STRATEGIC AIR COMMAND - OFFUTT FIELD

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                         " Peace ... is our Profession" Painting by Mike Hagel

                                           Offutt AFB History

For nearly a century, Offutt AFB has played a key role in American military history. From its beginnings as Fort Crook in the late 1800s, Offutt has adapted to the defense needs of the United States. The historical significance of Offutt is a source of pride for military and community members alike.

Offutt's great heritage began with the construction of Fort Crook between 1894 and 1896, some 10 miles south of Omaha and two miles west of the Missouri River. The fort's namesake was Maj. Gen. George Crook, a renowned Indian fighter and Civil War hero who commanded the forces that Apache War Chief Geronimo surrendered to in 1896. Many of the original buildings constructed on the post before 1900, including the guard house and various enlisted and officers quarters, are still in use today.

The 61st Balloon Company became the first air unit to command the post on Sept. 10, 1918. In the spring of 1921, the plowing, leveling, and seeding of 260 acres of land at Fort Crook created an airfield suitable for frequent takeoffs and landings and a refueling point for military and government aircraft on cross-country flights.

Nebraska played a significant, if little-known role in the air war of World War I as home to the Fort Omaha Balloon School. Captive balloons, used for observation of enemy troop movements, were used extensively in "the war to end all wars." A variety of balloon skills were taught at Fort Omaha and the adjoining Florence Field. Aerial location of enemy artillery, aerial photographs, parachuting, communication and balloon care were stressed for officers who went up in balloons. Ground crews were trained in balloon inflation, control techniques and bedding balloons down. Ballooning was exciting, risky business. Hydrogen used to inflate the balloons was highly flammable. Static electricity from clothing or hair could cause balloons to ignite into raging infernos. Captive balloons were like sitting ducks, so observers had to learn to parachute. Sometimes these early chutes worked. Sometimes they didn't. Thirteen of the seventeen balloon companies sent to the European front were trained at Ft. Omaha. But advances in aviation spelled the end for military ballooning. .

The airfield portion of Fort Crook was designated Offutt Field on May 10, 1924, in honor of 1st Lt. Jarvis J. Offutt. Offutt was killed while flying with the Royal Air Force in France and was Omaha's first World War I air casualty.

Years later as American involvement in World War II loomed, the Army Air Corps chose in 1940 Fort Crook as the site for a new bomber plant. The plant's construction included two mile-long concrete runways, six large hangars, and a huge 1.2 million square-foot aircraft-assembly building.

The Glenn L. Martin Company began producing bombers in January 1942, with the plant reaching full-scale production June 8, 1942. A total of 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. These aircraft included the Enola Gay and Bock's Car, the two B-29s that dropped the atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan. Production ended on Sept. 18, 1945, when the last B-29 rolled out of the assembly building.Originally designed by Boeing, the big B-29 bomber was built by three companies at four locations: Boeing at Renton, Wash., and Wichita; Bell Aircraft at Marietta, Ga.; and Martin at Omaha. The decision to convert Martin-Nebraska production from B-26's to B-29's came in July 1943, when the Air Corps decided to phase out the B-26. The Omaha plant had been a problem. Delays in machine-tool delivery had made it slow in starting. Coordination proved difficult, and sometimes acrimonious, among plant management, Martin-Baltimore executives and engineers, and principal subcontractors Chrysler, Hudson, and Goodyear. In February 1943 Martin sent G. Tom Willey, one of the company's best "production men" to run the factory; in October he was followed by Martin's Executive Vice President Joseph T. Hartson, who replaced Glenn Martin as President of Martin-Nebraska.

The infusion of talent probably weakened the parent company, but it paid immediate dividends in Omaha. In December 1943 Martin-Nebraska won the first of four "E" efficiency awards, first for building B-26's and then, after production began in April 1944, for B-29's. Martin-Baltimore itself became a subcontractor, building B-29 nacelles after the A-30 Baltimore was cancelled. Martin-Nebraska was chosen to build fifty specially modified B-29's for the 509th Composite Group, the unit designated to drop the first atomic bombs. The success of their mission led to the abrupt closing of the Omaha plant in August 1945 after 531 B-29's had been built there. Nearly complete planes, parts, and tools were scrapped, and workers laid off rapidly. Martin did not own the buildings, having operated only as the wartime management. They reverted back to the government in 1945; with the rest of Fort Crook they were incorporated in 1948 into Offut Air Force Base, for many years headquarters of the Strategic Air Command. The Martin-built Enola Gay and Bockscar, which dropped the two atomic bombs, were preserved after the war. The former belongs to the Smithsonian Institution and is under restoration at its Silver Hill facility; the latter has been on display since 1961 at the Air Force Museum. (This from the Glen L. Martin Aviation Museum).

