Hunter Army Airfield (IATA: SVN, ICAO: KSVN), along with Fort Stewart, is a military complex located near Savannah, Georgia, United States. It is the home of the 3rd Infantry Division of the United States Army. Hunter's 11,375 ft long runway supports the installation's rapid deployment needs as any aircraft, including the C-5 Galaxy, can land at Hunter. It also has a unique distinction as being identified as an alternate landing site for NASA's space shuttles. An IATA airport code, also known an IATA location identifier or simply a location identifier [1], is a three-letter code designating many airports around the world, defined by the International Air Transport Association (IATA). ... The ICAO airport code (IPA pronunciation: ) is a four-letter alphanumeric code designating each airport around the world. ... The Army is the branch of the United States armed forces which has primary responsibility for land-based military operations. ... Coordinates: County Chatham  - Mayor Otis S. Johnson Area    - City 202. ... The term above mean sea level (AMSL) refers to the elevation (on the ground) or altitude (in the air) of any object, relative to the average sea level. ... A foot (plural: feet or foot;[1] symbol or abbreviation: ft or, sometimes, ′ – a prime) is a unit of length, in a number of different systems, including English units, Imperial units, and United States customary units. ... The metre, or meter (U.S.), is a measure of length. ... Map of Earth showing lines of latitude (horizontally) and longitude (vertically), Eckert VI projection; large version (pdf, 1. ... Runway 13R/31L of El Dorado International Airport, Bogotá, D.C., Colombia. ... A foot (plural: feet or foot;[1] symbol or abbreviation: ft or, sometimes, ′ – a prime) is a unit of length, in a number of different systems, including English units, Imperial units, and United States customary units. ... The metre, or meter (U.S.), is a measure of length. ... An IATA airport code, also known an IATA location identifier or simply a location identifier [1], is a three-letter code designating many airports around the world, defined by the International Air Transport Association (IATA). ... The ICAO airport code (IPA pronunciation: ) is a four-letter alphanumeric code designating each airport around the world. ... Fort Stewart is a census-designated place and U.S. Army post primarily located in Liberty County, Georgia, but also occupying significant portions of Bryan County, Georgia. ... Coordinates: County Chatham  - Mayor Otis S. Johnson Area    - City 202. ... Shoulder sleeve patch of the United States Army 3d Infantry Division (Mechanized). ... The United States Army is one of the armed forces of the United States and has primary responsibility for land-based military operations. ... A foot (plural: feet or foot;[1] symbol or abbreviation: ft or, sometimes, ′ – a prime) is a unit of length, in a number of different systems, including English units, Imperial units, and United States customary units. ... The C-5 Galaxy is a jet-powered military transport aircraft designed to provide strategic heavy airlift over intercontinental distances. ... The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) is an agency of the United States Government, responsible for that nations public space program. ... NASAs Space Shuttle, officially called Space Transportation System (STS), is the United States governments current manned launch vehicle. ...

Additionally, with more than 1.4 km² (350 acres) of hardstand, 50 C-17 Globemaster aircraft can be on the ground simultaneously. With a Departure/Arrival Airfield Control Group (DAACG) Facility, soldiers and cargo can be deployed efficiently and responsively from a premier deployment facility. Fort Stewart and Hunter Army Airfield has consistently proven its rapid deployment capabilities in recent operations including the 1991 Gulf War and subsequent deployments to Egypt, Kuwait, Bosnia, and Kosovo; and, most recently to operations in Afghanistan and Iraq. km redirects here. ... An acre is the name of a unit of area in a number of different systems, including Imperial units and United States customary units. ... The C_17 Globemaster III is a strategic airlifter manufactured by Boeing IDS, used by the United States Air Force and the Royal Air Force. ... For other uses, see Iraq war (disambiguation). ... Motto: none Anthem: Intermeco (previously Jedna i jedina) Bosnia and Herzegovina() on the European continent()  —  [] Capital (and largest city)  Sarajevo Official languages Bosnian Croatian Serbian Government Emerging federal democratic republic  - Presidency members NebojÅ¡a Radmanović1 Haris Silajdžić2 Željko KomÅ¡ić3  - Chairman of the Council of Ministers... Kosovo (Serbian: Косово и Метохија or Kosovo i Metohija, also Космет or Kosmet, Albanian: Kosovë or Kosova) is a province in southern Serbia which has been under United Nations administration since 1999. ...

