Contact Information
Simmons Army Airfield is an airport occupied by the army in Cumberland County, North Carolina. The airport is located on the southeast portion of Fort Bragg and fortifies the aviation desiderata of the XVIII Airborne Corps, the 82nd Airborne Division, Special Operations, U.S. Army Reserve and U.S. National Sentinel aviation units. The air field was renamed after Warrant Officer Herbert W. Simmons in 1955; he was a pilot killed in 1953 on November 3rd. Their mission is to support combat training and aviation unit field training, aviation multi-service joint training operations, and the deployments of Fort Bragg’s airborne and special operations environment.
History
The air field was originally known as Smith Lake airfield in 1952. In 1953, engineers of Fort Bragg finished the plans to expand the field and it was finally contrasted in August of 1954 with improved aprons, a repaved runway, and a floor was laid for the field’s first hangar. In the years of 1956 and 1957, major construction led the field to an abiding army airfield, sanctioning transfer of air activities from the overcrowded Pope Air Force Base to Simmons AAF. The 82nd Aviation Company was collected at Simmons in 1957. The Training of the 116th Assault Helicopter for Vietnam took place at Simmons in 1965. Later in the year, they left for Vietnam and joined the 11th combat Aviation Battalion. Simmons contained 176 aircraft and 375 daily operation flights in 1976 with only growing numbers in the next 7 years. Simmons is still active todays as an airport for the US Army with 23 permanent buildings from 1965 are still in use today.
Units
1st Squadron, 17th Cavalry Regiment, 82nd Combat Aviation Brigade with the Bell OH-58D Kiowa Warrior.
