Biggs Army Airfield
Encyclopedia
Biggs Army Airfield or Biggs AAF is a military airport
located at Fort Bliss
near El Paso
, El Paso County, Texas, in the United States
. The airfield was previously Biggs Air Force Base, a Strategic Air Command
installation, between 1947 and 1966. The U.S. Army
began operations supporting Ft. Bliss and its mission in 1973.
, a federal tactical operational intelligence center, is located at Biggs Army Airfield; its DoD counterpart, Joint Task Force North
is also at Biggs Field. Biggs Field is designated a military power projection platform.
The airfield is used by NASA as a layover point for the Shuttle Carrier Aircraft
in flights transporting the Space Shuttle
from Edwards Air Force Base
in California to the Kennedy Space Center
in Florida.
, Texas for the 82d Field Artillery. That location was on what is now Ft Bliss, approximately two miles SSW of Biggs Army Airfield. The next year aircraft of the 1st Aero Squadron used the field as a stopping point between San Antonio, Texas and Columbus, New Mexico
, in response to Pancho Villa
's raid on the small town. They were equipped with Curtiss JN-2 "Jenny’s", and their mission included scouting, observation and courier service for the cavalry and infantry units on the ground. The field was referred to as "Fort Bliss Aviation Field". In 1919, the field was used for "Border Air Patrol". Two squadrons of Dehaviland DH-4 Bombers, known affectionately as "Flying Coffins" replaced the frail Jennys and the Border Air Patrol was born.
In 1920 Camp Owen Bierne opened on the site of the current airbase as a base for airship operations but the units were soon disbanded. On 25 January 1925 the field was officially named "Biggs Field" in honor of Lieutenant James Berthes "Buster" Biggs, an Air Service officer from El Paso killed in World War I
. Lt. Biggs was an El Paso native killed in a plane crash 27 October 1918 at Beltran, France. On June 30, 1926 the original Biggs Field was closed and Camp Owen Beirne was renamed Biggs Field. On 1 July 1926. Camp Owen Beirne had been a National Guard post and was the location of the large airship hangar that would be a Biggs landmark for many years. Major units assigned were:
Between the two World Wars, Biggs served as a refueling stop for transient aircraft. When the United States entered World War II in late 1941, Fort Bliss was home to the largest horse cavalry force in the nation. The First Cavalry continued to patrol the border during the early years of the war. However, the need for maintaining an outdated horse cavalry along the border all but vanished in 1942 when Mexico declared war on the Axis powers. In 1943 the War Department dismounted the First Cavalry Division at Fort Bliss.
in 1942. During World War II Biggs Army Airfield became a hub of training activity for B-17 Flying Fortress and B-24 Liberator
s.
Enough construction was completed by the late summer of 1942, to allow the 303d Bombardment Group
to began training with B-17Fs under Second Air Force on 7 August. Already formed, the group began what was known as 3d phase training at Biggs AAF. The third phase aimed at developing effective unit operation, the goal of the entire program. It included extensive exercises in high-altitude formation flying, long-range navigation, target identification, and simulated combat missions. By the end of August the group was deployed to the European Theater of Operations
(ETO), assigned to the VIII Bomber Command
in England where it became one of the Eighth Air Force
's most highly decorated units.
A period of organization and continued construction followed, with II Bomber Command taking over training. The 16th Bombardment Training Wing was activated to provide 2d phase heavy bomber training. Training provided at Biggs stressed teamwork of bomber crews formed during their initial first phase of training, with emphasis made on bombing, gunnery, and instrument flight missions were performed by full crews. Known units that trained at Biggs were:
In April 1943, the 330th Bombardment Group
was established at Biggs to begin replacement training (RTU) of personnel, rather than the training of entire groups. The RTU system was simpler than the OTU and necessitated few important changes from the traditional organization and administration of combat units. Men designated as replacements were sent to Biggs and received instruction in their specialties, particular attention being given to instrument and night flying exercises for pilots, cross-country tests for navigators, target runs for bombardiers, and air-to-air firing for gunners. Once assigned personnel completed replacement training, they were assigned to deployed combat units where they joined established crews. Operational training however, continued under the 16th BTW.
In April 1943, the airfield came under the command of the Second Air Force
and became headquarters for the XX Bomber Command
. The 330th Bombardment Group
became an operational B-29 Superfortress
(Very Heavy) group and trained at Biggs with the new bomber before being deployed to the Pacific Theater, after which Biggs became a replacement training base for B-29 aircrews.
on 20 November 1945. The support units and base units at Biggs were under the 471st Air Service Group beginning in September 1945. Initially placed under Third Air Force
control, XIX Tactical Air Command
moved in from Germany
in early December. The 362d Fighter Group
, which had been assigned to the ETO, moved in from the inactivating Seymour Johnson Field, North Carolina, where it had been training with long-range P-51H Mustangs for deployment to the Pacific. At Biggs, the 362d became one of the original groups of the postwar Tactical Air Command
(TAC) when the command was activated on 21 March 1946, however was inactivated on 1 August due to postwar budget restrictions.