History

Establishment and the Second World War

Nearly 70 years ago, a progressive group of citizens in Savannah, sensing that aviation would develop into a major mode of transportation, persuaded city officials to establish a municipal airport to the southwest of the city. These individuals could not envision that the tiny underdeveloped grass landing strip would one day develop into a major training center of the U.S. Army. Coordinates: County Chatham  - Mayor Otis S. Johnson Area    - City 202. ...

In 1929 the general aviation committee of the Savannah City Council recommended that the 730 acre (3 km²) Belmont Tract, belonging to J. C. Lewis, be accepted by the Council as the future site of the Savannah Municipal Airport. The coast of the land was $35, 000. By September 1929, the runway and several buildings were ready and the city officially opened the new facility. 1929 (MCMXXIX) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will take you to calendar). ...

The airport became part of Eastern Air Transport Incorporated intrastate route on 2 December 1931, when Ida Hoynes, daughter of the Mayor, Thomas M. Hoynes, broke a bottle of Savannah River water on a propeller blade of an 18-passenger Curtiss Condor during the christening ceremony. December 2 is the 336th day (337th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1931 (MCMXXXI) was a common year starting on Thursday (link is to a full 1931 calendar). ... For the Department of Energy facility, see Savannah River Site The Savannah River is a major river in the southeastern United States, forming most of the border between the states of South Carolina and Georgia. ...

The airport was named Hunter Municipal Airfield in May 1940 during Savannah Aviation Week in honor of Lt. Col. Frank O’Driscoll Hunter, a Savannahian and World War I flying ace. Lt. Col Hunter, who would later climb to the rank of Major General, was not scheduled to appear in Savannah that week. However, he paid a surprise visit to the field on the first day of Aviation Week while enroute to France to serve as a United States Military Air Attaché. 1940 (MCMXL) was a leap year starting on Monday (the link is to a full 1940 calendar). ... In the U.S. Army, Air Force and Marine Corps, a lieutenant colonel is a commissioned officer superior to a major and inferior to a colonel. ... Combatants Allied Powers: Russian Empire France British Empire Italy United States Central Powers: Austria-Hungary German Empire Ottoman Empire Bulgaria Commanders Nicholas II Aleksei Brusilov Georges Clemenceau Joseph Joffre Ferdinand Foch Robert Nivelle Herbert Henry Asquith Sir Douglas Haig Sir John Jellicoe Victor Emmanuel III Luigi Cadorna Armando Diaz Woodrow... Insignia of a United States Air Force Major General German Generalmajor Insignia Major General is a military rank used in many countries. ...

Washington gave the Army Air Corps approval to build a base at Hunter on 30 August 1940. The Third and 27th Bombardment Groups and the 35th Air Base Group with 2 700 soldiers from Barksdale Field, Louisiana, were the first tenants. Official dedication of the base, renamed Savannah Air Base, took place 19 February 1941. Nickname: DC, The District Motto: Justitia Omnibus (Justice for All) Location of Washington, D.C., in relation to the states Maryland and Virginia Coordinates: Country United States Federal District District of Columbia Government  - Mayor Adrian M. Fenty (D)  - City Council Chairperson: Vincent C. Gray (D) Ward 1: Jim Graham (D... The Army Air Corps is a component of the British Army. ... August 30 is the 242nd day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (243rd in leap years), with 123 days remaining. ... Barksdale Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base that lies at the foot of the Shreveport/Barksdale Highway Bridge in Bossier City, Louisiana. ... February 19 is the 50th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... For the movie, see 1941 (film). ...

