Ramstein AFB
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Ramstein Air Base is located approximately two miles west of Landstuhl, one-and-one-half miles east of the city of Ramstein, and seven-and one-half miles west of the city of Kaiserslautern. Ramstein AB is in the German state of Rheinland-Pfalz and is part of the Kaiserslautern Military Community--the largest American community outside the United States.
The host unit at Ramstein Air Base is the 86th Airlift Wing (86 AW) which falls under 3rd Air Force (3AF), headquartered in the United Kingdom, and are further assigned under United States Air Forces in Europe (USAFE) headquartered at Ramstein AB.
Ramstein is also a North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) installation. Besides Americans, the installation's population is comprised of Canadian, German, British, French, Belgian, and Dutch forces.
The wing's mission is the operation and maintenance of airlift assets composed of C-130s, C-9s, C-20s, and C-21s throughout Europe, Africa, and the Middle East.
The completion of construction by German firms in 1953 initially resulted in two separate installations--Ramstein to the north and Landstuhl Air Base to the south of Kisling Avenue. Although called an air base, the north side had and still has no hangars or runway.
The runway, hangars, control tower, ramps, and other flight-related facilities were located on Landstuhl.
In the 1950s, name changes accompanied the growing pains of the new bases. On 1 December 1957, the two bases were consolidated into the largest NATO controlled air base on the continent. It was awkwardly called Ramstein-Landstuhl AB, but later, through common usage, by its present name, Ramstein.
In January 1953, the base was the home of the 86th Fighter Bomber Wing with its F-84F aircraft, and later all-weather F-86D "Sabre" jets, and in August 1954, the name of the wing was changed to reflect a new mission. It became the 86th Fighter Interceptor Wing.
The 86th Fighter Interceptor Wing would later be transferred to Zweibruecken Air Base, Germany, but they would return to Ramstein in January 1973 as the 86th Tactical Fighter Wing, The 26th TRW would be assigned in 1966 to Ramstein and later reassigned to Zweibrucken AFB in 1973.
In the early '50's, the Seventeenth Air Force controlled Air Force assets in central Europe, including bases in Germany. 17th Air Force headquarters moved from Libya to Ramstein on Nov. 15, 1959.
Seventeenth Air Force Headquarters moved to Sembach Air Base, Germany, on Nov. 10, 1972 to make room for United States Air Forces in Europe (USAFE) headquarters at Ramstein. By March 1973 , the USAFE Commander in Chief's flag was officially transferred to Ramstein from Wiesbaden AB.
With USAFE's arrival, Ramstein entered a period of expansion unsurpassed in the base's history, as it became the hub of the largest community of Americans outside the United States.
In June 1985, the 316th Air Division was activated, centralizing command authority at Ramstein. The 86th Tactical Fighter Wing became the division's flight operations arm, while the newly formed 377th Combat Support Wing, also activated in 1985, became responsible for the logistical and administrative support on base. The 316th Air Division was deactivated 1 May 1991, and the 86th Tactical Fighter Wing merged with the 377 Combat Support Wing to form the 86th Fighter Wing.
In July 1994 the last of the F-16 aircraft left Ramstein and the wing's C-130s moved in. The wing was redesignated the 86th Airlift Wing on 1 October 1994, with three flying squadrons. The 37th Airlift Squadron operates C-130 aircraft equipped with the Adverse Weather Aerial Delivery System and Air Defense System.
The 75th Airlift Squadron operates C-9 Aeromedical Evacuation aircraft, while the 76th Airlift Squadron provides operational support and distinguished visitor airlift throughout the theater.
The present host unit at Ramstein Air Base has been the 86th Airlift Wing since its activation date of 1 October 1994. The 86th Airlift Wing Commander serves a dual role as Wing and Kaiserslautern Military Community commander.
On August 28, (1988) more than 300,000 people gathered at Ramstein US Air Force Base near Frankfurt, West Germany. They had come to watch performances by aerobatic teams, the annual Flug Tag Air Show.
The day turned to tragedy when three jets of Italy's Frecce Tricolor (Tricolor Arrows) collided above the crowd. Approximately 500 people were injured (most of them burned) and 69 people were killed at the base or died later from their injuries.
