| Tinker Air Force Base | |||||||||
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| Oklahoma City,Oklahoma in theUnited States of America | |||||||||
.jpg) AnE-3B Sentry of the552nd Air Control Wing based at Tinker AFB. | |||||||||
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| Site information | |||||||||
| Type | US Air Force Base | ||||||||
| Owner | Department of Defense | ||||||||
| Operator | US Air Force | ||||||||
| Controlled by | Air Force Materiel Command (AFMC) | ||||||||
| Condition | Operational | ||||||||
| Website | www.tinker.af.mil | ||||||||
| Location | |||||||||
  Tinker  Tinker  Tinker | |||||||||
| Coordinates | 35°24′53″N097°23′12″W / 35.41472°N 97.38667°W /35.41472; -97.38667 | ||||||||
| Site history | |||||||||
| Built | 1941 (1941) (as Midwest Air Depot) | ||||||||
| In use | 1941 – present | ||||||||
| Garrison information | |||||||||
| Current commander | Colonel Abigail L. W. Ruscetta | ||||||||
| Garrison | |||||||||
| Airfield information | |||||||||
| Identifiers | IATA: TIK,ICAO: KTIK,FAA LID: TIK,WMO: 723540 | ||||||||
| Elevation | 1,291 feet (393 m)AMSL | ||||||||
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| Source:Federal Aviation Administration[1] | |||||||||
Tinker Air Force Base (IATA:TIK,ICAO:KTIK,FAALID:TIK) is a majorUnited States Air Force base, with tenantU.S. Navy and otherDepartment of Defense missions, located inOklahoma City, Oklahoma, adjacent toDel City andMidwest City.
The base, originally known as the Midwest Air Depot, is named in honor of Oklahoma nativeMajor GeneralClarence L. Tinker, the first Native American major general.[2][3]
Tinker is the headquarters of theAir Force Materiel Command's (AFMC)Oklahoma City Air Logistics Center (OC-ALC), which is the worldwide manager for a wide range of aircraft, engines, missiles, software and avionics and accessories components. The commander of Air Force Sustainment Center (AFSC) is Lieutenant General Stacey T. Hawkins and the commander of the OC-ALC is Brigadier General Brian R. Moore. The host unit at Tinker is the72nd Air Base Wing (72 ABW) which provides services and support for the Oklahoma City Air Logistics Center and its tenant organizations. The Wing and Installation Commander of Tinker Air Force Base is Colonel Abigail L. W. Ruscetta.[4]
Tinker Air Force Base is named in honor ofMajor GeneralClarence L. Tinker.[2] AnOsage fromPawhuska, Oklahoma, he received his wings in 1921.[3] He was a graduate ofWentworth Military Academy who went on to become the first major general of Native American descent in U.S. Army history.[3]
In 1926 he was awarded theSoldier's Medal for returning to his blazing aircraft to rescue a fellow officer. On 7 June 1942, he led a flight ofB-24 Liberators on a long-range strike against Japanese forces onWake Island during World War II. Tinker was killed when his aircraft presumably crashed into the sea. At the time of his death, Tinker was commander of the Hawaii-basedSeventh Air Force.
The base was originally called Midwest Air Depot and was renamed to honor Tinker. The creation of the base in Oklahoma City was in large part due to lobbying efforts byStanley Draper.
Several of the base's access gates are named in honor of persons with historic ties to the base or to Oklahoma. On 9 May 1997, base officials[5] placed the following names:
In May 1997 the Base[7] named the gates along Douglas Boulevard after aircraft that had been maintained at Tinker:
The base has more than 26,000 military and civilian employees and is the largest single-site employer in the state of Oklahoma.[8] The installation covers approx. 9 square miles (23 km2) and has 760 buildings with a building floor space of over 15,200,000 square feet (1,410,000 m2).[8] The base is bounded byI-40 on the north andI-240 on the south.
