Wright-Patterson Air Force Base
Encyclopedia
Wright-Patterson Air Force Base (AFB) is a United States Air Force
base in Greene
and Montgomery
counties in the state of Ohio
. It includes both Wright and Patterson Fields, which were originally Wilbur Wright Field and Fairfield Aviation General Supply Depot. Patterson Field is located approximately 10 miles (16.1 km) northeast of Dayton
; Wright Field is located approximately 5 miles (8 km) northeast of Dayton. Wright-Patterson AFB is the largest base of the United States Air Force.
The host unit at Wright-Patterson AFB is the 88th Air Base Wing
(88 ABW), assigned to the Air Force Materiel Command
Aeronautical Systems Center. The 88 ABW operates the airfield, maintains all infrastructure and provides security, communications, medical, legal, personnel, contracting, finance, transportation, air traffic control, weather forecasting, public affairs, recreation and chaplain services for more than 60 associate units.
The base's origins begin with the establishment of Wilbur Wright Field on 22 May and McCook Field in November 1917, both established by the Army Air Service as World War I
installations. McCook was used as a testing field and for aviation experiments. Wright was used as a flying field (renamed Patterson Field in 1931); Fairfield Aviation General Supply Depot; armorers’ school, and a temporary storage depot. McCook's functions were transferred to Wright Field when it was closed in October 1927.
Wright-Patterson AFB was established in 1948 as a merger of Patterson and Wright Fields. The 88th Air Base Wing is commanded by Col. Amanda W. Gladney. Its Command Chief Master Sergeant is Chief Master Sergeant Shelina E. Frey.
The Base had a total of 27,406 military, civilian and contract employees that work for the base in 2010.
.
It is the headquarters of the Air Force Materiel Command
, one of the major commands of the Air Force. "Wright-Patt" (as the base is colloquially called) is also the location of a major USAF Medical Center (hospital
), the Air Force Institute of Technology
, and the National Museum of the United States Air Force
, formerly known as the U.S. Air Force Museum.
It is also the home base of the 445th Airlift Wing
of the Air Force Reserve Command
, an Air Mobility Command
-gained unit which flies the C-5 Galaxy
heavy airlifter
. Wright-Patterson is also the headquarters of the Aeronautical Systems Center
and the Air Force Research Laboratory
.
Wright-Patterson is the host of the annual United States Air Force Marathon
which occurs the weekend closest to the Air Force's anniversary.
, who used the Huffman Prairie
portion of what became Wright-Patterson as their testing ground, and Frank Stuart Patterson, son and nephew of the co-founders of National Cash Register
.
Wishing to recognize the contributions of the Patterson family (owners of National Cash Register) the area of Wright Field
east of Huffman Dam (including Wilbur Wright Field, Fairfield Air Depot, and the Huffman Prairie
) was renamed Patterson Field on July 6, 1931, in honor of Lt. Frank Stuart Patterson, who was killed in 1918 during a flight test of a new mechanism for synchronizing machine gun and propeller, when a tie rod broke during a dive from 15000 feet (4,572 m), causing the wings to separate from his Airco DH.4 .
In 1948, the nearby Wright Field
and Patterson Field were merged under the name Wright-Patterson AFB. The former Wright Field became Area B of the combined installation, and the former Patterson Field became Area C. In 1951, the Air Force created a separate command for research and development called the Air Research and Development Command. The Wright Air Development Center was responsible for principal elements of flight testing, engineering and laboratories. Some of the test pilots working at the base, such as Neil Armstrong
and Ed White
, went on to become NASA astronauts.
. Its aviation history, however, began in 1904-1905 when Wilbur and Orville Wright used an 84 acres (339,936.2 m²) plot of land, known as the Huffman Prairie Flying Field, for their experimental test flights. Here the Wright Brothers solved the final secrets of aerodynamics, learned to fly, and developed the first truly practical airplane-their 1905 Flyer.
They returned to the Huffman Prairie Flying Field in 1910 to operate a pilot training school-The Wright Company School of Aviation- and a flight exhibition company. When their operations ended in 1916, aviation had become a reality and a rich tradition of invention, operations, and education had been established on this sacred soil. The Huffman Prairie Flying Field was officially designated a National Historic Landmark in 1990 and became part of the newly created Dayton Aviation Heritage National Historical Park two years later.
Wilbur Wright Field and the Fairfield Aviation General Supply Depot were adjacent installations located on the eastern side of the base (in the area known until mid-2011 as Area C). Wilbur Wright Field was situated on a 2075 acres (8.4 km²) tract of land adjacent to the Mad River that was leased to the Army by the Miami Conservancy District. The lease included the Huffman Prairie Flying Field. A Signal Corps Aviation School was established at the new airfield and began operations in June 1917 as a training school for pilots. The field also housed an aviation mechanic's school and a school for armorers.
The Fairfield Aviation General Supply Depot was constructed on 40 acres (161,874.4 m²) of land purchased by the Army from the Miami Conservancy District. The land bordered Wilbur Wright Field. The depot provided logistics support to Wilbur Wright Field and three other Signal Corps aviation schools located in the Midwest. Each day the depot received, stored, and issued equipment and supplies to Signal Corps aviation schools in the region.
The third World War I military installation was McCook Field. This 254 acres (1 km²) complex located just north of downtown Dayton between Keowee Street and the Great Miami River. It was named for the Fighting McCook family of Civil War fame who once owned part of the land. McCook Field was the temporary home of the U.S. Army Signal Corps' Airplane Engineering Division. As an engineering and research facility, McCook Field has been described as "the single most influential agency in the early years of American air power." McCook's engineers and technicians researched, developed, manufactured, tested, and evaluated military aircraft and all of their associated components and equipment.
Cooperation between the two geographically separated flying fields began in 1918 when Wilbur Wright Field agreed to let McCook Field use hangar and shop space as well as its enlisted mechanics to assemble and maintain airplanes and engines. Wilbur Wright Field's expansive and relatively isolated open flying field also proved ideal for testing the Air Service's experimental aircraft and the larger, more powerful models developed during the 1920s.
McCook Field remained in operation until 1927. The field's limited size could not accommodate the larger, more sophisticated aircraft that quickly emerged after World War I. The warning-"This Field is Small, Use It All!"-was painted atop the airfield's hangars. When the Air Corps announced its intention to close McCook Field, local businessmen and citizens protested. The field offered a stable and expanding economic base for the community, and was also a great source of pride to the city that considered itself the birthplace of aviation. Under the leadership of the Patterson family (who had founded The National Cash Register Company), prominent citizens formed the Dayton Air Service Committee, Inc. This organization mounted a massive public campaign that raised $425,000 in two days. It used the money to purchase 4520.47 acres (18.3 km²) of land northeast of Dayton, including Wilbur Wright Field and the Huffman Prairie Flying Field. In 1924, the Committee presented the deeds to President Calvin Coolidge for the construction of a new aviation engineering center. The entire acreage (including the Fairfield Air Depot) was designated Wright Field in honor of both Wright brothers.
Between 1925 and 1927, modern new facilities were built on the portion of Wright Field west of Huffman Dam to house all of the functions being relocated from old McCook Field. Orville Wright raised the flag over the new engineering center at the official dedication ceremony on October 12, 1927. The name "Wright Field" soon became synonymous with developments in the field of aeronautical engineering, a reputation that Wright-Patterson retains to the present day. This new portion of Wright Field became the headquarters of the Materiel Division, the main branch of the Army Air Corps responsible for developing advanced aircraft, equipment, and accessories. The Division also procured and provided maintenance for all of these systems and was charged with managing the extensive Air Corps depot system.
Wright Field incorporated the entire installation. Many citizens in the local community, however, believed that part of the field should honor the Patterson family in some way as recognition for their leadership in keeping the engineering center in Dayton. This happened on July 1, 1931, when the portion of Wright Field east of Huffman Dam was redesignated "Patterson Field" in honor of Lieutenant Frank Stuart Patterson.
Patterson Field consisted of the land known today as Areas A and C of Wright-Patterson Air Force Base. It included the Fairfield Air Depot and the Huffman Prairie Flying Field. Patterson Field soon became the Army's center for aviation logistics, maintenance, and supply. Although Wright Field and Patterson Field were now two separate installations, their missions continued to be closely intertwined.
