Kelly Field is named in honor of
2nd Lieutenant George Edward Maurice Kelly. Lt. Kelly, who after a course of training at the Curtiss Aviation School,
Rockwell Field, California, was ordered to
Fort Sam Houston, near San Antonio. While attempting to land on 10 May 1911 in order to avoid running into a tent and thereby possibly injuring several others, Kelly died in a crash, falling into the ground.
Origins In August 1913,
U.S. Army Chief Signal Officer Brigadier General
George P. Scriven testified before the U.S. House of Representatives concerning the establishment of a military aeronautical center in
San Antonio, Texas. The center was to be built for the Aviation Section of the U.S. Army Signal Corps. General Scriven described San Antonio as “the most important strategic position of the South,” in response to the unrest resulting from the
Mexican Revolution. In 1916, when
Fort Sam Houston was the primary site of the Corps’ aerial equipment and personnel, The
San Antonio Light predicted that the city would be “the most important military aviation center in the U.S.” In November 1915, the newly created
1st Aero Squadron arrived at Fort Sam Houston after a cross-country flight from
Fort Sill, Oklahoma. However, the squadron remained at the post only until March 1916, whereupon it left to join Brigadier General
John J. Pershing’s
Punitive Expedition against Pancho Villa on the U.S.-Mexico border. Problems experienced by the 1st Aero Squadron on that expedition and the ongoing
war in Europe persuaded Congress to improve and expand the nation's air arm. Kelly soldiers organized approximately 250,000 men into "Aero Squadrons" during the hectic months of 1917 and 1918. Eventually, 326 squadrons were formed at Kelly during World War I, with all but twenty of these moving to other installations in the U.S. or overseas. The majority of Aero Squadrons were combat support squadrons. Kelly Field served as the first reception and classification center, testing thousands of recruits before assigning them to specific jobs and squadrons for training. The Air Service Mechanics School Enlisted Mechanics Training Department turned out an average of 2,000 mechanics and chauffeurs a month. Kelly also trained bakers and cooks, and the Aviation General Supply Depot moved to the field from its old location in
downtown San Antonio. •
103d Aero Squadron, August 1917 •
2d Aero Squadron, November 1917 : Re-designated as Squadron "A", July–November 1918 • 115th Aero Squadron (II), March 1918 : Re-designated as Squadron "B", July–November 1918 • 117th Aero Squadron (II), March 1918 : Re-designated as Squadron "C", July–November 1918 • 178th Aero Squadron, January 1918 : Re-designated as Squadron "D", July–November 1918 • 180th Aero Squadron, December 1917 : Re-designated as Squadron "E", July–November 1918 • 235th Aero Squadron (II), April 1918 : Re-designated as Squadron "F", July–November 1918 • 243d Aero Squadron (II), April 1918 : Re-designated as Squadron "G", July–November 1918 • 244th Aero Squadron (II), April 1918 : Re-designated as Squadron "H", July–November 1918 • 245th Aero Squadron (II), April 1917 : Re-designated as Squadron "I", March 1918 • 110th Aero Squadron (Repair), August 1917 : Re-designated: 804th Aero Squadron (Repair), February 1918 : Re-designated as Squadron "K", July–November 1918 • Flying School Detachment (Consolidation of Squadrons A-J), November 1918-November 1919 Once deployed to France, most of the Kelly Field graduates were sent to the AEF Third Air Instructional Center,
Issoudun Aerodrome, France for advanced pursuit training. In addition to the flying school at Kelly Field,
Selfridge Field, Michigan was also used for pilot training, and the British
Royal Flying Corps (RFC), operated flying schools for American pilots in
Toronto, Ontario and several fields at
Camp Taliaferro, Texas. The thousands of enlistees who came to Kelly devised numerous ways to entertain themselves during their infrequent time off. Among these organizations were a glee club, a minstrel show, and the "Famous Kelly Field Players," a club of professional vaudeville entertainers in uniform. Many clubs traveled around the South Texas area and gained fame for the morale-building shows. In 1921, the aviation repair depot in Dallas moved to Kelly to join with the supply depot, forming the San Antonio Intermediate Air Depot. Other facilities built during the construction boom included the unique Miniature Range building, then used for aerial observation training, and the "Palace", a huge complex of enlisted quarters, dining halls and offices. Originally called "Buckingham Palace", the building received its nickname because it was so much more "palatial" than the tents and crude wooden barracks the men had been living in. The San Antonio Air Logistics Center also managed the new
Boeing C-17 Globemaster III, developed by McDonnell Douglas in the late 1980s. This advanced aircraft is a rugged, reliable, modern airlifter designed to meet requirements established jointly by the Army, Marines, and the Air Force. The C-17 provides the United States combat commanders with the increased mobility to get to the battle sooner and to win. Kelly's involvement in the C-17 program was further strengthened when Air Force Logistics Command named it the source of repair for the airframe. Logistics support responsibility for the aircraft was made virtually complete in March 1985 when AFLC gave SA-ALC management and repair responsibility for the C-17 engines, the Pratt & Whitney F117-PW-100 turbofans.
