Wheeler-Sack Army Airfield
Encyclopedia
Wheeler-Sack Army Airfield is a military use airport
located at Fort Drum, in Jefferson County
, New York
, United States
. It is owned by U.S. Army.
Although most U.S. airports use the same three-letter location identifier
for the FAA
and IATA
, this airport is assigned GTB by the FAA but has no designation from the IATA (which assigned GTB to Genting Airport in Malaysia).
the airfield was extensively expanded for use by the United States Army Air Force as home of the 91st Observation Squadron, USAAF. The 91st was attached to the Army's 4th Armored Division
, training at the time for the division's later role exploiting Operation Cobra
in Northern France. Additions to the field including two new 4500' x 150' concrete runways and a steel hangar.
Throughout World War II and the Korean War
, Wheeler-Sack continued to support the needs of Fort Drum, which ebbed and flowed with the Army's training needs.
When Fort Drum was designated as the new home of the Army's newly reactivated 10th Mountain Division
in 1985, the reactivation ceremony was held in the steel hangar at Wheeler-Sack. The division, a part of the Army's component of the United States Rapid Deployment Forces, was designed to be moved from the continental United States to distant theater on short notice. Initially, the components of the division that were air-transportable were moved via Griffiss Air Force Base
.
But the logistics involved with moving personnel, equipment, and munitions across 85 miles of road made the arrangement less than optimal, and the Army chose to expand Wheeler-Sack. Completed in 1998, the expansion now allows Wheeler-Sack to accommodate any aircraft in the United States Air Force
inventory, and with scales, an ammunition holding area, refueling points, and a vehicle staging and inspection area, the field can serve as the primary departure airfield for the 10th Mountain Division. The new pre-deployment processing facility at the airfield accommodates up to 1,200 soldiers, allowing entire battalions to stage directly to overseas destination from the field.
In recent years, the 10th Mountain Division's aerial reconnaissance abilities have been expanded with the addition of 3 RQ-7B Shadow TUAS platoons and a special-use 500 foot runway designed for unmanned aircraft operations at Wheeler-Sack.
s with concrete
surfaces: 3/21 is 10,000 by 150 feet (3,048 x 46 m), 8/26 is 4,482 by 150 feet (1,366 x 46 m), and 15/33 is 4,999 by 150 feet (1,524 x 46 m).
Airport
An airport is a location where aircraft such as fixed-wing aircraft, helicopters, and blimps take off and land. Aircraft may be stored or maintained at an airport...
located at Fort Drum, in Jefferson County
Jefferson County, New York
Jefferson County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2010 census, the population was 116,229. It is named after Thomas Jefferson, third President of the United States of America, and president at the time the county was created in 1805...
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. It is owned by U.S. Army.
Although most U.S. airports use the same three-letter location identifier
Location identifier
A location identifier is a symbolic representation for the name and the location of an airport, navigation aid, or weather station, and is used for manned air traffic control facilities in air traffic control, telecommunications, computer programming, weather reports, and related services.-ICAO...
for the FAA
Federal Aviation Administration
The Federal Aviation Administration is the national aviation authority of the United States. An agency of the United States Department of Transportation, it has authority to regulate and oversee all aspects of civil aviation in the U.S...
and IATA
International Air Transport Association
The International Air Transport Association is an international industry trade group of airlines headquartered in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, where the International Civil Aviation Organization is also headquartered. The executive offices are at the Geneva Airport in SwitzerlandIATA's mission is to...
, this airport is assigned GTB by the FAA but has no designation from the IATA (which assigned GTB to Genting Airport in Malaysia).
History
Although in use in the early years of army aviation supporting the "Pine Plains" military training ground, 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 airfield was extensively expanded for use by the United States Army Air Force as home of the 91st Observation Squadron, USAAF. The 91st was attached to the Army's 4th Armored Division
U.S. 4th Armored Division
The 4th Armored Division of the United States Army was an armored division that compiled a distinguished career in the European theater of World War II. Unlike many other World War II U.S. armored divisions, the 4th never adopted an official divisional nickname or slogan...
, training at the time for the division's later role exploiting Operation Cobra
Operation Cobra
Operation Cobra was the codename for an offensive launched by the First United States Army seven weeks after the D-Day landings, during the Normandy Campaign of World War II...
in Northern France. Additions to the field including two new 4500' x 150' concrete runways and a steel hangar.
Throughout World War II and 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...
, Wheeler-Sack continued to support the needs of Fort Drum, which ebbed and flowed with the Army's training needs.
When Fort Drum was designated as the new home of the Army's newly reactivated 10th Mountain Division
10th Mountain Division
The 10th Mountain Division is a light infantry division of the United States Army based at Fort Drum, New York. It is a subordinate unit of the XVIII Airborne Corps and the only division-sized element of the U.S. Army to specialize in fighting under harsh terrain and weather conditions...
in 1985, the reactivation ceremony was held in the steel hangar at Wheeler-Sack. The division, a part of the Army's component of the United States Rapid Deployment Forces, was designed to be moved from the continental United States to distant theater on short notice. Initially, the components of the division that were air-transportable were moved via Griffiss Air Force Base
Griffiss Air Force Base
Griffiss Air Force Base, is a former United States Air Force base, located in Rome, New York, about NW of Utica. Missions at Griffiss AFB included fighter interceptors, electronic research, installation, and support activities, aerial refueling, and bombers...
.
But the logistics involved with moving personnel, equipment, and munitions across 85 miles of road made the arrangement less than optimal, and the Army chose to expand Wheeler-Sack. Completed in 1998, the expansion now allows Wheeler-Sack to accommodate any aircraft in the United States Air Force
United States Air Force
The United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...
inventory, and with scales, an ammunition holding area, refueling points, and a vehicle staging and inspection area, the field can serve as the primary departure airfield for the 10th Mountain Division. The new pre-deployment processing facility at the airfield accommodates up to 1,200 soldiers, allowing entire battalions to stage directly to overseas destination from the field.
In recent years, the 10th Mountain Division's aerial reconnaissance abilities have been expanded with the addition of 3 RQ-7B Shadow TUAS platoons and a special-use 500 foot runway designed for unmanned aircraft operations at Wheeler-Sack.
Facilities
Wheeler-Sack AAF has three runwayRunway
According to ICAO a runway is a "defined rectangular area on a land aerodrome prepared for the landing and take-off of aircraft." Runways may be a man-made surface or a natural surface .- Orientation and dimensions :Runways are named by a number between 01 and 36, which is generally one tenth...
s with concrete
Concrete
Concrete is a composite construction material, composed of cement and other cementitious materials such as fly ash and slag cement, aggregate , water and chemical admixtures.The word concrete comes from the Latin word...
surfaces: 3/21 is 10,000 by 150 feet (3,048 x 46 m), 8/26 is 4,482 by 150 feet (1,366 x 46 m), and 15/33 is 4,999 by 150 feet (1,524 x 46 m).
External links
- Wheeler-Sack Army Airfield at GlobalSecurity.orgGlobalSecurity.orgGlobalSecurity.org, launched in 2000, is a public policy organization focusing on the fields of defense, space exploration, intelligence, weapons of mass destruction and homeland security...
- Aerial image as of 3 May 1994 from USGS The National Map via MSR Maps