Misplaced Pages

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103-513: Brookley Air Force Base is a former United States Air Force base located in Mobile, Alabama . After it closed in 1969, it became what is now known as the Mobile Aeroplex at Brookley . Brookley Air Force Base had its aeronautical beginnings with Mobile's first municipal airport, the original Bates Field . However, the site itself had been occupied from the time of Mobile's founding, starting with

206-459: A "systemic problem" in the USAF's management of the nuclear mission. Bates Army Airfield The National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems for 2011–2015 categorized it as a primary commercial service airport. Federal Aviation Administration records show the airport had 286,956 passenger boardings (enplanements) in calendar year 2008, 280,491 in 2009 and 277,232 in 2010. The airport

309-546: A $ 179.7 billion budget and is the second largest service branch of the U.S. Armed Forces, with 321,848 active duty airmen , 147,879 civilian personnel, 68,927 reserve airmen, 105,104 Air National Guard airmen, and approximately 65,000 Civil Air Patrol auxiliarists . According to the National Security Act of 1947 (61 Stat . 502), which created the USAF: Section 9062 of Title 10 US Code defines

412-426: A broader dimension of time or space than do tactics; they provide the means by which tactical successes are exploited to achieve strategic and operational objectives. Tactical Level Command and Control is where individual battles and engagements are fought. The tactical level of war deals with how forces are employed, and the specifics of how engagements are conducted and targets attacked. The goal of tactical level C2

515-438: A cleanup plan for drinking water around Tucson, Arizona after the region's groundwater was contaminated by PFAS runoff from nearby Air Force bases. The United States Air Force has been involved in many wars, conflicts and operations using military air operations. The USAF possesses the lineage and heritage of its predecessor organizations, which played a pivotal role in U.S. military operations since 1907: In addition since

618-638: A command post in Gautier, Mississippi, the team assisted law enforcement and national guard personnel in Biloxi, Pascagoula, Gulfport, and elsewhere along the I-10 corridor. Airbus currently has an aircraft final assembly line at Brookley, producing the Airbus A320 series airliners. Airbus had previously attempted to enter the market at Brookley Field when its military division EADS partnered with Northrop Grumman to produce

721-452: A commander in planning, directing, coordinating, and controlling forces and operations in the accomplishment of the mission" (JP 1-02). This core function includes all of the C2-related capabilities and activities associated with air, cyberspace, nuclear, and agile combat support operations to achieve strategic, operational, and tactical objectives. At the strategic level command and control,

824-529: A dorm on Brookley grounds for the entire month of September 2005. Mobile and most of southern Alabama having been spared the worst of her fury, extensive flooding did occur throughout the city. Once all gun stores and explosive storage sites were secured, the ATF team turned its attention to the three southern-most, coastal counties in Mississippi. Coordinating with other federal, State, and local officials operating from

927-739: A fixed wing and helicopter training facility at the airport. U.S. Coast Guard Air Station Mobile serves as an Aviation Training Center with a designated headquarters unit that is under the direct control of the Commandant of the Coast Guard . Eastern Airlines was first at Mobile, at the airport south of town until about 1941 when it and National moved to the present airport. In the 1960s Eastern Airlines flew Lockheed L-188 Electras to Mobile, then Boeing 727-100s and Douglas DC-9s mainly to Atlanta. Eastern served Mobile until its demise in 1991. National Airlines Jacksonville-New Orleans flights stopped at

1030-894: A force multiplier. It allows air assets to more rapidly reach any trouble spot around the world with less dependence on forward staging bases or overflight/landing clearances. Air refueling significantly expands the options available to a commander by increasing the range, payload, persistence, and flexibility of receiver aircraft. Aeromedical evacuation is "the movement of patients under medical supervision to and between medical treatment facilities by air transportation" (JP 1-02). JP 4-02, Health Service Support, further defines it as "the fixed wing movement of regulated casualties to and between medical treatment facilities, using organic and/or contracted mobility airframes, with aircrew trained explicitly for this mission." Aeromedical evacuation forces can operate as far forward as fixed-wing aircraft are able to conduct airland operations. Global precision attack

1133-520: A nation state, or non-state/transnational actor. The Air Force maintains and presents credible deterrent capabilities through successful visible demonstrations and exercises that assure allies, dissuade proliferation, deter potential adversaries from actions that threaten US national security or the populations, and deploy military forces of the US, its allies, and friends. Nuclear strike is the ability of nuclear forces to rapidly and accurately strike targets which

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1236-692: A part of the United States Army Signal Corps , the USAF was established as a separate branch of the United States Armed Forces in 1947 with the enactment of the National Security Act of 1947 . It is the second youngest branch of the United States Armed Forces and the fourth in order of precedence . The United States Air Force articulates its core missions as air supremacy , global integrated intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance , rapid global mobility , global strike , and command and control . The United States Air Force

1339-405: A precondition" (Annex 3–70, Strategic Attack). Air Interdiction is defined as "air operations conducted to divert, disrupt, delay, or destroy the enemy's military potential before it can be brought to bear effectively against friendly forces, or to otherwise achieve JFC objectives. Air Interdiction is conducted at such distance from friendly forces that detailed integration of each air mission with

