OnBase: Offutt Air Force Base

America's Command And Control Center

By Sarah J. Schmidt

Fall 2007

This may be the heartland of America, but you’ll find lots more than cows and corn at Offutt Air Force Base.

Located just minutes south of Omaha, Neb., Offutt hosts U.S. Strategic Command (STRATCOM), the 55th Wing and the Air Force Weather Agency. Offutt’s military record goes way back, having evolved from the roots of an historic Army outpost strategically situated in an area once recognized by Lewis and Clark as a prime location for trading and fortification.

There’s a lot of history here, starting with the homes along General’s Row, a gracious, tree-lined avenue of three-story brick Victorians that originally housed some of General Custer’s troops when the base was built in 1896. Known then as Fort Crook, it wasn’t until 1921 that a runway called Offutt Field was created. The availability of that Army airfield made the site attractive for construction of the Martin Aircraft Factory in the 1940s. It produced over 2,000 bombers during World War II, including the Enola Gay and Bock’s Car. The factory still stands today atop a small rise overlooking the runway, but it now functions as an office and services complex.

During the Cold War, Offutt was home to Strategic Air Command (SAC), the forerunner of today’s STRATCOM. Gen. Curtis E. LeMay, one of the most colorful aviators in American history, maintained an office here as SAC’s first commander. His office is now occupied by the 55th Wing Judge Advocate, but old-timers claim they still smell LeMay’s cigar smoke on hot summer days.

Intriguing Combinations

The Fightin’ 55th, as the Wing is known, operates an intriguing combination of intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance, and command and control aircraft. The Wing’s global reach stretches to detachments in Japan, England and Crete, plus various other locations, making it the largest wing in Air Combat Command. Seven different types of aircraft fly in the Wing’s inventory, including the RC-135 Rivet Joint reconnaissance aircraft and the E-4B National Airborne Operations Center (NAOC).

The RC-135 looks like a 707 with a big nose, but the interior has been completely modified to accommodate extensive intelligence collection and analysis equipment. With a mission crew of 21 to 27 technicians, it is able to detect and geolocate hundreds of communication signals around the globe. This high-tech outfit provides near real-time intel to operational commanders on the ground.

The NAOC is really a Boeing 747 outfitted as a military command post with a conference room, operations area, briefing room and communications area onboard. It carries a crew as large as 114, depending on the mission. The aircraft also sports nuclear and thermal shields and an advanced satellite communications system that improves its worldwide command and control capability. The aircraft is intended to be the President and Secretary of Defense’s command center if ground command centers are destroyed. For that reason, at least one NAOC is usually on alert somewhere in the world at all times.

This was one of the reasons Air Force One diverted to Offutt after the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. Although President Bush did not use the NAOC that day, he was taken instead to an underground command center built 60 feet below the ground at Offutt where he received some of the first comprehensive briefings after the 9/11 attacks.

Trading Post

Long regarded as an important trading post where settlers stocked up on supplies before heading west, Omaha today is surprisingly cosmopolitan. Cultural venues abound throughout the city, from the Durham Western Heritage Museum (inside a beautifully restored art deco train station) to the Joslyn Art Museum (a Smithsonian affiliate) to the Omaha Symphony (which frequently hosts a “petting zoo” for children to try out instruments and meet musicians before performances). The NCAA College Baseball World Series, played every year in Omaha, attracts international visitors and high-profile sports figures.

A short drive west of the city takes you to the Strategic Air and Space Museum (for non-airplane buffs, there’s a nice outlet mall and antiques emporium on the way). Despite the name, the museum is not officially connected to STRATCOM, but it nevertheless houses an impressive assortment of historic aircraft and artifacts.

Omaha also is home to billionaire Warren Buffett, who sometimes frequents local restaurants. Buffett leads a low-key life and is revered by locals, but he and many of his early shareholders in Berkshire Hathaway have been very generous to Omaha’s charitable organizations, spawning an amazing array of cultural offerings in the city. His long-term support of Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo is legendary. It boasts the world’s largest indoor desert, the Desert Dome, and the world’s largest indoor rainforest, the Lied Jungle. Definitely a must-see!

All these attractions, plus the strategic importance of Offutt’s mission, make the base as attractive today as this area was to Lewis and Clark in the early 1800s. Oh yes, the cows and corn are abundant here, too!

# # #

Attorney and military spouse Sarah J. Schmidt writes regularly for Military Money and other business publications. She spent two enjoyable years at Offutt and takes every opportunity to return for visits.

# # #

Offutt At A Glance

Cost of Living: Very affordable. Average cost of living is at least 10 percent below the rest of the nation, and housing costs are 22 percent lower, according to Census Bureau statistics.

Housing: Two years ago, all housing except the Airmen’s dorms at Offutt became privatized through a partnership of Omaha-based real estate companies called America First Communities. The initiative includes construction of 914 new units and the renovation of hundreds more over the next eight years. Because of this ongoing project, housing availability varies throughout the year. The housing market is affordable and plentiful off base, however. With privatization, living on base is similar to renting off base. A military member signs a lease for one year, then receives a basic allowance for housing (BAH) equal to the “rent” on the privatized base house, including utilities.

Employment: Opportunities abound here for all professions. Five Fortune 500 corporations are headquartered in Omaha, plus hundreds of smaller companies and non-profit organizations.

Schools: Nebraska public schools consistently score much higher than national averages, and the school districts around Offutt are among the best in the state. The Bellevue School District covers base housing, including three elementary schools located in the housing area. Surrounding districts include Papillion/LaVista, Ralston and Plattsmouth. More than 60 private and parochial schools also serve this area.

Higher Education: Two major medical schools, a law school and 15 other vocational institutions, colleges and universities serve the Offutt area, including Creighton University and the University of Nebraska. All levels of degree programs are available.

Climate: This region experiences all four seasons, with snow in the winter months. Summers are hot and dry. Nebraska sits in the “tornado belt,” so severe weather sometimes threatens in the spring and summer months.

Must Eat: This is beef country, so all the steakhouses are good. But nothing beats an Omaha Steak, grilled to your personal tastes in your own backyard. Offutt’s commissary stocks many varieties of these famous cuts, and they’re less expensive than if you purchase at one of their retail stores in town. However, the retail stores carry larger selections plus many accompaniments and gift packages.

Must See: Get tickets for any performance at historic Orpheum Theater or Rose Theatre, both located downtown. It’s worth the price just to see the interiors of these restored 1920s-era playhouses. It’s also worth your time to visit the original Father Flanagan’s Boys Home, made famous by the Oscar-winning Spencer Tracy movie. The home now encompasses a national network of charitable facilities for neglected boys and girls, but the original one founded in Omaha opens part of its campus daily for inspirational tours.

Must Do: Spend the night in the rainforest or the aquarium at one of the Henry Doorly Zoo’s annual “sleepovers.” Attend the annual Ak-sar-ben River City Roundup, a weeklong festival of rodeo, livestock and entertainment shows. (What’s Ak-sar-ben? Nebraska spelled backwards!).

« click here for more Home