Tinker Air Force Base is a major United States Air Force base, with tenant U.S. Navy and other Department of Defense missions, located in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, adjacent to Del City and Midwest City.
The base, originally known as the Midwest Air Depot, is named in honor of Oklahoma native Major General Clarence L. Tinker, the first Native American major general.Crowder, James. " It is the largest air depot in the nation. TINKER AIR FORCE BASE ," Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture. (accessed 18 August 2013)May, Jon D. "TINKER, CLARENCE LEONARD (1887–1942) ," Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture. (accessed 18 August 2013)
Tinker is the headquarters of the Air Force Materiel Command's (AFMC) Oklahoma City Air Logistics Center (OC-ALC), which is the worldwide manager for a wide range of aircraft, engines, missiles, software and avionics and accessories components. The commander of Air Force Sustainment Center (AFSC) is Lieutenant General Stacey T. Hawkins and the commander of the OC-ALC is Brigadier General Brian R. Moore. The host unit at Tinker is the 72nd Air Base Wing (72 ABW) which provides services and support for the Oklahoma City Air Logistics Center and its tenant organizations. The Wing and Installation Commander of Tinker Air Force Base is Colonel Abigail L. W. Ruscetta.
History Tinker Air Force Base is named in honor of Major General Clarence L. Tinker. An Osage from Pawhuska, Oklahoma, he received his wings in 1921. He was a graduate of Wentworth Military Academy who went on to become the first major general of Native American descent in U.S. Army history.
In 1926 he was awarded the Soldier's Medal for returning to his blazing aircraft to rescue a fellow officer. On 7 June 1942, he led a flight of B-24 Liberators on a long-range strike against Japanese forces on Wake Island during World War II. Tinker was killed when his aircraft presumably crashed into the sea. At the time of his death, Tinker was commander of the Hawaii-based Seventh Air Force.
The base was originally called Midwest Air Depot and was renamed to honor Tinker. The creation of the base in Oklahoma City was in large part due to lobbying efforts by Stanley Draper.
Several of the base's access gates are named in honor of persons with historic ties to the base or to Oklahoma. On 9 May 1997, base officialsThey were acting under authority of Air Force Instruction 36-3108, Memorialization Program and Ceremony placed the following names: Tinker Gate (former Gate 1), located on the north side, opens onto Air Depot Boulevard. It was named for Tinker Eaker Gate (former Gate 2) opens onto F Avenue. It was named for General Ira C. Eaker, commander of the US Eighth Air Force in Europe during World War II Turnbull Gate, at the intersection of Perimeter Road and A Avenue. It was named for Colonel William Turnbull, the first Tinker Air Logistics Center Commander (1942) Hruskocy Gate (pronounced ruh-sko-see, former Gate 7), on Industrial Boulevard at the NE portion of base. It was named for Brigadier General Thomas C. Hruskocy, the OC-ALC chief of Maintenance Resource Management and Material Management Resource divisions at Tinker (1985–1988) Hope Gate, on SE 59th Street. It was named for Colonel John W. Hope, the first commander of the Ground Electronics-Engineering Installation Agency (GEEIA) Gott Gate (former Gate 34), on the south end of Air Depot Boulevard. It was named for 1st Lieutenant Donald J. Gott, posthumous Medal of Honor recipient in World War II. Vance Gate (former Gate 40), on the west side of base off Sooner Road. It was named Lieutenant Colonel Leon R. Vance Jr, posthumous Medal of Honor recipient in World War II.
In May 1997 the BaseAF Instruction 36-3108 does not address protocol for memorializing equipment, thus 72nd Air Base Wing Commander Col. Robert L. Smolen was acting "on the discretion of the commander" named the gates along Douglas Boulevard after aircraft that had been maintained at Tinker: Lancer Gate, named for the Rockwell B-1 Lancer Liberator Gate, named for the Consolidated B-24 Liberator Marauder Gate, named for the Martin B-26 Marauder
The base has more than 26,000 military and civilian employees and is the largest single-site employer in the state of Oklahoma. The installation covers approx. and has 760 buildings with a building floor space of over . The base is bounded by I-40 on the north and I-240 on the south.
With the City of Oklahoma City and Oklahoma County owning several square miles of land adjacent to the base, Tinker is one of the few military bases in a major metropolitan area with sufficient room for expansion. Furthermore, Tinker is located in a community that supports expansion; Oklahoma County voters approved a 2008 measure to purchase the former General Motors Oklahoma City Assembly plant (located adjacent to the base) and lease it to Tinker for future expansion. Now known as Building 9001, the former GM plant houses many shops moved from the main maintenance building, 3001.
Operational history In 1940 the War Department was considering the central United States as a location for a supply and maintenance depot. Oklahoma City leaders offered a site and acquired an option for additional land. On 8 April 1941, the order was officially signed awarding the depot to Oklahoma City. The Midwest Air Depot was formally activated later in 1941.
The depot was the site of a Douglas Aircraft factory producing approximately half of the C-47 Skytrains used in World War II. The site also produced a number of A-20 Havocs. Production ceased in 1945.
The first successful tornado forecast in history was issued on 25 March 1948 from Tinker, about three hours before a tornado hit the southeast corner of the base. A granite marker in the Heritage Airpark on the base commemorates the event.
On September 29, 1957 Buddy Holly and The Crickets recorded "An Empty Cup", "Rock Me My Baby", "You've Got Love", and "Maybe Baby" in the Tinker Air Force Base Officer's Club.
The base hosted the Space Shuttle Columbia and its carrier 747 on April 27, 1981, after its first mission (STS-1) during its journey back to Cape Canaveral. Oklahoma governor George Nigh, Oklahoma City mayor Patience Latting and Apollo 10 Commander Tom Stafford were there to greet the crew. The visiting personnel included Deke Slayton, who traveled beside the craft in a T-38 chase plane. An estimated 100,000 people were allowed to enter the base and take pictures.
