Bergstrom Air Force Base

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For the current civilian use of this facility and airport information, see Austin–Bergstrom International Airport.

Bergstrom Air Force Base
Del Valle/Bergstrom Army Airfield
 
Part of Strategic Air Command/Tactical Air Command
Austin, Texas
Aerial view of Bergstrom Air Force Base
Bergstrom AFB is located in Texas
Bergstrom AFB
Bergstrom AFB
Coordinates30°11′40″N 097°40′12″W / 30.19444°N 97.67000°W / 30.19444; -97.67000
TypeAir Force Base
Site information
OwnerCity of Austin, Texas
ConditionCivil Airport
Site history
Built1942
In use1942–1993

Bergstrom Air Force Base (1942–1993) was located seven miles southeast of

RF-4C Phantom
reconnaissance fighter fleet.

Bergstrom Air Force Base blueprint, 1957
A British Airways Concorde on base.

History

Bergstrom was originally activated on 19 September 1942, as Del Valle Army Air Base. The

19th Bombardment Group
.

The base was renamed Bergstrom Field on 11 November 1943 at the suggestion of then-Congressman

12th Fighter-Escort Wing arrived at the base in December 1950. On July 1, 1957, the base was transferred from SAC to Tactical Air Command (TAC). The 27th Fighter Wing received new F-101A and F-101C Voodoo fighter aircraft directly from the McDonnell factory. Four squadrons flew the Voodoo under the 27th, the 481st, 522nd, 523rd, and 524th Fighter Squadrons
. The Voodoos had a short run at Bergstrom, being sent to the UK as a nuclear deterrent in 1958.

On October 1, 1958, the base once again came under SAC control, and the 4130th Strategic Wing moved in. Flying under the

Desert Storm in 1991. Shortly after their return from the desert, the 12th and its parent 67TRW were re-designated 12 Reconnaissance Squadron and 67 Reconnaissance Wing, respectively. Shortly after, both organizations were disbanded.[2][3]

In the 1960s, Bergstrom AFB became the place where

Lyndon Johnson
flew into and out of when president when traveling between Washington and his ranch in Texas.

During the 1970s, Austin's tiny municipal airport became crowded and noise complaints increased. The city approached the USAF in 1978 to propose a shared civil-military airport at Bergstrom, but the original proposal and further ones in 1981 and 1984 were all rejected. In 1979, the Concorde visited Bergstrom, followed by the Space Shuttles Columbia and Discovery on their Shuttle Carrier Aircraft in 1981 and 1985, respectively.

In 1990, Bergstrom ended up on a list of 75 military facilities under study for closure by the

Austin-Bergstrom International Airport. Much of the former air base, including buildings, trees, and structures, was completely demolished, with a few exceptions such as the circular Twelfth Air Force
Headquarters building (which was converted into a hotel) and the original 12,250-foot runway. Air cargo operations began in June 1997 and passenger operations started in May 1999.

See also

References

Public Domain This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency

  1. ^ United States Department of Interior (April 1996). "Rural Development and Building Traditions in Southeastern Travis County: 1846–1946". Historic and Architectural Resources of Southeast Travis County, Texas. Retrieved 7 July 2019.
  2. ^ Leatherwood, Art. "Bergstrom Air Force Base". Handbook of Texas Online. Retrieved 22 October 2019.
  3. ^ "Del Valle Army Air Base (Bergstrom Air Force Base) Historical Marker". Retrieved 22 October 2019.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Bergstrom Air Force Base.
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