Barksdale Air Force Base

Barksdale Air Force Base (Barksdale AFB) is a United States Air Force (USAF) installation situated in Bossier Parish, Louisiana, with a significant portion within Bossier City limits. The base, spanning over 22,000 acres, was established as Barksdale Field in 1932, named after World War I aviator Lieutenant Eugene Hoy Barksdale. Construction commenced in 1931, and the airfield officially opened on February 2, 1933. It has been continuously operational since then.

Barksdale AFB is currently controlled by the Air Force Global Strike Command and serves as a military-only facility, closed to public access except for specific events like the annual open house or museum visits. The host unit is the 2nd Bomb Wing (2 BW), the oldest bomb wing in the U.S. Air Force, assigned to the Eighth Air Force. Equipped with B-52H Stratofortress bombers, the 2nd Bomb Wing provides global combat capability and trains B-52 crews. Other significant units stationed at Barksdale include the Air Force Global Strike Command Headquarters, Eighth Air Force Headquarters, and the Air Force Reserve Command's 307th Bomb Wing, which also operates B-52H aircraft.

Historically, Barksdale has played various roles, including a training base during World War II and a Strategic Air Command (SAC) base from 1949 to 1992. It hosted numerous bomber and reconnaissance wings, transitioning from B-29s to B-47s and eventually to B-52s and KC-135s. The base was a launch point for the first combat sortie of Operation Desert Storm in 1991, with B-52Gs firing cruise missiles against Iraq. Barksdale B-52s and personnel have also participated in operations such as Desert Strike, Desert Fox, Allied Force, Enduring Freedom, and Iraqi Freedom. The base is home to the Barksdale Global Power Museum, which houses a collection of historic aircraft, including various bombers and fighters. In 1992, 265 buildings on the main base were placed on the National Register of Historic Places as the Barksdale Field Historic District.