Dyess Air Force Base (AFB) is a

United States Air Force The United States Air Force (USAF) is the air service branch of the United States Armed Forces, and is one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Originally created on 1 August 1907, as a part of the United States Army S ...

(USAF) base located about southwest of downtown

Abilene, Texas Abilene ( ) is a city in Taylor and Jones Counties in Texas, United States. Its population was 125,182 at the 2020 census, making it the 27th-most populous city in the state of Texas. It is the principal city of the Abilene metropolitan stati ...

, and west of

Fort Worth, Texas Fort Worth is the List of cities in Texas by population, fifth-largest city in the U.S. state of Texas and the List of United States cities by population, 13th-largest city in the United States. It is the county seat of Tarrant County, Texas, T ...

. The host unit at Dyess is the

7th Bomb Wing The 7th Bomb Wing (7 BW) is a United States Air Force unit assigned to the Global Strike Command Eighth Air Force. It is stationed at Dyess Air Force Base, Texas, where it is also the host unit. The 7 BW is one of only two B-1B Lancer strat ...

assigned to the

Global Strike Command Air Force Global Strike Command (AFGSC) is a Major Command (MAJCOM) of the United States Air Force, headquartered at Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana. AFGSC provides combat-ready forces to conduct strategic nuclear deterrence and global stri ...

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 ...

. The wing is one of only two

B-1B Lancer The Rockwell B-1 Lancer is a supersonic variable-sweep wing, heavy bomber used by the United States Air Force. It is commonly called the "Bone" (from "B-One"). It is one of three strategic bombers serving in the U.S. Air Force fleet along with ...

strategic bomber wings in the USAF, the other being the

28th Bomb Wing The 28th Bomb Wing is a United States Air Force unit assigned to the Eighth Air Force (8 AF) of the Air Force Global Strike Command (AFGSC) and is stationed at Ellsworth Air Force Base, South Dakota. The wing is also the "host unit" at Ellsworth ...

Ellsworth Air Force Base Ellsworth Air Force Base (AFB) is a United States Air Force base located about northeast of Rapid City, South Dakota, just north of the town of Box Elder. The host unit at Ellsworth is the 28th Bomb Wing (28 BW). Assigned to the Global Stri ...

South Dakota South Dakota (; Sioux language, Sioux: , ) is a U.S. state in the West North Central states, North Central region of the United States. It is also part of the Great Plains. South Dakota is named after the Lakota people, Lakota and Dakota peo ...

. The 317th Airlift Wing, assigned to

Air Mobility Command Air Mobility Command (AMC) is a major command (MAJCOM) of the U.S. Air Force. It is headquartered at Scott Air Force Base, Illinois, east of St. Louis, Missouri. Air Mobility Command was established on 1 June 1992, and was formed from eleme ...

Eighteenth Air Force Eighteenth Air Force (Air Forces Transportation) (18 AF) is the only Numbered Air Force (NAF) in Air Mobility Command (AMC) and one of the largest NAFs in the United States Air Force. 18 AF was activated on 28 March 1951, inactivated on 1 Janu ...

, is a tenant unit and one of four world-wide active-duty locations for the

C-130 Hercules The Lockheed C-130 Hercules is an American four-engine turboprop military transport aircraft designed and built by Lockheed (now Lockheed Martin). Capable of using unprepared runways for takeoffs and landings, the C-130 was originally des ...

military transport aircraft A military transport aircraft, military cargo aircraft or airlifter is a military-owned transport aircraft used to support military operations by airlifting troops and military equipment. Transport aircraft are crucial to maintaining supply ...

