MacDill AFB is located eight miles south of downtown Tampa. Now an operational base, MacDill has about 6,000 airmen and civilians on 5,000 acres, located on the Southwestern tip of the Interbay Peninsula on the west coast of Florida.

Activated in 1941, MacDill Army Air Base was named after Col. Leslie MacDill who died in a plane crash near Washington D.C. in 1938. Its first mission was training World War II airmen on B-17 and B-26 aircraft. The base has gone through many changes and military conflicts in its 60 years, including a stint on the Base Realignment and Closure hit list in 1991.

During the Spanish-American War (1898), Tampa, because of its strategic location, was chosen as a rendezvous point for troops heading south to help Cuba gain independence from Spain. Approximately 10,000 of the 66,000 troops in Tampa waiting for ships headed to Cuba set up camp around what was then known as Port Tampa City, which bordered what is now MacDill AFB.

There are several dates surrounding the history of MacDill AFB. Official records report an establishment date of 24 May 1939, date construction began 6 September 1939, date of beneficial occupancy 11 March 1940 and formal dedication 16 April 1941. This last date is normally associated with the age of the base.

Originally known as Southeast Air Base, Tampa, and later named MacDill Field in honor of Colonel Leslie MacDill, the field became MacDill Air Force Base shortly after the establishment of the United States Air Force in 1947.

Flying operations at MacDill began in 1941 with the base’s first mission including transitional training in the B-17 Flying Fortress. Following the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, MacDill became a major staging area for Army Air Corps flight crews and aircraft.

In 1943 the base discontinued B-26 training and returned to B-17 training which continued through the end of World War II. During the war as many as 15,000 troops were stationed at MacDill at one time. Estimates of the number of crew members trained at the base vary from 50,000 to 120,000.

Several bases in Florida, including MacDill, served as detention centers for German prisoners-of-war (POWs) in the latter part of 1944 and 1945. At its apex, 488 POWs were interned at MacDill. Following the end of hostilities in Europe, MacDill transitioned to a B-29 training base in January 1945, and after the war, continued B-29 training through 1953.

After World War II, MacDill became an operational base for Strategic Air Command with training activities focused around P-51, B-29, and in 1950, B-50 training. In 1951, MacDill’s operational mission transitioned to new B-47 medium jet bombers and KC-97 tanker aircraft, with a primary mission as a strategic bombardment and air refueling base.

MacDill’s operational mission transitioned in 1951 to B-47 medium jet bombers and KC-97 tanker aircraft, with a primary mission as a strategic bombardment and air refueling base.

Plans to close MacDill surfaced in 1960, however the Cuban Missile Crisis highlighted the strategic location of the base and led to a reprieve of the planned cutbacks. In 1961 the United States Strike Command was established at MacDill as a unified command with integrated personnel from all branches of the military capable of responding to global crisis.

The base began training crews in F-84 aircraft in 1962, and MacDill became a Tactical Air Command base in 1963. In 1965, MacDill’s two combat-ready F-4 wings (the 12th and 15th Tactical Fighter Wings) deployed to Vietnam. The 12th’s deployment became permanent while the 15 TFW returned to MacDill and became a replacement training unit with F-4 and B-57 aircraft.

In 1970, the 1st Tactical Fighter Wing moved to MacDill replacing the 15 TFW and continued F-4 training, losing the B-57 mission in 1972. MacDill’s US Strike Command was redesignated US Readiness Command in 1972. In 1975, the 56 TFW replaced the 1 TFW and continued F-4 training until 1979 when F-16 aircraft were brought to the base. The Rapid Deployment Joint Task Force, forerunner of US Central Command, activated at MacDill in 1983.

In 1987, US Special Operations Command replaced US Readiness Command. Helicopter operations ended at MacDill in 1987 after more than 25 years of service. Between 1979 and 1993 approximately half of all F-16 pilots were trained at MacDill. During Operation Desert Shield and Desert Storm, accelerated training programs expanded to allow many pilots to go straight from initial training to combat units in the gulf.

In 1991, due to military downsizing, the Defense Base Closure and Realignment Commission (DBCRC) required MacDill to cease all flying operations by 1993. The action effectively transferred MacDill’s 100-plus F-16 mission to Luke AFB, Arizona.

1993 legislation reversed the flightline closure ruling and allowed the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to transfer to MacDill to utilize the runway The base became home to the 6th Air Base Wing in 1994 with a primary mission of operating the base in support of US Central Command, US Special Operations Command, and a large number of tenant and transient units.

In late 1994 the base quickly became a major staging area for operations in Haiti when the flightline became a temporary home to approximately 75 C-130 aircraft. The successful operation highlighted MacDill’s strategic location and flightline capabilities, which in turn led to the 1995 DBCRC’s recommendation to bring a KC-135 refueling mission to MacDill.

In 1995, BRAC recommended keeping the base flightline open and relocating the 43rd Air Refueling Group from Malmstrom AFB, Mont., to MacDill. The wing operates KC-135 tankers. Those planes started arriving at MacDill in 1997. In 1996, MacDill's host unit, the 6th Air Base Wing, was redesignated the 6th Air Refueling Wing and 21st Air Force and Air Mobility Command. Because KC-135 tankers are larger than F-16s (previously assigned to MacDill), engineers had to retrofit hangars and facilities to operate and maintain them.

