| Lackland Air Force Base
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| Lackland AFB, 7 January 1995 | |||
| IATA: SKF – ICAO: KSKF | |||
| Summary | |||
| Airport type | Military | ||
| Operator | USAF | ||
| Location | San Antonio, Texas, USA | ||
| Elevation AMSL | 691 ft / 211 m | ||
| Coordinates | 29°23′3″N 98°34′52″W / 29.38417°N 98.58111°WCoordinates: 29°23′3″N 98°34′52″W / 29.38417°N 98.58111°W | ||
| Website | |||
| Runways | |||
| Direction | Length | Surface | |
| ft | m | ||
| 15/33 | 11,550 | 3,529 | Concrete |
Lackland Air Force Base is a base of the United States Air Force operated by the Air Education and Training Command (AETC). It is located just outside the city limits of the western area of San Antonio, Texas, USA. It was named after Brigadier General Frank Lackland. Lackland is part of Joint Base San Antonio and is operated by the 502d Air Base Wing.
Contents |
Overview
Lackland AFB is the only entry processing station for Air Force enlisted Basic Military Training (BMT). It shared this status temporarily with Amarillo Air Force Base during the Vietnam War until Amarillo AFB's closure in 1968.
Lackland gained a flying mission when adjacent Kelly Air Force Base closed in 2001. The two-mile-long runway is now a joint-use facility between Lackland AFB and the city of San Antonio. The portion of the former Kelly AFB still under USAF control is now known as Lackland AFB/Kelly Field Annex and its permanently based flying units include the Air Force Reserve Command's (AFRC) 433d Airlift Wing, an Air Mobility Command (AMC)-gained unit flying the C-5 Galaxy and the 149th Fighter Wing of the Texas Air National Guard, an AETC-gained unit flying the F-16 Fighting Falcon. The civilian side of the former Kelly AFB is now known as Port San Antonio and host numerous major DoD defense contractors such as Boeing and Lockheed Martin, many of which directly or indirectly support major overhaul and repair of military aircraft previously conducted, and in facilities previously occupied, by the Air Force's former San Antonio Air Logistics Center (SA-ALC) when Kelly was an active Air Force Logistics Command (AFLC) and Air Force Material Command (AFMC) installation.
Lackland AFB also hosts a collection of vintage military aircraft on static display on its parade grounds, including a B-52 Stratofortress, F-4 Phantom II, SR-71 Blackbird, C-121 Constellation, B-17 Flying Fortress and a B-25 Mitchell.
In addition, with the closure of Kelly AFB Lackland gained the section of base known as Security Hill. Security Hill is home to numerous units such as Air Combat Command's 67th Network Warfare Wing and the Air Force Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Agency. All units on Security Hill are considered tenant units.
Lackland now consists of the Kelly airstrip, Security Hill, main base Lackland, and the old Medina officer training base now named Medina/Lackland Training Annex. With the exception of a few buildings most of the old Kelly air base including the housing has been turned over to civilian jurisdiction.
On May 15, 2009, Air Force officials announced that Lackland is the preferred alternative location for the 24th Air Force.[1]
In winter of 2009 it was decided to combine all the military bases in San Antonio into one large base named Joint Base San Antonio.[2][3]
History
Construction on Lackland Air Force Base began in 1941, and it was originally part of Kelly Field. One year later, it became an independent organization—the San Antonio Aviation Cadet Center. On 8 January 1943, the War Department constituted and activated the 78th Flying Training Wing (Preflight) at San Antonio and assigned it to the the AAF Central Flying Training Command. The 78th provided aviation cadets the mechanics and physics of flight and required the cadets to pass courses in mathematics and the hard sciences. Then the cadets were taught to apply their knowledge practically by teaching them aeronautics, deflection shooting, and thinking in three dimensions. Once completed, the graduates were designated as aviation cadets and were sent to one of the primary flight schools for pilot training.
In 1948, the facility was named Lackland AFB after Brigadier General Frank Lackland.
As a result of the Korean War, training populations at Lackland soared to 28 basic military training squadrons (BMTS) within the 3700th Military Training Wing. Temporary facilities, to include 129 "I dormitories", were hastily erected as a quick fix to replace tents cities housing recruits. In 1955 the number of BMTS was reduced to 16, where it remained for the next two decades.
The Vietnam War buildup necessitated a "split-phase" training from August 1965 to April 1966. This program provided for 22 days at Lackland and 8 days at a technical school, with directed duty assignees receiving the full 30 days at Lackland. When BMT returned to a single phase on 1 April 1966, it was briefly cut back to 24 days from April to July 1966. After that, basic training stabilized at a length of six weeks. This was the same length as the program used by the Army Air Forces when Lackland opened as a basic training base 20 years before. Training requirements also expanded to include teaching English to Allied military members from foreign countries.
No other item in the 1960s compared to the incident that occurred at Lackland in February 1966 with the death of a basic trainee. An airman died of spinal meningitis and while ten other cases were confirmed, no other deaths were reported. Virtually all non-essential activities requiring gatherings of basic trainees were canceled. To control the issue further, a cadre of personnel was assigned to activate the 3330th Basic Military Training School at Amarillo Air Force Base, Texas, in February 1966. As a result of the continuing expansion of the USAF, Amarillo AFB continued to conduct basic training until December 1968.
During the 1960s, more permanent facilities were constructed, including four 1,000-person steel and brick Recruit Housing and Training (RH&T) dormitories built between 1966 and 1970 for basic military training by the Lackland Military Training Center. These state-of-the-art buildings included living space, dining halls, and training areas for four basic training squadrons under one roof. Eventually six full-size dormitories, and two 600-person facilities, were constructed, enabling excess space to be converted to classroom use.
