View source for Laughlin Air Force Base

{{Short description|US Air Force base near Del Rio, Texas}}
{{Use American English|date=May 2025}}
{{Infobox military installation
| name = Laughlin Air Force Base
| ensign =
| ensign_size =
| native_name =
| partof = <!-- for elements within a larger site -->
| location =
| nearest_town = [[Del Rio, Texas|Del Rio]], [[Texas]]
| country = [[United States|United States of America]]
| image = File:470g-t6texanII.jpg|
| alt =
| caption = A [[Beechcraft T-6 Texan II]] of the [[47th Flying Training Wing]] based at Laughlin AFB, Texas
| image2 = [[File:Air Education and Training Command.svg|100px]]
| alt2 =
| caption2 =
| type = US Air Force base
| coordinates = {{coord|29|21|34|N|100|46|41|W|display=inline,title}}
| gridref =
| image_map =
| image_mapsize =
| image_map_alt =
| image_map_caption =
| pushpin_map = North America#USA#Texas
| pushpin_mapsize =
| pushpin_map_alt =
| pushpin_map_caption =
| pushpin_relief =y
| pushpin_image =
| pushpin_label = Laughlin AFB
| pushpin_label_position = top
| pushpin_mark =roundel of the USAF.svg
| pushpin_marksize =20
| ownership = [[United States Department of Defense|Department of Defense]]
| operator = [[United States Air Force|US Air Force]]
| controlledby = [[Air Education and Training Command]] (AETC)
| 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|1943}} (as Laughlin Army Air Field)
| used = 1943 – 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 = [[Colonel (United States)|Colonel]] Tyler Ellison
| past_commanders = <!-- past notable commander(s) -->
| garrison = [[47th Flying Training Wing]] (Host)
| occupants = <!-- squadrons only -->
| designations =
| website = [https://www.laughlin.af.mil  www.laughlin.af.mil]
<!-- begin airfield information  -->
| IATA = DLF
| ICAO = KDLF
| FAA = DLF
| TC =
| LID =
| GPS =
| WMO = 722615
| elevation = {{Convert|329.4|m|0}}
| r1-number = 13C/31C
| r1-length = {{Convert|2698|m|0}}
| r1-surface = [[Asphalt concrete|Asphalt]]
| r2-number = 13L/31R
| r2-length = {{Convert|2534.4|m|0}}
| r2-surface = [[Porous European Mix]]
| r3-number = 13R/31L
| r3-length = {{Convert|2002.8 |m|0}}
| r3-surface = Asphalt
| h1-number =
| h1-length = <!-- {{Convert| |m|0}} -->
| h1-surface =
| airfield_other_label = <!-- for renaming "Other facilities" in infobox -->
| airfield_other = <!-- for other sorts of airfield facilities -->
<!--  end airfield information   -->
| footnotes = '''Source:''' [[Federal Aviation Administration]]<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://aeronav.faa.gov/d-tpp/1909/00111ad.pdf#nameddest=(DLF)|title=Airport Diagram – Laughlin AFB (KDLF)|date=15 August 2019|website=Federal Aviation Administration|access-date=16 August 2019}}</ref>
}}

'''Laughlin Air Force Base''' {{Airport codes|DLF|KDLF|DLF}} is a facility of the [[United States Air Force]] located east of [[Del Rio, Texas]].

==Overview==
Laughlin AFB, the largest [[Aviator|pilot]] training base in the US Air Force, is home to the [[47th Flying Training Wing]] of the [[Air Education and Training Command]] and the [[96th Flying Training Squadron]] of the [[Air Force Reserve Command]]. On weekdays, the airfield sees more takeoffs and landings than any other airport in the country.{{citation needed|date=August 2012}}