. Dyess AFB was established in 1942 as Abilene Army Air Base. It was renamed in honor of Texas native and

Bataan Death March The Bataan Death March ( Filipino: ''Martsa ng Kamatayan sa Bataan''; Spanish: ''Marcha de la muerte de Bataán'' ; Kapampangan: ''Martsa ning Kematayan quing Bataan''; Japanese: バターン死の行進, Hepburn: ''Batān Shi no Kōshin'') ...

survivor Lieutenant Colonel William Dyess. As of 2017, the 7th Bomb Wing is commanded by Colonel Joe Kramer. The vice commander is Colonel Kevin Kippie and the command chief master sergeant is Chief Master Sergeant Matt Coltrin. Dyess covers , and is home to the 7th Bomb Wing, which consists of four groups. The 9th and 28th Bomb Squadrons fly the B-1B. In addition, the 28th Bomb Squadron is the USAF schoolhouse for all B-1B aircrew members. The base employs more than 5,000 people, making it the single largest employer in the area. Dyess AFB has nearly 200 facilities on base, plus 988 units of family housing, and encompasses of land. The base has a total economic impact of nearly $310 million yearly on the local community.

History

The base is named after Lt Col

William Edwin Dyess William Edwin Dyess (August 9, 1916 – December 22, 1943) was an officer of the United States Army Air Forces during World War II. He was captured after the Allied loss at the Battle of Bataan and endured the subsequent Bataan Death March. After ...

, a native of

Albany, Texas Albany is a city in Shackelford County, Texas, United States. The population was 2,034 at the 2010 Census. It is the county seat of Shackelford County. History Established in 1873, Albany was named by county clerk William Cruger after his former ...

, who was captured by the

Japanese Japanese may refer to: * Something from or related to Japan, an island country in East Asia * Japanese language, spoken mainly in Japan * Japanese people, the ethnic group that identifies with Japan through ancestry or culture ** Japanese diaspor ...

Bataan Bataan (), officially the Province of Bataan ( fil, Lalawigan ng Bataan ), is a province in the Central Luzon region of the Philippines. Its capital is the city of Balanga while Mariveles is the largest town in the province. Occupying the ...

in April 1942. Dyess escaped in April 1943 and fought with guerilla forces on Mindanao until evacuated by submarine in July 1943. During retraining in the United States, his

P-38 Lightning The Lockheed P-38 Lightning is an American single-seat, twin piston-engined fighter aircraft that was used during World War II. Developed for the United States Army Air Corps by the Lockheed Corporation, the P-38 incorporated a distinctive twi ...

caught fire in flight on 23 December 1943 near

Burbank, California Burbank is a city in the southeastern end of the San Fernando Valley in Los Angeles County, California, United States. Located northwest of downtown Los Angeles, Burbank has a population of 107,337. The city was named after David Burbank, wh ...

. He refused to bail out over a populated area and died in the crash of his P-38 in a vacant lot.

World War II

In 1942, the

United States 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 ...

built Tye Army Air Field, as it was popularly known, on the site of what is now known as Dyess AFB. On 18 December 1942, the field was opened and was initially named Abilene Army Air Base. The name was changed on 8 April 1943 to Abilene Army Airfield. The first host unit as Abilene AAB was the 474th Base HQ and Airbase Squadron, established on 18 December 1942. The airfield was initially assigned to

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 ...

and its mission was to be a flying training center for cadets. Known groups which trained at the base during the war were: * 77th Reconnaissance Group (6 April 1943 – 12 September 1943) * 69th Tactical Reconnaissance Group (10 September 1943 – 12 November 1943) * 408th Fighter-Bomber Group (10 November 1943 – January 1944) The 77th and 69th groups were units that trained reconnaissance personnel who later served overseas. The 408th was a new group that received A-24, A-26,

P-40 The Curtiss P-40 Warhawk is an American single-engined, single-seat, all-metal fighter and ground-attack aircraft that first flew in 1938. The P-40 design was a modification of the previous Curtiss P-36 Hawk which reduced development time and ...

