Dover Air Force Base
Dover Air Force Base (IATA: DOV) is a United States Air Force installation located near Dover, Delaware, and serves as home to the Department of Defense's largest aerial port. Operating under Air Mobility Command, the base plays a central role in the strategic airlift mission of the United States military, housing both the C-5M Super Galaxy and C-17 Globemaster III aircraft fleets. Its origins trace back to a modest municipal airport project begun in 1940, and it has grown over the course of more than eight decades into among the most operationally significant air bases on the East Coast of the United States.
History
Origins and World War II
The history of Dover Air Force Base begins not with the military, but with a civilian infrastructure initiative. In 1940, the City of Dover accepted an offer to construct a federally funded airport, reflecting the era's broader national investment in aviation infrastructure.[1] The facility was modest in scope at its founding, but the pace of world events would soon transform it entirely.
By December 1941, following the United States' entry into World War II after the attack on Pearl Harbor, the airport had been converted into Dover Army Airfield, reflecting the federal government's urgent need to expand military aviation capacity along the Eastern Seaboard.[2] This transition from a civilian airport to a military airfield in the span of just over a year marked the beginning of the installation's enduring relationship with the U.S. armed forces.
Cold War Era and Institutional Development
Following the end of World War II and the establishment of the independent United States Air Force in 1947, Dover Army Airfield was redesignated and eventually became Dover Air Force Base. Throughout the Cold War decades, the base expanded its infrastructure and mission profile considerably. One visible symbol of this growth was the installation's air traffic control tower, which once stood 103 feet tall and provided oversight for flight operations at the base for more than half a century.[3] That historic tower was eventually decommissioned and is now on display at the Air Mobility Command Museum, where it stands as a tangible artifact of the base's long operational history.[4]
The base continued to evolve through the latter half of the twentieth century, adapting to changes in U.S. military doctrine, aircraft technology, and the shifting strategic priorities of the Cold War and post-Cold War periods. Dover's location on the Delmarva Peninsula gave it geographic advantages as both a staging area and a logistics hub, contributing to its growing prominence within the Air Force's airlift enterprise.
Modern Era
In the post-Cold War period, Dover Air Force Base cemented its role as a critical node in the United States' global airlift network. The installation was formally placed under the command of Air Mobility Command, the major command responsible for providing rapid, global mobility to U.S. forces. The base's mission expanded further with the introduction of next-generation aircraft, including the C-5M Super Galaxy and the C-17 Globemaster III, both of which represent the cutting edge of American strategic airlift capability.[5]
Dover also became the location of the Department of Defense's largest aerial port, a designation that underscores the base's indispensable role in moving personnel, equipment, and supplies to locations around the world in support of military operations, humanitarian missions, and other contingencies.[6]
Mission and Operations
Dover Air Force Base's primary mission is strategic airlift—the rapid movement of troops, cargo, and equipment across intercontinental distances in support of U.S. national security objectives. As home to the Department of Defense's largest aerial port, the base processes an enormous volume of cargo and passenger traffic on a continuous basis, connecting military installations and operational theaters across the globe.
The two primary aircraft stationed at Dover are central to this mission. The C-5M Super Galaxy is among the largest military transport aircraft in the world, capable of carrying outsized and oversized cargo that cannot be accommodated by smaller airlifters. The C-17 Globemaster III complements the C-5M with its versatility, capable of operating into smaller or more austere airfields while still delivering substantial payloads. Together, these aircraft form the backbone of Dover's airlift capability.[7]
In addition to its cargo and personnel movement functions, Dover Air Force Base has historically served as the point of entry for the remains of U.S. military personnel killed in overseas conflicts. This solemn responsibility, carried out by the base's mortuary affairs personnel, has made Dover a significant site in American military culture and memory.
Units and Organization
436th Airlift Wing
The primary host unit at Dover Air Force Base is the 436th Airlift Wing, known by its informal designation as the "Eagle Wing."[8] As an active-duty Air Force wing, the 436th is responsible for executing the base's core airlift mission, flying the C-5M Super Galaxy and C-17 Globemaster III on missions that span the globe. The 436th Airlift Wing provides command and control for the units, personnel, and aircraft assigned to Dover, and is the principal organization responsible for the base's day-to-day operational readiness.[9]
512th Airlift Wing
Alongside the active-duty 436th, Dover Air Force Base is also home to the 512th Airlift Wing, an Air Force Reserve unit that serves as the Reserve associate wing at the installation.[10] Known informally as the "Liberty Wing," the 512th operates alongside the 436th in what is termed an associate unit arrangement, in which Reserve personnel fly and maintain the same aircraft as their active-duty counterparts. This Total Force Integration model allows the Air Force to maximize the use of its aircraft and infrastructure while leveraging the experience and commitment of Reserve Airmen. The partnership between the 436th and 512th Airlift Wings is a defining feature of Dover's organizational structure and contributes significantly to the base's overall airlift capacity.[11]
Air Mobility Command Museum
Located on the grounds of Dover Air Force Base, the Air Mobility Command Museum preserves and presents the history of American military airlift to the public. The museum's collection includes historic aircraft, artifacts, and exhibits that trace the development of air mobility from the early days of military aviation through the modern era.
Among the museum's notable displays is the historic air traffic control tower that once served Dover Air Force Base itself. Originally standing 103 feet tall, the tower was in active service at the base for over fifty years before being decommissioned and relocated to the museum.[12] Its preservation reflects the museum's broader mission to maintain tangible connections to the base's operational past. The Air Mobility Command Museum is open to the public and serves as both an educational resource and a memorial to the men and women who have served in the airlift mission throughout the history of American military aviation.
Impact on Delaware
Dover Air Force Base represents one of the largest and most consequential federal installations in the state of Delaware. Its presence has had a sustained effect on the regional economy, employment landscape, and community character of the Dover area and the broader Kent County region. The base employs thousands of active-duty military personnel, civilian workers, and contractors, making it a significant economic engine for the state.
The base's location in Delaware also reflects the state's historical willingness to partner with the federal government on infrastructure investments, as demonstrated by the original 1940 agreement in which the City of Dover accepted the offer to build a federally funded airport.[13] What began as a local aviation project became, within decades, a strategically vital installation of national importance.
Beyond economics, Dover Air Force Base occupies a prominent place in Delaware's civic and cultural identity. The base has been a constant presence in the lives of Dover-area residents for more than eighty years, and the service members who have passed through its gates—both living and, in the case of fallen military personnel, honored in return—have left a lasting imprint on the community.