The outbreak of World War II provided a crucial test for the Materiel Division. Since 1926 the Division had managed its experimental, engineering, and procurement functions with limited peacetime appropriations. Changes were required within the Division to accommodate the massive wartime Air Corps expansion program. The functions of the Division were ultimately broken into two separate commands, the Materiel Command and the Air Service Command. The Materiel Command, headquartered at Wright Field, was responsible for the procurement of airplanes and equipment in production quantities and for sustaining an accelerated program of testing and development. The Air Service Command, located on Patterson Field, assumed responsibility for all logistics functions, including maintenance and supply.
The separation of these functions soon proved cumbersome and confusing. The Army Air Forces addressed this problem in August 1944 when it inactivated the two commands and reunited their functions in the newly established Air Technical Service Command. This action made Wright Field subordinate to the new headquarters at Patterson Field and had a psychologically divisive effect on the installation. To solve the problem, the portion of Patterson Field from Huffman Dam through the Brick Quarters (including the command headquarters in Building 10262) at the south end of Patterson Field along Route 4 was administratively reassigned from Patterson Field to Wright Field. To avoid confusing the two areas of Wright Field, the south end of the former Patterson Field portion was designated "Area A", the original Wright Field became "Area B", and the north end of Patterson Field, including the flying field, "Area C."
Patterson Field likewise saw the growth of hundreds of barracks and their supporting mess halls, chapels, hospital facilities, clubs, and recreational facilities. Two densely populated housing and service areas across Highway 444, Wood City and Skyway Park, were geographically separated from the central core of Patterson Field and developed almost self-sufficient community status. (Wood City was acquired in 1924 as part of the original donation of land to the government but was used primarily as just a radio range until World War II. Skyway Park was acquired in 1943.) They supported the vast numbers of recruits who enlisted and were trained at the two fields as well as thousands of civilian laborers, especially single women recruited to work at the depot. Skyway Park was demolished after the war. Wood City was eventually transformed into Kittyhawk Center, the base's modern commercial and recreation center.
Technical intelligence had been a part of the mission of McCook Field beginning in 1918. Following the end of World War I
, the armistice with Germany brought 347 aircraft to the United States for technical study and as war relics. Some of these aircraft eventually were incorporated into Army Aeronautical Museum (The forerunner of the National Museum of the Air Force), with its establishment in 1931. With the onset of World War II in 1940, the AAC established the Technical Data Branch in February 1940. This became the Technical Data Section in a July 1941 reorganization. In 1942, the TDS became the Technical Data Laboratory (TDL). As front line troops captured German, Japanese and Italian equipment, they sent the materiel back to Wright Field for assessment. The first German and Japanese aircraft arrived in 1943, and captured equipment soon filled six buildings, a large outdoor storage area, and part of a flight-line hangar. To allow its engineers to study this equipment, TDL closed its Army Aeronautical Museum.
In the fall of 1942, the first twelve "Air Force" officers to receive ATI field collection training were assigned to Wright Field for training in the technical aspects of "crash" intelligence. This course utilized laboratory directors and Squadron Leader Colley, from the British Royal Air Force, who identified the types of information that could be obtained from equipment marking plates, such as temperature or pressure ranges. The students also learned to gather air order of battle information from squadron markings. One officer who attended this training, William D. McGarey, went to the Air Ministry in London and worked on German ball bearing markings. This led to the intensive bombing efforts against ball bearing plants in 1943. Major McGarey later served in the Southwest Pacific. During his tour, he personally inspected and removed the nameplates from some 1,000 Japanese aircraft. These plates provided one of the best sources of target data for manufacturing plants on the home islands of Japan.
The most famous World War II (and immediate post-war period) technical intelligence missions in Europe were Operation Lusty
and Operation Paperclip
. Operation Lusty gathered German aircraft from the battlefield and sent them back to Wright Field for study. The best known of these aircraft was the Messerschmitt 262 jet fighter. Operation Paperclip brought over 200 German scientists and technicians to Wright Field for collaboration with their American counterparts. Initially assigned to the intelligence branch, most of the scientists eventually went to work in the various Wright Field labs.
Through the end of the decade of the 1940s, intelligence efforts turned increasingly toward the emerging technological threat posed by the Russians. T-2 also opened an office in July 1947 for the study of unidentified flying objects (UFO), popularly known as "flying saucers." Initially called Project Sign (and redesignated Project Grudge in 1949), the UFO program brought T-2's successors their greatest public visibility.
Wright-Patterson AFB is known among those involved with UFO conspiracy theories as the home of Project Blue Book
and because of its connection with the Roswell UFO incident
of July 1947. Some believe that Hangar 18, assigned to the Air Force's Foreign Technology Division at Wright-Patterson, along with the Area 51
installation in Nevada, contains, or once contained, wreckage of a crashed UFO
. In March 1952, the Air Technical Intelligence Center (ATIC) established an Aerial Phenomena Group to study the reported sightings, and a new name was assigned to the program—Project Blue Book. Probably the most highly publicized events during the ATIC years was a series of sightings in Washington, DC, in 1952.
From 1947 through 1969, FTD and its predecessor organizations studied 12,618 reported sightings. Of these, 701 remained unexplained when Project Blue Book closed when, as a result of the build up in Vietnam, the Air Force closed its UFO investigations. A 1968 report concluded that "there seems to be no reason to attribute [the unexplained sightings] to an extraterrestrial source without much more convincing evidence." When the program ended, FTD sent all of its case files to the USAF Historical Research Center, Maxwell AFB, Alabama. In 1976 the National Archives and Records Service in Washington, DC, became the permanent repository of the Project Sign/Grudge/Blue Book records.
The April 25, 1988 issue of The New Yorker
carried an interview where Senator Barry Goldwater
, who had a deep interest in UFOs, said he repeatedly asked his friend, Gen. Curtis LeMay
, if there was any truth to the rumors that UFO evidence was stored in a secret room at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base. He also asked if he (Goldwater) might have access to the room. According to Goldwater, an angry LeMay gave him "holy hell" and said, "Not only can't you get into it but don't you ever mention it to me again."
On 21 May 1951, the United States Air Force established the Air Technical Intelligence Center (ATIC) as a field activity of the Assistant Chief of Staff for Intelligence. After ten years, on 1 July 1961, ATIC was inactivated and the Foreign Technology Division (FTD) established. The 1950s, then, provided the backdrop against which ATIC performed its mission.
Early in 1951, ATIC analysts obtained engine parts and the tail section of a crashed MiG-15 from the Korean theater. Later, in July, the center received a complete, though crashed, MiG-15. The center had also obtained IL-10
and Yak-9 aircraft in operational condition. In September 1953, shortly following the conclusion of the war, a North Korean defector delivered a MiG-15 to Kimpo Air Base near Seoul
. A team of ATIC analysts monitored the MiG-15 flight test program at Kadena Air Force Base, Okinawa, which included flights by one Major Charles E. "Chuck" Yeager
from the Air Force Flight Test Center
at Edwards AFB. Because of the large amount of materiel (and documents) gathered during the war, ATIC awarded a contract to Battelle Memorial Institute of Columbus, Ohio
, for analytical work and document translation. This was the start of a relationship that has lasted over 40 years. The evaluation of these captured aircraft support allowed FEAF to more effectively develop engagement tactics for its F-86 fighters. For the next 30 years FTD personnel became known throughout the Air Force and the intelligence community as the experts in Soviet aircraft, missile, and related equipment performance.
In 1961, with the formation of the Defense Intelligence Agency
and reorganization within the Air Force, ATIC was reassigned to Air Force Systems Command
at Andrews AFB, Maryland
and redesignated the Foreign Technology Division (FTD). The "official" history of HQ NAIC starts with the formation of FTD in 1961. From 1961 to 1991, the Foreign Technology Division was the Air Force's S&TI center of excellence for foreign air and space system
, and Clinton County AAF
in Wilmington, Ohio
, collectively called the Army Air Forces Technical Base. The latter two bases were discontinued in 1946 when they returned to civil use; the base briefly became the Air Force Technical Base in December 1947. An 8000-foot concrete runway with 1000-foot runoffs at each end was built in Area C in 1946-1947 to accommodate very heavy bombers, initially referred to locally as the "B-36
runway".
