Now a little history.... During the Spanish-American War (1898), Tampa, because of its
strategic location, was chosen as a rendezvous point for troops
heading south to help Cuba gain independence from Spain. Approximately
10,000 of the 66,000 troops in Tampa waiting for ships headed to Cuba
set up camp around what was then known as Port Tampa City, which
bordered what is now MacDill AFB.
There are several dates surrounding the history of MacDill AFB.
Official records report an establishment date of 24 May 1939, date
construction began 6 September 1939, date of beneficial occupancy 11
March 1940 and formal dedication 16 April 1941. This last date is
normally associated with the age of the base.
Originally known as Southeast Air Base, Tampa, and later named MacDill
Field in honor of Colonel Leslie MacDill, the field became MacDill Air
Force Base shortly after the establishment of the United States Air
Force in 1947.
Flying operations at MacDill began in 1941 with the base's first
mission including transitional training in the B-17 Flying Fortress.
Following the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, MacDill became a major
staging area for Army Air Corps flight crews and aircraft. In just 60
days, 15 LB-30 and 63 B-17 aircraft departed MacDill via the south
Atlantic and Africa to Australia.
The base's mission converted to B-26 " Marauder" training in 1942 and
it was the B-26 that earned the slogan "one a day in Tampa Bay." The
aircraft proved hard to fly and land by many pilots due to its short
wings, high landing speeds, and fighter plane maneuverability. Nine of
the 12 combat groups that flew the B-26 in Europe were activated and
trained at MacDill and in combat the B-26 enjoyed the lowest loss rate
of any Allied bomber.
In 1943 the base discontinued B-26 training and returned to B-17
training which continued through the end of World War II. During the
war as many as 15,000 troops were stationed at MacDill at one time. A
contingent of Women's Army Corps (WACS) troops arrived in 1943.
Estimates of the number of crew members trained at the base vary from
50,000 to 120,000. Several bases in Florida, including MacDill, served
as detention centers for German prisoners-of-war (POWs) in the latter
part of 1944 and 1945. At its apex, 488 POWs were interned at MacDill.
Following the end of hostilities in Europe, MacDill transitioned to a
B-29 training base in January 1945, and after the war, continued B-29
training through 1953.
After World War II, MacDill became an operational base for Strategic
Air Command with training activities focused around P-51, B-29, and in
1950, B-50 training. This aircraft is of the same type residing in
MacDill's memorial park today.
In 1951, MacDill's operational mission transitioned to new B-47 medium
jet bombers and KC-97 tanker aircraft, with a primary mission as a
strategic bombardment and air refueling base.
Plans to close MacDill surfaced in 1960, however the Cuban Missile
Crisis highlighted the strategic location of the base and led to a
reprieve of the planned cutbacks. In 1961 the United States Strike
Command was established at MacDill as a unified command with
integrated personnel from all branches of the military capable of
responding to global crisis.
The base began training crews in F-84 aircraft in 1962, and MacDill
became a Tactical Air Command base in 1963. In 1965, MacDill's two
combat-ready F-4 wings (the 12th and 15th Tactical Fighter Wings)
deployed to Vietnam. The 12th's deployment became permanent while the
15 TFW returned to MacDill and became a replacement training unit with
F-4 and B-57 aircraft.
In 1970, the 1st Tactical Fighter Wing moved to MacDill replacing the
15 TFW and continued F-4 training, losing the B-57 mission in 1972.
MacDill's U.S. Strike Command was redesignated U.S. Readiness Command
in 1972. In 1975, the 56 TFW replaced the 1 TFW and continued F-4
training until 1979 when F-16 aircraft were brought to the base. The
Rapid Deployment Joint Task Force, forerunner of U.S. Central Command,
activated at MacDill in 1983.
In 1987, U.S. Special Operations Command replaced U.S. Readiness
Command. Helicopter operations ended at MacDill in 1987 after more
than 25 years of service.
Between 1979 and 1993 approximately half of all F-16 pilots were
trained at MacDill. During Operation Desert Shield and Desert Storm,
accelerated training programs expanded to allow many pilots to go
straight from initial training to combat units in the gulf.
In 1991, due to military downsizing, the Defense Base Closure and
Realignment Commission (DBCRC) required MacDill to cease all flying
operations by 1993. The action effectively transferred MacDill's
100-plus F-16 mission to Luke AFB, Arizona.
1993 legislation reversed the flightline closure ruling and allowed
the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to transfer to
MacDill to utilize the runway.
The base became home to the 6th Air Base Wing in 1994 with a primary
mission of operating the base in support of U.S. Central Command, U.S.
Special Operations Command, and a large number of tenant and transient
units.
In late 1994 the base quickly became a major staging area for
operations in Haiti when the flightline became a temporary home to
approximately 75 C-130 aircraft.
The successful operation highlighted MacDill's strategic location and
flightline capabilities, which in turn led to the 1995 DBCRC's
recommendation to bring a KC-135 refueling mission to MacDill. In 1996
the base's host wing redesignation to an Air Refueling Wing marked the
beginning of a new era for MacDill.
The redesignation marked the addition of a KC-135R squadron and
mission which expanded in 1997 with the add-on of EC-135 and CT-43
aircraft and missions. Revitalized flying operations at MacDill now
enhance the posture of military air refueling and airlift operations
in the southeastern part of the United States. Since the
redesignation, MacDill and the 6th Air Mobility Wing, have contributed
to military operations around the world at locations including Istres,
France; Ramstein AB, Germany; Soto Cano and Taszar, Hungary; Zagreb,
Croatia; Tuzla, Bosnia; Incirlik AB, Turkey; and Al Kharj and Riyadh,
Saudia Arabia.