Offutt Air Force Base

Offutt Air Force Base is a U.S. Air Force installation located south of Omaha, adjacent to Bellevue, Nebraska. Its history began as Fort Crook, commissioned in 1890, with aviation use starting in September 1918 as an Army Air Service balloon field. The airfield was officially named Offutt Field in 1924, honoring World War I pilot 1st Lt. Jarvis Offutt. During World War II, the Glenn L. Martin Bomber Plant at Offutt produced B-29 Superfortresses, including the Enola Gay and Bockscar. Following the war, the facility was re-designated Offutt Field in 1946 and Offutt Air Force Base in 1948.

Offutt AFB served for over 40 years as the headquarters for the Strategic Air Command (SAC) during the Cold War, becoming a central point for U.S. nuclear war command centers. Since 1992, it has been the headquarters for the U.S. Strategic Command (USSTRATCOM), a Unified Combatant Command of the Department of Defense. The base is also home to the 55th Wing of the Air Combat Command, which acts as the host unit, and the 557th Weather Wing. The 55th Wing operates 46 aircraft, including various RC-135, OC-135, TC-135, and WC-135 models. The 595th Command and Control Group, activated in 2016, consolidates Air Force nuclear command and control communications. In 2019, the base experienced significant flooding from the Missouri River, necessitating temporary relocation of some operations. The base maintains a single concrete runway, 13/31, measuring 3,567 meters.