On January 13, 1948, the two fields formally adopted the name Wright-Patterson Air Force Base
. The former Wright Field Areas A and B remained, while Patterson Field became "Area C" and Skyway Park became "Area D" of the installation. Area D was demolished in 1957 and the land donated to the State of Ohio in 1963 for the creation of Wright State University
. In 1951 all locally-based flying activities were moved to the Area B flight line as WPAFB became one of the busiest air terminals in the United States. In February 1958 the Wright Field (Area B) runways were closed to all jet traffic, but even so, in 1959 the Area C flight line experienced 139,276 takeoffs and landings, and the Area B flight line an additional 44,699.
In 1954, 465 acres of land adjacent to the Mad River at the northeast boundary of the base, near the former location of the village of Osborn, were purchased for a Strategic Air Command
facility as part of SAC's dispersal program. The West Ramp complex was built between August 1958 and July 1960. The 4043rd Strategic Wing began KC-135 Stratotanker
operations in February 1960 and B-52 Stratofortress
operations in June 1960. On July 1, 1963, the wing was re-designated the 17th Bomb Wing (Heavy) and continued its mission under this unit until July 7, 1975, when the last of its 11 B-52s was transferred to Beale Air Force Base
, California. The West Ramp facility then became the home of the 4950th Test Wing
. Today the West Ramp complex operates C-5 Galaxy
transports of the Air Force Reserve Command
's 445th Airlift Wing
.
To provide air defense of the base, the United States Army
established the Cincinnati-Dayton Defense Area in 1959 and constructed Nike-Hercules surface-to-air missile sites for air defense. Sites were located near Wilmington (CD-27) 39°24′03"N 083°52′54"W; Felicity (CD-46) 38°50′37"N 084°08′33"W; Dillsboro (CD-63), and Oxford (CD-78) 39°33′30"N 084°47′31"W Ohio. All were activated in the spring of 1960 and were all inactivated by March 1971 as part of the reduction of the air defenses in the United States against aircraft.
Today Wright-Patterson Air Force Base is arguably the most important base in the Air Force. From its beginnings as the Wright brothers' testing field, it has evolved into the headquarters for the Air Force's worldwide logistics system and all Air Force systems development and procurement, the aeronautical engineering center, a major research laboratory complex, the heart of Air Force graduate education, location of the second largest Air Force medical center, and home of the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force. Wright-Patterson's age and history coupled with its vital air power missions, and significant functional architecture make it one of the Air Force's most historic bases.
, also known as the Dayton Accords, the peace agreement that put an end to the three and a half years of Bosnian war
, one of the armed conflicts in the former Socialist Federative Republic of Yugoslavia
.
, the U.S. Air Force base has a total area of 30.5 km² (11.8 sq mi). 30.3 km² (11.7 sq mi) of it is land and 0.2 km² (0.1 sq mi) of it (0.76%) is water.
The entire base was a census-designated place
at the 2000 census, although statistical data have since included the portion in totals for Montgomery County for the city of Riverside
. As of the 2000 census
, the base had a resident population of 6,656. The permanent party work force at WPAFB as of September 30, 2005, numbered 5,517 military and 8,102 civilian.
of 2000, there were 6,656 people, 1,754 households, and 1,704 families residing on the base. The population density
was 219.8/km² (569.2/sq mi). There are 2,096 housing units at an average density of 69.2/km² (179.2/sq mi). The racial makeup of the base was 76.11% White, 15.25% Black or African American
, 0.45% Native American, 2.30% Asian, 0.12% Pacific Islander, 2.09% from other races
, and 3.68% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 4.45% of the population.
There were 1,754 households out of which 78.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 89.0% were married couples
living together, 6.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 2.8% were non-families. 2.6% of all households were made up of individuals and none had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.60 and the average family size was 3.64.
On the base the population was spread out with 42.5% under the age of 18, 11.6% from 18 to 24, 41.5% from 25 to 44, 4.2% from 45 to 64, and 0.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 23 years. For every 100 females there were 105.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 104.1 males.
The median income for a household on the base was $43,342, and the median income for a family was $43,092. Males had a median income of $30,888 versus $21,044 for females. The per capita income
for the base was $15,341. About 1.6% of families and 1.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 2.4% of those under age 18 and none of those age 65 or over.
As of September 30, 2005, Wright-Patterson had base housing amounting to 2,012 single-family units, 300 units for unaccompanied enlisted personnel, and 455 visitor or temporary living units.
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...
base in Greene
Greene County, Ohio
Greene County is a county located in the state of Ohio, United States. The population was 161,573 in the 2010 Census. Its county seat is Xenia, and it was named for General Nathanael Greene, an officer in the Revolutionary War. Greene County was established on March 24, 1803.Greene County is part...
and Montgomery
Montgomery County, Ohio
Montgomery County is a county located in the state of Ohio, United States. The population was 535,153 in the 2010 Census. It was named in honor of Richard Montgomery, an American Revolutionary War general killed in 1775 while attempting to capture Quebec City, Canada. The county seat is Dayton...
counties in the state of Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
. It includes both Wright and Patterson Fields, which were originally Wilbur Wright Field and Fairfield Aviation General Supply Depot. Patterson Field is located approximately 10 miles (16.1 km) northeast of Dayton
Dayton, Ohio
Dayton is the 6th largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Montgomery County, the fifth most populous county in the state. The population was 141,527 at the 2010 census. The Dayton Metropolitan Statistical Area had a population of 841,502 in the 2010 census...
; Wright Field is located approximately 5 miles (8 km) northeast of Dayton. Wright-Patterson AFB is the largest base of the United States Air Force.
The host unit at Wright-Patterson AFB is the 88th Air Base Wing
88th Air Base Wing
The United States Air Force's 88th Air Base Wing is a base support unit located at Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio.-Current Force Protection Condition :The Current FPCON for Wright Patt is Force Protection Condition Bravo.-Mission:...
(88 ABW), assigned to 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....
Aeronautical Systems Center. The 88 ABW operates the airfield, maintains all infrastructure and provides security, communications, medical, legal, personnel, contracting, finance, transportation, air traffic control, weather forecasting, public affairs, recreation and chaplain services for more than 60 associate units.
The base's origins begin with the establishment of Wilbur Wright Field on 22 May and McCook Field in November 1917, both established by the Army Air Service as World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
installations. McCook was used as a testing field and for aviation experiments. Wright was used as a flying field (renamed Patterson Field in 1931); Fairfield Aviation General Supply Depot; armorers’ school, and a temporary storage depot. McCook's functions were transferred to Wright Field when it was closed in October 1927.
Wright-Patterson AFB was established in 1948 as a merger of Patterson and Wright Fields. The 88th Air Base Wing is commanded by Col. Amanda W. Gladney. Its Command Chief Master Sergeant is Chief Master Sergeant Shelina E. Frey.
The Base had a total of 27,406 military, civilian and contract employees that work for the base in 2010.
Overview
Wright-Patterson AFB is "one of the largest, most diverse, and organizationally complex bases in the Air Force" with a long history of flight test spanning from the Wright Brothers into the Space AgeSpace Age
The Space Age is a time period encompassing the activities related to the Space Race, space exploration, space technology, and the cultural developments influenced by these events. The Space Age is generally considered to have begun with Sputnik...
.
It 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....
, one of the major commands of the Air Force. "Wright-Patt" (as the base is colloquially called) is also the location of a major USAF Medical Center (hospital
Hospital
A hospital is a health care institution providing patient treatment by specialized staff and equipment. Hospitals often, but not always, provide for inpatient care or longer-term patient stays....
), the Air Force Institute of Technology
Air Force Institute of Technology
The Air Force Institute of Technology is a graduate school and provider of professional and continuing education that is part of the United States Air Force. It is located on Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio. A component of Air University and Air Education and Training Command, AFIT has been...
, and the National Museum of the United States Air Force
National Museum of the United States Air Force
The National Museum of the United States Air Force is the official museum of the United States Air Force located at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base northeast of Dayton, Ohio. The NMUSAF is the world's largest and oldest military aviation museum with more than 360 aircraft and missiles on display...
, formerly known as the U.S. Air Force Museum.
It is also the home base of the 445th Airlift Wing
445th Airlift Wing
The 445th Airlift Wing is an operational wing of the United States Air Force Reserve. It is headquartered at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, near Dayton, Ohio...
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....
, an 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....
