Tinker Air Force Base - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

Tinker Air Force Base is a major U.S. Air Force base, with tenant U.S. Navy and other Department of Defense

United States Department of Defense

The United States Department of Defense is the U.S...

missions, located in the southeast Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

Oklahoma City is the capital and the largest city in the state of Oklahoma. The county seat of Oklahoma County, the city ranks 31st among United States cities in population. The city's population, from the 2010 census, was 579,999, with a metro-area population of 1,252,987 . In 2010, the Oklahoma...

area, directly south of the suburb of Midwest City, Oklahoma

Oklahoma

Oklahoma is a state located in the South Central region of the United States of America. With an estimated 3,751,351 residents as of the 2010 census and a land area of 68,667 square miles , Oklahoma is the 28th most populous and 20th-largest state...

Overview

The base is named in honor of Oklahoma native Major General

Major General

Major general or major-general is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. A major general is a high-ranking officer, normally subordinate to the rank of lieutenant general and senior to the ranks of brigadier and brigadier general...

Clarence L. Tinker

General Clarence Leonard Tinker was an airman of who lost his life during World War II while on a combat mission during the Japanese attack on Midway Island in the Pacific, June 7, 1942. Tinker Air Force Base in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma is named in his honor...

, the first Native American

Native Americans in the United States

Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...

Major General.

Tinker is the headquarters of the Air Force Materiel Command

Air Force Materiel Command

Air Force Materiel Command is a major command of the United States Air Force. AFMC was created July 1, 1992 through the reorganization of Air Force Logistics Command and Air Force Systems Command....

's (AFMC) Oklahoma City Air Logistics Center

Oklahoma City Air Logistics Center

The Oklahoma City Air Logistics Center performs sustainment and depot maintenance on a number of US Air Force weapon systems. Specifically it supports B-1 Lancer, B-2 Spirit, B-52 Stratofortress, KC-135 Stratotanker, and E-3 Sentry systems. Additionally, the center is responsible for aircraft...

(OC-ALC), which is the worldwide manager for a wide range of aircraft, engines, missiles, software and avionics and accessories components. The commander of OC-ALC is Major General P. David Gillett, Jr. It is one of three Air Force ALCs, the others being Ogden Air Logistics Center (OO-ALC) at Hill AFB, Utah

Utah

Utah is a state in the Western United States. It was the 45th state to join the Union, on January 4, 1896. Approximately 80% of Utah's 2,763,885 people live along the Wasatch Front, centering on Salt Lake City. This leaves vast expanses of the state nearly uninhabited, making the population the...

and Warner Robins Air Logistics Center (WR-ALC) at Robins AFB, Georgia

Georgia (U.S. state)

Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...

.

The host unit at Tinker is the 72d Air Base Wing

72d Air Base Wing

The 72d Air Base Wing is a United States Air Force unit assigned to the Air Force Materiel Command Oklahoma City Air Logistics Center . It is stationed at Tinker Air Force Base, Oklahoma...

(72 ABW) which provides services and support for the Oklahoma City Air Logistics Center

Oklahoma City Air Logistics Center

and its tenant organizations. The Wing and Installation Commander of Tinker Air Force Base is Colonel Allen Jamerson.

Tinker is also the home of the U.S. Navy's Strategic Communications Wing One (TACAMO

TACAMO

TACAMO is a U.S. military term meaning "Take Charge and Move Out". TACAMO refers to a system of survivable communications links designed to be used in nuclear war to maintain communications between the decision makers and the triad of strategic nuclear weapon delivery systems...

). Also known as STRATCOMWINGONE, this origanization is a shore-based Navy Air Wing consisting of three squadrons and a wing staff which is fully integrated into the Air Force Base, and employs over 1,300 active-duty sailors and 100 contractors to provide maintenance, security, operations, administration, training and logistic support for the Navy's E-6B Mercury aircraft fleet. The Mercury aircraft enables the President of the United States

President of the United States

The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....

and the Secretary of Defense to directly contact submarines

Submarines in the United States Navy

There are two major types of submarines in the United States Navy: ballistic missile submarines and attack submarines. In the U.S. Navy, all combatant submarines are nuclear-powered. Ballistic subs have a single, strategic mission: carrying nuclear submarine-launched ballistic missiles...

, bomber

Bomber

A bomber is a military aircraft designed to attack ground and sea targets, by dropping bombs on them, or – in recent years – by launching cruise missiles at them.-Classifications of bombers:...

s and missile silos enforcing the country's national security through nuclear deterrence.

Major units

Tinker AFB is home to major Department of Defense

United States Department of Defense

The United States Department of Defense is the U.S...

, Air Force and Navy

Navy

A navy is the branch of a nation's armed forces principally designated for naval and amphibious warfare; namely, lake- or ocean-borne combat operations and related functions...

activities with critical national defense missions.

