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Offutt Air Force Base
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
- Offutt redirects here. For the World War I aviator, see Jarvis Offutt.
| Offutt Air Force Base | |||
|---|---|---|---|
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| IATA: OFF – ICAO: KOFF | |||
| Summary | |||
| Airport type | Military | ||
| Operator | US Air Force | ||
| Elevation AMSL | 1,052 ft / 320.6 m | ||
| Coordinates | |||
| Runways | |||
| Direction | Length | Surface | |
| ft | m | ||
| 12/30 | 11,700 | 3,566 | Concrete |
Offutt Air Force Base (Offutt AFB) is a base of the United States Air Force and a census-designated place (CDP) in Sarpy County, Nebraska, United States. It is home to the headquarters of the United States Strategic Command, the Air Force Weather Agency, and the 55th Wing. Its legacy includes the construction of the first two bombers to drop atomic bombs and nearly 30 years as the aerial command center for the United States in case of nuclear war during the Cold War. The population was 8,901 at the 2000 census
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Fort Crook was commissioned by the Department of the Army in 1890. Fort Crook was an Army Depot beside Bellevue, Nebraska, first used as a dispatch point for Indian conflicts on the Great Plains. The fort's namesake was Major General George Crook, a Civil War veteran and Indian fighter.
Troops from Fort Crook fought during the Spanish-American War when the 22nd Regiment under Charles A. Wikoff were dispatched to Cuba. The regiment suffered heavy casualties in the Battle of El Caney. Only 165 of the 513 regiment members survived with most succumbing to tropical diseases after the battle.[1]
The oldest surviving part of Fort Crook is the parade grounds and surrounding brick buildings that were constructed between 1894 and 1896. These brick buildings are still in active use today as squadron headquarters, quarters reserved for high-ranking generals (Generals Row), and Nebraska’s oldest operational jail.
In 1918 the 61st Balloon Company of the Army Air Corp was assigned to Fort Crook at the close of World War I. In 1921, an airfield was built at the Fort as a refueling stop for mail and transcontinental flights and in 1924 the airfield was officially named Offutt Field in honor of 1st Lt. Jarvis Offutt. Offutt was an American pilot from nearby Omaha who was killed while flying with the Royal Air Force in France during World War I.[2]
In 1940 the Army Air Corps chose Offutt Field as the site for a new bomber plant that was to be operated by the Glenn L. Martin Company. The plant's construction included a two mile-long concrete runway, six large hangars, and a 1.7 million square-foot aircraft-assembly building.
531 B-29 Superfortresses and 1,585 B-26 Marauders were built at the Martin-Nebraska bomber plant before the end of World War II. Among the bombers were the Enola Gay and Bockscar that dropped the first atomic weapons to be used in a military action (against the cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan). Both planes were built and modified at the base with Paul Tibbets personally picking out the Enola Gay from the assembly line.
In 1948, Offutt Field transferred to the new Department of the Air Force and became Offutt Air Force Base. Later that same year, the 3902d Air Base Wing became the host unit at Offutt. During the same year, Offutt gained international prominence when it became the host base for the Headquarters of Strategic Air Command. Offutt was chosen for its strategic central position in the USA; allowing long-range, nuclear-armed bombers to (then) stay safely out of range of hostile missiles or bomber aircraft. Offutt's population and facilities grew dramatically to keep pace with the increased operational demands during the Cold War. Several new buildings were erected, including more than 2,000 family housing units.
During the Cold War, a general and various support from the base were airborne 24-hours a day on an EC-135 from February 3, 1961 to July 24, 1990 in Operation Looking Glass for 281,000 hours creating an Airborne Command Post in case of war. The Operation carried on without any accidents.
The 3902d Air Base Wing was deactivated in 1986, and the 55th Strategic Reconnaissance Wing assumed host-unit responsibilities. Increased defense spending during the 1980s brought additional operational improvements to Offutt, including the Bennie Davis Aircraft Maintenance Hangar, and a new command center for Headquarters SAC.
Offutt was burned into popular imagination during its SAC period when the command was depicted in the 1955 film Strategic Air Command (film) starring James Stewart (actor) and the 1964 Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (which depicts a nuclear first strike from a mad general at the fictional Burpelson Air Force Base).
In 1992 the Air Force reorganized its military unit structure. The Strategic Air Command was deactivated, and on June 1, the unified U.S. Strategic Command (USSTRATCOM), was established. The 55th Strategic Wing then became the 55th Wing, under the newly created Air Combat Command.
In 1998 the Strategic Air and Space Museum moved 30 miles to the southwest to Ashland, Nebraska where it is just off Interstate 80 midway between Omaha and Lincoln, Nebraska.
In 2005, Offutt began several major renovations. The on-base "Wherry" housing area was demolished and will be replaced with new housing. A new fire house, mini-mall, and post office were completed in 2006. Additionally, the Air Force Weather Agency broke ground on a new facility which is scheduled to be completed in 2008.