-gained unit which flies the C-5 Galaxy
C-5 Galaxy
The Lockheed C-5 Galaxy is a large military transport aircraft built by Lockheed. It provides the United States Air Force with a heavy intercontinental-range strategic airlift capability, one that can carry outsize and oversize cargos, including all air-certifiable cargo. The Galaxy has many...
heavy airlifter
Airlift (military)
An airlift is the organized delivery of supplies or personnel primarily via aircraft.Airlifting consists of two distinct types, strategic and tactical airlifting...
. Wright-Patterson is also the headquarters of the Aeronautical Systems Center
Aeronautical Systems Center
The Aeronautical Systems Center is an Air Force product center that designs, develops and delivers dominant aerospace weapon systems and capabilities for U.S. Air Force, other U.S. military, allied and coalition-partner warfighters, in support of Air Force leadership priorities...
and the Air Force Research Laboratory
Air Force Research Laboratory
The Air Force Research Laboratory is a scientific research organization operated by the United States Air Force Materiel Command dedicated to leading the discovery, development, and integration of affordable aerospace warfighting technologies; planning and executing the Air Force science and...
.
Wright-Patterson is the host of the annual United States Air Force Marathon
United States Air Force Marathon
The United States Air Force Marathon is an annual event held on the Saturday closest to the birthday of the United States Air Force at Wright Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, home to the National Museum of the United States Air Force. It was established in 1997.The marathon includes a half...
which occurs the weekend closest to the Air Force's anniversary.
Major units
- 88th Air Base Wing88th Air Base WingThe United States Air Force's 88th Air Base Wing is a base support unit located at Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio.-Current Force Protection Condition :The Current FPCON for Wright Patt is Force Protection Condition Bravo.-Mission:...
- The 88 ABW consists of more than 5,000 officers, enlisted, Air Force civilian and contractor employees responsible for three primary mission areas: operating the installation; deploying expeditionary Airmen in support of the Global War on Terrorism; and defending the base and its people. The Wing reports to the Aeronautical Systems Center, a major development and acquisition product center of Air Force Materiel Command. It consists of the following organizations:
- 88th Civil Engineer Squadron
- 88th Communications Group
- 88th Medical Group - Wright-Patterson Medical Center
- 88th Mission Support Group
- 88th Comptroller Squadron
- 88th Security Forces Squadron
- 88th Air Base Wing Staff Agencies
- Associate Units
- Air Force Materiel CommandAir Force Materiel CommandAir 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....
- Aeronautical Systems CenterAeronautical Systems CenterThe Aeronautical Systems Center is an Air Force product center that designs, develops and delivers dominant aerospace weapon systems and capabilities for U.S. Air Force, other U.S. military, allied and coalition-partner warfighters, in support of Air Force leadership priorities...
- 77th Aeronautical Systems Wing77th Aeronautical Systems WingThe 77th Aeronautical Systems Wing is a United States Air Force unit assigned to the Aeronautical Systems Center at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio....
- 303d Aeronautical Systems Wing303d Aeronautical Systems WingThe 303d Aeronautical Systems Wing is a United States Air Force unit assigned to the Air Force Material Command Aeronautical Systems Center. It is stationed at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio as a tenant unit....
- 312th Aeronautical Systems Wing312th Aeronautical Systems WingThe 312th Aeronautical Systems Group is a component of the United States Air Force 312th Aeronautical Systems Wing. It is stationed at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio and is assigned to Air Force Material Command ....
- 326th Aeronautical Systems Wing326th Aeronautical Systems WingThe 326th Aeronautical Systems Wing is a wing of the United States Air Force assigned to the Aeronautical Systems Center at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio.-Overview:...
- 478th Aeronautical Systems Wing478th Aeronautical Systems WingThe 478th Aeronautical Systems Wing is a wing of the United States Air Force based out of Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio....
- 516th Aeronautical Systems Wing516th Aeronautical Systems WingThe 516th Aeronautical Systems Wing is a wing of the United States Air Force assigned to Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio.-Mission:...
- 77th Aeronautical Systems Wing
- Air Force Research LaboratoryAir Force Research LaboratoryThe Air Force Research Laboratory is a scientific research organization operated by the United States Air Force Materiel Command dedicated to leading the discovery, development, and integration of affordable aerospace warfighting technologies; planning and executing the Air Force science and...
, formerly known as Wright Labs - Air Force Security Assistance Center
- Air Force Institute of TechnologyAir Force Institute of TechnologyThe Air Force Institute of Technology is a graduate school and provider of professional and continuing education that is part of the United States Air Force. It is located on Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio. A component of Air University and Air Education and Training Command, AFIT has been...
- National Air and Space Intelligence Center
- National Museum of the U.S. Air Force
- 445th Airlift Wing445th Airlift WingThe 445th Airlift Wing is an operational wing of the United States Air Force Reserve. It is headquartered at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, near Dayton, Ohio...
- 554th Electronic Systems Group
History
The base is named after the Wright brothersWright brothers
The Wright brothers, Orville and Wilbur , were two Americans credited with inventing and building the world's first successful airplane and making the first controlled, powered and sustained heavier-than-air human flight, on December 17, 1903...
, who used the Huffman Prairie
Huffman Prairie
Huffman Prairie, also known as Huffman Prairie Flying Field or Huffman Field is part of Ohio's Dayton Aviation Heritage National Historical Park...
portion of what became Wright-Patterson as their testing ground, and Frank Stuart Patterson, son and nephew of the co-founders of National Cash Register
NCR Corporation
NCR Corporation is an American technology company specializing in kiosk products for the retail, financial, travel, healthcare, food service, entertainment, gaming and public sector industries. Its main products are self-service kiosks, point-of-sale terminals, automated teller machines, check...
.
Wishing to recognize the contributions of the Patterson family (owners of National Cash Register) the area of Wright Field
Wright Field
Wright Field was an airfield of the United States Army Air Corps and Air Forces near Riverside, Ohio. From 1927 to 1947 it was the research and development center for the Air Corps, and during World War II a flight test center....
east of Huffman Dam (including Wilbur Wright Field, Fairfield Air Depot, and the Huffman Prairie
Huffman Prairie
Huffman Prairie, also known as Huffman Prairie Flying Field or Huffman Field is part of Ohio's Dayton Aviation Heritage National Historical Park...
) was renamed Patterson Field on July 6, 1931, in honor of Lt. Frank Stuart Patterson, who was killed in 1918 during a flight test of a new mechanism for synchronizing machine gun and propeller, when a tie rod broke during a dive from 15000 feet (4,572 m), causing the wings to separate from his Airco DH.4 .
In 1948, the nearby Wright Field
Wright Field
Wright Field was an airfield of the United States Army Air Corps and Air Forces near Riverside, Ohio. From 1927 to 1947 it was the research and development center for the Air Corps, and during World War II a flight test center....
and Patterson Field were merged under the name Wright-Patterson AFB. The former Wright Field became Area B of the combined installation, and the former Patterson Field became Area C. In 1951, the Air Force created a separate command for research and development called the Air Research and Development Command. The Wright Air Development Center was responsible for principal elements of flight testing, engineering and laboratories. Some of the test pilots working at the base, such as Neil Armstrong
Neil Armstrong
Neil Alden Armstrong is an American former astronaut, test pilot, aerospace engineer, university professor, United States Naval Aviator, and the first person to set foot upon the Moon....
and Ed White
Edward Higgins White
Edward Higgins White, II was an engineer, United States Air Force officer and NASA astronaut. On June 3, 1965, he became the first American to "walk" in space. White died along with fellow astronauts Gus Grissom and Roger Chaffee during a pre-launch test for the first manned Apollo mission at...
, went on to become NASA astronauts.
Consolidation and previous designations
- Patterson Field, 1 July 1931 to consolidation with Wright Field, 13 January 1948
- Wilbur Wright Field, 22 May 1917
- Wilbur Wright Air Park (service depot), 10 January 1919 (consolidated 1921 with Wilbur Wright Field)
- Fairfield Aviation General Supply Depot, 10 June 1917
- Aviation General Supply Depot, 3 November 1919
- Air Service Supply and Repair Depot, 20 June 1920
- Fairfield Air Intermediate Depot, 14 January 1921
- Fairfield Air Depot (Reservation), 22 June 1927
- Wright FieldWright FieldWright Field was an airfield of the United States Army Air Corps and Air Forces near Riverside, Ohio. From 1927 to 1947 it was the research and development center for the Air Corps, and during World War II a flight test center....
