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84-716: Beginning in 1946, for marketing purposes the coast from Fort Walton Beach to Panama City was named the "Playground of the Gulf Coast", as witnessed by the name of the Fort Walton Beach newspaper, the Playground News , later the Playground Daily News , and now the Northwest Florida Daily News . In 1952, this stretch of coast was dubbed the "Miracle Strip" by Claude Jenkins, a local journalist. The term

168-592: A "buffer zone" outside the fence. When the hurricane destroyed the fence in October 2018, contractors erected a temporary replacement slightly offset which included some sections contaminated with lead to be located within the campus. As of August 2019, a new perimeter fence was planned to be erected until 12 August 2019 and School district officials were planning to contact families of the 180 affected students. References for history, major commands and major units The 325th Fighter Wing (325 FW)'s primary mission

252-622: A biennial air-to-air weapons and aerial gunnery meet and competition for fighter aircraft held by the United States Air Force during even-numbered years. 125th Student Flight, Florida Air National Guard The 125th Student Flight is a training unit based out of Jacksonville, Florida. Established in 2018, the Tyndall AFB detachment of the 125th serves as a holding unit for Florida Air National Guard trainees. Once enlisted, Air Guardsmen awaiting basic training and tech school will be sent to

336-500: A boardwalk, casino, restaurant, dance pavilion, "40 modernly equipped beach cottages", and concession stands which was largely destroyed by fire on Saturday, March 7, 1942. Wartime supply restrictions prevented a reconstruction. This 875-acre parcel of Santa Rosa Island with three miles of Gulf frontage was conveyed to Okaloosa County on July 8, 1950, in an informal ceremony at the county courthouse in Crestview, Florida . The county paid

420-474: A boost to the local economy because of seasonal human migration . Prehistoric settlement of Fort Walton Beach is attributed to the mound building " Fort Walton Culture " that flourished from approximately 1100–1550 CE. It is believed that this culture evolved out of the Weeden Island culture . Fort Walton also appeared to come about due to contact with the major Mississippian centers to the north and west. It

504-554: A city manager form. A special census conducted in 1956 listed 9,456 residents, which grew to 11,249 by 1960. The last of three county-owned buildings on Okaloosa Island was torn down on May 31, 1995. The buildings had originally housed the Okaloosa Island Authority and more recently the Okaloosa County Council on Aging. The 1.3-acre tract on the north side of Santa Rosa Boulevard was sold. Fort Walton Beach

588-525: A condition to be flown. A spokesperson for the Air Force said that none of the F-22s were destroyed and that they "believe at this time that they are all repairable." In April 2019, the Air Force estimated the hurricane damage to the base at $ 4.7 billion. In April 2022, Detachment 1 of the 823rd Red Horse Squadron inactivated at Tyndall and was replaced by the 801st Red Horse Training Squadron . The unit's role

672-473: A female householder with no husband present, and 35.9% are non-families. 28.5% of all households are made up of individuals and 9.6% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.33 and the average family size is 2.85. In 2000, in the city, the population was spread out, with 22.4% under the age of 18, 8.9% from 18 to 24, 29.3% from 25 to 44, 23.1% from 45 to 64, and 16.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age

756-603: A large snowbird population, which includes the Fort Walton Beach Snowbird Club. The Billy Bowlegs Pirate Festival is held annually in June. According to Fort Walton Beach's 2010 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report, the top employers in the city were: Tyndall Air Force Base Tyndall Air Force Base ( IATA : PAM , ICAO : KPAM , FAA LID : PAM ) is a United States Air Force Base located 12 miles (19 km) east of Panama City, Florida . The base

840-579: A level called Emerald Coast. The majority of scenes for Jaws 2 (1978) were filmed in the region, in the Navarre area. Interiors for the youth's pinball hang-out were filmed in Fort Walton Beach at the now-razed original location of Hog's Breath Saloon on Okaloosa Island , and Bruce the Shark's control sled was placed on the bottom of the Gulf off Navarre Beach and the mainland community of Navarre . "Redneck Riviera"

924-522: A parent unit based at another location. Air Combat Command (ACC) Air Education and Training Command (AETC) Air Force Materiel Command (AFMC) Air Force Reserve Command (AFRC) Air National Guard (ANG) According to the United States Census Bureau , the base has a total area of 14.5 square miles (37.6 km ). 14.5 square miles (37.5 km ) of it is land, and 0.077 square miles (0.2 km ) of it (0.44%)

