Scott Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base in St. Clair County, Illinois, near Belleville and O'Fallon, east-southeast of downtown St. Louis. Originally Scott Field, it was one of 32 Air Service training camps established after the United States entered World War I in April 1917. The present base serves as the headquarters of Air Mobility Command (AMC) and its showcase wing, and it is also the headquarters of the U.S. Transportation Command, a unified combatant command that coordinates transportation across all the services.

The base is operated by the 375th Air Mobility Wing (375 AMW) and is also home to the Air Force Reserve Command's 932d Airlift Wing (932 AW) and the Illinois Air National Guard's 126th Air Refueling Wing (126 ARW), the latter two units being operationally under AMC.

As of this date, the base employs 13,000 people, 5,100 civilians with 5,500 active-duty Air Force, and an additional 2,400 Air National Guard and Reserve personnel. The Air Force announced in June 2014 that two new cybersecurity squadrons will be added to the three currently on base.

Its airfield is also used by civilian aircraft, with civilian operations at the base referring to the facility as MidAmerica St. Louis Airport. MidAmerica has operated as a Joint Use Airport since beginning operations in November 1997.

History

World War I

During World War I, Secretary of War Newton Baker advocated an expanded role for aviation. Business and political leaders on both sides of the Mississippi River wanted the Midwest to be chosen as a site for one of the new "flying fields." Aerial expert Albert Bond Lambert joined the St. Louis Chamber of Commerce and directors of the Greater Belleville Board of Trade to negotiate a lease agreement for nearly 624 acres of land.

After inspecting several sites, the U.S. War Department agreed to the lease June 14, 1917. Congress appropriated $10 million for its construction, and 2,000 laborers and carpenters were immediately put to work. The layout of Scott Field was typical of aviation fields built during World War I. Construction began in June 1917. The government gave the Unit Construction Company 60 days to erect approximately 60 buildings, lay a mile-long railroad spur, and to level off an airfield with a 1,600 foot landing circle. Construction was underway when the government announced, on July 20, 1917, that it would name the new field after Corporal Frank S. Scott, the first enlisted service member killed in an aviation crash.

Training units assigned to Scott Field were:

  • Post Headquarters, Scott Field – October 1919
  • 114th Aero Squadron, February 1918

: Re-designated as Squadron "A", July–November 1918

  • 221st Aero Squadron, December 1917

: Re-designated as Squadron "B", July–November 1918

  • 242d Aero Squadron (II), April 1918

: Re-designated as Squadron "C", July–November 1918

  • Squadron "D", July–November 1918
  • Flying School Detachment (Consolidation of Squadrons A–D), November 1918 – November 1919

By 2 September, William Couch, a civilian flying instructor, and Scott Field Commander, Major George E. A. Reinburg, made the first flight from Scott Field in a Standard J-1 two-seater biplane. At least seven J-1s were already on Scott; by the time the first Curtiss JN-4D "Jenny" arrived. Operable from the front or rear seat, the 8-cylinder, 90- horsepower, Jenny would become the primary trainer used on Scott Field.

Consistent with the transformation of the facility, Major John A. Paegelow was selected as commanding officer of the facility in 1923, succeeding Colonel C. G. Hall who left the facility "to pursue a course of instruction in rigid airships with the Navy." Paegelow had been during World War I the commander of all Allied lighter-than-air activities on the warfront.

