View source for Eglin Air Force Base

{{Short description|United States Air Force operating base in northwestern Florida}}
{{Other uses|Eglin (disambiguation){{!}}Eglin}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2019}}
{{Use American English|date=May 2019}}
{{Infobox military installation
 | name                 = Eglin Air Force Base
 | ensign               = 
 | ensign_size          = 
 | native_name          = 
 | partof               = <!-- for elements within a larger site -->
 | location             = 
 | nearest_town         = [[Valparaiso, Florida]]
 | country              = United States
 | image                = File:First F-35 to arrive at Eglin AFB gets the order to taxi.jpg|
 | alt                  = A F-35A Lightning of the 33rd Fighter Wing based at Elgin AFB
 | caption              = An [[Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II|F-35A Lightning]] of the [[33rd Fighter Wing]] based at Eglin AFB
 | image2               = [[File:Air Force Materiel Command shield.svg|100px]]
 | alt2                 = 
 | caption2             = 
 | type                 = US Air Force Base
 | coordinates          = {{coord|30|29|22|N|86|32|32|W|display=inline,title}}
 | gridref              = 
 | image_map            = 
 | image_mapsize        = 
 | image_map_alt        = 
 | image_map_caption    = 
 | pushpin_map          = North America # USA # Florida # North Atlantic # Gulf of Mexico
 | pushpin_mapsize      = 
 | pushpin_map_alt      = 
 | pushpin_map_caption  = 
 | pushpin_relief       = y
 | pushpin_image        = 
 | pushpin_label        = Eglin AFB
 | pushpin_label_position  = bottom
 | pushpin_mark         = 
 | pushpin_marksize     = 
 | ownership            = [[United States Department of Defense|Department of Defense]]
 | operator             = [[United States Air Force|US Air Force]]
 | controlledby         = [[Air Force Materiel Command]] (AFMC)
 | open_to_public       = <!-- for out of use sites/sites with museums etc -->
 | site_other_label     = <!-- for renaming "Other facilities" in infobox -->
 | site_other           = <!-- for other sorts of facilities – radar types etc -->
 | site_area            = <!-- area of site m2, km2 square mile etc -->
 | code                 = <!--facility/installation code, applies to US -->
 | built                = {{Start date|1935}} (as the Valparaiso Bombing and Gunnery Base)
 | used                 = 1935–present <!--{{End date|1946}} -->
 | builder              = 
 | materials            = 
 | height               = <!-- height of tallest part, not above sea level -->
 | length               = <!-- for border fences or other DMZs -->
 | fate                 = <!--changed from demolished parameter-->
 | condition            = Operational
 | battles              = 
| events =
 | current_commander    = <!-- current commander -->
 | past_commanders      = <!-- past notable commander(s) -->
 | garrison             = *[[96th Test Wing]]
* [[6th Ranger Training Battalion]]
* [[7th Special Forces Group (United States)]]
 | occupants            = <!-- squadrons only -->
 | designations         = 
| website = [https://www.eglin.af.mil/ eglin.af.mil]
<!-- begin airfield information  -->
| IATA = VPS
| ICAO = KVPS
 | FAA                  = VPS
 | TC                   = 
 | LID                  = 
 | GPS                  = 
 | WMO                  = 722210
 | elevation            = {{convert|25.6|m|0}}
 | r1-number            = 12/30
 | r1-length            = {{convert|3658.8|m|0}}
 | r1-surface           = [[Asphalt concrete|Asphalt]]/[[Concrete]]
 | r2-number            = 01/19
 | r2-length            = {{convert|3051.7|m|0}}
 | r2-surface           = Asphalt
 | h1-number            = 
 | h1-length            = <!-- {{convert||m|0}} -->
 | h1-surface           = 
 | airfield_other_label = 
 | airfield_other       = 
<!--  end airfield information   -->
 | footnotes            = Airfield shared with [[Destin–Fort Walton Beach Airport]]<br>'''Source:''' [[Federal Aviation Administration]]<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://aeronav.faa.gov/d-tpp/1907/00436ad.pdf#nameddest=(VPS)|title=Airport Diagram – Eglin AFB (KVPS)|date=20 June 2019|website=Federal Aviation Administration|access-date=6 July 2019}}{{Dead link|date=March 2020 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>
}}
'''Eglin Air Force Base''' {{airport codes|VPS|KVPS|VPS}} is a [[United States Air Force]] (USAF) base in the western [[Florida panhandle]], located about {{convert|3|mi|0|spell=in}} southwest of [[Valparaiso, Florida|Valparaiso]] in [[Okaloosa County, Florida|Okaloosa County]].

The host unit at Eglin is the [[96th Test Wing]] (formerly the [[96th Air Base Wing]]).<ref>{{Cite web |title=Eglin missions remain, but under new names |url=https://www.eglin.af.mil/News/story/id/123310391/ |website=Eglin Air Force Base |access-date=2016-02-05 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160205120322/http://www.eglin.af.mil/news/story.asp?id=123310391 |archive-date=5 February 2016 |url-status=live  }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.eglin.af.mil/library/factsheets/factsheet.asp?id=19651 |title=96th Test Wing Fact Sheet |date=March 2012 |access-date=2016-02-04 |website=Eglin Air Force Base |publisher=96th Test Wing Public Affairs Office |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160310015924/http://www.eglin.af.mil/library/factsheets/factsheet.asp?id=19651 |archive-date=10 March 2016 |url-status=dead  }}</ref> The 96 TW is the test and evaluation center for Air Force air-delivered weapons, navigation and guidance systems, command and control systems, and [[Air Force Special Operations Command]] (AFSOC) systems.

Eglin AFB was established {{Years or months ago|1935}} in 1935 as the '''Valparaiso Bombing and Gunnery Base'''. It is named in honor of [[Lieutenant colonel (United States)|Lt. Col.]] [[Frederick I. Eglin]] {{nowrap|(1891–1937),}} who was killed in a crash of his [[Northrop A-17]] attack aircraft on a flight from [[Langley AFB|Langley]] to [[Maxwell Field]], Alabama.

==History==
{{main|History of Eglin Air Force Base}}

===Creation and World War II===
Much of the base was part of a [[United States National Forest|national forest]] until the outbreak of [[World War II]] in Europe when a proving ground for aircraft armament was established at Eglin. The [[United States Forest Service|U.S. Forest Service]] ceded over {{convert|340000|acres|km2}} of the [[Choctawhatchee National Forest]] to the [[United States Department of War|War Department]] on 18 October 1940.

Eglin Air Force Base evolved from the 1933 creation of the Valparaiso Airport, when an arrowhead-shaped parcel of {{convert|137|acre|ha}} was cleared for use as an [[Aerodrome|airdrome]].<ref>Angell, p. 46D.</ref>

In 1931, personnel of the [[Air Corps Tactical School]], newly relocated to [[Maxwell Air Force Base|Maxwell Field]], Alabama, sought a location for a bombing and gunnery range. They saw the potential of the sparsely populated forested areas surrounding Valparaiso and the vast expanse of the adjacent [[Gulf of Mexico]].

The Eglin Air Force Base also was the Air Force Base The [[Doolittle Raid|Doolitle Raiders]] were trained.

From October 1941 to October 1945, a [[United States Army Air Forces|USAAF]] Fixed Gunnery School operated at the base, supervised by the [[75th Flying Training Wing]].

At its peak during World War II, the base employed more than 1,000 officers, 10,000 enlisted personnel and 4,000 civilians.<ref>Hutchinson, Leonard Patrick, "History of the Playground Area of Northwest Florida", Great Outdoors Publishing Co., St. Petersburg, Florida, 1st ed., 1961, no Library of Congress card number, no ISBN, p. 84.</ref>

===Postwar===
[[File:Northrop F-89C.jpg|thumb|A [[F-89 Scorpion|Northrop F-89C]] landing at Eglin Air Force Base in the 1950s|alt=|left]]

After the war, Eglin became a pioneer in developing the techniques for missile launching and handling; and the development of drone or pilotless aircraft beginning with the [[Republic-Ford JB-2|Republic-Ford JB-2 Loon]], an American copy of the [[V-1 (flying bomb)|V-1]]. The [[1st Experimental Guided Missiles Group]] was activated at Eglin Field, Florida, on 6 February 1946, operating out of Auxiliary Field 3. By March 1950, the 550th Guided Missiles Wing, comprising the 1st and 2nd Guided Missile Squadrons, had replaced the 1st Experimental Guided Missiles Group. The 2nd Guided Missile Squadron, SSM, had 62 pilots manning 14 [[B-17]]s, three [[B-29]]s, and four [[F-80 Shooting Star]]s, yellow-tailed drone aircraft used in the role of testing guided missiles.