With the activation of TAC, the new command assigned Headquarters, Ninth Air Force
to Biggs on 28 March upon its return from Germany. This, however, was a temporary relocation as Headquarters, Ninth Air Force moved to Greenville AFB, South Carolina, on 31 October 1946
With the inactivation of the 362d, its personnel and aircraft were assigned to the newly-reactivated 20th Fighter Group. Also the 47th Bombardment Group (Light), was moved to Biggs in October 1946 from Lake Charles Army Airfield, Louisiana when Lake Charles was transferred to Strategic Air Command
. The 47th operated A-26 Invader
s, but began to upgrade to the new B-45 Tornado
tactical jet bomber beginning in early 1947.
On 27 September 1947, Biggs Army Airfield became Biggs Air Force Base with the establishment of the United States Air Force
, replacing the Army Air Forces. On 1 October 1948, control of Biggs was transferred to Strategic Air Command
, however a joint-use agreement was established with TAC to allow operation of the 20th Fighter Group and 47th Bombardment Wing until the end of 1948 while SAC organized and also built a new jet runway for strategic bomber operations. TAC moved the 20th Fighter Group to Shaw AFB, South Carolina in October where it became part of the new 20th Fighter Wing
; the 47th Bomb Wing moved to Barksdale AFB, Louisiana in November.
-equipped 97th Bombardment Group to the base in May. The 97t Bomb Group was previously stationed at Smoky Hill AFB, Kansas, however it had been deployed at Eielson AFB, Alaska since November 1947 to provide a strategic bombing force east of the Bering Straits as part of the early Cold War maneuvering of United States Strategic Forces against the Soviet Union.
While in Alaska, the 97th Bombardment Wing had been activated under the Hobson Base-Wing plan, and the 97th Bomb Group became a subordinate organization under the wing. Eighth Air Force
assumed control of the wing on 16 May 1948 and the entire organization was moved to Biggs on 22 May 1948. Upon arrival, the 97th Bombardment Wing became the host organization at Biggs, taking over from the TAC 47th Bombardment wing over the summer.
The 97th operated B-29s from Biggs, and participated in numerous exercises, operational readiness inspections, and overseas deployments. It deployed twice to the United Kingdom
as part of SAC's forward rotation of B-29 groups to Europe. The group element was left unmanned after its second forward deployment to England from 10 February 1951 to 16 June 1952 when the group was inactivated when the Air Force reorganized its wings into the tri-deputate system.
The 97th Air Refueling Squadron
, activated in March 1949, saw its manning increase as it received its first KB-29P in January 1950. Its mission, as stated in the wing's history, was: "to extend the range of the strategic bombers." The 97th was the first unit to operate the new boom-type or "American-type" equipment. As such it had the burden of testing the equipment and standardizing the operating procedures. The unit received KC-97 Stratotanker
s in 1954 to replace its KB-29s.
Beginning in 1950, the 97th Bomb Wing received its first B-50 Superfortress
, an improved version of the B-29 capable of delivering atomic weapons. As crews trained and became qualified in the B-50, the wing transferred some of its B-29s to second-line reserve units or were sent to reclamation as obsolete.
The 97th experienced two mission changes in 1955. First, the 340th Bombardment Squadron, a subordinate unit, started flying RB-50Gs on electronic reconnaissance missions. The 340th went to RAF Upper Heyford
, England and to Tachikawa Airfield
, Japan on intelligence gathering missions and operated in this capacity for over a year. Meanwhile, the other bombardment squadrons in the 97th started replacing the propeller-driven B-50s with new B-47E Stratojet swept-wing medium bombers in 1954, capable of flying at high subsonic speeds and primarily designed for penetrating the airspace of the Soviet Union.
In 1958, the ability of the B-47 to penetrate Soviet airspace became compromised by improvements to the Soviet air defense system. The B-47s began to be retired, and maintenance teams began to retrain for duty in the Air Force's latest bomber, the B-52 Stratofortress
. A further change to the 97th Bomb Wing was made when Eighth Air Force reassigned the wing to its 4th Air Division in 1959 with its pending receipt of B-52 aircraft. It then reassigned the 97th to Blytheville Air Force Base, Arkansas, leaving Biggs on 1 July 1959.
