Forbes Air Force Base
Encyclopedia
Forbes Field, previously Forbes Air Force Base, is a joint-use civil-military airport operated by the Topeka Airport Authority located approximately 3 miles (4.8 km) south of Topeka, Kansas
.
It is both an active municipal airport, and a Kansas Air National Guard
installation; being the home of the 190th Air Refueling Wing
.
base in 1973, the former administrative area is now used for commercial offices, state offices, and an industrial park. The 190th Air Refueling Wing
(190 ARW) of the Kansas Air National Guard
(KANG) occupies 215 acres (87 ha) on the north west end of Forbes Field.
The facility was established in 1941 as Topeka Army Air Field (AAF). It was renamed in honor of Major Daniel Forbes
, an Air Force test pilot
from Carbondale, Kansas
who was killed in a crash of a Northrop YB-49
Flying Wing
, which took the lives of all five crew members. The co-pilot on the flight was Captain Glen Edwards
, the namesake of Edwards Air Force Base
in California
.
(190 ARW) of the Kansas Air National Guard
(KANG) occupies 215 acres (87 ha) on the north side of Forbes Field, located approximately 5 miles (8 km) south of downtown Topeka, Kansas. The mission of the 190 ARW is to “Provide a professional trained militia, ready to serve community, state and nation”. The unit currently flies 12 KC-135R Stratotankers. The 190 ARW occupies 7 administrative facilities, 16 industrial facilities, and 2 services facilities totaling approximately 523100 square feet (48,597.6 m²) with 323 full time personnel. Monthly Unit Training Assemblies (UTAs) conducted once a month result in a surge of up to a total of 1152 personnel.
The 190th Air Refueling Wing is commanded by Colonel Keith I. Lang. Its vice wing commander is Colonel Ronald W. Krueger. Its Command Chief Master Sergeant is Chief Master Sergeant Brian D. Saunders.
, the facility was known as Topeka Army Air Field and was used as a United States Army Air Forces
Second Air Force
training field. Congress authorized the Topeka Army Air Field (TAAF) building project within two weeks after the December 7, 1941, attack on Pearl Harbor. Six months later, the completed air base—essential buildings, hangars, repair shops, steam heating plants, fuel storage and three 7,000 by 150 feet (45.7 m) paved runways—was formally accepted by the Army Air Forces.
Enough construction was completed that the airfield was opened on 30 May 1942; the 333d Bombardment Group
was activated on 15 July 1942 under II Bomber Command
with a mission to train heavy bomber crews. In August 1942 the first troops arrived and had to be quartered in the agriculture building on the Topeka Fair Grounds because their green wood two-story barracks buildings weren't finished yet.
During the war there were ammunition storage bunkers and small arms ranges. These features were removed during construction of the new runway. New ammunition storage bunkers and ordnance storage warehouses were constructed. The bunkers are currently being leased to a company for storage of explosives and are locked. The ordnance storage warehouses are being used by the airport authority for storage. There is an area south of the bunkers that is suspected of being a burial site for rocket fuel and munitions. Runways at Topeka AAF were concrete surfaced, 6525x150(N/S), 6525x150(NE/SW), and 6525x150(NW/SE).
The 333d Bombardment Group was a Replacement Training Unit (RTU) of personnel, rather than the training of entire groups. The RTU system consisted of men trained by Training Command designated as replacements and were sent to Topeka to receive instruction in their specialties as B-24 aircrews. In 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.
On 31 May 1943, the 21st Bombardment Wing was moved to Topeka AAF from Smokey Hill Army Air Field and the base changed from B-24 Liberator replacement training to B-29 Superfortress
Very Heavy Bomber transition training. It was one of three II Bomber Command bases for experienced aircrews to receive training on the B-29, and once graduated were sent to second stage bases for assignments to groups for extensive exercises in high-altitude formation flying, long-range navigation, target identification, and simulated combat missions prior to their deployment to XXI Bomber Command
in the Pacific Theater of Operations
(PTO). In early 1945, transition training was replaced by Replacement Training (RTU) for B-29 aircrews, which continued at Topeka AAF under the 21st Bomb Wing until the end of August 1945 when Command of the base shifted from the 21st Bombardment Wing to the 1st Staging Command, and beginning in October emphasis was placed on shipping ground personnel overseas rather than flight crews. Some 2,000 men were sent to TAAF to be processed as overseas replacements. That project was completed in February 1946 by ATC.
After the Japanese Capitulation in August 1945, B-29 aircrew training ended and Topeka AAF became a separation center and a sub-base of Smoky Hill Army Airfield. Air Transport Command
took control of the field and in December nine C-47s, 80 pilots and copilots and other equipment were moved to TAAF from Fairfax Airport in Kansas City, Kan. TAAF became the only mid-continent stop for ATC's daily transcontinental VIP flight between Washington, D.C., and Hamilton Field, Calif. Soon it also hosted two other daily shuttle flights. By early 1946, Topeka AAF became a refueling point for the new jet planes. Starting that month, TAAF played a major role in ferrying 1,300 military planes to 40 air fields throughout the United States and in a project for delivering 2,600 others to reserve units around the country. ATC's Northwestern Sector Headquarters, which coordinated U.S. Army Air Forces Air Transport Command operations from 14 bases moved to Topeka AAF in August.
Large numbers of former Twentieth Air Force
B-29s were stored at Topeka that were reworked by Boeing at Wichita. Eventually the aircraft went to storage in the southwest or to Strategic Air Command B-29 units. In December 1946, TAAF took part in "Operation Santa Claus," flying hundreds of amputees and litter cases from Army hospitals home for Christmas. Also, from December 1946 to February 1947, the base trained 26 Portuguese Air Force personnel in air-sea operations using B-17s and C-54s.