Oklahoma City Air Logistics Center
Oklahoma City Air Logistics Center
The Oklahoma City Air Logistics Center performs sustainment and depot maintenance on a number of US Air Force weapon systems. Specifically it supports B-1 Lancer, B-2 Spirit, B-52 Stratofortress, KC-135 Stratotanker, and E-3 Sentry systems. Additionally, the center is responsible for aircraft...

(OC-ALC)
OC-ALC is the largest of three ALCs in the Air Force Materiel Command and provides depot maintenance, product support, services and supply chain management, as well as information support for 31 weapon systems, 10 commands, 93 Air Force bases and 46 foreign nations. It is the contracting office for the USAF's Contract Field Teams program.
72d Air Base Wing
72d Air Base Wing
The 72d Air Base Wing is a United States Air Force unit assigned to the Air Force Materiel Command Oklahoma City Air Logistics Center . It is stationed at Tinker Air Force Base, Oklahoma...

(72 ABW)
The diverse, multi-unit, multi-mission wing includes base services and support for the OC-ALC and associate organizations as well as dependents and retirees.
- 72d Medical Group (MDG)
- 72d Mission Support Group (MSG)
76th Maintenance Wing
76th Maintenance Wing
The 76th Maintenance Wing is a wing of the United States Air Force based out of Tinker Air Force Base, Oklahoma City Oklahoma.-Mission:...

(MXW)
- 76 Aircraft Maintenance Group (AMXG)
- 76 Propulsion Maintenance Group (PMXG)
- 76 Commodities Maintenance Group (CMXG)
- 76 Software Maintenance Group (SMXG)
- 76 Maintenance Support Group (MXSG)
Aerospace Sustainment Directorate (OC-ALC/GK) formally the 327th Aircraft Sustainment Wing
- 327 ACSG (B-52 & Cruise Missile)
- 727 ACSG (Contractor Logistics Support)
- 747 ACSG (Combat Systems)
- 827 ACSG (C/KC-135)

552d Air Control Wing

The 552d Air Control Wing

552d Air Control Wing

The 552d Air Control Wing is an operational wing of the United States Air Force based at Tinker Air Force Base, Oklahoma. The wing flies the E-3 Sentry aircraft.-History:...

(ACW, ACC, Tail Code: "OK") flies Air Combat Command

Air Combat Command

Air Combat Command is a major command of the United States Air Force. ACC is one of ten major commands , reporting to Headquarters, United States Air Force ....

's E-3 Sentry

E-3 Sentry

The Boeing E-3 Sentry is an airborne warning and control system developed by Boeing as the prime contractor. Derived from the Boeing 707, it provides all-weather surveillance, command, control and communications, and is used by the United States Air Force , NATO, Royal Air Force , French Air Force...

AWACS aircraft. The E-3's radar and other sensors provide deep-look surveillance, warning, interception control and airborne battle management. The 552 ACW encompasses 3 groups:

552d Operations Group
- 960th Airborne Air Control Squadron
  960th Airborne Air Control Squadron
  The 960th Airborne Air Control Squadron is part of the 552d Air Control Wing at Tinker Air Force Base, Oklahoma. It operates the E-3 Sentry aircraft conducting airborne command and control missions.-Mission:...
  
  "Vikings" (E-3)
- 963d Airborne Air Control Squadron
  963d Airborne Air Control Squadron
  The 963d Airborne Air Control Squadron is a squadron of the United States Air Force based at Tinker Air Force Base, Oklahoma. The squadron is a subordinate unit of the 552nd Air Control Wing and it flies the E-3 Sentry, radar surveillance aircraft...
  
  "Blue Knights" (E-3)
- 964th Airborne Air Control Squadron
  964th Airborne Air Control Squadron
  The 964th Airborne Air Control Squadron is part of the 552d Air Control Wing at Tinker Air Force Base, Oklahoma. It operates the E-3 Sentry aircraft conducting airborne command and control missions.-Mission:...
  
  "Phoenix" (E-3)
- 965th Airborne Air Control Squadron
  965th Airborne Air Control Squadron
  The 965th Airborne Air Control Squadron is part of the 552d Air Control Wing at Tinker Air Force Base, Oklahoma. It operates the E-3 Sentry aircraft conducting airborne command and control missions.-Mission:...
  
  "Golden Eagles"(E-3)
- 966th Airborne Air Control Squadron
  966th Airborne Air Control Squadron
  The 966th Airborne Air Control Squadron is part of the 552d Air Control Wing at Tinker Air Force Base, Oklahoma. It operates the E-3 Sentry aircraft conducting airborne command and control missions.-Mission:...
  
  (E-3)
- 970th Airborne Air Control Squadron
  970th Airborne Air Control Squadron
  The 970th Airborne Air Control Squadron is part of the 513th Air Control Group at Tinker Air Force Base, Oklahoma. It operates the E-3 Sentry aircraft conducting airborne command and control missions.-History:...
  