1442-483: A rapid cessation of hostilities. Post-conflict, regeneration of a credible nuclear deterrent capability will deter further aggression. The Air Force may present a credible force posture in either the Continental United States , within a theater of operations, or both to effectively deter the range of potential adversaries envisioned in the 21st century. This requires the ability to engage targets globally using

1545-482: A rather cold tepid reception and met with multiple boos, protests as well as several people holding up "Goldwater for president" signs. Many believed this infuriated Lyndon Johnson and was another catalyst that led to Brookley's closure. The reserve 908th TAG was moved to Maxwell AFB , Alabama in April. Almost immediately after Johnson left office on January 20, 1969, some state and city of Mobile officials tried to reverse

1648-747: A sharp reduction in flight hours for crew training since 2005 and the Deputy Chief of Staff for Manpower and Personnel directing Airmen's Time Assessments. On 5 June 2008, Secretary of Defense Robert Gates accepted the resignations of both the Secretary of the Air Force , Michael Wynne , and the Chief of Staff of the Air Force , General T. Michael Moseley . In his decision to fire both men Gates cited "systemic issues associated with... declining Air Force nuclear mission focus and performance". Left unmentioned by Gates

1751-456: A shock to both local residents employed at Brookley as well as enlisted personnel stationed there. Most were quick to blame Johnson and McNamara for playing politics as well as their seemingly cavalier attitudes over the fallout from it. McNamara steadfastly denied politics played any part in the decision to close Brookley citing the closure of other Air Force bases also on the same list. Instead, he claimed he had another agenda as he wanted to curb

1854-448: A strong focus on the improvement of Basic Military Training (BMT) for enlisted personnel. While the intense training has become longer, it also has shifted to include a deployment phase. This deployment phase, now called the BEAST, places the trainees in a simulated combat environment that they may experience once they deploy. While the trainees do tackle the massive obstacle courses along with

1957-510: A variety of methods; therefore, the Air Force should possess the ability to induct, train, assign, educate and exercise individuals and units to rapidly and effectively execute missions that support US NDO objectives. Finally, the Air Force regularly exercises and evaluates all aspects of nuclear operations to ensure high levels of performance. Nuclear surety ensures the safety, security and effectiveness of nuclear operations. Because of their political and military importance, destructive power, and

2060-455: Is "the acquisition of information and the provision of this information to processing elements" (JP 2-01). It provides the ability to obtain required information to satisfy intelligence needs (via use of sources and methods in all domains). Collection activities span the Range of Military Operations (ROMO). Processing and exploitation is "the conversion of collected information into forms suitable to

2163-417: Is "the employment of limited offensive action and counterattacks to deny a contested area or position to the enemy" (JP 1-02). It includes both ballistic missile defense and airborne threat defense and encompasses point defense, area defense, and high-value airborne asset defense. Passive defense is "measures taken to reduce the probability of and to minimize the effects of damage caused by hostile action without

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2266-583: Is 8,502 by 150 feet (2,591 x 46 m) and 18/36 is 4,376 by 150 feet (1,334 x 46 m). It has one asphalt helipad , which is 100 by 100 feet (30 x 30 m). The National Weather Service Forecast Office for Southern Alabama, situated near Airport Road and the runway, has a full complement of meteorological instruments, including à NEXRAD weather radar . The airport has 6 gates with jetways. The terminal at Mobile Regional Airport has renovated shops and restaurants, such as local favorite Carpe Diem Coffee and Tea, car rental agencies, and handicap accessible elevators. In

2369-563: Is a military service branch organized within the Department of the Air Force , one of the three military departments of the Department of Defense . The Air Force through the Department of the Air Force is headed by the civilian Secretary of the Air Force , who reports to the Secretary of Defense and is appointed by the President with Senate confirmation . The highest-ranking military officer in

2472-425: Is defined as "all the defensive measures designed to detect, identify, intercept, and destroy or negate enemy forces attempting to penetrate or attack through friendly airspace" (JP 1-02). In concert with OCA operations, a major goal of DCA operations is to provide an area from which forces can operate, secure from air and missile threats. The DCA mission comprises both active and passive defense measures. Active defense

2575-534: Is defined as "offensive operations to destroy, disrupt, or neutralize enemy aircraft, missiles, launch platforms, and their supporting structures and systems both before and after launch, but as close to their source as possible" (JP 1-02). OCA is the preferred method of countering air and missile threats since it attempts to defeat the enemy closer to its source and typically enjoys the initiative. OCA comprises attack operations, sweep, escort, and suppression/destruction of enemy air defense. Defensive Counter-Air (DCA)

2678-526: Is home to U.S. Coast Guard Aviation Training Center, Mobile , providing advanced training to U.S. Coast Guard pilots and aircrew in MH-65D Dolphin and MH-60T Jayhawk helicopters, as well as the HC-144A/B Ocean Sentry turboprop aircraft. The Alabama Army National Guard 's 1st Battalion, 131st Aviation Regiment 's "B" Company is also located at the airport. In August 2020 it was announced that

