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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. 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.
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.
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.
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 established.
With this historic change, the operational control of Offutt became the responsibility of Air Combat Command, another of the Air Force's new commands. In 2002, the Department of Defense announced the merger of U. S. Strategic Command with U.S. Space Command. The new U.S. Strategic Command is tasked with space, information and computer network operations as well as strategic defense and attack missions.
This former Army outpost, once hard-pressed to support a few hundred soldiers, begins its second century of service 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.
Excerpts from www.militarynewcomers.com, published by Benchmark Publications, Inc.
LINKS:
• Offutt AFB official web site
• www.militarynewcomers.com: information about Offutt AFB, its operations, housing, and the local community - compiled by Benchmark Publications, Inc.
• Air Force Crossroads: extensive information regarding DoD installations - registration required.
FMR