, and

P-47 The Republic P-47 Thunderbolt is a World War II-era fighter aircraft produced by the American company Republic Aviation from 1941 through 1945. It was a successful high-altitude fighter and it also served as the foremost American fighter-bomber ...

aircraft in October 1943 and began training. It was disbanded shortly after leaving Abilene on 1 April 1944. On 25 March 1944,

Republic P-47 Thunderbolt The Republic P-47 Thunderbolt is a World War II-era fighter aircraft produced by the American company Republic Aviation from 1941 through 1945. It was a successful high-altitude fighter and it also served as the foremost American fighter-bom ...

training for flight cadets was taken over by the 261st Army Air Force Base Unit. Training continued until 1 April 1946. With the end of the war, the base was declared inactive on 31 January 1946. Although assigned to

Continental Air Command Continental Air Command (ConAC) (1948–1968) was a Major Command of the United States Air Force (USAF) responsible primarily for administering the Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve. During the Korean War, ConAC provided the necessary au ...

, Abilene AAF was classified as an inactive subbase of

Fort Worth Army Airfield A fortification is a military construction or building designed for the defense of territories in warfare, and is also used to establish rule in a region during peacetime. The term is derived from Latin ''fortis'' ("strong") and ''facere'' ...

and was sold to the city of Abilene for $1. It was used as a training facility for the

Texas Army National Guard The Texas Army National Guard is a component of the United States Army, the United States National Guard and the Texas Military Forces (along with the Texas Air National Guard and the Texas State Guard). Texas Army National Guard units are train ...

for several years.

Cold War

Shortly after the

Korean War {{Infobox military conflict , conflict = Korean War , partof = the Cold War and the Korean conflict , image = Korean War Montage 2.png , image_size = 300px , caption = Clockwise from top: ...

broke out, the city of Abilene called for the need of a military installation. They believed the 1,500 acres (6 km²) of the former Tye AAF were the perfect site for a new base. The city's leaders went to

The Pentagon The Pentagon is the headquarters building of the United States Department of Defense. It was constructed on an accelerated schedule during World War II. As a symbol of the U.S. military, the phrase ''The Pentagon'' is often used as a metonym ...

with their request. The city showed their determination for a new base by raising almost $1 million to purchase an additional 3,500 acres (14 km²) adjacent to the site. They were able to attract then U.S. Senator

Lyndon B. Johnson Lyndon Baines Johnson (; August 27, 1908January 22, 1973), often referred to by his initials LBJ, was an American politician who served as the 36th president of the United States from 1963 to 1969. He had previously served as the 37th vice ...

's (D-TX) attention, who had the power to persuade military officials to reactivate the base in Abilene. Finally, in July 1952, Congress approved the $32 million needed to construct an air force base on the Tye AAF site. It was to be called Abilene Air Force Base and a little over three years after first starting construction, the base was opened on 15 April 1956. Dyess' first active combat unit was the

341st Bombardment Wing The United States Air Force's 341st Missile Wing is an intercontinental ballistic missile unit headquartered at Malmstrom Air Force Base, Montana. Up until 1 July 2008, it was designated as the 341st Space Wing. Established as a World War II Te ...

, which activated on 1 September 1955. The 341st was part of the

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

(SAC), flying the

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 aircraf ...

, which it continued to operate until its inactivation on 25 June 1961. On 1 December 1956, the name of the base was changed to Dyess Air Force Base in honor of the late Lt Col William E. Dyess, USAAF. The 96th Bombardment Wing moved to Dyess on 8 September 1957 and for a few years worked alongside the 341st. It included not just

B-47 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. ...

and

B-52 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 ...

nuclear bombers, but also the

KC-97 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 develo ...

and later on the

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

refueling aircraft. During the Cold War, the base was constantly on alert in case of nuclear attack. Even signs in the base's movie theater would instantly alert pilots in the scenario that the

USSR The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, it was nominally a federal union of fifteen nation ...

would initiate a nuclear attack during a movie. These can still be seen today at the theater. During the

Vietnam War The Vietnam War (also known by #Names, other names) was a conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. It was the second of the Indochina Wars and was officially fought between North Vie ...