2781-561: Is not a part of the city or Mobile County. The Authority's five board members are appointed by Mobile's mayor, approved by the Mobile City Council, and serve six-year terms. Following a catastrophic Hurricane Katrina striking New Orleans, first responders from across the Southeast and beyond, came to help. Among them was a team of 30 special agents from the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives (ATF) who made camp in

2884-486: Is the ability to hold at risk or strike rapidly and persistently, with a wide range of munitions, any target and to create swift, decisive, and precise effects across multiple domains. Strategic attack is defined as "offensive action specifically selected to achieve national strategic objectives. These attacks seek to weaken the adversary's ability or will to engage in conflict, and may achieve strategic objectives without necessarily having to achieve operational objectives as

2987-580: Is the cornerstone of the credibility of the NDO mission. Positive nuclear command, control, communications; effective nuclear weapons security; and robust combat support are essential to the overall NDO function. Command and control is "the exercise of authority and direction by a properly designated commander over assigned and attached forces in the accomplishment of the mission. Command and control functions are performed through an arrangement of personnel, equipment, communications, facilities, and procedures employed by

3090-650: Is to achieve commander's intent and desired effects by gaining and keeping offensive initiative. The origins of the United States Air Force can be traced back to the Union Army Balloon Corps of the American Civil War . The Union Balloon Corps, established by aeronaut Thaddeus S. C. Lowe , provided aerial reconnaissance for the Union Army . This early use of balloons for military purposes marked

3193-549: The 78th Troop Carrier Squadron at the airport with Fairchild C-119 Flying Boxcar aircraft. In 1961, the Air Force moved this squadron to Barksdale Air Force Base in Louisiana as a Douglas C-124 Globemaster II heavy-lift squadron. The 357th Troop Carrier Squadron then replaced it and acquired the C-119s. The Air Force subsequently upgraded Bates to a Group level upon organizing the 908th Troop Carrier Group , Medium in 1963. However,

Brookley Air Force Base - Misplaced Pages Continue

3296-629: The Air Force Reserve 908th Tactical Airlift Group moved to Brookley from Bates Field. It operated C-119 Flying Boxcar transports. On November 19, 1964, the Department of Defense announced a progressive reduction in employment and the eventual closure of Brookley Air Force Base. The costs of the escalation of the Vietnam War was cited as the primary reason for the closure. Moves such as these eventually led to Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara , becoming very unpopular both with Congress and with

3399-522: The Airbus A319 . Delta also operated the McDonnell Douglas DC-9-50 into Mobile prior to the retirement of this aircraft type from their fleet. All other scheduled passenger services are currently operated with either Canadair or Embraer regional jet aircraft. The following are flown nonstop or direct from Mobile: The airport has a reputation for high domestic fares, usually attributed to

3502-805: The Berlin Airlift and the Korean War being used on scheduled MATS overseas routes through the late 1940s and mid-1950s. Additionally, logistic support flights for Strategic Air Command (SAC), and Tactical Air Command (TAC) saw the Globemaster in North Africa, the Middle East, Europe, the Caribbean, and within the United States. Two C-74s were used to support the first TAC Republic F-84 Thunderjet flight across

3605-661: The Bomber Mafia ), followed by fighters ( Fighter Mafia ). In response to a 2007 United States Air Force nuclear weapons incident , Secretary of Defense Robert Gates accepted in June 2009 the resignations of Secretary of the Air Force Michael Wynne and the Chief of Staff of the Air Force General T. Michael Moseley . Moseley's successor, General Norton A. Schwartz , a former airlift and special operations pilot,

3708-524: The KC-45 , billed as the next generation of air refueling and cargo aircraft for the US Air Force as a replacement to the aging fleet of KC-135s . EADS/Northrop Grumman originally won the contract bid to produce the aircraft, but the plans were put in limbo after rival Boeing filed a protest over the bidding process. In 2011, Boeing was declared the winner of the rebidding. In the 1977 film Close Encounters of

3811-476: The Air Force and the Chief of Staff of the Air Force retain administrative authority over their members. Along with conducting independent air operations, the United States Air Force provides air support for land and naval forces and aids in the recovery of troops in the field. As of 2020 , the service operates approximately 5,500 military aircraft and approximately 400 ICBMs . The world's largest air force, it has

3914-517: The Air Force is the Chief of Staff of the Air Force , who exercises supervision over Air Force units and serves as one of the Joint Chiefs of Staff . As directed by the Secretary of Defense and Secretary of the Air Force, certain Air Force components are assigned to unified combatant commands . Combatant commanders are delegated operational authority of the forces assigned to them, while the Secretary of

4017-410: The Air Force states as global vigilance, global reach, and global power. Air superiority is "that degree of dominance in the air battle of one force over another which permits the conduct of operations by the former and its related land, sea, air, and special operations forces at a given time and place without prohibitive interference by the opposing force" (JP 1-02). Offensive Counter-Air (OCA)

4120-577: The Air Force then moved the reservists to the larger Brookley Air Force Base located near downtown Mobile in October 1964 due to budget restraints. In 1966 the U.S. Coast Guard acquired the vacant U.S. Air Force Reserve facility on the airfield. On December 17, 1966, the Coast Guard officially commissioned an Air Station in Mobile with Grumman HU-16 Albatross fixed wing aircraft from the Coast Guard's Air Station in nearby Biloxi. The Coast Guard also established

