area surrounding the base. Technically, of course, Barksdale AFB is neither in Bossier City nor Shreveport but, like all military bases, is an autonomous community with its own infrastructure. However, the base obtains its water from the Shreveport Water system, with a connection to the Bossier City Water System as a backup supply of water in case the Shreveport System is undergoing maintenance or emergency situations. Construction of Barksdale Field began in 1931, when hangars, runways, and billets were built. Early flying operations began on 7 November 1932, with the arrival of the
20th Pursuit Group The 20th Operations Group (20 OG) is the flying component of the 20th Fighter Wing, assigned to the United States Air Force Air Combat Command. It is stationed at Shaw Air Force Base, South Carolina. It is a successor organization of the 20th ...
and its three pursuit squadrons equipped with the
Boeing P-12 The Boeing P-12 or Boeing F4B is an American pursuit aircraft that was operated by the United States Army Air Corps, United States Marine Corps, and United States Navy. It was the chief fighter aircraft in American service during the early 193 ...
and
Boeing P-26 Peashooter The Boeing P-26 "Peashooter" is the first American production all-metal fighter aircraft and the first pursuit monoplane to enter squadron service with the United States Army Air Corps. Designed and built by Boeing, the prototype first flew in 1 ...
. The airfield was officially opened and dedicated on 2 February 1933. By the mid-1930s, Barksdale Field was the headquarters and main base of the 3rd Attack Wing, equipped with the Curtiss A-12 and Northrop A-17. The airfield was used by both fighter and attack pilots to hone their gunnery and bombing skills. Additional barracks were constructed 1936–1937, and light bombers replaced pursuit and attack aircraft.


World War II

Barksdale was developed as an Air Corps flying school November 1940 and the runway apron was completed mid-1941. Between 23 and 25 May 1940, Barksdale Field was host to the Army's "complete military maneuvers" simulating European combat operations. Some 320 aircraft from throughout the Army Air Corps participated, as Major General
Dwight D. Eisenhower Dwight David "Ike" Eisenhower (born David Dwight Eisenhower; October 14, 1890 – March 28, 1969) was the 34th president of the United States, serving from 1953 to 1961. During World War II, he was Supreme Commander of the Allied Expeditionar ...
watched. General George C. Marshall, the U.S. Army Chief of Staff, also briefly visited Barksdale Field during the latter stages of the maneuvers. During
World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
, the airfield trained replacement crews and entire units between 1942 and 1945. Known units that trained at Barksdale were: * 27th Bombardment Group (Light) 1 February 1940 – 7 October 1940 ( Douglas A-24 Dauntless) * 8th Pursuit Group 5 September 1941 – 7 October 1941 (
Curtiss P-40 Warhawk The Curtiss P-40 Warhawk is an American single-engined, single-seat, all-metal fighter-bomber that first flew in 1938. The P-40 design was a modification of the previous Curtiss P-36 Hawk which reduced development time and enabled a rapid entry ...
) * 46th Bombardment Group (Light) 2 February 1942 – 1 April 1942 (
Douglas A-20 Havoc The Douglas A-20 Havoc (company designation DB-7) is an American light bomber, attack aircraft, Intruder (air combat), night intruder, night fighter, and reconnaissance aircraft of World War II. Designed to meet an Army Air Corps requirement for ...
) * 44th Bombardment Group (Heavy) February 1942 – July 1942 (
Consolidated B-24 Liberator The Consolidated B-24 Liberator is an American heavy bomber, designed by Consolidated Aircraft of San Diego, California. It was known within the company as the Model 32, and some initial production aircraft were laid down as export models desi ...
) * 98th Bombardment Group (Heavy) February 1942 – 30 March 1942 (Consolidated B-24 Liberator) * 92nd Bombardment Group (Heavy) 1 March 1942 – 26 March 1942 (
Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress The Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress is an American four-engined heavy bomber aircraft developed in the 1930s for the United States Army Air Corps (USAAC). A fast and high-flying bomber, the B-17 dropped more bombs than any other aircraft during ...
) * 93rd Bombardment Group (Heavy) 1 March 1942 – 15 May 1942 (Consolidated B-24 Liberator) * 90th Bombardment Group (Heavy) 17 May 1942 – 21 June 1942 (Consolidated B-24 Liberator) * 17th Bombardment Group (Medium) 23 June 1942 – November 1942 (
Martin B-26 Marauder The Martin B-26 Marauder is an American twin-engined medium bomber that saw extensive service during World War II. The B-26 was built at two locations: Baltimore, Maryland, and Omaha, Nebraska, by the Glenn L. Martin Company. First used in ...
) * 95th Bombardment Group (Heavy) 15 June 1942 – 26 June 1942 (Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress) * 100th Bombardment Group (Heavy): 18 June 1942 – 26 June 1942 (Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress) * 319th Bombardment Group (Medium): 26 June 1942 – 8 August 1942 (Martin B-26 Marauder) * 321st Bombardment Group (Medium) 26 June 1942 – 1 August 1942 (
North American B-25 Mitchell The North American B-25 Mitchell is an American medium bomber that was introduced in 1941 and named in honor of Brigadier General Billy Mitchell, William "Billy" Mitchell, a pioneer of U.S. military aviation. Used by many Allies of World War ...
) The 335th Bombardment Group (Medium) took over training duties as a permanent Operational Training Unit (OTU) on 17 July 1942 with Martin B-26 Marauders. On 1 May 1944, the 335th was replaced by the 331st
U.S. Army Air Forces The United States Army Air Forces (USAAF or AAF) was the major land-based aerial warfare service component of the United States Army and ''de facto'' aerial warfare service branch of the United States during and immediately after World War II ...
(USAAF) Base Unit as the OTU, being subsequently replaced by the 2621st USAAF Base Unit on 1 December 1945. The 2621st provided pilot training until 26 September 1947, when it was inactivated and replaced by the 2621st Air Force Base Unit. Also during World War II Barksdale played host to the major contingent of the
Free French Air Forces The Free French Air Forces (, FAFL) were the air arm of the Free French Forces in the Second World War, created by Charles de Gaulle in 1940. The designation ceased to exist in 1943 when the Free French Forces merged with General Giraud's force ...
and Nationalist Chinese aircrews.


