Open main menu
Home
Random
Recent changes
Special pages
Community portal
Preferences
About Wikipedia
Disclaimers
Incubator escapee wiki
Search
User menu
Talk
Dark mode
Contributions
Create account
Log in
Editing
Tinker Air Force Base
(section)
Warning:
You are not logged in. Your IP address will be publicly visible if you make any edits. If you
log in
or
create an account
, your edits will be attributed to your username, along with other benefits.
Anti-spam check. Do
not
fill this in!
==History== Tinker Air Force Base is named in honor of [[Major General]] [[Clarence L. Tinker]].<ref name="crowder"/> An [[Osage Nation|Osage]] from [[Pawhuska, Oklahoma]], he received his wings in 1921.<ref name="jondmay"/> He was a graduate of [[Wentworth Military Academy]] who went on to become the first major general of Native American descent in U.S. Army history.<ref name="jondmay"/> In 1926 he was awarded the [[Soldier's Medal]] for returning to his blazing aircraft to rescue a fellow officer. On 7 June 1942, he led a flight of [[B-24]] Liberators on a long-range strike against Japanese forces on [[Wake 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-based [[Seventh 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 by [[Stanley 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<ref>They were acting under authority of Air Force Instruction 36-3108, ''Memorialization Program and Ceremony''</ref> placed the following names: *'''Tinker Gate''' (former Gate 1), located on the north side, opens onto Air Depot Boulevard. It was named for Tinker *'''Eaker Gate''' (former Gate 2) opens onto F Avenue. It was named for General [[Ira C. Eaker]], commander of the US [[Eighth Air Force]] in Europe during World War II *'''Turnbull Gate''', at the intersection of Perimeter Road and A Avenue. It was named for Colonel William Turnbull, the first Tinker Air Logistics Center Commander (1942) *'''Hruskocy Gate''' (pronounced ruh-sko-see, former Gate 7),<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.turnbullclan.com/tca_genealogy/tca_all2-o/exhibits/taking_a_look_at_the_names_behind_tinker.pdf|title=''Taking a Look at the Names behind Tinker''|website=turnbullclan.com|access-date=18 October 2017|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110717113531/http://www.turnbullclan.com/tca_genealogy/tca_all2-o/exhibits/taking_a_look_at_the_names_behind_tinker.pdf|archive-date=17 July 2011|df=dmy-all}}</ref> on Industrial Boulevard at the NE portion of base. It was named for Brigadier General Thomas C. Hruskocy, the OC-ALC chief of Maintenance Resource Management and Material Management Resource divisions at Tinker (1985β1988) *'''Hope Gate''', on SE 59th Street. It was named for Colonel John W. Hope, the first commander of the Ground Electronics-Engineering Installation Agency (GEEIA) *'''Gott Gate''' (former Gate 34), on the south end of Air Depot Boulevard. It was named for 1st Lieutenant [[Donald J. Gott]], posthumous [[Medal of Honor]] recipient in World War II. *'''Vance Gate''' (former Gate 40), on the west side of base off Sooner Road. It was named Lieutenant Colonel [[Leon Vance|Leon R. Vance Jr]], posthumous Medal of Honor recipient in World War II. In May 1997 the Base<ref>AF Instruction 36-3108 does not address protocol for memorializing equipment, thus 72nd Air Base Wing Commander Col. Robert L. Smolen was acting "on the discretion of the commander"</ref> named the gates along Douglas Boulevard after aircraft that had been maintained at Tinker: *'''Lancer Gate''', named for the [[Rockwell B-1 Lancer]] *'''Liberator Gate''', named for the [[Consolidated B-24 Liberator]] *'''Marauder Gate''', named for the [[Martin B-26 Marauder]] The base has more than 26,000 military and civilian employees and is the largest single-site employer in the state of Oklahoma.<ref name ="TINKERAFB">{{cite web |title=DESCRIPTION OF TINKER AIR FORCE BASE |url=https://www.tinker.af.mil/Portals/106/Documents/aicuz/AFD-070601-024.pdf?ver=2016-07-05-103818-180 |publisher=United States Department of Defense |access-date=23 December 2023}}</ref> The installation covers approx. {{convert|9|sqmi|km2}} and has 760 buildings with a building floor space of over {{convert|15200000|sqft|m2}}.<ref name = "TINKERAFB" /> The base is bounded by [[Interstate 40 in Oklahoma|I-40]] on the north and [[Interstate 240 (Oklahoma)|I-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 former [[General Motors]] [[Oklahoma 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.