In 1996 the base’s host wing redesignation to an Air Refueling Wing marked the beginning of a new era for MacDill. The redesignation marked the addition of a KC-135R squadron and mission which expanded in 1997 with the add-on of EC-135 and CT-43 aircraft and missions.

Since the redesignation, MacDill and the 6th Air Refueling Wing, have contributed to military operations around the world at locations including Istres, France; Ramstein AB, Germany; Soto Cano and Taszar, Hungary; Zagreb, Croatia; Tuzla, Bosnia; Incirlik AB, Turkey; and Al Kharj and Riyadh, Saudia Arabia.

During the Spanish-American War (1898), Tampa, because of its strategic location, was chosen as a rendezvous point for troops heading south to help Cuba gain independence from Spain. Approximately 10,000 of the 66,000 troops in Tampa waiting for ships headed to Cuba set up camp around what was then known as Port Tampa City, which bordered what is now MacDill AFB.

There are several dates surrounding the history of MacDill AFB. Official records report an establishment date of 24 May 1939, date construction began 6 September 1939, date of beneficial occupancy 11 March 1940 and formal dedication 16 April 1941. This last date is normally associated with the age of the base.

F-4 Phantom II Comes To MacDill

As the USAF was ramping up to take delivery of their first F-4 Phantom II the 4453rd CCTS was activated at MacDill AFB, Florida, to serve as the Phantom II transition unit. Activation activities spanned the period between 1 Jan and 30 Jun 1963. The squadron was organized and assigned to the USAF Combat Crew Training School, which was likewise activated at MacDill AFB on 1 Jan 1963.

During this period the initial cadre of USAF transition aircrews were undergoing Phase I upgrade training, presumably via the U.S. Navy's Replacement Air Group (RAG) training squadrons, VF-101 at NAS Oceana, Virginia and VF-121 at NAS Miramar, California.

Following completion of this transition training these pilots served as the Instructor Pilots (IP) for the first dedicated classes of USAF Phantom II aircrews. The maintenance personnel were likewise attending USN technical schools at these two Naval Air Stations and elsewhere.

The mission of the 4453rd CCTS, as directed by the 836 Air Division (836 AD), was to give initial transition and instrument training for the F-4 and RF-4C aircraft instructor pilots and aircraft commanders. In addition, they were to train F/RF-4C aircrews to meet operational readiness dates of the converting tactical fighter units.

The 4453rd CCTS hold the unique place in Phantom II history as the only USAF unit to actually equip with the Navy F-4B. The USAF-ordered F-4C would not be rolling off the St. Louis production line in time for initial training so the USAF "borrowed" 27 USN F-4B's fresh off the production line, with a few USAF-specific modifications, to equip the 4453rd CCTS.

On 4 Feb Col. Stanton T. Smith, Commander, 836 AD and Lt. Col. Jerry F. Hogue, Headquarters, TAC, ferried the first F-4B in from the production line to MacDill AFB. A total of 27 F-4B's were delivered between February and July.

By late in the year the issue of the aircraft traffic and ramp space became an issue. The 12th TFW and 15th TFW, both equipped with the F-84, had priority for facility assignments. The ramping up of the 4453rd CCTS was creating a genuine traffic jam.

The over-crowding became bad enough that by July it was necessary for the new operating location for the 4453rd CCTS to be established. Davis-Monthan AFB, Arizona, was selected and preparations got under way for the move. A rare treat for the troops was enjoyed on 18 Nov when President John F. Kennedy paid a visit to MacDill AFB.

The first two USAF-ordered F-4C's arrived on 20 November. BGen. Gilbert L. Meyers, Commander, 836 AD and Col. Frank K. "Pete" Everest, Commander, 4453rd CCTS, were at the controls of F-4C's 63-7415 and 63-7416. Lt. Gen. Charles B. Westover, Vice Commander, TAC, was on hand to formally accept on behalf of TAC, these aircraft.

Tragically the President was assassinated only days later--the first official mission for the 4453rd CCTS aircrews was to take part in the military fly-over at the State funeral.

Four additional F-4C's were received in December for a year-end inventory of 27 F-4B and 6 F-4C. The squadron reached Initial Operational Capability (IOC) in the F-4C in December 1964.

To prepare for a move to Davis-Monthan, TAC issued orders redesignating and reorganizing the squadron from the 4453rd CCTS to the 4453rd CCTG to be effective 1 Jan 1964. This reorganizing involved organizing two new squadrons, the 4457th CCTS and 4458th CCTS.

However, even before the time arrived TAC issued a second set of reorganizing orders on 17 Dec 1963, dropping the 4457th and 4458th CCTS, in favor of four new squadrons, the 4454th, 4455th, 4456th and 4457th CCTS's, effective 1 January.

The actual move to Davis-Monthan AFB begain effective 8 January. Based at MacDill AFB the four CCTS squadrons took delivery of new production F-4C's, relieving the need for the USN F-4B's, which were returned to the Navy as the F-4C's arrived (likely a one-for-one transfer).

While assigned to the 4455th CCTS at Davis-Monthan, I had the honor of working for Lt Col John C. Holly, The Unit Commander and also with a visitor from "down under" was assigned during November. Squadron Leader Frederick M. Kinvig, New Zealand Air Force, was an exchanged pilot serving as an F-4C instructor Pilot for the 4453rd CCTW.