| Dover Air Force Base | |||||||||
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| Dover, Delaware, U.S. in United States | |||||||||
 AC-5M Super Galaxy at Dover Air Force in April 2014 | |||||||||
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| Site information | |||||||||
| Type | U.S. Air Force base | ||||||||
| Owner | Department of Defense | ||||||||
| Operator | US Air Force | ||||||||
| Controlled by | Air Mobility Command (AMC) | ||||||||
| Condition | Operational | ||||||||
| Website | www.dover.af.mil/ | ||||||||
| Location | |||||||||
  Dover Location of Dover Air Force Base within the United States Show map of the United States | |||||||||
| Coordinates | 39°07′42″N075°27′53″W / 39.12833°N 75.46472°W /39.12833; -75.46472 (Dover AFB) | ||||||||
| Site history | |||||||||
| Built | 1941 (1941) | ||||||||
| In use | 1948 – present | ||||||||
| Garrison information | |||||||||
| Current commander | Colonel Matthew Jones | ||||||||
| Garrison | |||||||||
| Occupants | SeeBased units section for full list. | ||||||||
| Designations | National Register of Historic Places (Building 1301) | ||||||||
| Airfield information | |||||||||
| Identifiers | IATA: DOV,ICAO: KDOV,FAA LID: DOV,WMO: 724088 | ||||||||
| Elevation | 8.8 metres (29 ft)AMSL | ||||||||
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| Source:Federal Aviation Administration[1] | |||||||||
Dover Air Force Base orDover AFB (IATA:DOV,ICAO:KDOV,FAALID:DOV) is aUnited States Air Force (USAF) base under the operational control ofAir Mobility Command (AMC), located 2 miles (3.2 km) southeast of the city ofDover, Delaware. The436th Airlift Wing is the host wing, and runs the busiest and largest air freight terminal in theDepartment of Defense.[2]
Construction ofMunicipal Airport, Dover Airdrome began in March 1941 and the facility was opened on December 17, 1941. It was converted to aU.S. Army Air Corps airfield just weeks after the December 7, 1941Attack on Pearl Harbor. It was renamed Dover Army Airbase on April 8, 1943; *Dover Subbase on June 6, 1943, and Dover Army Airfield on February 2, 1944. With the establishment of theUnited States Air Force (USAF) on September 18, 1947, the facility was renamedDover Air Force Base on January 13, 1948.
* Was a subbase ofCamp Springs AAF, Maryland, June 6, 1943 – April 15, 1944.
In March 1941, Dover Air Force Base was founded duringWorld War II to meet the need of theUnited States Army Air Corps (USAAC) for an airfield that could be used as a training center. USAAC obtained jurisdiction over the municipal airport atDover, Delaware.
Once the airport came under military control, an immediate construction program began to turn the civil airport into a military facility. Construction involved runways and airplane hangars, with three concrete runways, several taxiways, a large parking apron and a control tower. Several large hangars were also constructed. Buildings were ultimately utilitarian and quickly assembled. Most base buildings, not intended for long-term use, were constructed with temporary or semi-permanent materials. Although some hangars had steel frames, and the occasional brick or tile brick building could be seen, most support buildings sat on concrete foundations, but were of frame construction, and clad in little more than plywood and tarpaper. Initially under USAAC, the name of the facility wasMunicipal Airport, Dover Airdrome and the airfield opened on 17 December 1941. The airfield was assigned to theFirst Air Force.
On 20 December the first military unit arrived at Dover's new airfield: the112th Observation Squadron of theOhio National Guard which flew anti-submarine patrols off the Delaware Coast. In early 1942, threeB-25 Mitchell bomber squadrons arrived with the45th Bombardment Group fromI Bomber Command, later part ofArmy Air Forces Antisubmarine Command, assumed the anti-submarine mission.
On 8 April 1943, the name of the airfield was changed toDover Army Air Base. The antisubmarine mission ended on 6 June, and construction crews moved back to the base for a major upgrading project that lengthened the main runway to 7,000 feet. During the construction period and continuing into June 1944, Dover AAB became a sub-base ofCamp Springs Army Airfield,Maryland.
Full operational capability was restored to Dover in September, and sevenP-47 Thunderbolt squadrons arrived for training in preparation for eventual involvement in theEuropean Theater, while the83d Fighter Group was assigned to Dover as the Operational Training Unit, The 83rd was redesignated the 125th Base Unit on 10 April 1944, with very little change in its mission. It was further redesignated as the 125th Army Air Force base Unit on 15 September 1944.
