MacDill Air Force Base

MacDill Air Force Base is an active United States Air Force installation located four miles south-southwest of downtown Tampa, Florida. Established in 1939 as Southeast Air Base, it was renamed MacDill Field in honor of Colonel Leslie MacDill and formally dedicated in 1941. During World War II, the site functioned as a training installation for the U.S. Army Air Forces. Following the creation of the U.S. Air Force in 1947, it became MacDill Air Force Base. Between 1950 and 1962, the base operated under Strategic Air Command (SAC) as a station for B-47 Stratojet bombers. It subsequently transitioned to Tactical Air Command (TAC), hosting squadrons of F-4 Phantom II and F-16 Fighting Falcon fighters until the early 1990s. In 1996, the installation was reassigned to Air Mobility Command.

The 6th Air Refueling Wing (6 ARW) is the host unit, providing aerial refueling and air mobility support. It is joined by the 927th Air Refueling Wing, an Air Force Reserve Command associate unit. The base operates squadrons of KC-135R Stratotanker and C-37A aircraft. MacDill Air Force Base houses the headquarters for two unified combatant commands: United States Central Command (USCENTCOM) and United States Special Operations Command (USSOCOM). It also serves as the headquarters for United States Marine Corps Forces Central Command (MARCENT) and United States Special Operations Command Central (SOCCENT).

Infrastructure includes the Deployed Unit Complex (DUC), a flight line facility on the west side of the base that supports transient military aircraft utilizing the Avon Park Air Force Range. The installation hosts the Joint Communications Support Element (JCSE), which provides communications support to unified combatant commands. Other resident units include the Navy Reserve Center Tampa and the 290th Joint Communications Support Squadron of the Florida Air National Guard. The 598th Range Squadron operates from the base to manage regional range facilities and support infrastructure for visiting detachments. Additional entities on-site include the Joint Special Operations University and the National Intelligence University Southern Academic Center.