  (Air Force Reserve, E-3)
- 552d Training Squadron
552d Maintenance Group
552d Air Control Group
- 752d Operations Support Squadron
- 552d Air Control Networks Squadron
- 607th Air Control Squadron
- 726th Air Control Squadron "Hardrock"
- 728th Air Control Squadron
- 729th Air Control Squadron "Angry Warrior"

507th Air Refueling Wing

The 507th Air Refueling Wing
507th Air Refueling Wing
The 507th Air Refueling Wing is a wing of the United States Air Force based out of Tinker Air Force Base, Oklahoma. It is one of two Air Force Reserve flying units in the state of Oklahoma....

(507 ARW) of the Air Force Reserve Command

Air Force Reserve Command

The Air Force Reserve Command is a major command of the U.S. Air Force with its headquarters at Robins AFB, Georgia.It stood up as a major command of the Air Force on 17 February 1997....

(AFRC) is one of two Air Force Reserve flying units in the state of Oklahoma. The 507 ARW is operationally gained by 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), but normally reports to Fourth Air Force

Fourth Air Force

The Fourth Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force Reserve . It is headquartered at March Air Reserve Base, California....

(4 AF) and supports AMC's airlift and air refueling requirements.

The 507th consists of three subordinate groups, 15 squadrons and five flights, employing approximately 1,155 men and women. Approximately 184 members of the 507th are Air Reserve Technicians (ARTs) who serve as a full-time support cadre along with 20 traditional civilian employees. Approximately 350 additional reservists serve with the 931st Air Refueling Group

931st Air Refueling Group

The United States Air Force's 931st Air Refueling Group is a Air Force Reserve Command air refueling group located at McConnell Air Force Base, Kansas....

(931 ARG), a subordinate unit of the 507 ARW, that provides direct support to the Air Mobility Command's 22d Air Refueling Wing

22d Air Refueling Wing

The 22d Air Refueling Wing is a United States Air Force unit assigned to the Air Mobility Command's Eighteenth Air Force. It is stationed at McConnell Air Force Base, Kansas and also functions as the host wing for McConnell AFB....

at McConnell AFB, Kansas.

The 507 ARW operates (12) twelve KC-135R "Stratotanker" air refueling aircraft at Tinker and works together with the Oklahoma Air National Guard

Oklahoma Air National Guard

The Oklahoma Air National Guard is the air force militia of the U.S. state of Oklahoma. It is, along with the Oklahoma Army National Guard, an element of the Oklahoma National Guard. It is considered a part of the United States Air Force, as well as of the state...

's 137th Air Refueling Wing

137th Air Refueling Wing

The United States Air Force's 137th Air Refueling Wing is an Oklahoma Air National Guard wing located at Will Rogers Air National Guard base, Oklahoma. The wing flies KC-135 Stratotankers....

(137 ARW), also co-located at Tinker. As an associate unit, the 507 ARW also operates the Federal Aviation Administration's FAA's British Aerospace Hawker 125-800 aircraft (ex-USAF C-29A) in the aviation standards and navigational aid inspection mission.

137th Air Refueling Wing

The 137th Air Refueling Wing
137th Air Refueling Wing
The United States Air Force's 137th Air Refueling Wing is an Oklahoma Air National Guard wing located at Will Rogers Air National Guard base, Oklahoma. The wing flies KC-135 Stratotankers....

(137 ARW) flies the KC-135R in conjunction with the 507th Air Refueling Wing, having assumed an aerial refueling mission in 2008. The 137 ARW traces its origins to the 137th Fighter Group, founded on 21 November 1946 at Norman, Oklahoma

Norman, Oklahoma

Norman is a city in Cleveland County, Oklahoma, United States, and is located south of downtown Oklahoma City. It is part of the Oklahoma City metropolitan area. As of the 2010 census, Norman was to have 110,925 full-time residents, making it the third-largest city in Oklahoma and the...

and receiving its Federal recognition on 18 December 1947. In April 1949, a tornado struck the base at Norman. The damage was considered too extensive for economical repair and the decision was made to move the 137th to the present facility at Will Rogers World Airport

Will Rogers World Airport

Will Rogers World Airport , also known as Will Rogers Airport or simply Will Rogers, is located in southwestern Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 6 miles from downtown and is the principal commercial airport of the Oklahoma City Metropolitan Area...

in Oklahoma City. An Air National Guard Station (AGS) was constructed and the move accomplished on 6 September 1949.

The 137th began as the 185th Fighter Squadron, with the P-51 Mustang

P-51 Mustang

The North American Aviation P-51 Mustang was an American long-range, single-seat fighter and fighter-bomber used during World War II, the Korean War and in several other conflicts...

. Afterwards, a variety of aircraft have been assigned to the wing, including the F-80 Shooting Star and F-86 Sabrejet. Subsequently renamed as a Troop Carrier Group, Tactical Airlift Group, Airlift Group and Airlift Wing, the 137th later flew the C-97 Stratocruiser, C-124 Globemaster, and 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...