The base was an operational training unit for several years. B-10s, B-18s and B-23s gave way to A-20s, P-38s and P-40s as the air arm of the nation matured. It later became a final staging base for B-17 Flying Fortress crews on their way to the European Theater of Operations. The Army’s Eighth Air Force was activated at Savannah Air Base during that period. A B-10 being flown during a training session at Maxwell Field. ... Douglas B-18 Bolo, Castle Air Museum, Atwater, California The Douglas B-18 Bolo was a United States Army Air Corps and Royal Canadian Air Force bomber of the late 1930s and early 1940s based on the Douglas DC-2. ... The B-23 Dragon was a twin-engined aeroplane developed by Douglas Aircraft Company as a successor to (and a refinement of) the B-18 Bolo. ... The Douglas A-20 series, Douglas model DB-7, was a family of bomber and fighter aircraft of World War II, serving with United States, British, Soviet, French and Australian services. ... The Lockheed P-38 Lightning was one of the most important American fighters of the Second World War. ... The Curtiss P-40 was an American fighter aircraft which first flew in 1938 and played a vital role in the crucial middle stages of World War II. Developed from the pre-war radial-engined P-36 Hawk, the P-40 became known as the Tomahawk, the Kittyhawk, and finally... The Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress is an American four-engine heavy bomber aircraft developed for the U.S. Army Air Corps (USAAC). ... The European Theater of Operations, or ETO, was the term used by the United States in World War II to refer to most United States military activity in Europe north of the Mediterranean coast. ... The Eighth Air Force is a numbered air force (NAF) of the major command (MAJCOM) of Air Combat Command of the United States Air Force and it is headquartered at Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana. ...

Inter-war peace time

At the end of the war, the field was used as a separation center until its return to the City of Savannah in June 1946. Hunter returned to its peacetime role as a civilian airport. Many of its buildings were leased to industrial plants. Some of them became apartment houses. An orphanage was located in the commanding officer’s quarters and the University of Georgia established an extension campus on part of the old base. 1946 (MCMXLVI) was a common year starting on Tuesday. ... An orphanage (historically an orphans asylum before the latter word took on its modern insane asylum connotation) is an institution dedicated to caring for orphans (children who have lost their parents) and abused, abandoned, and neglected children. ... The University of Georgia (UGA) is the largest institution of higher learning and research in the State of Georgia. ...

In 1949, the recently re-activated 2d Bomb Wing was moved from Tucson, Arizona, to Savannah’s Chatham Air Force Base. The limited facilities at the base, located eight miles northwest of Savannah, made the site unfit for permanent use. Rather than see the Air Force move elsewhere, Savannah offered to exchange airfields with the federal government. The City and County governments purchased 3 500 acres (14 km²) of additional land around Hunter for future base expansions. Following a token payment of $1.00 to make the transaction legal, Hunter was back in uniform in September 1950 as an Air Force installation. 1949 (MCMXLIX) was a common year starting on Saturday (the link is to a full 1949 calendar). ... The 2d Bomb Wing (2 BW) is a B-52 Stratofortress unit based at Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana. ... Nickname: The Old Pueblo Location in Pima County and the state of Arizona Coordinates: Country United States State Arizona Counties Pima Government  - Mayor Bob Walkup (R) Area  - City  195. ... Official language(s) English Capital Phoenix Largest city Phoenix Area  Ranked 6th  - Total 113,998 sq mi (295,254 km²)  - Width 310 miles (500 km)  - Length 400 miles (645 km)  - % water 0. ... Federal courts Supreme Court Chief Justice Associate Justices Elections Presidential elections Midterm elections Political Parties Democratic Republican Third parties State & Local government Governors Legislatures (List) State Courts Counties, Cities, and Towns Other countries Politics Portal      The government of the United States of America, established by the U.S. Constitution, is... 1950 (MCML) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will take you to calendar). ...

The Department of Defense announced in 1964 that the base, along with 94 other military installations, would be closed. The base was given a period of three years to phase out. The United States Department of Defense, abbreviated DoD or DOD and sometimes called the Defense Department, is a civilian Cabinet organization of the United States government. ... 1964 (MCMLXIV) was a leap year starting on Wednesday (the link is to a full 1964 calendar). ...