4223-422: The Air Force's readiness to carry out the nuclear strike operations mission as well as from specific actions taken to assure allies as a part of extended deterrence. Dissuading others from acquiring or proliferating WMD and delivering them contributes to promoting security and is also an integral part of this mission. Moreover, different deterrence strategies are required to deter various adversaries, whether they are

Brookley Air Force Base - Misplaced Pages Continue

4326-531: The Air Force's reliance on large aircraft in favor of long-range missiles and closing maintenance facilities such as Brookley was a way to do that. However, many former Brookley employees and Mobile residents even to this day still dismiss that as just a made-up cover story to mask Johnson's vengeance, especially since most of the operations simply packed up, moved from Brookley and continued at other Air Force bases including Maxwell AFB in Montgomery. The fact Brookley

4429-738: The Army decided to take advantage of Brookley's large, skilled workforce for its top-secret " Ivory Soap " project to hasten victory in the Pacific. The project required 24 large vessels to be re-modeled into Aircraft Repair and Maintenance Units that had to be able to provide repair and maintenance services to B-29 bombers , P-51 Mustang , Sikorsky R-4 , and amphibious vehicles. The Air Force delivered 24 vessels to Mobile, Alabama, in spring 1944 to start conversion. Six Liberty ships were converted into shops to repair aircraft. They were designated Aircraft Repair Units, Floating and were equipped to repair planes as big as

4532-635: The Atlantic, and especially the Pacific Ocean to the combat areas indicated a need for a transoceanic heavy-lift military transport aircraft. The "C-74 squadron" (later 521st Air Transport Group, 1701st Air Transport Wing ), Air Transport Command operated two squadrons of C-74 Globemasters from Brookley from 1947 until their retirement in 1955. The eleven aircraft were used extensively for worldwide transport of personnel and equipment, supporting United States military missions. They saw extensive service supporting

4635-707: The B-29 Stratofortresses. Eighteen smaller ships were outfitted as Aircraft Maintenance Units. They were made to repair fighter aircraft. About 5,000 men underwent a complex training process that prepared them to rebuild the vessels and operate them once on the water. By the end of the year, the vessels departed Mobile. One of the keys to Allied victory in Europe was the Norden bombsight , which enabled bomber squadrons to target Germany's war-making industry and infrastructure much more accurately. The military repaired and calibrated

4738-535: The BEAST, the other portions include defending and protecting their base of operations, forming a structure of leadership, directing search and recovery, and basic self aid buddy care. During this event, the Military Training Instructors (MTI) act as mentors and opposing forces in a deployment exercise. In November 2022, the USAF announced that it will discontinue BEAST and replace it with another deployment training program called PACER FORGE. In 2007,

4841-694: The C-74 until 1957 when Military Air Transport Service moved out of Brookley AFB and the base came under the full jurisdiction of Air Materiel Command. In 1962, the Air Materiel Command was renamed as the Air Force Logistics Command ( AFLC ) and Brookley AFB became an AFLC installation and the host base of the modification and repair center's successor organization, the Mobile Air Materiel Area (MOAMA). After an immediate end to many of

4944-630: The Mobile Airport Authority will shift commercial airline flights to the more convenient Mobile Downtown Airport, now renamed Mobile International Airport . Eastern Air Lines served Mobile from the 1930s until 1991; in the 1930s Eastern's one flight a day each way between Newark and San Antonio stopped at what is now Mobile International Airport . During World War II , the United States Army Air Forces used Mobile Regional Airport. The 533d Army Air Force Base Unit commanded

5047-770: The Navy , and the newly created Department of the Air Force. Prior to 1947, the responsibility for military aviation was shared between the Army Air Forces and its predecessor organizations (for land-based operations), the Navy (for sea-based operations from aircraft carriers and amphibious aircraft), and the Marine Corps (for close air support of Marine Corps operations). The 1940s proved to be important for military aviation in other ways as well. In 1947, Air Force Captain Chuck Yeager broke

5150-507: The Pacific Ocean to Japan. SAC also continued to use the Globemasters to rotate Boeing B-47 Stratojet Medium Bombardment Groups on temporary duty in England and Morocco as part of their REFLEX operation. The C-74s were retired in 1955 due to lack of logistical support. The 1701st ATW flew strategic airlift missions on a worldwide scale with its C-124 Globemaster II fleet after the retirement of

5253-660: The Pensacola market, and fares dropped significantly from Pensacola International Airport . Because of this, many people drove about an hour in either direction to Pensacola International Airport in Florida or the Gulfport Airport in Mississippi . Fares from Pensacola were lower primarily on routes that AirTran served, while on other routes, including international services, Mobile and Pensacola offered similar fares. AirTran, however,

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5356-457: The ROMO. The purpose of nuclear deterrence operations (NDO) is to operate, maintain, and secure nuclear forces to achieve an assured capability to deter an adversary from taking action against vital US interests. In the event deterrence fails, the US should be able to appropriately respond with nuclear options. The sub-elements of this function are: Assure/Dissuade/Deter is a mission set derived from