, B-52s and KC-135s (917th ARS) from the 96th BW participated heavily in various air campaigns, including Arc Light, Young Tiger, Bullet Shot,

Linebacker Linebacker (LB) is a playing position in gridiron football. Linebackers are members of the defensive team, and line up three to five yards behind the line of scrimmage and the defensive linemen. They are the "middle ground" of defenders, pl ...

, and

Linebacker II Operation Linebacker II was an aerial bombing campaign conducted by U.S. Seventh Air Force, Strategic Air Command and U.S. Navy Task Force 77 against targets in the Democratic Republic of Vietnam (North Vietnam) during the final period of U. ...

missions over

North North is one of the four compass points or cardinal directions. It is the opposite of south and is perpendicular to east and west. ''North'' is a noun, adjective, or adverb indicating direction or geography. Etymology The word ''no ...

and South Vietnam. The B-52s flew combat missions primarily out of

Andersen AFB Andersen Air Force Base (Andersen AFB, AAFB) is a United States Air Force base located primarily within the village of Yigo in the United States territory of Guam. The host unit at Andersen AFB is the 36th Wing (36 WG), assigned to the Pacifi ...

, Guam and Utapao RTAFB, Thailand during these missions. The KC-135As flew primarily out of Utapao RTAFB, Thailand, Clark AFB, Philippines,

Kadena AFB (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 ...

, Okinawa, Andersen AFB, Guam, and NAS Agana, Guam. On 19 November 1959, the

United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the land warfare, land military branch, service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight Uniformed services of the United States, U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army o ...

conducted groundbreaking ceremonies at Dyess AFB for the battalion headquarters of the 5th Missile Battalion, 517th Artillery of the U.S. Army Air Defense Command. Installed to defend the SAC bombers and Atlas F missile silos stationed at and around Dyess AFB, the two

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 ...

sites were controlled by a "BIRDIE" system installed at Sweetwater Air Force Station. Site DY-10, located at Fort Phantom Hill and site DY-50, located southwest of Abilene , remained operational from 1960 until 1966. Units stationed at Dyess Air Force Base while the 5/517th was operational included SAC's 819th Strategic Aerospace Division, the 96th BW, and the 578th Strategic Missile Squadron. Several of the 578th's Altas F Silos are located near the Nike sites. The Army Air Defense Command Post was located 37 miles west at Sweetwater AFS. Both of the sites were located near former Army posts. Camp Barkeley served as a World War II infantry division training center, while Fort Phantom Hill was a frontier outpost and stop on the Butterfield stage route. Since 1961, various models of

C-130 The Lockheed C-130 Hercules is an American four-engine turboprop military transport aircraft designed and built by Lockheed (now Lockheed Martin). Capable of using unprepared runways for takeoffs and landings, the C-130 was originally des ...

Hercules aircraft have been stationed at Dyess AFB. The C-130s were originally assigned to the 64th Troop Carrier Wing (TCW) and from 1963 to 1972, the 516th Troop Carrier Wing was the host C-130 wing. In 1972, the 516 TCW was replaced with the 463d Tactical Airlift Wing (463 TAW). During the Vietnam War, TAC C-130 crews routinely rotated to forward based C-130 wings in the Pacific theater to support operations in Vietnam. In 1974, the 463 TAW was reassigned from

Tactical Air Command Tactical Air Command (TAC) is an inactive United States Air Force organization. It was a Major Command of the United States Air Force, established on 21 March 1946 and headquartered at Langley Air Force Base, Virginia. It was inactivated on 1 J ...

Military Airlift Command The Military Airlift Command (MAC) is an inactive United States Air Force major command (MAJCOM) that was headquartered at Scott Air Force Base, Illinois. Established on 1 January 1966, MAC was the primary strategic airlift organization of the ...