In early 1947, Congress slashed military appropriations, military and civilian personnel numbers plummeted almost overnight, and base activity was cut drastically. Topeka remained an ATC air terminal and operating base, but most transport crews were transferred and several flights discontinued. ATC's Northwestern Sector Headquarters closed in March 1947. With the establishment of the U.S. Air Force as an idependent service on September 18, 1947, Topeka AAF was subsequently renamed Topeka Air Force Base. On October 31, 1947, Topeka AFB inactivated and turned over to Air Material Command. It was placed on inactive status, but remained under Federal Government / USAF control.
(SAC) base on 1 July 1948. The base became the home of the Eighth Air Force
311th Air Division
, Reconnaissance and to the 55th Strategic Reconnaissance Wing. One of the SAC's initial missions was to plan strategic aerial reconnaissance on a global scale. The first efforts were in photo-reconnaissance and mapping. Along with the photo-reconnaissance mission, a small electronic intelligence (ELINT) cadre was operating. Weather reconnaissance was part of the effort, as was Long Range Detection, the search for Soviet atomic explosions.
The 55th SRW was reassigned from MacDill AFB, Florida to Topeka as part of a SAC realignment of assets, with the 306th Bombardment Wing being activated at MacDill under Second Air Force
. The 55th SRW operated specially-equipped RB-29 Superfortresses. From Topeka, the aircraft of the 55th SRW were used to probe the borders of the Soviet Union
, who had by then begun to emerge as a potential threat to the Western Powers. Little was known about the air defence capability of the Soviet Union at this time and the most effective way of determining their capability was to probe the borders and see whether they would respond. Gradually the RB-29s and ERB-29s which were solely dedicated to electronic reconnaissance mapped the perimeter of the Soviet Air Defences from the Baltic to the Sea of Okhotsk, north of Japan.
On 10 June 1949, Topeka AFB was renamed Forbes Air Force Base in memory of Major
Daniel H. Forbes, a Topeka pilot killed June 5, 1948, while testing the Northrop YB-49
"Flying Wing" prototype jet bomber near Muroc Dry Lake (now Edwards AFB), California
.
Budget reductions in the lean postwar years, led to the Wing's inactivation on 14 October 1949. With the inactivation of the 55th SRW, the 311th Air Division, moved to Barksdale AFB, Louisiana on 28 October. For the second time in two years, Forbes AFB was closed and turned over again to Air Material Command.
. The base was brought back into active service due to the Korean War
and the expanding Air Force due to the Cold War
. On the same date, the 21st Air Division was activated at Forbes; its mission was to train aircrews for B-47 Stratojet
medium bombardment wings, bomber replacement crews, and replacements.
In addition to the 21st AD, the 90th Bombardment Wing was moved to Forbes from Fairchild AFB, Washington on 14 March. Equipped with B-29s, its mission was to train B-29 aircrews and mechanics as part of the Cold War expansion prior to their pending assignment of new B-47s when received.
The training mission began almost immediately, with the 308th Bombardment Wing being activated on 10 October. Once formed and equipped with B-29s refurbished at Boeing-Wichita, it was assigned to Hunter AFB, Georgia for operational duty. The 376th Bombardment Wing was activated on 1 June 1951, organized and received B-29s then was assigned to Barksdale AFB, Louisiana on 10 October 1951. A third wing, the 310th Bombardment Wing was activated on 1 March 1952, received B-29s and then was reassigned to Smoky Hill AFB, Kansas on 4 September. On 16 June 1952 the B-29 training program ended and the 90th was redesignated the 90th Strategic Reconnaissance Wing, Medium, and five months later started training replacement reconnaissance crews as replacements for Far East Air Force.
, and continued its program of photography, photo-mapping equipped with new RB-47E Stratojets, and ERB-47Es for electronic reconnaissance.
The 90th SRW was relieved from its B-29 aircrew training mission and also received RB-47Es, engaging in very long range strategic reconnaissance missions along or over communist controlled territory, with 90th SRW aircraft first flying to Thule AB, Greenland then probing deep into the heart of the Soviet Union, taking a photographic and radar recording of the route attacking SAC bombers would follow to reach their targets. The risks involved in mounting these dangerous sorties over some of the most inhospitable terrain on earth speaks volumes for the courage and skill of the crews involved.
By 1958 the RB-47 had become vulnerable to Soviet Air defenses and also was being replaced in intelligence gathering operations by the Lockheed U-2
. The 90th SRW changed to becoming an RB-47 combat crew training wing, May 1958-June 1960. In addition, 650 units of family housing were built on 160 acres west of US-75; first phase of the Capehart housing development known as Cullen Village by the USAF and Montara by its current civilian owners. Another 414 units were constructed on an adjoining 118.75-acre tract in 1960. In addition, three "other" family units (relocated farm houses) were placed on six acres northeast of the Capehart area while another farm house and five military construction projects were built on three acres near the base hospital, in the cantonment area east of US-75
In October 1958, Topeka received news that Forbes AFB would support SM-65 Atlas-E missile sites to be constructed in the surrounding area. Initially Forbes was slated to have three sites with three missiles at each site, in February 1959, the Air Force directed that each missile be placed at an individual launch site to further disperse the missiles as a defensive measure against a first-strike enemy attack. Labor-management problems caused occasional setbacks in construction. One minor disturbance occurred at one of the sites when student pickets from McPherson College
arrived to protest the deployment of ICBMs. Despite the labor problems and student pickets, the project continued on schedule.
.
On 1 July the 548th Strategic Missile Squadron
stood up. Nearly 6 months later, on January 24, 1961, the first Atlas missile arrived at Forbes. By October, all nine sites had their Atlas E missiles. The 548th Strategic Missile Squadron became the USAF's first to declare the Atlas "E" operationally ready on 16 October. As a result of Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara
’s May 1964 directive accelerating the decommissioning of Atlas and Titan I missile bases, and the retirement of the B-47 the 40th Bomb Wing was inactivated September 1, 1964 and the 548th Strategic Missile Squadron was deactivated on March 25, 1965.
The 55th SRW, which had continued to operate specialized ERB-47H and RB-47H Stratojets, began retiring it's aircraft in late 1965. The 55th went into non-operational status as its aircraft were retired, then was reassigned to Offut AFB, Nebraska on 16 August 1966 as part of the phaseout of SAC at Forbes.