In December 1955, the Air Munitions Development Laboratory was reassigned from the Wright Air Development Center at [[Wright-Patterson AFB]], Ohio, to the Air Force Armament Center at Eglin by Headquarters Air Research and Development Command. The responsibility for development of guns, bombs, rockets, fuses, guided missile warheads and other related equipment in the armament field was transferred from the Dayton, Ohio facility at this time. Work on nuclear weapons was not included in this mission.<ref>Special, "From Dayton, Ohio – Munitions Lab Is Transferred to Eglin AFAC", ''Playground News'', Fort Walton Beach, Florida, 15 December 1955, Vol. 9, No. 97, p. 1.</ref>

=== 1960s ===
[[File:Eglin Air Force Base - Aircraft Parking Apron.jpg|alt=Eglin AFB aircraft parking apron during 1964|left|thumb|Eglin AFB aircraft parking apron in 1964]]

The USAF Special Air Warfare Center was activated 27 April 1962,<ref name="Mueller">Mueller, Robert, "Air Force Bases Vol. 1: Active Air Force Bases Within the United States of America on 17 September 1982", United States Air Force Historical Research Center, Office of Air Force History, Washington, D.C., 1989, {{ISBN|0-912799-53-6}}, p. 136.</ref> with the 1st Combat Applications Group (CAG) organized as a combat systems development and test agency under the SAWC. The 1st CAG concentrated on testing and evaluation of primarily short-term projects which might improve Air Force [[counter-insurgency]] (COIN) operations. The Special Air Warfare Center, located at [[Hurlburt Field]], undertook to develop tactical air doctrine while training crews for special air warfare in places like [[Southeast Asia]]. By mid-1963, SAW groups were in [[Vietnam]] and [[Panama]].<ref>Wolk, Herman S., [http://www.afhso.af.mil/shared/media/document/AFD-110322-017.pdf "USAF Plans and Policies R&D for Southeast Asia 1965–1967,"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120423101321/http://www.afhso.af.mil/shared/media/document/AFD-110322-017.pdf |date=23 April 2012 }} Office of Air Force History, Washington, D.C., June 1969, pp. 3–4,</ref>

The USAF Tactical Air Warfare Center was activated on 1 November 1963. It would be re-designated as the USAF Air Warfare Center on 1 October 1991.<ref name="r1">[http://www.eglin.af.mil/library/factsheets/factsheet_print.asp?fsID=14787&page=1 Eglin Air Force Base – Fact Sheet : History of the 53rd Wing]  {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110717190339/http://www.eglin.af.mil/library/factsheets/factsheet_print.asp?fsID=14787&page=1 |date=17 July 2011 }}. Eglin.af.mil. Retrieved on 31 October 2011.</ref>

With the increasing [[United States in the Vietnam War|U.S. involvement in Southeast Asia]] in the 1960s, the need for increased emphasis on conventional weapons development made Eglin's mission even more important. On 1 August 1968, the Air Proving Ground Center was redesignated the Armament Development and Test Center to centralize responsibility for research, development, test and evaluation, and initial acquisition of non-nuclear munitions for the Air Force. On 1 October 1979, the center was given division status. The Armament Division, redesignated Munitions Systems Division on 15 March 1989, placed into production the [[precision-guided munitions]] for the [[laser-guided bomb|laser]], [[Television guidance|television]], and [[Infrared homing|infrared]] guided bombs; two anti-armor weapon systems; and an improved hard target weapon, the [[GBU-28]], used in Operation Desert Storm during the [[Persian Gulf War]]. The Division was also responsible for developing the [[Advanced Medium Range Air-to-Air Missile]] (AMRAAM), an Air Force-led joint project with the [[U.S. Navy]].

===Late Cold War era===
[[File:McDonnell Douglas RF-4C-40-MC Phantom- 68-0594.jpg|alt=A McDonnell Douglas RF-4C Phantom of the Eglin AFB based 3247th Test Squadron, seen during 1971.|thumb|A [[McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II|McDonnell Douglas RF-4C Phantom]] of the Eglin AFB based [[3247th Test Squadron]], seen in 1971]]

The [[Air Force Armament Museum]] was founded on base in 1975. In 1981 the original building housing the museum was condemned and the facility closed until 1984.

Selected on 27 April 1975, the installation served as one of four main U.S. [[Vietnam]]ese Refugee Processing Centers operated by the Interagency Task Force for Indochina Refugees, where base personnel housed and processed more than 10,000 Southeast Asian refugees, the first 374 of which arrived on board a [[Northwest Airlines|Northwest Orient]] [[Boeing 747]] on 4 May 1975.<ref>Braxton, Sheila, "Refugees Arrive; 514 Due in Today", ''Playground Daily News'', Fort Walton Beach, Florida, Monday 5 May 1975, Volume 30, Number 75, p. 1A.</ref>

In 1978, the USAF Tactical Air Warfare Center assumed responsibility for the USAF Air Ground Operations School. In the same year, the Electronic Warfare Evaluation Program became another one of the USAFTAWC's weapons system evaluation programs, and resulted in the activation of the 4487th Electronic Warfare Aggressor Squadron in 1990.<ref name="r1" />

Construction began in 1984 on the [[Bob Hope Village]], the only retirement facility that caters to enlisted military, opening in February 1985. Residents pay below market value for the 256 independent apartments. Col. Bob Gates, [[Bob Hope]]'s [[USO]] pilot, was key in getting the comedian's support for the undertaking, as well as lending his name to the project. He was named an honorary board member of the foundation in 1978 and held benefit concerts for nearly two decades.<ref>Moore, Mona, "25 years of Hope: Village's annual luau will honor Col. Bob Gates, pilot for comedian Bob Hope", ''Northwest Florida Daily News'', Fort Walton Beach, Florida, 29 May 2010.</ref><ref>[http://www.allbusiness.com/government/government-bodies-offices-government/14554087-1.html 25 years of Hope: Village's annual luau will honor Col. Bob Gates, pilot for comedian Bob Hope | Government > Government Bodies & Offices from]. AllBusiness.com. Retrieved on 31 October 2011. {{dead link|date=June 2016|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref>

===Post-Cold War===
During a 1992 reorganization, the Air Force disestablished Eglin's parent major command, [[Air Force Systems Command]] (AFSC) and merged its functions with the former [[Air Force Logistics Command]] (AFLC). The newly created major command from this merger, [[Air Force Materiel Command]] (AFMC), remains Eglin's parent command to this day. The Development Test Center, Eglin's host unit, became part of AFMC on 30 June 1992.<ref>Wenzel, Tracy, Daily News Staff Writer, "Eglin host unit is reorganized", Northwest Florida Daily News, Fort Walton Beach, Florida, 1 July 1992, Vol. 47, No. 146, p. 1B.</ref> The [[46th Test Wing]] replaced the 3246th Test Wing in October 1992.

On 10 August 1994 construction began on the All Conflicts' Veterans War Memorial on the site of the old [[POW]]/[[Missing in action|MIA]] memorial on the western end of Eglin Boulevard. The memorial was dedicated on 15 August 1995.<ref name="Httpwwweglinafmillibraryfactsheetsfactsheetaspid">[http://www.eglin.af.mil/library/factsheets/factsheet.asp?id=9278 Factsheets : Historical Eglin events in August] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110717190211/http://www.eglin.af.mil/library/factsheets/factsheet.asp?id=9278 |date=17 July 2011 }}. Eglin.af.mil. Retrieved on 31 October 2011.</ref>[[File:33fw-f15-eglin.jpg|thumb|F-15C of the 33d Fighter Wing|alt=|left]]As part of the military drawdown in the 1990s, the Air Force inactivated the [[33d Fighter Wing]]'s [[59th Fighter Squadron]] on 15 April 1999. The wing lost six aircraft and consolidated the remaining aircraft into the [[58th Fighter Squadron|58th]] and [[60th Fighter Squadron]]s. Originally selected for inactivation in 1997, Air Force officials delayed the decision in recognition of the Nomads' connection with [[Khobar Towers]]. The 59th reactivated as the [[59th Test and Evaluation Squadron]] on 3 December 2004, at [[Nellis Air Force Base]], Nevada. The 59th falls under the 53rd Test Management Group at Eglin.<ref name="thedestinlog.com">[http://www.thedestinlog.com/articles/eglin-31522-nwfdn-tragedies-90s.html Reorganization, technology, triumphs and tragedies: Eglin in the '90s | eglin, tragedies, 90s – News]. TheDestinLog.com. Retrieved on 31 October 2011. {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151016155500/http://www.thedestinlog.com/articles/eglin-31522-nwfdn-tragedies-90s.html |date=16 October 2015 }}</ref>

In July 2012 the [[Air Armament Center]] was inactivated. The center had planned, directed and conducted test and evaluation of U.S. and allied air armament, navigation and guidance systems, and command and controlled systems. It operated two Air Force installations, providing host support not only to Eglin AFB, but also [[Kirtland AFB]], [[New Mexico]]. It had included the Armament Product Directorate (Eglin), the 46th Test Wing (Eglin), the 96th Air Base Wing (Eglin), and the 377th Air Base Wing (Kirtland).

