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== History ==
== History ==


⚫
[[Image:B52LAFB.JPG|thumb|right|300px|This B52 is on display at [[Langley Air Force Base]] in [[Hampton, Virginia]] Photo by William J. Grimes.]]
Langley Air Force Base is among the oldest continuously active air bases in the United States. In [[1916]], the National Advisory Council for Aeronautics (NACA), predecessor to [[NASA]], established the need for a joint airfield and proving ground for [[united States Army|Army]], [[United States Navy|Navy]] and NACA aircraft. NACA determined that the site must be near water for over-water flying, be flat and relatively clear for expansion and the landing and take-off of aircraft and near an Army post. Fifteen locations were scouted before the site near Hampton was selected. In [[1917]], the new proving ground was designated Langley Field.
Langley Air Force Base is among the oldest continuously active air bases in the United States. In [[1916]], the National Advisory Council for Aeronautics (NACA), predecessor to [[NASA]], established the need for a joint airfield and proving ground for [[united States Army|Army]], [[United States Navy|Navy]] and NACA aircraft. NACA determined that the site must be near water for over-water flying, be flat and relatively clear for expansion and the landing and take-off of aircraft and near an Army post. Fifteen locations were scouted before the site near Hampton was selected. In [[1917]], the new proving ground was designated Langley Field.


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On [[1 June]], [[1992]], Langley became the headquarters of the newly formed [[Air Combat Command]].
On [[1 June]], [[1992]], Langley became the headquarters of the newly formed [[Air Combat Command]].


== BRAC 2005 ==
⚫
[[Image:B52LAFB.JPG|thumb|right|300px|This B52 is on display at [[Langley Air Force Base]] in [[Hampton, Virginia]] Photo by William J. Grimes.]]

The BRAC 2005 comission recommended an expansion of Langley Air Force Base.

* The 3rd Wing at [[Elmendorf Air Force Base]], [[Alaska]] would distribute 24 of 42 assigned F-15C/D aircraft to the 1st Fighter Wing.

* The closure of Niagara Falls Air Reserve Station (ARS), NY. The 914th Airlift Wing's headquarters would move to Langley AFB as a result of this closure.

* A realignment of base-level F-15 avionics intermediate maintenance from Langley AFB to Tyndall AFB, FL, by establishing a Centralized Intermediate Repair Facility (CIRF) at Tyndall AFB for F-15 avionics.

* DoD would establish a Combat Air Force Logistics Support Center at Langley Air Force Base by realigning Regional Supply Squadrons positions from [[Hickam Air Force Base]] and [[Sembach Air Base]], Germany (non-BRAC programmatic) as well as base-level Logistics Readiness Squadron (LRS) positions from [[Luke Air Force Base]].

* DoD would realign Fort Eustis, VA, by relocating the installation management functions to Langley AFB.


== See Also ==
== See Also ==

Revision as of 17:16, 9 December 2006

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Two F-22A turn in on final approach to Langley Air Force Base

Langley Air Force Base (IATA: LFI, ICAO: KLFI), located at 37°05′06″N 76°21′40″W / 37.08500°N 76.36111°W / 37.08500; -76.36111 is the home of the United States Air Force 1st Fighter Wing and the 480th Intelligence Wing. It also hosts Headquarters, Air Combat Command. The base is named for aviation pioneer Samuel Pierpont Langley, and is located 3 miles north of Hampton, Virginia.

1st Fighter Wing

The 1st Fighter Wing, under various designations, has been the host unit at Langley since moving from MacDill AFB Florida on 30 June 1975. Operational squadrons of the 1st Fighter Wing are:

  • 27th Fighter Squadron (F-22A)
  • 71st Fighter Squadron (F-15C)
  • 94th Fighter Squadron (F-22A/F-15C)

1st Fighter Wing F-22As and F-15Cs are all tail coded "FF".

In January 1976, the 1st Tactical Fighter Wing was the first operational unit to fly the F-15A/B Eagle. In May of 2005, Langley became the home of 26 F-22 Raptors assigned to the 27th Fighter Squadron of the 1st Fighter Wing. In Dec 2005, the 94th Fighter Squadron started to convert to the F-22A . The 27th FS flew the first F-22A operational mission in January of 2006 in support of Operation Noble Eagle (ONE).