In 1944, theAir Technical Service Command chose Dover as a site to engineer, develop, and conduct classified air-launched rocket tests. The information collected during these experiments resulted in the effective deployment of air-to-surface rockets in both the European andPacific combat theaters.
On 1 September 1946, as a result of the drawdown of United States forces after the war, Dover Army Airfield was placed on temporary inactive status. A small housekeeping unit, the 4404th Base Standby Squadron, remained on the airfield for care and maintenance of the facility.
Dover Airfield was reactivated on 1 August 1950 as a result of theKorean War and the expansion of the USAF in response to theSoviet threat in theCold War. On February 1, 1951, the148th Fighter Interceptor Squadron of thePennsylvania Air National Guard arrived withP-51 Mustang fighter aircraft. During the 1950s problems developed with many of the facilities in Dover, which had been hastily constructed to support its World War II mission. As a result, a massive engineering project was undertaken to modernize the base.
On April 1, 1952, Dover was transferred to theMilitary Air Transport Service (MATS) and became home to1607th Air Transport Wing (Heavy). A full function hospital was completed in 1958 and base housing was expanded to handle 1,200 families in 1961. On January 1, 1966, the Military Air Transport Service was redesignated theMilitary Airlift Command (MAC). Along with the reorganization, the 1607th was discontinued and the436th Military Airlift Wing (436 MAW) activated and assumed the mission at Dover. The 436 MAW started replacingC-141 Starlifters andC-133 Cargomasters with the newC-5 Galaxy in 1971. Two years later Dover became the first all C-5 equipped wing in the USAF, trading the last of its C-141 toCharleston AFB, South Carolina.
During theVietnam War, the bodies of more than 20,000 American soldiers were brought back to the United States via Dover. The Vietnam War dead account for over 90% of all the remains processed at Dover before 1988.[3]
When theYom Kippur War broke out betweenIsrael and the combined forces ofEgypt andSyria on October 13, 1973, the 436 MAW responded with a 32-day airlift that delivered 22,305 tons of munitions and military equipment to Israel. The 436 MAW also assisted in the evacuation of Americans fromIran on December 9, 1978, following theIslamic Revolution. That year, Dover AFB was also used to store hundreds of bodies from the mass murder and suicide of theJonestown community inGuyana.[4][5]
Some of the more memorable flights during the post-war period included the airdrop and test firing of aMinuteman Iintercontinental ballistic missile and the delivery of a 40-tonsuperconducting magnet toMoscow during the Cold War, for which the crew received theMackay Trophy.
After theSpace ShuttleChallenger disaster, the remains of the seven astronauts were transferred to Dover AFB. It is one of only seven airports in the country that served as launch abort facilities for theSpace Shuttle.[6]
In March 1989, C-5s from Dover delivered special equipment used to clean up theExxon Valdez oil spill inPrince William Sound, Alaska. On June 7, 1989, while attending theAirlift Rodeo, a 436 MAW C-5 set a world record when it airdropped 190,346 pounds and 73 paratroopers. In October 1983, the wing flew 24 missions in support ofOperation Urgent Fury, theGrenada rescue operation and later flew 16 missions to supportOperation Just Cause, the invasion ofPanama, in December 1989 – January 1990.
DuringDesert Shield, the wing flew approximately 17,000 flying hours and airlifted a total of 131,275 tons of cargo in support of combat operations after theIraqi invasion of Kuwait.
In 1992, with the disestablishment of Military Airlift Command, Dover AFB was transferred to the newly establishedAir Mobility Command (AMC) and the 436 MAW and 512 MAW (Associate) were redesignated as the436th Airlift Wing (436 AW) and the512th Airlift Wing (512 AW), respectively. Dover also served as a major port of entry and exit for the conflicts in theBalkans andSomalia during the latter half of the 1990s.
Following theSeptember 11 attacks, the 436 AW and 512 AW became major participants inOperation Enduring Freedom andOperation Iraqi Freedom. An aircrew from Dover's 3rd Airlift Squadron landed the first C-5 in Iraq in late 2003 when they landed atBaghdad International Airport and the two wings continue to support operations in the region.
Also following September 11, 2001,U.S. Army mortuary specialists organized support forPentagon recovery efforts out of the base.[7] This effort evolved into the Joint Personal Effects Depot, which supports recovery and redistribution of the personal effects of wounded and killed personnel from all arms of the military.[7] In 2003, the Depot was transferred toAberdeen Proving Ground in Maryland.[7] Dover AFB is also where service members from all six branches of service killed in combat are repatriated. Their remains are processed, inspected for unexploded ordnance, cleaned, and prepared for burial before being escorted to the point of interment decided by the family. The Depot returned to Dover in 2011, when in April a new $14 million custom-built facility officially opened.[7]
On April 3, 2006, a C-5 Galaxycrashed short of a runway, skidding into a farm field. There were no fatalities.