Major commands to which assigned • Aviation Section, Signal Corps, May 1917 •
Division of Military Aeronautics, 27 April 1918 •
Air Service, United States Army, 27 August 1918 •
United States Army Air Service, 1 July 1920 •
United States Army Air Corps, 2 July 1926 • Air Corps Training Center, 1 September 1926 : Re-designated: Gulf Coast Air Corps Training Center, 8 July 1940 • Gulf Coast Army Air Forces Training Center, 1 May 1942 • Air Service Command, 11 March 1943 • Army Air Forces Materiel and Services Command, 17 Jul 1944 : Re-designated: Army Air Forces Technical Service Command 31 Aug 1944 •
Air Technical Service Command, 1 July 1945 •
Air Materiel Command, 9 March 1946 •
Air Force Logistics Command, 1 April 1961 •
Air Force Materiel Command, 1 June 1992 – 30 September 2001
Detached installations • Kelly Field #1 : South of Kelly Air Force Base, acquired 1917. Together with Kelly Field #2, designated
Duncan Field on 13 March 1925. Combined with Kelly Field, 2 March 1943. • Kelly Field #2 (a.k.a. Pampa Air Force Auxiliary Field #2) : South of Kelly Air Force Base, acquired 1917. Combined with Kelly Field #1 and designated
Duncan Field, 13 March 1925. • Kelly Field #3 : 2 miles East of
Castroville, Texas. Acquired early 1939, transferred to
Hondo Army Air Field, Texas, 12 February 1943. • Kelly Field #4 : 9 miles Northwest of Kelly AFB. Acquired 1 June 1939, transferred to
Brooks Field, 12 February 1943. • Kelly Field #5 : 6 Miles South-Southeast of San Antonio, Texas. Was Gosport Field, civilian airport, acquired early 1917, Re-designated:
Brooks Field, 4 February 1918.
