McGhee Tyson Air National Guard Base

McGhee Tyson Air National Guard Base is a joint military facility located at McGhee Tyson Airport, 10 miles south of Knoxville near Alcoa, Tennessee. The United States Air Force announced the establishment of the base on January 26, 1951, to provide air defense for the Oak Ridge National Laboratory, the Alcoa aluminum plant, and Tennessee Valley Authority dams. The installation officially opened as McGhee Tyson Air Force Base on August 9, 1952. Initial active-duty units included the 516th Air Defense Group and later the 355th Fighter Group, which operated F-47D Thunderbolts and F-86D Sabres. Regular Air Force operations ceased in 1958, and the base was transferred to the Tennessee Air National Guard on July 1, 1960.

The installation is currently operated by the U.S. Air Force and controlled by the Tennessee Air National Guard. The 134th Air Refueling Wing (134 ARW) functions as the host unit. An Air Mobility Command gained unit, the 134 ARW operates squadrons of KC-135R Stratotankers for aerial refueling and air mobility missions. Tenant units include the 119th Command and Control Squadron and the Air National Guard Band of the South. The Tennessee Army National Guard's 1st Squadron, 230th Armored Cavalry Regiment maintains an Army Aviation Support Facility at the site, which operates UH-60 Blackhawk helicopters.

Military infrastructure is situated on the northwest side of the airfield, separate from civilian airport operations. The base houses the I.G. Brown Air National Guard Training and Education Center (TEC), a detachment of the Air National Guard Readiness Center. This facility conducts Enlisted Professional Military Education and Professional Continuing Education, utilizing on-site studio and multimedia facilities for training and video production. Historically, the base transitioned from a fighter-interceptor role to air refueling in 1964, operating KC-97G Stratofreighters before converting to the KC-135 platform in 1976.