With the phaseout of B-47 operations and the decommissioning of the ICBMs, Strategic Air Command planned to close Forbes. However the base became a Tactical Air Command
(TAC) base, becoming the home of the 313th Tactical Airlift Wing
on October 1, 1964.
Flying C-130 Hercules
, the 313th's 29th, 38th, 47th and 48th Troop Carrier (later Tactical Airlift) squadrons frequently deployed on a global basis to support airlift requirements of overseas commands, participate in tactical exercises and disaster relief on a regular basis. In March 1965, the 29th TCS became the first combat-ready unit of Tactical Air Command at Forbes. It immediately assumed a rotational commitment to Panama. The whole wing was declared operationally ready in June, and in July "ownership" of Forbes passed from SAC to TAC.
TAC also invested in the facilities at Forbes, upgrading the runways, hangars, barracks, administrative and support structures and facilities. In August 1967, the RB-57Bs of the Kansas Air National Guard's 190th Tactical Reconnaissance Group moved to Forbes from the former Hutchinson Air National Guard Base (formerly Naval Air Station Hutchinson), Kansas.
's 190th Air Refueling Wing
(190 ARW), operating the KC-135 Stratotanker
. Originally gained by the Strategic Air Command
, the 190 ARW's gaining command shifted to the Air Mobility Command
(AMC) with the disestablishment of SAC in 1992. Initially operating the KC-135A, then KC-135E, the 190 ARW currently flies the KC-135R. On 1 October, Forbes AFB became an Air National Guard
installation and was redesignated as Forbes Field Air National Guard Base, a designation it retains today. Joint military-civilian use was authorized.
In April 1976, title was transferred to the city of Topeka, less the Kansas Air National Guard enclave on the northern third of the 6000 feet (1,828.8 m) north-south ramp, a portion of the south ramp and four associated buildings reserved for the Kansas Army National Guard
. and the former USAF dental clinic. The last went to Unified School District 501. Shawnee County received the golf course and attendant buildings, while the USAF retained the 1,063-unit Base Housing complex known as Cullen Village for later sale. The Army and Air Force Exchange Service
retained one building in the old supply depot west of US 75 and the state received the former USAF hospital complex. The remainder -- more than 2,100 acres of runway and taxiway and 283 acres of buildings and facilities mostly east of US 75 -- was deeded to the city of Topeka. The cantonment area was redesignated the Topeka Air Industrial Park.
In June 2007, the 190 ARW gained custody of all KC-135R aircraft previously operated by the Kansas Air National Guard's 184th Air Refueling Wing (184 ARW) at nearby McConnell AFB. This action consolidated all of the Kansas ANG's KC-135R assets into a single wing located at Forbes Field. The 184 ARW was subsequently redesignated as the 184th Intelligence Wing (184 IW), a non-flying unit at McConnell AFB.
c
operated nine SM-65E Atlas
missile sites with one missile at each site (10 October 1961-4 January 1965):
In October 1958, Topeka received news that Forbes AFB would support Atlas-E missile sites to be constructed in the surrounding area. The Army Corps of Engineers Kansas City District managed construction of the nine sites where the missiles would be stored horizontally. Although Forbes was slated to have three sites with three missiles at each site, in February 1959, the Air Force directed that each missile be placed at an individual dispersed launch site.
On 1 July 1960, the 548th Strategic Missile Squadron stood up. Nearly 6 months later, on 24 January 1961, the first Atlas missile arrived at Forbes. By October, all nine sites had their Atlas E missiles. As a result of Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara's May 1964 directive accelerating the decommissioning of Atlas and Titan I missile bases, the 548th Strategic Missile Squadron was deactivated on 25 March 1965.
Today the majority of the missile sites are in various states of abandonment. Most have the roofs on the missile 'coffins', but almost all of the support structures on the sites have been raised; only the missile launch facilities and access roads remaining. Some, in fact, may be for sale by their private owners. The exception to this is site "9", which has been redeveloped into Jackson Heights School, Home of the Cobras.
Topeka, Kansas
Topeka |Kansa]]: Tó Pee Kuh) is the capital city of the U.S. state of Kansas and the county seat of Shawnee County. It is situated along the Kansas River in the central part of Shawnee County, located in northeast Kansas, in the Central United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was...
.
It is both an active municipal airport, and a Kansas Air National Guard
Kansas Air National Guard
The Kansas Air National Guard is the air force militia of the U.S. state of Kansas. It is, along with the Kansas Army National Guard, an element of the Kansas National Guard. It is considered a part of the United States Air Force, as well as of the state....
installation; being the home of the 190th Air Refueling Wing
190th Air Refueling Wing
The United States Air Force's 190th Air Refueling Wing is an aerial refueling unit located at Forbes Field, Kansas.-History:...
.
Overview
Closed as an active United States Air ForceUnited 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...
base in 1973, the former administrative area is now used for commercial offices, state offices, and an industrial park. The 190th Air Refueling Wing
190th Air Refueling Wing
The United States Air Force's 190th Air Refueling Wing is an aerial refueling unit located at Forbes Field, Kansas.-History:...
(190 ARW) of the Kansas Air National Guard
Kansas Air National Guard
The Kansas Air National Guard is the air force militia of the U.S. state of Kansas. It is, along with the Kansas Army National Guard, an element of the Kansas National Guard. It is considered a part of the United States Air Force, as well as of the state....
(KANG) occupies 215 acres (87 ha) on the north west end of Forbes Field.
The facility was established in 1941 as Topeka Army Air Field (AAF). It was renamed in honor of Major Daniel Forbes
Daniel Forbes
Daniel Hugh Forbes, Jr. was an American aviator.-Biography:Born in Carbondale, Kansas, Osage County, the only child of Daniel Sr., and Hattie Forbes of Topeka, Kansas...
