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Offutt Air Force Base

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Offutt Air Force Base
Company typeMilitary installation
IndustryMilitary aviation
Founded1890
Headquarters
Bellevue
,
United States
Area served
United States and worldwide (via US Strategic Command)
ProductsMilitary aviation operations, command and control
OwnerUnited States Department of Defense
ParentUnited States Air Force

Offutt Air Force Base is a U.S. Air Force installation located just south of Omaha, neighboring Bellevue within Sarpy County, Nebraska. It functions as the central command for the U.S. Strategic Command (USSTRATCOM), the 557th Weather Wing, and the 55th Wing (55 WG) of the Air Combat Command (ACC), which acts as the base's host unit.

The aviation history at Offutt dates back to September 1918 during World War I, when it operated as an Army Air Service balloon training field. Initially called Fort Crook, the base was renamed in 1924 in tribute to 1st Lt. Jarvis Offutt, an Omaha native and World War I aviator.

Offutt AFB gained prominence for its involvement in manufacturing the Enola Gay and Bockscar, the aircraft responsible for delivering atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in World War II. For over four decades, it served as the headquarters of the former Strategic Air Command (SAC), hosting critical command centers for both ground and aerial nuclear operations throughout the Cold War. According to the 2000 census, the base had a population of 8,901.

History

The base bears the name of First Lieutenant Jarvis Jenness Offutt (1894–1918), recognized as the first Omaha-born serviceman to perish during World War I. He lost his life when his SE-5 fighter crashed during a training mission in France. On 6 May 1924, the airfield at Fort Crook was officially designated Offutt Field.

Fort Crook

Offutt's beginnings are rooted in Fort Crook, established by the War Department in 1890 approximately ten miles south of Omaha near the Missouri River. Constructed between 1894 and 1896, it was named after Major General George Crook, a distinguished veteran of both the Civil War and Indian Wars.

Originally serving as a staging area for operations against Native American tribes across the Great Plains, Fort Crook’s troops later participated in the Spanish–American War. The 22nd Regiment under Charles A. Wikoff notably endured severe losses at the Battle of El Caney, primarily due to tropical illnesses.

The oldest extant section of Fort Crook includes parade grounds and red brick structures dating from 1894 to 1896, which continue to function as squadron headquarters, officers’ residences (known as Generals’ Row), and Nebraska’s longest-operating jail facility.

Offutt Field

In 1918, Fort Crook became home to the 61st Balloon Company of the Army Air Corps, assigned for combat reconnaissance training. By 1921, a grass airfield spanning 260 acres had been developed to support frequent takeoffs, landings, and refueling operations related to Post Office Department airmail and transcontinental flights. That year also saw construction of the first permanent hangars. The 74th and 60th Balloon Companies were among other units stationed there toward late 1918.

From 1935 through 1940, a small contingent of regular military personnel from Marshall Field and Fort Riley maintained a presence at Offutt Field. Officially named "Offutt Field" in 1924, it provided inactive duty training for the Organized Reserve’s 314th Observation Squadron throughout the 1920s and ’30s. This squadron maintained its own facilities, equipment, and aircraft while conducting annual training sessions at Marshall Field or sites near Kansas City until its inactivation in 1939 and subsequent disbandment in 1942.

Glenn L. Martin Bomber Plant

In 1940, with the United States nearing entry into World War II, the Army Air Corps designated Offutt Field as the site for a new bomber manufacturing facility managed by the Glenn L. Martin Company. This complex featured a concrete runway stretching two miles (3.2 km), six expansive hangars, and a dedicated aircraft assembly structure.

By 1944, production transitioned to focus on the B-29 Superfortress very heavy bombers, culminating in the completion of 531 units before the conflict concluded. Among these were the famous Enola Gay and Bockscar, aircraft responsible for delivering the first atomic bombs used in warfare over Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan.

Manufacturing operations ended on 18 September 1945 with the final B-29 produced. Subsequently, control of the airfield and its associated facilities was handed over to the 4131st Army Air Force Base Unit under the Air Materiel Command.

Postwar use

Following World War II, Offutt served as a demobilization center managed by the 2474th Separation Processing Squadron to process returning military personnel. In June 1946, the Army Air Force rebranded Fort Crook and the Martin-Nebraska installations collectively as Offutt Field, designating it as headquarters for the Air Defense Command Second Air Force starting 6 June. Operations officially commenced in 1947 with assignment of the 381st Bombardment Group, although its primary function remained processing separations.

The establishment of the United States Air Force in September 1947 brought Offutt under its jurisdiction; on 13 January 1948, it was officially renamed Offutt Air Force Base. Later that year, command transitioned to the 3902nd Air Base Group (later Wing) led by A. J. Beck as the host unit.

