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~The FReeper Canteen Presents~ Road Trip: Dover Air Force Base, Delaware 
Dover Air Force Base or Dover AFB is a United States Air Force base located two miles south of the city of Dover, Delaware. Dover AFB is home to the 436th Airlift Wing (436 AW) of the Air Mobility Command (AMC), known as the "Eagle Wing", and the AMC-gained 512th Airlift Wing (512 AW) of the Air Force Reserve Command (AFRC), referred to as the "Liberty Wing". It was the only base to solely operate the massive C-5 Galaxy, with two active flying squadrons (the 3rd Airlift Squadron, which now operates the C-17 Globemaster III, and 9th Airlift Squadron) and two Air Force Reserve flying squadrons (the 326th Airlift Squadron and the 709th Airlift Squadron).
 Construction began of Municipal Airport, Dover Airdrome began in March 1941 and the facility was opened on December 17, 1941. It was converted to an Army Air Corps airfield just weeks after December 7, 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor. It was renamed Dover Army Airbase on April 8, 1943; Dover Subbase on June 6, 1943 and Dover Army Airfield on February 2, 1944. With the establishment of the United States Air Force on September 17, 1947, the facility was renamed Dover Air Force Base on January 13, 1948. 
The 436th Airlift Wing traces its roots back to the 436th Troop Carrier Group of World War II fame that activated at Baer Field, Indiana on April 1, 1943. After months of training at Alliance Army Airfield, Neb., the group was assigned to the 9th Air Force, IX Troop Carrier Command, 53rd Troop Carrier Wing, in the European Theatre of Operations. Flying the C-47 Skytrain and based out of Bottesford, and later, Membury, England, the 436th TCG participated in four major airborne operations prior to the Allied victory in May 1945. Learn More About The History Of Dover Air Force Base HERE!
The 436th Airlift Wing is the active duty military host unit at Dover Air Force Base, which provides command and staff supervision, along with support functions, for assigned airlift providing worldwide movement of outsized cargo and personnel on scheduled, special assignment, exercise and contingency airlift missions. 
The "Eagle Wing" is a subordinate of Eighteenth Air Force headquartered with the Air Mobility Command at Scott Air Force Base, Ill. The Eagle Wing consists of operations, maintenance, mission support and medical groups and 14 staff divisions. The wing has more than 4,000 active-duty military and civilian employees.
Home to the C-5 Galaxy and C-17 Globemaster III aircraft, the Eagle Wing flies hundreds of missions throughout the world and provides 25 percent of the Nation's strategic airlift capability, projecting global reach to over 100 countries around the globe.
Read More About Dover Air Force Base HERE!
During WWII, the 4146 Base Unit was involved in secret rocket development at what was then known as Dover Army Airfield. The building complex where these military secret operations took place was Hangar 1301. From the 1950s to the 1970s, various fighter squadrons called the hangar home. In the 1990s after restoration and placement on the National Register of Historic Places, Hangar 1301 was given new life as the home of the Air Mobility Command Museum. 
The Air Mobility Command Museum is a part of the National Museum of the United States Air Force's field museum system. Air Mobility Command is a major command of the United States Air Force. Its mission is to deliver maximum war-fighting and humanitarian effects for America through rapid and precise global air mobility. Visit The Air Mobility Command Museum HERE!
FR CANTEEN MISSION STATEMENT~Showing support and boosting the morale of our military and our allies military and the family members of the above. Honoring those who have served before.
Please remember: The Canteen is a place to honor and entertain our troops. The Canteen is family friendly. Let's have fun! We pray for your continued strength, to be strong in the face of adversity. We pray for your safety, that you will return to your families and friends soon. We pray that your hope, courage, and dignity remain unbroken, so that you may show others the way. God Bless You All ~ Today, Tomorrow and Always |