, having flown the latter from 1974 to 2007. Its previous C-130H models replaced older versions of the Hercules and were received directly from the factory, becoming the first ANG unit to receive brand new aircraft.

In its 2005 BRAC

Base Realignment and Closure, 2005

The preliminary 2005 Base Realignment and Closure list was released by the United States Department of Defense on May 13, 2005. It is the fifth Base Realignment and Closure proposal generated since the process was created in 1988. It recommends closing 33 major United States military bases and...

Recommendations, DoD recommended to realign Will Rogers AGS by relocating the 137th Airlift Wing (ANG) to Tinker AFB, redesignating it as an air refueling wing and associating it with the Air Force Reserve's 507th Air Refueling Wing while redistributing its C-130H aircraft to other ANG airlift wings.

STRATCOM Wing ONE (US NAVY)

Strategic Communications (STRATCOM) Wing ONE is a unique U.S. Navy aviation unit. STRATCOMWING ONE provides a vital, secure communications link designed to be used in the event of nuclear war or other major conflict or incident in order to maintain communications between the decision makers comprising the National Command Authority

National Command Authority

National Command Authority is a term used by the Department of Defense of the United States of America to refer to the ultimate lawful source of military orders. The NCA comprises the President of the United States and the Secretary of Defense jointly, or their duly deputized successors, i.e...

(NCA) and the triad of US strategic nuclear weapon delivery systems, i.e., manned bombers, land-based intercontinental ballistic missile

Intercontinental ballistic missile

An intercontinental ballistic missile is a ballistic missile with a long range typically designed for nuclear weapons delivery...

s (ICBMs) and submarine-launched ballistic missile

Submarine-launched ballistic missile

A submarine-launched ballistic missile is a ballistic missile capable of delivering a nuclear warhead that can be launched from submarines. Modern variants usually deliver multiple independently targetable reentry vehicles each of which carries a warhead and allows a single launched missile to...

s (SLBMs). Also known as the TACAMO

TACAMO

mission for "Take Charge and Move Out," STRATCOMWING ONE operates the Navy's E-6 Mercury aircraft in two operational squadrons and one training squadron.

STRATCOMWING ONE's primary mission is to receive, verify and retransmit Emergency Action Messages (EAMs) to US strategic forces. With the retirement of the USAF EC-135

Boeing EC-135

The Boeing EC-135 was a command & control version of the C-135 Stratolifter. Modified for the "Looking Glass" program, during the Cold War EC-135 were airborne 24 hours a day to serve as flying command platforms for the military in the event of nuclear war...

Looking Glass

Looking Glass (airplane)

Looking Glass is the code name for an airborne command center currently operated by the U.S. Navy. It provides command and control of U.S. nuclear forces in the event that ground-based command centers are destroyed or otherwise rendered inoperable.The Looking Glass was initiated by the U.S...

airframe, E-6 Mercury upgraded with the Airborne Launch Control System (ALCS) have also assumed the airborne command post mission for the United States Strategic Command

United States Strategic Command

United States Strategic Command is one of nine Unified Combatant Commands of the United States Department of Defense . The Command, including components, employs more than 2,700 people, representing all four services, including DoD civilians and contractors, who oversee the command's operationally...

(USSTRATCOM). OC-ALC airframe artisans perform depot work on the Navy's E-6 Mercury aircraft, which are based on the Boeing 707

Boeing 707

The Boeing 707 is a four-engine narrow-body commercial passenger jet airliner developed by Boeing in the early 1950s. Its name is most commonly pronounced as "Seven Oh Seven". The first airline to operate the 707 was Pan American World Airways, inaugurating the type's first commercial flight on...

airframe. The wing's Navy sailors perform organizational and field level maintenance work, with the former being integrated at the flying squadron level while the latter is performed at the wing's aircraft intermediate maintenance department (AIMD) level. The wing also operates alert facilities for E-6B aircraft at Travis AFB, California and Naval Air Station Patuxent River

Naval Air Station Patuxent River

"Pax River" redirects here. For the river, see Patuxent River.Naval Air Station Patuxent River , also known as NAS Pax River, is a United States Naval Air Station located in St. Mary's County, Maryland on the Chesapeake Bay near the mouth of the Patuxent River. It is home to the U.S...

, Maryland. STRATCOMWING ONE's subordinate squadrons include:

Fleet Air Reconnaissance Squadron THREE (VQ-3) (E-6B)
Fleet Air Reconnaissance Squadron FOUR (VQ-4) (E-6B)
Fleet Air Reconnaissance Squadron SEVEN (VQ-7)

Smaller Units

The 38th Cyberspace Engineering Group (AFSPC
Air Force Space Command
Air Force Space Command is a major command of the United States Department of the Air Force, with its headquarters at Peterson Air Force Base, Colorado. AFSPC supports U.S. military operations worldwide through the use of many different types of satellite, launch and cyber operations....

