| Dyess Air Force
Base |
| Texas, United States |
| Type |
Air Force Base |
| Built |
1942 |
| In use |
1942 - present |
| Controlled by |
United States Air Force |
| Commanders |
Colonel Timothy M. Ray |
| Dyess Air Force Base |
| IATA: DYS -
ICAO: KDYS - FAA: DYS |
| Summary |
| Airport type |
Military |
| Operator |
US Air Force |
| Elevation AMSL |
1,789 ft (545.3 m) |
| Coordinates |
32°25′15″N, 99°51′17″W |
| Runways |
| Direction |
Length |
Surface |
| ft |
m |
| 16/34 |
13,500 |
4,115 |
PEM |
| 161/341 |
3,500 |
1,067 |
Asphalt |
| 162/342 |
3,500 |
1,067 |
Asphalt |
Dyess AFB (IATA:
DYS, ICAO:
KDYS, FAA LID:
DYS) is a military airport located five miles (8 km)
southwest of the central business district (CBD) of Abilene, a city in Taylor County, Texas, USA. Dyess AFB was originally known as Abilene Air Force Base until
it was renamed on December 6, 1956, in honor of
Lieutenant Colonel William E.
Dyess.
History
In 1942, the United States Army Air Forces built Tye Army Air Field on
the site of what is now known as Dyess AFB. It was used mostly as a training center for cadets learning to fly the
P-47 Thunderbolt. The airfield was closed shortly after the end of World War II and was sold to the city of Abilene for $1. The Texas National Guard used a portion of the old
base as a training facility as well.
Shortly after the Korean War broke out, the city of Abilene called for the need of a
military installation. They believed the 1,500 acres (6 km²) of the former Tye AAF were the perfect site for a new base. The
city's leaders went to The Pentagon with their request. The city showed their determination
for a new base by raising almost $1 million dollars to purchase an additional 3,500 acres (14 km²) adjacent to the site. They
were able to attract U.S. Senator, and Texan, Lyndon B. Johnson's attention, who had
the power to persuade military officials to put a base in Abilene. Finally, in July of 1952, Congress approved the $32 million
needed to construct an Air Force Base on the Tye AAF site. It was to be called Abilene Air Force Base and a little over three
years after first starting construction, the base was opened on April 15, 1956. Just eight months later, the base was renamed
Dyess AFB after Lt. Col. William E. Dyess, a native of nearby Albany, Texas who died in a plane crash during World War II in
1943.[1]
Dyess' first active combat unit was the 341st Bombardment Wing, which activated on
September 1, 1955. The 341st was part of the Strategic Air Command and flew the
B-47 Stratojet. It continued flying until its deactivation in June 25, 1961.
The 96th Bomb Wing moved there on September 8, 1957 and for a few years worked
alongside the 341st. It included not just B-47 and B-52 nuclear bombers, but also the KC-97 and later on
the KC-135 refuelers. During the Cold War, the
base was constantly on alert in case of nuclear attack. There were even signs in the base's movie theater that would instantly
alert pilots in the scenario that the USSR would initiate a nuclear attack during a movie. These can still be seen today at the
theater.
From 1961 C-130 Hercules aircraft have been stationed at Dyess AFB. The C-130s were
originally assigned to the 64th Troop Carrier Wing (TCW). From 1963 to 1972 the 516th Troop Carrier Wing was the host C-130 wing.
In 1972, the 516 TCW was replaced with the 463d Tactical Airlift Wing (TAW). In 1974, the 463 TAW was reassigned from
Tactical Air Command TAC to Military
Airlift Command. During the Vietnam conflict, TAC C-130 crews rotated to forward based C-130 wings in the Pacific theater
to support operations in Vietnam.
In June of 1985, the 96th received its first B-1B Lancer. It was intended to replace the
base's B-52 Stratofortresses and in October 1986, officially took over the nuclear
alert duties. Shortly after, the Soviet Union fell and left many wondering the fate of the
base. In 1991 the 463d Tactical Airlift Wing was simply designated the 463d Airlift Wing (AW). In October 1992, the parent
commands of both wings changed. The 96 BW being reassigned to the new Air Combat Command, and the 463 AW being assigned to the
new Air Mobility Command.
On October 1, 1993, the 96 BW and 463 AW were both deactivated and replaced by the 7th
Wing. The 7th Wing incorporated Dyess' B-1Bs and C-130s, the latter which transferred from Air Mobility Command to Air Combat Command.