On July 1, 2007, the Space Shuttle Atlantis returning from its mission STS-117 via a Shuttle Carrier Aircraft stopped at the base for refueling while being transported back from Edwards Air Force Base to Florida because storms in the southeastern United States had hampered the flight back. In a twist of fate, the Atlantis had delivered Clayton Anderson from nearby Ashland, Nebraska to a mission aboard the International Space Station. The visit was the second by a space shuttle. The first was the Space Shuttle Columbia visited in July 1985 atop one of the Shuttle Carriers. [3]
On September 11, 2001, George W. Bush conducted one of the first major strategy sessions for the response to the September 11, 2001 attacks from a bunker at the base.
Bush, who was in Florida at the Emma Booker Elementary School in Sarasota, Florida[4] at the time of the attacks, first flew from Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport to Barksdale Air Force Base in Louisiana and then to Offutt en route back to Washington, DC. Bush arrived at 2:50 PM (Eastern), conducted a video conference in an underground command bunker and left for Washington, DC at 4:30 PM.[5]
Air Force One left Barksdale for Offutt Air Force Base around 1:30 p.m. [6] The Air Force One entourage was pared down to a few essential staffers such as Ari Fleischer, Andrew Card, Karl Rove, Dan Bartlett, and Gordon Johndroe [7], plus about five reporters. [8] During the flight, Bush remained in “continuous contact” with the White House Situation Room and Vice President Dick Cheney. [9]
Air Force One landed at Offutt shortly before 3:00 p.m. [10] At 3:06, Bush passed through security to the US Strategic Command Underground Command Center [11] and was taken into an underground bunker designed to withstand a nuclear blast. [12]
There, he held a teleconference call with Vice President Cheney, National Security Advisor Condoleezza Rice, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage, CIA Director Tenet, Transportation Secretary Norman Mineta, and others. [13] The meeting lasted about an hour. [14] Rice recalled that during the meeting, Tenet told Bush, “Sir, I believe it’s al-Qaeda. We’re doing the assessment but it looks like, it feels like, it smells like al-Qaeda.” [15]
By this time, people were anticipating and expecting another reassuring public statement from Bush. [16] The White House staff was preparing for Bush to address the nation from the Offutt bunker, but Bush decided instead to return to Washington. [17]
Air Force One left Offutt around 4:30 p.m. [18]
Coincidentally, Omaha-resident Warren Buffett was on the base meeting that morning in a charity event which was attended by several financial services executives whose offices were in the World Trade Center. Among the executives was Anne Tatlock of Fiduciary Trust Co. International, who likely would have died had it not been for the meeting. [19] There is no record if Buffett or any of the executives met or even saw Bush.
Bush's visit to Omaha has been the source of considerable debate:
- According to reports, Bush wanted to return directly from Louisiana but his advisors, including Vice President Cheney as well as the Secret Service, said initially that all the planes were not accounted for.
- New York Times columnist William Safire initially criticized Bush for being out of public view for nearly 10 hours at Barksdale and Offutt during the attacks (Safire also criticized Cheney for not making an appearance during the time). Safire backtracked somewhat in his September 13 column "In the Bunker" in which he said:
- "It would have been irresponsible of him to come back, pounding his chest," says my source, "when hostile aircraft may have been headed our way. Any suggestion that he should have done so is ludicrous."
- Confession: I made just that suggestion in yesterday's column, which stimulated two set-it-straight calls. Why didn't the V.P. make an appearance during that long afternoon in Bush's stead? The official reason is that Cheney was busy in the basement; the real reason, I think, is that he was unduly concerned it would appear presumptuous. [20]
- Various 9/11 conspiracy theories claim the United States had foreknowledge of the attacks because USSTRATCOM had earlier scheduled its annual Global Guardian global exercise as part of the United States military exercises scheduled for September 11, 2001
| Offutt AFB, Nebraska | |
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|
| Coordinates: | |
|---|---|
| Country | United States |
| State | Nebraska |
| County | Sarpy |
| Area | |
| - Total | 4.3 sq mi (11.3 km²) |
| - Land | 4.2 sq mi (10.9 km²) |
| - Water | 0.1 sq mi (0.4 km²) |
| Elevation | 988 ft (301 m) |
| Population (2000) | |
| - Total | 8,901 |
| - Density | 2,113.1/sq mi (816.3/km²) |
| Time zone | Central (CST) (UTC-6) |
| - Summer (DST) | CDT (UTC-5) |
| FIPS code | 31-35945GR2 |
| GNIS feature ID | 0837659GR3 |
Offutt Air Force Base is located at (41.113520, -95.928399).GR1
According to the United States Census Bureau, the base has a total area of 4.3 square miles (11.3 km²), of which, 4.2 square miles (10.9 km²) of it is land and 0.1 square miles (0.4 km²) of it (3.22%) is water.