Along with the B-50-equipped 97th Bomb Wing, Strategic Air Command established the 95th Bombardment Wing at Biggs in June 1952 and planned to base its heavy B-36 Peacemaker heavy bomber at the base. The B-36 was the largest mass-produced piston engine aircraft ever made, and was the first bomber capable of delivering all the nuclear weapons in the US arsenal from inside its two bomb bays without aircraft modifications. Although technically obsolete, the B-36, as the only truly intercontinental bomber, was the primary nuclear weapons delivery vehicle SAC until the late 1950s when the B-52 Stratofortress
began to be deployed to operational Wings.
With the arrival of the 95th Bomb Wing in June 1952, the host unit at Biggs was changed to the SAC 810th Air Division, which operationally controlled both the 97th and 95th Bombardment Wings. Activated as an intermediate command echelon of Strategic Air Command, the 810th AD assured the manning, training, and equipping of assigned units to conduct long range bombardment missions with its assigned B-50D Super fortress and B-36 Peacemaker strategic bombardment Wings using either nuclear or conventional weapons.
In August 1953, the first B-36D arrived at Biggs, although the majority of aircraft received were the later-model B-36J-III models with a higher operational ceiling, strengthened landing gear, increased fuel capacity, armament reduced to tail guns only and reduced crew. The 95th operated in support of Strategic Air Command (SAC)'s global commitments and deployed to Andersen Air Force Base
, Guam, and operated under control of 3d Air Division from, July-November 1955.
Beginning in 1959, the B-36s were sent to Davis-Monthan AFB for reclamation as B-52B Strato fortresses began to arrive, being transferred from the 99th Bombardment Wing at Westover AFB, Massachusetts which was receiving new B-52Ds. Also, with the departure of the 97th Bombardment Wing for Blytheville AFB, the SAC 810th Air Division moved to Minot AFB, North Dakota, leaving the 95th as the host unit at Biggs.
Operational with the B-52B by 1960, the 95th Bomb Wing was part of SAC's nuclear deterrent force, and performed airborne alert patrols. The bombers routinely flew on long-range intercontinental missions and loitered at high altitude near points outside the Soviet Union to provide rapid first strike or retaliation capability in case of nuclear war. This was a part of the role of deterrence to the Soviet Union via the concept of Mutually Assured Destruction.
By 1966, the introduction of the Titan and Atlas Intercontinental Strategic Ballistic Missiles into the US Strategic Inventory lessened the need for intercontinental strategic bombers. Also, the B-52B was becoming obsolete with the introduction of newer models. To reduce costs, also in light of the escalation of combat operations in the Vietnam War, Biggs AFB was programmed for closure. The United States Army, however, saw a need for the base as a support field for its massive Fort Bliss complex. On 25 June 1966, the 95th Bombardment Wing at Biggs was inactivated, the facility being transferred to the Army on 1 July.
.
In 1990-91, Biggs Army Airfield supported the large-scale airlift of forces and equipment deployed for Operation Desert Shield and Desert Storm. Biggs Airfield continues to host C-5A Galaxies and other Air Force airlift aircraft which transport personnel and equipment on rotation to Southwest Asia and other theaters of operation.
Biggs Army Airfield is the site of the annual "Amigo Airshow", held in October. The airfield is usually packed with spectators, as the attractions and army equipment encourage people to attend. A popular performer is the United States Navy
Blue Angels
, who make special appearances to perform acrobatic maneuvers for the crowd.
Airport
An airport is a location where aircraft such as fixed-wing aircraft, helicopters, and blimps take off and land. Aircraft may be stored or maintained at an airport...
located at Fort Bliss
Fort Bliss
Fort Bliss is a United States Army post in the U.S. states of New Mexico and Texas. With an area of about , it is the Army's second-largest installation behind the adjacent White Sands Missile Range. It is FORSCOM's largest installation, and has the Army's largest Maneuver Area behind the...
near El Paso
El Paso, Texas
El Paso, is a city in and the county seat of El Paso County, Texas, United States, and lies in far West Texas. In the 2010 census, the city had a population of 649,121. It is the sixth largest city in Texas and the 19th largest city in the United States...
, El Paso County, Texas, in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The airfield was previously Biggs Air Force Base, a Strategic Air Command
Strategic Air Command
The Strategic Air Command was both a Major Command of the United States Air Force and a "specified command" of the United States Department of Defense. SAC was the operational establishment in charge of America's land-based strategic bomber aircraft and land-based intercontinental ballistic...
installation, between 1947 and 1966. The U.S. Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
began operations supporting Ft. Bliss and its mission in 1973.
Overview
Biggs Field is now the home of the United States Army 1st Armored Division. It is also the headquarters for the El Paso Intelligence CenterEl Paso Intelligence Center
The El Paso Intelligence Center was established in 1974 in response to a study by the Justice Management Division of the U.S. Department of Justice entitled, "A Secure Border." Recommendation number 7 of this study suggested the establishment of a southwest border intelligence center to be led by...