Strategic Air Command

Offutt was designated as headquarters for Strategic Air Command (SAC) on 9 November 1948, relocating from Andrews AFB, Maryland. The choice by Secretary of the Air Force Stuart Symington was due to Offutt’s central position within North America, which strategically placed SAC’s long-range nuclear strike capabilities beyond reach of enemy missiles or bombers.

Throughout the Cold War, Offutt experienced extensive growth in both population and infrastructure. The late 1950s and 1960s saw construction of new dormitories alongside more than 2,000 family housing units under Wherry and Capehart housing programs. SAC headquarters moved into Building 500 in 1957; additional amenities developed over time included a hospital, main exchange, commissary, and library.

During the late 1950s, Offutt also accommodated a Royal Air Force facility that supported Avro Vulcan bombers participating in joint training exercises.

From an operational standpoint, Offutt provided support for alert tanker aircraft through the late 1950s and 1960s, oversaw ICBM sites located in Nebraska and Iowa throughout the 1960s, and facilitated global reconnaissance missions beginning in the mid-1960s.

For base protection, the U.S. Army installed Nike-Hercules surface-to-air missile batteries near Cedar Creek, Nebraska (OF-60), and Council Bluffs, Iowa (OF-10). These sites were active from November 1960 until March 1966 under command of the 6th Battalion, 43rd Air Defense Artillery Regiment.

Between February 1961 and July 1990, Offutt maintained continuous airborne command post operations utilizing EC-135 aircraft as part of Operation Looking Glass.

The inactivation of the 3902d Air Base Wing occurred on 1 March 1986, with host duties transferring to the 55th Strategic Reconnaissance Wing. Increased defense budgets during the 1980s supported upgrades such as construction of the Bennie Davis Aircraft Maintenance Hangar and establishment of a new SAC command center.

U.S. Strategic Command

In 1992, amid a period of reduced international tensions, the Strategic Air Command was decommissioned and succeeded by the U.S. Strategic Command (USSTRATCOM), a Unified Combatant Command operating under the Department of Defense. Concurrently, the 55th Strategic Wing was redesignated as the 55th Wing, becoming part of the newly established Air Combat Command.

The Strategic Air and Space Museum moved in 1998 to Ashland, Nebraska, improving its accessibility for visitors traveling between Omaha and Lincoln.

Beginning in 2005, Offutt AFB saw extensive modernization efforts, including the demolition of the Wherry housing complex to make way for new residential units. By 2006, construction was completed on a fire station, an AAFES mini-mall, and a U.S. Post Office. Additionally, the Air Force Weather Agency opened a new facility that was finished in 2008.

The STRATCOM Command and Control Facility (C2F) was planned to become fully operational by September 2018, enhancing command infrastructure.

In spring 2019, massive flooding from the Missouri River severely impacted Offutt AFB, flooding nearly half of its runway. During repair work and ongoing construction, flight operations and support personnel were temporarily relocated to Lincoln Air National Guard Base.

President Bush Offutt Conference on 11 September 2001

Following the attacks on 11 September 2001, President George W. Bush held an essential strategic meeting at Offutt AFB. Initially in Florida, he traveled first to Barksdale AFB in Louisiana before proceeding to Offutt and eventually returning to Washington, DC.

Air Force One landed at Offutt shortly before 3:00 p.m., carrying a streamlined delegation including key advisors and select media representatives. Throughout the flight, Bush maintained continuous contact with the White House Situation Room and Vice President Dick Cheney.

At 3:06 p.m., Bush entered the US Strategic Command Underground Command Center—a bunker designed to withstand nuclear blasts—where he participated in a teleconference with senior officials such as Cheney, National Security Advisor Condoleezza Rice, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, CIA Director George Tenet, among others. The session lasted approximately one hour; during it, Tenet identified al-Qaeda as the probable attacker.

Although there were plans for Bush to deliver a national address from Offutt, he ultimately decided to return to Washington. Air Force One departed from Offutt around 4:30 p.m.

Whistleblower suit

In May 2011, civilian employee George Sarris reached a settlement with the government after alleging retaliation tied to his exposure of inadequate maintenance practices on RC-135 aircraft dating back to 2008. Following coverage by the Kansas City Star, base authorities revoked his security clearance and reassigned him to low-level duties. Subsequent government inquiries validated many of his allegations. The USAF agreed to compensate Sarris with full salary until his retirement in 2014 and reimbursed $21,000 toward his legal expenses. After retiring, Sarris authored Cowardice in Leadership – A Lesson in Harassment, Intimidation, and Reprisals. Ten years later, the Omaha World Herald corroborated his claims through an extensive three-part investigative report.