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1008-647: A reorganization in response to the Department of Defense efforts to streamline defense management. Headquarters, First Air Force , what had predominantly been the Numbered Air Force for the Air National Guard , moved from Langley AFB , Virginia , to Tyndall. With the disestablishment of Tactical Air Command (TAC) in 1992, Tyndall was temporarily transferred to the Air Combat Command (ACC) and then to

1092-401: A significant amount of time. Thirty-three of Tyndall´s 55 F-22 stealth fighters were flown to Wright-Patterson Air Force Base near Dayton, Ohio before the storm. Many of the seventeen F-22s which were left behind became damaged. The extent of the damage to the planes was then unknown. According to US Senator Bill Nelson and Congressman Matt Gaetz , the aircraft left behind were not in

1176-794: A trace of snow was on January 28, 2014. The last report of freezing rain was on February 11, 2010. The Köppen climate classification subtype for this climate is humid subtropical climate ( Cfa ), Nearby Destin-Fort Walton Beach Airport (airport code VPS) serves Fort Walton Beach, as well as Valparaiso, Florida . Airlines that currently serve Destin-Fort Walton Beach Airport are Allegiant Airlines, American Eagle, Southwest, Delta Air Lines, and Delta Connection. They provide non-stop service to Atlanta, Cincinnati, Charlotte, Dallas, Fort Lauderdale, Houston, Las Vegas, Knoxville, Memphis, Oklahoma City, and St. Louis. Okaloosa County Transit provides public transportation throughout Fort Walton Beach as well as Okaloosa County . Its main stop and transfer location

1260-456: Is Uptown Station located on State Road 85, a little over 1 mile north of US 98. State Road 189 is a north–south highway from State Road 85 to US 98 in downtown Fort Walton Beach. State Road 85 is a north–south highway that leads north 27 mi (43 km) to Crestview , the Okaloosa County seat (also along Interstate 10 ), and ends at US 98 in downtown Fort Walton Beach. US 98

1344-670: Is an Air Combat Command tenant organization that reports to the 53d Wing (53 WG) at nearby Eglin Air Force Base . Among its subordinate squadrons at Tyndall, the 53 WEG manages offshore weapons ranges over the eastern Gulf of Mexico (EGOMEX), manages target drone programs ranging from sub-scale target drones to a fleet of QF-16 Fighting Falcon Full Scale Aerial Targets (FSAT) based on conversion of older F-16A and F-16C aircraft. The 53 WEG previously managed QF-4 Phantom II FSATs, most of which were converted F-4E and F-4G aircraft. The 53 WEG also serves as primary manager for "William Tell" ,

1428-552: Is an associate unit of the 325 FW and, if mobilized, is operationally-gained the Air Combat Command (ACC). Otherwise, it operates at Tyndall as a Geographically Separate Unit (GSU) of AFRC's 301st Fighter Wing at NAS JRB Fort Worth /Carswell Field, Texas. The 44 FG flies and maintains the F-22A Raptor in partnership with the 325 FW. Headquarters, First Air Force at Tyndall is part of the Air Combat Command (ACC), ensuring

1512-489: Is an east–west highway, which runs through downtown Fort Walton Beach. The Brooks Bridge over the Santa Rosa Sound connects downtown Fort Walton Beach with Okaloosa Island , which is along the route of US 98. US 98 leads east 9 mi (14 km) to Destin and west 41 mi (66 km) to Pensacola . As of the 2020 United States census , there were 20,922 people, 9,246 households, and 5,195 families residing in

1596-470: Is described at "40 deaths a day" in a Spanish map dated 1566. In later English and French maps the area was noted as "Baya Santa Rosa" or "Bay St. Rose". A number of Spanish artifacts, including a portion of brigantine leather armor, are housed in the Indian Temple Mound Museum. Contrary to popular belief, there is no documentary evidence of pirates using the area as a base of operations. Piracy

1680-476: Is home to the Air Force Materiel Command 's Air Force Life Cycle Management Center 's Armament Directorate and the 96th Test Wing , Air Combat Command 's 53rd Wing , and Air Education Training Command 's 33rd Fighter Wing . Eglin is geographically one of the largest Air Force bases at 724 square miles (1,880 km ), and thus home to joint exercises, and missile and bomb testing. For example,