Postwar years

Barksdale Field was renamed Barksdale Air Force Base on 13 January 1948, with the designation of the United States Air Force as a separate service in 1947. In the postwar year of the 1940s, Barksdale then became headquarters for the
Air Training Command The Air Training Command (ATC) is a former United States Air Force (USAF) Major Command designation. It was headquartered at Randolph Air Force Base, Texas, but was initially formed at Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana. It was re-designated ...
from 1945 to 1949. The 47th Bombardment Wing, Light, equipped first with the Douglas B-26 Invader was assigned on 19 November 1948, from
Biggs Field Biggs Army Airfield (formerly Biggs Air Force Base) is a United States Army military airbase located on the Fort Bliss military base in El Paso, Texas. History Biggs Field/Biggs Army Airfield (1916–47) On 15 June 1919, following an attack b ...
for transitioning to the North American B-45 Tornado. The B-45 was the USAF's first operational jet bomber, and the first jet aircraft to be refueled in the air. The first B-45As began arriving in December 1948, with the wing accepting 96 aircraft by March 1950. Due to budget reductions in the B-45 program, the air force planned to inactivate the 47th Bomb Wing and transfer its B-45s and personnel to Yokota AB, Japan so Far East Air Forces could benefit from the know-how gained by the 47th at Barksdale. However the costs of moving the aircraft to Japan were substantial, as the range of the B-45 was insufficient to fly from California to Hawaii, and the aircraft could not be equipped with external fuel tanks. Initial use of the B-45 at Barksdale also showed that the aircraft was not truly operational, with ineffective fire control and bombing systems along with structural weaknesses developing on the aircraft already in use. In addition, each engine had to be inspected after only hours of use. If found serviceable, it could be only flown another hours before a total overhaul was necessary. It was determined that the aircraft simply could not be deployed overseas and put into operational use. It took almost two years until
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 ...
could work out these issues and have the 47th Bomb Wing's aircraft ready for operational use. The 47th Bomb Wing was assigned to
NATO The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO ; , OTAN), also called the North Atlantic Alliance, is an intergovernmental organization, intergovernmental Transnationalism, transnational military alliance of 32 Member states of NATO, member s ...
and was reassigned first to
Langley AFB Langley Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base located in Hampton, Virginia, adjacent to Newport News. It was one of thirty-two Air Service training camps established after the entry of the United States into World War I in April 1 ...
, Virginia in March 1951, then afterwards to RAF Sculthorpe, England, arriving in the UK on 1 May 1951. With the departure of the 47th, Barksdale phased out bomber crew training.
U.S. Representative The United States House of Representatives is a chamber of the bicameral United States Congress; it is the lower house, with the U.S. Senate being the upper house. Together, the House and Senate have the authority under Article One of th ...
Joe Waggonner, worked successfully to keep Barksdale open during his time in Congress. Through his efforts, Barksdale survived base closures that occurred elsewhere across the nation.


Cold War

On 1 November 1949, Barksdale was reassigned to
Strategic Air Command Strategic Air Command (SAC) was 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 compon ...
(SAC), and became home of Headquarters
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 defended ...
. Barksdale remained a SAC base for nearly the next half-century. However, with the change of commands, the mission of Barksdale initially remained that of a training base where units were formed and organized, then were reassigned to front-line operational bases.


91st Strategic Reconnaissance Wing

The first SAC unit at Barksdale was the 91st Strategic Reconnaissance Wing was reassigned to the base from McGuire AFB on 1 October. The mission of the 91st was to provide global strategic reconnaissance, with emphasis on aerial photography and mapping. The 91st was equipped with a myriad of aircraft, including versions of the Boeing RB/TRB-17 Flying Fortress; Boeing RB/TB/TRB-29 Superfortress; Douglas RC-54 Skymaster; Boeing B/RB-50 Superfortress, and the North American RB-45 Tornado. The 91st maintained operational detachments of aircraft and crews drawn from several components to provide reconnaissance support in overseas areas, including the United Kingdom and locations in North Africa. Deployments would be routine and last for about three months. When the
Korean War The Korean War (25 June 1950 – 27 July 1953) was an armed conflict on the Korean Peninsula fought between North Korea (Democratic People's Republic of Korea; DPRK) and South Korea (Republic of Korea; ROK) and their allies. North Korea was s ...
broke out in 1950, a three-plane detachment from the wing flew to Johnson Air Base, Japan to provide the Far East Air Forces commander improved reconnaissance capability. The 91st Strategic Reconnaissance Squadron remained in Japan for the duration of the war and flew reconnaissance missions over
North Korea North Korea, officially the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), is a country in East Asia. It constitutes the northern half of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and borders China and Russia to the north at the Yalu River, Yalu (Amnok) an ...
and the
Sea of Japan The Sea of Japan is the marginal sea between the Japanese archipelago, Sakhalin, the Korean Peninsula, and the mainland of the Russian Far East. The Japanese archipelago separates the sea from the Pacific Ocean. Like the Mediterranean Sea, it ...
. The wing also sent a detachment of RB-29 refueling aircraft, and conducted the first aerial refueling under combat conditions when a KB-29P refueled an RC-45C over North Korea in July 1951 With the arrival of the 376th Bomb wing in October 1951, the decision was made to reassign the 91st. On 16 June 1952 the 91st was reassigned to Lockbourne AFB,
Ohio Ohio ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders Lake Erie to the north, Pennsylvania to the east, West Virginia to the southeast, Kentucky to the southwest, Indiana to the ...
.


301st Bombardment Wing

The 301st Bombardment Wing joined the 91st SRW at Barksdale on 7 November 1949, being transferred from Smoky Hill AFB,
Kansas Kansas ( ) is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders Nebraska to the north; Missouri to the east; Oklahoma to the south; and Colorado to the west. Kansas is named a ...
, where it was reactivated the year before. Both wings operated a joint integrated headquarters although each wing continued tactical operations independently. Initially flying the B-29 Superfortress, after arriving at Barksdale the 301st was one of the first units to conduct aerial refueling operations with the KB-29 tanker version of the Superfortress. The wing converted to the
Boeing B-47 Stratojet The Boeing B-47 Stratojet (Boeing company designation Model 450) is a retired American long- range, six-engined, turbojet-powered strategic bomber designed to fly at high subsonic speed and at high altitude to avoid enemy interceptor aircraft ...
in 1953 and traded in its KB-29 tankers for the upgraded
Boeing KC-97 Stratofreighter The Boeing KC-97 Stratofreighter is a four-engined, piston-powered United States strategic tanker aircraft based on the Boeing C-97 Stratofreighter. It replaced the KB-29 and was succeeded by the Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker. Design and developme ...
. The mission of the 301st was to train for strategic bombing missions and to conduct aerial refueling. The wing deployed to England in 1953 and to
French Morocco The French protectorate in Morocco, also known as French Morocco, was the period of French colonial rule in Morocco that lasted from 1912 to 1956. The protectorate was officially established 30 March 1912, when Sultan Abd al-Hafid signed the ...
in 1954. It was reassigned to Lockbourne AFB, Ohio on 15 April 1958 where it became an
electronic countermeasures An electronic countermeasure (ECM) is an electrical or electronic device designed to countermeasure, trick or deceive radar, sonar, or other detection systems, like infrared (IR) or lasers. It may be used both offensively and defensively to deny ...
(ECM) unit and was engaged in various clandestine intelligence missions. To provide air defense for the base, the U.S. Army established the Barksdale Defense Area in 1959 and constructed
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, bu ...
surface-to-air missile sites for air defense. Sites were located near Bellevue (N.E. of Shreveport) (BD-10) , and Stonewall (BD-50) in Louisiana. The unit involved may have been from the 562nd Air Defense Artillery Regiment. They were operational between November 1960 and March 1966 when they were inactivated as part of the reduction of the air defenses in the United States against aircraft.


376th Bombardment Wing

On 10 October 1951 the 376th Bombardment Wing was reassigned to Barksdale from Forbes AFB
Kansas Kansas ( ) is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders Nebraska to the north; Missouri to the east; Oklahoma to the south; and Colorado to the west. Kansas is named a ...
. Initially equipped with obsolescent B-29 Superfortresses, the 514th Bombardment Squadron trained to drop A-bombs until the wing upgraded to the Boeing B-47 Stratojet bomber in June 1953 which took over the A-bomb duty. The 376th began flying EB-47 Stratojets in 1954 for ECM operations, which became the wing's primary mission in September 1953. The wing was reassigned to Lockbourne AFB on 1 December 1957 where it replaced and absorbed the personnel and assets of the 91st Strategic Reconnaissance Wing and was redesignated the 376th Bombardment Wing (ECM), flying EB-47E Stratojets .