5459-466: The Third Kind , the entire landing strip complex behind Devils Tower was actually constructed and filmed in an abandoned aircraft hangar at the former Brookley AFB. In the 2001 documentary "The Making of Close Encounters of the Third Kind" director Steven Spielberg referred to Brookley as a former US Air Force "dirigible base" but no dirigible airships were ever maintained or stored at Brookley while it

5562-543: The US determines national or multinational security objectives and guidance, and develops and uses national resources to accomplish these objectives. These national objectives in turn provide the direction for developing overall military objectives, which are used to develop the objectives and strategy for each theater. At the operational level command and control, campaigns and major operations are planned, conducted, sustained, and assessed to accomplish strategic goals within theaters or areas of operations. These activities imply

5665-510: The USAF dwarfs all other U.S. and allied air components, it often provides support for allied forces in conflicts to which the United States is otherwise not involved, such as the 2013 French campaign in Mali . The USAF has also taken part in numerous humanitarian operations. Some of the more major ones include the following: The culture of the United States Air Force is primarily driven by pilots, at first those piloting bombers (driven originally by

5768-464: The USAF established the nuclear-focused Air Force Global Strike Command on 24 October 2008, which later assumed control of all USAF bomber aircraft. On 26 June 2009, the USAF released a force structure plan that cut fighter aircraft and shifted resources to better support nuclear, irregular and information warfare. On 23 July 2009, The USAF released their Unmanned Aerial System (UAS) Flight Plan, detailing Air Force UAS plans through 2047. One third of

5871-509: The USAF undertook a Reduction-in-Force (RIF). Because of budget constraints, the USAF planned to reduce the service's size from 360,000 active duty personnel to 316,000. The size of the active duty force in 2007 was roughly 64% of that of what the USAF was at the end of the first Gulf War in 1991. However, the reduction was ended at approximately 330,000 personnel in 2008 in order to meet the demand signal of combatant commanders and associated mission requirements. These same constraints have seen

5974-526: The ability to fulfill their primary mission. Rapid Global Mobility is essential to virtually every military operation, allowing forces to reach foreign or domestic destinations quickly, thus seizing the initiative through speed and surprise. Airlift is "operations to transport and deliver forces and materiel through the air in support of strategic, operational, or tactical objectives" (Annex 3–17, Air Mobility Operations). The rapid and flexible options afforded by airlift allow military forces and national leaders

6077-407: The ability to integrate, evaluate, and interpret information from available sources to create a finished intelligence product for presentation or dissemination to enable increased situational awareness. Dissemination and integration is "the delivery of intelligence to users in a suitable form and the application of the intelligence to appropriate missions, tasks, and functions" (JP 2-01). It provides

6180-425: The ability to present information and intelligence products across the ROMO enabling understanding of the operational environment to military and national decision-makers. Rapid global mobility is the timely deployment, employment, sustainment, augmentation, and redeployment of military forces and capabilities across the ROMO. It provides joint military forces the capability to move from place to place while retaining

6283-455: The ability to respond and operate in a variety of situations and time frames. The global reach capability of airlift provides the ability to apply US power worldwide by delivering forces to crisis locations. It serves as a US presence that demonstrates resolve and compassion in humanitarian crisis. Air refueling is "the refueling of an aircraft in flight by another aircraft" (JP 1-02). Air refueling extends presence, increases range, and serves as

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6386-619: The airport south of Mobile starting about 1939. National Lockheed L-188 Electras appeared in 1962–63; later their Boeing 727-200s flew nonstop to New Orleans and Houston. After its acquisition of National, Pan Am 727s served the airport until 1981. Capital Airlines began Mobile flights in 1948; United Airlines acquired Capital in 1961 and served Mobile with Douglas DC-6Bs and Capital's Vickers Viscounts . Mobile's first jets were United Sud Aviation Caravelles to Newark via Birmingham in April 1962. United ended mainline service to Mobile in 1971, but United Express regional jets still serve

6489-734: The airport, then known as Bates Field . The Army Air Forces also operated an auxiliary airfield at St. Elmo Airport . The Army used this airport as a basic (level 1) pilot training airfield, under contract to Waterman Airlines. They performed flying training with Fairchild PT-19 aircraft as the primary trainer. The Army also assigned several Boeing-Stearman Model 75 aircraft. The Army also used Bates for glider pilot training under contract to Mobile Area Soaring, which used primarily Douglas C-47 Skytrain and Waco CG-4 unpowered gliders. The school aimed to train student pilots in proficiency in operation of gliders in various types of towed and soaring flight, both day and night, and in servicing of gliders in

6592-714: The airport. Southern Airways arrived at Mobile in 1950–51; in the 1970s Southern flew nonstop Douglas DC-9s to Atlanta and New Orleans. Southern merged with North Central Airlines to form Republic Airlines which was acquired by Northwest Airlines which continued at Mobile with DC-9s to the Northwest hub in Memphis. Northwest eventually merged into Delta Air Lines . Starting in 1981 American Airlines Boeing 727-200s flew to Dallas/Fort Worth Airport via Jackson, MS or New Orleans, LA. American also flew to its hub in Nashville from

