With the departure of the 97th Bomb Wing, the Eielson Air Force Base Wing (Base Complement) was formed on April 1, 1948. On April 20, 1948, it was designated the 5010th Air Base Wing, and would be the host unit at the base until 1964.
The wing accommodated numerous SAC units on temporary deployment to Eielson, playing host to B-29s, B-36s and finally B-47s. In fact, the largest hangar on Eielson today, now used for the Air Force's Cope Thunder exercises, was originally built to house two B-36 "Peacekeeper" bombers, the largest bomber ever in Air Force inventory.
Construction boomed at Eielson AFB during the wing's tenure in the 1950s. Many of the facilities still in use today were built at that time - Amber Hall, Thunderdome, Base Exchange, Commissary, Gymnasium, Theater, Base Chapel, some of the schools and many of the dormitories, just to name a few.
Read more about 5010th Air Base Wing: Lineage
Famous quotes containing the words air, base and/or wing:
“Just as we are learning to value and conserve the air we breathe, the water we drink, the energy we use, we must learn to value and conserve our capacity for nurture. Otherwise, in the name of human potential we will slowly but surely erode the source of our humanity.”
—Elaine Heffner (20th century)
“I have always heard, Sancho, that doing good to base fellows is like throwing water into the sea.”
—Miguel De Cervantes (1547–1616)
“But he her fears to cease
Sent down the meek-eyed Peace;
She, crowned with olive green, came softly sliding
Down through the turning sphere,
His ready harbinger,
With turtle wing the amorous clouds dividing,
And waving wide her myrtle wand,
She strikes a universal peace through sea and land.”
—John Milton (1608–1674)