, an Air Force test pilot
Test pilot
A test pilot is an aviator who flies new and modified aircraft in specific maneuvers, known as flight test techniques or FTTs, allowing the results to be measured and the design to be evaluated....
from Carbondale, Kansas
Carbondale, Kansas
Carbondale is a city in Osage County, Kansas, United States. It is part of the Topeka, Kansas Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 1,478 at the 2000 census.-History:...
who was killed in a crash of a Northrop YB-49
Northrop YB-49
The Northrop YB-49 was a prototype jet-powered heavy bomber aircraft developed by Northrop shortly after World War II. Intended for service with the U.S. Air Force, the YB-49 featured a flying wing design...
Flying Wing
Flying wing
A flying wing is a tailless fixed-wing aircraft which has no definite fuselage, with most of the crew, payload and equipment being housed inside the main wing structure....
, which took the lives of all five crew members. The co-pilot on the flight was Captain Glen Edwards
Glen Edwards (pilot)
Glen Edwards was a test pilot for the U.S. Air Force, and is the namesake of Edwards Air Force Base.Edwards was born in Medicine Hat, Alberta, Canada, where he lived until 1931. At age 13, his parents moved the family to California, settling in Lincoln, northeast of Sacramento...
, the namesake of 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
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
.
Kansas Air National Guard
The 190th Air Refueling Wing190th Air Refueling Wing
The United States Air Force's 190th Air Refueling Wing is an aerial refueling unit located at Forbes Field, Kansas.-History:...
(190 ARW) of the Kansas Air National Guard
Air National Guard
The Air National Guard , often referred to as the Air Guard, is the air force militia organized by each of the fifty U.S. states, the commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the territories of Guam and the U.S. Virgin Islands, and the District of Columbia of the United States. Established under Title 10 and...
(KANG) occupies 215 acres (87 ha) on the north side of Forbes Field, located approximately 5 miles (8 km) south of downtown Topeka, Kansas. The mission of the 190 ARW is to “Provide a professional trained militia, ready to serve community, state and nation”. The unit currently flies 12 KC-135R Stratotankers. The 190 ARW occupies 7 administrative facilities, 16 industrial facilities, and 2 services facilities totaling approximately 523100 square feet (48,597.6 m²) with 323 full time personnel. Monthly Unit Training Assemblies (UTAs) conducted once a month result in a surge of up to a total of 1152 personnel.
The 190th Air Refueling Wing is commanded by Colonel Keith I. Lang. Its vice wing commander is Colonel Ronald W. Krueger. Its Command Chief Master Sergeant is Chief Master Sergeant Brian D. Saunders.
World War II
During World War IIWorld War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, the facility was known as Topeka Army Air Field and was used as a United States Army Air Forces
United States Army Air Forces
The United States Army Air Forces was the military aviation arm of the United States of America during and immediately after World War II, and the direct predecessor of the United States Air Force....
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....
training field. Congress authorized the Topeka Army Air Field (TAAF) building project within two weeks after the December 7, 1941, attack on Pearl Harbor. Six months later, the completed air base—essential buildings, hangars, repair shops, steam heating plants, fuel storage and three 7,000 by 150 feet (45.7 m) paved runways—was formally accepted by the Army Air Forces.
Enough construction was completed that the airfield was opened on 30 May 1942; the 333d Bombardment Group
333d Bombardment Group
The 333d Bombardment Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last was assigned to the 316 Bombardment Wing, stationed at Kadena Air Base, Okinawa. It was inactivated on 28 May 1946-History:...
was activated on 15 July 1942 under II Bomber Command
II Bomber Command
The II Bomber Command is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was last assigned to Second Air Force, based at Fort George Wright, Washington. It was inactivated on 6 October 1943....
with a mission to train heavy bomber crews. In August 1942 the first troops arrived and had to be quartered in the agriculture building on the Topeka Fair Grounds because their green wood two-story barracks buildings weren't finished yet.
During the war there were ammunition storage bunkers and small arms ranges. These features were removed during construction of the new runway. New ammunition storage bunkers and ordnance storage warehouses were constructed. The bunkers are currently being leased to a company for storage of explosives and are locked. The ordnance storage warehouses are being used by the airport authority for storage. There is an area south of the bunkers that is suspected of being a burial site for rocket fuel and munitions. Runways at Topeka AAF were concrete surfaced, 6525x150(N/S), 6525x150(NE/SW), and 6525x150(NW/SE).
The 333d Bombardment Group was a Replacement Training Unit (RTU) of personnel, rather than the training of entire groups. The RTU system consisted of men trained by Training Command designated as replacements and were sent to Topeka to receive instruction in their specialties as B-24 aircrews. In 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.
On 31 May 1943, the 21st Bombardment Wing was moved to Topeka AAF from Smokey Hill Army Air Field and the base changed from B-24 Liberator replacement training to 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 Bomber transition training. It was one of three II Bomber Command bases for experienced aircrews to receive training on the B-29, and once graduated were sent to second stage bases for assignments to groups for extensive exercises in high-altitude formation flying, long-range navigation, target identification, and simulated combat missions prior to their deployment to XXI Bomber Command
XXI Bomber Command
The XXI Bomber Command was a unit of the Twentieth Air Force in Guam for strategic bombing during World War II.- Lineage:* Constituted as XXI Bomber Command on 1 Mar 1944, and activated the same day.-Assignments:...
in the Pacific Theater of Operations
Pacific Theater of Operations
The Pacific Theater of Operations was the World War II area of military activity in the Pacific Ocean and the countries bordering it, a geographic scope that reflected the operational and administrative command structures of the American forces during that period...
(PTO). In early 1945, transition training was replaced by Replacement Training (RTU) for B-29 aircrews, which continued at Topeka AAF under the 21st Bomb Wing until the end of August 1945 when Command of the base shifted from the 21st Bombardment Wing to the 1st Staging Command, and beginning in October emphasis was placed on shipping ground personnel overseas rather than flight crews. Some 2,000 men were sent to TAAF to be processed as overseas replacements. That project was completed in February 1946 by ATC.
