Sumpter Smith Air National Guard Base

Sumpter Smith Air National Guard Base (IATA: BHM, ICAO: KBHM, FAA LID: BHM) is a United States Air Force (USAF) installation located at a Birmingham, Alabama in the United States. It hosts the 117th Air Refueling Wing, part of the Air National Guard, which operates the KC-135R Stratotanker. The base was previously known as Alabama Air National Guard Base.

For civil use of the airfield, see Birmingham–Shuttlesworth International Airport.
Sumpter Smith Air National Guard Base
Near Birmingham, Alabama in United States of America
Several KC-135R Stratotankers of the 117th Air Refueling Wing parked on the flight line at Sumpter Smith Air National Guard Base.
Sumpter Smith
Location in the United States
Coordinates33°33′50″N 086°45′08″W
TypeAir National Guard Base
Site information
OwnerDepartment of Defense
OperatorUS Air Force (USAF)
Controlled byAir National Guard (ANG)
ConditionOperational
Websitewww.117arw.ang.af.mil/
Site history
Built1934 (1934)–1938
In use1938 – present
Garrison information
Current
commander		Colonel Scott Grant
Garrison117th Air Refueling Wing
Airfield information
IdentifiersIATA: BHM, ICAO: KBHM, FAA LID: BHM, WMO: 722280
Elevation198.1 metres (650 ft) AMSL
Runways
Direction Length and surface
6/24 3,659.7 metres (12,007 ft) Asphalt
18/36 2,163.7 metres (7,099 ft) Asphalt
Airfield shared with Birmingham–Shuttlesworth International Airport
Source: Federal Aviation Administration[1]

History
A KC-135R Stratotanker departing with the Alabama Air National Guard hangars and buildings behind.

The base is named after United States Army Air Forces Colonel Walter Sumpter Smith who was born on 12 February 12 1896 in Belle Ellen, Alabama and became an electrical engineer and a pilot. In 1921, Smith was appointed to the 106th Observation Squadron of the Alabama National Guard and commissioned as a first lieutenant at Roberts Field in Birmingham, Alabama. He reached the rank of lieutenant colonel on August 12, 1932 and colonel in 1942.[2]

In 1934, the facilities at Roberts Field became less adequate and the local government decided to build a new facility which became Birmingham Municipal Airport. In 1938, after four years of construction, the 106th Observation Squadron moved to the new base.[2]

As a testimony to Smith’s role in the development and construction, the base was eventually named Sumpter Smith Air National Guard Base. It remained that way until sometime during the early 1990s when the name evolved to the Alabama Air National Guard Base, Birmingham, Alabama. It’s not really clear why the name changed and no official documents have been found. A push was made to restore the name of the base to Sumpter Smith Air National Guard Base and was made official during the summer of 2017.[2]

Based units

Flying and notable non-flying units based at Sumpter Smith Air National Guard Base.[3]

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

United States Air Force

Air National Guard

Air Mobility Command

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See also

References

 This article incorporates public domain material from the United States Air Force document: Senior Master Sgt. Ken Johnson. "A Return to Sumpter Smith". Retrieved 22 February 2020.

  1. "Airport Diagram – Birmingham–Shuttlesworth Intl (BHM)" (PDF). Federal Aviation Administration. 30 January 2020. Retrieved 22 February 2020.
  2. Johnson, Senior Master Sgt. Ken (11 November 2017). "A Return to Sumpter Smith". 117th Air Refueling Wing. US Air Force. Retrieved 22 February 2020.
  3. "Units". 117th Air Refuelling Wing. US Air Force. Retrieved 22 February 2020.
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