Tinker Air Force Base

Tinker Air Force Base, located in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, is a major United States Air Force installation with tenant U.S. Navy and other Department of Defense missions. Established in 1941 as the Midwest Air Depot, it was renamed in honor of Major General Clarence L. Tinker. The base serves as the headquarters for the Air Force Materiel Command's Oklahoma City Air Logistics Center (OC-ALC), which manages a range of aircraft, engines, missiles, software, avionics, and accessory components globally. The host unit is the 72nd Air Base Wing.

Historically, Tinker AFB was a significant production site for Douglas C-47 Skytrains and A-20 Havocs during World War II. It is also notable for issuing the first successful tornado forecast in history on March 25, 1948. The base has experienced several significant events, including a massive fire in 1984 and a deadly tornado in 1999 that caused extensive damage. In 1992, it became home to the Navy's "Take Charge and Move Out" (TACAMO) wing, providing support for the E-6B Mercury aircraft fleet, marking the first fully integrated Navy Air Wing on an Air Force base.

Currently, Tinker AFB is home to the 552nd Air Control Wing, operating E-3 Sentry AWACS aircraft for surveillance and battle management, and the Air Force Reserve Command's 507th Air Refueling Wing, which operates KC-135R Stratotanker aircraft. The base also hosts Strategic Communications Wing One of the U.S. Navy, responsible for the E-6B Mercury fleet that supports nuclear deterrence. The installation covers approximately 9 square miles with 760 buildings and over 15.2 million square feet of floor space. It operates through public-private partnerships, including the Maintenance, Repair & Overhaul Technology Center (MROTC) and Building 9001 (Tinker Aerospace Complex), which support both military and commercial aircraft maintenance.