, 12 October 1927 to consolidation with Patterson Field, 13 January 1948 - Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, 13 January 1948 to present
- Wright Field
Major commands to which assigned
- Patterson Field (and predecessor organizations, including Fairfield Aviation General Supply Depot)
- Aviation Section, U.S. Signal CorpsAviation Section, U.S. Signal CorpsThe Aviation Section, Signal Corps, was the military aviation service of the United States Army from 1914 to 1918, and a direct ancestor of the United States Air Force. It replaced and absorbed the Aeronautical Division, Signal Corps, and was succeeded briefly by the Division of Military...
, 16 June 1917 - Bureau of Aircraft Production, 20 May 1918
- Army Air Service, 4 June 1920
- Air Corps Materiel Division, 15 October 1926
- Air Corps Maintenance Command, 29 April 1941
- Air Service Command, 17 October 1941
- AAF Technical Service Command, 31 August 1944 (redesignated Air Technical Service Command, 1 July 1945)
- Air Materiel Command, 9 March 1946
- Wright Field
- Air Corps Materiel Division, 15 October 1926
- AAF Materiel Center, 16 March 1942
- AAF Materiel Command, 1 April 1943
- AAF Technical Service Command, 31 August 1244 (redesignated Air Technical Service Command, 1 July 1945)
- Air Materiel Command, 9 March 1946
- Wright-Patterson AFB
- Air Materiel Command, 13 January 1948-(redesignated Air Force Logistics CommandAir Force Logistics CommandAir Force Logistics Command was a United States Air Force command. Its headquarters was located at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio...
, 1 April 1961) - Air Force Materiel CommandAir Force Materiel CommandAir 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....
, 1 June 1992--present
Major units assigned
- Numerous Aero Squadrons, 1917–1926
- Air Corps Materiel Division, 15 October 1926-31 August 1944
- Fairfield Air Depot, 1 June 1927-1 January 1946
- 50th Transport Wing, 14 January 1941-22 May 1942
- Army Air Forces Materiel Center Technical Data Section July 1941-3 December 1942
- Tenth Air ForceTenth Air ForceThe Tenth Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force Reserve Command . It is headquartered at Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base Fort Worth, Texas....
, 12 February-10 March 1942 - Army Air Forces Materiel Center Technical Data Laboratory 3 December 1942-1 July 1945
- Army Air Forces Materiel and Services Command, 17 July 1944
- Redesignated: Army Air Forces Technical Service Command on August 31, 1944
- Redesignated: Air Technical Service Command on 1 July 1945
- Redesignated: Air Materiel Command on 9 March 1946
- Redesignated: Air Force Logistics CommandAir Force Logistics CommandAir Force Logistics Command was a United States Air Force command. Its headquarters was located at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio...
on 1 April 1961-30 June 1992- Air Force Materiel CommandAir Force Materiel CommandAir 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....
, 1 July 1992–present - Air Materiel Command T-2 Intelligence 1 July 1945-10 October 1947
- Air Force Materiel Command
- Air Force Institute of Technology, 4 December 1947–present
- Air Materiel Command Technical Intelligence Department, 10 October 1947-21 May 1951
- 1702d Air Transport Group, 1 October 1948-17 July 1950
- 96th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron, 1 December 1950-18 August 1955
- 97th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron, 1 December 1950-18 August 1955
- Air Technical Intelligence Center, 21 May 1951-1 July 1961
- USAF Technical Intelligence School, 1 May 1953-1 July 1961
- 56th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron56th Fighter-Interceptor SquadronThe 56th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with the Detroit Air Defense Sector, stationed at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio...
, 18 August 1955-1 March 1960 - 58th Air Division58th Air DivisionThe 58th Air Division is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with Air Defense Command, based at Wright Patterson AFB, Ohio. It was inactivated on 1 February 1959.- B-29 development :...
, 8 September 1955-1 February 1959 - 922d Air Refueling Squadron, 1 December 1959-30 September 1975
- 4043d Strategic Wing, 1 April 1959-1 February 1963
- Air Force MuseumNational Museum of the United States Air ForceThe National Museum of the United States Air Force is the official museum of the United States Air Force located at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base northeast of Dayton, Ohio. The NMUSAF is the world's largest and oldest military aviation museum with more than 360 aircraft and missiles on display...
, 1 December 1960–present - 17th Bombardment Wing, 1 July 1963-30 September 1975
- Numerous Air Force laboratories, 1947–present
Origins
Wright-Patterson's history as a military installation dates from World War IWorld War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
. Its aviation history, however, began in 1904-1905 when Wilbur and Orville Wright used an 84 acres (339,936.2 m²) plot of land, known as the Huffman Prairie Flying Field, for their experimental test flights. Here the Wright Brothers solved the final secrets of aerodynamics, learned to fly, and developed the first truly practical airplane-their 1905 Flyer.
They returned to the Huffman Prairie Flying Field in 1910 to operate a pilot training school-The Wright Company School of Aviation- and a flight exhibition company. When their operations ended in 1916, aviation had become a reality and a rich tradition of invention, operations, and education had been established on this sacred soil. The Huffman Prairie Flying Field was officially designated a National Historic Landmark in 1990 and became part of the newly created Dayton Aviation Heritage National Historical Park two years later.
World War I
When the United States entered World War I in 1917, three military installations were established in the Dayton area. Two of these would become part of Wright-Patterson Air Force Base. The third was located near downtown Dayton. Their original missions-logistics, research and development, and military education-are the same missions that have been performed at Wright-Patterson to this day.Wilbur Wright Field and the Fairfield Aviation General Supply Depot were adjacent installations located on the eastern side of the base (in the area known until mid-2011 as Area C). Wilbur Wright Field was situated on a 2075 acres (8.4 km²) tract of land adjacent to the Mad River that was leased to the Army by the Miami Conservancy District. The lease included the Huffman Prairie Flying Field. A Signal Corps Aviation School was established at the new airfield and began operations in June 1917 as a training school for pilots. The field also housed an aviation mechanic's school and a school for armorers.
The Fairfield Aviation General Supply Depot was constructed on 40 acres (161,874.4 m²) of land purchased by the Army from the Miami Conservancy District. The land bordered Wilbur Wright Field. The depot provided logistics support to Wilbur Wright Field and three other Signal Corps aviation schools located in the Midwest. Each day the depot received, stored, and issued equipment and supplies to Signal Corps aviation schools in the region.
The third World War I military installation was McCook Field. This 254 acres (1 km²) complex located just north of downtown Dayton between Keowee Street and the Great Miami River. It was named for the Fighting McCook family of Civil War fame who once owned part of the land. McCook Field was the temporary home of the U.S. Army Signal Corps' Airplane Engineering Division. As an engineering and research facility, McCook Field has been described as "the single most influential agency in the early years of American air power." McCook's engineers and technicians researched, developed, manufactured, tested, and evaluated military aircraft and all of their associated components and equipment.
Cooperation between the two geographically separated flying fields began in 1918 when Wilbur Wright Field agreed to let McCook Field use hangar and shop space as well as its enlisted mechanics to assemble and maintain airplanes and engines. Wilbur Wright Field's expansive and relatively isolated open flying field also proved ideal for testing the Air Service's experimental aircraft and the larger, more powerful models developed during the 1920s.
Between the wars
Following World War I, the training school at Wilbur Wright Field was discontinued. Wilbur Wright Field and the depot soon merged to form the Fairfield Air Depot. The depot remained active until 1946.McCook Field remained in operation until 1927. The field's limited size could not accommodate the larger, more sophisticated aircraft that quickly emerged after World War I. The warning-"This Field is Small, Use It All!"-was painted atop the airfield's hangars. When the Air Corps announced its intention to close McCook Field, local businessmen and citizens protested. The field offered a stable and expanding economic base for the community, and was also a great source of pride to the city that considered itself the birthplace of aviation. Under the leadership of the Patterson family (who had founded The National Cash Register Company), prominent citizens formed the Dayton Air Service Committee, Inc. This organization mounted a massive public campaign that raised $425,000 in two days. It used the money to purchase 4520.47 acres (18.3 km²) of land northeast of Dayton, including Wilbur Wright Field and the Huffman Prairie Flying Field. In 1924, the Committee presented the deeds to President Calvin Coolidge for the construction of a new aviation engineering center. The entire acreage (including the Fairfield Air Depot) was designated Wright Field in honor of both Wright brothers.