4238th Strategic Wing

Following the transfer 301st and 378th Bomb Wings in 1957 and 1958 respectively, Barksdale was slated to receive Boeing's newest pair of strategic aircraft: the
Boeing B-52 Stratofortress The Boeing B-52 Stratofortress is an American long-range, subsonic aircraft, 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 ...
and the
Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker The Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker is an American military aerial refueling tanker aircraft that was developed from the Boeing 367-80 prototype, alongside the Boeing 707 airliner. It has a narrower fuselage and is shorter than the 707. Boeing gave ...
. The mission of Barksdale was also changed from being a SAC training base to a front-line operational base. It received its new aircraft and mission in the form of the 4238th Strategic Wing which was a derivative of the 7th Bomb Wing from Carswell AFB,
Texas Texas ( , ; or ) is the most populous U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. It borders Louisiana to the east, Arkansas to the northeast, Oklahoma to the north, New Mexico to the we ...
. The 4238th was equipped with the B-52F and KC-135A strategic tankers that were assigned to Barksdale. Its units consisted of the 436th Bomb Squadron and 913th Air Refueling Squadron. It was assigned to Barksdale on 3 May 1958 as part of SAC's plan to disperse its big bombers over a larger number of bases, thus making it more difficult for the
Soviet Union The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR), commonly known as the Soviet Union, was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 until Dissolution of the Soviet ...
to knock out the entire fleet with a surprise first strike. The 436th Bomb Squadron consisted of 15 aircraft. Half of the planes were maintained on fifteen-minute alert, fully fueled, armed, and ready for combat. The remaining planes were used for training in bombardment missions and
air refueling Aerial refueling (American English, en-us), or aerial refuelling (British English, en-gb), also referred to as air refueling, in-flight refueling (IFR), air-to-air refueling (AAR), and tanking, is the process of transferring aviation fuel from ...
operations.


= 1st Combat Evaluation Group

= The 1st Combat Evaluation Group (1961–90) reporting directly to the Deputy Commander of Operations, Strategic Air Command Headquarters,
Offutt AFB Offutt Air Force Base is a U.S. Air Force base south of Omaha, adjacent to Bellevue in Sarpy County, Nebraska. It is the headquarters of the U.S. Strategic Command (USSTRATCOM), the 557th Weather Wing, and the 55th Wing (55 WG) of the ...
, Nebraska, to provide command level standardization/evaluation of SAC aircrews, radar scoring of simulated bombing activity by SAC aircraft; and contingency warfare support of ground directed bombing, with detachments in
Southeast Asia Southeast Asia is the geographical United Nations geoscheme for Asia#South-eastern Asia, southeastern region of Asia, consisting of the regions that are situated south of China, east of the Indian subcontinent, and northwest of the Mainland Au ...
during the
Vietnam War The Vietnam War (1 November 1955 – 30 April 1975) was an armed conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia fought between North Vietnam (Democratic Republic of Vietnam) and South Vietnam (Republic of Vietnam) and their allies. North Vietnam w ...
. In 1990, part of the 1CEVG became the 99 Electronic Combat Range Group and was the 99th Range Group became part of the Nellis AFB 98th Range Wing in 1995.


2nd Bombardment Wing

The 4238th Strategic Wing was phased out on 1 April 1963. The 2nd Bombardment Wing, Heavy was reassigned without equipment or personnel to Barksdale from Hunter AFB, Georgia. taking over the B-52 and KC-135 mission from the 4238th Strategic Wing. The aircraft and crews remained at the base, but the wing (and its bomb squadron) were given new designations, the 20th Bombardment Squadron and 913th Air Refueling Squadron. The 2nd Bomb Wing under various designations, has been the host unit at Barksdale for over 40 years. The 20th retained the B-52Fs until being transferred in June 1965 to the 7th Bomb Wing at Carswell AFB. It was replaced by the 62nd Bomb Squadron, which flew the B-52G which was reassigned from the inactivating 39th Bombardment Wing at Eglin AFB, Florida. A second "G" squadron, the 596th Bomb Squadron was reassigned to Barksdale in April 1968 from the 397th Bombardment Wing at Dow AFB,
Maine Maine ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the United States, and the northeasternmost state in the Contiguous United States. It borders New Hampshire to the west, the Gulf of Maine to the southeast, and the Provinces and ...
. During the Vietnam War, the 2nd Bomb Wing deployed to Southeast Asia for " Arc Light" and " Young Tiger", including use B-52G in Linebacker I and Linebacker II raids of 1972 – 73 at the end of the war. In addition to the Motorola SST-181 X Band Beacon Transponder for Combat Skyspot, the B-52G had onboard ECM for protection against enemy
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 or the sea to destroy aircraft or other missiles. It is one type of anti-ai ...
s. In the latter stages of Linebacker II, some of the B-52Gs were diverted in-flight to targets deemed to be less dangerous. All aircraft and crews returned to Barksdale in January and October 1973.