In June 1946, the Army Air Force re-designated Fort Crook and the Martin-Nebraska facilities as Offutt Field. Just 18 months later, on Jan. 13, 1948, Offutt Field transferred to the new Department of the Air Force and became Offutt Air Force Base. Later that same year, on Sept. 26, the 3902nd Air Base Wing became the host unit at Offutt.

At one minute past midnight, Nov. 9, 1948, Offutt gained international prominence when it became the host base for Headquarters Strategic Air Command. Air Force Secretary Stuart Symington chose to locate the Air Force's crucial long-range atomic strike force at Offutt primarily because the base was centrally located on the North American continent, placing it well beyond the existing range of potentially hostile bombers or missiles.

The old frontier fort underwent startling changes in the Cold War years that followed. Operations at Offutt included the basing of alert bombers and tankers in the late 1950s and 1960s, support for intercontinental ballistic missile sites in Nebraska and Iowa in the 1960s, and worldwide reconnaissance from the mid-1960s to the present.

The establishment of the Joint Strategic Target Planning Staff in 1960, the Looking Glass airborne command post in 1961, the activation of Air Force Global Weather Central in 1969, and the arrival of the National Emergency Airborne Command Post mission in 1977 further enhanced Offutt's role as a center of military importance.

Offutt's population and facilities grew dramatically to keep pace with the increased operational demands. Several new dormitories and more than 2,000 family housing units - built in the late 1950s and 1960s under incremental Wherry and Capehart projects - quickly replaced the old quarters of Fort Crook.

Headquarters SAC moved from the Martin-Nebraska complex to Building 500 in 1957, and new base facilities in the 1960s and 1970s included a hospital, main exchange, commissary, and library.

The 3902nd Air Base Wing was inactivated March 1, 1986, and the 55th Strategic Reconnaissance Wing assumed host-unit responsibilities.

Increased defense spending in the 1980s brought additional operational improvements, including the wing's special operations building, the Bennie L. Davis Aircraft Maintenance Complex, and a new underground command center for Headquarters SAC.

Offutt again faced monumental changes in 1992 when the easing of world tensions allowed the United States to reorganize its Air Force. The Strategic Air Command was disestablished June 1, 1992, and a new, unified command, U.S. Strategic Command, was activated.

With this historic change, the operational control of Offutt became the responsibility of Air Combat Command, another of the Air Force's new commands.

This former Army outpost, once hard-pressed to support a few hundred soldiers, nears the turn of the century with the resources and facilities to accommodate a combined military and civilian work force of more than 11,000, while supporting nearly 24,000 family members and retirees.

US Strategic Command Headquarters

Offutt Air Force Base, Neb., is home to the United States Air Force’s premiere reconnaissance and command-and-control operations. Among the base’s numerous and diverse units and missions, all branches of the U.S. armed forces are represented in a workforce that exceeds 10,000 military and civilian personnel.

                                       KC - 135 BECOMING AIRBORNE

The base’s fleet of RC-135, OC-135, and WC-135 aircraft are in constant demand around the world to provide global situational awareness to military leaders and government officials. Additionally, its E-4B aircraft provide transport and command and control for the President, the Secretary of Defense, and Secretary of State.

Located in the heart of the nation, Offutt’s 4,000 acres reside in the beautiful rolling hills of southeastern Nebraska, next to the city of Bellevue and just south of Omaha.

Offutt’s host unit is the 55^th Wing, the largest wing within the Air Force’s Air Combat Command. Additionally, the base is home to many significant associate units, including U.S. Strategic Command Headquarters, the Air Force Weather Agency, the Omaha operating location of the Defense Finance and Accounting Service, and many others.

Headquarters SAC moved from the Martin-Nebraska complex to Building 500 in 1957. The establishment of the Joint Strategic Target Planning Staff in 1960, the Looking Glass airborne command post in 1961, the activation of the Air Force Global Weather Central in 1969, and the arrival of the National Emergency Airborne Command Post mission in 1977 further enhanced Offutt's role as a center of military importance. Increased defense spending in the 1980's brought additional operational improvements including a new underground command center for Headquarters SAC.

Offutt faced monumental changes in 1992 when the easing of world tensions allowed the United States to reorganize its Air Force. The Strategic Air Command was disestablished here June 1, 1992, and the new, unified command, U.S. Strategic Command was activated. With this historical change, the operational control of Offutt became the responsibility of Air Combat Command, another of the Air Force's new commands. One of nine unified warfighting commands, USSTRATCOM is responsible for the planning, targeting, and wartime employment of the United States’ nuclear forces.