Throughout the USAF transition, Scott's primary mission remained technical training; however, Scott's aeromedical evacuation mission continued to grow. By the end of 1950, Douglas C-54 Skymasters were bringing 200 patients a week to Scott.

thumb|Scott Air Force Base, 2008

Major Commands to which assigned

  • Signal Corps, U.S. Army, 20 July 1917
  • Bureau of Military Aeronautics, 20 May 1918
  • United States Army Air Service, 24 May 1918
  • United States Army Air Corps, 2 July 1926
  • General Headquarters Air Force, 1 March
  • Air Corps Technical Service (exempted station), 1 July 1939
  • Air Corps Technical Training Command, 26 March 1941
  • AAF Training Command, 31 July 1943

: Re-designated: Air Training Command, 1 July 1946

  • Military Air Transport Service, 1 October 1957
  • Military Airlift Command, 1 January 1966
  • Air Mobility Command, 1 June 1992 – present

Major units assigned

  • Post Headquarters, Camp Scott, 1 September 1917 – 1920
  • Army Balloon and Airship School, 26 June 1922 – 30 June 1937
  • Air Corps/AAF/USAF Technical School, 1 June 1939 – 1 April 1959
  • 3505th Army Air Forces Base Unit, 1 May 1944 – 28 August 1948
  • 3310th Technical Training Wing, 26 August 1948 – 1 April 1959
  • Headquarters, Air Training Command, 17 October 1949 – 17 July 1957
  • 85th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron, 1 November 1952 – 1 July 1959
  • 1731st Air Transport Squadron, 1 June 1952 – 8 November 1956
  • 11th Aeromedical Transport Squadron, 8 November 1956 – 30 September 2003
  • 73d Troop Carrier/Military Airlift/Aeromedical Airlift Squadron, 16 November 1957 – present
  • 3310th Air Base Group

: Later 1405th Air Base Group, 1 October 1957 – 12 January 1966

  • Headquarters, Air Weather Service, 23 June 1958 – 15 October 1997
  • Headquarters, Air Force Communications Service, 15 January 1968 – 16 July 1970
  • Headquarters, Military Air Transport Service, 15 January 1958 – 1 January 1966
  • Headquarters, Military Airlift Command, 1 January 1966

: Re-designated: Air Mobility Command, 1 June 1992 – present

  • 932d Troop Carrier/Military Airlift/Aeromedical Airlift Group/Wing (AFRC), 11 February 1963 – present
  • 375th Airlift Wing, 12 January 1966 – present
  • 126th Air Refueling Wing (ANG), 31 July 1999 – present
  • Eighteenth Air Force, 1 October 2003 – present

Units marked GSU are Geographically Separate Units, which although based at Scott, are subordinate to a parent unit based at another location.

United States Air Force

Air Mobility Command (AMC)

  • Headquarters Air Mobility Command
  • 618th Air Operations Center
  • 618th Air Communications Squadron
  • Eighteenth Air Force
  • Headquarters Eighteenth Air Force
  • 375th Air Mobility Wing (Host Wing)
  • Headquarters 375th Air Mobility Wing
  • 375th Comptroller Squadron
  • 375th Operations Group
  • 54th Airlift Squadron – C-40C Clipper
  • 375th Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron
  • 375th Operations Support Squadron
  • 458th Airlift Squadron – C-21A Learjet
  • 906th Air Refueling Squadron – KC-135R Stratotanker
  • 375th Communications Group
  • 375th Communications Squadron
  • 375th Communications Support Squadron
  • 375th Medical Group
  • 375th Aerospace Medicine Squadron
  • 375th Dental Squadron
  • 375th Medical Support Squadron
  • 375th Medical Operations Squadron
  • 375th Mission Support Group
  • 375th Civil Engineer Squadron
  • 375th Contracting Squadron
  • 375th Force Support Squadron
  • 375th Logistics Readiness Squadron
  • 375th Security Forces Squadron

Air Combat Command (ACC)

  • Cyberspace Capabilities Center
  • Sixteenth Air Force
  • 67th Cyberspace Wing
  • 567th Cyberspace Operations Group (GSU)
  • 835th Cyberspace Operations Squadron
  • 837th Cyberspace Operations Squadron
  • 557th Weather Wing
  • 1st Weather Group
  • 15th Operational Weather Squadron (GSU)

Air Force Materiel Command (AFMC)