(MAC) as part of a USAF-wide initiative to place both strategic and tactical airlift assets under MAC control. From 1962 to 1965, Dyess Air Force Base had 12

SM-65 Atlas The SM-65 Atlas was the first operational intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) developed by the United States and the first member of the Atlas (rocket family), Atlas rocket family. It was built for the U.S. Air Force by the Convair Di ...

missile sites stationed around it. The Dyess sites were operated by the 578th Strategic Missile Squadron. After being decommissioned in 1965, the Atlas missiles were removed and all sites demilitarized. In June 1985, the 96th received its first

replacing the

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

, and in October 1986, assumed nuclear alert status. Since achieving IOC, Dyess has been recognized as the premier bomber-training center and leads the fleet in maintaining the highest mission capability status of its aircraft, avionics test stations and support equipment. Shortly after, the

Soviet Union The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, ...

fell and left many wondering the fate of the base. In 1991, the 463d Tactical Airlift Wing was simply designated the 463d Airlift Wing (463 AW). In October 1992, the parent commands of both wings changed. The 96 BW was reassigned to the newly established

Air Combat Command Air Combat Command (ACC) is one of nine Major Commands (MAJCOMs) in the United States Air Force, reporting to Headquarters, United States Air Force (HAF) at the Pentagon. It is the primary provider of air combat forces for the Air Force, and i ...

, and the 463 AW was assigned to the new

The 1990s

On 1 October 1993, the 96 BW and 463 AW were both inactivated and replaced by the

7th Wing 7 (seven) is the natural number following 6 and preceding 8. It is the only prime number preceding a cube. As an early prime number in the series of positive integers, the number seven has greatly symbolic associations in religion, mythol ...

, a former B-52 and KC-135 wing that had been located at the former

Carswell AFB Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base Fort Worth (abbreviated NAS JRB Fort Worth) includes Carswell Field, a military airbase located west of the central business district of Fort Worth, in Tarrant County, Texas, United States. This military ...

, which was being realigned as

NAS Fort Worth JRB Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base Fort Worth (abbreviated NAS JRB Fort Worth) includes Carswell Field, a military airbase located west of the central business district of Fort Worth, in Tarrant County, Texas, United States. This military ...

/Carswell ARS as a result of

Base Realignment and Closure Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) is a process by a United States federal government commission to increase United States Department of Defense efficiency by coordinating the realignment and closure of military installations following the en ...

action. The 7th Wing incorporated Dyess' B-1Bs and C-130s, the latter which transferred from Air Mobility Command to Air Combat Command. Within its first year, the 7th Wing's diverse mission made it one of the most active units in the

. The

s were deployed around the globe performing several airlift missions to Europe and the Persian Gulf. The crews and support people of the B-1s focused on enhancing the purpose of the Lancer in a post-Soviet 21st century. In 1997, Dyess' C-130s were transferred back to Air Mobility Command, and the

317th Airlift Group The 317th Airlift Wing (317 AW) is a United States Air Force unit, stationed at Dyess Air Force Base, Texas. Assigned to Air Mobility Command (AMC) Eighteenth Air Force, the 317 AW operates as a tenant unit at Dyess AFB, an installation under t ...

was created as the parent unit for Dyess' C-130 squadrons. At the same time, the 7th Wing was redesignated the 7th Bomb Wing. Despite this separation as units, both the 7th Bomb Wing and the 317th Airlift Group remained at Dyess. One of the many unique features of Dyess is its extensive collection of static military aircraft on display. Collectively known as the "

Linear Air Park Linearity is the property of a mathematical relationship ('' function'') that can be graphically represented as a straight line. Linearity is closely related to '' proportionality''. Examples in physics include rectilinear motion, the linear ...

", it contains 30 aircraft from World War II to the present, many of them formerly based at Dyess, and is located along the base's main road, Arnold Blvd. All but one plane has been flown before. Its most recent addition is the first operational B-1B Lancer, known as ''The Star of Abilene'', which made its final flight in 2003. It can be seen at the front gate to Dyess along with a recently retired C-130 Hercules located on the other side of the road (a tribute to the two main aircraft currently housed at Dyess). Another unique feature of Dyess is its main source of energy. In January 2003, Dyess became the first Department of Defense installation in the United States to be powered exclusively from renewable wind energy. Today, most of the energy Dyess receives is from other sources of renewable energy, such as biomass, and is considered one of the "greenest" bases in the USAF. The remnants of Tye AAF can still be seen today. Parts of the old runway still exist, as well as part of its parking area on the west side of Dyess.