), has worldwide responsibility for engineering, installation, and interoperability of all communications and electronic facilities for the Air Force.
The 3rd Combat Communications Group (AFSPC
Air Force Space Command
Air Force Space Command is a major command of the United States Department of the Air Force, with its headquarters at Peterson Air Force Base, Colorado. AFSPC supports U.S. military operations worldwide through the use of many different types of satellite, launch and cyber operations....

), with the motto "Anytime, Anywhere... Hooah", provides deployable communications, computer systems, navigational aids and air traffic control services anywhere in the world.

The "35th Combat Communications Squadron" is part of the 507th. While a member of the 507th, the 35th is AFSPC gained through the 3rd.

Defense Mega Center Oklahoma City is the local branch of the Defense Information Systems Agency
Defense Information Systems Agency
The Defense Information Systems Agency is a United States Department of Defense agency that provides information technology and communications support to the President, Vice President, Secretary of Defense, the military Services, and the Combatant Commands.As part of the Base Realignment and...

. The Mega center operates computer systems for the base and serves 110 other bases in 46 states.
Defense Distribution Depot Oklahoma provides the receipt, storage, issue, inspection and shipment of material, including material quality control, preservation and packaging, inventory, transportation functions and pick up and delivery services in support of OC-ALC and other Tinker-based organizations.

Public/Private Partnerships

Community support for Tinker can be seen by the establishment of two public/private partnerships that support base operations by using local dollars to make available additional facilities for base use. While these partnerships are technically separate facilities, Tinker's security perimeter is extended around these facilities.

Maintenance Repair & Overhaul Technology Center (MROTC)

The first of the public/private partnerships is The Oklahoma Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul

Maintenance, repair, and operations

Maintenance, repair, and operations or maintenance, repair, and overhaul involves fixing any sort of mechanical or electrical device should it become out of order or broken...

Technology Center (MROTC), managed by Battelle Oklahoma, owned by Oklahoma Industries Authority (OIA), and partners with the Department of Defense to provide a national center for technical solutions to aging commercial and military aircraft. The MROTC is a 370 acres (1.5 km²) world-class MRO

Maintenance, repair, and operations

Maintenance, repair, and operations or maintenance, repair, and overhaul involves fixing any sort of mechanical or electrical device should it become out of order or broken...

facility, on the south east site of Tinker AFB, sharing runways and security with the base. The MROTC complex is planned as a major military and commercial aircraft facility with 17 hangars and more than one million square feet of related industrial space and education and training facilities. The facility currently houses three hangars, one leased by Boeing (designed to accommodiate Boeing 767-400 class aircraft), a second hangar for 767 for lease, and a third hangar designed to accommodate Boeing 707-300 class aircraft.

Building 9001 (Tinker Aerospace Complex)

The second of the public/private partnerships is building 9001, originally known as the Tinker Aerospace Complex (sometimes called TAC) housed in the former General Motors Oklahoma City Assembly

Oklahoma City Assembly

Oklahoma City Assembly was a General Motors automobile factory in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. Construction on the plant started in 1974, and it opened in 1979 to produce the X-body cars. The company spent $700,000,000 to convert the plant from building the Chevrolet Malibu car to building the GMT360...

Plant located west of the runway on the south side of the base, north of I-240. A 50 year lease-purchase agreement was executed in September 2008 between Oklahoma County and the Air Force, covering the 2.5 million square foot (353,000 m²) facility and 407 acres (1.6 km²). Previously, the largest single building at the base was Building 3001 at 1300000 square feet (120,774 m²). Tinker has leased about 4/5 of the facility and will host some current 76th Maintenance Wing operations as well as other Department of Defense missions, including work on the C-17 engines, joint strike fighter engines and core work on the new KC-45 tanker. Work being transferred to the Complex is currently being done at 69 separate facilities on base, many of which are World War II-era temporary buildings located in runway clear zones. Burlington Northern Santa Fe provides a rail spur into the Complex. Modifications to convert the building from auto assembly to aircraft maintenance is expected to be completed sometime after 2013.

In addition to providing space for the work of the Oklahoma City Air Logistics Center, the Tinker Aerospace Complex can also be used to house public/private business partnerships. Currently there are three programs:

1) Cooperative Research and Development Partnership - objective is to advance science and technology to meet Air Force requirements and transfer of technology into commercial marketplace (CRADA, governed by Title 15 USC 3710a.)

2) Public Private Partnerships (or Statutory Partnering) where the government acts as a seller to private industry in either a Direct Sales, or Workshare Partnering Agreement, or a Facilities Use Agreement (governed by Title 10 USC 2474.)

3) Enhanced Use Lease which Requires Congressional approval and full fair market value rent (governed by 10 USC 2667 for underutilized AF assets.)

History

Tinker Air Force Base is named in honor of Major General

Major General

Clarence L. Tinker

(1887–1942). From Pawhuska

Pawhuska, Oklahoma

Pawhuska is a city in and the county seat of Osage County, Oklahoma, United States, and the capital of the Osage Nation. The population was 3,589 at the 2010 census, a decline of 1.2 percent from 3,629 at the 2000 census. The ZIP Code for the city is 74056...