1764-762: Is located at 30°25′13″N 86°37′00″W  /  30.420199°N 86.616727°W  / 30.420199; -86.616727 (30.420199, −86.616727). According to the United States Census Bureau , the city has a total area of 21.3 km (8.2 sq mi), of which 19.3 km (7.5 sq mi) is land and 2 km (0.77 sq mi), or 9.26%, is water. Fort Walton Beach experiences hot and very humid summers, generally from late May to mid-September. Autumns, from mid-September to early December, are generally warm. Winters are very short and mild, from mid-December to late February. Springs are warm, from late February to late May. Fort Walton Beach averages 55.35 inches of rain each year. The wettest season

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1848-629: Is now Panama City Beach, Florida in 1528 to Texas, "Then we set out to sea again, coasting towards the River of Palms. Every day our thirst and hunger increased because our supplies were giving out, as well as the water supply, for the pouches we had made from the legs of our horses soon became rotten and useless. From time to time we would enter some inlet or cove that reached very far inland, but we found them all shallow and dangerous, and so we navigated through them for thirty days, meeting sometimes Indians who fished and were poor and wretched people". The area

1932-711: Is now Fort Walton Beach (the area was originally named "Anderson"). Two of the first settlers were John Anderson and Andrew A. Alvarez, who received land plots in 1838. The name "Anderson" is noted on maps from 1838 to 1884. It was not until 1911 that the name "Camp Walton" appeared on Florida maps. In 1861, Camp Walton was a Confederate Army camp, a fortified post, made up of the "Walton Guards", an independent Company of Florida Volunteer Infantry from Walton County. At this time, Okaloosa County did not yet exist. Walton County received its name from Col. George Walton, who served as secretary of West Florida during Andrew Jackson 's governorship (1821–1822) and whose father, George Walton Sr.,

2016-456: Is summer and the driest season is autumn, although flood season continues into autumn. Snow and freezing rain are very rare. Freezing rain occurs about once every 5 to 10 years. Snow occurs about once every 10 to 15 years. The most recent measurable snowfall was on January 31, 1977, when about 1 inch (25 mm) fell in Fort Walton Beach, while 3 inches (76 mm) fell on Crestview , about 27 miles (43 km) inland. The most recent report of

2100-496: Is the title of a song by Tom T. Hall (from his 1996 album Songs from Sopchoppy ) about this region and the nearby Forgotten Coast . The song's lyrics include: Parts of John Grisham's book The Whistler (2016) take place in and around the Emerald Coast. 30°24′N 86°30′W  /  30.4°N 86.5°W  / 30.4; -86.5 Fort Walton Beach, Florida Fort Walton Beach , often referred to by

2184-537: Is to provide a combat ready air dominance force, train F-22A Raptor pilots and maintenance personnel, and train air battle managers to support the combat Air Force. Tyndall's combat mission is performed by the 95th Fighter Squadron . Training for F-22 pilots is performed in the 43d Fighter Squadron and the 2d Fighter Training Squadron . The 325th Air Control Squadron trains air battle managers for assignment to combat Air Force units. Additionally, wing personnel manage

2268-419: Is to provide integrated, realistic training and exercises to combat support teams. The soil of an aerial gunnery school training range on Tyndall was contaminated with lead from 12-gauge shotgun shells during World War II. Tyndall Elementary was constructed on the former site of this training range; In 2009 a $ 5.5 million remediation of the soil at the school was completed and a perimeter fence put up, including

2352-467: Is water. The base is delineated as the Tyndall AFB census-designated place (CDP) and recorded a population of 139 at the 2020 census , a 95% reduction in population from 2,994 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Panama City – Panama City Beach, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area . As of the 2000 census, 2,757 people, 663 households, and 653 families resided on the base. The population density

2436-470: The 678th Air Defense Group . In addition to the main facility, Tyndall operated two AN/FPS-14 Gap Filler sites: On 1 October 1979, this site came under Tactical Air Command jurisdiction with the inactivation of Aerospace Defense Command and the formation of ADTAC . On 1 March 1983 the 678th Air Defense Group was inactivated and Tyndall became the home of the NORAD 23rd ADS (Air Defense Squadron) and operated

2520-554: The Air Defense Command (ADC). Under the auspices of this training system, GCI trainees would direct TF-51H Mustangs against "enemy" A-26 Invaders . In late 1952, both aircraft were replaced by Lockheed T-33 Shooting Star jet trainers. Airborne radar operator students would begin their training aboard radar-equipped TB-25 Mitchells , then transition to either Lockheed F-94 Starfire or Northrop F-89 Scorpion aircraft. North American F-86F and F-86Ds were eventually added to