The US Navy's [[VFA-101]] "Grim Reapers" deactivated on 23 May 2019 after seven years of F-35C training at Eglin.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.navy.mil/submit/display.asp?story_id=109696|title=Strike Fighter Squadron 101 Deactivates|date=23 May 2019|website=US Navy|language=en|access-date=13 July 2019|archive-date=26 February 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200226225748/https://www.navy.mil/submit/display.asp?story_id=109696|url-status=dead}}</ref>

===Base railroad===
{{Main|Eglin Air Force Base Railroad}}
Initial construction of a railroad line into the region had been discussed as early as 1927 as part of the [[Choctawhatchee and Northern Railroad]], though military-use proposals didn't come forward until 1941. German [[POW]]s were used in clearing and grading the alignment during World War II. There was one commercial customer served by the line, a lumber pulp yard at [[Niceville, Florida|Niceville]] which is now community athletic fields. The line was later abandoned in the late 1970s and the southern end, west of State Road 285, lifted by the mid-1980s.

==Role and operations==
Eglin is an [[Air Force Materiel Command]] (AFMC) base serving as the focal point for all Air Force armaments. Eglin is responsible for the development, acquisition, testing, deployment and sustainment of all air-delivered non-nuclear weapons.

The base plans, directs, and conducts test and evaluation of U.S. and allied air armament, navigation and guidance systems, and [[command and control]] systems.

Severe-weather testing of aircraft and other equipment is carried out here at the [[McKinley Climatic Laboratory]].

The residential portion of the base is a [[census-designated place]]; its population was 8,082 at the [[United States Census, 2000|2000 census]]. Eglin Air Force Base had 2,359 military family housing units. Unmarried junior enlisted members generally live in one of Eglin's seven dormitories located near the dining hall, chapel, base gym, enlisted club, and bus lines on base. Each individual unit generally handles dormitory assignments. Bachelor Officer Quarters are not available. Several units and one dormitory were being renovated in 2011. The base covers 463,128 acres (1,874.2&nbsp;km{{sup|2}} / 723.6 sqm).<ref>{{cite journal|date=Winter 2006|title=Organization Facilities|url=http://www.af.mil/news/airman/0106/facilities06.shtml|journal=Airman the Book|publisher=United States Air Force|volume=L|issue=1|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060320105653/http://www.af.mil/news/airman/0106/facilities06.shtml|archive-date=20 March 2006}}</ref>

===Major units===
====[[96th Test Wing]] (96 TW)====
The 96 TW is the test and evaluation wing for Air Force air-delivered weapons, navigation and guidance systems, command and control (C2) systems, and Air Force Special Operations Command systems. The Eglin Gulf Test Range provides approximately {{convert|130000|sqmi|km2|order=flip}} of over water airspace. The 96 TW supports other tenant units on the installation with traditional military services as well as all the services of a small city, to include civil engineering, personnel, logistics, communications, computer, medical, security. The 96 TW reports to the [[Air Force Test Center]] at [[Edwards AFB]].

====[[33d Fighter Wing]] (33 FW)====
[[File:A 33rd Fighter Wing F-35A takes off Feb. 27 (32546021443).jpg|alt=A F-35A Lightning II of the 33rd Fighter Wing takes off to conduct sorties at Eglin Air Force Base during 2017.|left|thumb|A [[Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II|F-35A Lightning II]] of the [[33rd Fighter Wing]] takes off to conduct sorties at Eglin Air Force Base in 2017.]]

The 33d FW "Nomads" is the largest tenant unit at Eglin. The 33 FW is a joint graduate flying and maintenance training wing for the [[F-35 Lightning II]], organized under Air Education and Training Command's 19th Air Force. First established as the 33d Pursuit Group, the wing's contribution to tactical airpower during its 50-year history has been significant with participation in campaigns around the world, while flying various fighter aircraft. Reactivated at Eglin on 1 April 1965 with [[F-4 Phantom II|F-4C Phantom II]]s, the wing operated, successively, F-4D and E models into the 1970s before transitioning to the [[F-15 Eagle]]. As of 1 October 2009, the 33d FW transitioned to a training wing for the new F-35. The final F-15s assigned to the 33d departed the base in September 2009.<ref>Franks, Staff Sgt. Bryan, 33d Fighter Wing Public Affairs, "First of the F-15C Eagles fly away", ''The Eglin Dispatch'', [[Northwest Florida Daily News]], Fort Walton Beach, Florida, 11 June 2008, Vol. 2, No. 28, p. 2.</ref> As the first of its kind in the [[Department of Defense]], the joint wing is responsible for F-35 pilot and maintainer training for the Air Force, [[USMC|Marine Corps]] and the Navy. The first of 59 F-35s arrived from [[Lockheed Martin Aeronautics|Lockheed Martin Fort Worth]], Texas on 14 July 2011.<ref name="nwfdailynews">[http://www.nwfdailynews.com/articles/eglin-41818-first-afb.html First F-35 arrives at Eglin Air Force Base | eglin, first, afb – Northwest Florida Daily News] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151016155500/http://www.nwfdailynews.com/articles/eglin-41818-first-afb.html |date=16 October 2015 }}. Nwfdailynews.com (14 July 2011). Retrieved on 31 October 2011.</ref>

=====[[58th Fighter Squadron]]=====
The 58th FS "Mighty Gorillas" are authorized to operate 24 assigned F-35A aircraft, planning and executing a training curriculum in support of USAF and international partner pilot training requirements. The F-35A is a [[conventional take-off and landing]], [[Stealth technology|low-observable]], [[multirole combat aircraft|multi-role]] fighter aircraft, designed with [[Fifth-generation fighter|5th-generation]] sensors and weapons, and is able to perform [[air superiority]], [[air interdiction]] and [[close air support]] missions. The F-35A made its first flight on 15 December 2006.

====[[53d Wing]] (53 WG)====
[[File:AGM-84 Harpoon carried by an F-16.jpg|thumb|May 1992 air-to-air view of an [[F-16 Fighting Falcon]] equipped with an [[AGM-84 Harpoon]] all-weather anti-ship missile over Eglin Air Force Base. Note Air Force Systems Command badge on vertical fin.|alt=]]The 53 WG is headquartered at Eglin and serves as the USAF's focal point for operational test and evaluation of armament and avionics, aircrew training devices, chemical defense, aerial reconnaissance improvements, electronic warfare systems, and is responsible for the [[F-4 Phantom II|QF-4 Phantom II]] Full Scale Aerial Target (FSAT) program and subscale drone programs (located at [[Tyndall AFB]], Florida). The wing tests every fighter, bomber, unmanned aerial vehicle, and associated weapon system in the Air Force inventory. The wing reports to the [[United States Air Force Warfare Center ]] at [[Nellis Air Force Base]], [[Nevada]], a Direct Reporting Unit (DRU) to Headquarters, [[Air Combat Command]] (ACC).

=====[[49th Test and Evaluation Squadron]] (49 TES) =====
The 49 TES is attached to the 53d Wing but located at [[Barksdale Air Force Base]], Louisiana. The squadron plans, executes and reports ACC's weapon system evaluation programs for bombers ([[B-52]], [[B-1 Lancer|B-1]] and [[B-2 Spirit|B-2]]) and nuclear-capable fighters ([[F-15E Strike Eagle]] and [[F-16]]). These evaluations include operational effectiveness and suitability, command and control, performance of aircraft hardware and software systems, employment tactics, and accuracy and reliability of associated precision weapons. These weapons include [[air-launched cruise missile]]s, [[standoff missile]]s, and [[Unguided bomb|gravity bombs]]. Results and conclusions support acquisition decisions and development of war plans. The unit also performs operational testing on new systems and tactics development for the B-52.

==== Armament Directorate ====
The Armament Directorate located at Eglin is responsible for management of air and ground dominance weapon system programs. Led by the Air Force Program Executive Officer for Weapons, the directorate concurrently reports to the Secretary of the Air Force for Acquisition, Washington, D.C., and the [[Air Force Life Cycle Management Center]], Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio.{{buzzword|date=April 2014}}

====[[Air Force Research Laboratory]] Munitions Directorate (AFRL/RW)====
AFRL/RW develops, demonstrates, and transitions science and technology for air-launched munitions for defeating ground fixed, mobile/relocatable, air and space targets to assure pre-eminence of U.S. air and space forces. The directorate conducts basic research, exploratory development, and advanced development and demonstrations. It also participates in programs focused on technology transfer, dual-use technology and small business development.