Former designations

  • Fort Crook, established 3 March 1891
  • Offutt Flying Field, Fort Crook, 1920
  • Offutt Field, renamed 6 May 1924

Primary commands assigned

  • Seventh Corps Area, U.S. Army, 1920
  • Army Air Forces Materiel Command, from 13 October 1942
  • Army Air Forces Materiel and Services Command, 1944
Renamed AAF Technical Service Command, 31 August 1944
Renamed Air Technical Service Command, 1945
Renamed Air Materiel Command, 9 March 1946
Jurisdiction under U.S. Army Seventh Service Command until 11 June 1946

Key units assigned

Intercontinental ballistic missile installations

The 549th Strategic Missile Squadron managed three sites equipped with SM-65D Atlas ICBMs from1 October1960 until15 December1964. Each location contained three missile silos, totaling nine:

  • Site 549-A, located approximately3.4 miles southeast of Mead, Nebraska
  • Site 549-B, situated about3.6 miles northeast of Arlington, Nebraska
  • Site 549-C, roughly4.3 miles southeast of Missouri Valley, Iowa

Initial planning by the United States Army Corps of Engineers began in1958, with construction finalized on28 July1960. By May1961, these complexes represented the final Atlas D missiles maintained on alert status.

The squadron was activated on1 October1960 and was phased out alongside the Atlas-D missile deactivation on1 October1964; it was formally inactivated on14 December1964. Initially designated as the566th, it exchanged designations with the549th at F.E. Warren AFB on1 July1961 and operated under the385th Strategic Aerospace Wing.

In the late1970s, Site "A" was converted by the Nebraska National Guard into the Mead Training Site under the management of Camp Ashland Training Site Command. This facility supports training for National Guard units, USAF personnel, law enforcement agencies, among others. Since2008, it has served as the primary location for the3/209th RTI's88M reclassification course. A Military Operations in Urban Terrain (MOUT) facility was added in2009, followed by the construction of two National Guard armories nearby in2012. Additionally, Offutt AFB airmen utilize this site for Survival, Evasion, Resistance and Escape (SERE) training.

Site "B" is currently utilized for agricultural storage purposes, while Site "C" has been dismantled with only access roads remaining intact.

1983 murders

While assigned to the base in 1983, serial killer John Joubert took the lives of two young boys.

2019 shooting incident

In September 2019, a tragic shooting occurred within Offutt's private residential area, resulting in the deaths of Sgt. Zachary Firlik and his spouse, Kari Firlik. The event was determined to be a murder-suicide; Firlik, an off-duty airman, fatally shot his wife before taking his own life. Their five-year-old daughter survived by fleeing after hearing the gunfire.

Function and activities

Offutt Air Force Base is home to the 55th Wing (55 WG), recognized as the largest wing within the United States Air Force's Air Combat Command. Additionally, the base supports critical units such as the US Strategic Command Headquarters, the 557th Weather Wing, and hosts the Omaha branch of the Defense Finance and Accounting Service.

55th Wing

The 55th Wing consists of five groups located at Offutt AFB and other global sites:

  • 55th Operations Group
The largest group within ACC, managing 11 squadrons and two detachments worldwide with approximately 3,200 personnel. It operates a fleet of 46 aircraft across seven models, marked by tail code OF. Significant squadrons include:
38th Reconnaissance Squadron (RC-135)
343d Reconnaissance Squadron (RC-135)
45th Reconnaissance Squadron (OC-135, RC-135, TC-135, WC-135)
338th Combat Training Squadron (Simulator)
82d Reconnaissance Squadron (RC-135) – Stationed at Kadena AB, Japan
95th Reconnaissance Squadron (RC-135) – Based at RAF Mildenhall, England
  • 55th Electronic Combat Group
A geographically separated unit operating from Davis–Monthan Air Force Base, comprising five squadrons including three flying units that operate various EC-130 aircraft variants:
41st Electronic Combat Squadron
42d Electronic Combat Squadron
43d Electronic Combat Squadron
755th Operations Support Squadron
755th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron
  • 55th Maintenance Group
Oversees maintenance personnel functions that support reconnaissance missions worldwide.
  • 55th Mission Support Group
Provides essential services such as engineering, security, supply, transportation, contracting, and deployment readiness to Offutt AFB.
  • 55th Communications Group
Offers global command, control, communications, and computer (C4) systems along with information management and combat support to national leaders and warfighters. It supports both the 55th Wing and 44 tenant units with advanced communications infrastructure.
  • 55th Medical Group
Delivers outpatient clinical care and ancillary services to a patient population of 28,000 enrolled individuals.