2604-640: The Air Education and Training Command (AETC) in July 1993. The 21st century proved to be momentous for Tyndall AFB, because it was selected as the first home of the Air Force's newest aircraft, the F-22 Raptor . In 2002 the Chief of Staff of the Air Force changed the organizational structure of the 325th Fighter Wing from an objective type wing to a combat organization. This organization moved all maintenance activities under

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2688-584: The Air Force Center for Engineering and the Environment and Air Force Real Property Agency , it was renamed the Air Force Civil Engineer Center (AFCEC), but AFCEC headquarters remained with the other two previous activities which had relocated from the former Brooks AFB to Lackland AFB , part of Joint Base San Antonio , Texas. As a tenant unit at Tyndall, AFCEC is a subordinate unit of

2772-616: The Air Force Materiel Command ( AFMC ). Its activities at Tyndall include the AFCEC Energy Directorate, Operations Directorate and Readiness and Emergency Management Directorate. The Air Force Research Laboratory 's Materials and Manufacturing Directorate at Wright-Patterson AFB , Ohio maintains a research facility at Tyndall as a Geographically Separate Unit. Flying and notable non-flying units based at Tyndall Air Force Base. Units marked GSU are Geographically Separate Units, which although based at Tyndall are subordinate to

2856-471: The Air Force Reserve Command (AFRC) and the Air National Guard (ANG), respectively. Detachment 1 of Headquarters, Florida Air National Guard (FL ANG) provides instructor pilot augmentation to the 325 FW, training active duty Air Force, Air Force Reserve and Air National Guard personnel to fly and fight F-22A Raptor aircraft. The 44th Fighter Group of the Air Force Reserve Command (AFRC)

2940-538: The Air National Guard (ANG), augmented by additional part-time "traditional" Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve personnel, as well as active duty personnel of the U.S. Air Force, U.S. Navy , U.S. Marine Corps , U.S. Army , and U.S. Coast Guard . Operationally-gained by ACC, 1 AF is the only Numbered Air Force in the Air National Guard and is responsible for all Air National Guard F-15 and F-16 fighter units. The 53d Weapons Evaluation Group (53 WEG),

3024-472: The Daily News , the term Emerald Coast was coined in 1983 by a junior high school student, Andrew Dier, who won $ 50 in the contest for a new area slogan. Since then, the term has been expanded by popular usage to cover all of the northwest coast of Florida from Pensacola Beach to Panama City Beach. The area and particularly the beaches along the Emerald Coast from Pensacola to Panama City are also referred to as

3108-611: The F-106 A and B aircraft, training interceptor pilots for ADC assignments. The base served as a stopover and refueling point for ADC aircraft deployed to Florida during the Cuban Missile Crisis , to be redeployed to other bases in the southeast shortly thereafter. The base maintained an alert facility from which the F-101 Voodoo and F-102 Delta Dagger interceptors were scrambled to intercept unknown aircraft. Tyndall shared training for

3192-668: The Navy Experimental Diving Unit and Naval Diving & Salvage Training Center), and Corry Station Naval Technical Training Center . Two other military bases, Duke Field and Naval Air Station Whiting Field are also in the area but are located inland from the coast. The well-established military presence in the region has led to many film appearances, the earliest being the practice takeoff runs by Doolittle Raiders for Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo , shot at Peel Field , an auxiliary field at Eglin Field , in 1944. Some scenes in

3276-701: The Tactical Air Command (TAC) in 1946, but this only lasted three months, as Tyndall became part of the Air University (AU). Tyndall Field was subsequently renamed as Tyndall Air Force Base when the U.S. Air Force (USAF) became a separate service in 1947. In September 1950, Tyndall became an Air Training Command (ATC) installation, designated as the USAF Pilot Instructor School. The base also trained Ground Controlled Intercept (GCI) operators as well as interceptor pilots & flight crews for

3360-526: The War Department officially named the new installation Tyndall Field. On 7 December 1941, the first of 2,000 troops arrived at Tyndall Field. The first class of gunnery students began in February 1942. Although construction was incomplete, instructors and students began preparing for the first class. The first class of 40 gunnery students began on 23 February 1942. Of the thousands of students passing through