Between 1925 and 1927, modern new facilities were built on the portion of Wright Field west of Huffman Dam to house all of the functions being relocated from old McCook Field. Orville Wright raised the flag over the new engineering center at the official dedication ceremony on October 12, 1927. The name "Wright Field" soon became synonymous with developments in the field of aeronautical engineering, a reputation that Wright-Patterson retains to the present day. This new portion of Wright Field became the headquarters of the Materiel Division, the main branch of the Army Air Corps responsible for developing advanced aircraft, equipment, and accessories. The Division also procured and provided maintenance for all of these systems and was charged with managing the extensive Air Corps depot system.
Wright Field incorporated the entire installation. Many citizens in the local community, however, believed that part of the field should honor the Patterson family in some way as recognition for their leadership in keeping the engineering center in Dayton. This happened on July 1, 1931, when the portion of Wright Field east of Huffman Dam was redesignated "Patterson Field" in honor of Lieutenant Frank Stuart Patterson.
Patterson Field consisted of the land known today as Areas A and C of Wright-Patterson Air Force Base. It included the Fairfield Air Depot and the Huffman Prairie Flying Field. Patterson Field soon became the Army's center for aviation logistics, maintenance, and supply. Although Wright Field and Patterson Field were now two separate installations, their missions continued to be closely intertwined.
World War II
Both fields experienced dramatic expansion during World War II, in terms of real estate as well as structures. Employment at the fields jumped from approximately 3,700 in December 1939 to over 50,000 at the war's peak.. Wright Field grew from a modest installation with approximately 30 buildings to a 2064 acres (8.4 km²) facility with some 300 buildings and the Air Corps' first modern paved runways. The original part of the field became saturated with office and laboratory buildings and test facilities. The Hilltop area was acquired from private landowners in 1943-1944 to provide housing and services for the thousands of troops assigned to Wright Field.The outbreak of World War II provided a crucial test for the Materiel Division. Since 1926 the Division had managed its experimental, engineering, and procurement functions with limited peacetime appropriations. Changes were required within the Division to accommodate the massive wartime Air Corps expansion program. The functions of the Division were ultimately broken into two separate commands, the Materiel Command and the Air Service Command. The Materiel Command, headquartered at Wright Field, was responsible for the procurement of airplanes and equipment in production quantities and for sustaining an accelerated program of testing and development. The Air Service Command, located on Patterson Field, assumed responsibility for all logistics functions, including maintenance and supply.
The separation of these functions soon proved cumbersome and confusing. The Army Air Forces addressed this problem in August 1944 when it inactivated the two commands and reunited their functions in the newly established Air Technical Service Command. This action made Wright Field subordinate to the new headquarters at Patterson Field and had a psychologically divisive effect on the installation. To solve the problem, the portion of Patterson Field from Huffman Dam through the Brick Quarters (including the command headquarters in Building 10262) at the south end of Patterson Field along Route 4 was administratively reassigned from Patterson Field to Wright Field. To avoid confusing the two areas of Wright Field, the south end of the former Patterson Field portion was designated "Area A", the original Wright Field became "Area B", and the north end of Patterson Field, including the flying field, "Area C."
Patterson Field likewise saw the growth of hundreds of barracks and their supporting mess halls, chapels, hospital facilities, clubs, and recreational facilities. Two densely populated housing and service areas across Highway 444, Wood City and Skyway Park, were geographically separated from the central core of Patterson Field and developed almost self-sufficient community status. (Wood City was acquired in 1924 as part of the original donation of land to the government but was used primarily as just a radio range until World War II. Skyway Park was acquired in 1943.) They supported the vast numbers of recruits who enlisted and were trained at the two fields as well as thousands of civilian laborers, especially single women recruited to work at the depot. Skyway Park was demolished after the war. Wood City was eventually transformed into Kittyhawk Center, the base's modern commercial and recreation center.
Technical Intelligence
Technical intelligence had been a part of the mission of McCook Field beginning in 1918. Following the end of World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, the armistice with Germany brought 347 aircraft to the United States for technical study and as war relics. Some of these aircraft eventually were incorporated into Army Aeronautical Museum (The forerunner of the National Museum of the Air Force), with its establishment in 1931. With the onset of World War II in 1940, the AAC established the Technical Data Branch in February 1940. This became the Technical Data Section in a July 1941 reorganization. In 1942, the TDS became the Technical Data Laboratory (TDL). As front line troops captured German, Japanese and Italian equipment, they sent the materiel back to Wright Field for assessment. The first German and Japanese aircraft arrived in 1943, and captured equipment soon filled six buildings, a large outdoor storage area, and part of a flight-line hangar. To allow its engineers to study this equipment, TDL closed its Army Aeronautical Museum.
In the fall of 1942, the first twelve "Air Force" officers to receive ATI field collection training were assigned to Wright Field for training in the technical aspects of "crash" intelligence. This course utilized laboratory directors and Squadron Leader Colley, from the British Royal Air Force, who identified the types of information that could be obtained from equipment marking plates, such as temperature or pressure ranges. The students also learned to gather air order of battle information from squadron markings. One officer who attended this training, William D. McGarey, went to the Air Ministry in London and worked on German ball bearing markings. This led to the intensive bombing efforts against ball bearing plants in 1943. Major McGarey later served in the Southwest Pacific. During his tour, he personally inspected and removed the nameplates from some 1,000 Japanese aircraft. These plates provided one of the best sources of target data for manufacturing plants on the home islands of Japan.
The most famous World War II (and immediate post-war period) technical intelligence missions in Europe were Operation Lusty
Operation Lusty
Operation LUSTY was the United States Army Air Forces effort to capture and evaluate German aeronautical technology during and after World War II.- Overview :During World War II, the U.S...
and Operation Paperclip
Operation Paperclip
Operation Paperclip was the Office of Strategic Services program used to recruit the scientists of Nazi Germany for employment by the United States in the aftermath of World War II...
. Operation Lusty gathered German aircraft from the battlefield and sent them back to Wright Field for study. The best known of these aircraft was the Messerschmitt 262 jet fighter. Operation Paperclip brought over 200 German scientists and technicians to Wright Field for collaboration with their American counterparts. Initially assigned to the intelligence branch, most of the scientists eventually went to work in the various Wright Field labs.
Project Blue Book
Through the end of the decade of the 1940s, intelligence efforts turned increasingly toward the emerging technological threat posed by the Russians. T-2 also opened an office in July 1947 for the study of unidentified flying objects (UFO), popularly known as "flying saucers." Initially called Project Sign (and redesignated Project Grudge in 1949), the UFO program brought T-2's successors their greatest public visibility.
Wright-Patterson AFB is known among those involved with UFO conspiracy theories as the home of Project Blue Book
Project Blue Book
Project Blue Book was one of a series of systematic studies of unidentified flying objects conducted by the United States Air Force. Started in 1952, it was the second revival of such a study...
and because of its connection with the Roswell UFO incident
Roswell UFO incident
The Roswell UFO Incident was the recovery of an object that crashed in the general vicinity of Roswell, New Mexico, in June or July 1947, allegedly an extra-terrestrial spacecraft and its alien occupants. Since the late 1970s the incident has been the subject of intense controversy and of...
of July 1947. Some believe that Hangar 18, assigned to the Air Force's Foreign Technology Division at Wright-Patterson, along with the Area 51
Area 51
Area 51 is a military base, and a remote detachment of Edwards Air Force Base. It is located in the southern portion of Nevada in the western United States, 83 miles north-northwest of downtown Las Vegas. Situated at its center, on the southern shore of Groom Lake, is a large military airfield...
installation in Nevada, contains, or once contained, wreckage of a crashed UFO
Unidentified flying object
A term originally coined by the military, an unidentified flying object is an unusual apparent anomaly in the sky that is not readily identifiable to the observer as any known object...
. In March 1952, the Air Technical Intelligence Center (ATIC) established an Aerial Phenomena Group to study the reported sightings, and a new name was assigned to the program—Project Blue Book. Probably the most highly publicized events during the ATIC years was a series of sightings in Washington, DC, in 1952.
