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Grissom Air Reserve Base (ARB) (IATA: GUS, ICAO: KGUS, FAA LID: GUS) is a United States Air Force base located approximately 12 miles (19 km) north of Kokomo, Indiana. The facility is a joint use civil airport/military base with the Grissom Aeroplex which provides general aviation and charter service. OverviewThe United States Navy established Naval Air Station Bunker Hill in 1942 and closed it after World War II ended. The United States Air Force reopened the base in 1954 as Bunker Hill Air Force Base. In 1968, the Air Force later renamed the base in honor of Lieutenant Colonel Virgil Ivan ("Gus") Grissom, an American astronaut who died in the Apollo 1 accident at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. As an active Air Force installation from 1954 to 1994, Grissom Air Force Base hosted various aircraft, including the Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker. The 1991 Base Realignment and Closure Commission recommended the closure of the base. In 1994, the installation closed, with nearly half of the former base, including the runway, transferring to the Air Force Reserve as Grissom Air Reserve Base. Today, the 434th Air Refueling Wing (434 ARW), assigned to the Air Force Reserve Command's Fourth Air Force (4 AF), serves as the host wing at Grissom. The 434 ARW develops and maintains the operational capability of its units and train reservists for worldwide duty. Training consists of flight operations, deployments, and weekday and weekend training. Grissom Air Reserve Base hosts the largest Boeing KC-135R Stratotanker wing in the Air Force Reserve Command (AFRC). Brigadier General Dean J. Despinoy commands the 434th Air Refueling Wing. Its Command Chief Master Sergeant is Chief Master Sergeant Larry Brady. Additionally, the base is home to units from the U.S. Army Reserve and U.S. Marine Corps Reserve. Units434th Air Refueling Wing Units:
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HistoryPrevious names
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Operational historyNavy base and transfer to Air ForceThe United States Navy on 1 July 1942 started Naval Air Station Bunker Hill to train Navy, United States Marine Corps and United States Coast Guard pilots. Ted Williams of professional baseball fame received training as a Marine Corps Naval Aviator at Naval Air Station Bunker Hill. The naval pilot training mission ended after World War II in 1946, and the Navy closed Naval Air Station Bunker Hill. After World War II, the base area reverted to farming use. United States Air Force obtained right of entry to 25 buildings from United States Navy on 16 November 1951 and used the base under United States Air Force Storage Branch. Still in inactive status, it was transferred from the Navy to the Air Force on 31 March 1954. In the wake of the Korean War, the Air Force reopened the installation as Bunker Hill Air Force Base on 22 June 1954 and assigned it to Tactical Air Command. The base began to host the 4433d Air Base Squadron on 1 April 1955. 323d fighter-bomber wingThe Air Force activated the 323d Fighter-Bomber Wing on 8 August 1955, and the 323d Air Base Group arrived at Bunker Hill. The Air Force activated Bunker Hill Air Force Base on 18 August 1955. On 1 November 1955, the base saw the addition of the 319th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron, operating the F-89 Scorpion and F-94 Starfire. Strategic Air Command (SAC) assumed operational control of Bunker Hill Air Force Base from Tactical Air Command on 1 September 1957; the Air Force then inactivated the 323d Fighter-Bomber Wing, and the 4041st Air Base Group arrived that day. The Air Force began to station the Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker on the base in 1957. 305th wing era
Strategic Air Command on 1 June 1959 moved the 305th Bombardment Wing, Medium, (305 BMW) from MacDill Air Force Base in Florida to Bunker Hill Air Force Base. The wing flew the Boeing B-47 Stratojet; the Convair B-58 Hustler then began replacing the B-47s. Starting in 1960, the Air Force equipped the 319th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron with the F-106 Delta Dart. This squadron departed on 1 March 1963. On 22 January 1967, the Apollo I spacecraft caught fire during a pre-launch preparation at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station Launch Complex 34, killing United States Air Force astronaut Lieutenant Colonel Virgil I. “Gus” Grissom, an Indiana native and Purdue University graduate. The Air Force officially renamed Bunker Hill Air Force Base as Grissom Air Force Base in his honor on 12 May 1968. With the retirement of the B-58 in 1970, the Air Force redesignated the 305th Bombardment Wing, Medium, as the 305th Air Refueling Wing (305 ARW) on 1 January 1970. The Air Force transferred the 70th Air Refueling Squadron from another wing at Little Rock Air Force Base to the 305th Air Refueling Wing in 1970. From the early 1970s, the 305th Air Refueling Wing deployed KC-135 aircraft to Europe, Alaska, Greenland, and the Pacific to support worldwide tanker task forces. Meanwhile, the 931st Air Refueling Group arrived on 15 January 1970. 