Sewart Air Force Base

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Sewart Air Force Base
Smyrna, Tennessee
Smyrna Army Airfield - 1945
Type	Air Force Base
Built	1941
In use	1942-1947, 1948-197?
Controlled by	U.S. Army Air Corps U.S. Air Force
Garrison	314th Troop Carrier Wing 463d Troop Carrier Wing 64th Troop Carrier/Tactical Airlift Wing

Sewart Air Force Base is a former United States Air Force facility located near Smyrna, Tennessee, about 25 miles (40 km) southeast of Nashville.

1 History
2 314th Troop Carrier Wing
3 463d Troop Carrier Wing
4 64th Troop Carrier/Tactical Airlift Wing
5 Redevelopment
6 References
7 External links

[edit] History

The War Department ordered the construction of a Bombardment Air Base near Nashville on 22 December 1941, shortly after the attack by the Japanese on Pearl Harbor. A tract of land consisting of 3,325.11 acres located off US Route 70 in Rutherford County near Smyrna, Tennessee, was selected and acquired by the United States Army Air Force for use as an Army-Air Force Training Command Base.

Six thousand workers erected 200 buildings and air strips to accommodate 100 four-motor bombers to train crews for their tasks in the skies over Germany and Japan. By the end of January 1942 B-17 and B-24 bombers were soon operating from the base’s runways.

Throughout World War II military personnel soon became a common appearance at Smyrna Army Airfield. In 1947 the base was deactivated, however, the newly created United States Air Force re-activated the facility as Smyrna Air Force Base in 1948.

[edit] 314th Troop Carrier Wing

C-130A's at Sewart AFB, 1958

On 1 November 1948 the 314th Troop Carrier Wing was formed at Smyrna AFB. The mission of the 314th was a primary troop carrier unit in the eastern United States, involved in joint airborne training with Army forces, developed assault airlift operations, and participated in aerial demonstrations, exercises, maneuvers, and joint operations.

Transport Groups of the 314th were:

309th Group: 26 Jun 1949 - 20 Feb 1951
314th Group: 1 Nov 1948 - 8 Oct 1957
316th Group: 4 Nov 1949 - 14 Nov 1954
313th Group: 1 Oct 1953 - 8 Jun 1955
513th Group: 8 Nov 1955 - 8 Oct 1957
516th Group: 8 Mar 1955 - 9 Jul 1956

Squadrons of the 314th TCW were:

50th Troop Carrier: 8 Oct 1957 - 26 Dec 1965
61st Troop Carrier: 8 Oct 1957 - 1 Dec 1965
62d Troop Carrier: 8 Oct 1957 - 1 Dec 1965
18th Troop Carrier: 1 Jul 1963 - 1 Apr 1965

Cargo Aircraft assigned to the 314th were: C-82, 1948-1951; C-47, 1948-1953; CG-15 (glider), 1949-1951; C-119, 1949-1951; C-45, 1949-1951, 1954-1955; TC-46, 1950; C-46, 1952; C-123, 1956--1961; C-130, 1956- 1966

During the late 1950s, the 314th also hosted several helicopter squadrons:

20th Helicopter: 9 Jul 1956 - 17 Jul 1959
23d Helicopter: 9 Jul 1956 - 12 Oct 1956
24th Helicopter: 9 Jul 1956 - 25 Sep 1956
21st Helicopter: 30 Jun 1957 - 8 Oct 1957

These units flew the CH-21 Shawnee helicopter.

Smyrna AFB flourished in the late 1940s and 1950s. In the aftermath of World War II, the United States government renamed several military establishments in honor of fallen heroes. The Department of Defense chose to name the Smyrna base after native Tennessean Allan J. Sewart, Jr. of Nashville. On 25 March 1950, Sewart Air Force Base was officially dedicated in honor of the hero who died in a bombing mission over the Solomon Islands in November 1942.

In 1958, Sewart was the only operational C-130 base in the United States.

On 15 January 1966 the 314th Troop Carrier Wing was reassigned to Ching Chuan Kang Air Base (CCK), Taiwan to support the Vietnam War. The 314th also maintained a large detachment of C-130Es at Tuy Hoa Air Base, South Vietnam until 1970. A placeholder unit, the 4413th Troop Carrier Wing was established at Sewart with the wings departure.