Post-Vietnam era

From 1973–1992, Barksdale hosted the annual Strategic Air Command Bombing and Navigation Competition and awards symposium. After spending weeks dropping bombs on ranges throughout the United States and engaging in navigational competition, SAC's finest bomber and tanker aircrews gathered here for the score posting and awards presentation, and to work together to improve the training of SAC aircrews. Headquarters
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 defended ...
was inactivated on 1 January 1975, being replaced by Headquarters
Eighth Air Force The Eighth Air Force (Air Forces Strategic) is a numbered air force (NAF) of the United States Air Force's Air Force Global Strike Command (AFGSC). It is headquartered at Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana. The command serves as Air Forces S ...
which was transferred to Barksdale after being located at Andersen AFB,
Guam Guam ( ; ) is an island that is an Territories of the United States, organized, unincorporated territory of the United States in the Micronesia subregion of the western Pacific Ocean. Guam's capital is Hagåtña, Guam, Hagåtña, and the most ...
for five years in charge of SAC strategic operations for the Vietnam War. At Barksdale, the Eighth took over the operations and personnel of the inactivated Second Air Force. In 1978, the Eighth Air Force Museum was established at Barksdale with the arrival of a
Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress The Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress is an American four-engined heavy bomber aircraft developed in the 1930s for the United States Army Air Corps (USAAC). A fast and high-flying bomber, the B-17 dropped more bombs than any other aircraft during ...
of the type the "Mighty Eighth" flew during
World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
. The museum has grown greatly over the years, and today its collection includes the
Consolidated B-24 Liberator The Consolidated B-24 Liberator is an American heavy bomber, designed by Consolidated Aircraft of San Diego, California. It was known within the company as the Model 32, and some initial production aircraft were laid down as export models desi ...
,
Boeing B-29 Superfortress The Boeing B-29 Superfortress is a retired 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 Bo ...
,
Boeing B-47 Stratojet The Boeing B-47 Stratojet (Boeing company designation Model 450) is a retired American long- range, six-engined, turbojet-powered strategic bomber designed to fly at high subsonic speed and at high altitude to avoid enemy interceptor aircraft ...
, Boeing B-52D and G Stratofortresses, British
Avro Vulcan The Avro Vulcan (later Hawker Siddeley Vulcan from July 1963) was 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 ...
B.Mk2, General Dynamics FB-111A, Beechcraft C-45 Expeditor,
Douglas C-47 Skytrain The Douglas C-47 Skytrain or Dakota ( RAF designation) is a military transport aircraft developed from the civilian Douglas DC-3 airliner. It was used extensively by the Allies during World War II. During the war the C-47 was used for tro ...
, Noorduyn UC-64A Norseman,
Boeing KC-97 Stratofreighter The Boeing KC-97 Stratofreighter is a four-engined, piston-powered United States strategic tanker aircraft based on the Boeing C-97 Stratofreighter. It replaced the KB-29 and was succeeded by the Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker. Design and developme ...
,
Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker The Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker is an American military aerial refueling tanker aircraft that was developed from the Boeing 367-80 prototype, alongside the Boeing 707 airliner. It has a narrower fuselage and is shorter than the 707. Boeing gave ...
, North American P-51D/F-51D Mustang, Republic F-84F Thunderstreak,
Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21 The Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21 (; NATO reporting name: Fishbed) is a supersonic jet fighter and interceptor aircraft, designed by the Mikoyan-Gurevich Design Bureau in the Soviet Union. Its nicknames include: "''Balalaika''", because its planf ...
F,
Lockheed T-33 Shooting Star The Lockheed T-33 Shooting Star (or T-Bird) is an American subsonic jet trainer. It was produced by Lockheed and made its first flight in 1948. The T-33 was developed from the Lockheed P-80/F-80 starting as TP-80C/TF-80C in development, then d ...
and
Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird The Lockheed SR-71 "Blackbird" is a retired long-range, high-altitude, Mach 3+ strategic reconnaissance aircraft developed and manufactured by the American aerospace company Lockheed Corporation. Its nicknames include " Blackbird" and ...
. Barksdale's 32nd Air Refueling Squadron received the first operational McDonnell Douglas KC-10A Extender aerial tanker in November 1981. The 32nd ARS was reassigned to the 458th Operations Group on 1 June 1992 and to the 305th Operations Group on 1 July 1995. The 71st ARS was reassigned to the 458th Operations Group at McGuire AFB, New Jersey. Barksdale's last KC-135 was placed in the Eighth Air Force Museum after its final flight in March 1994 and the last KC-10 departed for McGuire AFB in October. In April 1982, and again in December 1990, the
Space Shuttle The Space Shuttle is a retired, partially reusable launch system, reusable low Earth orbital spacecraft system operated from 1981 to 2011 by the U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) as part of the Space Shuttle program. ...
''Columbia'' made stops at Barksdale on its way back to
Cape Canaveral Cape Canaveral () is a cape (geography), cape in Brevard County, Florida, in the United States, near the center of the state's Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic coast. Officially Cape Kennedy from 1963 to 1973, it lies east of Merritt Island, separated ...
. In the immediate aftermath of the ''Columbia'' disaster in February 2003, a hangar at Barksdale AFB, being the closest base to the accident site, was used to collect and catalogue the orbiter's debris before it was shipped to
Kennedy Space Center The John F. Kennedy Space Center (KSC, originally known as the NASA Launch Operations Center), located on Merritt Island, Florida, is one of the NASA, National Aeronautics and Space Administration's (NASA) ten NASA facilities#List of field c ...
, Florida. On 20 September 2009, the airport was again used as a refuelling stop for the Space Shuttle's return flight to Kennedy Space Center, as has done numerous times before. This time it was ''Discovery'' that was being piggybacked from Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base Fort Worth. The
Shuttle Carrier Aircraft The Shuttle Carrier Aircraft (SCA) are two extensively modified Boeing 747 airliners that NASA used to transport Space Shuttle orbiters. One (N905NA) is a 747-100 model, while the other (N911NA) is a short-range 747-100SR. Both are now retired. ...
and ''Discovery'' remained at Barksdale over night.


Operation Just Cause/Desert Shield/Desert Storm

Barksdale played significant roles in
Operation Just Cause Operation or Operations may refer to: Arts, entertainment and media * ''Operation'' (game), a battery-operated board game that challenges dexterity * Operation (music), a term used in musical set theory * ''Operations'' (magazine), Multi-Man ...
to restore democracy in
Panama Panama, officially the Republic of Panama, is a country in Latin America at the southern end of Central America, bordering South America. It is bordered by Costa Rica to the west, Colombia to the southeast, the Caribbean Sea to the north, and ...
in December 1989,
Operation Desert Shield , combatant2 = , commander1 = , commander2 = , strength1 = Over 950,000 soldiers3,113 tanks1,800 aircraft2,200 artillery systems , page = https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GAOREPORTS-PEMD-96- ...
in August 1990 and
Operation Desert Storm Operation or Operations may refer to: Arts, entertainment and media * ''Operation'' (game), a battery-operated board game that challenges dexterity * Operation (music), a term used in musical set theory * ''Operations'' (magazine), Multi-Man ...
in January 1991. The first combat sortie of Desert Storm was launched from Barksdale, when seven B-52Gs flew a 35-hour mission – the longest combat sortie in history at that time – to fire a barrage of conventional air-launched cruise missiles against
Iraq Iraq, officially the Republic of Iraq, is a country in West Asia. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to Iraq–Saudi Arabia border, the south, Turkey to Iraq–Turkey border, the north, Iran to Iran–Iraq border, the east, the Persian Gulf and ...
. The B-52s from Barksdale that were deployed to Morón Air Base, Spain (a former SAC "Reflex" base) dropped 10 percent of all U.S. Air Force bombs during the
Persian Gulf War , combatant2 = , commander1 = , commander2 = , strength1 = Over 950,000 soldiers3,113 tanks1,800 aircraft2,200 artillery systems , page = https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GAOREPORTS-PEMD-96- ...
.