On 7 August 1990 the 1st Tactical Fighter Wing, deployed to Saudi Arabia in support of Operation Desert Shield, being the first USAF unit to establish air superiority over Saudi Arabia. Through both Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm, the wing flew more than 6,200 sorties and nearly 25,000 flying hours. The wing also recorded an aerial victory when Capt Steve Tate of the 71st FS shot down an Iraqi Dassault Mirage F1.

In 2003, the 1st FW deployed again to Southwest Asia to provide air superiority in combat. The wing deployed in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom where it flew over 360 training and combat sorties.

Other historical firsts for the 1st Fighter Wing are:

  • The first U.S. group-level unit to enter air combat.
  • The first U.S. unit to destroy enemy aircraft in World War 1.
  • The parent unit of the first winner of the Medal of Honor for aerial combat.
  • The parent unit of the two highest scoring U.S. aces in World War 1.
  • The first fighter unit to deploy en masse over the North Atlantic.
  • The first U.S. unit to destroy a German aircraft in World War ll.
  • The first U.S. jet fighter unit.

480th Intelligence Wing

At Langley, the 480th Intelligence Wing is the Air Force lead wing for Distributed Common Ground System (DCGS) operations, geospatial intelligence and intelligence products for combat mission planning and execution. The 497th Intelligence Group is a warfighting unit leveraging the most robust national/DoD intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance air, space and ground systems architecture. Operates Deployable Ground Station-1 of the Air Force Distributed Common Ground System. Projects global vigilance, providing persistent world-class timely and tailored multi-discipline intelligence analysis to the warfighter while directing reachback/distributed operations

History

This B52 is on display at Langley Air Force Base in Hampton, Virginia Photo by William J. Grimes.

Langley Air Force Base is among the oldest continuously active air bases in the United States. In 1916, the National Advisory Council for Aeronautics (NACA), predecessor to NASA, established the need for a joint airfield and proving ground for Army, Navy and NACA aircraft. NACA determined that the site must be near water for over-water flying, be flat and relatively clear for expansion and the landing and take-off of aircraft and near an Army post. Fifteen locations were scouted before the site near Hampton was selected. In 1917, the new proving ground was designated Langley Field.

Several buildings had been constructed on the field by late 1918. Aircraft at the base at that time included the JN-4 Curtis Jenny, used by Langley's School of Aerial Photography, and the de Havilland DH-4 bomber, both used during World War I. Although short-lived, hydrogen-filled dirigibles played an important role in Langley's early history and a portion of the base is still referred to as the LTA (lighter-than-air) area.

Brigadier General Billy Mitchell led bombing runs from Langley over war prize German warships anchored off the coast of Virginia. These first successful tests set the precedent for the airplane's new role of strategic bombardment.

At the outbreak of World War II Langley began to develop special detector equipment used in antisubmarine warfare.

On 25 May, 1946 the headquarters of the newly formed Tactical Air Command were established at Langley. The arrival of Tactical Air Command and jet aircraft marked the beginning of a new era in the history of the field, and in January 1948 Langley Field officially became Langley Air Force Base.

On 1 June, 1992, Langley became the headquarters of the newly formed Air Combat Command.

BRAC 2005

The BRAC 2005 comission recommended an expansion of Langley Air Force Base.

  • The closure of Niagara Falls Air Reserve Station (ARS), NY. The 914th Airlift Wing's headquarters would move to Langley AFB as a result of this closure.
  • A realignment of base-level F-15 avionics intermediate maintenance from Langley AFB to Tyndall AFB, FL, by establishing a Centralized Intermediate Repair Facility (CIRF) at Tyndall AFB for F-15 avionics.
  • DoD would establish a Combat Air Force Logistics Support Center at Langley Air Force Base by realigning Regional Supply Squadrons positions from Hickam Air Force Base and Sembach Air Base, Germany (non-BRAC programmatic) as well as base-level Logistics Readiness Squadron (LRS) positions from Luke Air Force Base.
  • DoD would realign Fort Eustis, VA, by relocating the installation management functions to Langley AFB.

See Also

References

  • Active Air Force Bases Within the United States of America on 17 September 1982 USAF Reference Series, Office of Air Force History, United States Air Force, Washington, D.C., 1989

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