After the Japanese Capitulation in August 1945, B-29 aircrew training ended and Topeka AAF became a separation center and a sub-base of Smoky Hill Army Airfield. Air Transport Command
Air Transport Command
Air Transport Command is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its mission was to meet the urgent demand for the speedy reinforcement of the United States' military bases worldwide during World War II, using an air supply system to supplement surface transport...
took control of the field and in December nine C-47s, 80 pilots and copilots and other equipment were moved to TAAF from Fairfax Airport in Kansas City, Kan. TAAF became the only mid-continent stop for ATC's daily transcontinental VIP flight between Washington, D.C., and Hamilton Field, Calif. Soon it also hosted two other daily shuttle flights. By early 1946, Topeka AAF became a refueling point for the new jet planes. Starting that month, TAAF played a major role in ferrying 1,300 military planes to 40 air fields throughout the United States and in a project for delivering 2,600 others to reserve units around the country. ATC's Northwestern Sector Headquarters, which coordinated U.S. Army Air Forces Air Transport Command operations from 14 bases moved to Topeka AAF in August.
Large numbers of former Twentieth Air Force
Twentieth Air Force
The Twentieth Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force Global Strike Command . It is headquartered at F.E. Warren Air Force Base, Wyoming.20 AF's primary mission is Intercontinental Ballistic Missile operations...
B-29s were stored at Topeka that were reworked by Boeing at Wichita. Eventually the aircraft went to storage in the southwest or to Strategic Air Command B-29 units. In December 1946, TAAF took part in "Operation Santa Claus," flying hundreds of amputees and litter cases from Army hospitals home for Christmas. Also, from December 1946 to February 1947, the base trained 26 Portuguese Air Force personnel in air-sea operations using B-17s and C-54s.
In early 1947, Congress slashed military appropriations, military and civilian personnel numbers plummeted almost overnight, and base activity was cut drastically. Topeka remained an ATC air terminal and operating base, but most transport crews were transferred and several flights discontinued. ATC's Northwestern Sector Headquarters closed in March 1947. With the establishment of the U.S. Air Force as an idependent service on September 18, 1947, Topeka AAF was subsequently renamed Topeka Air Force Base. On October 31, 1947, Topeka AFB inactivated and turned over to Air Material Command. It was placed on inactive status, but remained under Federal Government / USAF control.
Postwar era
Eight months later, Topeka Air Force Base was reactivated as a Strategic Air CommandStrategic 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...
(SAC) base on 1 July 1948. The base became the home 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....
311th Air Division
311th Air Division
The 311th Air Division is an inactive United States Air Force organization. Its last assignment was with Strategic Air Command, being stationed at Forbes Air Force Base, Kansas...
, Reconnaissance and to the 55th Strategic Reconnaissance Wing. One of the SAC's initial missions was to plan strategic aerial reconnaissance on a global scale. The first efforts were in photo-reconnaissance and mapping. Along with the photo-reconnaissance mission, a small electronic intelligence (ELINT) cadre was operating. Weather reconnaissance was part of the effort, as was Long Range Detection, the search for Soviet atomic explosions.
The 55th SRW was reassigned from MacDill AFB, Florida to Topeka as part of a SAC realignment of assets, with the 306th Bombardment Wing being activated at MacDill under 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....
. The 55th SRW operated specially-equipped RB-29 Superfortresses. From Topeka, the aircraft of the 55th SRW were used to probe the borders of the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
, who had by then begun to emerge as a potential threat to the Western Powers. Little was known about the air defence capability of the Soviet Union at this time and the most effective way of determining their capability was to probe the borders and see whether they would respond. Gradually the RB-29s and ERB-29s which were solely dedicated to electronic reconnaissance mapped the perimeter of the Soviet Air Defences from the Baltic to the Sea of Okhotsk, north of Japan.
On 10 June 1949, Topeka AFB was renamed Forbes Air Force Base in memory of Major
Major
Major is a rank of commissioned officer, with corresponding ranks existing in almost every military in the world.When used unhyphenated, in conjunction with no other indicator of rank, the term refers to the rank just senior to that of an Army captain and just below the rank of lieutenant colonel. ...
Daniel H. Forbes, a Topeka pilot killed June 5, 1948, while testing the Northrop YB-49
Northrop YB-49
The Northrop YB-49 was a prototype jet-powered heavy bomber aircraft developed by Northrop shortly after World War II. Intended for service with the U.S. Air Force, the YB-49 featured a flying wing design...
"Flying Wing" prototype jet bomber near Muroc Dry Lake (now Edwards AFB), California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
.
Budget reductions in the lean postwar years, led to the Wing's inactivation on 14 October 1949. With the inactivation of the 55th SRW, the 311th Air Division, moved to Barksdale AFB, Louisiana on 28 October. For the second time in two years, Forbes AFB was closed and turned over again to Air Material Command.
B-29 training
On 16 February 1951, control of Forbes AFB was transferred from Air Material Command to Strategic Air CommandStrategic 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 base was brought back into active service due to the Korean War
Korean War
The Korean War was a conventional war between South Korea, supported by the United Nations, and North Korea, supported by the People's Republic of China , with military material aid from the Soviet Union...
and the expanding Air Force due to the Cold War
Cold War
The Cold War was the continuing state from roughly 1946 to 1991 of political conflict, military tension, proxy wars, and economic competition between the Communist World—primarily the Soviet Union and its satellite states and allies—and the powers of the Western world, primarily the United States...
. On the same date, the 21st Air Division was activated at Forbes; its mission was to train aircrews for B-47 Stratojet
B-47 Stratojet
The Boeing Model 450 B-47 Stratojet was a long-range, six-engined, jet-powered medium bomber built to fly at high subsonic speeds and at high altitudes. It was primarily designed to drop nuclear bombs on the Soviet Union...
medium bombardment wings, bomber replacement crews, and replacements.
In addition to the 21st AD, the 90th Bombardment Wing was moved to Forbes from Fairchild AFB, Washington on 14 March. Equipped with B-29s, its mission was to train B-29 aircrews and mechanics as part of the Cold War expansion prior to their pending assignment of new B-47s when received.