With the City of Oklahoma City and Oklahoma County owning several square miles of land adjacent to the base, Tinker is one of the few military bases in a major metropolitan area with sufficient room for expansion. Furthermore, Tinker is located in a community that supports expansion; Oklahoma County voters approved a 2008 measure to purchase the formerGeneral MotorsOklahoma City Assembly plant (located adjacent to the base) and lease it to Tinker for future expansion. Now known as Building 9001, the former GM plant houses many shops moved from the main maintenance building, 3001.[9]
In 1940 theWar Department was considering the central United States as a location for a supply and maintenance depot. Oklahoma City leaders offered a 480-acre (1.9 km2) site and acquired an option for 960 acres (3.9 km2) additional land. On 8 April 1941, the order was officially signed awarding the depot to Oklahoma City. The Midwest Air Depot was formally activated later in 1941.
The depot was the site of aDouglas Aircraft factory producing approximately half of theC-47 Skytrains used inWorld War II. The site also produced a number ofA-20 Havocs. Production ceased in 1945.
Thefirst successful tornado forecast in history was issued on 25 March 1948 from Tinker, about three hours before a tornado hit the southeast corner of the base. A granite marker in the Heritage Airpark on the base commemorates the event.
On September 29, 1957Buddy Holly andThe Crickets recorded "An Empty Cup", "Rock Me My Baby", "You've Got Love", and "Maybe Baby" in the Tinker Air Force Base Officer's Club.[10]
The base hosted theSpace ShuttleColumbia and its carrier 747 on April 27, 1981, after its first mission (STS-1) during its journey back toCape Canaveral. Oklahoma governorGeorge Nigh, Oklahoma City mayorPatience Latting andApollo 10 CommanderTom Stafford were there to greet the crew. The visiting personnel includedDeke Slayton, who traveled beside the craft in a T-38 chase plane. An estimated 100,000 people were allowed to enter the base and take pictures.[11]
On 14 November 1984, a massive fire that burned for two days destroyed or damaged over 700,000 square feet (65,000 m2) in the Air Logistics Center, Building 3001. The resulting repairs cost $63.5 million.
During much of the 1990s, Tinker was home to the Automated Weather Network switching facility, which consolidated all U.S. military weather data worldwide. Originally located atCarswell Air Force Base, this unit was later moved to anAir Force Weather Agency facility atOffutt Air Force Base.
In May 1992, Tinker became home to the Navy's "Take Charge and Move Out" (TACAMO) wing, which provides maintenance, security, operations, administration, training and logistic support for the Navy's E-6B Mercury aircraft fleet. TACAMO[12] was the first Navy Air Wing fully integrated on an Air Force base, carrying out a Navy mission in joint operations.
On 3 May 1999, adeadly tornado caused extensive damage to the northwest corner of the base and surrounding communities.[13] For many days afterwards, Tinker personnel helped by providing shelters, search and rescue, and clean-up efforts.
The Oklahoma Maintenance, Repair & Overhaul Technology Center (MROTC), a public-private partnership, was started in 2003. MROTC is managed by Battelle Oklahoma and owned by Oklahoma Industries Authority (OIA), a public trust housed in the offices of the Oklahoma City Chamber of Commerce. The first hangars were completed in 2007.
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Tinker celebrated the 30-year anniversary of theE-3 Sentry from 29 June to 1 July 2007. Past and present airmen were invited to swap stories and learn about the latest upgrades.[14]
On 13 May 2008,Oklahoma County voters voted in favor of $71.5 million in general obligation bonds, the majority of which has been used to purchase the former General MotorsOklahoma City Assembly plant which is located on the southwest section of the base, next to the runway. A 50-year lease-purchase agreement was executed in September 2008 between Oklahoma County and the Air Force, covering the 3.8 million square foot (353,000 m2) facility and surrounding acreage. Oklahoma County officials paid $55 million to buy the plant from General Motors, which is now called the Tinker Aerospace Complex.