On 14 November 1984, a massive fire that burned for two days destroyed or damaged over in the Air Logistics Center, Building 3001. The resulting repairs cost $63.5 million.
During much of the 1990s, Tinker was home to the Automated Weather Network switching facility, which consolidated all U.S. military weather data worldwide. Originally located at Carswell Air Force Base, this unit was later moved to an Air Force Weather Agency facility at Offutt Air Force Base.
In May 1992, Tinker became home to the Navy's "Take Charge and Move Out" (TACAMO) wing, which provides maintenance, security, operations, administration, training and logistic support for the Navy's E-6B Mercury aircraft fleet. TACAMO was the first Navy Air Wing fully integrated on an Air Force base, carrying out a Navy mission in joint operations.
On 3 May 1999, a deadly tornado caused extensive damage to the northwest corner of the base and surrounding communities. For many days afterwards, Tinker personnel helped by providing shelters, search and rescue, and clean-up efforts.
The Oklahoma Maintenance, Repair & Overhaul Technology Center (MROTC), a public-private partnership, was started in 2003. MROTC is managed by Battelle Oklahoma and owned by Oklahoma Industries Authority (OIA), a public trust housed in the offices of the Oklahoma City Chamber of Commerce. The first hangars were completed in 2007.
Tinker celebrated the 30-year anniversary of the E-3 Sentry from 29 June to 1 July 2007. Past and present airmen were invited to swap stories and learn about the latest upgrades.
On 13 May 2008, Oklahoma County voters voted in favor of $71.5 million in general obligation bonds, the majority of which has been used to purchase the former General Motors Oklahoma City Assembly plant which is located on the southwest section of the base, next to the runway. A 50-year lease-purchase agreement was executed in September 2008 between Oklahoma County and the Air Force, covering the 3.8 million square foot (353,000 m2) facility and surrounding acreage. Oklahoma County officials paid $55 million to buy the plant from General Motors, which is now called the Tinker Aerospace Complex.
From 2008 to 2015, the Oklahoma Air National Guard's 137th Air Refueling Wing also assumed an aerial refueling mission in accordance with the 2005 BRAC Recommendations. The then-137th Airlift Wing (ANG) relocated from Will Rogers Air National Guard Base to Tinker AFB, was redesignated as an air refueling wing, and associated with the 507 ARW while its C-130H aircraft were redistributed to other ANG airlift wings. In 2015, the 137th ended its associate relationship with the 507th, was redesignated as the 137th Special Operations Wing (137 SOW), and returned to Will Rogers ANGB, where it operates the MC-12 Liberty aircraft, operationally gained by Air Force Special Operations Command (AFSOC).
In 2015, it was announced that the Tinker was in the running for a squadron of the new KC-46A Pegasus. In October, it was announced that the base would not be receiving the plane, which instead was given to the 916th Air Refueling Wing at Seymour Johnson Air Force Base. Tinker was also in competition with Westover Air Reserve Base and Grissom Air Reserve Base for the plane.
March 1948 Tornadoes
Two large tornadoes struck Tinker Air Force Base, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, damaging or destroying a large number of aircraft including at least two Douglas C-54 Skymasters, a Douglas C-47 Skytrain, and many Boeing B-29 Superfortresses stored from World War II. In the first storm, "54 aircraft were destroyed, including 17 C-54 transports valued at $500,000 apiece. Also destroyed were 15 P-47 fighters and two B-29 bombers. About 50 other planes were damaged and about 100 vehicles were damaged or destroyed." In the second tornado, "84 planes were hit, 35 of which were destroyed. These included 18 B-29s, 8 P-47s, 20 B-17s, and 3 C-47s. Hangars and other buildings were destroyed." Other types destroyed included Beechcraft AT-11s and Fairchild PT-19s and PT-26 Cornells. Damage from the second tornado was estimated at $6,100,000. Total damages for both storms was estimated at $16,350,000.Campbell, John M., "American Bomber Aircraft Vol. II: Boeing B-29 Superfortress", Schiffer Publishing Ltd., Atglen, Pennsylvania, 1997, Library of Congress Card Number 97-66913, , pages 220–221.
Major commands Air Service Comd, 1 March 1942 – 17 July 1944 AAF Materiel and Services, 17 July 1944 – 31 August 1944 AAF Technical Service Comd, 31 August 1944 – 1 July 1945 Air Technical Service Comd, 1 July 1945 – 9 March 1946 Air Materiel Comd, 9 March 1946 – 1 April 1961 Air Force Logistics Command, 1 April 1961 – 1 July 1992 Air Force Materiel Command, 1 July 1992 – present
Base operating units OCAD (Oklahoma City Air Depot) Liaison Staff, 1 March 1942 – 15 February 1943 497th Base HQ and Base HQ Sq, 15 February 1943 – 1 April 1944 4136th AAF Base Unit, 1 April 1944 – 26 September 1947 4136th AF Base Unit, 26 September 1947 – 28 August 1948 2919th Area Supply Gp, 28 August 1948 – 15 March 1951 2944th Depot Training Wg, 15 March 1951 – 15 July 1953 2854th Air Base Wg, 15 July 1953 – 16 October 1964 2854th Air Base Gp, 16 October 1964 – 1 October 1994 72 Air Base Wing, 1 October 1994 – present
Major units assigned OK City Air Depot 1 March 1942 – 3 January 1955 323rd Bomb Group 9 September 1947 – 17 March 1951 456th Bomb Group 26 September 1947 – 17 March 1951 323rd Bomb Wing 27 June 1949 – 28 March 1951