, Oklahoma and part Osage Indian

Osage Nation

The Osage Nation is a Native American Siouan-language tribe in the United States that originated in the Ohio River valley in present-day Kentucky. After years of war with invading Iroquois, the Osage migrated west of the Mississippi River to their historic lands in present-day Arkansas, Missouri,...

, General Tinker received his wings in 1921. General Tinker was a graduate of Wentworth Military Academy

Wentworth Military Academy

Wentworth Military Academy and College is a private four-year college preparatory high school and military junior college. It is located in Lexington, Missouri, part of the Greater Kansas City Metropolitan Area. Wentworth is the oldest military academy west of the Mississippi River, and the...

who went on to become the first Major General of American Indian descent in U.S. Army history.

In 1926 he was awarded the Soldiers Medal for returning to his blazing aircraft to rescue a fellow officer. On 7 June 1942, he led a flight of B-24 Liberators on a long-range strike against Japanese

Japanese people

The are an ethnic group originating in the Japanese archipelago and are the predominant ethnic group of Japan. Worldwide, approximately 130 million people are of Japanese descent; of these, approximately 127 million are residents of Japan. People of Japanese ancestry who live in other countries...

forces on Wake Island

Wake Island

Wake Island is a coral atoll having a coastline of in the North Pacific Ocean, located about two-thirds of the way from Honolulu west to Guam east. It is an unorganized, unincorporated territory of the United States, administered by the Office of Insular Affairs, U.S. Department of the Interior...

during World War II. General Tinker was killed when his aircraft presumably crashed into the sea. At the time of his death, General Tinker was commander of the Hawaii

Hawaii

Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...

-based Seventh Air Force

Seventh Air Force

The Seventh Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force Pacific Air Forces . It is headquartered at Osan Air Base, Republic of Korea....

.

The base was renamed in his honor on 13 January 1948.

Several of the base's access gates are named in honor of persons with historic ties to the base or to Oklahoma. On 9 May 1997, base officials placed the following names:

Tinker Gate (former Gate 1), located on the north side, opens onto Air Depot Boulevard. It was named for Major General Clarence L. Tinker
Clarence L. Tinker
General Clarence Leonard Tinker was an airman of who lost his life during World War II while on a combat mission during the Japanese attack on Midway Island in the Pacific, June 7, 1942. Tinker Air Force Base in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma is named in his honor...

, U.S. Army Air Forces general killed in World War II
World 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...
Eaker Gate (former Gate 2) opens onto F Avenue. It was named for General Ira C. Eaker, commander of the US 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....

in Europe during World War II
Turnbull Gate, at the intersection of Perimeter Road and A Avenue. It was named for Colonel William Turnbull, the first Tinker Air Logistics Center Commander (1942)
Hruskocy Gate , on Industrial Boulevard at the NE portion of base. It was named for Brigadier General Thomas C. Hruskocy, the OC-ALC chief of Maintenance Resource Management and Material Management Resource divisions at Tinker (1985–1988)
Hope Gate, on SE 59th Street. It was named for Colonel John W. Hope, the first commander of the Ground Electronics-Engineering Installation Agency (GEEIA)
Gott Gate (former Gate 34), on the south end of Air Depot Boulevard. It was named for 1st Lieutenant Donald J. Gott
Donald J. Gott
Donald J. Gott was a United States Army Air Forces officer and a recipient of the United States military's highest decoration—the Medal of Honor—for his actions in World War II.-Biography:...

, posthumous Medal of Honor
Medal of Honor
The Medal of Honor is the highest military decoration awarded by the United States government. It is bestowed by the President, in the name of Congress, upon members of the United States Armed Forces who distinguish themselves through "conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his or her...

recipient in World War II.
Vance Gate (former Gate 40), on the west side of base off Sooner Road. It was named Lieutenant Colonel Leon R. Vance, Jr
Leon Vance
Leon Robert "Bob" Vance, Jr. was a Medal of Honor recipient who served in the United States Army Air Forces during World War II.-Early life and family:...

, posthumous Medal of Honor recipient in World War II.

In May 1997 the Base named the gates along Douglas Boulevard after aircraft that had been maintained at Tinker:

Lancer Gate, named for the Rockwell B-1 Lancer
Liberator Gate, named for the Consolidated B-24 Liberator
Marauder Gate, named for the Martin B-26 Marauder

The base has more than 26,000 military and civilian employees and is the largest single-site employer in the state of Oklahoma. The installation covers approx. 9 square miles (23.3 km²) and has 760 buildings with a building floor space of over 15200000 square feet (1,412,126.2 m²). The base is bounded by I-40

Interstate 40 in Oklahoma

Interstate 40 is an Interstate Highway in Oklahoma that runs 331 miles across the state from Texas to Arkansas. West of Oklahoma City, it parallels and replaces Old US-66, and east of Oklahoma City, it parallels US-62, US-266 and US-64.Cities along the route include Erick, Sayre, Elk City,...

on the north and I-240

Interstate 240 (Oklahoma)

Interstate 240 is an Interstate Highway in Oklahoma, USA, that runs 16.22 miles west from Interstate 40 to Interstate 44 in southern Oklahoma City. After its terminus in southwest Oklahoma City, the main I-240 roadbed becomes Interstate 44 and Airport Road toward Will Rogers World Airport...

on the south.