Post-Cold War

Upon its return from the
Middle East The Middle East (term originally coined in English language) is a geopolitical region encompassing the Arabian Peninsula, the Levant, Turkey, Egypt, Iran, and Iraq. The term came into widespread usage by the United Kingdom and western Eur ...
, the 2nd Bombardment Wing, Heavy was redesignated the 2nd Wing with its implementation of the objective wing organization on 1 September 1991. The base turned its attention from combat to more peaceful pursuits when two B-52s, a KC-10 and their crews visited
Dyagilevo Dyagilevo (also given as Dyagilevo, Ryazan Dyagilevo) is a military air base in Ryazan Oblast, Russia, 3 km west of Ryazan. It serves as a training center for Russia's strategic bomber force. , the base was home to the 203rd Guards Orlovsky ...
Air Base,
Russia Russia, or the Russian Federation, is a country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia. It is the list of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the world, and extends across Time in Russia, eleven time zones, sharing Borders ...
, in March 1992. In May 1992, Barksdale hosted a return visit by two Russian Tupolev Tu-95 "Bear" bombers, an Antonov An-124 "Condor" transport and 58 Russian airmen. The Russians stayed for six days, seeing a slice of America and participating in Strategic Air Command's final Bombing and Navigation Competition awards symposium. The Russians visited again in August 1994, bringing a Tu-95 "Bear" and an Ilyushin Il-78 aerial tanker. Barksdale began a friendship with
Ukrainian Air Force The Ukrainian Air Force (, PS ZSU) is the air force of Ukraine and one of the eight Military branch, branches of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (ZSU). Its current form was created in 2004 by merging the Ukrainian Air Defence Forces into the Air Fo ...
airmen later in 1994, when a B-52 and KC-10 visited Poltava Air Base, Ukraine. In April 1992, 265 buildings on Barksdale's main base were placed on the
National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government's official United States National Register of Historic Places listings, list of sites, buildings, structures, Hist ...
. The area from the Shreveport Gate to the flightline and from the Bossier Gate to Hoban Hall make up the Barksdale Field Historic District, along with much of family housing. With . On 1 June 1992, Barksdale was transferred from the inactivating Strategic Air Command to the newly activated
Air Combat Command The Air Combat Command (ACC) is one of nine List of Major Commands of the United States Air Force, Major Commands (MAJCOMs) in the United States Air Force, reporting to Headquarters, United States Air Force (HAF) at the Pentagon. It is the prim ...
(ACC). All active-duty aircraft assigned to Barksdale were assigned ACC tail codes of "LA". An equipment change began also in 1992 when the 596th Bomb Squadron retired its B-52Gs and replaced them with B-52Hs from inactivating squadrons at other former SAC bases. The 596th itself was inactivated when it was replaced by the 96th Bomb Squadron on 1 October 1993. The 20th Bomb Squadron was reassigned to the 2nd Wing on 17 December 1992 when it and its B-52Hs were reassigned to Barksdale from the 7th Wing, the latter which was relocating from the closing Carswell AFB,
Texas Texas ( , ; or ) is the most populous U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. It borders Louisiana to the east, Arkansas to the northeast, Oklahoma to the north, New Mexico to the we ...
, and transferring to Dyess AFB, Texas in order to transition to the
Rockwell B-1 Lancer The Rockwell B-1 Lancer is a supersonic variable-sweep wing, heavy bomber used by the United States Air Force. It has been nicknamed the "Bone" (from "B-One"). , it is one of the United States Air Force's three strategic bombers, along with t ...
. In October 1993, the 2nd Wing was redesignated as the 2nd Bomb Wing when the 71st Air Refueling Squadron and its KC-135A/Qs were reassigned to the
Air Mobility Command The Air Mobility Command (AMC) is a List of Major Commands of the United States Air Force, Major Command (MAJCOM) of the United States Air Force, U.S. Air Force. It is headquartered at Scott Air Force Base, Illinois, east of St. Louis, Missouri, ...
. A third B-52H squadron was assigned to the wing on 1 July 1994 when the 11th Bomb Squadron was activated at Barksdale. The mission of the 11th BS is that of a Formal Training Unit (FTU) for the B-52H.


1990s combat operations

Barksdale became the focus of attention once again in September 1996 as two of its B-52s fired 13 AGM-86C CALCM missiles on
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 or the sea to destroy aircraft or other missiles. It is one type of anti-ai ...
sites and air defense radars in
Iraq Iraq, officially the Republic of Iraq, is a country in West Asia. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to Iraq–Saudi Arabia border, the south, Turkey to Iraq–Turkey border, the north, Iran to Iran–Iraq border, the east, the Persian Gulf and ...
. Dubbed
Operation Desert Strike The 1996 cruise missile strikes on Iraq, codenamed Operation Desert Strike, were joint United States Navy–United States Air Force strikes conducted on 3 September against Anti-aircraft warfare, air defense targets in southern Ba'athist Iraq, ...
, the mission came in response to Iraqi ruler
Saddam Hussein Saddam Hussein (28 April 1937 – 30 December 2006) was an Iraqi politician and revolutionary who served as the fifth president of Iraq from 1979 until Saddam Hussein statue destruction, his overthrow in 2003 during the 2003 invasion of Ira ...
's attacks on
Kurds Kurds (), or the Kurdish people, are an Iranian peoples, Iranic ethnic group from West Asia. They are indigenous to Kurdistan, which is a geographic region spanning southeastern Turkey, northwestern Iran, northern Iraq, and northeastern Syri ...
in northern Iraq and was the first combat employment of the B-52H in history. In only a span of 80 hours, Barksdale B-52s and support personnel deployed forward to Andersen Air Force Base,
Guam Guam ( ; ) is an island that is an Territories of the United States, organized, unincorporated territory of the United States in the Micronesia subregion of the western Pacific Ocean. Guam's capital is Hagåtña, Guam, Hagåtña, and the most ...
, carried out the strike against Iraqi targets and returned to Guam. Fourteen months later, in November 1997, personnel and aircraft deployed from Barksdale to the British island of
Diego Garcia Diego Garcia is the largest island of the Chagos Archipelago. It has been used as a joint UK–U.S. military base since the 1970s, following the expulsion of the Chagossians by the UK government. The Chagos Islands are set to become a former B ...
in the
Indian Ocean The Indian Ocean is the third-largest of the world's five oceanic divisions, covering or approximately 20% of the water area of Earth#Surface, Earth's surface. It is bounded by Asia to the north, Africa to the west and Australia (continent), ...
by order of U.S. president
Bill Clinton William Jefferson Clinton (né Blythe III; born August 19, 1946) is an American politician and lawyer who was the 42nd president of the United States from 1993 to 2001. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, ...
. They joined forces already in the region in response to a renewed bout of provocations and threats made by Saddam Hussein. Remaining at Diego Garcia until June 1998, Barksdale's forces bolstered the ability to defend the security of the region against possible aggression by Iraq and to accomplish specific military objectives if a diplomatic solution to the confrontation could not be achieved. Six B-52s and personnel from Barksdale were again deployed to Diego Garcia in November 1998 becoming part of the 2nd Air Expeditionary Group. Seven bombers and about 180 people deployed in response to Iraq's refusal to cooperate with United Nations weapons inspectors. Although president Clinton called off strikes after Hussein's last-minute concessions to meet U.N. demands, Iraq's cooperation continued to deteriorate. U.S. military forces, including Barksdale's B-52s, launched a sustained series of air strikes against Iraq shortly after midnight 17 December 1998. The three-day-long campaign, dubbed Operation Desert Fox, followed the latest in a series of roadblocks by the Iraqi government against weapons inspections conducted by the U.N. Special Commission. From March to June 1999, ten B-52s and personnel of the 2nd Bomb Wing played a prominent role in halting the brutal Serb expulsion of ethnic Albanians from
Kosovo Kosovo, officially the Republic of Kosovo, is a landlocked country in Southeast Europe with International recognition of Kosovo, partial diplomatic recognition. It is bordered by Albania to the southwest, Montenegro to the west, Serbia to the ...
. Operating from
RAF Fairford Royal Air Force Fairford or more simply RAF Fairford is a Royal Air Force (RAF) List of Royal Air Force stations, station in Gloucestershire, United Kingdom. While being an RAF station, Fairford hosts United States Air Force personnel. Since 20 ...
as part of the 2nd Air Expeditionary Group in the United Kingdom, Barksdale B-52s flew over 180 combat sorties and released over 6,600 weapons against military targets throughout the
Federal Republic of Yugoslavia The State Union of Serbia and Montenegro or simply Serbia and Montenegro, known until 2003 as the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia and commonly referred to as FR Yugoslavia (FRY) or simply Yugoslavia, was a country in Southeast Europe locate ...
during
Operation Allied Force The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) carried out an aerial bombing campaign against the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia during the Kosovo War. The air strikes lasted from 24 March 1999 to 10 June 1999. The bombings continued until an a ...
.