3444-562: The poverty line , including 16.2% of those under age 18 and 4.1% of those aged 65 or over. The economy of Fort Walton Beach is driven by two primary factors: tourism and the military. There are two major Air Force bases which border Fort Walton Beach. Hurlburt Field is home to Headquarters, Air Force Special Operations Command ( AFSOC ), the 1st Special Operations Wing , and the Joint Special Operations University. Eglin AFB

Emerald Coast - Misplaced Pages Continue

3528-504: The "Redneck Riviera", alluding to the strong Southern culture of the hinterland. Popular vacation destinations include Panama City , Pensacola , Pensacola Beach , Gulf Breeze , Navarre , Navarre Beach , Fort Walton Beach , Niceville , WaterColor , Panama City Beach , Destin , and Seaside , a planned community whose iconic pastel-paint and tin-roof construction was made famous in the Jim Carrey movie The Truman Show , filmed in

3612-401: The 'Massive Ordnance Air Blast' or 'Mother of All Bombs' ( MOAB ) was first tested at Eglin AFB on March 11, 2003. There is support industry in the area that benefits from the presence of the bases, including military contractors and the service industry. The tourism industry is seasonal, with summer being the primary season, and a smaller peak season during spring break. The area also boasts

3696-735: The 1949 film Twelve O'Clock High , another film about World War II, were also shot at Eglin. The 1972 eco-horror film Frogs was filmed in Walton County, Florida , in and around the Wesley House, an old Southern mansion located in Eden Gardens State Park in the town of Point Washington , situated on Tucker Bayou off Choctawhatchee Bay . Exterior shots and several interior scenes for 1998's The Truman Show were filmed in Seaside. The 1998 Sega Dreamcast game Sonic Adventure features

3780-490: The 325th Maintenance Group and all support activities under the 325th Mission Support Group. Today, Tyndall is the home of the 325th Fighter Wing, providing training for all F-22A Raptor pilots. In 2012, with the gaining of a combat-coded F-22 squadron, Tyndall AFB returned to Air Combat Command, after a 19-year tenure in AETC. On 10 October 2018 Hurricane Michael made landfall as a Category 5 hurricane at Mexico Beach just to

3864-674: The 337 ACS conducts Undergraduate Air Battle Manager Training (UABMT) at Tyndall AFB. All of the Air Force's Air Battle Managers are initially trained at Tyndall prior to proceeding to Tinker AFB , Oklahoma for actual positional training in the E-3 Sentry AWACS aircraft or Robins AFB , Georgia for the E-8 Joint STARS aircraft. Prior to October 2012, Tyndall AFB was home to the Air Force Civil Engineer Support Agency (AFCESA). Following AFCESA's merger with

3948-556: The F-102 aircraft with Perrin AFB , Texas , until Perrin's closure in mid-1971. On 1 July 1956 Tyndall AFB became the station operating for the third phase of the ADC mobile radar program, designated as TM-198 . Activated by the 678th Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron, Tyndall became operational to support the CIM-10 Bomarc surface-to-air missile program at Hurlburt Field . In 1958 the site

4032-668: The F-15A, F-15B, F-15C and F-15D aircraft. The 1 FS inactivated in 2006, while the 2 FS and 95 FS inactivated in May and September 2010, respectively. During this time, Tyndall also hosted training for F-15C/D maintenance personnel and intelligence officers assigned to F-15C/D units. The 95 FS was reactivated in September 2013 as part of the F-22 Raptor consolidation plan that moved the 7th Fighter Squadron's aircraft to Tyndall. The 2nd Fighter Training Squadron

4116-730: The Indian Temple Mound and displaying them at camp. The post was abandoned in August 1862, and the "Walton Guards" were assigned to reinforce the 1st Florida Infantry Regiment, with duty in the Western Theatre on the Tennessee front. On April 11, 1879, John Thomas Brooks purchased at a public auction in Milton , Florida, 111 acres in Section 24, Township 2, Range 24 of Santa Rosa County , a portion of

4200-570: The Southeast Regional Operations Control Center (SE ROCC), later renamed Sector Operations Control Center (SOCC). The height-finder radar, modified as an AN/FPS-116 c. 1977, was removed c. 1988. In 1995 an AN/FPS-64 A was performing search duties. The site now operates an ARSR-4 search radar under FAA control as part of the Joint Surveillance System (JSS) as site "J-11". In 1991, Tyndall underwent

