Ramstein Air Base

Ramstein Air Base is a United States Air Force installation in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It is the headquarters for United States Air Forces in Europe – Air Forces Africa (USAFE-AFAFRICA) and NATO Allied Air Command. The base is part of the Kaiserslautern Military Community.

Construction occurred between 1949 and 1952, conducted by the French Army and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The site was built on a swamp, requiring the ground level to be raised by two meters. Landstuhl Air Base opened on the south side in 1952, and Ramstein Air Station opened on the north side in 1953. These installations consolidated into Ramstein-Landstuhl Air Base in 1957, and the facility was renamed Ramstein Air Base in 1961. Between 2004 and 2006, the base underwent expansion to accommodate capacities transferred from the closed Rhein-Main Air Base.

The 86th Airlift Wing is the host unit and operates C-130J, C-21, and C-37A aircraft. Stationed flying units include the 37th Airlift Squadron and the 76th Airlift Squadron. Other resident units include the 435th Air Ground Operations Wing, the 521st Air Mobility Operations Wing, and the Third Air Force headquarters. The 480th Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Wing maintains the 693rd ISR Group at the base. U.S. Army elements, such as the 21st Theater Sustainment Command, are also present.

Infrastructure includes two runways and two aprons. The northwestern apron contains a passenger terminal with jetways. The installation houses four Department of Defense Education Activity schools. The base functions as a transshipment point for material moved by Military Airlift Command aircraft. In 2021, the base was a transfer point for Afghan civilians during the evacuation of Kabul. In 2022, it hosted the International Advisory Group on Ukraine's Defense.