Within its first year, the 7th Wing's diverse mission made it one of the most active units in the United States Air Force. The C-130s were deployed around
the globe performing several airlift missions to Europe and the Persian Gulf. The crews and support people of the
B-1s focused on enhancing the purpose of the Lancer in a post-Soviet 21st century.
In the 1997, Dyess' C-130s were transferred back to Air Mobility Command, and
the 317th Airlift Group was created as the parent unit for Dyess' C-130 squadrons.
At the same time, the 7th Wing was redesignated the 7th Bomb Wing. Both the 7th Bomb Wing and the 317th Airlift Group remained at
Dyess.
Dyess in the 21st century
The 7th Bomb Wing and 317th Airlift Group were called to duty once again shortly after September 11. Both played vital roles
in both Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom. Many of the 7th BW's B-1s deployed to Southwest Asia. From there the
7 BW provided close air support to troops in the field and precision strike missions with the B-1B
Lancer. The 317th Airlift Group deployed forward to Central Asia and Persian Gulf regions to provided airlift support to
both operations.
In July of 2005, as part of the BRAC process, the DOD proposed the
closing of Ellsworth AFB, the only other base in the U.S. Air Force with B-1s
assigned. Under this proposal, Ellsworth's B-1Bs would transfer to Dyess, and Dyess' C-130s would transfer to other bases. But in
August of 2005, the federal base closing commission voted to keep Ellsworth open, with commissioners stating that no cost savings
would be made by Ellsworth's closing. This eliminated the reason for moving Dyess' C-130s, which will remain at Dyess.
A look at Dyess today
One of the many unique features of Dyess is its extensive collection of static military aircraft on display. Collectively
known as the "Linear Air Park," it contains 30 aircraft from World War II to the present, many of them formerly based at Dyess,
and is located along the base's main road, Arnold Blvd. All but one plane has been flown before. Its most recent addition is the
first operational B-1B Lancer, known as "The Star of Abilene," which made its final flight in
2003. It can be seen at the front gate to Dyess along with a recently retired C-130
Hercules located on the other side of the road (both the B-1B and C-130 are based at Dyess).
Another unique feature of Dyess is its main source of energy. Most of the energy Dyess receives is from wind energy (readily
available in windy West Texas), and is considered one of the "greenest" bases in the
U.S. Air Force.
The remnants of Tye AAF can still be seen today. Parts of the old runway still exist as well as part of its parking area on
the west side of Dyess.
Dyess AFB gained popularity between the years 1999 - 2002, commonly referred to as the "Jeff St.George Era". To this day
airman are intrigued by tales of shenanigans, boozing, and womanizing that often accompanied the former airman. In fact, he is
such a prestigious part of the bases history that current airman, retirees, and civil service workers have written a screenplay
based upon stories and experiences. Production started in Summer of 2007 and is expected to be released via Mirimax Pictures in
Fall of 2008. Rumored to be in the movie are Jessica Alba, Elisha Cuthbert, and Flavor Flav.
Many believe that Jeff St.George is strictly a fictional character and is a product of adolescent airman folklore fantasies. A
research of base records has indicated that he is indeed real and living in Columbus, OH.
Housing
Units: 1,136
Year house built
- 1999 to March 2000: 0
- 1995 to 1998: 164
- 1990 to 1994: 20
- 1980 to 1989: 44
- 1970 to 1979: 57
- 1960 to 1969: 194
- 1950 to 1959: 571
- 1940 to 1949: 63
- 1939 or earlier: 23
Travel time to work
- Less than 5 minutes: 253
- 5 to 9 minutes: 1074
- 10 to 14 minutes: 521
- 15 to 19 minutes: 394
- 20 to 24 minutes: 143
- 25 to 29 minutes: 44
- 30 to 34 minutes: 70
- 35 to 39 minutes: 9
- 40 to 44 minutes: 0
- 45 to 59 minutes: 15
- 60 to 89 minutes: 0
- 90 or more minutes: 26
Population(2000)
4,969
References
- ^ "Comrades Pay Final Tribute to Lt. Col. William E.
Dyess", Los Angeles Times, Dec 251943.
This article incorporates text from Dyess Air Force
Base, a public domain work of the United States Government.
External links
- Resources for this U.S. military airport:
This entry is from Wikipedia, the leading user-contributed encyclopedia. It may not have been reviewed by professional editors (see full disclaimer)