4284-601: The Student Flight detachment nearest to their home. The Tyndall detachment is located on a separate compound within the main air base, where instructors teach recruits basic skills and knowledge regarding the Air Force and the Florida Air National Guard. The 337th Air Control Squadron (337 ACS) is a Geographically Separate Unit (GSU) of the 33d Operations Group , 33d Fighter Wing , at Eglin AFB , Florida. As an Air Education and Training Command ( AETC ) unit,

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4368-457: The Tyndall gates, the most famous was actor Clark Gable , a student here as a U.S. Army Air Forces lieutenant during late 1942 and part of January 1943. Foreign student training began at Tyndall in 1943 with French Air Force gunnery students being the first and Chinese students following later that year. When World War II ended, Tyndall Field was demobilized. The base fell under the control of

4452-414: The age of 18 living with them, 90.8% were married couples living together, 5.1% 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 3.57 and the average family size was 3.59. On the base the population was spread out, with 37.9% under

4536-524: The air sovereignty and air defense of the continental United States. As the CONUS geographical component of the bi-national North American Aerospace Defense Command and air component of United States Northern Command (USNORTHCOM), 1 AF also provides airspace surveillance and control and directs all air sovereignty activities for the continental United States. 1 AF primarily consists of Active Guard and Reserve (AGR) and Air Reserve Technician (ART) personnel of

4620-668: The annual high-dollar Bay Point Billfish Invitational. The area has many seafood restaurants. On 15 October 2019, the Okaloosa Board of County Commissioners approved a new “destination logo” that the Tourist Development Council had recommended, to be introduced in the TDC's new marketing campaign beginning in January 2020. The “Emerald Coast” will be dropped for a simplified logo reading Destin Fort Walton Beach, Florida. This aligns with

4704-466: The area from 1996–1997. Other communities on the Emerald Coast are Perdido Key , Sandestin , Mexico Beach , Grayton Beach , Inlet Beach , and Santa Rosa Beach . The area is a family drive destination, attracting tourists from across the Southern United States due to its close proximity. The Emerald Coast is a three-hour drive east of New Orleans . In the first decade of the 21st century,

4788-405: The city is 78.84% White , 13.34% African American , 0.45% Native American , 2.72% Asian , 0.08% Pacific Islander , 1.22% from other races, and 3.36% from two or more races. 4.04% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race. In 2000, there are 8,460 households out of which 26.0% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.3% are married couples living together, 12.6% have

4872-410: The city. As of the 2010 United States census , there were 19,507 people, 8,657 households, and 4,950 families residing in the city. As of the census of 2000 , there are 19,973 people, 8,460 households, and 5,422 families residing in the city. The population density is 1,036.5/km (2,683.0/mi ). There are 9,007 housing units at an average density of 467.4/km (1,209.9/mi ). The racial makeup of

4956-410: The damage to the base from the hurricane as "catastrophic," with all of the base's facilities being declared "unlivable". While efforts to repair the base were underway, as of 12 October 2018 there was no confirmed time of completion on the repairs, according to 325th Fighter Wing Commander Col Brian Laidlaw. Airmen assigned to the 325th Fighter Wing were told they would be away from the installation for

5040-469: The east of the base. A weather station near the base recorded a wind gust of 130 miles per hour (210 km/h) before it failed, according to the National Hurricane Center advisory shortly after landfall. The National Weather Service , in a preliminary report released later in the month, stated that the maximum sustained wind speed at the base was 75 knots (139 km/h; 86 mph) and

5124-503: The establishment of the United States Air Force in 1947, the facility was renamed "Tyndall Air Force Base" on 13 January 1948. In December 1940, a site board determined that Flexible Gunnery School No. 9 would be located 12 miles (19 km) southeast of Panama City, Florida , on East Peninsula. On 6 May 1941, U.S. Army and local dignitaries held an official ground breaking for the school. Panama City's mayor, Harry Fannin, dug

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5208-399: The federal government $ 4,000 to complete the transaction, the result of the efforts of Congressman Bob Sikes . The portion of Santa Rosa Island transferred is now known as Okaloosa Island . The remaining Tower Beach summer cottages were removed after the 1955 tourist season as the new Okaloosa Island Authority redeveloped the site with a new hotel and casino. The government was changed to

5292-504: The first spade full of sand, and Colonel Warren Maxwell, Tyndall's first commander, wielded the first ax on the stubborn palmetto plants, so common on the East Peninsula. The site was covered with pine and palmetto trees, scrub brush, and swamps. Bulldozers worked around the clock to clear the brush and fill in swamps. The base also subsumed the settlements of Cromanton, San Blas, Redfish Point, Auburn and Farmdale. Although construction