The training mission began almost immediately, with the 308th Bombardment Wing being activated on 10 October. Once formed and equipped with B-29s refurbished at Boeing-Wichita, it was assigned to Hunter AFB, Georgia for operational duty. The 376th Bombardment Wing was activated on 1 June 1951, organized and received B-29s then was assigned to Barksdale AFB, Louisiana on 10 October 1951. A third wing, the 310th Bombardment Wing was activated on 1 March 1952, received B-29s and then was reassigned to Smoky Hill AFB, Kansas on 4 September. On 16 June 1952 the B-29 training program ended and the 90th was redesignated the 90th Strategic Reconnaissance Wing, Medium, and five months later started training replacement reconnaissance crews as replacements for Far East Air Force.
Strategic reconnaissance
On 5 October 1952, a chance of mission took place at Forbes with the 55th Strategic Reconnaissance Wing returned to Forbes from Ramey AFB, Puerto RicoPuerto Rico
Puerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of both the United States Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.Puerto Rico comprises an...
, and continued its program of photography, photo-mapping equipped with new RB-47E Stratojets, and ERB-47Es for electronic reconnaissance.
The 90th SRW was relieved from its B-29 aircrew training mission and also received RB-47Es, engaging in very long range strategic reconnaissance missions along or over communist controlled territory, with 90th SRW aircraft first flying to Thule AB, Greenland then probing deep into the heart of the Soviet Union, taking a photographic and radar recording of the route attacking SAC bombers would follow to reach their targets. The risks involved in mounting these dangerous sorties over some of the most inhospitable terrain on earth speaks volumes for the courage and skill of the crews involved.
By 1958 the RB-47 had become vulnerable to Soviet Air defenses and also was being replaced in intelligence gathering operations by the Lockheed U-2
Lockheed U-2
The Lockheed U-2, nicknamed "Dragon Lady", is a single-engine, very high-altitude reconnaissance aircraft operated by the United States Air Force and previously flown by the Central Intelligence Agency . It provides day and night, very high-altitude , all-weather intelligence gathering...
. The 90th SRW changed to becoming an RB-47 combat crew training wing, May 1958-June 1960. In addition, 650 units of family housing were built on 160 acres west of US-75; first phase of the Capehart housing development known as Cullen Village by the USAF and Montara by its current civilian owners. Another 414 units were constructed on an adjoining 118.75-acre tract in 1960. In addition, three "other" family units (relocated farm houses) were placed on six acres northeast of the Capehart area while another farm house and five military construction projects were built on three acres near the base hospital, in the cantonment area east of US-75
In October 1958, Topeka received news that Forbes AFB would support SM-65 Atlas-E missile sites to be constructed in the surrounding area. Initially Forbes was slated to have three sites with three missiles at each site, in February 1959, the Air Force directed that each missile be placed at an individual launch site to further disperse the missiles as a defensive measure against a first-strike enemy attack. Labor-management problems caused occasional setbacks in construction. One minor disturbance occurred at one of the sites when student pickets from McPherson College
McPherson College
McPherson College was chartered in 1887 by the leaders of the Church of the Brethren. The college provides a career-oriented liberal arts education...
arrived to protest the deployment of ICBMs. Despite the labor problems and student pickets, the project continued on schedule.
40th Bombardment Wing
By 1960, the B-47 was considered to be reaching obsolescence, and was being phased out of SAC's strategic arsenal. On 20 June 1960, the 90th SRW was discontinued as part of phaseout of the RB-47 and replaced by the 40th Bombardment Wing, transferred from Schilling AFB, Kansas as part of a SAC realignment. Shilling was placed on non-operational status due to the base undergoing a major renovation to upgrade the facilities for B-52/KC-135 operations. Many personnel from the 90th were absorbed by the 40th. At Shilling, the 40th operated B-47Es and moved its aircraft to Forbes, where it continued to operate the aircraft while the equipment was being phased out of SAC's inventory. At the same time, control of Forbes was reassigned from SAC's Eighth 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....
.
On 1 July the 548th Strategic Missile Squadron
548th Strategic Missile Squadron
The 548th Strategic Missile Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last was assigned to the 40th Strategic Aerospace Wing, stationed at Forbes Air Force Base, Kansas. It was inactivated on 1 September 1964-World War II:...
stood up. Nearly 6 months later, on January 24, 1961, the first Atlas missile arrived at Forbes. By October, all nine sites had their Atlas E missiles. The 548th Strategic Missile Squadron became the USAF's first to declare the Atlas "E" operationally ready on 16 October. As a result of Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara
Robert McNamara
Robert Strange McNamara was an American business executive and the eighth Secretary of Defense, serving under Presidents John F. Kennedy and Lyndon B. Johnson from 1961 to 1968, during which time he played a large role in escalating the United States involvement in the Vietnam War...
’s May 1964 directive accelerating the decommissioning of Atlas and Titan I missile bases, and the retirement of the B-47 the 40th Bomb Wing was inactivated September 1, 1964 and the 548th Strategic Missile Squadron was deactivated on March 25, 1965.
The 55th SRW, which had continued to operate specialized ERB-47H and RB-47H Stratojets, began retiring it's aircraft in late 1965. The 55th went into non-operational status as its aircraft were retired, then was reassigned to Offut AFB, Nebraska on 16 August 1966 as part of the phaseout of SAC at Forbes.
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) base, becoming the home of the 313th Tactical Airlift Wing
313th Tactical Airlift Wing
The 313th Tactical Airlift Wing is an inactive United States Air Force organization. Its last assignment was with Tactical Air Command, assigned to the 834th Air Division, being stationed at Forbes Air Force Base, Kansas...
on October 1, 1964.
Flying C-130 Hercules
C-130 Hercules
The Lockheed C-130 Hercules is a four-engine turboprop military transport aircraft designed and built originally by Lockheed, now Lockheed Martin. Capable of using unprepared runways for takeoffs and landings, the C-130 was originally designed as a troop, medical evacuation, and cargo transport...