, a federal tactical operational intelligence center, is located at Biggs Army Airfield; its DoD counterpart, Joint Task Force North
Joint Task Force North
Joint Task Force North , formerly Joint Task Force Six , is a multi-service operation by the United States Department of Defense for counterdrug and anti-terrorist operations. JTF-North is headquartered at Biggs Army Airfield, Fort Bliss, Texas...
is also at Biggs Field. Biggs Field is designated a military power projection platform.
The airfield is used by NASA as a layover point for the Shuttle Carrier Aircraft
Shuttle Carrier Aircraft
The Shuttle Carrier Aircraft are two extensively modified Boeing 747 airliners that NASA uses to transport Space Shuttle orbiters...
in flights transporting the Space Shuttle
Space Shuttle
The Space Shuttle was a manned orbital rocket and spacecraft system operated by NASA on 135 missions from 1981 to 2011. The system combined rocket launch, orbital spacecraft, and re-entry spaceplane with modular add-ons...
from Edwards Air Force Base
Edwards Air Force Base
Edwards Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base located on the border of Kern County, Los Angeles County, and San Bernardino County, California, in the Antelope Valley. It is southwest of the central business district of North Edwards, California and due east of Rosamond.It is named in...
in California to the Kennedy Space Center
Kennedy Space Center
The John F. Kennedy Space Center is the NASA installation that has been the launch site for every United States human space flight since 1968. Although such flights are currently on hiatus, KSC continues to manage and operate unmanned rocket launch facilities for America's civilian space program...
in Florida.
Operational characteristics
- Runway. 13554 feet (4,131.3 m) long, 300 feet (91.4 m) wide, asphalt concreteAsphalt concreteAsphalt concrete is a composite material commonly used in construction projects such as road surfaces, airports and parking lots. It consists of asphalt and mineral aggregate mixed together, then laid down in layers and compacted...
(PEM or Porous European Mix) surface, capable of handling B-52, C-5C-5 GalaxyThe Lockheed C-5 Galaxy is a large military transport aircraft built by Lockheed. It provides the United States Air Force with a heavy intercontinental-range strategic airlift capability, one that can carry outsize and oversize cargos, including all air-certifiable cargo. The Galaxy has many...
, traffic. 1000 feet (304.8 m) asphaltAsphaltAsphalt or , also known as bitumen, is a sticky, black and highly viscous liquid or semi-solid that is present in most crude petroleums and in some natural deposits, it is a substance classed as a pitch...
overrun on the "21" end of the runway.
- Taxiways. Approximately 9.7 miles (15.6 km) of taxiways.
- Parking (Hardstand): West ramp (near DAACG) can park 12 heavy aircraft, the hot cargo ramp can park 3 heavy aircraft, the heavy load can park 6 heavy aircraft, and the Main ramp has 18 (20' X 20') concrete pads.
- Parking (Aprons): 3600000 square feet (334,450.9 m²), asphalt surface with numerous 50' X 120' concrete pads.
Origins
What is now Biggs Army Airfield started life in 1915 as an encampment at Fort BlissFort Bliss
Fort Bliss is a United States Army post in the U.S. states of New Mexico and Texas. With an area of about , it is the Army's second-largest installation behind the adjacent White Sands Missile Range. It is FORSCOM's largest installation, and has the Army's largest Maneuver Area behind the...
, Texas for the 82d Field Artillery. That location was on what is now Ft Bliss, approximately two miles SSW of Biggs Army Airfield. The next year aircraft of the 1st Aero Squadron used the field as a stopping point between San Antonio, Texas and Columbus, New Mexico
Columbus, New Mexico
Columbus is a village in Luna County, New Mexico, United States. The population was 1,765 at the 2000 census. The town is named after 15th century explorer Christopher Columbus.-History:...
, in response to Pancho Villa
Pancho Villa
José Doroteo Arango Arámbula – better known by his pseudonym Francisco Villa or its hypocorism Pancho Villa – was one of the most prominent Mexican Revolutionary generals....
's raid on the small town. They were equipped with Curtiss JN-2 "Jenny’s", and their mission included scouting, observation and courier service for the cavalry and infantry units on the ground. The field was referred to as "Fort Bliss Aviation Field". In 1919, the field was used for "Border Air Patrol". Two squadrons of Dehaviland DH-4 Bombers, known affectionately as "Flying Coffins" replaced the frail Jennys and the Border Air Patrol was born.