====[[7th Special Forces Group (United States)|7th Special Forces Group]] (7th SFG)====
In 2011, the [[United States Army]]'s 7th Special Forces Group relocated to a newly constructed cantonment on the Eglin Air Force Base reservation from [[Fort Liberty|Fort Bragg]], as part of the [[Base Realignment and Closure, 2005|2005 Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) round]] realigning Fort Bragg. It is tasked with conducting special operations in Latin America.

===Tenant units===
Tenant units at an Air Force installation are units which have a mission that is significantly different from that of the host unit, and rely heavily upon the host unit for day-to-day operations (sewer, power, security, recreation).

====[[Ranger School|6th Ranger Training Battalion]] (6th RTB)====
Eglin AFB Auxiliary Field No. 6 ([[Biancur Field]]) is the site of Camp [[James Earl Rudder|James E. Rudder]] and the home of the U.S. Army's 6th Ranger Training Battalion. The 6th RTB conducts the final phase of the U.S. Army [[Ranger School|Ranger Course]]. The entire course is 61 days long and is divided into three phases. Each phase is conducted at different geographical and environmental locations.

====[[20th Space Control Squadron]] (20 SPCS)====
[[File:AN-FPS-85 radar aerial view.jpg|alt=Buildings housing the 20th Space Control Squadron's AN/FPS-85 phased array radar at Eglin Air Force Base Site C-6.|left|thumb|Buildings housing the [[20th Space Control Squadron]]'s [[AN/FPS-85]] [[phased array]] [[radar]] at Eglin Air Force Base Site C-6]]

The mission of the 20 SPCS is to detect, track, identify, and report near Earth and deep space objects in Earth's orbit, and provide space object identification data in support of [[United States Space Command]]'s space control mission. A unit of the [[United States Space Force]] (USSF), the men and women of the 20th SPCS operate and maintain the AN/FPS-85 radar, the Space Force's only phased-array radar dedicated to tracking Earth-orbiting objects.

====[[323 Squadron RNLAF]]====
[[Royal Netherlands Air Force]] Operational Test and Evaluation squadron, operates 2 [[F-35A]]

====[[486th Flight Test Squadron]] (486th FLTS)====
This unit, which is apparently not a test squadron at all, operates [[Boeing C-32]]Bs in discrete missions for the [[United States Department of State]]'s [[Foreign Emergency Support Team]].

====[[919th Special Operations Wing]] (919 SOW)====
The 919 SOW, located about {{convert|5|mi|km|abbr=off|sp=us|spell=in}} south of Crestview and {{convert|20|mi|km|order=flip}} from Eglin main at Eglin AFB Auxiliary Field No. 3 ([[Duke Field]]) and is the only special operations wing in the [[Air Force Reserve Command]] (AFRC). In wartime or a contingency, the 919 SOW reports to [[Air Force Special Operations Command]] (AFSOC) at [[Hurlburt Field]], Florida, its gaining major command.

====AFOTEC Det 2====
The Air Force Operational Test and Evaluation Center stood up Detachment 2 at Eglin to provide realistic operational testing for new and modified weapon systems.
<br />
[[File:US Navy 061031-N-9769P-356 Quartermaster 2nd Class Clayton Hatton prepares an explosive charge used in rendering unexploded ordnance safe to handle.jpg|alt=An explosive charge is prepared to be used for rendering unexploded ordnance safe to handle at the Naval School of Explosive Ordnance Disposal.|thumb|An explosive charge is prepared to be used for rendering [[unexploded ordnance]] safe to handle at the Naval School of Explosive Ordnance Disposal.]]

====Naval School of Explosive Ordnance Disposal ([[Bomb disposal|EOD]])====
The Naval School of Explosive Ordnance Disposal (NAVSCOLEOD) is a Navy-managed command, jointly staffed by Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marine Corps personnel. NAVSCOLEOD opened its new consolidated training facility in April 1999.

====Joint Assessment Division (JAD)====
Directorate of the [[Joint Staff]], JAD (formerly the [[Joint Deployable Analysis Team]]) conducts field analysis of CJADC2 [[Command and control|C2]] information systems and procedures producing decision-quality data to improve Joint C2 integration and interoperability.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.eglin.af.mil/Units/Joint-Assessment-Division/|title= Jdat|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110616124735/http://www.eglin.af.mil/jdat.asp|archive-date=16 June 2011|url-status=live|access-date=10 February 2016}}</ref>

===Scheduled airline service===
Eglin is also one of the few military air bases in the U.S. to have scheduled passenger airline service as the [[Destin–Fort Walton Beach Airport]] (VPS) is co-located on the base property.

==Based units==
Flying and notable non-flying units based at Eglin Air Force Base.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.eglin.af.mil/Units/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070209045416/http://www.eglin.af.mil/units/|url-status=dead|archive-date=9 February 2007|title=Units|website=Eglin Air Force Base|access-date=13 July 2019}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal|date=2018|title=Aircraft and Squadrons of the US Air Force|journal=United States Air Force Air Power Review 2018|publisher=Key Publishing|pages=74, 80, 88, 90, 92}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Wiley De Moura |first=Nadine |date=19 May 2022 |title=The 688th Cyberspace Wing activates the 692nd Cyberspace Operations Squadron to consolidate |url=https://www.16af.af.mil/Newsroom/Article/3036954/the-688th-cyberspace-wing-activates-the-692nd-cyberspace-operations-squadron-to/ |access-date=23 May 2022 |website=Sixteenth Air Force (Air Forces Cyber) |publisher=US Air Force |language=en-US}}</ref>

Units marked GSU are Geographically Separate Units, which although based at Eglin, are subordinate to a parent unit based at another location.

For units permanently based at Eglin's auxiliary airfields, see the airfield's respective page ([[Biancur Field]], [[Duke Field]] and [[Hurlburt Field]]).

=== United States Air Force ===
{{Col-begin}}
{{Col-break}}
'''[[Air Force Materiel Command]] (AFMC)'''
* [[Air Force Test Center]]
** [[96th Test Wing]] (Host wing)
*** 96th Cyberspace Test Group
**** 45th Test Squadron
**** 46th Test Squadron
**** 47th Cyberspace Test Squadron
**** 48th Cyberspace Test Squadron<ref>{{Cite web |title=New cyberspace test squadron activated |url=https://www.edwards.af.mil/News/AFMC-News/Article/3374747/new-cyberspace-test-squadron-activated/https://www.afmc.af.mil/News/Article-Display/Article/3374747/new-cyberspace-test-squadron-activated/ |access-date=2023-04-26 |website=Edwards Air Force Base |language=en-US}}{{dead link|date=March 2025|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref>
*** 96th Operations Group
**** 40th Flight Test Squadron – [[Fairchild Republic A-10 Thunderbolt II|A-10C Thunderbolt II]], [[McDonnell Douglas F-15 Eagle|F-15C/D Eagle]], [[Boeing F-15E Strike Eagle|F-15E Strike Eagle]], [[Boeing F-15EX Eagle II|F-15EX Eagle II]], [[General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon variants|F-16C/D Fighting Falcon]]
*** 96th Maintenance Group
*** 96th Mission Support Group
*** 
*** 96th Range Group
*** 96th Medical Group
* [[Air Force Life Cycle Management Center]]
** Armament Directorate
* [[Air Force Research Laboratory]]
** Munitions Directorate
* [[486th Flight Test Squadron]] – [[Boeing C-32|C-32B]]

'''[[Air Education and Training Command]] (AETC)'''
* [[Nineteenth Air Force]]
** [[33rd Fighter Wing]]
*** F-35 Academic Training Center
*** [[33rd Operations Group]]
**** 33d Operations Support Squadron
**** [[58th Fighter Squadron]] – [[Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II|F-35A Lightning II]]
**** [[60th Fighter Squadron]] – [[Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II|F-35A Lightning II]]
**** F-35 Intelligence Formal Training Unit
**** 337th Air Control Squadron
*** 33d Maintenance Group
**** 33d Aircraft Maintenance Squadron
**** 33d Maintenance Operations Squadron
**** 33d Maintenance Squadron
** [[82nd Training Wing]]
*** 359th Training Squadron (GSU)
{{Col-break}}
'''[[Air Combat Command]] (ACC)'''
* [[Sixteenth Air Force]]
** [[688th Cyberspace Wing]]
*** [[690th Cyberspace Operations Group]]
**** 692nd Cyberspace Operations Squadron (GSU)
* [[United States Air Force Warfare Center|US Air Force Warfare Center]]
** [[53d Wing]]
*** [[53d Test and Evaluation Group]]
**** [[85th Test and Evaluation Squadron]] – F-15C Eagle, F-15E Strike Eagle, F-15EX Eagle II, F-16C/D Fighting Falcon 
** [[350th Spectrum Warfare Wing]]
*** [[350th Spectrum Warfare Group]]