  • 635th Supply Chain Operations Wing
  • Headquarters 635th Supply Chain Operations Wing
  • 635th Supply Chain Operations Group
  • 435th Supply Chain Operations Squadron
  • 436th Supply Chain Operations Squadron
  • 437th Supply Chain Operations Squadron
  • Air Force Installation and Mission Support Center
  • Detachment 9 (GSU)

Air Force District of Washington

  • US Air Force Bands
  • The US Air Force Band of Mid-America (GSU)

Air Force Field Operating Agencies

  • Air Force Manpower Analysis Agency
  • Operating Location - Scott (GSU)
  • Operating Location - USTRANSCOM (GSU)

Air National Guard (ANG)

  • Illinois Air National Guard
  • 126th Air Refueling Wing
  • Headquarters 126th Air Refueling Wing
  • 126th Operations Group
  • 108th Air Refueling Squadron – KC-135R Stratotanker
  • 126th Maintenance Group
  • 126th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron
  • 126th Maintenance Squadron
  • 126th Maintenance Operations Flight
  • 126th Mission Support Group
  • 126th Civil Engineer Squadron
  • 126th Force Support Squadron
  • 126th Security Forces Squadron
  • 126th Logistics Readiness Squadron
  • 126th Communications Flight
  • 126th Medical Group

Air Force Reserve Command (AFRC)

  • Twenty-Second Air Force
  • 932nd Airlift Wing
  • Headquarters 932nd Airlift Wing
  • 932nd Operations Group
  • 12th Operations Weather Flight
  • 73rd Airlift Squadron – C-40C Clipper
  • 932nd Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron
  • 932nd Operations Support Flight
  • 932nd Maintenance Group
  • 932nd Maintenance Squadron
  • 932nd Maintenance Operations Flight
  • 932nd Aircraft Maintenance Squadron
  • 932nd Medical Group
  • 932nd Aerospace Medicine Squadron
  • 932nd Aeromedical Staging Squadron
  • 932nd Medical Squadron
  • 932nd Mission Support Group
  • 932nd Civil Engineer Squadron
  • 932nd Force Support Squadron
  • 932nd Logistics Readiness Flight
  • 932nd Military Personnel Flight
  • 932nd Security Forces Squadron
  • 932nd Services Flight
  • Tenth Air Force
  • 960th Cyberspace Wing
  • 960th Cyberspace Operations Group
  • 42d Cyberspace Operations Squadron (GSU)

Civil Air Patrol (CAP)

  • Great Lakes Region
  • Illinois Wing
  • Group 1
  • Scott Composite Squadron (IL-205)

United States Army

United States Army Transportation Command (ARTRANS)

  • Headquarters United States Army Transportation Command
  • Transportation Engineering Agency

Department of Defense

United States Transportation Command (USTRANSCOM)

  • Headquarters United States Transportation Command
  • Joint Operational Support Airlift Center

Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA)

  • DISA Global Operations Center East

Geography

thumb|260px|Location of Scott AFB CDP in [[St. Clair County, Illinois|St. Clair County and the state of Illinois]]

The residential part of the base is a census-designated place; the population was 3,612 at the 2010 census.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the base has a total area of , all land.

Demographics

{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center;"

|+Scott AFB CDP, Illinois – Racial and ethnic composition<br><small></small>

!Race / Ethnicity <small>(NH = Non-Hispanic)</small>

!Pop 2000

!Pop 2010

!style="background-color: #ffffb3;" |Pop 2020

!% 2000

!% 2010

!style="background-color: #ffffb3;" |% 2020

|-

|White alone (NH)

|2,085

|2,489

|style='background: #ffffe6; |2,277

|77.02%

|68.91%

|style='background: #ffffe6; |61.74%

|-

|Black or African American alone (NH)

|366

|530

|style='background: #ffffe6; |457

|13.52%

|14.67%

|style='background: #ffffe6; |12.39%

|-

|Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH)

|8

|6

|style='background: #ffffe6; |7

|0.30%

|0.17%

|style='background: #ffffe6; |0.19%

|-

|Asian alone (NH)

