Many consider serving their country to be an honor. When choosing to join and become a servant of the nation you have one of four choices; The Army, the Air Force, the Navy, and the Marines. Each holds significant value and purpose to the United States and overall comes down to preference. One that is most perceptible to me is the United States Air Force. The United States Air Force is one of many branches in the United States Military and is primarily responsible for air warfare, air defense, and the development of military space research. In the year 1947 President Truman signed the National Security Act which established a new defense organization, and along with signing the act, the creation of the United States Air Force was established as an independent service, previously residing in the United States Army Signal Corps as a small Aeronautical Division to take charge of all matters pertaining to military ballooning, air machines and all kindred subjects in 1907. Many times overlooked, the bases of the United States Air Force are very important.
The United States Air Force currently has fifty-nine active bases across the country, each one responsible for certain tasks. One certain base lies in the middle of the country in Nebraska and is arguably one of the most important bases in the country. Offutt Air Force Base is home to the headquarters of the Strategic Air Command, a very high-profile and compelling element. Among many honors Offutt Air Force Base holds, they are also the fifty-fifth wing of the United States Air Force base, the largest wing of the United States Air Force combat command.
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Offutt is mostly acknowledged for being home to the Strategic Air Command, being the fifty-fifth wing and the largest wing for Air Force combat command, their postwar use, being the second largest Air Force base in the country, home of the bomber plant, and many more fascinating components. Offutt holds many accolades and achievements for its role in serving the United States and is justifiably one of the most important bases in the United States because of its effort and portrayal in serving the people. For many years Offutt Air Force Base has played a significant role in the American Military.
Offutt’s legacy started ten miles south of Omaha, Nebraska, and roughly two miles west of the Missouri River at a place called Fort Crook. The fort’s namesake was founded because of Major General George Crook, an Indian fighter and hero from the Civil War. Many of the buildings and structures originally made for the base are still in use today and hold a significant purpose. Due to being in such a momentous area, the base started construction on a soon-to-be airfield. In the spring of 1921, the base began this construction to accommodate military and air mail aircraft on cross-country flights. They began constructing an airfield by leveling the surface, seeding over two hundred and sixty acres of land, and making a safe area to meet the needs of the aircraft. This airfield portion of the base came to be known as Offutt. It was designated Offutt Field on the 10th of May 1924. The reasoning behind the name Offutt came from a well-known First Lieutenant. Jarvis J. Offutt was killed while flying with the Royal Air Force in France and was Omaha’s very first World War I air causality, ultimately being deemed a hero by not only the Air Force but the other branches of the United States Military as well.
Many years later, on January 13th, 1948, Offutt completely transferred and became a known and significant source. They transferred to a new department of the Air Force and became formally known as Offutt Air Force Base. With being responsible for many important and crucial tasks, Offutt was chosen to be home to yet another important aspect of the military. Exactly one minute past midnight, November 9th, 1948, Offutt gained international prominence when it became the host for the Headquarters Strategic Air Command. Offutt was chosen to hold such responsibility primarily because of its location. Former Air Force Secretary Stuart Symington chose Offutt as the location for the Headquarters Strategic Air Command because the base was centrally located on the North American Continent, placing the Headquarters beyond reach and range to potential enemy bombers and missiles. The Strategic Air Command is a United States military command that served as the bombardment arm of the United States Air Force. They played an important role during our hostility with the Soviet Union between the years 1946 and 1992.
The original headquarters began first at Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland and soon after, in November of 1948, Offutt soon took over as the host and still holds that title until this day. Offutt was soon handed the responsibility of being the component of the Strategic Air Command and charged with organizing, training, equipping, administering, and preparing strategic air forces for combat. Originally when the Headquarters Strategic Air Command was moved to Offutt, they occupied a WWII complex originally built for the Martin bomber Company and designed by the firm Albert Kahn. As years passed, Strategic Air Command built a new headquarters on base, and this time included a hardened underground facility. The Air Force made significant changes and additions to the original buildings in 1959, 1962, and 1970. Although these tasks may seem difficult or almost tedious if any base can handle them, many agree that Offutt would be that base. Offutt Air Force base was precisely chosen as the host base for the fifty-fifth wing.