Global War on Terrorism

The 7th Bomb Wing and 317th Airlift Group were called to duty once again shortly after 11 September 2001. Both played and continue to play vital roles in both Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) and Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF). Many of the 7th BW's B-1s and support personnel deploy to

Southwest Asia Western Asia, West Asia, or Southwest Asia, is the westernmost subregion of the larger geographical region of Asia, as defined by some academics, UN bodies and other institutions. It is almost entirely a part of the Middle East, and includes Ana ...

. From there, the 7 BW provides close air support to troops in the field and precision strike missions with the B-1B Lancer. The 317th Airlift Group has been deployed continuously to Southwest Asia since December 2003, where the group provides airlift support to OIF, OEF, and

Combined Joint Task Force-Horn of Africa Combined may refer to: * Alpine combined (skiing), the combination of slalom and downhill skiing as a single event ** Super combined (skiing) * Nordic combined (skiing), the combination of cross country skiing and ski jumping as a single event * T ...

operations. On 1 October 2015, Dyess became part of

Role and operations

The host unit at Dyess is the 7th Bomb Wing of the Global Strike Command, which was activated on 1 October 1993. The wing performs combat training with the Boeing B-1B Lancer bomber and is the USAF's premier operational B-1B unit with 36 aircraft. The wing consists of these groups: * 7th Operations Group (Tail Code: "DY") - Responsible for executing global conventional bombing directed by proper command authority, it is the Air Force's largest B-1 operations group comprising 36 B-1s. **

28th Bomb Squadron The 28th Bomb Squadron is a squadron of the United States Air Force. It is assigned to the 7th Operations Group, Global Strike Command, stationed at Dyess Air Force Base, Texas. The squadron is equipped with the Rockwell B-1B Lancer. The 28th i ...

(B-1B) (blue/white chex tail stripe) **

9th Bomb Squadron The 9th Bomb Squadron is a squadron of the United States Air Force. It is assigned to the 7th Operations Group, Global Strike Command, stationed at Dyess Air Force Base, Texas. The squadron is equipped with the Rockwell B-1B Lancer bomber. F ...

(B-1B) (black tail stripe) ** 7th Operations Support Squadron * 7th Mission Support Group * 7th Maintenance Group * 7th Medical Group The 317th Airlift Wing (317 AW), an Air Mobility Command tenant unit, performs

Lockheed Martin C-130J Super Hercules The Lockheed Martin C-130J Super Hercules is a four-engine turboprop military transport aircraft. The C-130J is a comprehensive update of the Lockheed C-130 Hercules, with new engines, flight deck, and other systems. The C-130J is the newest v ...

airlift missions with 28 aircraft assigned. The wing is now the largest C-130J unit in the world. The 317th AW consists of these squadrons: *

39th Airlift Squadron The 39th Airlift Squadron is a United States Air Force unit based at Dyess Air Force Base, Texas. The unit flies the Lockheed C-130J Super Hercules. It is primarily tasked to transport cargo and personnel, and where circumstances require, air ...

"Trail Blazers" (C-130J) ("Dyess" Texas state flag tail stripe) * 40th Airlift Squadron "Screaming Eagles" (C-130J) ("Dyess" Texas state flag tail stripe) * 317th Maintenance Squadron * 317th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron * 317th Maintenance Operations Squadron (inactivated June 2013) * 317th Operations Support Squadron Dyess AFB is also home to several tenant units, including

Air Force Office of Special Investigations The Department of the Air Force Office of Special Investigations (OSI) is a U.S. federal law enforcement agency that reports directly to the Secretary of the Air Force. OSI is also a U.S. Air Force field operating agency under the administrati ...

Detachment 222.

Based units

Flying and notable nonflying units based at Dyess 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 Dyess, are subordinate to a parent unit based at another location.