595th Command and Control Group

Activated on 6 October 2016, the 595th Command and Control Group (C2G) was established to unify the Air Force's nuclear triad command and control communications under Air Force Global Strike Command (AFGSC). Before this consolidation, nuclear command and control duties were divided among AFGSC, Air Combat Command, and the Twentieth Air Force.

The 595th C2G is composed of four squadrons:

557th Weather Wing

The 557th Weather Wing, previously known as the Air Force Weather Agency, is based at Offutt AFB and functions as the primary weather operations center for the United States Air Force.

United States Strategic Command

Offutt AFB is home to the headquarters of United States Strategic Command (USSTRATCOM), which is one of the ten Unified Combatant Commands under the United States Department of Defense. Created in 1992 as the successor to SAC, USSTRATCOM manages a broad range of responsibilities including space operations (such as military satellite management), information operations, missile defense, global command and control, intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance (C4ISR), global strike capabilities, strategic deterrence involving the U.S. nuclear arsenal, and efforts to counter weapons of mass destruction.

Based units

Significant flying and support units stationed at Offutt AFB include:[1][2][3][4][5][6][7]

Units designated as GSU represent Geographically Separate Units located at Offutt but reporting to parent organizations elsewhere.

United States Air Force

Air Combat Command (ACC)

Air Force Global Strike Command (AFGSC)

Air Force Reserve Command (AFRC)

Air National Guard (ANG)

Department of Defense

United States Strategic Command (USSTRATCOM)

  • United States Strategic Command Headquarters
  • Global Operations Center

Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA)

  • Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency Headquarters


General's Row

The majority of senior officers stationed at Offutt reside along General's Row, a collection of four-story duplex residences constructed in 1895.

Radio transmissions

Owing to its central position within the United States, radio communications to and from Offutt can frequently be intercepted by shortwave enthusiasts on 11175 kHz, USB.

Demographics

According to the 2020 census data, Offutt AFB had a total population of 5,363 individuals, with a population density of 1,352.93 persons per square mile (522.35/km²) across an area measuring 4.17 square miles. In comparison, the year 2000 recorded 8,901 residents, comprising 2,304 households and 2,255 families. The racial demographics included 78.0% White, 10.4% African American, 2.7% Asian, and Hispanics or Latinos of any race accounting for 7.4%.

Household composition was largely dominated by married couples (90.5%), with a significant portion having children under the age of 18 (79.1%). The average household size was calculated at 3.61 members. The median age stood at 22 years, indicative of a predominantly youthful military population.

The median income for households was $36,742, while families had a median income of $36,619. Male median earnings were $25,391 compared to $21,593 for females. The per capita income was reported at $11,580. Approximately 5.6% of residents lived below the poverty threshold, including 7.1% of those younger than 18.

Geography

Offutt Air Force Base is situated at . Encompassing a total area of 4.3 square miles (11.3 km²), the base includes 4.2 square miles (10.9 km²) of land and 0.1 square miles (0.4 km²) covered by water, which represents about 3.22% of its total area.

Education

The majority of the base falls under the jurisdiction of the Bellevue Public Schools district, with some sections served by the Papillion-La Vista School District.

Offutt in popular culture

During its tenure as SAC headquarters, Offutt was prominently featured in several motion pictures such as Strategic Air Command (1955) starring James Stewart, A Gathering of Eagles (1963) featuring Rock Hudson, and Fail-Safe (1964) with Henry Fonda, all showcasing scenes from both the base and adjacent Omaha neighborhoods. It also received mention in Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb, where a nuclear attack is launched from a fictional Burpelson Air Force Base.

In the Star Trek episode titled "Tomorrow Is Yesterday", Offutt is identified as the 'Omaha installation' where a fighter pilot spots the USS Enterprise.

The base appears in Cold War-era novels such as Dale Brown's Plan of Attack, which depicts its destruction by Russian missile strikes, and Pat Frank's Alas, Babylon (1959), featuring an Air Force colonel assigned there.

Offutt is portrayed in the 1983 television film "The Day After" as SAC aircraft depart prior to a nuclear catastrophe and is referenced in Joy V. Smith's post-apocalyptic novel Strike Three.

An aerial photograph of Offutt is utilized as a reference image within an SCPF Secure Facility Dossier concerning Site-19.

See also

Additional sources

  • Maurer, Maurer. Air Force Combat Units of World War II. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Government Printing Office 1961 (reissued 1983 by the Office of Air Force History, ).
  • Ravenstein, Charles A. Air Force Combat Wings Lineage and Honors Histories 1947–1977. Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama: Office of Air Force History, 1984. .
  • Mueller, Robert. Air Force Bases Volume I, Active Air Force Bases Within the United States on 17 September 1982, Office of Air Force History, 1989


External links

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