'''[[Air Force Reserve Command]]''' '''(AFRC)'''
* [[Tenth Air Force]]
** [[926th Wing]]
*** 926th Operation Group
**** 84th Test and Evaluation Squadron (GSU) – F-15C Eagle, F-15E Strike Eagle, F-15EX Eagle II, F-16C/D Fighting Falcon

'''Direct Reporting Units (DRU)'''
* [[Air Force Operational Test and Evaluation Center]]
** Detachment 2 (GSU)

=== United States Army ===
'''[[United States Army Special Operations Command|Special Operations Command (Airborne)]] (USASOC)'''
* [[1st Special Forces Command (Airborne) (Provisional)|1st Special Forces Command (Airborne)]]
** [[7th Special Forces Group (United States)|7th Special Forces Group (Airborne)]]

=== United States Navy ===
'''[[United States Fleet Forces Command]] (USFF)'''
* [[Navy Expeditionary Combat Command]]
** [[Explosive ordnance disposal (United States Navy)|Naval School Explosive Ordnance Disposal]]

=== United States Space Force ===
'''[[Space Operations Command]]'''
* [[Space Delta 2]]
** [[20th Space Control Squadron]] (GSU)

=== Department of Defense ===
'''[[Joint Chiefs of Staff]]''' '''(JCS)'''
* J6 Directorate ([[Command and control#Derivative terms|Command, Control, Communications and Computers/Cyber]])
** [[Joint Deployable Analysis Team]]
{{Col-end}}

==Previous names==
[[File:Eglin Air Force Base - Welcome Postcard.jpg|alt=Eglin AFB postcard from the 1970s.|thumb|Eglin AFB postcard from the 1970s]]
* Established as Valparaiso Bombing and Gunnery Base, 14 June 1935

: (spelling changed on 1 February 1937 from "Valparaiso" to "Valpariso" and on 1 March 1937 back to "Valparaiso")
* Eglin Field, 4 August 1937
* Eglin Field Military Reservation, 1 October 1940
* Eglin Field, 28 December 1944
* Eglin Air Force Base, 24 June 1948–present

==Major commands to which assigned==
* Air Corps Training Center, 9 June 1935 – 27 August 1940
* Southeast Air Corps Training Center, 27 August 1940 – 1 April 1942

:: Also assigned to Commanding General, Fourth Corps Area, United States Army, June 1941-1 April 1942
* Chief of the Army Air Corps (Direct subordination), 19 May 1941 – 1 April 1942
* AAF Proving Ground Command**, 1 April 1942 – 1 June 1945
* AAF Center, 1 June 1945

: Re-designated: AAF Proving Ground Command, 8 March 1946
: Re-designated: [[Air Proving Ground Command]], 10 July 1946 – 20 January 1948
* [[Air Materiel Command]], 20 January 1948 – 1 June 1948
* Air Proving Ground, 1 June 1948

: Re-designated: [[Air Proving Ground Command]], 20 December 1951 – 1 December 1957
* Air Research and Development Command, 1 December 1957

: Re-designated: [[Air Force Systems Command]], 1 April 1961 – 1 July 1992
* [[Air Force Materiel Command]], 1 July 1992 – present

<small>** Discontinued 8 March 1946. Not related to later AAF Proving Ground Command<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.afhra.af.mil/factsheets/factsheet.asp?id=10957|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120718071807/http://www.afhra.af.mil/factsheets/factsheet.asp?id=10957|url-status=dead|title=AFHRA Air Proving Ground Command|archive-date=18 July 2012}}</ref></small>

==Major units assigned==
{{Col-begin}}
{{Col-break|width=50%}}
* 84th Service Squadron (Detachment), 14 June 1935
* Section V, Eglin Field Section, 13th Air Base Squadron, 1 September 1936
* Det 13th Air Base Squadron, 1 August 1940
* 61st Air Base Group, 1 December 1940 – 17 February 1943
* Air Corps Specialized Flying School, 1 December 1940 – 1 April 1944
* Army Air Forces Proving Ground, 15 May 1941 – 30 June 1946
* 23d Composite Group
: Re-designated: [[1st Proving Ground Group]], 29 June 1941
: Re-designated: 610th Army Air Forces Base Unit, 1 April 1944 – 30 June 1947
* 609th Army Air Forces Base Unit, 1 July 1947 – 1 July 1948
* [[1st Experimental Guided Missiles Group]], 6 February 1946 – 1 December 1950
* 3201st Air Base Group (later Wing), 1 July 1948 – 4 February 1958
* [[3200th Proof Test Group]], 1 July 1948 – 1 July 1953
* Air Proving Ground Command
: Re-designated: Armament Division and Test Center
: Re-designated: [[Air Armament Center]], 1 July 1948 – 18 July 2012
* [[550th Guided Missiles Wing]], 20 July 1949 – 11 December 1950
* USAF Armament Center, 14 December 1949 – 4 February 1958
* [[3205th Drone Group]], 26 April 1950 – 1 February 1961
* 3200th Proof Test Wing, 1 April 1951 – 1 July 1952
* 3206th Support Wing, 1 July 1953 – 20 February 1964
* 3207th Armament testing Systems
* [[17th Bombardment Wing]], 1 April 1955 – 25 June 1958
* [[4751st Air Defense Missile Squadron]], 15 January 1958 – 30 September 1979
* [[335th Tactical Fighter Squadron]], May 1958 – November 1961
* [[4135th Strategic Wing]], 1 December 1958 – 1 February 1963
* 1st Combat Application Group, 17 April 1962 – 5 September 1968
* USAF Special Air Warfare Center, 27 April 1962 – 1 July 1974
* [[39th Bombardment Wing]], 1 February 1963 – 25 February 1965
* [[USAF Air Warfare Center]], 1 November 1963 – 1 October 1995
* 4485th Test Wing, 16 March 1964 – 30 June 1965
* [[33d Fighter Wing]], 1 April 1965 – present
* [[40th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron]], 20 June 1965 – 15 October 1970
* USAF Armament Laboratory, 1 March 1966 – 18 July 2012
* USAF Special Operations School, 15 April 1967 – present
* [[3246th Test Wing]], 1 July 1970 – 1 October 1992
* [[919th Special Operations Wing]], 30 July 1971 – present
* 4443d Test and Evaluation Group, 1 July 1988
: Re-designated: 79th Test and Evaluation Group, 1 December 1991 – 20 November 1998
* [[46th Test Wing]], 1 October 1992 – 18 July 2012
* [[96th Test Wing]], 15 March 1994 – present
* [[53d Wing]], 1 October 1995 – present
* [[308th Armament Systems Wing]], 27 January 2005 – 30 June 2010
* Eglin Composite Squadron [[Civil Air Patrol]]
{{col-end}}

==Eglin auxiliary fields==
A number of auxiliary fields were constructed on the Eglin reservation during World War II, many of which are still in service in various roles, either in support of flight operations or special test activities.
* Auxiliary Field 1 ([[Wagner Field]])

: Work on Auxiliary Field 1 began 27 November 1940.<ref name="site.nwfdailynews.com">[http://site.nwfdailynews.com/Eglin75/brief.pdf History of Eglin Air Force Base]. Air Armament Center Office of History {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120313040531/http://site.nwfdailynews.com/Eglin75/brief.pdf|date=13 March 2012}}</ref> Auxiliary Field 1 is named '''Wagner Field''' for Maj. Walter J. Wagner, former commanding officer for the 1st Proving Ground, Eglin Field, who was killed 19 October 1943 in the crash of a [[Douglas A-26 Invader|Douglas XA-26B]], s/n 41-19588,<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20161126163240/http://www.aviationarchaeology.com/src/dbapi.asp?Pilot=Wagner%2C+Walter+J&Submit7=Go]. AviationArchaeology.com. Retrieved on 26 November 2016.</ref> 9 miles east of Eglin Field, Valpariso, FL. Much of the [[Doolittle Raid]] and [[Operation Credible Sport]] training took place here. The U.S. Navy used the field as an auxiliary facility for pilot training out of [[Naval Air Station Whiting Field|Whiting Field]] for a time, dating from early 1960.<ref>Crestview, Florida, "Navy Will Start Using Field 1 at Eglin AFB Soon", ''The Okaloosa News-Journal'', Thursday 11 February 1960, Volume 46, Number 6, p. B-4.</ref> A proposal by the [[National Aeronautics and Space Administration]] to build a multi-million dollar research installation for testing rocket fuels and components at Field 1 in early 1960 was dropped in mid-February, the chief reason for consideration being abandoned "was the possibility the military would have other uses for the field in the near future."<ref>Crestview, Florida, "Area Loses Proposed Projects – Rocket Facility East And Navy Auxiliary Jet Field West Cancelled", ''The Okaloosa News-Journal'', Thursday 18 February 1960, Volume 46, Number 7, p. A-1.</ref> It is also known as Site C-5. Range C-72 extends SE from Wagner Field.
* Auxiliary Field 2 ([[Pierce Field]])