United States Air Force

Air Force Global Strike Command Air Force Global Strike Command (AFGSC) is a Major Command (MAJCOM) of the United States Air Force, headquartered at Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana. AFGSC provides combat-ready forces to conduct strategic nuclear deterrence and global stri ...

(AFGSC) *

(host wing) ***

7th Operations Group The 7th Operations Group is the operational flying component of the United States Air Force 7th Bomb Wing, stationed at Dyess Air Force Base, Texas. The 7th Operations Group currently flies the B-1 Lancer. The 7th Operations Group is a direct ...

**** 7th Operations Support Squadron ****

– B-1B Lancer ****

– B-1B Lancer *** 7th Mission Support Group **** 7th Civil Engineer Squadron **** 7th Contracting Squadron **** 7th Communications Squadron **** 7th Force Support Squadron **** 7th Logistics Readiness Squadron **** 7th Security Forces Squadron *** 7th Maintenance Group **** 7th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron **** 7th Component Maintenance Squadron **** 7th Equipment Maintenance Squadron **** 7th Munitions Squadron *** 7th Medical Group **** 7th Aerospace Medicine Squadron **** 7th Medical Operations Squadron **** 7th Medical Support Squadron

(AMC) *

** 317th Airlift Wing *** 317th Operations Group ****

– C-130J Super Hercules **** 40th Airlift Squadron – C-130J Super Hercules **** 317th Operations Support Squadron *** 317th Maintenance Group **** 317th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron **** 317th Maintenance Squadron

(ACC) * US Air Force Warfare Center **

53rd Wing The 53d Wing is a wing of the United States Air Force based at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida. The wing reports to the United States Air Force Warfare Center at Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada, which in turn reports to Headquarters Air Combat Comman ...

*** 53rd Test and Evaluation Group ****

337th Test and Evaluation Squadron The 337th Test and Evaluation Squadron is a squadron of the United States Air Force. It is a part of the 53d Test and Evaluation Group of the 53d Wing. The 337th is stationed at Dyess Air Force Base, Texas, though it operates out of a number of ...

(GSU) – B-1B Lancer *** 53rd Test Management Group ****

29th Training Systems Squadron The 29th Training Systems Squadron is an active United States Air Force unit. It is assigned to the 753d Test and Evaluation Group, at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida. The squadron is one of the oldest in the United States Air Force, its orig ...

(GSU)– B-1B Lancer **

57th Wing The 57th Wing (57 WG) is an operational unit of the United States Air Force (USAF) Warfare Center, stationed at Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada. The 57 WG's mission is to provide well trained and well equipped combat forces ready to deploy ...

***

USAF Weapons School The USAF Weapons School is a unit of the United States Air Force and United States Space Force, assigned to the 57th Wing and Space Delta 1. It is located at Nellis AFB, Nevada. Mission The mission of the USAF Weapons School is to teach gradua ...

****

77th Weapons Squadron The 77th Weapons Squadron is a United States Air Force unit assigned to the USAF Weapons School, stationed at Dyess Air Force Base, Texas. The 77th is a Geographically Separated Unit of the 57th Wing, stationed at Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada ...

(GSU)– B-1B Lancer *

436th Training Squadron The 436th Training Squadron is a non-flying training squadron of the United States Air Force. The 436th Training Squadron, located at Dyess Air Force Base, Texas, is a geographically separated unit (GSU) within Air Combat Command’s 552nd Air ...

(GSU)

Air Force Reserve Command The Air Force Reserve Command (AFRC) is a major command (MAJCOM) of the United States Air Force, with its headquarters at Robins Air Force Base, Georgia. It is the federal Air Reserve Component (ARC) of the U.S. Air Force, consisting of commi ...

(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 Carswell ...

307th Bomb Wing The 307th Bomb Wing (307 BW) is an Air Reserve Component (ARC) of the United States Air Force. It is assigned to the Tenth Air Force of Air Force Reserve Command, stationed at Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana. If mobilized, the wing is gai ...