5376-406: The initialism FWB , is a city in southern Okaloosa County, Florida , United States. As of the 2020 U.S. census , the population was 20,922, up from 19,507 in 2010. It is a principal city of the Crestview −Fort Walton Beach− Destin, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area . Fort Walton Beach is a year-round fishing and beach resort community . Its busiest time of the year is the summer, causing

5460-531: The maximum wind gust was 121 knots (224 km/h; 139 mph), both from 60°. However, in a later interview with Aviation Week on 27 October 2018 , Commander Air Combat Command general James M. Holmes stated that, based on other data, the actual peak wind speed was closer to 172 mph. Ninety-three Air Force personnel remained on the base during the storm, while the base's remaining 3,600 personnel and their families (a total of over 11,000 individuals) were evacuated beforehand. Air Force officials described

5544-445: The popularity of the Emerald Coast expanded greatly, leading to new construction and rapid growth. Many development communities similar to Seaside sprang up in the southern part of Walton County and at the western end of Panama City Beach, raising property values. Deep-sea fishing is an area attraction, with Destin holding the nickname "World's Luckiest Fishing Village" (and several saltwater world records) and Panama City Beach hosting

5628-511: The property of Henry Penny whose heirs had failed to pay the taxes on the estate. This parcel on the Santa Rosa Sound became what is now downtown Fort Walton Beach. The United States Post Office changed the official name on their cancellations from Camp Walton to Fort Walton on 1 March 1932. The 1940 census counted 90 residents in Fort Walton. Fort Walton was incorporated by a state senate bill effective June 16, 1941. The community's name

5712-765: The renaming of the Northwest Florida Regional Airport to the Destin–Fort Walton Beach Airport in February 2015. This part of Florida is home to numerous military bases, with installations including Naval Air Station Pensacola (home of the Navy's Blue Angels demonstration team and the initial training site for all naval aviators), Hurlburt Field , Eglin Air Force Base (one of the largest military bases in America), Tyndall Air Force Base , Coastal Systems Station-Naval Surface Warfare Center (home to

5796-436: The southeastern air combat maneuvering instrumentation range and provide mission-ready F-15 , F-16 , and F-22 air dominance forces in support of the Commander, North American Aerospace Defense Command and the Commander, First Air Force (1 AF) / Air Forces Northern ( AFNORTH ) contingency plans. From 1983 until 2010, training for F-15 Eagle pilots was performed at Tyndall AFB by the 1st, 2d, and 95th Fighter Squadrons in

5880-413: The squadron was re-designated as the 678th Radar Squadron (SAGE) on 1 June 1965. Also in 1965, Tyndall became a joint-use facility with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). It also received a Back-Up Interceptor Control (BUIC) II, and later BUIC III, capability to perform command and control functions. Tyndall retained this function until the 1980s. On 1 March 1970, the 678th was redesignated as

5964-452: The training program as ADC units were equipped with them. In September 1957, Tyndall became an Air Defense Command, later Aerospace Defense Command , base until October 1979 when ADC was inactivated and all its bases and units transferred to Tactical Air Command. Tyndall was headquarters of the ADC 73d Air Division in the late 1950s, and the NORAD Southeast Air Defense Sector from 1960 to 1979. ADC's 20th Air Division based at Tyndall

6048-415: Was 39 years. For every 100 females, there were 96.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.5 males. In 2000, the median income for a household in the city was $ 40,153, and the median income for a family was $ 45,791. Males had a median income of $ 29,709 versus $ 21,641 for females. The per capita income for the city was $ 21,085. About 7.3% of families and 9.9% of the population were below

6132-442: Was 73.1/km (189.2/mi ). There were 663 housing units at an average density of 17.6/km (45.5/mi ). The racial makeup of the base was 77.8% White , 14.2% Black or African American , 0.5% Native American , 3.1% Asian , <0.1% Pacific Islander , 2.8% from other races , and 4.6% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 8.3% of the population. There were 663 households, out of which 81.0% had children under

6216-458: Was activated in 2014 to perform T-38 adversary operations in support of the F-22 training mission. The 325th Fighter Wing is host to more than 30 tenant organizations located at Tyndall Air Force Base, Florida. The wing consists of the 325th Operations Group, 325th Maintenance Group, 325th Mission Support Group and 325th Medical Group. It is also augmented by two Air Reserve Component (ARC) units from