6695-430: The beginning of modern aerial warfare and set the stage for the development of the United States Air Force. The U.S. War Department created the first antecedent of the U.S. Air Force, as a part of the U.S. Army, on 1 August 1907, which through a succession of changes of organization, titles, and missions advanced toward eventual independence 40 years later. In World War II , almost 68,000 U.S. airmen died helping to win

6798-400: The bombsights at Brookley in a secret facility, still standing and in use today. In 1944 with the closure of the Army contract flying school at nearby Bates Army Airfield , Air Transport Command operations were shifted to Bates to alleviate runway traffic at Brookley. Late in 1945 Bates Field was returned to civil control and ATC operations returned to Brookley. Following World War II and

6901-505: The closure of Brookley but the incoming Nixon Administration confirmed the closure as a way to save money because of the Vietnam War. Brookley officially closed its doors for good in June 1969 and was turned over to the state, Brookley AFB represented the largest base closure in U.S. history up to that time, eliminating an estimated 13,000 jobs (10% of Mobile's workforce) which provided an annual payroll of $ 95 million ($ 816 million in 2024) to

7004-515: The creation of an independent United States Air Force , the installation became Brookley Air Force Base . In 1947 with the closure of Morrison Field, Florida, the C-74 Globemaster project was moved to Brookley. The C-74 was, at the time, the largest military transport aircraft in the world. It was developed by Douglas Aircraft after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor . The long distances across

7107-422: The enemy holds dear in a devastating manner. If a crisis occurs, rapid generation and, if necessary, deployment of nuclear strike capabilities will demonstrate US resolve and may prompt an adversary to alter the course of action deemed threatening to our national interest. Should deterrence fail, the President may authorize a precise, tailored response to terminate the conflict at the lowest possible level and lead to

7210-471: The field. In 1944 with the reduced demand for pilots, the Army ended the flying training, and Domestic Transport Division of Air Transport Command used the airport as a transport airfield. Air Transport Command moved operations to Brookley Army Airfield (later Brookley Air Force Base ) near downtown Mobile in late 1945. The U.S. Air Force returned to Bates Field in May 1959 when the Air Force Reserve activated

7313-483: The fire and movement of friendly forces is not required" (Annex 3-03, Counterland Operations). Close Air Support is defined as "air action by fixed- and rotary-winged aircraft against hostile targets that are in close proximity to friendly forces and which require detailed integration of each air mission with the fire and movement of those forces" (JP 1-02). This can be as a pre-planned event or on demand from an alert posture (ground or airborne). It can be conducted across

7416-603: The globe to conduct current and future operations. Planning and directing is "the determination of intelligence requirements, development of appropriate intelligence architecture, preparation of a collection plan, and issuance of orders and requests to information collection agencies" (JP 2-01, Joint and National Intelligence Support to Military Operations). These activities enable the synchronization and integration of collection, processing, exploitation, analysis, and dissemination activities/resources to meet information requirements of national and military decision-makers. Collection

7519-609: The home of Mobile's founding father, Jean-Baptiste Le Moyne, Sieur de Bienville , in the early 18th century. In 1938 the Army Air Corps took over the then 1,000-acre (405 ha) Bates Field site and established the Brookley Army Air Field . The military was attracted to the site because of the area's generally good flying weather and the bay-front location, but Alabama Congressman Frank Boykin 's influence in Washington

7622-442: The intention of taking the initiative" (JP 1-02). It includes detection and warning; chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear defense; camouflage, concealment, and deception; hardening; reconstitution; dispersion; redundancy; and mobility, counter-measures, and stealth. Airspace control is "a process used to increase operational effectiveness by promoting the safe, efficient, and flexible use of airspace" (JP 1-02). It promotes

7725-429: The lack of a true low-cost carrier (LCC) serving the airport, such as JetBlue or Southwest Airlines . Low-cost carrier AirTran Airways served the airport for a time, but Delta Air Lines and other airlines matched fares on the routes that AirTran served, and passengers continued to fly the traditional network carriers. AirTran ultimately discontinued all service, and fares increased once again. AirTran later entered

7828-1348: The late 1990s. Continental has since merged into United Airlines. The MC Farmer Terminal was completed in 1985. United Airlines via United Express served Mobile from its hubs in Chicago (ORD) and Washington D.C. (IAD). After the September 11, 2001 attacks , United canceled all service at Mobile. United Express reinstated nonstop service to Houston (IAH) and Chicago (ORD) after the merger of United with Continental Airlines . On September 5, 2018, United stopped flights to Chicago (ORD), citing low demand. All United Express flights at Mobile are regional jets. In 2006 Delta Air Lines dropped several flights from Mobile and Continental Airlines added flights. In December 2006 Delta had six weekday flights to Atlanta and one to its Cincinnati hub. Delta ended service to Cincinnati on December 12, 2006. American Airlines restored flights to Chicago (ORD) in April 2007 but ended them in September 2008. Flights to Charlotte and Dallas/Ft. Worth continue on its American Eagle affiliate with Embraer ERJs . In 2010 Northwest Airlines merged into Delta Air Lines . Northwest had operated nonstops from Mobile to its hub in Memphis; those flights ended after

