![]() ![]() Contact him at Please support his work and that of other Oklahoman journalists by purchasing a subscription today at . Staff writer Steve Lackmeyer is a 31-year reporter, columnist and author who covers downtown Oklahoma City, related urban development and economics for The Oklahoman. "These changes are important to the Air Force, and they are important to Oklahoma County." “Time and again our community has stepped up to support Tinker and this another one of those times for us to make a small sacrifice for long-term gains," Maughan said. Oklahoma County Commissioner Brian Maughan acknowledged the street closing might inconvenience some. The Douglas Boulevard closing must be approved first by the Oklahoma City Planning Commission and Oklahoma City Council, and then be submitted to Oklahoma County District Court because the corridor is a section line road. O’Connor said traffic studies indicate a majority of the traffic is base related. The stretch of Douglas to be closed carries an average of 15,000 vehicles daily, according to the Association of Central Oklahoma Governments. The job is expected to be completed by early 2023. The Oklahoma Department of Transportation plans to rebuild six nearby bridges along I-40 in Del City and as the highway approaches the base.Įngineers ranked five of the bridges as being structurally deficient and three of the decks were in what they called “very poor condition.” The bridges are among the final remaining structurally deficient highway bridges in the Oklahoma City metro area. The new gates would prevent the long backups that currently extend onto the interstates during commute times. At the same time, we want to look for any opportunities that make the base attractive for new missions."Ĭathy O’Connor, director of the Oklahoma Industries Authority, said the realigned perimeter is also seen as an opportunity for the base to redesign its current gates, making them more efficient and safer in managing the daily load of vehicles. Please contact Matt Duehning at 40 or further copyright information.“We have been in conversation with Tinker officials about the issues of security for some time,” Trauschke said. “We always want to think ahead and plan for any concerns that might jeopardize operations. Images are copyright of The Oklahoma State Senate Historical Preservation Fund, Inc. General Tinker lost his life while leading a flight of LB-30 Liberators on a long-range strike against Japanese forces on Wake Island during the early months of World War II. Tinker Air Force Base was named in honor of Major General Clarence L. The Oklahoma City Air Logistics Complex at Tinker Air Force Base is one of the largest units in the Air Force Materiel Command, providing depot maintenance. A granite marker in the Heritage Airpark on the base commemorates the event. It is the home of the Air Force Materiel Command, Oklahoma City Air Logistics Center, which is the worldwide manager for a wide range of aircraft, engines, missiles, software and avionics components.Īmong its distinctions, Tinker Air Force Base was the site of the first successful tornado forecast in history, which was issued on March 25,1948 about three hours before a tornado hit the southeast corner of the base. Today, the base has more than 26,000 military and civilian employees and is the largest single-site employer in Oklahoma. In the 1990’s, Tinker provided front-line support to the forces engaged in Operation Desert Shield and Desert Storm. During Vietnam, Tinker supplied logisitics and communications aid to Air Force units in Southeast Asia. Throughout the Korean conflict, Tinker continued with aircraft and supply support to the Far East. The site also produced a number of A-20 Havocs. In 1946, Tinker was expanded to include the Douglas Aircraft plant, which produced approximately half of the C-47 Skytrains used in World War II. On April 8, 1941, the order was officially signed awarding the depot to Oklahoma City.ĭuring World War II, Tinker’s industrial plant repaired B-24 and B-17 bombers and fitted B-29s for combat. City leaders offered a 480 acre site with an option for 960 additional acres of land. The history of Tinker Air Force Base began in 1940 when a group of Oklahoma City businessmen learned that the War Department was considering the central United States as a location for a maintenance and supply depot. ![]()
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