==History==

=== Laughlin Army Air Field ===
[[File:Laughlin Army Airfield Texas photo pictorial.pdf|thumb|269x269px|Laughlin Army Air Field photo pictorial|alt=|left]]Laughlin AFB was originally named Laughlin Army Air Field on March 3, 1943, after [[Jack T. Laughlin]], a [[B-17E Flying Fortress]] pilot. He was trained as a pilot and was actually co-pilot of B-17E, tail number 41-2476.  On the day of his first bombing mission, he was bumped by the Group Commander Major Stanley K. Robinson (Robinson was co-pilot next to pilot Capt. Walter W. Sparks).  Major Robinson brought along his own combat-experienced navigator, Lt. Richard Cease.  Laughlin had no assigned position on the plane for the mission.  He became Del Rio's first [[World War II]] casualty when the plane he was flying in (most likely as a waist gunner for the mission) was lost at sea, having succumbed to damage received over the [[Makassar Strait]] on 29 (or 28) January 1942.  The damage occurred during two bombing runs against [[Empire of Japan|Japanese]] warships and transports in the Makassar Strait off the coast of Balikpapan, Borneo.  The field became simply Laughlin Field on November 11, 1943, and later an [[U.S. Army Air Forces]] Auxiliary Field. During World War II, Laughlin's primary mission was the training of [[Martin B-26 Marauder|B-26 Marauder]] pilots and aircrews. It was closed in October 1945.

=== Laughlin Air Force Base ===
Laughlin Air Force Base reopened on May 1, 1952. In October 1952, ATC transferred the base to Crew Training Air Force (CREWTAF) and activated the 3645th Flying Training Wing (Fighter), as a combat crew replacement training facility for pilots headed for [[Korean War|Korea]]. Training provided new pilots with basic bombing and gunnery combat skills in the [[F-80 Shooting Star]], [[F-84 Thunderjet]], and [[T-33 Shooting Star|T-33]] jet aircraft, but within short time crews used only the T-33. In September 1955, Laughlin came under the control of the Flying Training Air Force and switched missions with [[Williams Air Force Base]], [[Arizona]]. Laughlin undertook single-engine pilot training, still using the T-33.

==== Strategic Air Command ====
The U.S. Air Force transferred jurisdiction of the base to the [[Strategic Air Command]] on April 1, 1957, and the [[4080th Strategic Reconnaissance Wing]] (Light) moved there from [[Turner Air Force Base]], [[Georgia (U.S. state)|Georgia]]. Following the graduation of the last class in March 1957, ATC inactivated the 3645th FTW. The 4080th Wing provided high-altitude reconnaissance and air sampling using the [[Lockheed U-2|Lockheed U-2A]] and the [[B-57 Canberra|RB-57D Canberra]]. The 4080th Strategic Reconnaissance Wing was redesignated as the 4080th Strategic Wing on June 15, 1960, and the RB-57 mission was phased out.

Laughlin U-2s were among the first to provide photographic evidence of [[Soviet]] missile installations in [[Cuba]] in 1962 when 4080th U-2 pilot major [[Richard S. Heyser|Steve Heyser]] flew his U-2C over Cuba after taking off from [[Edwards AFB]], California. Heyser landed at [[McCoy AFB]], Florida, following the mission, with McCoy becoming a U-2 operating location for the duration of the [[Cuban Missile Crisis]]. The film from Major Heyser's mission was developed, analyzed and the photos were shown to the [[United Nations Security Council]] on October 22, 1962, proving to the world, that offensive missiles were on the island of Cuba.
Another 4080th pilot, Major [[Rudolf Anderson, Jr.]], perished when his U-2 was hit by shrapnel from a Soviet-made [[SA-2 Guideline|SA-2]] [[surface-to-air missile]] on October 22, 1962, while overflying Cuba from McCoy AFB. While the U-2 did not suffer a direct hit, Anderson was struck by fragments from the [[proximity fuse]]d warhead's explosion which penetrated and compromised his pressure suit (at altitude, unconsciousness and death came very quickly). His body was returned to the U.S. following the crisis, still clad in its pressure suit.  Major Anderson posthumously became the first recipient of the [[Air Force Cross (United States)|Air Force Cross]].  Laughlin's primary operations training complex, Anderson Hall, is named in his honor.[[File:Laughlin Air Force Base - Main Gate.jpg|alt=United States Air Force / Public domain|left|thumb|1972, Main Gate]]

==== Air Training Command ====
In 1961, Headquarters U.S. Air Force notified Laughlin officials their mission would expand to again include an [[Air Training Command]] undergraduate pilot training program. Plans called to transfer in about half the student load from [[Laredo Air Force Base]], Texas. ATC reactivated the 3645th Pilot Training Wing (later redesignated 3646th Pilot Training Wing) at Laughlin in October 1961 to prepare for the phase-in of students and [[T-37 Tweet|T-37]] and T-33 trainers. The 4080th SW continued at Laughlin as a tenant organization until 1963.