7931-594: The local economy. After closure, the base was returned to the City of Mobile. Later, the city transferred it to the Mobile Airport Authority, and it became known as the Mobile Downtown Airport. The city had created the Mobile Airport Authority in 1982 to oversee the operation of the Mobile Regional Airport and what would become the Mobile Aeroplex at Brookley . The Mobile Airport Authority is autonomous and

8034-592: The major Army Air Forces supply base for the Air Materiel Command in the southeastern United States and the Caribbean. Many air depot personnel, logisticians, mechanics, and other support personnel were trained at Brookley during the war. Both Air Materiel and Technical Services Command organized mobile Depot Groups at Brookley, then once trained were deployed around the world as Air Depot Groups, Depot Repair Squadrons, Quartermaster Squadrons, Ordnance Maintenance, Military Police, and many other units whose mission

8137-474: The merger. After its merger with Continental Airlines in 2012 United Airlines (via its United Express regional affiliate operated by ExpressJet ) resumed flights to its hub in Houston (IAH), seven weekday flights. United Express resumed service to the hub in Chicago (ORD) on April 9, 2013. Mobile Regional Airport covers 1,717 acres (695 ha ) at an elevation of 219 feet (67 m). It has two runways: 15/33

8240-419: The mid-1980s to the early 1990s before the airline closed that hub. USAir (later US Airways and now merged into American Airlines ) flew nonstop to Charlotte, NC in the mid 1990s with McDonnell Douglas DC-9-30s and Fokker 100s . Texas International arrived in 1979; successor Continental Airlines flew Boeing 737-200s and McDonnell Douglas DC-9-30s nonstop to Houston Intercontinental Airport in

8343-727: The mid-2030s. On 22 October 2023, the USAF conducted its first-ever trilateral exercise with the South Korean and Japanese air forces near the Korean Peninsula. On 29 November 2023, a USAF Bell Boeing V-22 Osprey crashed in the Japan island of Yakushima killing 1 airman. In 2024, citing the Supreme Court 's ruling in Loper Bright Enterprises v. Raimondo , the Air Force refused to comply with an EPA order that they develop

8446-415: The planes that the USAF planned to buy in the future were to be unmanned. According to Air Force Chief Scientist, Greg Zacharias , the USAF anticipates having hypersonic weapons by the 2020s, hypersonic unmanned aerial vehicles (also known as remotely-piloted vehicles, or RPAs) by the 2030s and recoverable hypersonic RPAs aircraft by the 2040s. The USAF intends to deploy a Sixth-generation jet fighter by

8549-540: The potential consequences of an accident or unauthorized act, nuclear weapons and nuclear weapon systems require special consideration and protection against risks and threats inherent in their peacetime and wartime environments. In conjunction with other entities within the Departments of Defense or Energy, the Air Force achieves a high standard of protection through a stringent nuclear surety program. This program applies to materiel, personnel, and procedures that contribute to

8652-483: The production of intelligence" (JP 2-01). It provides the ability to transform, extract, and make available collected information suitable for further analysis or action across the ROMO. Analysis and production is "the conversion of processed information into intelligence through the integration, evaluation, analysis, and interpretation of all source data and the preparation of intelligence products in support of known or anticipated user requirements" (JP 2-01). It provides

8755-420: The public. Military bases were sources of employment and federal dollars for states and local communities which allowed them to handle the cost and sales to military people stationed at the base. Moreover, McNamara worked for President Lyndon B. Johnson , who had a well-known reputation for handsomely rewarding friends and severely punishing opponents. When McNamara began the base closure announcements and Brookley

8858-409: The purpose of the USAF as: The five core missions of the Air Force have not changed dramatically since the Air Force became independent in 1947, but they have evolved and are now articulated as air superiority, global integrated ISR (intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance), rapid global mobility, global strike, and command and control. The purpose of all of these core missions is to provide what

8961-491: The safe, efficient, and flexible use of airspace, mitigates the risk of fratricide, enhances both offensive and defensive operations, and permits greater agility of air operations as a whole. It both deconflicts and facilitates the integration of joint air operations. Global integrated intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) is the synchronization and integration of the planning and operation of sensors, assets, and processing, exploitation, dissemination systems across

9064-597: The safety, security, and control of nuclear weapons, thus assuring no nuclear accidents, incidents, loss, or unauthorized or accidental use (a Broken Arrow incident ). The Air Force continues to pursue safe, secure and effective nuclear weapons consistent with operational requirements. Adversaries, allies, and the American people must be highly confident of the Air Force's ability to secure nuclear weapons from accidents, theft, loss, and accidental or unauthorized use. This day-to-day commitment to precise and reliable nuclear operations

9167-498: The sound barrier in his X-1 rocket-powered aircraft, beginning a new era of aeronautics in America. The predecessor organizations in the Army of today's Air Force are: During the early 2000s, two USAF aircraft procurement projects took longer than expected, the KC-X and F-35 programs. As a result, the USAF was setting new records for average aircraft age. Since 2005, the USAF has placed

