MacDill Air Force Base
[4] In 2019, the Air Force received information about the existence of a former African-American graveyard on the grounds of the base from the Tampa Bay History Center.A non-intrusive archaeological survey using ground penetrating radar and cadaver dogs found evidence of a cemetery by a contractor hired by the base.[8] Deliveries of the new Boeing B-47A Stratojet to the Air Force and SAC began in December 1950, and the aircraft entered service in May 1951 with the 306th Bombardment Wing.The first attempt to close MacDill AFB was made in 1960, when the impending phaseout of SAC's B-47 bombers caused it to be listed as surplus and slated for closure.They were to also press napalm and rocket attacks against surface-to-air missile sites at Mariel and Sagua La Grande, as well as the airfields at Santa Clara, Los Banos, and San Julien.By the early 1990s and the end of the Cold War, the U.S. was looking to downsize the military and eliminate a large number of bases in the United States as a cost-savings measure.As a result, the 1991 Defense Base Realignment and Closure Commission (BRAC) ordered that all flight-line activities cease at MacDill AFB by 1993.In 1993, with the help of local Representative Bill Young (R-FL), the flight-line closure order for MacDill was rescinded and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration transferred from their former aircraft operations center at Miami International Airport to Hangar 5 at MacDill AFB to use the base and its flight line as their new home station for weather reconnaissance and research flights.[9] As mentioned above, the 290th Joint Communications Support Squadron (290 JCSS) of the Florida Air National Guard is another tenant unit at MacDill AFB.The 290 JCSS provides Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff-directed globally deployable, en route, and early entry communications support to geographic combatant commands, the United States Special Operations Command, individual U.S. armed services, other Department of Defense activities and combat support agencies, other U.S. Government agencies, and the State of Florida.The squadron deploys modular, scalable support to large Joint and Combined War-fighting Command and Control (C2) headquarters nodes.The 598 RANS operates both the Avon Park Air Force Range (APAFR) and the 23rd Wing Deployed Unit Complex (DUC) located at MacDill AFB.This permits visiting squadrons to have ready access to APAFR while concurrently taking advantage of the more robust billeting, messing and aircraft maintenance support capabilities at MacDill AFB."[17] In early 2011, several news outlets, primarily in the United Kingdom, reported that Ntrepid, a California software and hardware company, had been awarded a $2.76 million U.S. government contract to create false online personas to counter the threat of terrorism and could possibly run their operation from MacDill AFB.[19] Long range USAF plans in the 2015 defense budget called for MacDill AFB to add eight additional KC-135R aircraft to its extant sixteen KC-135Rs in FY2018.In May 2017, NOAA began relocation to a new facility at Lakeland Linder International Airport, northeast of MacDill AFB, completing same in June 2017.AirFest 2016 was the first-ever airshow to feature a live webcast of the performers, including the headline act of the United States Air Force Thunderbirds.In June 2024, Reuters reported that a secret propaganda campaign to disparage the Chinese COVID-19 vaccine in the developing world was conducted from MacDill AFB using fake social media accounts.[30] Among these are: Previously designated as Detachment 1 of the 23rd Wing (23 WG) until August 2014[31] and Det 1 of the 23d Fighter Group (23 FG) until August 2015,[35] the 598 RANS is unique among MacDill AFB's tenant units in that it operates both (1) the Deployed Unit Complex (DUC) at MacDill AFB, providing a separate flight line facility and support infrastructure for detachments of USAF, U.S. Navy, U.S. Marine Corps (to include Reserve and Air National Guard) and NATO/Allied fighter, attack and special operations aircraft utilizing the nearby Avon Park Air Force Range (APAFR) facility, and (2) operates and maintains the entire 20,000 square mile APAFR facility approximately 65 miles east of MacDill AFB.MacDill AFB also supports other Active Component and Reserve Component military activities and personnel of the U.S. Army, U.S. Navy, U.S. Marine Corps, U.S. Air Force and U.S. Coast Guard in the West Central Florida/Tampa Bay Region, as well as the large military retiree community in the Tampa Bay area and surrounding environs.\ Flying and notable non-flying units based at MacDill Air Force Base.
KC-135 Stratotanker of the 6 AMW with the Tampa Skyline and Gasparilla ship in the background.
Tampa, FloridaUnited StatesKC-135R StratotankerDepartment of DefenseUS Air ForceAir Mobility CommandColonel6th Air Refueling Wing927th Air Refueling WingAsphaltFederal Aviation AdministrationUnited States Air ForceEighteenth Air ForceU.S. Army Air CorpsU.S. Army Air ForcesStrategic Air CommandB-47 StratojetTactical Air CommandF-84 ThunderstreakF-4 Phantom IIF-16 Fighting Falcons310th Airlift Squadron50th Air Refueling Squadron91st Air Refueling SquadronAir Force Reserve Command63d Air Refueling Squadronunified combatant commandsUnited States Central CommandUnited States Special Operations CommandUnited States Marine Corps Forces Central CommandUnited States Special Operations Command CentralAfrican-AmericanTampa Bay History Centersegregation eraLeslie MacDilllarge-letter postcardCurt Teich CompanyRAF LakenheathBoeing B-47A StratojetCuban Missile CrisisUnited States Strike CommandMcCoy AFBfighter15th Tactical Fighter Wing1st Tactical Fighter WingRapid Deployment Joint Task ForceSuper Bowl XVIIISuper Bowl XXVTampa Stadiumflyovermissing man formationnational anthemCold WarBase Realignment and Closure Commission56th Fighter WingLuke Air Force BasePhoenix, ArizonaAir Education and Training CommandHurricane Andrew31st Fighter WingAir Force Reserve482d Fighter WingHomestead AFBBill YoungNational Oceanic and Atmospheric AdministrationMiami International AirportAir Combat CommandOperation Uphold DemocracyTampa International AirportSt. Petersburg-Clearwater International AirportPeter O. Knight AirportMalmstrom Air Force BaseCT-43AEC-135YUnited States Southern Command6th Air Mobility WingSelfridge Air National Guard BaseU.S. Naval Forces Central CommandGulf Warflag officerrear admiralPersian GulfManama, BahrainU.S. Marine Forces Central CommandI Marine Expeditionary ForceCamp PendletonNaval Support Activity BahrainCoast Guard Air Station ClearwaterU.S. Naval ReserveU.S. Navy ReserveCaptainCGAS ClearwaterJoint Communications Support ElementU.S. Special Operations CommandU.S. Army ReserveAir National GuardGeorgia Air National GuardFlorida Air National GuardChairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staffcombatant commandsU.S. Transportation CommandFlorida National Guard598th Range Squadron23d Fighter Group23rd WingheadquartersMoody Air Force BaseC-37A Gulfstream VSuper Bowl XXXVSuper Bowl XLIIIRaymond James StadiumB-2 Spirit509th Bomb WingF-22 Raptor325th Fighter Winghigh definitionUSSOCOMunified combatant commandSOCCENTReutersNtrepidGrand Forks Air Force Base, North Dakota319th Air Refueling WingSelfridge ANGB127th WingMichigan Air National Guard