Eglin AFB Florida
Located approximately 3 miles southwest of Valparaiso, Florida, the Eglin Air Force Base features many traditional military services along with other services to support military operations.
History of the Base
The Eglin AFB started as the Valparaiso Bombing and Gunnery Base in 1935. In 1937, It was renamed to Eglin field after Lieutenant Colonel Frederick I, who was killed in a plane crash. From 1935 to 1940, the Base served as the Air Corps Training Center for the US Military. In 1940, it was redesignated as the Southeast Air Corps training center for two years.
In 1942, during World War II, the Base acted as the AAF Proving Ground Command until 1945, when it became the AAF Center. During this time, the Base served as a major training facility for pilots who would participate in high-profile missions such as the Doolittle Raids.
Eglin AFB continued to change its major command every other year for several years and provided basic support and training during the Cold War, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War. The MiG-15bis that was delivered by a defecting North Korean pilot was tested at Eglin. Eglin became the AAF Proving Ground Command in 1946, the Air Materiel Command in 1948, the Air Proving Ground later that year in 1948, the Air Proving Ground Command in 1951, the Air Research and Development Command in 1957 and finally the Air Force Systems Command in 1961. It remained the Air Force Systems Command until 1992 when it was reassigned as the Air Force Materiel Command.
What Role it Plays
Eglin Air Force Base is one of three produce centers in the USAF’s Air Force Materiel Command (AFMC) and the home of the Air Armament Center (AAC). The AAC is the center which is responsible for the acquisition, development, testing and deployment of all weapons that are delivered by Air. It is also responsible for sustaining these weapons.
Some of the center’s other duties are to plan, direct and conduct tests of navigation and guidance systems, Air Armament, and command control systems belonging to the U.S. and its allies. It is also responsible for supporting the biggest single Base mobility commitment in the USAF. It is the focal point for all Armaments belonging to the Air Force, and is also where the most advanced Armament products in the world are handled. Some of the things the center does regarding these Armaments includes: Scientific research, Operational performance, Business management, System management, Customer and engineer support, Requirements definition, Materiel identification, Field support activities, Technology planning.
There are several programs that this center manages. Some of these include the HARM Targeting System, the Joint Direct Attack Munition, the Miniature Air Launched Decoy, the High-speed Anti-Radiation Missile, the Advanced Medium Range Air-to-Air Missile, and the Small Diameter Bomb.
Units on the Base
The Eglin Air Force Base is home to many major units in the USAF. Besides the Air Armament Center (AAC), the center in charge of planning, directing, testing and evaluating U.S. and allied Air Armament and other systems, the center also hosts other units.
These include:
- 46th Test Wing (46TW), which is the test and evaluation center for Air-delivered weapons, navigation and guidance systems, Air Force Special Operations Command systems, and Command and Control systems.
- 96th Air Base Wing (or the 96th Wing), which supports the AAC with traditional services offered by the military as well as what a small city would offer.
- 33d Fighter Wing, consisting of the 58th Fighter Squadron and the 60th Fighter Squadron.
- 53d Wing, which tests all of the unmanned aerial vehicles, fighters, bombers, and associated weapon systems in the Air Force
- 308th Armament Systems Wing.
- 7th Special Forces Group, which conducts special operations which take place in Latin America.
The Base also hosts other minor units, including the 919th Special Operations Wing (919 SOW), 20th Space Control Squadron, 6th Ranger Training Battalion, the Joint Fires Integration and Interoperability Team, the Air Force Operational Test and Evaluation Center (AFOTEC), the 728th Air Control Squadron (which is the largest Air Control Squadron in the Air Force), and the Naval School of Explosives Ordinance Disposal (EOD), which is jointly staffed by the Army, Navy, Air Force and Marines.
Housing and Other Information
The Air Force Base at Eglin employs approximately 4,500 civilians and over 8,500 military personnel. Under the 2005 Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC), approximately 2,200 more jobs are scheduled to be moved to Eglin.
As far as income is concerned, the median income for families living on the Base was $31,859 while the median income for a household was slightly higher at $31,951. Income by gender was $25,409 for males and $19,176 for females. Approximately 4.5% of the families living on Eglin AFB were below the poverty line, and the income per capita was $10,670.
According to the 2000 census, there were 2,302 households on the Base. 89.8% of those households were married couples who lived with each other, 79.8% had children living with them who were under age 18, 5.2% of the households were females with no husband, and an additional 1.7% of the households on the Base were non-families. The size of the average family was 3.51 members, and the average size of a household living on the Base was 3.50 members.
Regarding racial demographics, 71.8% of the 8,082 people living on the Base were white, 14.8% were black/African American, 11.2% were Hispanic or Latino, 3.0% were Asian, 0.5% were native American, 0.4% were Pacific Islander, and 5.3% were people who were members of two or more races. The remaining 4.2% were from other races not listed.
The Base enjoys warm, subtropical weather patterns that make summers on the Base last longer than the national average. There are partly cloudy lows that are moderate. Depending on the year, the Base will get approximately 25 to 60 inches of rain, although it only gets between 50 to 60 days of rain a year. Due to the pleasant weather, outdoor activities are possible all year round.
Location: 30.4838, -86.5262
Phone: (850) 882-1110
DSN: 872-1110December 17, 2011
Housing for Rent Nearby
If you are or were in the military you could be eligible for a VA loan. That entails lower than market rates to help you buy a home rather than renting!
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