From 2008 to 2015, theOklahoma Air National Guard's137th Air Refueling Wing also assumed an aerial refueling mission in accordance with the2005 BRAC Recommendations. The then-137th Airlift Wing (ANG) relocated fromWill Rogers Air National Guard Base to Tinker AFB, was redesignated as an air refueling wing, and associated with the 507 ARW while its C-130H aircraft were redistributed to other ANG airlift wings. In 2015, the 137th ended its associate relationship with the 507th, was redesignated as the137th Special Operations Wing (137 SOW), and returned to Will Rogers ANGB, where it operates theMC-12 Liberty aircraft, operationally gained byAir Force Special Operations Command (AFSOC).[15]
In 2015, it was announced that the Tinker was in the running for a squadron of the newKC-46A Pegasus. In October, it was announced that the base would not be receiving the plane, which instead was given to the916th Air Refueling Wing atSeymour Johnson Air Force Base. Tinker was also in competition withWestover Air Reserve Base andGrissom Air Reserve Base for the plane.[16]
Two large tornadoes struck Tinker Air Force Base,Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, damaging or destroying a large number of aircraft including at least twoDouglas C-54 Skymasters, aDouglas C-47 Skytrain, and manyBoeing B-29 Superfortresses stored from World War II. In the first storm, "54 aircraft were destroyed, including 17 C-54 transports valued at $500,000 apiece. Also destroyed were 15P-47 fighters and two B-29 bombers. About 50 other planes were damaged and about 100 vehicles were damaged or destroyed." In the second tornado, "84 planes were hit, 35 of which were destroyed. These included 18 B-29s, 8 P-47s, 20B-17s, and 3 C-47s. Hangars and other buildings were destroyed."[17] Other types destroyed includedBeechcraft AT-11s andFairchild PT-19s andPT-26 Cornells. Damage from the second tornado was estimated at $6,100,000. Total damages for both storms was estimated at $16,350,000.[18]
Tinker AFB is home to majorDepartment of Defense, Air Force and Navy units with national defense missions.
TheOklahoma City Air Logistics Complex is the largest air logistics center in the Air Force Materiel Command. It provides depot maintenance, product support, services and supply chain management, and information support for 31 weapon systems, 10 commands, 93 Air Force bases and 46 foreign nations. It is the contracting office for the Air Force'sContract Field Teams program.
The Air Logistics Complex includes the 76 Aircraft Maintenance Group, the 76 Propulsion Maintenance Group, the 76 Commodities Maintenance Group, the 76 Software Engineering Group and the 76 Maintenance Support Group. Combined, these groups provide depot-level maintenance, repair and overhaul of KC-135, B-52, E-3, E-6, and B-1 aircraft, as well as engines, components, support equipment, and associated software for the US Air Force and US Navy.
The72nd Air Base Wing is a multi-unit, multi-mission wing that includes base services and support for the Oklahoma City Air Logistics Center, associate organizations, dependents, and retirees.
The 38th Cyberspace Engineering Group,Air Force Space Command, has worldwide responsibility for engineering, installation, and interoperability of all communications and electronic facilities for the Air Force.
Oklahoma Wing Civil Air Patrol Headquarters is located at the base ops building and provides state-level support to the 17 units across the state. The Flying Castle Composite Squadron is a Civil Air Patrol squadron that is composed of cadet and senior members that meet Tuesday evenings.
The552nd Air Control Wing fliesAir Combat Command'sE-3 SentryAWACS aircraft. The E-3's radar and other sensors provide deep-look surveillance, warning, interception control and airborne battle management. The 552 ACW encompasses 3 groups: 552nd Operations Group, 552nd Maintenance Group and 552nd Air Control Group.
The507th Air Refueling Wing of theAir Force Reserve Command (AFRC) is one of twoAir Force Reserve flying units in the state of Oklahoma and administratively reports toFourth Air Force (4 AF). The wing operates twelveKC-135R "Stratotanker" air refueling aircraft at Tinker and is operationally gained byAir Mobility Command (AMC). As an associate unit, the 507 ARW also operates the Federal Aviation Administration's (FAA)British Aerospace 125-800 aircraft (ex-USAF C-29A) in the aviation standards and navigational aid inspection mission.[19]
%2c_USA_-_Navy_AN2058896.jpg)
TheUnited States Navy'sStrategic Communications Wing One consists of three squadrons and a wing staff, and employs over 1,300 active-duty sailors and 100 contractors to provide maintenance, security, operations, administration, training and logistic support for theE-6 Mercury aircraft fleet. The E-6B Mercury enables the president of the United States and theSecretary of Defense to directly contactsubmarines,bombers andmissile silos enforcing the country's national security through nuclear deterrence. The wing also operates alert facilities for E-6B aircraft atTravis AFB, California andNaval Air Station Patuxent River, Maryland.