: Auxiliary Field 2 is named '''Pierce Field''' for Lt. Col. George E. Pierce, killed 19 October 1942 while piloting a [[North American B-25 Mitchell|North American B-25C-1 Mitchell]] which crashed into the [[Gulf of Mexico]] {{convert|2|mi|km|order=flip}} S of [[Destin, Florida]].<ref name="ReferenceA">[http://www.accident-report.com/world/namerica/slist/eglin.html USAAF/USAF Accidents for Florida] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141007000916/http://www.accident-report.com/world/namerica/slist/eglin.html|date=7 October 2014}}. Accident-Report.com. Retrieved on 31 October 2011.</ref> Joe Baugher cites date of 19 October 1942 for loss.<ref name="joebaugher.com">[http://www.joebaugher.com/usaf_serials/1941_2.html 1941 USAAF Serial Numbers (41-6722 to 41-13296)]. joebaugher.com. 27 August 2011</ref> It is also known as Site C-3. Between November 1966 and 1970, it was the site of the 560th Civil Engineering Squadron, also known as the Civil Engineering Field Activities Center, for the training of Red Horse personnel.

[[File:AC-130A pylon turn.jpg|thumb|An [[Lockheed AC-130|AC-130A Spectre]] gunship aircraft, ''55-011'', performs a pylon turn over Range 77 during a training mission in 1984. The aircraft was from the 919th Special Operations Group at Eglin's [[Duke Field]], retired to [[AMARC]] on 15 November 1994. This late afternoon view looks south with [[Santa Rosa Sound]], [[Santa Rosa Island, Florida|Santa Rosa Island]], home of Eglin missile launch sites since 1944, and the [[Gulf of Mexico]] beyond.|alt=]]
* Auxiliary Field 3 ([[Duke Field]])

: Auxiliary Field 3 is named '''Duke Field''' for 1st Lt Robert L. Duke, killed in the crash of a [[Curtiss SB2C Helldiver|Curtiss A-25A-20-CS Shrike]] near [[Spencer, Tennessee]], on 29 December 1943. He was assigned as Assistant A-3 of [[Eglin Field]].<ref>Angell, p. 111.</ref> Used as the set for the fictional 918th Bomb Group in the 1949 film ''[[Twelve O'Clock High]]''. Field 3 was long-associated with drone operations of the 3200th and 3205th Drone Groups. Aircraft were "sanitized" (stripped of all identification) here for the failed [[Bay of Pigs Invasion]] of Cuba.
* Auxiliary Field 4 ([[Peel Field]])

: Auxiliary Field 4 is named '''Peel Field''' for 2nd Lt. Garland O. Peel Jr., who died in the take-off crash of a [[Martin B-10|Martin B-12AM]]<ref name="ReferenceA" /> of the 387th School Squadron, 2 January 1942, when he suffered engine failure.<ref>[http://www.aviationarchaeology.com/src/AARmonthly/Jan1942.htm January 1942 USAAF Accident Reports]. Aviationarchaeology.com. Retrieved on 31 October 2011.</ref> He was a gunnery school instructor at Eglin.<ref name="eglin.af.mil">[http://www.eglin.af.mil/library/factsheets/factsheet.asp?id=6061 Factsheets : Eglin Air Force Base History] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101227083407/http://www.eglin.af.mil/library/factsheets/factsheet.asp?id=6061|date=27 December 2010}}. Eglin.af.mil. Retrieved on 31 October 2011.</ref> Peel Field was utilized for the filming of scenes for the 1944 film ''[[Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo]]''.<ref>[http://video.onset.freedom.com/nwfdn/kz4hzl-eglininthemovies.pdf Eglin in the movies]. (PDF) . Retrieved on 31 October 2011. {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131015070157/http://video.onset.freedom.com/nwfdn/kz4hzl-eglininthemovies.pdf|date=15 October 2013}}</ref> Wartime temporary housing for NCOs located here was razed in the 1960s. In the early 1960s, while in a moribund state, one of the runways was used as an unofficial auto drag strip by local civilians. The ramp of the non-flight-rated facility now serves as a vehicle park for aircraft and armor after being expended as targets on the Eglin ranges.
* Auxiliary Field 5 ([[Piccolo Field]])

: Auxiliary Field 5 is named '''Piccolo Field''' for Capt. Anthony D. Piccolo, who died in the crash of a [[North American T-6 Texan|North American AT-6A-NT Texan]]<ref name="ReferenceC">[http://www.accident-report.com/world/namerica/US/FL.html USAAF/USAF Accidents for Florida] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130928060150/http://www.accident-report.com/world/namerica/US/FL.html |date=28 September 2013 }}. Accident-Report.com. Retrieved on 31 October 2011.</ref> on 6 October 1942. Piccolo was the commanding officer of the 386th Single Engine Gunnery Training Squadron at Eglin. Today, the area is due north of Field Four and serves as a microwave station. A 60-foot radar antenna was installed here in April 1961. On most base maps, it is identified as Site C-4.<ref name="eglin.af.mil" /> [[Doolittle Raid]] training was conducted here.
* Auxiliary Field 6 ([[Biancur Field]])

: Auxiliary Field 6 is named '''Biancur Field''' for 1st Lt. Andrew Biancur, a test pilot of the Medium Bombardment Section of the 1st Proving Ground Group, killed 8 January 1944 in the crash of a [[Northrop P-61 Black Widow|Northrop YP-61-NO Black Widow]] at [[Eglin Field]]. The U.S. Army Ranger facility [[Camp Rudder]] is located here. It is designated Site B-6. The [[NASA X-43|X-43A-LS]] low-speed demonstrator underwent testing out of Auxiliary Field 6 in November 2003.<ref name="bare_url_a">[https://web.archive.org/web/20031222152829/http://researchernews.larc.nasa.gov/archives/2003/120503/X43A.html NASA.gov]. Researchernews.larc.nasa.gov. Retrieved on 31 October 2011.</ref>
* Auxiliary Field 7 ([[Epler Field]])

: Auxiliary Field 7 is named '''Epler Field''' for Col. Robin E. Epler, deputy commander (Technical) of the [[Air Proving Ground Command]], [[Eglin Field]], Florida, killed 28 January 1944 in the crash of a [[Douglas A-20 Havoc|Douglas A-20G-10-DO Havoc]] {{convert|1|mi|km|adj=on|spell=in}} NE of [[Crestview, Florida]]. It is designated Site B-12.
* Auxiliary Field 8 ([[Baldsiefen Field]])

: Auxiliary Field 8 is named '''Baldsiefen Field''' for 2nd Lt. Richard Edward Baldsiefen, a gunnery instructor at Eglin, killed 4 March 1942 along with Lt. John W. Smith, in the crash of a [[North American AT-6 Texan|North American AT-6A-NA Texan]]<ref name="ReferenceC" /> which came down at Auxiliary Field 4.<ref>Crestview, Florida, "''Two Eglin Field Flyers Die in Crash Wednesday''", Okaloosa News-Journal, 6 March 1942, Vol. 28, No. 7, p. 1.</ref> It is designated Site C-52C.
* Auxiliary Field 9 ([[Hurlburt Field]])

: Auxiliary Field 9 is named '''Hurlburt Field''' for Lt. Donald Wilson Hurlburt, killed 1 October 1943 when his [[Lockheed Hudson|Lockheed AT-18-LO Hudson]] gunnery trainer<ref name="accident-report.com">[http://www.accident-report.com/world/namerica/US/FL2.html USAAF/USAF Accidents for Florida] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101025115717/http://accident-report.com/world/namerica/US/FL2.html |date=25 October 2010 }}. Accident-Report.com. Retrieved on 31 October 2011.</ref> crashed during take-off at Eglin. After flying [[Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress]] combat missions from Great Britain and receiving the [[Distinguished Flying Cross (United Kingdom)|Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC)]], Hurlburt was assigned in mid-1943 to the First Proving Ground Electronics Test Unit at Eglin Field. Field 9 was named in his honor by base commander General [[Grandison Gardner]]. Hurlburt's nephew was Captain [[Craig D. Button]] (noted for his mysterious flight and crash of an A-10 Thunderbolt on 2 April 1997). An official history of Eglin AFB's early years cites 2 October 1943 as the date of this accident.<ref name="Angell, Joseph W. 1990, p. 105">Angell, p. 105.</ref>
* Auxiliary Field 10 ([[Dillon Field]])