Vietnam War

In December 1966, at the height of the Vietnam conflict, the Department of the Army announced that the Secretary of Defense had approved an increase in the number of Army helicopter pilots to be trained. Because of this increase, coupled with the fact that the United States Army Aviation School at Fort Rucker, Alabama was operating at capacity, Hunter Air Force Base was turned over to the Army and operated in conjunction with Fort Stewart, located 40 miles southwest of Hunter. 1966 (MCMLXVI) was a common year starting on Saturday (the link is to a full 1966 calendar). ... The Vietnam War was a war fought between 1957 and 1975 on the ground in South Vietnam and bordering areas of Cambodia and Laos (See Secret War) and in bombing runs (Rolling Thunder) over North Vietnam. ... War Department may refer to the military establishments of several different countries: British War Department Confederate War Department United States Department of War, under the leadership of the United States Secretary of War (until 1947) See also: defense minister This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists... The United States Secretary of Defense is the head of the United States Department of Defense, concerned with the armed services and The Secretary is a member of the Presidents Cabinet. ... The United States Aviation School is in Fort Rucker, Alabama and is where officers learn the basics of flight. ... Fort Rucker is a US Army base located mostly in Dale County, Alabama. ... Official language(s) English Capital Montgomery Largest city Birmingham Area  Ranked 30th  - Total 52,419 sq mi (135,765 km²)  - Width 190 miles (306 km)  - Length 330 miles (531 km)  - % water 3. ...

Brigadier General Frank Meszar, commanding general of Fort Stewart, formally accepted the base from Colonel James A. Evans Jr. commanding officer at Hunter, in a formal change of command and service ceremony on 1 April 1967. A Brigadier General, or one-star general, is the lowest rank of general officer in the United States and some other countries, ranking just above Colonel and just below Major General. ... Colonel (IPA: or ) is a military rank of a commissioned officer, with the corresponding ranks existing in nearly every country in the world. ... April 1 is the 91st day of the year (92nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar, with 274 days remaining. ... 1967 (MCMLXVII) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar (the link is to a full 1967 calendar). ...

The headquarters of the U.S. Army Aviation School Element, which was established at Fort Stewart during the summer of 1966 to train fixed-wing pilots, was moved to Hunter. The mission of the element was to coordinate the training of fixed wing and rotary wing aviators as an extension of the Army’s training program at Fort Rucker and Fort Walters, Texas. 1966 (MCMLXVI) was a common year starting on Saturday (the link is to a full 1966 calendar). ... Official language(s) English (de facto) See also languages of Texas Capital Austin Largest city Houston Area  Ranked 2nd  - Total 268,581 sq mi (695,622 km²)  - Width 773 miles (1,244 km)  - Length 790 miles (1,270 km)  - % water 2. ...

On 28 July 1967, the combined facilities of Fort Stewart and Hunter Army Airfield were re-designated the United States Army Flight Training Center. Included was the Army's first attack helicopter school, The Attack Helicopter Training Department, whose purpose was to train pilots in the AH-1G Cobra, the world's first purpose-built attack helicopter. July 28 is the 209th day (210th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian Calendar, with 156 days remaining. ... 1967 (MCMLXVII) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar (the link is to a full 1967 calendar). ...

Advanced helicopter training for Republic of Vietnam Air Force students began 13 March 1970, with the arrival of the first class of students. This is an article for the former air force of the now defunct South Vietnam. ... March 13 is the 72nd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (73rd in leap years). ... 1970 (MCMLXX) was a common year starting on Thursday (the link is to a full 1970 calendar). ...

Concurrent with the increase in the Vietnamese student input flight training for U.S. Army officers and warrant officers was gradually phased out. The final class was on 16 June 1970. June 16 is the 167th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (168th in leap years), with 198 days remaining. ... 1970 (MCMLXX) was a common year starting on Thursday (the link is to a full 1970 calendar). ...

Gulf War

In 1973, Hunter Army Airfield went into caretaker status. It was reopened in 1975 as a support facility for the re-activated 24th Infantry Division (Mechanized), at Fort Stewart. The 24th Infantry Division, or Victory Division, became part of the nation’s Rapid Deployment Force on 1 October 1980. 1973 (MCMLXXIII) was a common year starting on Monday. ... 1975 (MCMLXXV) was a common year starting on Wednesday. ... (Redirected from 24th Infantry Division) Shoulder sleeve patch of the United States Army 24th Infantry Division (Mechanized). ... October 1 is the 274th day of the year (275th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1980 (MCMLXXX) was a leap year starting on Tuesday. ...