305th wing and 434th (reserve) wingThe Air Force Reserve joined the Grissom personnel complement in the early 1970s with the activation of the 434th Special Operations Wing (434 SOW) and their Cessna A-37 Dragonfly aircraft to the base on 15 January 1971. On 1 October 1973, the Air Force Reserve redesignated the 434th Special Operations Wing as the 434th Tactical Fighter Wing. In 1975, the Air Force inactivated the 3d Post Attack Command and Control System of the 305th Air Refueling Wing and transferred specialized Boeing EC-135s to the 70th Air Refueling Squadron of the 305th Air Refueling Wing. The 931st Air Refueling Group (931 ARG) departed on 1 July 1975. The United States Army Reserve began its presence at Grissom in the 1970s. On 1 February 1978, the Air Force renamed the 305th Air Refueling Wing as the 305th Air Refueling Wing, Heavy. The Air Force activated the 931st Air Refueling Group at the base on 1 July 1978 as the second group of Air Force Reservists. The base also served as the home of one active duty wing and two reserve wings, using 60 KC-135 Stratotanker and 18 A-10 Thunderbolt II fighter aircraft. The 72d Air Refueling Squdron of the Air Force Reserve began operating its KC-135 Stratotanker aircraft from the Grissom in 1978. The 305th Air Refueling Wing, Heavy, provided tanker refueling support to units involved in the invasion of Grenada in October 1983. The 931st Air Refueling Group departed Grissom on 1 July 1987. The Air Force Reserve on 1 July 1978 redesignated the 434th Tactical Fighter Wing as the 434th Air Refueling Wing, Heavy, giving it a similar mission to that of the 305th Air Refueling Wing, Heavy. The 305th Air Refueling Wing, Heavy, provided tanker support to units involved in the United States invasion of Panama in December 1989. From August 1990 to June 1991, deployed 305th Air Refueling Wing, Heavy, personnel and aircraft provided refueling support for air operations in southwest Asia as part of Operation Desert Storm. The 305th Air Refueling Wing, Heavy, also delivered food to the Kurds in Northern Iraq from April to May 1991. The Air Force redesignated the wing as 305th Air Refueling Wing on 1 September 1991. Despite this activity, the end of the Cold War led to a downsizing of the military. The Base Realignment and Closure Commission of 1991 recommended closure of Grissom Air Force Base. On 1 February 1992, the Air Force Reserve redesignated the 434th Air Refueling Wing, Heavy, as the 434th Air Refueling Wing and that year activated the 74th Air Refueling Squadron within the 434th Air Refueling Wing to operate the KC-135 Stratotanker. The Air Force inactivated Strategic Air Command (SAC) and realigned the 305th Air Refueling Wing to the newly established Air Mobility Command (AMC) on 15 June 1992. The Air Mobility Command merged air refueling aircraft from Strategic Air Command with strategic and tactical theater airlift aircraft from Military Airlift Command (MAC). The Air Force Reserve renamed the 434th Air Refueling Wing as the 434th Wing on 1 August 1992. Base Realignment and Closure Commission of 1993 directed realignment of Grissom Air Force Base to the Air Force Reserve (AFRES). The 305th Air Refueling Wing phased out operations and ended its presence on base on 30 September 1994, when the Air Force deactivated it. The Air Force then immediately reactivated a new 305th Air Refueling Wing with different personnel and equipment at McGuire Air Force Base in New Jersey. The Air Force inactivated the KC-135Rs of the 70th Air Refueling Squadron of the 305th Air Refueling Wing; this squadron transferred to Travis Air Force Base in California, joined another wing, and used a different aircraft. The Air Force also retired the Boeing EC-135G/L radio relay aircraft as part of the demise of the Post Attack Command and Control System. 