In 1920 Camp Owen Bierne opened on the site of the current airbase as a base for airship operations but the units were soon disbanded. On 25 January 1925 the field was officially named "Biggs Field" in honor of Lieutenant James Berthes "Buster" Biggs, an Air Service officer from El Paso killed in World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
. Lt. Biggs was an El Paso native killed in a plane crash 27 October 1918 at Beltran, France. On June 30, 1926 the original Biggs Field was closed and Camp Owen Beirne was renamed Biggs Field. On 1 July 1926. Camp Owen Beirne had been a National Guard post and was the location of the large airship hangar that would be a Biggs landmark for many years. Major units assigned were:
- 1st Bombardment Group, 16 June 1919-30 June 1926 (DH-4B)
- 3d Bombardment Group, 12 November 1919-2 July 1921 (DH-4B)
- 2d Airship Company, 15 November 1919-30 June 1926
Between the two World Wars, Biggs served as a refueling stop for transient aircraft. When the United States entered World War II in late 1941, Fort Bliss was home to the largest horse cavalry force in the nation. The First Cavalry continued to patrol the border during the early years of the war. However, the need for maintaining an outdated horse cavalry along the border all but vanished in 1942 when Mexico declared war on the Axis powers. In 1943 the War Department dismounted the First Cavalry Division at Fort Bliss.
World War II
With World War II imminent, a massive construction effort was begun at Biggs Army Airfield between 1942-1945. The field itself was moved to its present location. Huge hangars and longer concrete runways were built to accommodate Army Air Corps bombers and other aircraft as Biggs was assigned to Second Air ForceSecond Air Force
The Second Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force Air Education and Training Command . It is headquartered at Keesler Air Force Base, Mississippi....
in 1942. During World War II Biggs Army Airfield became a hub of training activity for B-17 Flying Fortress and B-24 Liberator
B-24 Liberator
The Consolidated B-24 Liberator was an American heavy bomber, designed by Consolidated Aircraft of San Diego, California. It was known within the company as the Model 32, and a small number of early models were sold under the name LB-30, for Land Bomber...
s.
Enough construction was completed by the late summer of 1942, to allow the 303d Bombardment Group
303d Bombardment Group
The 303d Bombardment Group is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was to the 303d Bombardment Wing, being stationed at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Arizona. It was de-activated on 16 June 1952....
to began training with B-17Fs under Second Air Force on 7 August. Already formed, the group began what was known as 3d phase training at Biggs AAF. The third phase aimed at developing effective unit operation, the goal of the entire program. It included extensive exercises in high-altitude formation flying, long-range navigation, target identification, and simulated combat missions. By the end of August the group was deployed to the European Theater of Operations
European Theater of Operations
The European Theater of Operations, United States Army was a United States Army formation which directed U.S. Army operations in parts of Europe from 1942 to 1945. It referred to Army Ground Forces, United States Army Air Forces, and Army Service Forces operations north of Italy and the...
(ETO), assigned to the VIII Bomber Command
VIII Bomber Command
The VIII Bomber Command is an inactive United States Army Air Forces unit that is better known as the later appellation Eighth Air Force, as was popularized in post-World War II filmsand is frequently called the First Eighth Air Force by its veterans and successors in the services.The command was...
in England where it became one of the Eighth Air Force
Eighth Air Force
The Eighth Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force Global Strike Command . It is headquartered at Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana....
's most highly decorated units.
A period of organization and continued construction followed, with II Bomber Command taking over training. The 16th Bombardment Training Wing was activated to provide 2d phase heavy bomber training. Training provided at Biggs stressed teamwork of bomber crews formed during their initial first phase of training, with emphasis made on bombing, gunnery, and instrument flight missions were performed by full crews. Known units that trained at Biggs were:
- 94th Bombardment Group, 1 Nov 1942-1 Jan 1943 B-17s
- 380th Bombardment Group, 2 Dec 1942-4 Mar 1943, B-24s
- 389th Bombardment Group, 1 Feb-18 Apr 1943, B-24s
In April 1943, the 330th Bombardment Group
330th Bombardment Group
The 330th Bombardment Group was a bomber group of the United States Army Air Forces during World War II. It constituted on 1 July 1942 at Salt Lake City Army Air Base, Utah. The unit fought in the Pacific Theater...
was established at Biggs to begin replacement training (RTU) of personnel, rather than the training of entire groups. The RTU system was simpler than the OTU and necessitated few important changes from the traditional organization and administration of combat units. Men designated as replacements were sent to Biggs and received instruction in their specialties, particular attention being given to instrument and night flying exercises for pilots, cross-country tests for navigators, target runs for bombardiers, and air-to-air firing for gunners. Once assigned personnel completed replacement training, they were assigned to deployed combat units where they joined established crews. Operational training however, continued under the 16th BTW.
- 389th Bombardment Group, 1 Feb-18 Apr 1943, B-24
- 392nd Bombardment Group, 1 Mar-18 Apr 1943, B-24
In April 1943, the airfield came under the command of the Second Air Force
Second Air Force
The Second Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force Air Education and Training Command . It is headquartered at Keesler Air Force Base, Mississippi....
and became headquarters for the XX Bomber Command
XX Bomber Command
The XX Bomber Command is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with Far East Air Forces, based on Okinawa. It was inactivated on July 16, 1945.- History:...