The Victory Division’s ability to deploy on short notice was enhanced by its large runway (the Army’s longest runway east of the Mississippi River), Savannah’s deep-water port facility and excellent rail and road networks. The Mississippi River, derived from the old Ojibwe word misi-ziibi meaning great river (gichi-ziibi big river at its headwaters), is the second-longest named river in North America, with a length of 2320 miles (3733 km) from Lake Itasca to Gulf of Mexico. ...

The 24th Infantry Division’s rapid deployment capability was put to the supreme test in 1990 after Iraq invaded Kuwait. Alerted on 7 August, the first soldiers of the division deployed from Hunter Army Airfield in just six days. Six and one-half months later, on 24 February 1991, the Division attacked 370 kilometres deep into the enemy’s flank and rear. Moving farther and faster than any other mechanized force in military history, the 24th severed Iraqi lines of communication with Baghdad and systematically destroyed six Iraqi divisions while taking more than 5,000 prisoners. MCMXC redirects here; for the Enigma album, see MCMXC a. ... August 7 is the 219th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (220th in leap years), with 146 days remaining. ... February 24 is the 55th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 1991 (MCMXCI) was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... km redirects here. ...

Present day

Currently, Hunter Army Airfield has approximately 5 000 soldiers on station. It is home for units of the 3rd Infantry Division (Mechanized) headquartered at Fort Stewart. There are also a number of non-divisional units assigned to Hunter as well.

The major divisional units stationed at Hunter include the 3rd Aviation Brigade, and 603rd Aviation Support Battalion. Non-divisional units which make up the major tenant units include: the 260th and 559th Quartermaster Battalions; the 1st Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment; 3rd Battalion, 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (Airborne); and the 224th Military Intelligence Battalion (Aerial Exploitation). The 260th Quartermaster Battalion deploys and provides storage, distribution, and quality surveillance of bulk petroleum products in a corps area. ... 1/75 Ranger Regiment Shoulder Sleeve Insignia 1/75 Ranger Regiment Beret Flash The 1st Ranger Battalion was formed upon Americas entry into World War II. Major General Lucian Truscott, U.S. Army, in liaison with the British General Staff, submitted proposals to General George Marshall that we undertake... The 75th Ranger Regiment —also known as the United States Army Rangers— is a light infantry special operations force of the United States Army Special Operations Command (USASOC); with headquarters in Fort Benning, Georgia. ... (Redirected from 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment) Unit name 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (Airborne) Abbreviated: 160th SOAR (A) Nickname Night Stalkers Branch U.S. Army Mission Provide aviation support to U.S. Special Operations Forces Headquarters Fort Campbell, Kentucky USA Motto Night Stalkers Dont Quit (NSDQ) Death Waits...

The Coast Guard Air Station Savannah is also located on Hunter Army Airfield. It is the largest helicopter unit in the Coast Guard and provides Savannah and Coastal Georgia with round-the-clock search and rescue coverage of the area.

The Georgia Air National Guard's 117th Air Control Squadron also calls Hunter Army Airfield home. It is tasked with air defense via the detection, tracking and identification of all aircraft in its area of responsibility and close control of friendly fighters in the intercept and engagement of any aircraft of interest. The 117th Air Control Squadron is headquartered in Savannah, GA. Georgia Air National Guard Provides theater command with air battle management, radar surveillance, air space control, and long haul communication capabilities to plan and execute combined air operations; air superiority and air strike ground attack operations, and provide state authorities...

External links

• Fort Stewart and Hunter Army Airfield (official site)
• Installation Guide and Community Resource
• Hunter Army Airfield / Coast Guard Air Station Savannah (GlobalSecurity.org)
• Resources for this U.S. military airport:
  • AirNav airport information for KSVN
  • ASN Accident history for KSVN
  • NOAA/NWS latest weather observations
  • SkyVector aeronautical chart for KSVN