With the City of Oklahoma City and Oklahoma County owning several square miles of land adjacent to the base, Tinker is one of the few military bases in a major metropolitan area with sufficient room for expansion. Furthermore, Tinker is located in a community that supports expansion; Oklahoma County voters approved a 2008 measure to purchase the former General Motors

General Motors

General Motors Company , commonly known as GM, formerly incorporated as General Motors Corporation, is an American multinational automotive corporation headquartered in Detroit, Michigan and the world's second-largest automaker in 2010...

Oklahoma City Assembly

plant (located adjacent to the base) and lease it to Tinker for future expansion. Now known as Building 9001, the former GM plant houses many shops moved from the main maintenance building, 3001.

Operational history

In 1940 the War Department

United States Department of War

The United States Department of War, also called the War Department , was the United States Cabinet department originally responsible for the operation and maintenance of the United States Army...

was considering the central United States

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

as a location for a supply and maintenance depot. Oklahoma City leaders offered a 480 acres (1.9 km²) site and acquired an option for 960 acres (3.9 km²) additional land. On 8 April 1941, the order was officially signed awarding the depot to Oklahoma City.

Tinker Field was the site of a Douglas Aircraft factory producing approximately half of the C-47 Skytrain

C-47 Skytrain

The Douglas C-47 Skytrain or Dakota is a military transport aircraft that was developed from the Douglas DC-3 airliner. It was used extensively by the Allies during World War II and remained in front line operations through the 1950s with a few remaining in operation to this day.-Design and...

s used in World War II

World 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 site also produced a number of A-20 Havocs. Production ceased in 1945.

The first successful tornado

Tornado

A tornado is a violent, dangerous, rotating column of air that is in contact with both the surface of the earth and a cumulonimbus cloud or, in rare cases, the base of a cumulus cloud. They are often referred to as a twister or a cyclone, although the word cyclone is used in meteorology in a wider...

forecast in history was issued on 25 March 1948 from Tinker, about three hours before the tornado hit the southeast corner of the base. A granite marker in the Heritage Airpark on the base commemorates the event. See 1948 Tinker Air Force Base tornadoes

1948 Tinker Air Force Base tornadoes

The 1948 Tinker Air Force Base tornadoes were two tornadoes which struck Tinker Air Force Base in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma on March 20 and March 25, 1948. The March 20 tornado was the costliest tornado in Oklahoma history at the time, and still ranks as the second-most damaging in the state...

for more information.

On 29 September 1957, Buddy Holly

Buddy Holly

Charles Hardin Holley , known professionally as Buddy Holly, was an American singer-songwriter and a pioneer of rock and roll...

and The Crickets

The Crickets

The Crickets are a rock & roll band from Lubbock, Texas, formed by singer/songwriter Buddy Holly in the 1950s. Their first hit record was "That'll Be the Day", released in 1957....

recorded "An Empty Cup", "Rock Me My Baby", "You've Got Love", and "Maybe Baby" in the Tinker Air Force Base Officer's Club.

On 14 November 1984, a massive fire that burned for two days destroyed or damaged over 700000 square feet (65,032.1 m²) in the Air Logistics Center, Building 3001. The resulting repairs cost $63.5 million.

During much of the 1990s, Tinker was home to the Automated Weather Network switching facility, which consolidated all U.S. military weather data worldwide. Originally located at Carswell Air Force Base

Carswell Air Force Base

Carswell Air Force Base, was a United States Air Force Strategic Air Command base located about northwest central of Fort Worth, Texas, United States; the air force base is mostly within the Fort Worth city limits and has portions within Westworth and White Settlement...

, this unit was later moved to an Air Force Weather Agency

Air Force Weather Agency

The Air Force Weather Agency is a Field Operating Agency and the lead military meteorology center of the United States Air Force...

facility at Offutt Air Force Base

Offutt Air Force Base

Offutt Air Force Base is a U.S. Air Force installation near Omaha, and lies adjacent to Bellevue in Sarpy County, Nebraska. It is the headquarters of the U.S...

.

In May 1992, Tinker became home to the Navy's "Take Charge and Move Out" (TACAMO) wing, which provides maintenance, security, operations, administration, training and logistic support for the Navy's E-6B Mercury aircraft fleet. TACAMO was the first Navy Air Wing fully integrated on an Air Force base, carrying out a Navy mission in joint operations.