: Auxiliary Field 10 is the westernmost of the wartime Eglin airfields, located in [[Santa Rosa County, Florida|Santa Rosa County]], and is named '''Dillon Field''' for Capt. Barclay H. Dillon, test pilot of the Fighter Section of the 1st Proving Ground Group, killed 2 October 1943 when his [[Lockheed P-38 Lightning|Lockheed P-38J-5-LO Lightning]] crashed {{convert|8|mi|km|order=flip}} W of [[Milton, Florida]].<ref name="ReferenceA" /> Field 10 was later named Eglin Dillon Airdrome.<ref name="Angell, Joseph W. 1990, p. 105" /> Now used primarily for U.S. Navy basic flight training, the Navy refers to it as [[Naval Outlying Landing Field Choctaw]] (NOLF).<ref name="eglin.af.mil" /> It is also used for [[Unmanned Aerial Vehicle]] [UAV] training,<ref>[http://webgis.co.okaloosa.fl.us/jlus/docs/jlus_docs/Individual_Sections/Report/-Sec%2016%20-%20Eglin.pdf Section 16 – Eglin Air Force Base Joint Land Use Study] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110718134600/http://webgis.co.okaloosa.fl.us/jlus/docs/jlus_docs/Individual_Sections/Report/-Sec%2016%20-%20Eglin.pdf|date=18 July 2011}}. webgis.co.okaloosa.fl.us</ref> and it is expected that [[F-35 Lightning II]]s assigned to the [[33d Fighter Wing]] at Eglin Air Force Base will utilize NOLF Choctaw for training.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.eglin.af.mil/News/story/id/123215465/|title=Eglin chosen as preferred alternative F-35 base|author=Master Sergeant Russell P. Petcoff|date=29 July 2010|publisher=Eglin.af.mil|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100817230940/http://www.eglin.af.mil/news/story.asp?id=123215465|archive-date=17 August 2010|url-status=live|access-date=16 September 2010}}</ref>
* Auxiliary Field 11 is an unconfirmed name for a Red Horse unsurfaced east–west airstrip that shows up on [[Google Earth]] in [[Walton County, Florida|Walton County]].
* The [[Santa Rosa Island Range Complex]] is part of the Eglin overwater range that provides 86,500 square miles of overwater airspace that is jointly used for a variety of test and evaluation activities and training exercises.

==Demographics==
{{US Census population
| footnote = U.S. Decennial Census<ref name="DecennialCensus">{{cite web|url=http://www.census.gov/prod/www/decennial.html|title=Census of Population and Housing|publisher=Census.gov|accessdate=June 4, 2016}}</ref>
| 1990 = 8347
| 2000 = 8082
| 2010 = 2274
| 2020 = 3006
}}

Eglin employs more than 8,500 civilians and approximately 4,500 military, with an additional 2,200 jobs due to move to Eglin under the 2005 [[Base Realignment and Closure|BRAC]].

The Eglin AFB [[census-designated place]] (CDP), referred to simply as the Eglin CDP until the 2010 census,<ref>"Florida: 2010 - Population and Housing Unit Counts" https://www2.census.gov/library/publications/decennial/2010/cph-2/cph-2-11.pdf. U.S. Census Bureau. May 14, 2024.</ref> had a population of 3,006 at the [[2020 United States census|2020 census]],<ref>{{Cite web |title=Explore Census Data |url=https://data.census.gov/all?q=Eglin%20AFB%20CDP,%20Florida |access-date=2024-05-14 |website=data.census.gov}}</ref> up from 2,274 at the 2010 census. It is part of the [[Crestview–Fort Walton Beach–Destin metropolitan area]].

As of the census<ref name="GR2">{{cite web |url=https://www.census.gov |publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]] |access-date=31 January 2008 |title=U.S. Census website }}</ref> of 2000, there were 8,082 people, 2,302 households, and 2,262 families residing on the base. The population density was {{convert|2,640.1|/mi2|/km2|disp=preunit|people&nbsp;|people}}. There were 2,320 housing units at an average density of {{convert|757.9|/mi2|/km2}}. The racial makeup of the base was 71.8% [[White (U.S. Census)|White]], 14.8% [[African American (U.S. Census)|Black]] or [[Race (U.S. Census)|African American]], 0.5% [[Native American (U.S. Census)|Native American]], 3.0% [[Asian (U.S. Census)|Asian]], 0.4% [[Pacific Islander (U.S. Census)|Pacific Islander]], 4.2% from [[Race (U.S. Census)|other races]], and 5.3% from two or more races. [[Hispanics in the United States|Hispanic]] or [[Latino (U.S. Census)|Latino]] people of any race were 11.2% of the population.

There were 2,302 households, out of which 79.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 89.8% were married couples living together, 5.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 1.7% were non-families. 1.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 0.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.50 and the average family size was 3.51.

On the base the population was spread out, with 43.5% under the age of 18, 15.2% from 18 to 24, 39.6% from 25 to 44, 1.6% from 45 to 64, and 0.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 22 years. For every 100 females, there were 100.6 males.

The median income for a household on the base was $31,951, and the median income for a family was $31,859. Males had a median income of $25,409 versus $19,176 for females. The per capita income for the base was $10,670. About 4.5% of families and 4.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 4.5% of those under the age of 18 and none of those 65 and older.

==National historic status==
There are two U.S. [[National Historic Landmark|National Historic Landmark Districts]] with connections to the base: [[Camp Pinchot Historic District|Camp Pinchot]] and [[Eglin Field Historic District|Eglin Field]].

On 6 October 1997, the [[McKinley Climatic Laboratory]] was added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places.

==Notable residents==
* Author [[Hunter S Thompson]] was stationed on Eglin from 1956 until 1958 during his enlistment with the Air Force.
* Infielder [[Jay Bell]] was born in the base hospital in 1965.
* Former running back [[Glen Coffee]] was born in the base hospital in 1987
* [[NASCAR Cup Series]] driver [[Aric Almirola]] was born in Eglin in 1984.
* [[John Boyd (military strategist)|John Boyd]], [[United States Air Force|USAF]] officer and military strategist who developed the [[Energy–maneuverability theory]] while stationed at Eglin.
* Professional cyclist [[Neilson Powless]], first rider of Native American ancestry to compete in the [[Tour de France]], was born at Eglin.<ref>[http://legacy.usacycling.org/neilson-powless.htm BIO - NEILSON POWLESS USA CYCLING]</ref>

==Eglin AFB in pop culture==
* Movies that have been filmed in part at Eglin Air Force Base or its outlying auxiliary airfields, ''[[Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo]]'' in 1944, ''[[Twelve O' Clock High]]'' in 1949, ''[[On the Threshold of Space]]'' in 1955 and ''[[Search for Paradise]]'' in 1956.<ref>"Crew Is Shooting Cinerama Movie at Eglin APGC," Playground News, Fort Walton Beach, Florida, 25 October 1956, p. 1.</ref>
* Thirteen airmen assigned to the 48th Recovery Squadron played a part in the 1965 James Bond movie ''[[Thunderball (film)|Thunderball]]''. The airmen, all highly skilled paratroopers, assisted in a sky diving scene filmed in Miami Beach. They jumped out of an [[HC-97]] in Biscayne Bay at an altitude of 1,500 feet. A quote from TSgt Lewis Roberts said, "We played the good guys and were helping James Bond destroy the villains who were about to blow up the East Coast."<ref>"Thirteen Eglin Airmen Featured in Bond Movie," Playground Daily News, Fort Walton Beach, Florida, 21 July 1965, p. 3.</ref>
* Several Tom Clancy novels refer to "raking the sand traps on the officers' golf course" at Eglin as a common activity for low-security prisoners at the associated [[Federal Prison Camp, Eglin]], now closed.
* [[F-15 Eagles]] from Eglin's [[33rd Fighter Wing]], 59th Fighter Squadron, were used in the filming of the 1997 movie [[Air Force One (film)|''Air Force One'']].<ref>"Local crew called on to defend 'Air Force One|(film),'" Northwest Florida Daily News, Fort Walton Beach, Florida, 13 July 1997, p. 1B.</ref>
* Eglin AFB appears as the default airport in the simulation software [[Prepar3D]].

