USAF Lackland Air Force Base 1979 Squadron 3708 Flights 324-325 (San Antonio, TX) - Full Access

HISTORICAL HIGHLIGH~ It was once known as "the hill" to the pilots of Kelly Field who used the desolate area as a bombing range in the "thir- ties". However its destiny as a training center was due to the foresight of Brigadier General Frank D. Lackland. He was commander of the Army Air Corps Advanced Flying School at Kelly and he saw the need for an aviation cadet training center. In June 1941 construction was begun and the base was designated the Army Air Corps Replacement Training Center (Air Crew). The first class reported less than a month before Pearl Harbor. In July 1942 it was renamed the San Antonio Aviation Cadet Center and it received a two fold mission. The center received and classified newly arrived candidates and it also provided pre-flight training for those who were selected to become air crew members. The SAACC remained until the end of the Second World War having trained over 100,000 future airmen. Some of these would later reach top leadership positions in the United States Air Force. In February 1946 the base was renamed the Army Air Force Military Training Center and this saw the beginning of basic training for enlisted personnel. In July 1947 the Train- ing Center received its formal name ... Lackland Air Force Base and two months later the United States Air Force became a separate service. In October 1948 basic training began for the Women in the Air Force (WAF). One year later the 3700th Air Force Indoctrination Wing was established. Under it were several training and support groups whi~h carried out the base's training mission. Lackland's training facilities were almost overwhelmed by the influx of trainees during the Korean conflict. On one single day in January 1951 over 6000 recruits arrived and Lackland had become a tent city. Massive construction of barracks, classrooms and support facilities was begun. The investment paid off in later years when Lackland became the Air Force's only training center. The remainder of the "fifties" were relatively uneventful at Lackland although the training mission was continuously expanded. In early 1956 the first Air National Guard train- ees arrived for basic training. This program, whereby mem- bers of the ANG and the Air Force Reserve undergo basic training along with regular Airmen, continues today. Sever- al specialized courses were moved to Lackland from other bases. These included Air Police courses, Recruiting, the Basic Medical Course and the Sentry Dog Program among others. Wilford Hall USAF Medical Center was completed in 1957. In 1961 a new wing was added to the main building. The Medical Center is one of the area's tallest landmarks. The Officer Training School began in 1959 but 1960 saw the end of an era at Lackland with the termination of pre-flight training. It marked the conclusion of the program that gave the base its first mission 19 years earlier. In June 1962 Lackland gave up its flight line and aircraft to Kelly AFB. The first of the "new look" dormitories was built in 1962. By the time the Southeast Asia conflict had created the need for large numbers of trained airmen Lackland was ready .... a contrast to the hectic days of the Korean crisis. On 31 August 1967 the distinctive "Smokey Bear" hat be- came part of the Military Training Instructor's uniform; making him look about two feet taller to many newly ar- rived trainees. On 1 January 1973 the Lackland Military Training Center was renamed the Air Force Military Training Center in recognition of the fact that it is the Air Force's only basic training center. It is also referred to as "The Gateway To The Air Force". It is an appropriate description for the place where thousands of dedicated young men and women make the transition from civilian life to the United States Air Force.