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489th Bomb Group The 489th Bomb Group is a unit of the United States Air Force. It is assigned to the 307th Bomb Wing, and is stationed at Dyess Air Force Base, Texas. The group is a reserve associate unit of the 7th Bomb Wing at Dyess. During World War II, th ...

(GSU) **** 489th Aerospace Medicine Flight **** 345th Bomb Squadron – B-1B Lancer **** 489th Maintenance Squadron

Previous names

* Established as: Abilene Army Air Base, 18 December 1942 : Prior to this date popularly known as Tye Field and Tye Army Air Base * Abilene Army Airfield, 8 April 1943 – 13 January 1947 * Abilene Air Force Base, 1 October 1953 * Dyess Air Force Base, 1 December 1956–present

Major commands to which assigned

* Second Air Force, 13 October 1942 * Third Air Force, 2 March 1943 * Second Air Force, 15 November 1943 * Continental Air Forces, 16 April 1945 – 31 January 1946 * Strategic Air Command, 1 October 1953 to 31 May 1992 * Air Combat Command, 1 June 1992 – 30 September 2015 * Global Strike Command, 1 October 2015 – present

Base operating units

* 474th HQ and Air Base Sq, 18 December 1942 * 261st AAF Base Unit, 1 April 1944 * 233d AAF Base Unit (Det), March 1946-c. January 1947 * 4021st Air Base Sq, 1 January 1955 * 341st Air Base Gp, 1 September 1955 * 819th Air Base Gp, 15 June 1956 (rdsgd 819th Combat Support Gp, 1 November 1958) * 96th Combat Support Gp, 25 June 1961 * 7th Mission Support Group, 1 October 1993–present

Major units assigned

* 69th Tactical Reconnaissance Group, 10 September 1943 – 12 November 1943 * 77th Reconnaissance Group, 6 April-12 September 1943 * 408th Fighter-Bomber Group, 10 November 1943 – January 1944 * 341st Bombardment Wing, 1 September 1955 – 25 June 1961 * 819th Air Division, 1 February 1956 – 2 July 1966 * 96th Bombardment Wing, 8 September 1957 – 1 October 1993 * 64th Troop Carrier Wing, 8 February 1961 – 1 January 1963 * 516th Troop Carrier Wing, 19 July 1962 – 1 June 1972 * 12th Air Division, 30 September 1976 – 15 July 1988 * 7th Bomb Wing, 1 October 1993–present

SM-65F Atlas missile sites

578th Strategic Missile Squadron - SM-65F Atlas Missile

The

578th Strategic Missile Squadron The 578th Strategic Missile Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was last assigned to the 96th Strategic Aerospace Wing at Dyess Air Force Base, Texas, where it served from July 1961 until it was inactivated as part of the p ...

operated twelve missile sites, of one missile at each site. * 578–1 1.5 mi SE of Lake Fort Phantom Hill, TX * 578–2 1.5 mi S of Albany, TX * 578–3 2.5 mi SE of Clyde, TX * 578–4 9.6 mi SSW of Clyde, TX * 578–5 1.5 mi SE of Lake Coleman, TX * 578–6 2.7 mi E of Lawn, TX * 578–7 3.4 mi NE of Bradshaw, TX * 578–8 4.9 mi ENE of Winters, TX * 578–9 11.9 mi NW of Bradshaw, TX * 578–10 13.1 mi S of Trent, TX * 578–11 3.2 mi SSW of Anson, TX * 578–12 1.4 mi WNW of Corinth, TX

References

* 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 (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 = 135,7 ...

: 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

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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 ...

(HAER) documentation, filed under Winters, Runnels County, Texas: ** ** ** {{Authority control Installations of the United States Air Force in Texas Installations of Strategic Air Command Military airbases established in 1942 Buildings and structures in Taylor County, Texas Historic American Engineering Record in Texas Abilene metropolitan area 1942 establishments in Texas Space Shuttle Emergency Landing Sites