At Sewart, the 314th was awarded Air Force Outstanding Unit Awards for the following periods: 11 Jan - 14 Feb 1955 and 1 Jan 1960 - 31 Dec 1961.

[edit] 463d Troop Carrier Wing

On 15 January 1959, the 463rd Troop Carrier Wing moved to Sewart AFB, being transferred from the closing Ardmore Air Force Base Oklahoma. Along with the 314th, the two wings made up the 839th Air Division.

The 839th AD supported Tactical Air Command and US Strike Command deployments throughout the world, including back-to-back deployments to Lebanon and Formosa in response to crisis situations on opposite sides of the world in the summer of 1958. 463d wing crews would be involved in numerous operations all over the world until the 463rd transferred to Pacific Air Forces to support the Vietnam War.

C-130 squadrons of the 463d at Sewart were:

772d Troop Carrier: 25 Sep 1957 - 30 June 1963
774th Troop Carrier: 25 Sep 1957 - 30 June 1963

During September 1961, the 463d supported the crisis in Berlin. Then, on 1 October 1962, the wing was redesignated as the 463rd Troop Carrier Wing (Assault). Immediately, the wing deployed to support the Cuban Missile Crisis (October-November 1962).

The wing moved to Langley AFB, Virginia, on 1 July 1963, then later deploying to Mactan AFB and Clark AFB in the Philippines during 1965 to support the Vietnam War. A large detachment was established at Tan Son Nhut Air Base South Vietnam, which flew transport missions until 31 December 1971 when the unit was deactivated.

At Sewart, the 463d was awarded the Air Force Outstanding Unit Award for the period 15 Dec 1960 - 1 Apr 1961.

[edit] 64th Troop Carrier/Tactical Airlift Wing

Lockheed C-130E-LM Hercules Serial 69-6569 of the 61st Tactical Airlift Squadron, 20 May 1970. This aircraft was later converted to a AC-130E gunship, then upgraded to an AC-130H, named "Fatal Attraction"

With the departure of the 314th and 463d TCWs to PACAF, the 64th Troop Carrier Wing was activated at Sewart on 7 March 1966, replacing the 4413th. On 1 May 1967 the unit was redesignated as the 64th Tactical Airlift Wing.

The 64th initially performed global airlift and medical evacuation missions, including several deployments to South Vietnam and Thailand. However beginning in 1968, it's primary mission was providing C-130 combat crew training for other units deploying to the Vietnam War.

C-130E squadrons of the 64th at Sewart were:

61st Troop Carrier: 1 July 1966 - 31 May 1971 (Tail Code: ST)
62d Troop Carrier: 1 July 1966 - 31 May 1971 (Tail Code: SR)

On 9 December 1965 the Department of Defense announced the closure of several military bases in the United States, and Sewart was one of those scheduled to close. It was closed in 1971 when on 9 March the last Hercules C-130 left the runway.

The 64th TCW was inactivated on 31 May 1971 with the closure of Sewart AFB.

At Sewart, the 64th was awarded the Air Force Outstanding Unit Award with Combat "V" Device for the period 1 July 1966 - 30 June 1967 and (without "V" device) 1 June 1969 - 31 May 1971.

[edit] Redevelopment

When the base was deactivated it was transferred to a civilian operation. Ownership of the base was transferred to the Army Corps of Engineers and ultimately to the Smyrna/Rutherford County Airport Authority.

The bulk of the property vacated by the USAF was divided between three entities: 1) Rutherford County 2) State of Tennessee and 3) Metropolitan Nashville Airport Authority.

Rutherford County formed an Economic Development Committee composed of county commissioners, the county executive and the counties mayors of the municipalities. This group was instrumental in the conversion of the property obtained from the Department of Defense to private industrial use.

Some of the larger industries recruited included, Better Built Aluminum, Cumberland Swan, and Square D. During the 1970's many new jobs were created, and as a result, Smyrna's population nearly tripled between 1970 and 1980.

The property received by the State of Tennessee has been utilized by the Tennessee Army National Guard and the Tennessee Rehabilitation Center.

The land granted to the Metropolitan Nashville Airport Authority, included the runways, hangars, clear zones and related aviation facilities. The airport property was held for nearly 20 years with very few improvements. In 1990 the Metropolitan Nashville Airport Authority agreed to relinquish control and transfer the airport to the newly formed Smyrna/Rutherford County Airport Authority.