By 2008, theair traffic tower serving the airfield, built in 1955, was the oldest such tower in use in the USAF. In 2009 the base received a new 128-foot tall tower, overlapping the original 103-foot one which was donated to theAir Mobility Command Museum, accessible to visitors.[8]
Dover AFB is the first air force base to receive the newC-5M "Super Galaxy", receiving the aircraft on February 9, 2009 (named "The Spirit of Global Reach").[9]
On February 2, 2015, the 9,600 foot runway 01-19 was closed for repairs. The runway was re-opened for operation on September 23, 2016. During the repair, the 12,900 foot runway 14–32 was temporarily cut in half so that the intersection of the two runways could be repaired.C-17 Globemasters could land on either half of runway 14–32.[10][11]
The airport has tworunways. Runway 14/32 measures 12903 x 150 ft (3933 x 46 m) and is paved withasphalt andconcrete. Runway 1/19 measures 9602 x 150 ft (2927 x 46 m) and is paved with concrete. The airport averages 123,735 aircraft operations per year, an average of 339 per day. It is entirelymilitary aviation.[12]
| Airlines | Destinations |
|---|---|
| Atlas Air | Worldwide |
Dover AFB is home to the436th Airlift Wing (436 AW) of theAir Mobility Command (AMC), known as the "Eagle Wing", and the AMC-gained512th Airlift Wing (512 AW) of theAir Force Reserve Command (AFRC), referred to as the "Liberty Wing". It was previously the only base to solely operate the massiveC-5 Galaxy and now operates both that aircraft plus theC-17 Globemaster III. The 436 AW has two active flying squadrons (the3rd Airlift Squadron, which now operates the C-17, and9th Airlift Squadron), and the 512 AW has two AFRC flying squadrons (the326th Airlift Squadron and the709th Airlift Squadron).
Dover AFB is also the home for the largest militarymortuary in theDepartment of Defense, and has been used for processing military personnel killed in both war and peacetime; the remains of those killed overseas are traditionally brought to Dover AFB before being transferred to family. TheCharles C. Carson Center for Mortuary Affairs has also been used to identify remains of civilians in certain exceptional circumstances: in 1978 for the victims of theJonestown mass murder/suicide, in 1986 for identifying the remains of the crew of theSpace ShuttleChallenger, and in 2003 for the crew of theSpace ShuttleColumbia. It was also a major site for identifying the remains of military personnel killed in the9/11 attacks. During the night of October 28, 2009, before making a decision on the committal of further troops toAfghanistan, PresidentBarack Obama visited the base to receive the bodies of several American soldiers killed in Afghanistan.
Two sections of the 436th Aerial Port Squadron warehouse collapsed on February 18, 2003, as a result of a record snow storm. No one was injured in the collapse that caused more than an estimated $1 million in damages. The damage covered two of the six cargo processing bays in the facility.
Dover Air Force Base is also home to theAir Mobility Command Museum.
Dover Air Force Base holds an annualair show, with the most recent occurring in May 2022.[13] The show includes static displays of military aircraft and equipment, and flight demonstrations of theUnited States Air Force Thunderbirds orUnited States NavyBlue Angels demonstration teams.
Flying and notable non-flying units based at Dover Air Force Base:[14]
United States Air Force[edit]Air Mobility Command (AMC)
| Air Force Reserve Command (AFRC)
| United States Army[edit]US Army Human Resources Command
Department of Defense[edit]
Department of the Air Force[edit]
|
* Base put on temporary inactive status, September 1, 1946 – August 1, 1950. During inactive status, field remained under major command jurisdiction.
|
|
References for history introduction, major commands and major units[15]
A section of the base is treated as acensus-designated place named "Dover Base Housing."[16] It is part of theDover metropolitan area. Dover Base Housing had a population of 3,450 at the2010 census. According to theUnited States Census Bureau, Dover Base Housing has a total area of 0.7 square miles (1.7 km2), all land.
