Bitburg Air Base

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Bitburg Air Base is a American air force base located 2 mi (3 km) SE of Bitburg , 20 mi (32 km) N of Trier, and 135 mi (217 km) W of Wiesbaden Germany.

In early 1951, under US Army oversight, the French government began construction of what would become Bitburg Air Base in West Germany's Eifel Mountains. Located in the French zone of occupation, the air base was situated on farm land that had been a Wehrmacht tank staging and supply area for the Battle of the Bulge in early 1944.

The air base and its housing area occupied nearly 1,100 acres, with a 8,200 foot long runway (with 1,000 foot overruns at each end, total length would be 10,200 feet).

1 36th Fighter Wing
2 Post Cold War Era
3 See also
4 References
5 External links

[edit] 36th Fighter Wing

North American F-86F-25-NH Sabre 52-5385 at Bitburg, 1955. Today, this aircraft is on display at the Militaire Luchtvaart Museum, Kamp Zeist, Netherlands.

22d TFS F-105s with French Air Force Dassault Mystère B2s from Cambrai Air Base - 1964

F-4Es of the 525th Tactical fighter squadron - 1972

McDonnell Douglas F-15D-25-MC Eagle Serial 79-0008 of the 525th Tactical Fighter Squadron

In July 1952 the 53rd Fighter-Bomber Squadron (FBS) from the 36th Fighter-Bomber Wing (FBW), from Fürstenfeldbruck Air Base a few miles west of Munich arrived at the newly-built base. Throughout the summer, elements of the 36th FBW moved into Bitburg, with the wing officially arriving in November 1952. Under various designations, the 36th would remain at Bitburg for the next 40 years.

With its arrival the 36th FBW was equipped with the Republic F-84E "Thunderjet". Operational squadrons were:

22d Fighter-Bomber Squadron (Red motif)
23d Fighter-Bomber Squadron (Blue motif)
53d Fighter-Bomber Squadron (Green motif)

In August 1953, the North American F-86F "Sabre" was introduced to the wing, replacing the F-84s. In August 1954, the wing was redesignated as the 36th Fighter-Day Wing.

In 1956, the wing received the North American F-100 "Super Sabre," marking the first time a wing in USAFE flew supersonic jets. On 9 July 1958, the 36th was redesignated the 36th Tactical Fighter Wing.

In January 1959 the 86th Air Division at Ramstein Air Base assinged the 525th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron to Bitburg. These F-102 Delta Dagger interceptors were designated as part of the integrated air defense structure of USAFE, but were not part of the 36th TFW. The F-102s were identified by blue stripes on their tails.

In November 1959, the 36th was assigned to 17th Air Force. In May 1961, the wing received the Republic F-105 "Thunderchief" and continued to fly the jet fighter until it received the McDonnell F-4D "Phantom II" aircraft in 1966. In 1970 the Tail Code concept was established, with the following squadron insignia: 22d TFS "BR", 23d TFS, "BS", and 53d TFS "BT".

During November 1968 the F-102s of the 86th AD were sent to Air National Guard units at CONUS and the 525th FIS was re-equipped with F-4Es and assigned to the 36th TFW. The F-4s were tail coded "BU" and had blue stripes on their tails.

On 4 January 1969 the 39th Tactical Electronic Warfare Squadron was activated at Spangdahlem Air Base and assigned to the 36th TFW. The 39th TEWS flew the Douglas EB-66C/E "Destroyer" aircraft which engaged in various forms of electronic warfare. The B-66s were identified with tail Code BV, with a black stripe on tail.

In August 1972 the 52d TFW was activated at Spandahlem. With this activation, the 39th TEWS and the 23d TFS were transferred to the 52d TFW. The tail coding of the 36th TFW aircraft were also standardized with "BT.

In 1977 Project Ready Eagle brought the McDonnell-Douglas F-15A to the 36th TFW. The first F-15A's arrived at Bitburg on 7 January 1977. These were two TF-15A trainers (serial numbers 75-049 and 75-050), that had flown non-stop from Langley AFB Virginia in seven and a half hours.

These Eagles were to be used primarily for ground crew familiarization in anticipation of the arrival of the 525th TFS's first F-15As. The 23 aircraft for this first operational squadron left Langley on 27 April 1977 for a mass Atlantic crossing. Over the following months the aircraft for two other squadrons (22nd TFS and 53rd TFS) arrived. The 36th TFW's full strength of 79 fully-operational F-15As was reached in December 1977. Project Ready Eagle was completed in precisely one year.

On 1 October 1994 Bitburg AB was closed by the Base Closure Committee in 1994 when it was turned over to the German government. The 36th Fighter Wing was deactivated in place, then reactivated without personnel or equipment at Andersen AFB, Guam the same day, taking over as the host unit there as the 36 Air Base Wing.

[edit] Post Cold War Era

Bitburg Air Base was temporarily reopened by US Air Force in 1996 when repairs were need to the flightline of nearby Spangdahlem Air Base and is now known as the Bitburg Annex.

Bitburg Air Base "Base Housing" is currently serving as housing for part of the Spangdahlem Air Base and the Bitburg Annex contingents. The base housing is also provided for a nearby Army base in Butzweiler. Bitburg High School is the American high school located on the base, with the mascot being the Barons.

As of August 2006, Bitburg is in the process of being closed and returned back to the Germans. Housing from Bitburg is being moved to Spangdahlem AB.

[edit] See also

United States Air Force In Germany

[edit] References

Ravenstein, Charles A., Air Force Combat Wings Lineage and Honors Histories 1947-1977, Office of Air Force History, 1984

Endicott, Judy G., USAF Active Flying, Space, and Missile Squadrons as of 1 October 1995. Office of Air Force History

Fletcher, Harry R., Air Force Bases Volume II, Active Air Force Bases outside the United States of America on 17 September 1982, Office of Air Force History, 1989