Reconnaissance and Command-and-Control

Offutt Air Force Base is home to the United States Air Force’s premiere reconnaissance and command-and-control operations. Among the base’s numerous and diverse units and missions, all branches of the U.S. armed forces are represented in a workforce that exceeds 10,000 military and civilian personnel. The base’s fleet of RC-135, OC-135, and WC-135 aircraft are in constant demand around the world to provide global situational awareness to military leaders and government officials. Additionally, its E-4B aircraft provide transport and command and control for the President, the Secretary of Defense, and Secretary of State.

Air Force Weather Agency

Air Force Weather Agency is a field operating agency of the Headquarters U.S. Air Force Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff for Air and Space Operations, Weather Directorate (AF/XOW). Each day, AFWA builds the world’s most comprehensive weather database to provide forecast products to Air Force and Army warfighters, the National Command Authorities, base and post weather stations, the National Reconnaissance Office, and others. It was formed October 15, 1997, and is located at Offutt Air Force Base. Air Force Weather Agency was formed as part of a reengineering effort to streamline and improve the structure of the former Air Weather Service. This was a result of the realignment of Air Weather Service headquarters staff from Scott AFB, Ill. and the former Air Force Global Weather Center [Central], DOD's primary centralized weather production facility at Offutt. AFWA is organized into a headquarters element with two subordinate centers. Nearly 574 of the agency's 729 members are located at Offutt AFB, Neb. AFWA is not an automated production center. It is a computer-based operation heavily reliant on the interaction between people and computers to produce accurate and complete services in support of operational requirements. AFWA products and services support the war fighter, the base or post weather station, national programs, command and control agencies and systems, and other validated operational and planning functions. As new requirements emerge, AFWA applies information from the central database to the task.

The 55th Operations Group, ACC's largest group, located at Offutt air Force Base, Nebraska, has operational control over 12 squadrons and two detachments worldwide. The group consists of approximately 3,200 personnel. It employs 46 aircraft, including 13 models of seven different types. Mission responsibility includes the Air Force's most diverse flying operations supporting worldwide reconnaissance, command and control, Presidential support, and nuclear treaty verification.

The 55th Operations Group traces it's lineage to the 55th Pursuit (Interceptor) Group constituted on 20 November 1940 and activated 15 January 1941 at Hamilton Field, California. During World War II, the 55th Pursuit Group garnered two Distinguished Unit Citations. The group fostered 16 aces who were credited with 90 air-to-air victories. Its last mission flew on 21 April 1945 and inactivation occurred on 20 August 1946.

On 24 February 1947, Strategic Air Command activated and redesignated the 55th Fighter Group as the 55th Reconnaissance group at MacDill Field, Florida, operating the RB-17. The newly activated group's mission consisted of aerial photography, mapping, charting, and photo reconnaissance missions, some of which flew around the globe. The group then converted to RB-29s and transferred to Topeka (later Forbes) AFB, Kansas, in 1948, but was again inactivated in October 1949. On 1 November 1950, the 55th Strategic reconnaissance group was activated as a "paper organization" with the tactical squadrons attached directly to the 55th Strategic Reconnaissance wing. The wing was bestowed with the awards and honors of the 55th Reconnaissance Group and moved to Ramey AFB, Puerto Rico. In 1952 the group was again inactivated on 16 June 1952 as the Air Force reorganized its wings into the tri-deputate system.

As the end of the Cold War dawned in the early 1990s, the Air Force again underwent dramatic changes and reorganizations. the decision was made to return to the group organizational structure. In line with this decision, the 55th Strategic Reconnaissance Group was redesignated as the 55th Operations Group on 29 august 1991 and activated on 1 September 1991. It was assigned to the 55th Wing, Offutt AFB, Nebraska, along with four other groups. The 55th Operations Group activated with one of the largest and most diverse missions in the USAF.

Since the end of the Cold War, the 55th Operations Group has maintained an unmatched operational tempo, supporting every US contingency worldwide. These missions have included but were not limited to reconnaissance, command and control, and airlift missions supporting Operations SOUTHERN WATCH, PROVIDE COMFORT, VIGILANT WARRIOR (Southwest Asia), PROVIDE PROMISE, DENY FLIGHT (Bosnia-Herzegovina), SUPPORT DEMOCRACY, UPHOLD DEMOCRACY (Haiti), and TIGER RESCUE (Yemen). Additionally, its squadrons have been called upon to support Distinguished Visitor airlift for the National Command Authorities, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, and numerous exercises.

Twenty-four hours a day, three hundred sixty-five days a year, there is a 55th Operations group aircraft airborne or airman deployed somewhere around the globe, thus earning its unofficial motto:

"The Sun Never Sets on the Fightin' Fifty-Fifth."

This information from the Offical Website of  U.S. Strategic Command (Stratcom) Offutt Air Force Base, Omaha.  Edited for this Website by Roger Miner

Webmaster: Roger W. Miner at minerland@neb.rr.com

                                                  Last modified : January 1st, 2007         

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