, the 313th's 29th, 38th, 47th and 48th Troop Carrier (later Tactical Airlift) squadrons frequently deployed on a global basis to support airlift requirements of overseas commands, participate in tactical exercises and disaster relief on a regular basis. In March 1965, the 29th TCS became the first combat-ready unit of Tactical Air Command at Forbes. It immediately assumed a rotational commitment to Panama. The whole wing was declared operationally ready in June, and in July "ownership" of Forbes passed from SAC to TAC.
TAC also invested in the facilities at Forbes, upgrading the runways, hangars, barracks, administrative and support structures and facilities. In August 1967, the RB-57Bs of the Kansas Air National Guard's 190th Tactical Reconnaissance Group moved to Forbes from the former Hutchinson Air National Guard Base (formerly Naval Air Station Hutchinson), Kansas.
Closure of Forbes AFB and conversion to Forbes Field ANGB
Forbes AFB was ordered closed by the Department of Defense as part of a post-Vietnam reduction in force on 17 April 1973. Most of the facility was turned over for civilian use, but an Air Force presence remained in the form of the Kansas Air National GuardKansas Air National Guard
The Kansas Air National Guard is the air force militia of the U.S. state of Kansas. It is, along with the Kansas Army National Guard, an element of the Kansas National Guard. It is considered a part of the United States Air Force, as well as of the state....
's 190th Air Refueling Wing
190th Air Refueling Wing
The United States Air Force's 190th Air Refueling Wing is an aerial refueling unit located at Forbes Field, Kansas.-History:...
(190 ARW), operating the KC-135 Stratotanker
KC-135 Stratotanker
The Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker is an aerial refueling military aircraft. It and the Boeing 707 airliner were developed from the Boeing 367-80 prototype. The KC-135 was the US Air Force's first jet-powered refueling tanker and replaced the KC-97 Stratotanker...
. Originally gained by the 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 190 ARW's gaining command shifted to the Air Mobility Command
Air Mobility Command
Air Mobility Command is a Major Command of the U.S. Air Force. AMC is headquartered at Scott AFB, Illinois, east of St. Louis....
(AMC) with the disestablishment of SAC in 1992. Initially operating the KC-135A, then KC-135E, the 190 ARW currently flies the KC-135R. On 1 October, Forbes AFB became an Air National Guard
Air National Guard
The Air National Guard , often referred to as the Air Guard, is the air force militia organized by each of the fifty U.S. states, the commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the territories of Guam and the U.S. Virgin Islands, and the District of Columbia of the United States. Established under Title 10 and...
installation and was redesignated as Forbes Field Air National Guard Base, a designation it retains today. Joint military-civilian use was authorized.
In April 1976, title was transferred to the city of Topeka, less the Kansas Air National Guard enclave on the northern third of the 6000 feet (1,828.8 m) north-south ramp, a portion of the south ramp and four associated buildings reserved for the Kansas Army National Guard
Army National Guard
Established under Title 10 and Title 32 of the U.S. Code, the Army National Guard is part of the National Guard and is divided up into subordinate units stationed in each of the 50 states, three territories and the District of Columbia operating under their respective governors...
. and the former USAF dental clinic. The last went to Unified School District 501. Shawnee County received the golf course and attendant buildings, while the USAF retained the 1,063-unit Base Housing complex known as Cullen Village for later sale. The Army and Air Force Exchange Service
Army and Air Force Exchange Service
The Exchange is an agency of the United States Department of Defense. Its dual missions are to provide quality merchandise and services of necessity and convenience to authorized customers at uniform low prices, and to generate reasonable earnings to supplement appropriated funds for the support...
retained one building in the old supply depot west of US 75 and the state received the former USAF hospital complex. The remainder -- more than 2,100 acres of runway and taxiway and 283 acres of buildings and facilities mostly east of US 75 -- was deeded to the city of Topeka. The cantonment area was redesignated the Topeka Air Industrial Park.
In June 2007, the 190 ARW gained custody of all KC-135R aircraft previously operated by the Kansas Air National Guard's 184th Air Refueling Wing (184 ARW) at nearby McConnell AFB. This action consolidated all of the Kansas ANG's KC-135R assets into a single wing located at Forbes Field. The 184 ARW was subsequently redesignated as the 184th Intelligence Wing (184 IW), a non-flying unit at McConnell AFB.
Major commands to which assigned
- Second Air ForceSecond Air ForceThe 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....
, 1942-1945 - Continental Air Forces, 1945-1947
- Air Material Command, 1947-1948; 1949-1951 (In inactive status)
- Strategic Air CommandStrategic Air CommandThe 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...
, 1948-1949; 1951-1964 - Tactical Air CommandTactical Air CommandTactical 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...
, 1964-1973 - Air National GuardAir National GuardThe Air National Guard , often referred to as the Air Guard, is the air force militia organized by each of the fifty U.S. states, the commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the territories of Guam and the U.S. Virgin Islands, and the District of Columbia of the United States. Established under Title 10 and...
, 1973-Present
Major units assigned
- 333d Bombardment Group333d Bombardment GroupThe 333d Bombardment Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last was assigned to the 316 Bombardment Wing, stationed at Kadena Air Base, Okinawa. It was inactivated on 28 May 1946-History:...
(Very Heavy) July 15, 1942 – February 22, 1943 - 466th Bombardment Group466th Bombardment GroupThe 466th Bombardment Group is an inactive United States Army Air Force unit. Its last assignment was to the Second Air Force, being stationed at Davis-Monthan Field, Arizona. It was inactivated on 17 October 1945...
(Heavy) 5–13 February 1944 - 55th Strategic Reconnaissance Wing55th WingThe 55th Wing is a United States Air Force unit assigned to Air Combat Command. The unit is stationed at Offutt Air Force Base, Nebraska....
(July 19, 1948 – October 14, 1949) - 311th Air Division311th Air DivisionThe 311th Air Division is an inactive United States Air Force organization. Its last assignment was with Strategic Air Command, being stationed at Forbes Air Force Base, Kansas...