Today, aircraft flown at Laughlin include the [[T-6A Texan II]], the [[T-38 Talon|T-38C Talon]] and [[T-1A Jayhawk]]. Fifteen classes of approximately 20–25 pilots graduate annually.

== Based units ==
Flying and notable non-flying units based at Laughlin Air Force Base:<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.laughlin.af.mil/Units/|title=Units|website=Laughlin Air Force Base|publisher=US Air Force|access-date=16 August 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=96 and 97}}</ref>

=== United States Air Force ===
'''[[Air Education and Training Command]]''' '''(AETC)'''
* [[47th Flying Training Wing]]
** 47th Comptroller Squadron
** [[47th Operations Group]]
*** 47th Operations Support Squadron
*** 47th Student Squadron
*** [[85th Flying Training Squadron]] – [[Beechcraft T-6 Texan II|T-6A Texan II]]
*** [[86th Flying Training Squadron]] – [[Raytheon T-1 Jayhawk|T-1A Jayhawk]]
*** [[87th Flying Training Squadron]] – [[Northrop T-38 Talon|T-38C Talon]]
*** 434th Flying Training Squadron – T-6A Texan II
** 47th Medical Group
*** 47th Medical Operations Squadron
*** 47th Medical Support Squadron
** 47th Mission Support Group
*** 47th Communications Squadron
*** 47th Contracting Flight
*** 47th Civil Engineering Squadron
*** 47th Force Support Squadron
*** 47th Logistics Readiness Flight
*** 47th Security Forces Squadron

'''[[Air Force Reserve Command]]'''
* [[Tenth Air Force]]
** [[340th Flying Training Group]]
*** [[96th Flying Training Squadron]] (GSU) – T-1A Jayhawk, T-6A Texan II, T-38C Talon (GSU are Geographically Separate Units, which although based at Laughlin, are subordinate to a parent unit based at another location.)

==Geography==
According to the [[United States Census Bureau]], the base has a total area of 5.9&nbsp;square miles (15.3&nbsp;km<sup>2</sup>), all  land.

==Demographics==
{{US Census population
|1970= 3458
|1980= 2994
|1990= 2556
|2000= 2225
|2010= 1569
|2020= 1673
|align-fn=center
|footnote=U.S. Decennial Census<ref name="DecennialCensus">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial-census/decade.html|title=Decennial Census by Decade|website=[[United States Census Bureau]]|access-date=}}</ref><br> 1850–1900<ref name=1900CensusTX>{{Cite web|title= 1900 Census of Population - Population of Texas By Counties And Minor Civil Divisions |url=https://www2.census.gov/library/publications/decennial/1900/bulletins/demographic/49-population-tx.pdf|website=[[United States Census Bureau]]}}</ref> 1910<ref name=1910CensusTX>{{Cite web|title=1910 Census of Population - Supplement for Texas|url=https://www2.census.gov/library/publications/decennial/1910/abstract/supplement-tx-p1.pdf|website=[[United States Census Bureau]]|access-date=2024-07-13|archive-date=2025-03-30|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250330000710/https://www2.census.gov/library/publications/decennial/1910/abstract/supplement-tx-p1.pdf|url-status=dead}}</ref><br> 1920<ref name=1920CensusTX>{{Cite web|title= 1920 Census of Population - Number of Inhabitants - Texas |url=https://www2.census.gov/library/publications/decennial/1920/bulletins/demographics/population-tx-number-of-inhabitants.pdf|website=[[United States Census Bureau]]}}</ref> 1930<ref name=1930CensusTX>{{Cite web|title= 1930 Census of Population - Number of Inhabitants - Texas |url=https://www2.census.gov/library/publications/decennial/1930/population-volume-1/03815512v1ch10.pdf|website=[[United States Census Bureau]]}}</ref> 1940<ref name=1940CensusTX>{{Cite web|title= 1940 Census of Population - Number of Inhabitants - Texas |url=https://www2.census.gov/library/publications/decennial/1940/population-volume-1/33973538v1ch09.pdf|website=[[United States Census Bureau]]}}</ref><br>
1950<ref name=1950CensusTX>{{Cite web|title= 1950 Census of Population - Number of Inhabitants - Texas |url=https://www2.census.gov/library/publications/decennial/1950/population-volume-1/vol-01-46.pdf|website=[[United States Census Bureau]]}}</ref> 1960<ref name=1960CensusTX>{{Cite web|title= 1960 Census of Population - Number of Inhabitants - Texas |url=https://www2.census.gov/library/publications/decennial/1960/population-volume-1/33255142v1p45ch02.pdf|website=[[United States Census Bureau]]}}</ref> 1970<ref name=1970CensusTX>{{Cite web|title= 1970 Census of Population - Number of Inhabitants - Texas |url=https://www2.census.gov/prod2/decennial/documents/00496492v1p45s1ch02.pdf|website=[[United States Census Bureau]]}}</ref><br> 1980<ref name=1980CensusTX>{{Cite web|title= 1980 Census of Population - Number of Inhabitants - Texas |url=https://www2.census.gov/library/publications/decennial/1980/volume-1/texas/1980a_txab-01.pdf|website=[[United States Census Bureau]]}}</ref> 1990<ref name=1990CensusTX>{{Cite web|title=1990 Census of Population - Population and Housing Unit Counts - Texas |url=https://www2.census.gov/library/publications/decennial/1990/cph-2/cph-2-45.pdf|website=[[United States Census Bureau]]}}</ref> 2000<ref name=2000CensusTX>{{Cite web|title=2000 Census of Population - Population and Housing Unit Counts - Texas |url=https://www2.census.gov/library/publications/2003/dec/phc-3-45.pdf|website=[[United States Census Bureau]]}}</ref><br> 2010<ref name=2010CensusTX>{{Cite web|title=2010 Census of Population - Population and Housing Unit Counts - Texas |url=https://www2.census.gov/library/publications/decennial/2010/cph-2/cph-2-45.pdf|website=[[United States Census Bureau]]}}</ref> 2020<ref name=2020CensusP2/>
}}