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.koco.com/news/16260279/detail.html |title=Okla. County Voters Approve Plant Purchase β Oklahoma City News Story β KOCO Oklahoma City |publisher=Koco.com |date=13 May 2008 |access-date=25 March 2012}}</ref> ===Operational history=== In 1940 the [[United States Department of War|War Department]] was considering the central United States as a location for a supply and maintenance depot. Oklahoma City leaders offered a {{convert|480|acre|km2|adj=on}} site and acquired an option for {{convert|960|acre|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 a [[Douglas Aircraft]] factory producing approximately half of the [[C-47 Skytrain]]s used in [[World War II]]. The site also produced a number of [[A-20 Havoc]]s. Production ceased in 1945. The [[1948 Tinker Air Force Base tornadoes|first 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, 1957 [[Buddy Holly]] and [[The 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.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xni1qJOOfZE |title=Maybe Baby β Buddy Holly Lives! 2002 |date=27 October 2007 |publisher=YouTube |access-date=25 March 2012}}</ref> The base hosted the [[Space Shuttle Columbia|Space Shuttle ''Columbia'']] and its carrier 747 on April 27, 1981, after its first mission ([[STS-1]]) during its journey back to [[Cape Canaveral]]. Oklahoma governor [[George Nigh]], Oklahoma City mayor [[Patience Latting]] and [[Apollo 10]] Commander [[Thomas P. Stafford|Tom Stafford]] were there to greet the crew. The visiting personnel included [[Deke 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.<ref name="Columbia">{{cite news|url=https://www.upi.com/Archives/1981/04/27/The-space-shuttle-Columbia-arrived-at-Tinker-Air-Force/5065357192000/|title=The space shuttle Columbia arrived at Tinker Air Force...|last=Zizzo|first=David|publisher=[[UPI]]|date=27 April 1981|access-date=17 February 2020}}</ref> On 14 November 1984, a massive fire that burned for two days destroyed or damaged over {{convert|700000|sqft|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 at [[Carswell Air Force Base]], this unit was later moved to an [[Air Force Weather Agency]] facility at [[Offutt 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<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.tacamo.navy.mil |title=TACAMO β TAke Charge And Move Out |publisher=Tacamo.navy.mil |date=12 June 1981 |access-date=25 March 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120316135848/http://www.tacamo.navy.mil/ |archive-date=16 March 2012 |df=dmy-all }}</ref> 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, a [[1999 Bridge CreekβMoore tornado|deadly tornado]] caused extensive damage to the northwest corner of the base and surrounding communities.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/stormevents/eventdetails.jsp?id=5705287|title=Storm Events Database - Event Details - National Centers for Environmental Information|last=NCEI|website=www.ncdc.noaa.gov|access-date=18 October 2017}}</ref> 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. [[File:Boeing E-3A Sentry (707-300), USA - Air Force AN1423667.jpg|alt=Boeing E-3A Sentry (later upgraded to an E-3B) of the 552nd Airborne Warning & Control Wing, seen in 1981.|thumb|[[Boeing E-3 Sentry|Boeing E-3A Sentry]] (later upgraded to an E-3B) of the [[552nd Air Control Wing|552nd Airborne Warning & Control Wing]], seen in 1981.]] Tinker celebrated the 30-year anniversary of the [[E-3 Sentry]] from 29 June to 1 July 2007. Past and present airmen were invited to swap stories and learn about the latest upgrades.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.af.mil/News/story/storyID/123059395/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121011062814/http://www.af.mil/news/story.asp?storyID=123059395|url-status=live|title=Airmen honor 30 years of AWACS|date=21 July 2012|archive-date=11 October 2012|website=af.mil|access-date=18 October 2017}}</ref> On 13 May 2008, [[Oklahoma County, Oklahoma|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 Motors [[Oklahoma 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 m<sup>2</sup>) 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, the [[Oklahoma Air National Guard]]'s [[137th Air Refueling Wing]] also assumed an aerial refueling mission in accordance with the [[Base Realignment and Closure, 2005|2005 BRAC]] Recommendations. The then-137th Airlift Wing (ANG) relocated from [[Will 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 the [[137th Special Operations Wing]] (137 SOW), and returned to Will Rogers ANGB, where it operates the [[MC-12 Liberty]] aircraft, operationally gained by [[Air Force Special Operations Command]] (AFSOC).