(July 20, 1948 – October 28, 1949) - 21st Air Division21st Air Division (United States)The 21st Air Division is an inactive United States Air Force organization. Its last assignment was with Tactical Air Command, being stationed at Griffiss Air Force Base, New York...
(February 16, 1951 – September 1, 1964) - 90th Bombardment (March 14, 1951 – June 20, 1960)
- 376th Bombardment Wing376th Air Expeditionary WingThe 376th Air Expeditionary Wing is a provisional United States Air Force Air Combat Command unit. It is currently stationed at the Transit Center at Manas International Airport, Kyrgyz Republic...
June 1 – October 10, 1951 - 308th Bombardment Wing308th Armament Systems WingThe United States Air Force's 308th Armament Systems Wing is a non-flying wing based at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida.-Overview:The wing was activated in 2004 to design, develop, field and maintain a family of air-to-ground munitions that enhance warfighter strike capabilities.The mission of the...
(October 10, 1951 – April 17, 1952)
- 310th Bombardment Wing310th Space WingThe 310th Space Wing is a United States Air Force unit assigned to the Air Force Reserve Command Tenth Air Force. It is a tenant unit at Schriever Air Force Base, Colo....
(March 28 – September 4, 1952) - 40th Bombardment Wing40th Air Expeditionary WingThe United States Air Force's 40th Air Expeditionary Wing was an Air expeditionary unit located at Diego Garcia, in the Indian Ocean, from 2001 to c. 2006....
(June 20, 1960 – September 1, 1964) - 313th Tactical Airlift Wing313th Tactical Airlift WingThe 313th Tactical Airlift Wing is an inactive United States Air Force organization. Its last assignment was with Tactical Air Command, assigned to the 834th Air Division, being stationed at Forbes Air Force Base, Kansas...
(October 1, 1964 – September 30, 1973) - 838th Air Division838th Air DivisionThe 838th Air Division is an inactive United States Air Force organization. Its last assignment was with Tactical Air Command, assigned to Twelfth Air Force, being stationed at Forbes Air Force Base, Kansas. It was inactivated on December 24, 1969....
(November 9, 1964 – December 24, 1969) - 190th Tactical Reconnaissance Group190th Air Refueling WingThe United States Air Force's 190th Air Refueling Wing is an aerial refueling unit located at Forbes Field, Kansas.-History:...
(19667-1974) - 190th Defense Systems Evaluation Group190th Air Refueling WingThe United States Air Force's 190th Air Refueling Wing is an aerial refueling unit located at Forbes Field, Kansas.-History:...
(1974-1978) - 190th Air Refueling Wing190th Air Refueling WingThe United States Air Force's 190th Air Refueling Wing is an aerial refueling unit located at Forbes Field, Kansas.-History:...
(1978-Present)
c
Intercontinental ballistic missile facilities
The 548th Strategic Missile Squadron548th Strategic Missile Squadron
The 548th Strategic Missile Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last was assigned to the 40th Strategic Aerospace Wing, stationed at Forbes Air Force Base, Kansas. It was inactivated on 1 September 1964-World War II:...
operated nine SM-65E Atlas
SM-65E Atlas
The SM-65E Atlas, or Atlas-E, was an operational variant of the Atlas missile. It first flew on 11 October 1960, and was deployed as an operational ICBM from September 1961 until April 1966. Following retirement as an ICBM, the Atlas-E, along with the Atlas-F, was refurbished for orbital launches...
missile sites with one missile at each site (10 October 1961-4 January 1965):
- 548-1, 2.5 mi (4 km) N of Rock Creek, KS 39°16′47"N 095°31′50"W
- 548-2, 3.7 mi (6 km) NNW of Centropolis, KS 38°46′03"N 095°22′05"W
- 548-3, 4.8 mi (7.7 km) WNW of Waverly, KS 38°25′50"N 095°40′42"W
- 548-4, 4.8 mi (7.7 km) SSW of Burlingame, KS 38°41′41"N 095°52′48"W
- 548-5, 3.9 mi (6.3 km) NW of Bushong, KS 38°41′11"N 096°18′08"W
- 548-6, 6.1 mi (9.8 km) W of Dover, KS 38°58′36"N 096°02′56"W
- 548-7, 1.8 mi (2.9 km) NW of Wamego, KS 39°13′22"N 096°19′32"W
- 548-8, 2.5 mi (4 km) E of Delia, KS 39°14′42"N 095°55′10"W
- 548-9, 2.5 mi (4 km) N of Rock Creek, KS 39°31′33"N 095°44′25"W
In October 1958, Topeka received news that Forbes AFB would support Atlas-E missile sites to be constructed in the surrounding area. The Army Corps of Engineers Kansas City District managed construction of the nine sites where the missiles would be stored horizontally. Although Forbes was slated to have three sites with three missiles at each site, in February 1959, the Air Force directed that each missile be placed at an individual dispersed launch site.
On 1 July 1960, the 548th Strategic Missile Squadron stood up. Nearly 6 months later, on 24 January 1961, the first Atlas missile arrived at Forbes. By October, all nine sites had their Atlas E missiles. As a result of Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara's May 1964 directive accelerating the decommissioning of Atlas and Titan I missile bases, the 548th Strategic Missile Squadron was deactivated on 25 March 1965.
Today the majority of the missile sites are in various states of abandonment. Most have the roofs on the missile 'coffins', but almost all of the support structures on the sites have been raised; only the missile launch facilities and access roads remaining. Some, in fact, may be for sale by their private owners. The exception to this is site "9", which has been redeveloped into Jackson Heights School, Home of the Cobras.
See also
- Forbes Field (airport)
- Kansas World War II Army AirfieldsKansas World War II Army AirfieldsDuring World War II, Kansas was a major United States Army Air Force training center for pilots and aircrews of USAAF fighters and bombers. Kansas was a favored because it has excellent, year-round flying conditions...