Open House doc.indd - Kirtland Air Force Base

commander’s welcome
ladies and Gentlemen,
On behalf of everyone here
at Team Kirtland, I’m pleased
to welcome you to the 2011
Kirtland Air Force Base Open
House. Kirtland AFB is home
to the 377th Air Base Wing
and more than 100 mission
partners.
With a total workforce
of more than 21,000 people,
Kirtland is the largest employer
in New Mexico, with a
annual total economic impact
of $7.8 billion.
Thank you for joining
us as we observe two major
milestones in the history of
this installation – 70 years of
American military airpower
and 40 years since the merger
of three former bases here
into Kirtland Air Force Base
– sandia, Manzano and Kirtland.
Kirtland AFB is named in
honor of col. Roy c. Kirtland,
one of the Army’s earliest
aviation pioneers. He was the
third-oldest military pilot in
the u.s. Army Air corps at
the time of his death in 1941,
having earned his pilot’s wings
in 1911.
Military aviation history
here started before the creation
of the u.s. Air Force as
a separate military service on
sept. 18, 1947. since 1939,
u.s. Army and Navy aviators
had been using the Albuquerque
Municipal Airport for
aircraft refueling and maintenance.
All these years later,
military flight operations here
still share the runway with
commercial airlines at the Albuquerque
sunport.
In 2011, we mark 70 years
of military aviation here. On
April 19, 1941, “Albuquerque
Army Air Base” was officially
declared ready to receive
the advance cadres of tactical
units that would prepare
bomber aircrews for combat
Col. David Hornyak
in World War II.
Aircrew training here
continues to this day, with the
58th special Operations Wing
producing air warriors for
worldwide special operations
missions and combat search
and rescue.
On July 1, 1971, Kirtland
AFB, sandia Base and Manzano
Base merged into one
entity under the name “Kirtland
AFB,” which has been the
installation’s name ever since.
I invite you to enjoy the
spectacular aerobatic performance
of the u.s. Air Force
Thunderbirds today, as well as
the aircraft static displays and
other exhibits we have set up
for your entertainment and
information.
The uniformed Airmen
flying and maintaining those
fighter jets, as well as all the
other men and women in
uniform, are all volunteers
who have chosen to serve
their country, putting service
above self at a time when our
nation needs their courage
to face a determined adversary.
We are proud to be your
neighbors and look forward to
continuing and expanding our
partnership with all the citizens
of Albuquerque and the
surrounding communities.
we salute you ...
In recognition of the men and women of
Kirtland Air Force Base and their families, we
are proud to partner with you in supporting
this year’s Open House.
4 | OPeN HOuse | Thunderbirds Air show | KAFB Nucleus