<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.137sow.ang.af.mil/ |title = 137 SOW Home}}</ref> In 2015, it was announced that the Tinker was in the running for a squadron of the new [[KC-46A Pegasus]]. In October, it was announced that the base would not be receiving the plane, which instead was given to the [[916th Air Refueling Wing]] at [[Seymour Johnson Air Force Base]]. Tinker was also in competition with [[Westover Air Reserve Base]] and [[Grissom Air Reserve Base]] for the plane.<ref name=Pegasus>{{cite news|author1=Secretary of the Air Force Public Affairs|title=Seymour-Johnson chosen for first Reserve-led KC-46A basing|url=https://www.afrc.af.mil/News/Article-Display/Article/626528/seymour-johnson-chosen-for-first-reserve-led-kc-46a-basing/|access-date=14 January 2016|work=Air Force Reserve Command|date=29 October 2015}}</ref> ===March 1948 Tornadoes=== [[File:Tinker AFB tornado damage 2.jpg|thumb|250px|[[Boeing B-29 Superfortress|Superfortresses]] tossed about like toys at Tinker Air Force Base by the 20 March tornado.]] [[File:Tinker AFB tornado damage 3.jpg|thumb|250px|Damage to airplanes and cars from the 25 March tornado at Tinker Air Force Base.]] {{Main|1948 Tinker Air Force Base tornadoes}} Two large tornadoes struck Tinker Air Force Base, [[Oklahoma City, Oklahoma]], damaging or destroying a large number of aircraft including at least two [[Douglas C-54 Skymaster]]s, a [[Douglas C-47 Skytrain]], and many [[Boeing B-29 Superfortress]]es 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 15 [[Republic P-47 Thunderbolt|P-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, 20 [[Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress|B-17s]], and 3 C-47s. Hangars and other buildings were destroyed."<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.srh.noaa.gov/oun/?n=tornadodata-okc-table |title=Table of Tornadoes Which Have Occurred in the Oklahoma City, Oklahoma Area Since 1890 |work=noaa.gov |access-date=9 July 2015}}</ref> Other types destroyed included [[Beechcraft AT-11]]s and [[Fairchild PT-19]]s and [[PT-26 Cornell]]s. Damage from the second tornado was estimated at $6,100,000. Total damages for both storms was estimated at $16,350,000.<ref>Campbell, John M., "American Bomber Aircraft Vol. II: Boeing B-29 Superfortress", Schiffer Publishing Ltd., Atglen, Pennsylvania, 1997, Library of Congress Card Number 97-66913, {{ISBN|0-7643-0272-8}}, pages 220β221.</ref> ===Major commands=== *Air Service Comd, 1 March 1942 β 17 July 1944 *AAF Materiel and Services, 17 July 1944 β 31 August 1944 *AAF Technical Service Comd, 31 August 1944 β 1 July 1945 *Air Technical Service Comd, 1 July 1945 β 9 March 1946 *Air Materiel Comd, 9 March 1946 β 1 April 1961 *Air Force Logistics Command, 1 April 1961 β 1 July 1992 *Air Force Materiel Command, 1 July 1992 β present ===Base operating units=== *OCAD (Oklahoma City Air Depot) Liaison Staff, 1 March 1942 β 15 February 1943 *497th Base HQ and Base HQ Sq, 15 February 1943 β 1 April 1944 *4136th AAF Base Unit, 1 April 1944 β 26 September 1947 *4136th AF Base Unit, 26 September 1947 β 28 August 1948 *2919th Area Supply Gp, 28 August 1948 β 15 March 1951 *2944th Depot Training Wg, 15 March 1951 β 15 July 1953 *2854th Air Base Wg, 15 July 1953 β 16 October 1964 *2854th Air Base Gp, 16 October 1964 β 1 October 1994 *72 Air Base Wing, 1 October 1994 β present ===Major units assigned=== *OK City Air Depot 1 March 1942 β 3 January 1955 *[[323rd Bomb Group]] 9 September 1947 β 17 March 1951 *[[456th Bomb Group]] 26 September 1947 β 17 March 1951 *[[323rd Bomb Wing]] 27 June 1949 β 28 March 1951 *[[506th Strategic Fighter Wing]] 20 March 1955 β 1 April 1959 *1707 Air Transport Wing 1 June 1959 β 8 January 1966 *443rd Military Airlift Wing 8 January 1966 β 5 May 1969
Edit summary
(Briefly describe your changes)
By publishing changes, you agree to the
Terms of Use
, and you irrevocably agree to release your contribution under the
CC BY-SA 4.0 License
and the
GFDL
. You agree that a hyperlink or URL is sufficient attribution under the Creative Commons license.
Cancel
Editing help
(opens in new window)