"War on Terror"

Immediately following the terrorist attacks on
11 September 2001 The September 11 attacks, also known as 9/11, were four coordinated Islamist terrorist suicide attacks by al-Qaeda against the United States in 2001. Nineteen terrorists hijacked four commercial airliners, crashing the first two into ...
, Barksdale provided a safe haven for President
George W. Bush George Walker Bush (born July 6, 1946) is an American politician and businessman who was the 43rd president of the United States from 2001 to 2009. A member of the Bush family and the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party, he i ...
on his return flight to the nation's capital. Shortly thereafter, the National Command Authority called upon the base to provide substantial forces to spearhead the Global War on Terrorism. Operating from multiple overseas locations, Barksdale airmen and B-52s, both active and reserve alike, played a key role in the first airstrikes of
Operation Enduring Freedom Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) was the official name used by the U.S. government for both the first stage (2001–2014) of the War in Afghanistan (2001–2021) and the larger-scale Global War on Terrorism. On 7 October 2001, in response ...
. Returning yet again to the skies of
Iraq Iraq, officially the Republic of Iraq, is a country in West Asia. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to Iraq–Saudi Arabia border, the south, Turkey to Iraq–Turkey border, the north, Iran to Iran–Iraq border, the east, the Persian Gulf and ...
, Barksdale B-52s flew over 150 combat sorties against military targets throughout the southern half of the country during
Operation Iraqi Freedom The Iraq War (), also referred to as the Second Gulf War, was a prolonged conflict in Iraq lasting from 2003 to 2011. It began with the invasion by a United States-led coalition, which resulted in the overthrow of the Ba'athist governm ...
. On 30 August 2007, a B-52 originating from Minot AFB carried six AGM-86 cruise missiles, each loaded with a W80 nuclear warhead, to Barksdale without the knowledge of base personnel or crew. The incident sparked controversy across the country. As an end result of the situation, U.S. Secretary of Defense
Robert Gates Robert Michael Gates (born September 25, 1943) is an American intelligence analyst and university president who served as the 22nd United States secretary of defense from 2006 to 2011. He was appointed by President George W. Bush and retained b ...
announced that, "A substantial number of Air Force general officers and colonels have been identified as potentially subject to disciplinary measures, ranging from removal from command to letters of reprimand", and that he had accepted the resignations of
Secretary of the Air Force The secretary of the Air Force, sometimes referred to as the secretary of the Department of the Air Force, (SecAF, or SAF/OS) is the head of the Department of the Air Force and the service secretary for the United States Air Force and United Sta ...
Michael Wynne Michael Walter Wynne (born September 4, 1944) is an American politician and business executive and was the 21st United States Secretary of the Air Force. United States Secretary of Defense, Secretary of Defense Robert Gates asked for and receive ...
and Chief of Staff of the Air Force Michael Moseley. This led to the establishment of the Global Strike Command, activated in August 2009 with headquarters at Barksdale. The 2nd Bomb Wing was assigned to the Air Force Global Strike Command on 1 February 2010. On 1 January 2011, Air Force Reserve Command inactivated the 917th Wing, while at the same time activating the 307th Bomb Wing, which subsumed the B-52 units of the 917th Wing. The A-10 units of the 917th Wing remain at Barksdale AFB, under the newly created 917th Fighter Group, while organizational control is with the 442nd Fighter Wing, Whiteman AFB, Missouri. A 2013 North Korean propaganda photo shows that Barksdale is one of four targets in the United States for a potential North Korean nuclear attack, alongside
the Pentagon The Pentagon is the headquarters building of the United States Department of Defense, in Arlington County, Virginia, across the Potomac River from Washington, D.C. The building was constructed on an accelerated schedule during World War II. As ...
in Arlington, Virginia,
Pearl Harbor Pearl Harbor is an American lagoon harbor on the island of Oahu, Hawaii, west of Honolulu. It was often visited by the naval fleet of the United States, before it was acquired from the Hawaiian Kingdom by the U.S. with the signing of the Reci ...
in Hawaii, the headquarters of the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command and the site of the Pearl Harbor attacks, and San Diego, the homeport of the Navy's Pacific Fleet. The photo depicts North Korean leader
Kim Jong Un Kim Jong Un (born 8 January 1983 or 1984) is a North Korean politician and dictator who has served as supreme leader of North Korea since 2011 and general secretary of the Workers' Party of Korea (WPK) since 2012. He is the third son of Kim ...
meeting with several of his generals in a "situation room" with walls covered in maps, one of which depicts lines thought to represent missiles going from Korea to the United States. The line targeting Barksdale was obscured by the hat of Lt. Gen. Kim Rak-gyom, but is believed by nuclear proliferation and North Korea expert Jeffrey Lewis to lead to Barksdale. Barksdale is thought to be targeted because it hosts the headquarters of the Air Force Global Strike Command and its fleet of nuclear-armed bombers. In a 2018 book, Lewis argues that North Korea also targeted Barksdale because President
George W. Bush George Walker Bush (born July 6, 1946) is an American politician and businessman who was the 43rd president of the United States from 2001 to 2009. A member of the Bush family and the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party, he i ...
took shelter there after the 9/11 attacks, to send a message to the president that "you can run, but you can't hide." Though declining to comment on specifics, a spokesperson for Barksdale said that enemies of the United States are "grossly overmatched in their capabilities" and that the Air Force is "ready to project that power and omake sure they understand that message loud and clear."


917th Wing (Air Force Reserve Command)