Defense Mega Center Oklahoma City is the local branch of theDefense Information Systems Agency. The Mega center operates computer systems for the base and serves 110 other bases in 46 states.
Tinker has on-base several offices of theDefense Logistics Agency, the agency that provides supplies to the military services and supports their acquisition and transportation of repair parts and other materials.[20]
Community support for Tinker can be seen by the establishment of two public/private partnerships that support base operations by using local dollars to make available additional facilities for base use. While these partnerships are technically separate facilities, Tinker's security perimeter is extended around these facilities.
The first of the public/private partnerships is The OklahomaMaintenance, Repair and Overhaul Technology Center (MROTC),[23] managed by Battelle Oklahoma, owned by Oklahoma Industries Authority (OIA),[24] and partners with the Department of Defense to provide a national center for technical solutions[clarification needed] to aging commercial and military aircraft. The MROTC[25] is a 370-acre (1.5 km2)MRO facility, on the southeast side of Tinker AFB, sharing runways and security with the base. The MROTC complex is planned as a major military and commercial aircraft facility with 17 hangars and more than one million square feet of related industrial space and education and training facilities. The facility currently houses three hangars, one leased by Boeing (designed to accommodate Boeing 767-400 class aircraft), a second hangar for 767 for lease, and a third hangar designed to accommodate Boeing 707-300 class aircraft.[26]
The second of the public-private partnerships is Building 9001, originally known as the Tinker Aerospace Complex[27] housed in the former General MotorsOklahoma City Assembly Plant located west of the runway on the south side of the base, north of I-240. A 50-year lease-purchase agreement was executed in September 2008 between Oklahoma County and the Air Force, covering the 2.5 million square foot (353,000 m2) facility and 407-acre (1.65 km2). Previously, the largest single building at the base was Building 3001 at 1,300,000 square feet (120,000 m2). Tinker has leased about 4/5 of the facility and will host some current 76th Maintenance Wing operations as well as other Department of Defense missions, including work on the C-17 engines, joint strike fighter engines and core work on the newKC-46 tanker. Work being transferred to the complex is currently being done at 69 separate facilities on base, many of which are World War II-era temporary buildings located in runway clear zones. Burlington Northern Santa Fe provides a rail spur into the complex.
In 2014 Oklahoma County agreed to issue $10 million in bonds to help finance the purchase of a 156-acre (0.63 km2) BNSF Railway marshaling yard, just north of the TAC building.[28]
In addition to providing space for the work of the Oklahoma City Air Logistics Center, the Tinker Aerospace Complex can also be used to house public/private business partnerships. Currently, there are three programs. The Cooperative Research and Development Partnership has the objective of advancing science and technology to meet Air Force requirements and transferring technology into the commercial marketplace (CRADA, governed by Title 15 USC 3710a).[29] Public-Private Partnerships, or statutory partnering, is where the government acts as a seller to private industry in either a direct sales agreement, Workshare Partnering Agreement, or a Facilities Use Agreement (governed by Title 10 USC 2474).[30] Finally, the Enhanced Use Lease requires Congressional approval and full fair market value rent for underutilized Air Force assets (governed by 10 USC 2667).[31]
Flying and notable non-flying units based at Tinker Air Force Base.[32][33][34][35][36]
Units marked GSU are Geographically Separate Units, which although based at Tinker, are subordinate to a parent unit based at another location.
Air Force Materiel Command (AFMC)
| Air Combat Command(ACC)
Air Force Field Operating Agencies
Air Force Reserve Command (AFRC)
Civil Air Patrol (CAP)
United States Navy[edit]Commander, Naval Air Forces (COMNAVAIRFOR)
Commander, Navy Reserve Forces Command (COMNAVRESFOR)
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There is on-base housing that is managed by a private company.[38]
Residents on Tinker AFB are zoned toMid-Del School District.[39] The zoned schools are Tinker Elementary School, Jarmen Junior High School, andMidwest City High School.[40]
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)5601 Twining Drive Tinker AFB, OK 73145
This article incorporatespublic domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency
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