From the Cold War demise, base realignment and closure (BRAC) actions in the 1990s relocated several specialized training programs at Lackland. This included Air Education and Training Command's relocation of Air Force Officer Training School (OTS) from Lackland to Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama.
Base Realignment and Closures
The Department of Defense has proposed a major realignment of the base as part of the 2005 Base Realignment and Closure program announced on 13 May 2005.
In the winter of 2009, BRAC decided to combine Lackland AFB with Randolph AFB and Fort Sam Houston/Camp Bullis. The combined base will be called Joint Base San Antonio. The 37th MSG and its occuping squandrons with become the 802nd. With the addition of Randolph, Lackland will also become part home to AETC Command, the 2nd Air Force.
Training role
Lackland Air Force Base is home to the 37th Training Wing (37 TRW) which operates a variety of training squadrons. Within the 37th TRW is the 37th Training Group (37 TRG) which oversees the 5 technical training schools on the base, and the 737 TRG which oversees the Basic Military Training squadrons.
Basic training
Lackland is best known for its role in being the sole location for U. S. Air Force enlisted Basic Military Training (BMT) for the Active Duty Air Force, Air Force Reserve and Air National Guard. BMT is organized into 9 basic training squadrons, each with their own training site on the base. Each squadron is equipped with either a dining facility or a medical clinic. Some BMT squadrons share dining facilities if they are located close enough together and the same is true for medical clinics. Each squadron also has a specific exercise area where basic trainees conduct physical readiness training (PRT).
In October 2008 the BMT was expanded an extra two weeks to implement and increased demand for more air base defense training as well as other rudimentary skills. It is now sitting even with the Navy's Basic course at 8 1/2 weeks.
Technical training
Lackland, like many other Air Education and Training Command (AETC) bases, trains enlisted airmen out of basic training in a specific specialty via various "tech schools." Lackland currently has six technical training squadrons on base training multiple airmen in various Air Force Specialty Codes (AFSCs).
- The 37th TRG supports the following five training squadrons and also trains technical training instructors, military training instructors and military training leaders.
- The 341st TRS trains military working dogs and handlers for the entire Department of Defense and several federal agencies.
- The 342nd TRS teaches Pararescuemen, Combat Controllers, Tactical Air Control Party members, SERE Specialists, Explosive Ordance Disposal and a variety of advanced Security Forces courses.
- The 343rd TRS trains airmen to become Security Forces members in a 18 week academy.
- The 344th TRS provides the Enlisted Aircrew Undergraduate Course, Services, all 1A career fields.
- The 345th TRS provides advanced contracting/acquisition, logistics plans, recruiting, supply, and transportation courses.
Census information
The following information is from the 2000 census, which treats the base as a town.
As of the census[4] of 2000, there are 7,123 people, 174 households, and 152 families residing on the base. The population density is 642.6/km² (1,662.6/mi²). There are 412 housing units at an average density of 37.2/km² (96.2/mi²). The racial makeup of the town is 65.20% White, 19.01% Black or African American, 0.86% Native American, 3.64% Asian, 0.32% Pacific Islander, 2.20% from other races, and 8.77% from two or more races. 13.77% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There are 174 households out of which 79.9% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 73.0% are married couples living together, 9.2% have a female householder with no husband present, and 12.6% are non-families. 12.1% of all households are made up of individuals. The average household size is 3.49 and the average family size is 3.78.
On the base the population is spread out with 5.3% under the age of 18, 79.8% from 18 to 24, 14.5% from 25 to 44, 0.4% from 45 to 64, and none who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 20 years. For every 100 females there are 256 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 267.3 males.
The median income for a household in the base is $32,250, and the median income for a family is $31,923. Males have a median income of $16,435 versus $15,572 for females. The per capita income for the base is $10,048. 7.3% of the population and 6.9% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 7.3% of those under the age of 18 are living below the poverty line.
Tenant Units
- 24th Air Force
- Air Force Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Agency
- 67th Network Warfare Wing
- 688th Information Operations Wing
- 149th Fighter Wing (Texas Air National Guard)
- 433d Airlift Wing (Air Force Reserve Command)
- 59th Medical Wing (Wilford Hall Medical Center)
- Air Force Audit Agency
- Air Force News Agency
- Air Force Information Operations Center
- Air Force Information Operations Battlelab
- Civil Air Patrol
- Corps of Engineers
- DRMS
- Defense Commissary Agency
- DoJ UNICOR
- FAA
- Government Printing Office
- Air Force Security Forces Center
- Naval Technical Training Center Lackland
- Tops In Blue
- 651st Munitions Squadron
See also
- Texas Cryptology Center
- Texas World War II Army Airfields
- Air Training Command
- Twenty-Fourth Air Force
References
This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the Air Force Historical Research Agency.
- ^ Lackland chosen as cyber numbered Air Force headquarters
- ^ Joint Base San Antonio MOA becomes official
- ^ Joint Base San Antonio is largest installation
- ^ "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. http://factfinder.census.gov. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
External links
- Official website
- USAF: A Narrative History of Lackland Air Force Base
- USAF BMT Flight Photograph Project
- Lackland Services Website
- Unofficial website
- Lackland Air Force Base at LacklandAFB.com (Comprehensive Lackland AFB Directory)
- BRAC 2005: Closings, Realignments to Reshape Infrastructure
- Voices on Antisemitism Interview with Colonel Edward B. Westermann from the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum
Open source encyclopedia content modification information:
This page was last modified on 15 March 2010 at 14:25.
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