6300-466: Was based in Apalachicola . Bowles was never referred to as "Billy Bowlegs" in period documentation; his Creek name was "Estajoca". During the era of Spanish and English colonization, the area of what was to become Fort Walton Beach was noted in several journals but no worthwhile presence was established. Early settlers of Walton County , Florida were the first to establish permanent settlements in what

6384-469: Was named in honor of World War I pilot 1st Lt. Frank Benjamin Tyndall. The base operating unit and host wing is the 325th Fighter Wing (325 FW) of the Air Combat Command (ACC). The base hosts 2,902 active duty members. In October 2018, Hurricane Michael caused significant damage to the base. Tyndall Field first opened its doors on December 7, 1941 as a gunnery range. The airfield was named in honor of 1st Lt Frank Benjamin Tyndall (1894–1930). With

6468-574: Was officially changed from Fort Walton to Fort Walton Beach on June 15, 1953, by agreement with the state legislature in Tallahassee , and incorporated a portion of Santa Rosa Island formerly known as Tower Beach. Tower Beach, named for a tall observation tower at the site which was later destroyed by a hurricane, had been an amusement area operated from 1928 by the Island Amusement Company by future-Fort Walton Beach mayor Thomas E. Brooks, with

6552-505: Was operating with an AN/FPS-20 search radar and a pair of AN/FPS-6 height-finder sets to support the 4751st Air Defense Missile Squadron. In 1962 the search radar was upgraded and re-designated as an AN/FPS-64 . On 31 July 1963, the site was redesignated as NORAD ID Z-198. During 1965 Tyndall AFB joined the Semi Automatic Ground Environment (SAGE) system, feeding data to DC-09 at Gunter AFB , Alabama. After joining,

6636-565: Was rampant in the Gulf of Mexico from pirates working out of Hispaniola, the Caribbean, and the Florida Keys. Notable raids occurred in 1683 and 1687 against the Spanish fort at San Marcos de Apalachee (by French and English buccaneers), a 1712 raid against Port Dauphin (now Alabama) by English pirates from Martinique, and the actions of the late 18th-century adventurer William Augustus Bowles , who

6720-617: Was reflected in the former Miracle Strip Amusement Park , its successor Miracle Strip at Pier Park and other local businesses. The name "Miracle Strip" was officially adopted by 35 officials and members of three district Florida Motor Courts Association chapters on March 14, 1956, at a meeting held at the Staff Restaurant in Fort Walton Beach, for the 100-mile stretch of scenic Highway 98's "fabulous string of motels, hotels and nightspots" from Pensacola to Panama City. Members included representatives of local chambers of commerce. According to

6804-501: Was responsible for the air defense of virtually all of the southeastern United States during the 1960s and 1970s, while ADC's 23d Air Division , also based at Tyndall, was responsible for air defense forces in the upper midwest and south central United States. In the late 1950s into the 1960s, the base transitioned into the North American F-100 Super Sabre , F-101 B, F-102 A and TF-102B , F-104 Starfighter, and

6888-590: Was the 56th signatory of the Declaration of Independence. He is also the namesake of Walton County. Camp Walton was located between the Indian Temple Mound, now known as the Heritage Park and Cultural Center, and the Santa Rosa Sound, its mission was to protect the "Narrows" from Union ships. Although the "Walton Guards" did not see much action, they did keep busy by digging up prehistoric Indian remains buried in

6972-450: Was the most complex in the north-west Florida region. The Fort Walton peoples put into practice mound building and intensive agriculture, made pottery in a variety of vessel shapes, and had hierarchical settlement patterns that reflected other Mississippian societies. The first Europeans to set foot in what is now Okaloosa County and the Fort Walton Beach area were members of Álvar Núñez Cabeza de Vaca 's party, who traveled by boat from what

7056-575: Was well underway, the base lacked a name. Congressman Bob Sikes suggested naming the school in memory of Lieutenant Francis B. Tyndall. A native of Sewall's Point, Florida , Lieutenant Tyndall was a fighter pilot during World War I , Silver Star recipient, and commander of the 22nd Aero Squadron , who was credited with shooting down six German planes well behind enemy lines in 1918. While inspecting Army fields near Mooresville, North Carolina , on 15 July 1930, Tyndall's plane, Curtiss P-1F Hawk , 28–61 , crashed, killing him instantly. On 13 June 1941,

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