Bolling Air Force Base

Before European colonization, the area where Bolling Air Force Base is located was inhabited by the Nacotchtank, an Algonquian people. The largest village of the Nacotchtank was located just north of the air force base, south of Anacostia Park. Another Nacotchtank village is believed to have existed on the base grounds, where two ossuaries (burial mounds) were discovered in 1936. Other Nacotchtank archaeological sites have been found at Giesboro Point on the Potomac River. The Department of Defense (DOD) has owned the Bolling grounds since 1917, when the tract of land was scouted by William C. Ocker at the direction of General Billy Mitchell. Founded on 2 October 1917 as The Flying Field at Anacostia, it was the first military airfield near the United States Capitol. It was renamed Anacostia Experimental Flying Field in June 1918. Soon, the single installation evolved into two separate, adjoining bases; one Army (later Air Force) and one Navy. Bolling Field was opened 1 July 1918 and was named for Colonel Raynal C. Bolling, the first high-ranking air service officer killed in World War I. Colonel Bolling was the Assistant Chief of the Air Service, and was killed in action near Amiens, France, on 26 March 1918 while defending himself and his driver, Private Paul L. Holder, from German soldiers. In the late 1940s, Bolling Field's property became Naval Air Station Anacostia and a new Air Force base, named Bolling Air Force Base, was constructed just to the south on 24 June 1948. ==Major commands assigned==

• Director of Military Aeronautics, 28 June 1918 • 3d Service Command, 6 March 1928 • Chief of Air Corps (Exempted Station), 1 July 1936 • General Headquarters Air Force, 15 March 1941 : Redesignated Air Force Combat Command, 20 June 1941 • Second Air Force, 13 October 1942 • Headquarters, United States Army Air Forces, 7 July 1943 • Continental Air Forces, 17 July 1945 : Redesignated: Strategic Air Command, 21 March 1946 • Bolling Field Command, 16 December 1946 • Military Air Transport Service, 1 August 1952 • Bolling Field Command, 1 October 1957 : Redesignated Headquarters Command, United States Air Force, 17 March 1958 • Military Airlift Command, 1 July 1976 • Air Force District of Washington, 1 October 1985 – 5 July 1994; 7 July 2005 – present • Headquarters, United States Air Force, 5 July 1994 – 7 July 2005 ==Major units assigned==

• 312th Aero Sq (Service), July 1918 – 17 August 1919 • 99th Observation Sq, 18 August 1919 – 21 March 1921 • HQ Detachment, Bolling Field, 11 July 1922 – 31 March 1928 • General Headquarters, Air Force, 1 October 1933 – 28 February 1935 • 14th Air Base Group, 1 March 1935 – 31 March 1944 • 1st Staff Squadron, 1 September 1936 – 31 March 1944 • 2d Staff Squadron, 1 September 1936 – 31 March 1944 • 4th Staff Squadron, 17 May 1941 – 31 March 1944 • Air Force Combat Command, 28 March 1941 – 12 March 1942 • V Air Support Command (redesignated: Ninth Air Force), 23 July – 28 October 1942 • 5th Bombardment Wing, 10–31 July 1942 • VIII Ground Air Support Command, 28 April – 29 May 1942 • 10th Ferrying Squadron, 10 April 1942 – 1 March 1943 • Transatlantic Sector, AAF Ferrying Command : Redesignated, Transatlantic Sector, Air Transport Command, 21 February 1942 – 15 April 1943 • XII Air Support Command, 25 September – 19 October 1942 • Twelfth Air Force, 20–28 August 1942 • 26th Transport Group, 1 March 1943 – 21 February 1944 • Army Air Force Base Unit 1 : Redesignated Air Force Base Unit 1, 1 April 1944 – 1 April 1948 • 503d Army Air Force Base Unit, 21 February 1944 : Redesignated: 503d Air Force Base Unit, 27 September 1947 – 1 April 1948 • Continental Air Forces, 15 December 1944 – 20 October 1946 • Strategic Air Command, 21 March 1946 – 20 October 1946 • Bolling Field Command. 15 December 1946 : Redesignated: Headquarters Command, USAF, 17 March 1958 – 1 July 1976 • 1st Special Air Missions Squadron : Redesignated: 1111th Special Air Mission Squadron : Redesignated: 1299th Air Transport Squadron, 10 March 1948 – 10 July 1961 • 16th Special Air Missions Group : Redesignated: 1100th Special Air Missions Group : Redesignated: 2310th Air Transport Group, 10 March 1948 – 29 November 1952 • 1100th Air Base Wing, 16 March 1949 – 30 September 1977 : Redesignated: 1100th Air Base Group, 30 September 1977 – 15 December 1980 : Redesignated: 1100th Air Base Wing, 15 December 1980 – 15 July 1994 • Air Force District of Washington, 1 October 1985 – 5 July 1994; 7 July 2005–present • 11th Wing, 15 July 1994 – 30 September 2010 ==See also==