The fifty-fifth wing is the largest wing of the United States Air Force’s Air Combat Command. The fifty-fifth wing's mission is to provide dominant intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance; electronic attack; command and control; and precision awareness. The fifty-fifth Wing at Offutt Air Force Base is composed of six important groups; the fifty-fifth operations group, the fifty-fifth electronic combat group, the fifty-fifth maintenance group, the fifty-fifth mission support group, the fifty-fifth communications group, and finally the fifty-fifth medical group. Each of these groups serves a purpose for the higher honor which all extracts back to the fifty-fifth wing itself. With being the largest of Air Combat Command, this role is very important and is needed to be taken seriously. With operations happening all the time, it is a very tedious assignment, but Offutt is well known for its hard work and being able to complete tasks at a higher priority. Despite all the hard work and hours, the men and women endure during their time at Offutt, each year they are rewarded with a few days of fun.
Offutt hosts a tradition like no other to help celebrate and showcase what machinery and aircraft they have and can do. The air show at Offutt is like nothing most people have seen. Offutt hosts this event to bring families together, give the men and women a chance to celebrate and spend time with their families, and overall share an experience with the community that is like no other. During this air show, the main highlight would be the F-22 Raptor Demonstration Team. Since the team's debut in 2007, the F-22 Raptor demonstration team has performed more than 150 demonstrations from cool flashy tricks, messages written in the sky, and showing the community just exactly how precise and modern these jets really are. Being a resident of the greater Omaha area, my entire life and my grandfather once serving at Offutt during his time in the Air Force, the air show is like no other tradition you will witness. It is a way to get an insight almost behind the lines look at just exactly what kind of aircraft and technology Offutt and the Air Force have and deal with. When I was younger, I remember going to the air show and being able to catch a glimpse at the amazing air crafts and even some of the rifles that are used in the Air Force and at Offutt. I was always amazed at how loud these fighter jets were and saw my grandfather being taken back to his glory years while serving here at Offutt.
The official name of the air show is the Defenders of Freedom Air & Space Show and when heard, many locals know exactly just what it is. Although this is a way to showcase the jets, planes, and military weapons, it is also a way to bring families together. The men and women of Offutt spend countless hours at the base and sometimes are absent from their families and this is just one of the ways to bring them together and create memories that will last a lifetime. Just like any other profession, the men and women of Offutt are sometimes dealt cards that are unfortunate. In recent years Mother Nature has not been kind to Offutt and the surrounding cities of Bellevue, Nebraska. Offutt was struck with flood waters that caused irreversible damage and crippled parts of a very important Air Force Base, Offutt. During this tragedy one-third of Offutt, Air Force Base was under water and about sixty structures were flooded. Their only runway was submerged under water during this horrific time period causing a short pause in planes and jets being able to utilize the runway. Many precautions were taken to help preserve and not damage many of the aircraft on base. Many planes and jets were flown off the base after the runway was deemed as usable again, while other aircraft were moved to higher ground in the base to prevent damage from flood waters.
Airmen and base personnel began working around the clock to fill over 235,000 sandbags and prepare 460 flood barriers. Almost 1,600 military personnel were relocated to different buildings to continue operations during the flooding. Despite damage being done to Offutt, their main priority and concern were the surrounding communities. September 11th, 2001 was a day when many American civilians were murdered by a terroristic attack that took place in New York City. It was an event that shook the nation, and no one saw coming. Many militaries and first responder personnel were assigned to the site and were on guard as soon as possible. Many people are not aware of the connections Offutt has within this specific tragedy. As the events of 9/11 were unfolding former and current president during that time, George W. Bush, was on a trip to Florida to highlight his educational initiatives. After being informed of the horrific incident that occurred, he boarded Air Force One and returned to Washington D.C. Shortly upon arrival President George W. Bush was informed of possible terroristic attacks pending against the White House and the nation’s capital he was quickly transitioned to a new and secure location, Barksdale Air Force Base, La. After the president reassured the nation of its safety and that justice would be served, he boarded Air Force One again but before retiring to the White House he made one last stop, Offutt Air Force Base. USSTRATCOM’s communication abilities, location, and overall security made it a very desirable location for the president. While at Offutt, President Bush went to USSTRATCOM’s global operations center where he received more details on the attacks and spoke with the national security advisors to decide what was needed to be done to not only serve the justice of the people but to also help prevent things of this nature from happening again. Although the president was at Offutt for roughly ninety minutes, it forever placed Offutt into any 9/11 timeline recounting the events of the day.
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