On 3 May 1999, a deadly tornado caused extensive damage to the northwest corner of the base and surrounding communities. For many days afterwards, Tinker personnel helped by providing shelters, search and rescue, and clean-up efforts.

In July 2005, Tinker hosted the US Air Force Thunderbirds as part of their Star Spangled Salute, the base's annual Independence Day

Independence Day (United States)

Independence Day, commonly known as the Fourth of July, is a federal holiday in the United States commemorating the adoption of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776, declaring independence from the Kingdom of Great Britain...

celebration.

The Oklahoma Maintenance, Repair & Overhaul Technology Center (MROTC), a public-private partnership, was started in 2003. MROTC is managed by Battelle Oklahoma and owned by Oklahoma Industries Authority (OIA), a public trust housed in the offices of the Oklahoma City Chamber of Commerce. The first hangars were completed in 2007.

Tinker celebrated the 30-year anniversary of the E-3 Sentry

E-3 Sentry

from 29 June to 1 July 2007. Past and present airmen were invited to swap stories and learn about the latest upgrades.

On 13 May 2008, Oklahoma County

Oklahoma County, Oklahoma

Oklahoma County is a county located in the central partof the U.S. state of Oklahoma. The population was 718,633 at the 2010 census. The county seat and principal city is Oklahoma City...

voters voted in favor of $71.5 million in general obligation bonds, the majority of which has been used to purchase the former General Motors Oklahoma City Assembly

Oklahoma City Assembly

plant which is located on the south west section of the base, next to the runway. A 50-year lease-purchase agreement was executed in September 2008 between Oklahoma County and the Air Force, covering the 3.8 million square foot (353,000 m²) facility and surrounding acreage. Oklahoma County officials paid $55 million to buy the plant from General Motors, which is now called the Tinker Aerospace Complex.

Major commands

Air Service Comd, 1 March 1942 – 17 July 1944
AAF Materiel and Services, 17 July 1944 – 31 August 1944
AAF Technical Service Comd, 31 August 1944 – 1 July 1945
Air Technical Service Comd, 1 July 1945 – 9 March 1946
Air Materiel Comd, 9 March 1946 – 1 April 1961
Air Force Logistics Command, 1 April 1961 – 1 July 1992
Air Force Materiel Command , 1 July 1992 – present

Base operating units

OCAD (Oklahoma City Air Depot) Liaison Staff, 1 March 1942 – 15 February 1943
497th Base HQ and Base HQ Sq, 15 February 1943 – 1 April 1944
4136th AAF Base Unit, 1 April 1944 – 26 September 1947
4136th AF Base Unit, 26 September 1947 – 28 August 1948
2919th Area Supply Gp, 28 August 1948 – 15 March 1951
2944th Depot Training Wg, 15 March 1951 – 15 July 1953
2854th Air Base Wg, 15 July 1953 – 16 October 1964
2854th Air Base Gp, 16 October 1964 – 1 October 1994
72 Air Base Wing, 1 October 1994 – present

Major units assigned

OK City Air Depot 1 March 1942 – 3 January 1955
323rd Bomb Group 9 September 1947 – 17 March 1951
456th Bomb Group
456th Bomb Group
The 456th Bomb Group was an air combat unit of the United States Army Air Forces during the Second World War. A "heavy bombardment group," the 456th operated B-24 Liberator aircraft and was known unofficially as "Steed's Flying Colts," after its commander.The 456th Bomb Group flew 249 bombing...

26 September 1947 – 17 March 1951
323rd Bomb Wing 27 June 1949 – 28 March 1951
506th Strategic Fighter Wing 20 March 1955 – 1 April 1959
1707 Air Transport Wing 1 June 1959 – 8 January 1966
443d Military Airlift Wing 8 January 1966 – 5 May 1969

Other sources

Much of this text in an early version of this article was taken from pages on the Tinker Air Force Base Website, which as a work of the U.S. Government is presumed to be a public domain resource. That information was supplemented by:
Mueller, Robert (1989). Active Air Force Bases Within the United States of America on 17 September 1982. USAF Reference Series, Maxwell AFB, Alabama: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0-912799-53-6
Ravenstein, Charles A. (1984). Air Force Combat Wings Lineage and Honors Histories 1947–1977. Maxwell AFB, Alabama: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0-912799-12-9.

External links

Tinker AFB Public Affairs Site
Tinker AFB Installation Overview from AirForceUSA.org.
Tinker AFB from GlobalSecurity.org
GlobalSecurity.org
GlobalSecurity.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...
Tinker Take Off
Tinker OC-ALC
Major General Clarence Leonard Tinker

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.

Overview

Major units

552d Air Control Wing

507th Air Refueling Wing

137th Air Refueling Wing

STRATCOM Wing ONE (US NAVY)

Smaller Units

Public/Private Partnerships

Maintenance Repair & Overhaul Technology Center (MROTC)

Building 9001 (Tinker Aerospace Complex)

History

Operational history

Major commands

Base operating units

Major units assigned

See also

Other sources

External links