Laughlin Air Force Base

Laughlin Air Force Base is located near Del Rio, Texas. Established on March 3, 1943, as Laughlin Army Air Field, the installation was named for B-17 pilot Jack T. Laughlin. During World War II, the facility functioned as a training site for B-26 Marauder pilots and aircrews before closing in October 1945.

The base reopened on May 1, 1952, under the Crew Training Air Force to provide combat crew replacement training for the Korean War. During this period, it operated F-80 Shooting Star, F-84 Thunderjet, and T-33 aircraft. Jurisdiction transferred to the Strategic Air Command in 1957, and the base hosted the 4080th Strategic Reconnaissance Wing. This unit utilized Lockheed U-2 and RB-57D Canberra aircraft for high-altitude reconnaissance. In 1962, U-2 aircraft from the base provided photographic evidence of Soviet missile installations in Cuba. Jurisdiction returned to the Air Training Command in 1961 to facilitate the resumption of undergraduate pilot training.

The base is currently operated by the Air Education and Training Command (AETC). The 47th Flying Training Wing serves as the host unit, with the 96th Flying Training Squadron of the Air Force Reserve Command also stationed on-site. The primary mission of the installation is undergraduate pilot training.

The airfield hosts several flying units under the 47th Operations Group, including the 85th and 434th Flying Training Squadrons, which operate T-6A Texan II aircraft; the 86th Flying Training Squadron, which operates T-1A Jayhawk aircraft; and the 87th Flying Training Squadron, which operates T-38C Talon aircraft. The 96th Flying Training Squadron also maintains a presence, operating the T-1A, T-6A, and T-38C. Infrastructure includes the Anderson Hall operations training complex, the 47th Medical Group, and the 47th Mission Support Group.