The 917th Wing was originally formed as the 917th Troop Carrier Group on 17 January 1963 at Barksdale and was assigned to the 435th Troop Carrier Wing. Its mission was to administer and support its assigned 78th Troop Carrier Squadron which was equipped with Douglas C-124 Globemaster IIs. On 1 July 1963, both the group and squadron were reassigned to the 442nd Troop Carrier Wing because their new gaining command, the
Military Air Transport Service The Military Air Transport Service (MATS) is an inactive United States Department of Defense, Department of Defense Unified Command. Activated on 1 June 1948, MATS was a consolidation of the United States Navy's Naval Air Transport Service (NA ...
(MATS), wanted all five Air Force Reserve C-124 Groups assigned to the same wing. The units were reassigned to the 512th Troop Carrier Wing on 25 March 1965. Reflecting similar changes in the active force, the 917th was redesignated twice – initially to the 917th Air Transport Group in 1965, and then to the 917th Military Airlift Group in 1966. The 917th Military Airlift Group was awarded the
Air Force Outstanding Unit Award The Air and Space Outstanding Unit Award (ASOUA) is one of the unit awards of the United States Air Force and United States Space Force. It was established in 1954 as the Air Force Outstanding Unit Award and was the first independent Air Force ...
for its exceptional safety record of more than 55,000 accident-free flying hours and global support missions. On 26 April 1972, the unit was redesignated the 917th Special Operations Group, with
Tactical Air Command Tactical Air Command (TAC) is an inactive United States Air Force organization. It was a List of Major Commands of the United States Air Force, Major Command of the United States Air Force, established on 21 March 1946 and headquartered at Lang ...
as the gaining major air command. As the missions changed, the unit was redesignated the 917th Tactical Fighter Group (917 TFG) on 1 October 1973. The 78th Troop Carrier Squadron was subsequently inactivated and replaced by the 47th Tactical Fighter Squadron. During the late 1980s, the 917 TFG group was upgraded to wing status and renamed the 917th Tactical Fighter Wing (917 TFW). Due to air force restructuring in June 1992,
Tactical Air Command Tactical Air Command (TAC) is an inactive United States Air Force organization. It was a List of Major Commands of the United States Air Force, Major Command of the United States Air Force, established on 21 March 1946 and headquartered at Lang ...
was combined with all elements of the
Strategic Air Command Strategic Air Command (SAC) was 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 compon ...
(except KC-135 and KC-10 aircraft) to form the new
Air Combat Command The Air Combat Command (ACC) is one of nine List of Major Commands of the United States Air Force, Major Commands (MAJCOMs) in the United States Air Force, reporting to Headquarters, United States Air Force (HAF) at the Pentagon. It is the prim ...
(ACC). The 917th Tactical Fighter Wing joined Air Combat Command and "Tactical" was dropped from its name. On 1 October 1993, the 917th Fighter Wing (917 FW) saw important changes once again. The 46th Fighter Training Squadron was inactivated when the active-duty Air Force took control of all fighter replacement training. On this same day, the 917th became the first unit in Air Force Reserve history to acquire a strategic mission: B-52Hs were added to the wing make-up and the 93rd Bomb Squadron was activated. Now a composite wing, the 917th dropped "Fighter" from its name and became the 917th Wing (917 WG). In its 2005 BRAC Recommendations, DoD recommended to realign Eielson Air Force Base,
Alaska Alaska ( ) is a non-contiguous U.S. state on the northwest extremity of North America. Part of the Western United States region, it is one of the two non-contiguous U.S. states, alongside Hawaii. Alaska is also considered to be the north ...
. Some of the 354th Fighter Wing's assigned A-10 aircraft (located at Eielson AFB) would be distributed to the 917th Wing Barksdale Air Force Base (three aircraft). This recommendation was made because, although a base with high military value, Eielson was an expensive base to maintain. In another Recommendation, DoD recommended to realign Air Force Reserve fighter assets at Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base New Orleans, LA. It would distribute six of the 926th Fighter Wing's A-10 aircraft to the 917th Wing. On 20 September 2009, the airport was used as a refuelling stop for the
Space Shuttle Discovery Space Shuttle ''Discovery'' (Orbiter Vehicle Designation: OV-103) is a retired American Space Shuttle orbiter. The spaceplane was one of the Space Shuttle orbiter, orbiters from NASA's Space Shuttle program and the third of five fully opera ...
's return flight to the
Kennedy Space Center The John F. Kennedy Space Center (KSC, originally known as the NASA Launch Operations Center), located on Merritt Island, Florida, is one of the NASA, National Aeronautics and Space Administration's (NASA) ten NASA facilities#List of field c ...
that was being piggybacked from Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base Fort Worth. The
Shuttle Carrier Aircraft The Shuttle Carrier Aircraft (SCA) are two extensively modified Boeing 747 airliners that NASA used to transport Space Shuttle orbiters. One (N905NA) is a 747-100 model, while the other (N911NA) is a short-range 747-100SR. Both are now retired. ...
and
Space Shuttle Discovery Space Shuttle ''Discovery'' (Orbiter Vehicle Designation: OV-103) is a retired American Space Shuttle orbiter. The spaceplane was one of the Space Shuttle orbiter, orbiters from NASA's Space Shuttle program and the third of five fully opera ...
remained at Barksdale over night.


Bossier Base

Bossier Base, now called The East Reservation due to its location east of the runway, was formerly a Defense Atomic Support Agency (DASA)
Q clearance Q clearance or Q access authorization is the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) security clearance required to access Top Secret Restricted Data, Formerly Restricted Data, and National Security Information, as well as Secret Restricted Data. Restric ...
maintenance and WSA during the
Cold War The Cold War was a period of global Geopolitics, geopolitical rivalry between the United States (US) and the Soviet Union (USSR) and their respective allies, the capitalist Western Bloc and communist Eastern Bloc, which lasted from 1947 unt ...
. It was similar to
Sandia Base Sandia Base was the principal nuclear weapons installation of the United States Department of Defense from 1946 to 1971. It was located on the southeastern edge of Albuquerque, New Mexico. For 25 years, the top-secret Sandia Base and its subsidiar ...
's Manzano. Once entirely independent of the USAF and Barksdale AFB, it has been merged with the main base.


Based units

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


United States Air Force

Air Force Global Strike Command The Air Force Global Strike Command (AFGSC) is a List of Major Commands of the United States Air Force, Major Command (MAJCOM) of the United States Air Force, headquartered at Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana. AFGSC provides combat-ready fo ...
(AFGSC) *Headquarters Air Force Global Strike Command *
Eighth Air Force The Eighth Air Force (Air Forces Strategic) is a numbered air force (NAF) of the United States Air Force's Air Force Global Strike Command (AFGSC). It is headquartered at Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana. The command serves as Air Forces S ...
** Headquarters Eighth Air Force ** 2nd Bomb Wing (Host wing) *** Headquarters 2nd Bomb Wing *** 2nd Comptroller Squadron ***
2nd Operations Group The 2d Operations Group (2 OG) is the flying component of the United States Air Force 2d Bomb Wing, assigned to the Air Force Global Strike Command Eighth Air Force. The group is stationed at Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana. 2 OG is one of ...
**** 11th Bomb Squadron
B-52H Stratofortress The Boeing B-52 Stratofortress is an American long-range, subsonic aircraft, 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 ...
**** 20th Bomb Squadron – B-52H Stratofortress **** 96th Bomb Squadron – B-52H Stratofortress **** 2nd Operations Support Squadron *** 2nd Maintenance Group **** 2nd Aircraft Maintenance Squadron (inactivated August 22, 2024) **** 20th Bomber Generation Squadron (activated August 22, 2024) **** 96th Bomber Generation Squadron (activated August 22, 2024) **** 2nd Maintenance Squadron **** 2nd Munitions Squadron *** 2nd Medical Group **** 2nd Aerospace Medicine Squadron **** 2nd Dental Squadron **** 2nd Medical Operations Squadron **** 2nd Medical Support Squadron *** 2nd Mission Support Group **** 2nd Contracting Squadron **** 2nd Communications Squadron **** 2nd Force Support Squadron **** 2nd Logistics Readiness Squadron **** 2nd Security Forces Squadron
Air Force Reserve Command The Air Force Reserve Command (AFRC) is a MAJCOM, 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 ...
(AFRC) * Tenth Air Force ** 307th Bomb Wing *** Headquarters 307th Bomb Wing *** 307th Operations Group **** 93rd Bomb Squadron – B-52H Stratofortress **** 343rd Bomb Squadron – B-52H Stratofortress **** 307th Operations Support Squadron *** 307th Maintenance Group **** 307th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron **** 307th Maintenance Squadron **** 707th Maintenance Squadron **** 307th Maintenance Operations Flight *** 307th Mission Support Group **** 307th Civil Engineer Squadron **** 307th Force Support Squadron **** 307th Logistics Readiness Squadron **** 307th Security Forces Squadron
Air Combat Command The Air Combat Command (ACC) is one of nine List of Major Commands of the United States Air Force, Major Commands (MAJCOMs) in the United States Air Force, reporting to Headquarters, United States Air Force (HAF) at the Pentagon. It is the prim ...
(ACC) * US Air Force Warfare Center ** 53rd Wing *** 53rd Test and Evaluation Group ****
49th Test and Evaluation Squadron The 49th Test and Evaluation Squadron is an active United States Air Force unit. Its current assignment is with the 53d Wing, based at Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana. The 49th Test and Evaluation Squadron is an Air Combat Command (ACC) u ...
(GSU) – B-52H Stratofortress **
57th Wing The 57th Wing (57 WG) is an operational unit of the United States Air Force (USAF) United States Air Force Warfare Center, Warfare Center, stationed at Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada. The 57 WG's mission is to provide well trained and wel ...
*** US Air Force Weapons School **** 340th Weapons Squadron (GSU) – B-52H Stratofortress *
Sixteenth Air Force The Sixteenth Air Force (Air Forces Cyber) (16 AF) is a United States Air Force (USAF) organization responsible for information warfare, which encompasses intelligence gathering and analysis, surveillance, reconnaissance, cyber warfare and ele ...
** 67th Cyberspace Wing *** 8th Information Warfare Flight (GSU) ** 557th Weather Wing ***
1st Weather Group The 1st Weather Group (1 WXG) is a group of the United States Air Force. It oversees all six operational weather squadrons; the 15th OWS at Scott AFB, Ill.; the 17th OWS at Joint Base Pearl Harbor–Hickam, Hawaii; the 21st OWS at Kapaun A ...
****
26th Operational Weather Squadron The 26th Operational Weather Squadron (26 OWS), based out of Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana, is the United States Air Force meteorological squadron responsible for the Southeastern United States. The current states in the Area of Respo ...
(GSU)