From 1947 through 1969, FTD and its predecessor organizations studied 12,618 reported sightings. Of these, 701 remained unexplained when Project Blue Book closed when, as a result of the build up in Vietnam, the Air Force closed its UFO investigations. A 1968 report concluded that "there seems to be no reason to attribute [the unexplained sightings] to an extraterrestrial source without much more convincing evidence." When the program ended, FTD sent all of its case files to the USAF Historical Research Center, Maxwell AFB, Alabama. In 1976 the National Archives and Records Service in Washington, DC, became the permanent repository of the Project Sign/Grudge/Blue Book records.
The April 25, 1988 issue of The New Yorker
The New Yorker
The New Yorker is an American magazine of reportage, commentary, criticism, essays, fiction, satire, cartoons and poetry published by Condé Nast...
carried an interview where Senator Barry Goldwater
Barry Goldwater
Barry Morris Goldwater was a five-term United States Senator from Arizona and the Republican Party's nominee for President in the 1964 election. An articulate and charismatic figure during the first half of the 1960s, he was known as "Mr...
, who had a deep interest in UFOs, said he repeatedly asked his friend, Gen. Curtis LeMay
Curtis LeMay
Curtis Emerson LeMay was a general in the United States Air Force and the vice presidential running mate of American Independent Party candidate George Wallace in 1968....
, if there was any truth to the rumors that UFO evidence was stored in a secret room at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base. He also asked if he (Goldwater) might have access to the room. According to Goldwater, an angry LeMay gave him "holy hell" and said, "Not only can't you get into it but don't you ever mention it to me again."
Foreign Technology Division
On 21 May 1951, the United States Air Force established the Air Technical Intelligence Center (ATIC) as a field activity of the Assistant Chief of Staff for Intelligence. After ten years, on 1 July 1961, ATIC was inactivated and the Foreign Technology Division (FTD) established. The 1950s, then, provided the backdrop against which ATIC performed its mission.
Early in 1951, ATIC analysts obtained engine parts and the tail section of a crashed MiG-15 from the Korean theater. Later, in July, the center received a complete, though crashed, MiG-15. The center had also obtained IL-10
Ilyushin Il-10
Ilyushin Il-10 was a Soviet ground attack aircraft developed at the end of World War II by the Ilyushin construction bureau...
and Yak-9 aircraft in operational condition. In September 1953, shortly following the conclusion of the war, a North Korean defector delivered a MiG-15 to Kimpo Air Base near Seoul
Seoul
Seoul , officially the Seoul Special City, is the capital and largest metropolis of South Korea. A megacity with a population of over 10 million, it is the largest city proper in the OECD developed world...
. A team of ATIC analysts monitored the MiG-15 flight test program at Kadena Air Force Base, Okinawa, which included flights by one Major Charles E. "Chuck" Yeager
Chuck Yeager
Charles Elwood "Chuck" Yeager is a retired major general in the United States Air Force and noted test pilot. He was the first pilot to travel faster than sound...
from the Air Force Flight Test Center
Air Force Flight Test Center
The Air Force Flight Test Center conducts research, development, test, and evaluation of aerospace systems from concept to deployment. It has test flown every aircraft in the U.S. Air Force's inventory since World War II...
at Edwards AFB. Because of the large amount of materiel (and documents) gathered during the war, ATIC awarded a contract to Battelle Memorial Institute of Columbus, Ohio
Columbus, Ohio
Columbus is the capital of and the largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio. The broader metropolitan area encompasses several counties and is the third largest in Ohio behind those of Cleveland and Cincinnati. Columbus is the third largest city in the American Midwest, and the fifteenth largest city...
, for analytical work and document translation. This was the start of a relationship that has lasted over 40 years. The evaluation of these captured aircraft support allowed FEAF to more effectively develop engagement tactics for its F-86 fighters. For the next 30 years FTD personnel became known throughout the Air Force and the intelligence community as the experts in Soviet aircraft, missile, and related equipment performance.
In 1961, with the formation of the Defense Intelligence Agency
Defense Intelligence Agency
The Defense Intelligence Agency is a member of the Intelligence Community of the United States, and is the central producer and manager of military intelligence for the United States Department of Defense, employing over 16,500 U.S. military and civilian employees worldwide...
and reorganization within the Air Force, ATIC was reassigned to Air Force Systems Command
Air Force Systems Command
Air Force Systems Command is a former United States Air Force command. Its headquarters was located at Andrews Air Force Base, Maryland...
at Andrews AFB, Maryland
Maryland
Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...
and redesignated the Foreign Technology Division (FTD). The "official" history of HQ NAIC starts with the formation of FTD in 1961. From 1961 to 1991, the Foreign Technology Division was the Air Force's S&TI center of excellence for foreign air and space system
Cold War and current era
Patterson Field and Wright Field remained separate installations throughout World War II. As the war drew to a close, base leaders quickly recognized the need to make the most efficient use of their facilities. In 1945 they integrated the master plans for both fields and increasingly administrated the functions and services of the two fields as a single installation. On December 15, 1945, the bases administratively merged with Dayton Army Air Field in Vandalia, OhioVandalia, Ohio
Vandalia is a city in Montgomery County, Ohio, United States, and a suburb of Dayton. Its population was 15,246 during the 2010 census. The James M. Cox Dayton International Airport is located in the city...
, and Clinton County AAF
Clinton County Air Force Base
Clinton County Air Force Base was a United States Air Force base located two nautical miles southeast of the central business district of Wilmington, a city in Clinton County, Ohio, United States.-History:...
in Wilmington, Ohio
Wilmington, Ohio
Wilmington is a city in and the county seat of Clinton County, Ohio, United States. The population was 12,520 at the 2010 census. At city entrances from state routes, county roads, and U.S. highways, the city slogan of "We Honor Our Champions" is seen, accompanied by signs that highlight various...
, collectively called the Army Air Forces Technical Base. The latter two bases were discontinued in 1946 when they returned to civil use; the base briefly became the Air Force Technical Base in December 1947. An 8000-foot concrete runway with 1000-foot runoffs at each end was built in Area C in 1946-1947 to accommodate very heavy bombers, initially referred to locally as the "B-36
Convair B-36
The Convair B-36 "Peacemaker" was a strategic bomber built by Convair and operated solely by the United States Air Force from 1949 to 1959. The B-36 was the largest mass-produced piston engine aircraft ever made. It had the longest wingspan of any combat aircraft ever built , although there have...
runway".
On January 13, 1948, the two fields formally adopted the name Wright-Patterson Air Force Base
Wright-Patterson Air Force Base
Wright-Patterson Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base in Greene and Montgomery counties in the state of Ohio. It includes both Wright and Patterson Fields, which were originally Wilbur Wright Field and Fairfield Aviation General Supply Depot. Patterson Field is located approximately...
. The former Wright Field Areas A and B remained, while Patterson Field became "Area C" and Skyway Park became "Area D" of the installation. Area D was demolished in 1957 and the land donated to the State of Ohio in 1963 for the creation of Wright State University
Wright State University
Wright State University is a comprehensive public university with strong doctoral, research, and undergraduate programs, rated among the 260 Best National Universities listed in the annual "America's Best Colleges" rankings by U.S. News and World Report. Wright State is located in Fairborn, Ohio,...
. In 1951 all locally-based flying activities were moved to the Area B flight line as WPAFB became one of the busiest air terminals in the United States. In February 1958 the Wright Field (Area B) runways were closed to all jet traffic, but even so, in 1959 the Area C flight line experienced 139,276 takeoffs and landings, and the Area B flight line an additional 44,699.
In 1954, 465 acres of land adjacent to the Mad River at the northeast boundary of the base, near the former location of the village of Osborn, were purchased for a Strategic Air Command
Strategic Air Command
The Strategic Air Command was both a Major Command of the United States Air Force and a "specified command" of the United States Department of Defense. SAC was the operational establishment in charge of America's land-based strategic bomber aircraft and land-based intercontinental ballistic...
facility as part of SAC's dispersal program. The West Ramp complex was built between August 1958 and July 1960. The 4043rd Strategic Wing began 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...
operations in February 1960 and B-52 Stratofortress
B-52 Stratofortress
The Boeing B-52 Stratofortress is a long-range, subsonic, jet-powered strategic bomber operated by the United States Air Force since the 1950s. The B-52 was designed and built by Boeing, who have continued to provide maintainence and upgrades to the aircraft in service...
operations in June 1960. On July 1, 1963, the wing was re-designated the 17th Bomb Wing (Heavy) and continued its mission under this unit until July 7, 1975, when the last of its 11 B-52s was transferred to Beale Air Force Base
Beale Air Force Base
Beale Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base located approximately east of Marysville, California. Originally known as Camp Beale....