9270-463: The war, with only the infantry suffering more casualties. In practice, the U.S. Army Air Forces ( USAAF ) was virtually independent of the Army during World War II, and in virtually every way functioned as an independent service branch, but airmen still pressed for formal independence. The National Security Act of 1947 was signed on 26 July 1947, which established the Department of the Air Force , but it

9373-630: The wartime jobs of World War II, the base's civilian workforce again expanded to around 16,000 people by 1962, a result of both the Cold War and other USAF base closings in other areas of the country. During this time, AFLC 's Mobile Air Materiel Area (MOAMA) provided depot-level maintenance for various USAF aircraft of the period including the C-119 Flying Boxcar , C-131 Samaritan , F-84 Thunderstreak , RF-84 Thunderflash , F-102 Delta Dagger , F-104 Starfighter and F-105 Thunderchief . In 1964,

9476-457: The weekends. Various carriers represent all three major airline alliances— SkyTeam , Star Alliance , and Oneworld —at Mobile, allowing for connections to partner airlines. Regional airlines flying for the major United States network airlines, as listed, primarily serve Mobile. Delta Air Lines alone operates mainline passenger service from the airport and uses such jet types as the Boeing 717 and

9579-551: The year ending October 30, 2021 the airport had 75,034 aircraft operations, average 205 per day: 72% military, 14% general aviation , 8% air taxi , and 5% airline. 31 aircraft were then based at this airport: 6 single-engine and 25 military. The major carriers out of Mobile are United Airlines and Delta Air Lines , based on the number of flights. Additional weekday departures were as follows: Charlotte (four flights via American Eagle ) and Dallas / Fort Worth (three flights via American Eagle ). Schedules were slightly reduced on

9682-457: Was acquired by Southwest beginning in 2011 and ending in 2014. In order to attract and maintain frequent flyers, Mobile Regional Airport offered the first airport-based frequent flyer program, called Passport. Passport was launched with a media blitz and new slogan: "Fly Smarter, Fly Mobile." The Mobile Airport Authority encourages passengers to use multiple airlines to stimulate more competition and lower fares, and it continues to work to attract

9785-400: Was also the only Air Force base with a seaport as well as having its own railyard making it logistically unique further didn't support McNamara's analogy. Another purported contributor to the demise of Brookley was when First Lady Lady Bird Johnson visited Alabama by train on "The Lady Bird Express" on October 9, 1964. Upon arrival in Mobile and other surrounding Alabama towns she was given

9888-416: Was important in convincing the Army to locate the new military field in Mobile instead of Tampa, Florida . However, later that year, Tampa was also chosen for a military flying installation of its own, which would be named MacDill Field , home of present-day MacDill Air Force Base . Brookley Air Force Base was named after Capt. Wendell H. Brookley (1896-1934), a former World War 1 US Army pilot. Brookley

9991-509: Was killed on February 28, 1934 while testing a new prop on a Douglas BT2-B biplane. While in flight out of Bolling Field (now known as Bolling Air Force Base ) the prop mysteriously broke apart causing the engine to break away from the fuselage and the aircraft to go out of control. His copilot successfully bailed out but by the time Brookley attempted to leave the doomed aircraft he was too low of altitude and his parachute did noy fully deploy. During World War II , Brookley Army Air Field became

10094-487: Was not until 18 September 1947, when the first secretary of the Air Force, W. Stuart Symington , was sworn into office that the Air Force was officially formed as an independent service branch. The act created the National Military Establishment (renamed Department of Defense in 1949), which was composed of three subordinate Military Departments, namely the Department of the Army , the Department of

10197-419: Was on the list, suspicion immediately began that Johnson personally picked Brookley to close as retribution (albeit retaliation) for the recent 1964 Presidential Election . The Republican candidate, Senator Barry Goldwater , carried Alabama in the election and it was highly believed that Johnson was punishing the state for defecting from its traditional Democratic Party ties. The closing announcement came as

10300-429: Was that he had repeatedly clashed with Wynne and Moseley over other important non-nuclear related issues to the service. This followed an investigation into two incidents involving mishandling of nuclear weapons : specifically a nuclear weapons incident aboard a B-52 flight between Minot AFB and Barksdale AFB , and an accidental shipment of nuclear weapons components to Taiwan. To put more emphasis on nuclear assets,

10403-519: Was the first officer appointed to that position who did not have a background as a fighter or bomber pilot. The Washington Post reported in 2010 that General Schwartz began to dismantle the rigid class system of the USAF, particularly in the officer corps. In 2014, following morale and testing/cheating scandals in the Air Force's missile launch officer community, Secretary of the Air Force Deborah Lee James admitted that there remained

10506-442: Was to support the front-line combat units with depot-level maintenance for aircraft and logistical support to maintain their operations. Air Transport Command operated large numbers of cargo and passenger aircraft from the base as part of its Domestic Wing. During the war, Brookley became Mobile's largest employer, with about 17,000 skilled civilians capable of performing delicate work with fragile instruments and machinery. In 1944,

10609-481: Was under US Air Force control. [REDACTED]  This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency United States Air Force The United States Air Force ( USAF ) is the air service branch of the United States Armed Forces , and is one of the eight uniformed services of the United States . Originally created on 1 August 1907, as

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