Laughlin Air Force Base

Laughlin Air Force Base, located east of Del Rio, Texas, is a United States Air Force facility. It was originally established as Laughlin Army Air Field on March 3, 1943, named after B-17E Flying Fortress pilot Jack T. Laughlin. During World War II, its primary mission involved training B-26 Marauder pilots and aircrews. The field was closed in October 1945.

The air base reopened on May 1, 1952. Initially, it served as a combat crew replacement training facility for pilots bound for Korea, utilizing aircraft such as the F-80 Shooting Star, F-84 Thunderjet, and T-33. In 1955, it transitioned to single-engine pilot training with the T-33. On April 1, 1957, jurisdiction transferred to the Strategic Air Command, and the 4080th Strategic Reconnaissance Wing (Light) moved to Laughlin, conducting high-altitude reconnaissance and air sampling with Lockheed U-2A and RB-57D Canberra aircraft. Laughlin U-2s provided photographic evidence of Soviet missile installations in Cuba in 1962, a mission during which Major Rudolf Anderson, Jr. perished.

In 1961, the base's mission expanded to include an Air Training Command undergraduate pilot training program. The 3645th Pilot Training Wing was reactivated to prepare for the influx of students and T-37 and T-33 trainers. Today, Laughlin Air Force Base is home to the 47th Flying Training Wing, which serves as the host unit, and the 96th Flying Training Squadron of the Air Force Reserve Command. It operates as the largest pilot training base in the U.S. Air Force. Aircraft flown include the T-6A Texan II, T-38C Talon, and T-1A Jayhawk. The base sees a high volume of takeoffs and landings, with approximately 15 classes of 20–25 pilots graduating annually. The installation is owned by the Department of Defense and controlled by the Air Education and Training Command.