. The 330th Bombardment Group
330th Bombardment Group
The 330th Bombardment Group was a bomber group of the United States Army Air Forces during World War II. It constituted on 1 July 1942 at Salt Lake City Army Air Base, Utah. The unit fought in the Pacific Theater...
became an operational B-29 Superfortress
B-29 Superfortress
The B-29 Superfortress is a four-engine propeller-driven heavy bomber designed by Boeing that was flown primarily by the United States Air Forces in late-World War II and through the Korean War. The B-29 was one of the largest aircraft to see service during World War II...
(Very Heavy) group and trained at Biggs with the new bomber before being deployed to the Pacific Theater, after which Biggs became a replacement training base for B-29 aircrews.
Postwar use
After World War II, B-29 Superfortress personnel replacement training ended in October. Control of Biggs went to Continental Air CommandContinental Air Command
Continental Air Command was a Major Command of the United States Air Force responsible primarily for administering the Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve.-Lineage:...
on 20 November 1945. The support units and base units at Biggs were under the 471st Air Service Group beginning in September 1945. Initially placed under Third Air Force
Third Air Force
The Third Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Forces in Europe . It is headquartered at Ramstein Air Base, Germany....
control, XIX Tactical Air Command
XIX Tactical Air Command
The XIX Tactical Air Command is an inactive United States Air Force unit. The unit's last assignment was with the Ninth Air Force based at Biggs Field, Texas...
moved in from Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
in early December. The 362d Fighter Group
362d Fighter Group
The 362d Fighter Group is an inactive United States Army Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with Tactical Air Command, stationed at Biggs Field, Texas. It was inactivated on 3 August 1946....
, which had been assigned to the ETO, moved in from the inactivating Seymour Johnson Field, North Carolina, where it had been training with long-range P-51H Mustangs for deployment to the Pacific. At Biggs, the 362d became one of the original groups of the postwar Tactical Air Command
Tactical Air Command
Tactical Air Command is an inactive United States Air Force organization. It was a Major Command of the United States Air Force, established on 21 March 1946 being headquartered at Langley Air Force Base, Virginia...
(TAC) when the command was activated on 21 March 1946, however was inactivated on 1 August due to postwar budget restrictions.
With the activation of TAC, the new command assigned Headquarters, Ninth Air Force
Ninth Air Force
The Ninth Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force's Air Combat Command . It is headquartered at Shaw Air Force Base, South Carolina....
to Biggs on 28 March upon its return from Germany. This, however, was a temporary relocation as Headquarters, Ninth Air Force moved to Greenville AFB, South Carolina, on 31 October 1946
With the inactivation of the 362d, its personnel and aircraft were assigned to the newly-reactivated 20th Fighter Group. Also the 47th Bombardment Group (Light), was moved to Biggs in October 1946 from Lake Charles Army Airfield, Louisiana when Lake Charles was transferred to Strategic Air Command
Strategic Air Command
The Strategic Air Command was both a Major Command of the United States Air Force and a "specified command" of the United States Department of Defense. SAC was the operational establishment in charge of America's land-based strategic bomber aircraft and land-based intercontinental ballistic...
. The 47th operated A-26 Invader
A-26 Invader
The Douglas A-26 Invader was a United States twin-engined light attack bomber built by the Douglas Aircraft Co. during World War II that also saw service during several of the Cold War's major conflicts...
s, but began to upgrade to the new B-45 Tornado
B-45 Tornado
The North American B-45 Tornado was the United States Air Force's first operational jet bomber, and the first jet aircraft to be refueled in the air. The B-45 was an important part of the United States's nuclear deterrent for several years in the early 1950s, but was rapidly succeeded by the Boeing...
tactical jet bomber beginning in early 1947.
On 27 September 1947, Biggs Army Airfield became Biggs Air Force Base with the establishment of the United States Air Force
United States Air Force
The United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...
, replacing the Army Air Forces. On 1 October 1948, control of Biggs was transferred to Strategic Air Command
Strategic Air Command
The Strategic Air Command was both a Major Command of the United States Air Force and a "specified command" of the United States Department of Defense. SAC was the operational establishment in charge of America's land-based strategic bomber aircraft and land-based intercontinental ballistic...
, however a joint-use agreement was established with TAC to allow operation of the 20th Fighter Group and 47th Bombardment Wing until the end of 1948 while SAC organized and also built a new jet runway for strategic bomber operations. TAC moved the 20th Fighter Group to Shaw AFB, South Carolina in October where it became part of the new 20th Fighter Wing
20th Fighter Wing
The 20th Fighter Wing is a wing of the United States Air Force and the host unit at Shaw Air Force Base South Carolina. The wing is assigned to Air Combat Command's Ninth Air Force.-Mission:...