, California. The West Ramp facility then became the home of the 4950th Test Wing
4950th Test Wing
The 4950th Test Wing, a wing of the United States Air Force, was established in March 1971.It was created as the flying unit of the Wright Air Development Center, which was created in June 1951. Wright ADC changed to Division status in December 1959 until it was replaced by the Aeronautical Systems...
. Today the West Ramp complex operates C-5 Galaxy
C-5 Galaxy
The Lockheed C-5 Galaxy is a large military transport aircraft built by Lockheed. It provides the United States Air Force with a heavy intercontinental-range strategic airlift capability, one that can carry outsize and oversize cargos, including all air-certifiable cargo. The Galaxy has many...
transports 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....
's 445th Airlift Wing
445th Airlift Wing
The 445th Airlift Wing is an operational wing of the United States Air Force Reserve. It is headquartered at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, near Dayton, Ohio...
.
To provide air defense of the base, the United States Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
established the Cincinnati-Dayton Defense Area in 1959 and constructed Nike-Hercules surface-to-air missile sites for air defense. Sites were located near Wilmington (CD-27) 39°24′03"N 083°52′54"W; Felicity (CD-46) 38°50′37"N 084°08′33"W; Dillsboro (CD-63), and Oxford (CD-78) 39°33′30"N 084°47′31"W Ohio. All were activated in the spring of 1960 and were all inactivated by March 1971 as part of the reduction of the air defenses in the United States against aircraft.
Today Wright-Patterson Air Force Base is arguably the most important base in the Air Force. From its beginnings as the Wright brothers' testing field, it has evolved into the headquarters for the Air Force's worldwide logistics system and all Air Force systems development and procurement, the aeronautical engineering center, a major research laboratory complex, the heart of Air Force graduate education, location of the second largest Air Force medical center, and home of the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force. Wright-Patterson's age and history coupled with its vital air power missions, and significant functional architecture make it one of the Air Force's most historic bases.
Dayton Agreement
The base is also notable for being the site of the Dayton AgreementDayton Agreement
The General Framework Agreement for Peace in Bosnia and Herzegovina, also known as the Dayton Agreement, Dayton Accords, Paris Protocol or Dayton-Paris Agreement, is the peace agreement reached at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base near Dayton, Ohio in November 1995, and formally signed in Paris on...
, also known as the Dayton Accords, the peace agreement that put an end to the three and a half years of Bosnian war
Bosnian War
The Bosnian War or the War in Bosnia and Herzegovina was an international armed conflict that took place in Bosnia and Herzegovina between April 1992 and December 1995. The war involved several sides...
, one of the armed conflicts in the former Socialist Federative Republic of Yugoslavia
Yugoslav wars
The Yugoslav Wars were a series of wars, fought throughout the former Yugoslavia between 1991 and 1995. The wars were complex: characterized by bitter ethnic conflicts among the peoples of the former Yugoslavia, mostly between Serbs on the one side and Croats and Bosniaks on the other; but also...
.
Geography
According to the United States Census BureauUnited States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, the U.S. Air Force base has a total area of 30.5 km² (11.8 sq mi). 30.3 km² (11.7 sq mi) of it is land and 0.2 km² (0.1 sq mi) of it (0.76%) is water.
The entire base was a census-designated place
Census-designated place
A census-designated place is a concentration of population identified by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes. CDPs are delineated for each decennial census as the statistical counterparts of incorporated places such as cities, towns and villages...
at the 2000 census, although statistical data have since included the portion in totals for Montgomery County for the city of Riverside
Riverside, Ohio
Riverside is a city in Montgomery County, Ohio, United States. The population was 23,201 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Dayton Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:Riverside is located at ....
. As of the 2000 census
United States Census, 2000
The Twenty-second United States Census, known as Census 2000 and conducted by the Census Bureau, determined the resident population of the United States on April 1, 2000, to be 281,421,906, an increase of 13.2% over the 248,709,873 persons enumerated during the 1990 Census...
, the base had a resident population of 6,656. The permanent party work force at WPAFB as of September 30, 2005, numbered 5,517 military and 8,102 civilian.
Demographics
As of the censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2000, there were 6,656 people, 1,754 households, and 1,704 families residing on the base. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 219.8/km² (569.2/sq mi). There are 2,096 housing units at an average density of 69.2/km² (179.2/sq mi). The racial makeup of the base was 76.11% White, 15.25% Black or African American
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, 0.45% Native American, 2.30% Asian, 0.12% Pacific Islander, 2.09% from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 3.68% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 4.45% of the population.
There were 1,754 households out of which 78.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 89.0% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 6.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 2.8% were non-families. 2.6% of all households were made up of individuals and none had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.60 and the average family size was 3.64.
On the base the population was spread out with 42.5% under the age of 18, 11.6% from 18 to 24, 41.5% from 25 to 44, 4.2% from 45 to 64, and 0.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 23 years. For every 100 females there were 105.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 104.1 males.
The median income for a household on the base was $43,342, and the median income for a family was $43,092. Males had a median income of $30,888 versus $21,044 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the base was $15,341. About 1.6% of families and 1.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 2.4% of those under age 18 and none of those age 65 or over.
As of September 30, 2005, Wright-Patterson had base housing amounting to 2,012 single-family units, 300 units for unaccompanied enlisted personnel, and 455 visitor or temporary living units.
See also
- Advanced Range Instrumentation Aircraft (ARIA)
- Battlefield Air Targeting Man-Aided KnowledgeBattlefield Air Targeting Man-Aided KnowledgeBattlefield Air Targeting Man-Aided Knowledge or BATMAN is a USAF program to lighten the equipment load carried by Air Force Special Operations Forces units....
- Ohio World War II Army AirfieldsOhio World War II Army AirfieldsDuring World War II, the United States Army Air Force established numerous airfields in Ohio for training pilots and aircrews of USAAF fighters and bombers....
- Central Air Defense ForceCentral Air Defense ForceThe Central Air Defense Force is an inactive United States Air Force organization. Its last assignment was with Air Defense Command being stationed at Richards-Gebaur Air Force Base, Missouri. It was deactivated on July 1, 1960.-History:...
(Air Defense Command) - Air Force Institute of TechnologyAir Force Institute of TechnologyThe Air Force Institute of Technology is a graduate school and provider of professional and continuing education that is part of the United States Air Force. It is located on Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio. A component of Air University and Air Education and Training Command, AFIT has been...
Other sources
- Maurer, Maurer. Air Force Combat Units Of World War II. Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office 1961 (republished 1983, Office of Air Force History, ISBN 0-912799-02-1).
- Ravenstein, Charles A. Air Force Combat Wings Lineage and Honors Histories 1947–1977. Maxwell Air Force BaseMaxwell Air Force BaseMaxwell Air Force Base , officially known as Maxwell-Gunter Air Force Base, is a United States Air Force installation under the Air Education and Training Command . The installation is located in Montgomery, Alabama, US. It was named in honor of Second Lieutenant William C...
, AlabamaAlabamaAlabama is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Tennessee to the north, Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gulf of Mexico to the south, and Mississippi to the west. Alabama ranks 30th in total land area and ranks second in the size of its inland...
: Office of Air Force History 1984. ISBN 0-912799-12-9. - Mueller, Robert, Air Force Bases Volume I, Active Air Force Bases Within the United States of America on 17 September 1982, Office of Air Force History, 1989
- Development of the B-52 The Wright Field Story
- On The Front Line Of R&D Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in the Korean War, 1950-1953
- A Century Of Growth: The Evolution Of Wright-Patterson Air Force Base
- Arming the Skies Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in World War II
- Remarkable Journey The Wright Field Heritage in Photographs
- Wright From the Start The Contributions of Dayton's Science and Engineering Community to American Air Power in the Twentieth Century
- The Foulois House Its Place in the History of the Miami Valley and American Aviation
- A Brief History of Air Force Scientific and Technical Intelligence
External links
- National Museum of the United States Air Force, official site
- Wright-Patterson AFB 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...