|72

|78

|style='background: #ffffe6; |148

|2.66%

|2.16%

|style='background: #ffffe6; |4.01%

|-

|Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander alone (NH)

|2

|14

|style='background: #ffffe6; |14

|0.07%

|0.39%

|style='background: #ffffe6; |0.38%

|-

|Other race alone (NH)

|5

|2

|style='background: #ffffe6; |30

|0.18%

|0.06%

|style='background: #ffffe6; |0.81%

|-

|Mixed race or Multiracial (NH)

|59

|270

|style='background: #ffffe6; |304

|2.18%

|7.48%

|style='background: #ffffe6; |8.24%

|-

|Hispanic or Latino (any race)

|110

|320

|style='background: #ffffe6; |451

|4.06%

|8.86%

|style='background: #ffffe6; |12.23%

|-

|Total

|2,707

|3,709

|style='background: #ffffe6; |3,688

|100.00%

|100.00%

|style='background: #ffffe6; |100.00%

|}

As of the census of 2000, there were 2,707 people, 682 households, and 662 families residing on the base. The population density was . There were 715 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the base was 78.9% White, 13.5% Black or African American, 0.3% Native American, 3.0% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 1.8% from other races, and 2.4% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino people of any race were 4.1% of the population.

There were 682 households, out of which 78.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 90.5% were married couples living together, 4.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 2.9% were non-families. Of all households, 2.8% were made up of individuals, and none had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.83, and the average family size was 3.90.

On the base the age distribution of the population shows 44.7% under the age of 18, 7.8% ages 18 to 24, 40.6% ages 25 to 44, 6.6% ages 45 to 64, and 0.3% were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 22 years. For every 100 females there were 100.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 99.2 males.

The median income for a household on the base was $51,290, and the median income for a family was $52,258. Males had a median income of $39,289 versus $24,674 for females. The per capita income for the base was $15,421. About 0.9% of families and 1.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 1.9% of those under age 18 and none of those age 65 or over.

Public transportation

Light rail

Shiloh–Scott station links Scott Air Force Base with direct trains to downtown St. Louis on MetroLink's Red Line. One-ride and all-day tickets can be purchased from vending machines on the platforms. MetroLink lines provide direct or indirect service to St. Louis, the Clayton area, St. Louis Lambert International Airport, and Illinois suburbs in St. Clair County.

Bus

Five MetroBus Illinois lines serve Scott Air Force Base via Shiloh–Scott station:

  • 12 O'Fallon Fairview Heights
  • 17X Lebanon – Mascoutah Express
  • 20X New Baden Express
  • 21 Main Base Shuttle
  • 21X East Base Shuttle

Additionally, the St. Clair County Transit District operates the SCCTD Flyer, a flexible routing bus, on the grounds of Scott Air Force Base along with the MidAmerica Airport Shuttle connecting Shiloh–Scott station with the passenger terminal.

The location was featured in the 2018 film Rampage.

Scenes from the 2021 Netflix film Don't Look Up are set at Scott Air Force Base.

See also

  • Illinois World War II Army Airfields
  • Central (later Eastern) Technical Training Command
  • Central Air Defense Force (Air Defense Command)
  • List of Training Section Air Service airfields

References

Further reading

  • Kennedy, Betty R. An Illustrated History of Scott Air Force Base, 1917–1987. Scott AFB, Ill: Military Airlift Command, Historical Office, U.S. Air Force, 1987.
  • Scott Air Force Base. Baton Rouge, La: Army and Navy Pub. Co, 1950.
  • Scott Air Force Base. [S.l.]: Book On Demand Ltd, 2012.
  • Warner, Patricia K. A Brief History of Scott Air Force Base, 1917–1992. Scott AFB, Ill: Twenty-second Air Force, Military Airlift Command, U.S. Air Force, 1992.
  • Scott AFB
  • 360 Degree Virtual Tour of Scott Heritage Air Park