The U.S. Census Bureau counts the base as a [[census-designated place]] (Laughlin AFB CDP) with a population at the [[2020 United States Census|2020 census]] of 1,673.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Laughlin AFB CDP, Texas|url=https://data.census.gov/cedsci/profile?g=1600000US4841704|website=[[United States Census Bureau]]|accessdate=May 14, 2022}}</ref> It first appeared as an unincorporated community in the [[1970 U.S. census]]<ref name=1970CensusTX/> and a [[census designated place]] in the [[1980 United States census]].<ref name=1980CensusTX/>

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;"
|+'''Laughlin AFB CDP, Texas – Racial and ethnic composition'''<br><small>{{nobold|''Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos may be of any race.''}}</small>
!Race / Ethnicity <small>(''NH = Non-Hispanic'')</small>
!Pop 1990<ref name=1990CensusTX/>
!Pop 2000<ref name=2000CensusP008>{{Cite web|title=P004 HISPANIC OR LATINO, AND NOT HISPANIC OR LATINO BY RACE – 2000: DEC Summary File 1 – Lackland AFB CDP, Texas|url=https://data.census.gov/table?q=Hispanic+2000&g=1600000US4841704&tid=DECENNIALSF12000.P004|website=[[United States Census Bureau]]}}</ref>
!Pop 2010<ref name=2010CensusP2>{{Cite web|title=P2 HISPANIC OR LATINO, AND NOT HISPANIC OR LATINO BY RACE – 2010: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Laughlin AFB CDP, Texas|url=https://data.census.gov/cedsci/table?q=p2&g=1600000US4841704&tid=DECENNIALPL2010.P2|website=[[United States Census Bureau]]}}</ref>
!{{partial|Pop 2020}}<ref name=2020CensusP2>{{Cite web|title=P2 HISPANIC OR LATINO, AND NOT HISPANIC OR LATINO BY RACE – 2020: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Laughlin AFB CDP, Texas|url=https://data.census.gov/cedsci/table?q=p2&g=1600000US4841704&tid=DECENNIALPL2020.P2|website=[[United States Census Bureau]]}}</ref>
!% 1990
!% 2000
!% 2010
!{{partial|% 2020}}
|-
|[[Non-Hispanic or Latino whites|White]] alone (NH)
|1,790
|1,581
|1,178
|style='background: #ffffe6; |1,183
|70.03%
|71.06%
|75.08%
|style='background: #ffffe6; |70.71%
|-
|[[Non-Hispanic or Latino African Americans|Black or African American]] alone (NH)
|286
|236
|112
|style='background: #ffffe6; |107
|11.19%
|10.61%
|7.14%
|style='background: #ffffe6; |6.40%
|-
|[[Native Americans in the United States|Native American]] or [[Alaska Native]] alone (NH)
|16
|5
|8
|style='background: #ffffe6; |2
|0.63%
|0.22%
|0.51%
|style='background: #ffffe6; |0.12%
|-
|[[Asian Americans|Asian]] alone (NH)
|97
|61
|40
|style='background: #ffffe6; |63
|3.79%
|2.74%
|2.55%
|style='background: #ffffe6; |3.77%
|-
|[[Pacific Islander Americans|Pacific Islander]] alone (NH)
|x
|1
|5
|style='background: #ffffe6; |5
|x
|0.04%
|0.32%
|style='background: #ffffe6; |0.30%
|-
|[[Race and ethnicity in the United States census|Other race]] alone (NH)
|2
|12
|0
|style='background: #ffffe6; |5
|0.08%
|0.54%
|0.00%
|style='background: #ffffe6; |0.30%
|-
|[[Multiracial Americans|Mixed race or Multiracial]] (NH)
|x
|55
|54
|style='background: #ffffe6; |55
|x
|2.47%
|3.44%
|style='background: #ffffe6; |3.29%
|-
|[[Hispanic and Latino Americans|Hispanic or Latino]] (any race)
|365
|274
|172
|style='background: #ffffe6; |253
|14.28%
|12.31%
|10.96%
|style='background: #ffffe6; |15.12%
|-
|'''Total'''
|'''2,556'''
|'''2,225'''
|'''1,569'''
|style='background: #ffffe6; |'''1,673'''
|'''100.00%'''
|'''100.00%'''
|'''100.00%'''
|style='background: #ffffe6; |'''100.00%'''
|}