; the 47th Bomb Wing moved to Barksdale AFB, Louisiana in November.
97th Bombardment Wing
Prior to the takeover of Biggs by SAC in October 1948, it had previously moved the B-29 SuperfortressB-29 Superfortress
The B-29 Superfortress is a four-engine propeller-driven heavy bomber designed by Boeing that was flown primarily by the United States Air Forces in late-World War II and through the Korean War. The B-29 was one of the largest aircraft to see service during World War II...
-equipped 97th Bombardment Group to the base in May. The 97t Bomb Group was previously stationed at Smoky Hill AFB, Kansas, however it had been deployed at Eielson AFB, Alaska since November 1947 to provide a strategic bombing force east of the Bering Straits as part of the early Cold War maneuvering of United States Strategic Forces against the Soviet Union.
While in Alaska, the 97th Bombardment Wing had been activated under the Hobson Base-Wing plan, and the 97th Bomb Group became a subordinate organization under the wing. Eighth Air Force
Eighth Air Force
The Eighth Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force Global Strike Command . It is headquartered at Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana....
assumed control of the wing on 16 May 1948 and the entire organization was moved to Biggs on 22 May 1948. Upon arrival, the 97th Bombardment Wing became the host organization at Biggs, taking over from the TAC 47th Bombardment wing over the summer.
The 97th operated B-29s from Biggs, and participated in numerous exercises, operational readiness inspections, and overseas deployments. It deployed twice to the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
as part of SAC's forward rotation of B-29 groups to Europe. The group element was left unmanned after its second forward deployment to England from 10 February 1951 to 16 June 1952 when the group was inactivated when the Air Force reorganized its wings into the tri-deputate system.
The 97th Air Refueling Squadron
97th Air Refueling Squadron
The 97th Air Refueling Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was last assigned to the 92d Air Refueling Wing, stationed at Fairchild Air Force Base, Washington...
, activated in March 1949, saw its manning increase as it received its first KB-29P in January 1950. Its mission, as stated in the wing's history, was: "to extend the range of the strategic bombers." The 97th was the first unit to operate the new boom-type or "American-type" equipment. As such it had the burden of testing the equipment and standardizing the operating procedures. The unit received KC-97 Stratotanker
KC-97 Stratotanker
The Boeing KC-97 Stratotanker was a United States strategic tanker aircraft based on the Boeing C-97 Stratofreighter. It was succeeded by the Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker.-Design and development:...
s in 1954 to replace its KB-29s.
Beginning in 1950, the 97th Bomb Wing received its first B-50 Superfortress
B-50 Superfortress
The Boeing B-50 Superfortress strategic bomber was a post-World War II revision of the Boeing B-29 Superfortress, fitted with more powerful Pratt & Whitney R-4360 radial engines, stronger structure, a taller fin, and other improvements. It was the last piston-engined bomber designed by Boeing for...
, an improved version of the B-29 capable of delivering atomic weapons. As crews trained and became qualified in the B-50, the wing transferred some of its B-29s to second-line reserve units or were sent to reclamation as obsolete.
The 97th experienced two mission changes in 1955. First, the 340th Bombardment Squadron, a subordinate unit, started flying RB-50Gs on electronic reconnaissance missions. The 340th went to RAF Upper Heyford
RAF Upper Heyford
RAF Upper Heyford was a Royal Air Force station located north-west of Bicester near the village of Upper Heyford, Oxfordshire, England. The base was brought into use for flying in July 1918 by the Royal Flying Corps. During World War II it was used by many units of the RAF, mainly as a training...
, England and to Tachikawa Airfield
Tachikawa Airfield
is an airfield in the city of Tachikawa, the western part of Tokyo, Japan. Currently under the administration of the Ministry of Defense, it has also served as the civil aviation with Japan's first scheduled air service.-Operations:...
, Japan on intelligence gathering missions and operated in this capacity for over a year. Meanwhile, the other bombardment squadrons in the 97th started replacing the propeller-driven B-50s with new B-47E Stratojet swept-wing medium bombers in 1954, capable of flying at high subsonic speeds and primarily designed for penetrating the airspace of the Soviet Union.
In 1958, the ability of the B-47 to penetrate Soviet airspace became compromised by improvements to the Soviet air defense system. The B-47s began to be retired, and maintenance teams began to retrain for duty in the Air Force's latest bomber, the B-52 Stratofortress
B-52 Stratofortress
The Boeing B-52 Stratofortress is a long-range, subsonic, jet-powered strategic bomber operated by the United States Air Force since the 1950s. The B-52 was designed and built by Boeing, who have continued to provide maintainence and upgrades to the aircraft in service...
