Scott Air Force Base

Scott Air Force Base is situated in St. Clair County, Illinois, 17 miles east-southeast of St. Louis. Established in 1917 as Scott Field, it was one of 32 Air Service training camps commissioned by the U.S. War Department during World War I. The site was named for Corporal Frank S. Scott. From 1921 to 1937, the installation served as a lighter-than-air station and hosted the Army Balloon and Airship School. Infrastructure during this period included a 15-story airship hangar and hydrogen production facilities. In 1938, the base was expanded to accommodate General Headquarters Air Force, and during World War II, it functioned as a technical school for Army Air Forces radio operators. The facility was redesignated Scott Air Force Base in 1948.

The base is operated by the U.S. Air Force under Air Mobility Command, with the 375th Air Mobility Wing serving as the host unit. It is the headquarters for the U.S. Transportation Command, a unified combatant command, and Air Mobility Command. Stationed units include the Eighteenth Air Force, the 126th Air Refueling Wing of the Illinois Air National Guard, and the 932nd Airlift Wing of the Air Force Reserve Command. Additional organizations located at the base include the 618th Air Operations Center, the 635th Supply Chain Operations Wing, and the Cyberspace Capabilities Center.

The airfield is a joint-use facility, supporting civilian operations as MidAmerica St. Louis Airport since 1997. The base hosts units operating C-21A Learjet and C-40C Clipper aircraft, which support operational support airlift and aeromedical evacuation missions. It also houses the 906th Air Refueling Squadron, which operates KC-135R Stratotankers. The installation provides infrastructure for the Defense Information Systems Agency Global Operations Center East and multiple cybersecurity squadrons. Portions of the base constructed during the 1940 expansion program are designated as the Scott Field Historic District.