==Education==
Laughlin AFB is served by the [[San Felipe Del Rio Consolidated Independent School District|San Felipe Del Rio]] Consolidated Independent School District. The school district operates an elementary school inside Laughlin AFB, the [https://www.sfdr-cisd.org/elementary-school/roberto-bobby-barrera-elementary-stem-magnet-school/ Roberto Barrera STEM Elementary] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200621065201/https://www.sfdr-cisd.org/elementary-school/roberto-bobby-barrera-elementary-stem-magnet-school/ |date=2020-06-21 }} school (K–5) (formerly known as Laughlin STEM elementary school).<ref>"[http://www.militaryinstallations.dod.mil/pls/psgprod/f?p=132:CONTENT:0::NO::P4_INST_ID,P4_INST_TYPE:4465,INSTALLATION Laughlin AFB, Texas]" ([http://web.archive.org/web/20150812203227/http://www.militaryinstallations.dod.mil/pls/psgprod/f?p=132:CONTENT:0::NO::P4_INST_ID,P4_INST_TYPE:4465,INSTALLATION Archive]). [[U.S. Department of Defense]]. Retrieved on August 13, 2015.</ref>

[[Park University]]<ref>[http://www.park.edu/LAUG/ Park University]</ref> offers onsite and online classes on base. Its office is located at the Education Center and is open to military and civilian personnel.

==See also==
{{Portal|Aviation}}
* [[List of United States Air Force installations]]
* [[Texas World War II Army Airfields]]

==References==
{{Air Force Historical Research Agency}}
* 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}}
* 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}}
* {{FAA-airport|ID=DLF|use=PR|own=MA|site=23744.*A}}
{{reflist}}

==External links==
{{Commons category|Laughlin Air Force Base}}
* {{Official website|https://www.laughlin.af.mil/}}
{{US-airport-mil|DLF}}
** {{FAA-diagram|00111}}
{{US Air Force navbox}}
{{USAF Air Education and Training Command}}
{{USAAF Training Bases World War II}}
{{TXMilitary}}

{{authority control}}

[[Category:1942 establishments in Texas]]
[[Category:Installations of the United States Air Force in Texas]]
[[Category:Buildings and structures in Val Verde County, Texas]]
[[Category:Airfields of the United States Army Air Forces in Texas]]
[[Category:Military airbases established in 1943]]
[[Category:Military installations in Texas]]
[[Category:1952 establishments in Texas]]