Major units assigned American Expeditionary Force combat squadrons •
9th Aero Squadron, 14 June-8 July 1917 •
12th Aero Squadron, 2 June-18 July 1917 •
13th Aero Squadron, 14 June-8 July 1917 •
17th Aero Squadron, July-17 August 1917 • 17th Aero Squadron (Provisional) : Re-designated:
22d Aero Squadron, 16 June-3 August 1917 • 21st Aero Squadron (Provisional) : Re-designated:
27th Aero Squadron, 15 June-17 August 1917 •
24th Aero Squadron, June-28 December 1917 •
28th Aero Squadron, 22 June-25 August 1917 •
41st Aero Squadron, 16 June-28 August 1917 •
49th Aero Squadron, 6 August-28 December 1917 •
50th Aero Squadron, 6 August-28 December 1917 •
88th Aero Squadron, 18 August-7 October 1917 •
91st Aero Squadron, 21 August-5 October 1917 •
99th Aero Squadron, 21 August-2 November 1917 •
100th Aero Squadron, August-17 October 1917 •
103d Aero Squadron, 31 August-5 November 1917 •
104th Aero Squadron, 25 August-4 November 1917 •
138th Aero Squadron, September–October 1917 •
139th Aero Squadron, September–October 1917 •
147th Aero Squadron, November 1917 •
148th Aero Squadron, 11–17 November 1917 •
354th Aero Squadron, January–March 1918
Post World War I organizations • Post Headquarters, Kelly Field, September 1917-March 1920 • Air Service Mechanics School, March 1920-January 1921 •
1st Pursuit Group, 31 August 1919 – 30 June 1921 •
1st Bombardment Wing, August 1919-26 June 1924 •
1st Day Bombardment Group, 25 September 1919 – 26 June 1922 •
8th Aero Squadron, 21 June-5 July 1917; 25 May-13 August 1919 : Re-designated:
8th Attack Squadron, 2 June 1921-28 July 1926 •
11th Aero (later 11th) Squadron, 26 June-12 August 1917; 8 November 1919 – 30 June 1922 •
20th Aero (later 20th) Squadron, 26 June-29 July 1917; 24 September 1919 – 30 June 1922 •
26th Attack Squadron, 15 September 1921 – 27 June 1924 •
27th Aero (later 27th) Squadron, 31 August 1919 – 30 June 1922 •
90th Aero Squadron, 20 August-5 October 1917; c May-29 November 1919 : Re-designated:
90th Attack Squadron, 2 July 1921-1 July 1926 •
94th Aero (later 94th) Squadron, 20 August-5 October 1917; 31 August 1919-1 June 1921 •
95th Aero (later 95th) Squadron, 20 August-4 October 1917; 31 August 1919-1 June 1921 •
96th Aero (later Bombardment) Squadron, 20 August-7 October 1917; 12 January 1920 – 30 June 1922 •
147th Aero Squadron (Pursuit), 10–12 November 1917; 31 August 1919 : Re-designated: 17th Squadron, 14 March-30 June 1921 •
166th Aero Squadron : Re-designated:
49th Squadron, 18–24 December 1917; 26 September 1919-30 June 1922 • 96th Bombardment Group, 12 January 1920 – 26 June 1922
After being established as a permanent military post, 30 September 1922 •
10th School Group, 22 June 1922 – 1 July 1931 •
24th School Wing, 1 August 1927 – 1 October 1931 • 39th School (later Observation) Squadron, 1 August 1927 – 1 September 1936 • Air Corps Advanced Flying School, 1 July 1931 – 22 August 1941 • Air Corps Replacement Training Center, 22 August-1 November 1941 • Air Corps Reception Station, 1 November 1941 : Air Corps Classification Center, 1 April 1942 : Merged to form: San Antonio Aviation Cadet Center (later Lackland AFB), 4 July 1942
United States Air Force organizations • 518th Air Transport Group : Re-designated:
1700th Air Transport Group, 6 June 1948-18 December 1957 • Continental Division,
Military Air Transport Service, 1 July 1948 – 25 June 1958 •
62d Troop Carrier Group, 9 May-27 July 1950 •
1708th Ferrying Wing, 16 July 1951 – 1 March 1958 •
United States Air Force Security Service, 1 August 1953- • Air Force Electronic Warfare Center, 8 August 1953- • USAF Cryptographical Depot, 1 January 1964 – 1 February 1980 • USAF Communications Security Center, 1 July 1972 – 1 February 1980 • USAF Cryptographical Support Center, 1 February 1980- • 433d Tactical Airlift Wing, 1 November 1960 : Re-designated:
433d Airlift Wing on 1 February 1992-Present • 921st Troop Carrier Group, 17 January 1963 : Re-designated as:
921st Tactical Airlift Group, 29 June 1971-1 November 1974 • 922d Troop Carrier Group, 17 January 1963 : Re-designated:
922d Tactical Airlift Group, 29 June 1971-30 June 1974 • USAF Commissary Service, 1 January 1976 – 30 September 2001 • 149th Fighter-Interceptor Group, 1 August 1961 (Texas ANG) : Re-designated:
149th Fighter Wing, 1 October 1995-Present ==Airlines and destinations==