Lackland Air Force Base
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| Lackland Air Force Base (Kelly Field Annex) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
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| IATA: SKF - ICAO: KSKF | |||
| Summary | |||
| Airport type | Military | ||
| Operator | USAF | ||
| Elevation AMSL | 691 ft (211 m) | ||
| Coordinates | |||
| Runways | |||
| Direction | Length | Surface | |
| ft | m | ||
| 15/33 | 11,550 | 3,529 | Concrete |
Lackland Air Force Base is a base of the United States Air Force located in the western area of San Antonio, Texas, USA. It is located at 29°23'23" North, 98°36'45" West (29.389767, -98.612513)GR1.
Lackland AFB is the only entry processing station for Air Force Basic Military Training (BMT). It shared this status temporarily with Amarillo Air Force Base during the Vietnam War, but Amarillo AFB closed in 1968.
Lackland gained a flying mission when adjacent Kelly Air Force Base closed in 2001. The 2-mile-long runway is now a joint-use facility between Lackland AFB and the city of San Antonio. Lackland hosts a collection of vintage military aircraft on static display, including a B-52 Stratofortress bomber, Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird, C-121 Constellation, and a B-25 Mitchell bomber.
In addition, with the closure of Kelly AFB Lackland gained the section of base known as Security Hill. Security Hill is home to numerous Air Combat Command units such as the 67th Network Warfare Wing and the Air Intelligence Agency. All units on Security Hill are considered tenant units.
Lackland AFB is home to the Air Force Regional Confinement Facility.
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[edit] History
Construction on Lackland Air Force Base began in 1941, and it was originally part of Kelly Field. One year later, it became an independent organization—the San Antonio Aviation Cadet Center. In 1948, the facility was named Lackland AFB after Brigadier General Frank Lackland.
As a result of the Korean War, training populations at Lackland soared. Temporary facilities, to include the "I" dormitories, were hastily erected as a quick fix to house the new recruits. During Vietnam, resourceful leaders split training shifts, increased flight sizes, and compressed training from 30 to 24 days to satisfy the urgency for military readiness. Training requirements also expanded to include teaching English to Allied military members from foreign countries.
During the 1950s and 1960s, more permanent facilities were constructed, to include the 1,000-person steel and brick Recruit Housing and Training (RH&T) facilities for basic military training. From the Cold War demise, base realignment and closure (BRAC) actions relocated several specialized training programs at Lackland.
Air Education and Training Command relocated Officer Training School to Maxwell Air Force Base.
[edit] Base Realignment and Closure (2005)
The Department of Defense has proposed a major realignment of the base as part of the Base Realignment and Closure program announced on May 13, 2005.
[edit] Training role
Lackland Air Force Base is home to the 37th Training Wing (TRW) which operates a variety of training squadrons. Within the 37th TRW is the 37th Training Group (TRG) which oversees the 5 technical schools on the base, and the 737th TRG which oversees the Basic Military squadrons.
[edit] Basic training
Lackland is known for its role in being the sole location for BMT. BMT is spread out with 8 basic training squadrons, each with their own training site on the base. Each squadron is equipped with either a dining facility or a medical clinic. Some BMT squadrons share dining facilities if they are located close enough together and the same is true for medical clinics. Each squadron also has a specific exercise area where basic trainees conduct physical readiness training (PRT).
[edit] Technical training
Lackland, like many other Air Education and Training Command bases, trains airmen out of basic training in a specific job. This is called "tech school". Lackland currently has 5 tech schools on base each with their own training squadron (TRS).
- The 341st TRS trains military working dogs and handlers for all of the Department of Defense.
- The 342nd TRS trains for Pararescue, Combat Controllers, Tactical Air Control Party members, SERE instructors, and a variety of other special tactical units.
- The 343rd TRS trains airmen to become Security Forces members in a 13 week academy.
- The 344th TRS provides the Enlisted Aircrew Undergraduate Course, Services, Safety, Life Support and TEMPEST.
- The 345th TRS provides advanced contracting/acquisition, logistics plans, recruiting, supply, and transportation courses.
[edit] Census information
The following information is from the 2000 census, which treats the base as a town.
As of the censusGR2 of 2000, there are 7,123 people, 174 households, and 152 families residing on the base. The population density is 642.6/km² (1,662.6/mi²). There are 412 housing units at an average density of 37.2/km² (96.2/mi²). The racial makeup of the town is 65.20% White, 19.01% Black or African American, 0.86% Native American, 3.64% Asian, 0.32% Pacific Islander, 2.20% from other races, and 8.77% from two or more races. 13.77% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There are 174 households out of which 79.9% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 73.0% are married couples living together, 9.2% have a female householder with no husband present, and 12.6% are non-families. 12.1% of all households are made up of individuals and 0.0% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 3.49 and the average family size is 3.78.
On the base the population is spread out with 5.3% under the age of 18, 79.8% from 18 to 24, 14.5% from 25 to 44, 0.4% from 45 to 64, and none who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 20 years. For every 100 females there are 256 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 267.3 males.
The median income for a household in the base is $32,250, and the median income for a family is $31,923. Males have a median income of $16,435 versus $15,572 for females. The per capita income for the base is $10,048. 7.3% of the population and 6.9% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 7.3% of those under the age of 18 and 0.0% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line.
[edit] Tenant Units
- 433rd Airlift Wing
- 59th Medical Wing
- AF Audit Agency
- AF News Agency
- AF Information Operations Center
- AF Information Operations Battlelab
- Air Intelligence Agency
- 67 Network Warfare Wing
- Civil Air Patrol
- Corps of Engineers
- DRMS
- DeCA
- DoJ UNICOR
- FAA
- Government Printing Office
- AF Security Forces Center
- Naval Tech Training Ctr
- Tops In Blue
[edit] See also
[edit] External links
- Official website
- Lackland Services Website
- Unofficial website
- Maps and aerial photos
- Street map from Google Maps, or Yahoo! Maps, or Windows Live Local
- Satellite image from Google Maps, Windows Live Local, WikiMapia
- Topographic map from TopoZone
- Aerial image or topographic map from TerraServer-USA
- BRAC 2005: Closings, Realignments to Reshape Infrastructure