As of the censusGR2 of 2000, there were 8,901 people, 2,304 households, and 2,255 families residing onn the base. The population density was 2,113.1 people per square mile (816.3/km²). There were 2,429 housing units at an average density of 576.6/sq mi (222.8/km²). The racial makeup of the base was 77.97% White, 10.44% Black or African American, 0.69% Native American, 2.73% Asian, 0.31% Pacific Islander, 3.55% from other races, and 4.31% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 7.38% of the population.
There were 2,304 households out of which 79.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 90.5% were married couples living together, 5.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 2.1% were non-families. 1.9% 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 3.61 and the average family size was 3.64.
On the base the population was spread out with 41.9% under the age of 18, 16.8% from 18 to 24, 39.7% from 25 to 44, 1.4% from 45 to 64, and 0.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 22 years. For every 100 females there were 105.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 109.7 males.
The median income for a household on the base was $36,742, and the median income for a family was $36,619. Males had a median income of $25,391 versus $21,593 for females. The per capita income for the base was $11,580. About 4.4% of families and 5.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 7.1% of those under age 18 and none of those age 65 or over.
- ^ http://www.emmitsburg.net/archive_list/articles/history/spanish_american_war/elmore_nelson.htm Corporal Elmore Nelson - Emmitsburg Area Historical Society (Retrieved on January 11, 2007)
- ^ http://www.militarynewcomers.com/OFFUTT04/Resources/basehistory.html Benchmark Publishing, (2005). Welcome to Offutt AFB. Retrieved December 19, 2005.
- ^ It's a bird, it's a plane, it's a space shuttle? – Bellevue Leader – July 1, 2007
- ^ Pool news report by Judy Keen and Jay Carney on September 11, 2001, posted on USA Today Sept. 11 Resources
- ^ http://atheism.about.com/b/a/111410.htm September 11, 2001 Timeline
- ^ CBS, 9/11/02, Telegraph, 12/16/01, Salon, 9/11/01, Washington Post, 9/11/01, MSNBC, 9/22/01, CNN, 9/12/01
- ^ White House, 9/11/01
- ^ AP, 9/12/01 (D)
- ^ CNN, 9/11/01 (B)
- ^ Washington Post, 9/11/01
- ^ Salon, 9/11/01, CBS, 9/11/02
- ^ Telegraph, 12/16/01
- ^ ABC News, 9/11/02, Telegraph, 12/16/01, Washington Times, 10/8/02
- ^ Telegraph, 12/16/01, Salon, 9/11/01, AP, 8/19/02
- ^ CBS, 9/11/02
- ^ Orlando Sentinel, 9/12/01
- ^ CBS, 9/11/02
- ^ MSNBC, 9/22/01, CNN, 9/12/01, Telegraph, 12/16/01
- ^ San Francisco Business Times, 2/1/02
- ^ Inside the Bunker by William Safire, September 13, 2001 (reprinted on Bintjebil)
- Offutt Air Force Base (official site)
- US Strategic Command (official site)
- Offutt AFB history from Strategic-Air-Command.com
- GlobalSecurity.org Offutt AFB
- Resources for this U.S. military airport:
- AirNav airport information for KOFF
- ASN accident history for OFF
- NOAA/NWS latest weather observations
- SkyVector aeronautical chart for KOFF
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Sarpy County, Nebraska |
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| County seat: Papillion | ||
| Cities |
Bellevue | Gretna | La Vista | Papillion | Springfield |
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| CDPs |
Chalco | Offutt Air Force Base |
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| Bases | Barksdale Air Force Base · Beale Air Force Base · Davis-Monthan Air Force Base · Dyess Air Force Base · Ellsworth Air Force Base · Holloman Air Force Base · Langley Air Force Base · Minot Air Force Base · Moody Air Force Base · Mountain Home Air Force Base · Nellis Air Force Base · Offutt Air Force Base · Seymour Johnson Air Force Base · Shaw Air Force Base · Whiteman Air Force Base |   |
| Numbered Air Forces | 1st Air Force · 8th Air Force · 9th Air Force · 12th Air Force | |
| Wings | 1st Fighter Wing · 2d Bomb Wing · 4th Fighter Wing · 5th Bomb Wing · 7th Bomb Wing · 9th Reconnaissance Wing · 20th Fighter Wing · 23d Wing · 28th Bomb Wing · 33d Fighter Wing · 49th Fighter Wing · 53d Wing · 55th Wing · 57th Wing · 70th Intelligence Wing · 98th Range Wing · 99th Air Base Wing · 355th Fighter Wing · 366th Fighter Wing · 388th Fighter Wing · 432d Wing · 480th Intelligence Wing · 505th Command and Control Wing · 509th Bomb Wing · 552d Air Control Wing | |