Major commands to which assigned

* Fourth Corps Area (United States Army), 1 August 1932 – 1 March 1935 * GHQ Air Force, 1 March 1935 – 15 October 1940 * Southeastern Air Corps Training Center, 15 October 1940 – 6 December 1941 * AF Combat Command, 6 December 1941 – 10 February 1942 * 3d Air Force, 10 February 1942 – 6 June 1945 * Continental Air Forces, 6 June 1945 – 1 November 1945 * AAF Training Command, 1 November 1945 – 1 July 1946 *
Air Training Command The Air Training Command (ATC) is a former United States Air Force (USAF) Major Command designation. It was headquartered at Randolph Air Force Base, Texas, but was initially formed at Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana. It was re-designated ...
, 1 July 1946 – 1 November 1949 *
Strategic Air Command Strategic Air Command (SAC) was 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 compon ...
, 1 November 1949 – 1 June 1992 *
Air Combat Command The Air Combat Command (ACC) is one of nine List of Major Commands of the United States Air Force, Major Commands (MAJCOMs) in the United States Air Force, reporting to Headquarters, United States Air Force (HAF) at the Pentagon. It is the prim ...
, 1 June 1992 – 1 February 2010 *
Air Force Global Strike Command The Air Force Global Strike Command (AFGSC) is a List of Major Commands of the United States Air Force, Major Command (MAJCOM) of the United States Air Force, headquartered at Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana. AFGSC provides combat-ready fo ...
, 1 February 2010–present


Major units assigned

* 20th Pursuit Gp, 31 October 1932 – 19 November 1939 * 3d Attack Gp, 19 February 1935 – 1 March 1935 * Station Complement, Barksdale Fld, 1 March 1935 – 26 August 1936 * Base HQ and 6th Air Base Sq GHQ, 26 August 1936 – 13 June 1943 * 335th Bombardment Group (Medium) 17 July 1942 – 1 May 1944 * 331st AAF Base Unit, 1 May 1944 – 1 December 1945 * 2621st AAF Base Unit, 1 December 1945 – 26 September 1947 * 2621st AF Base Unit, 26 September 1947 – 26 August 1948 * 3500th Pilot Training Wg, 26 August 1948 – 14 October 1949 * 47th Bombardment Wing, 19 November 1948 – 2 October 1949 * 91st Strategic Reconnaissance Wg, 14 October 1949 – 16 June 1952 *
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 defended ...
, 1 November 1949 – 1 January 1975 * 301st Bombardment Wing, 7 November 1949 – 15 April 1958 * 376th Bombardment Wing, 10 October 1951 – 30 November 1957 * 301st Air Refueling Wing, 18 March 1953 – 15 April 1958 * 4238th Strategic Wing, 1 March 1958 – 1 April 1963 * 1st Combat Evaluation Group, 1 August 1961 – 1990 * 917th Wing, 28 December 1962 – 8 January 2011 * 307th Bomb Wing, 8 January 2011 – present * 2nd Bombardment Wing, 1 April 1963 – present *
Eighth Air Force The Eighth Air Force (Air Forces Strategic) is a numbered air force (NAF) of the United States Air Force's Air Force Global Strike Command (AFGSC). It is headquartered at Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana. The command serves as Air Forces S ...
, 1 January 1975 – present *
Air Force Cyber Command (Provisional) Air Force Cyber Command (Provisional) (AFCYBER (P)) was a proposed United States Air Force Major Command that existed only in provisional status. On 6 October 2008, the Air Force announced that the command would not be brought into permanent acti ...
, 1 October 2007 – 6 October 2008


Education

The base is in the Bossier Parish School District. The housing on the main base is assigned to Waller Elementary School, Rusheon Middle School, and Bossier High School. The East Reservation area is assigned to T. L. Rodes Elementary School (PreKindergarten-Grade 1), Platt Elementary School (grades 2-3), Princeton Elementary School (grades 4-5), Haughton Middle School, and Haughton High School. - This is a .mil site.


See also

*
List of United States Air Force installations This is a list of Military base, installations operated by the United States Air Force located within the United States and abroad. Locations where the Air Force have a notable presence but do not operate the facility are also listed. Backgroun ...
* Louisiana World War II Army Airfields *
National Register of Historic Places listings in Bossier Parish, Louisiana __NOTOC__ This is a list of the National Register of Historic Places listings in Bossier Parish, Louisiana. This is intended to be a complete list of the properties on the National Register of Historic Places in Bossier Parish, Louisiana, Bos ...


References


Other sources

* * * Maurer, Maurer. ''Air Force Combat Units of World War II''. Washington, DC: 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 Maxwell Air Force Base , officially known as Maxwell-Gunter Air Force Base, is a United States Air Force (USAF) installation under the Air Education and Training Command (AETC). The installation is located in Montgomery, Alabama, United States. ...
,
Alabama Alabama ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Deep South, Deep Southern regions of the United States. It borders Tennessee to the north, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gu ...
: 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 * Lloyd, Alwyn T. (2000), A Cold War Legacy, A Tribute to Strategic Air Command, 1946–1992, Pictorial Histories Publications * Rogers, Brian (2005). United States Air Force Unit Designations Since 1978. Hinkley, England: Midland Publications. . * Turner Publishing Company (1997), Strategic Air Command: The Story of the Strategic Air Command and Its People. Turner Publishing Company
USAAS-USAAC-USAAF-USAF Aircraft Serial Numbers—1908 to present

ArmyAirForces.com

Strategic-Air-Command.com


External links

*
Footage of Barksdale AFB on Alert During the Cuban Missile Crisis
* * {{Authority control Installations of the United States Air Force in Louisiana Buildings and structures in Bossier City, Louisiana September 11 attacks Initial United States Air Force installations Installations of Strategic Air Command USAF Air Training Command Installations Historic districts on the National Register of Historic Places in Louisiana National Register of Historic Places in Bossier Parish, Louisiana Airports in Louisiana