Other portions of the base are in the city limits of Dover.[17]
Dover Base Housing consists of a development called Eagle Heights Family Housing, which is made up of 980 homes in single-family, duplex, triplex, and fourplex configurations. The development features a community center, multiple neighborhood centers, picnic areas, fitness center, and golf course. Eagle Heights Family Housing contains a total of 19,500 feet (5,900 m) of greenbelt paths for walking, jogging, and biking. Students in the development attend public schools in theCaesar Rodney School District.[18]
Since 1997, the base has been served by three highway exits withDelaware Route 1, allowing quick access to Dover and to southern Delaware from the complex. Dover AFB provides almost $470 million a year in revenue to the city of Dover, making it the third largest industry in Delaware.
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 8,106 | — | |
| 1980 | 4,391 | −45.8% | |
| 1990 | 4,376 | −0.3% | |
| 2000 | 3,394 | −22.4% | |
| 2010 | 3,450 | 1.6% | |
| 2020 | 2,810 | −18.6% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census[19] | |||
As of thecensus[20] of 2000, there were 3,394 people, 1,032 households, and 1,017 families residing in the base. Thepopulation density was 5,061.6 people per square mile (1,955.9/km2). There were 1,245 housing units at an average density of 1,856.7 per square mile (717.5/km2). The racial makeup of the base was 72.57%White, 16.59%African American, 0.77%Native American, 1.86%Asian, 0.12%Pacific Islander, 2.80% fromother races, and 5.30% from two or more races.Hispanic orLatino of any race were 7.75% of the population.
There were 6,032 households, out of which 76.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 90.2% weremarried couples living together, 5.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 1.4% were non-families. 1.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 0.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.29 and the average family size was 3.30.
In the base the population was spread out, with 40.2% under the age of 18, 16.5% from 18 to 24, 41.5% from 25 to 44, 1.7% from 45 to 64, and 0.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 23 years. For every 100 females, there were 103.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 97.5 males.
The median income for a household in the base was $34,318, and the median income for a family was $34,659. Males had a median income of $26,322 versus $20,444 for females. Theper capita income for the base was $12,119. About 5.2% of families and 4.2% of the population were below thepoverty line, including 3.5% of those under age 18 and none of those age 65 or over.
Building 1301, Dover Air Force Base | |
 Building 1301, January 2011 | |
 Location in United States Show map of the United States | |
| Location | Dover AFB, E. Dover Hundred,Dover, Delaware |
|---|---|
| Area | 1 acre (0.40 ha) |
| NRHP reference No. | 94001377[21] |
| Added to NRHP | December 7, 1994 |
Hangar 1301 at Dover Air Force Base is home to theAir Mobility Command Museum.[22] The museum is dedicated to military airlift and air refueling aircraft and the people who maintain them. It has a large collection of fully restored cargo and tanker aircraft. Tours are conducted during the day by volunteers, many of whom are retired pilots, navigators, flight engineers and loadmasters who provide first-person narratives of actual events. The hangar encloses over 20,000 square feet (1,900 m2) of aircraft display gallery plus 1,300 square feet (120 m2) of exhibit rooms. An attached 6,400-square-foot (590 m2) building houses a theater, museum store, exhibit workshop, and various offices. A 100,000-square-foot (9,300 m2) aircraft parking area allows close-up inspection of the outside aircraft. The museum also maintains archives related to the history of the Air Mobility Command and Dover AFB.Building 1301, Dover Air Force Base was added to theNational Register of Historic Places in 1994.[21]
There are 33 airframes in the collection in 2015, and a staff of more than 170 volunteers. A single batteredDouglas C-47A Skytrain, salvaged in 1986 off of a dump atOlmsted Air Force Base, nearHarrisburg, Pennsylvania, after being used for target practice, was the museum's modest beginning. Airlifted to Dover AFB by a Pennsylvania National Guard helicopter, "It was the first aircraft restored for the newly conceptualized museum that would form here."
Founded as the Dover AFB Historical Center on 13 October 1986, it originally was housed in three hangars within the main area of the base. It was officially recognized with museum status in 1995 and moved to its current location in 1996. On 5 February 1997, Air Mobility Command officially named the Dover AFB Museum as the AMC Museum.[23]
The Dover Base Housing is located in theCaesar Rodney School District.[24] It is assigned to the Dover Air Base schools for grades K-8: Major George S. Welch Elementary School and Dover Air Force Base Middle School.[25]Caesar Rodney High School inCamden is the comprehensive high school for the entire district.
Wilmington University has a center on Dover AFB.[26]
This article incorporatespublic domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency This article incorporatespublic domain material fromDover Air Force Base.United States Air Force.The original tower was in service for over 50 years spanning the era of the propeller-driven C-54 Skymaster cargo plane to the jet-age C-17 Globemaster III.
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