. A further change to the 97th Bomb Wing was made when Eighth Air Force reassigned the wing to its 4th Air Division in 1959 with its pending receipt of B-52 aircraft. It then reassigned the 97th to Blytheville Air Force Base, Arkansas, leaving Biggs on 1 July 1959.
95th Bombardment Wing
B-52 Stratofortress
The Boeing B-52 Stratofortress is a long-range, subsonic, jet-powered strategic bomber operated by the United States Air Force since the 1950s. The B-52 was designed and built by Boeing, who have continued to provide maintainence and upgrades to the aircraft in service...
began to be deployed to operational Wings.
With the arrival of the 95th Bomb Wing in June 1952, the host unit at Biggs was changed to the SAC 810th Air Division, which operationally controlled both the 97th and 95th Bombardment Wings. Activated as an intermediate command echelon of Strategic Air Command, the 810th AD assured the manning, training, and equipping of assigned units to conduct long range bombardment missions with its assigned B-50D Super fortress and B-36 Peacemaker strategic bombardment Wings using either nuclear or conventional weapons.
In August 1953, the first B-36D arrived at Biggs, although the majority of aircraft received were the later-model B-36J-III models with a higher operational ceiling, strengthened landing gear, increased fuel capacity, armament reduced to tail guns only and reduced crew. The 95th operated in support of Strategic Air Command (SAC)'s global commitments and deployed to Andersen Air Force Base
Andersen Air Force Base
Andersen Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base located approximately northeast of Yigo in the United States territory of Guam....
, Guam, and operated under control of 3d Air Division from, July-November 1955.
Beginning in 1959, the B-36s were sent to Davis-Monthan AFB for reclamation as B-52B Strato fortresses began to arrive, being transferred from the 99th Bombardment Wing at Westover AFB, Massachusetts which was receiving new B-52Ds. Also, with the departure of the 97th Bombardment Wing for Blytheville AFB, the SAC 810th Air Division moved to Minot AFB, North Dakota, leaving the 95th as the host unit at Biggs.
Operational with the B-52B by 1960, the 95th Bomb Wing was part of SAC's nuclear deterrent force, and performed airborne alert patrols. The bombers routinely flew on long-range intercontinental missions and loitered at high altitude near points outside the Soviet Union to provide rapid first strike or retaliation capability in case of nuclear war. This was a part of the role of deterrence to the Soviet Union via the concept of Mutually Assured Destruction.
By 1966, the introduction of the Titan and Atlas Intercontinental Strategic Ballistic Missiles into the US Strategic Inventory lessened the need for intercontinental strategic bombers. Also, the B-52B was becoming obsolete with the introduction of newer models. To reduce costs, also in light of the escalation of combat operations in the Vietnam War, Biggs AFB was programmed for closure. The United States Army, however, saw a need for the base as a support field for its massive Fort Bliss complex. On 25 June 1966, the 95th Bombardment Wing at Biggs was inactivated, the facility being transferred to the Army on 1 July.
Biggs Army Airfield
In 1966, the USAF closed Biggs AFB in a budgetary move and released the base for Army use. In 1973, Biggs was reactivated as a permanent US Army Airfield, making it the largest active Army Airfield in the world as part of Fort BlissFort Bliss
Fort Bliss is a United States Army post in the U.S. states of New Mexico and Texas. With an area of about , it is the Army's second-largest installation behind the adjacent White Sands Missile Range. It is FORSCOM's largest installation, and has the Army's largest Maneuver Area behind the...
.
In 1990-91, Biggs Army Airfield supported the large-scale airlift of forces and equipment deployed for Operation Desert Shield and Desert Storm. Biggs Airfield continues to host C-5A Galaxies and other Air Force airlift aircraft which transport personnel and equipment on rotation to Southwest Asia and other theaters of operation.
Biggs Army Airfield is the site of the annual "Amigo Airshow", held in October. The airfield is usually packed with spectators, as the attractions and army equipment encourage people to attend. A popular performer is the United States Navy
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
Blue Angels
Blue Angels
The United States Navy's Navy Flight Demonstration Squadron, popularly known as the Blue Angels, was formed in 1946 and is currently the oldest formal flying aerobatic team...
, who make special appearances to perform acrobatic maneuvers for the crowd.
See also
- Texas World War II Army AirfieldsTexas World War II Army AirfieldsIn today's United States Air Force, many personnel have spent some of their military service being trained in Texas during World War II. Be it basic military training at Lackland Air Force Base, technical training, officer training, or flight training at other facilities across the state...
External links
- Biggs AAF, official website
- Biggs Army Airfield at GlobalSecurity.orgGlobalSecurity.orgGlobalSecurity.org, launched in 2000, is a public policy organization focusing on the fields of defense, space exploration, intelligence, weapons of mass destruction and homeland security...
- Biggs AFB History and Photos