434th wing on Grissom Air Reserve BaseEffective 1 October 1994, Grissom Air Force Base ceased active-duty operations, and the active Air Force transferred nearly half of the former base, including the runway, to the Air Force Reserve as Grissom Air Reserve Base. The Air Force Reserve (AFRES) redesignated the 434th Wing as the 434th Air Refueling Wing (434 ARW), which began the 434th Mission Support Group. The 434th Air Refueling Wing operates a KC-135 Stratotanker air refueling squadron, operationally within the Air Mobility Command (AMC). Because of this deactivation, the Air Force reassigned Grissom Air Reserve Base in 1997 to the newly-established Air Force Reserve Command (AFRC). The base added Marine Corps Reserve units in 2001 and United States Navy Reserve units in 2002. In 2003, the Air Force Reserve Command changed the name of Grissom Air Reserve Base to that of Grissom Joint Air Reserve Base. In 2005, in another effort to downsize the base, Navy Reserve transferred all its Grissom units to the Navy Operational Support Center at Heslar Naval Armory in Indianapolis, Indiana. In 2008, Grissom Joint Air Reserve Base opened to civil operations. Montgomery Aviation of Zionsville, Indiana, manages the day-to-day civil operations at Grissom Joint Air Reserve Base. Under a five-year contract with the Miami County Economic Development Authority, Montgomery Aviation provides maintenance, fuel, and other services. Montgomery Aviation currently promotes the airport to business jets as a refueling stop for long cross-country flights. Its extremely long runway and instrument navigation facilities make Grissom Joint Air Reserve Base especially well suited to this role. Military air traffic controllers also staff a radar approach control at the airport. Grissom Joint Air Reserve Base intends to transform into a joint civil-military regional airport. Current operationsGrissom Joint Air Reserve Base still hosts the 434th Air Refueling Wing of Air Force Reserve Command. The Air Force Reserve Command controls only three other bases in the United States of America. Grissom also hosts Army Reserve and Marine Corps Reserve units. The base also serves its duty to the local community beyond its military functions. It has a combined workforce consisting of both military personnel and civilians and currently ranks as the largest employer in Miami County and the third largest employer in north-central Indiana. Grissom claims an economic impact of 75 million dollars per year, and community activities also heavily involve Grissom. Such programs include the Marine Corps Reserve's "Toys for Tots", conducted annually in November and December. The National Arbor Day Foundation also designated the base as a "Tree City". GeographyGrissom Joint Air Reserve Base is located at 40°40′15″N 86°09′17″W / 40.670699°N 86.154670°WCoordinates: 40°40′15″N 86°09′17″W / 40.670699°N 86.154670°W (40.670699, -86.154670). According to the United States Census Bureau, the CDP has a total area of 10.9 km (4.2 mi), all land. DemographicsAs of the census of 2000, there were 1,652 people, 581 households, and 431 families residing in the CDP. The population density was 151.9/km (393.6/mi). There were 1,091 housing units at an average density of 100.3/km (259.9/mi). The racial makeup of the CDP was 86.68% White, 7.63% African American, 0.48% Native American, 0.67% Asian, 0.06% Pacific Islander, 1.45% from other races, and 3.03% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.15% of the population. There were 581 households out of which 51.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.7% were married couples living together, 12.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 25.8% were non-families. 19.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 1.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.84 and the average family size was 3.27. In the CDP the population was spread out with 36.4% under the age of 18, 9.1% from 18 to 24, 39.6% from 25 to 44, 12.8% from 45 to 64, and 2.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 27 years. For every 100 females there were 100.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 100.8 males. The median income for a household in the CDP was $45,000, and the median income for a family was $44,939. Males had a median income of $34,286 versus $21,447 for females. The per capita income for the CDP was $15,869. About 8.6% of families and 8.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 13.5% of those under age 18 and none of those age 65 or over. The above content comes from Wikipedia and is published under free licenses – click here to read more.
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Grissom Arb Airport Address: Miami County, IN Tel: 765-688-2254 Images
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