==Geography==
[[File:Alabama National Guard (26625734867).jpg|thumb|A southern black racer snake slithers across the barrel of junior U.S. Army National Guard sniper Pfc. William Snyder's rifle.]]
[[File:An A-10C Thunderbolt I of the the 40th Flight Test Squadron flies over a target that was successfully hit by a Laser Joint Direct Attack Munition (LJDAM) at Eglin AFB.jpg|thumb|An [[A-10 Thunderbolt II|A-10C Thunderbolt II]], piloted by the 40th Flight Test Squadron, flies over what is left of a target that was successfully hit by a Laser Joint Direct Attack Munition drop on the Eglin range.|alt=]]

===Flora and fauna===
The forests and shores of Eglin Air Force Base are at the center of one of the most [[biodiversity|biodiverse]] locations in North America. Over 50 [[threatened species|species threatened]] in Florida are found on the base, including [[sea turtle]]s that nest on its white-sand beaches and [[red-cockaded woodpecker]]s that thrive in its [[longleaf pine]] forests. The base has a natural resources management team that constantly monitors important species within the base with the goal of balancing their national defense mission with environmental stewardship.<ref name="eglinsOtherWorld">{{cite web
| url         = http://www.af.mil/news/airman/0804/eglin.shtml
| title       = Eglin's Other World
| access-date  = 2 February 2009
| author      = Tech. Sgt. Mark Kinkade
| date        = August 2004
| publisher   = Airman Magazine of America's Airforce
| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20060319191232/http://www.af.mil/news/airman/0804/eglin.shtml| archive-date = 19 March 2006}}</ref> Longleaf pine forest, a forest type reduced to 5% of its former range in the last few centuries, covers {{convert|200000|acre|km2}} of the base. Part of this forest, {{convert|6795|acre|km2}}, is [[old growth]], making the base home to one of the most extensive old-growth longleaf pine forests in the world.<ref name="OldGrowthEast">{{cite web
 |url=http://www.primalnature.org/ogeast/fl.pdf
 |title=Old Growth in the East: A Survey. Florida
 |author=Mary Byrd Davis
 |date=23 January 2008
 |url-status=dead
 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090226191309/http://www.primalnature.org/ogeast/fl.pdf
 |archive-date=26 February 2009}}</ref>

===Climate===
Warm, [[Subtropics|subtropical]] weather lasts longer than the average summer. The annual [[precipitation (meteorology)|precipitation]] ranges from {{convert|25|to|60|in|mm}}. Year-round, the average temperatures run:

January–March: 60–69 High and 42–51 Low<br />April–June: 76–88 High and 58–72 Low<br />July–September: 86–98 High and 70–77 Low<br />October–December: 63–79 High and 44–69 Low

The area gets only 50 to 60 days of annual precipitation or more rainfall. There are few days without sunshine, which allows year-round outdoor activities.

===Noise===
In order to deal with the high noise levels of the [[Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II]], officials from Santa Rosa, Okaloosa and Walton counties are studying which homes, businesses and public buildings will require additional noise protection.<ref>[http://www.nwfdailynews.com/news/fort-34581-walton-noise.html "Counties to study reducing F-35 noise"] [[Freedom Communications]], 4 November 2010 {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120328040144/http://www.nwfdailynews.com/news/fort-34581-walton-noise.html|date=28 March 2012}}</ref>

==Civil rocketry==
Eglin Air Force Base was also a launch site for civil rockets of [[NASA]]. There are three launch pads: one at 29.6700 N, 85.3700 W at Cape San Blas; and two on Santa Rosa Island at 30.3800 N, 86.7400 W and 30.3800 N, 86.8170 W. Rockets launched here have included Arcas, Nike Cajun, Nike Apaches, and Nike Iroquois.<ref>{{cite encyclopedia |url=http://www.astronautix.com/sites/eglin.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20030904143334/http://astronautix.com/sites/eglin.htm |url-status=dead |archive-date=4 September 2003 |title=Eglin |encyclopedia=Encyclopedia Astronautica |publisher=Mark Wade}}</ref> This site was formerly operated by the 4751st ADMS with CIM-10 [[Bomarc]]s, which inactivated in 1979. In the 1940s, captured [[V-1 flying bomb]]s and American copies, [[Republic-Ford JB-2|Republic-Ford JB-2 LOONs]], were launched out over the [[Gulf of Mexico]] from these sites. Two concrete launch ramps were placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1996. A rusting Loon launch ramp still exists at Auxiliary Field 1, [[Wagner Field]].

Eglin is known to have been used for 441 launches from 1959 to 1980, reaching up to 686 kilometers altitude.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20030904143334/http://astronautix.com/sites/eglin.htm Eglin]. Astronautix.com. Retrieved on 31 October 2011.</ref>

==Amateur radio restrictions==
The US [[Code of Federal Regulations]] specifies that [[amateur radio]] operators within 322 kilometers of Eglin must not transmit with more than 50 watts of power on the [[70-centimeter band]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.arrl.org/us270 |title=47 CFR §2.106 - Footnote US270 |accessdate=2023-04-26}}</ref>

== Accidents and incidents ==

* On August 31, 2018, a [[Beechcraft Duke]] crashed on Elgin Air Force Base property.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2018-08-31 |title=Four Family Members Die in FL Plane Crash |url=https://www.firehouse.com/operations-training/news/21020454/destin-fort-walton-beach-fl-crash-eglin-air-force-base-firefighters |access-date=2025-06-07 |website=Firehouse |language=en}}</ref>

==See also==
{{Portal|Aviation|Florida}}
* [[Florida World War II Army Airfields]]
* [[List of United States Air Force installations]]
* [[Rocket launch site]]s
{{Clear}}

==Notes==
{{Reflist|30em}}

==References==
{{Air Force Historical Research Agency}}
* Angell, Joseph W., "History of the Army Air Forces Proving Ground Command – Part One – Historical Outline 1933–1944", The Historical Branch, Army Air Forces Proving Ground Command, Eglin Field, Florida, 1944, reprint by Office of History, Munitions Systems Division, Eglin AFB, Florida, 1989
* Knaack, Marcelle Size (1978) ''Encyclopedia of US Air Force Aircraft and Missile Systems, Vol. 1, Post-World War Two Fighters, 1945–1973''. Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History, 1978. {{ISBN|0-912799-59-5}}
* Knaack, Marcelle Size (1988) ''Post-World War II Bombers, 1945–1973''. Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History, 1988, {{ISBN|0-16-002260-6}}
* Manning, Thomas A. (2005), ''History of Air Education and Training Command, 1942–2002''. Office of History and Research, Headquarters, AETC, Randolph AFB, Texas {{OCLC|71006954|29991467}}
* Martin, Patrick, ''Tail Code: The Complete History of USAF Tactical Aircraft Tail Code Markings'', 1994
* Maurer, Maurer. ''Air Force Combat Units of World War II''. Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office 1961 (republished 1983, Office of Air Force History, {{ISBN|0-912799-02-1}}).
* Mueller, Robert, ''Air Force Bases Vol. I, Active Air Force Bases Within the United States of America on 17 September 1982'', Office of Air Force History, 1989
* Pfau, Richard A., and Greenhalgh Jr., William H., [http://www.afhso.af.mil/shared/media/document/AFD-110323-015.pdf "The Air Force in Southeast Asia: The B-57G Tropic Moon III 1967–1972"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161123150424/http://www.afhso.af.mil/shared/media/document/AFD-110323-015.pdf |date=23 November 2016 }}, Office of Air Force History, Headquarters USAF, 1978
* Ravenstein, Charles A. ''Air Force Combat Wings Lineage and Honors Histories 1947–1977''. [[Maxwell Air Force Base]], [[Alabama]]: Office of Air Force History 1984. {{ISBN|0-912799-12-9}}.
* Shaw, Frederick J. (2004), ''Locating Air Force Base Sites, History’s Legacy'', Air Force History and Museums Program, United States Air Force, Washington DC. {{OCLC|57007862|1050653629}}
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20090130025918/http://home.att.net/~jbaugher/usafserials.html USAAS-USAAC-USAAF-USAF Aircraft Serial Numbers{{snd}}1908 to present]
** {{USGovernment|url=http://www.eglin.af.mil/|title=Eglin Air Force Base|agency=United States Air Force}}
** {{USGovernment|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060320105653/http://www.af.mil/news/airman/0106/facilities06.shtml|archive-date=2006-03-20|url=http://www.af.mil/news/airman/0106/facilities06.shtml|magazine=Airman|title=Organization facilities list|agency=United States Air Force}}
** {{USGovernment|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110616124735/http://www.eglin.af.mil/jdat.asp|archive-date=2011-06-16|url=http://www.eglin.af.mil/jdat.asp|title=Eglin Air Force Base Tenant Joint Staff|agency=United States Air Force}}

==External links==
{{Commons category}}
* {{Official website|https://www.eglin.af.mil/}}
* [https://www.eglinlife.com ElginLife.com] – 96th Force Support Squadron
* [https://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/FL0426/?sid=167156474808f1a297816716ff4aae80 The Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division] (Hangar No. 1)
* [https://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/FL0440/?sid=167156474808f1a297816716ff4aae80 The Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division] (Storehouse & Company Administration)
* [https://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/FL0441/?sid=167156474808f1a297816716ff4aae80 The Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division] (Motor Repair Shop)
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[[Category:Installations of the United States Air Force in Florida|Eglin AFB]]
[[Category:1935 establishments in Florida]]
[[Category:Buildings and structures in Okaloosa County, Florida]]
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