Grissom Air Force Base

Grissom Air Reserve Base
Part of Air Force Reserve Command (AFRC)
Near Bunker Hill, Indiana
Boeing KC-135R Stratotankers (60-0359 and 63-8041) of the 434th Air Refueling Wing.
Grissom ARB Location of Grissom Air Reserve Base, Indiana
Coordinates	40°38′53″N 86°09′08″W / 40.64806°N 86.15222°W / 40.64806; -86.15222 (Grissom ARS)Coordinates: 40°38′53″N 86°09′08″W / 40.64806°N 86.15222°W / 40.64806; -86.15222 (Grissom ARS)
Type	Air Reserve Base
Site information
Controlled by	United States Air Force
Site history
Built	1942-1943
In use	1943 – present
Garrison information
Garrison	434th Air Refueling Wing

Grissom Air Reserve Base is a United States Air Force base, located about 12 miles (19 km) north of Kokomo in Cass County, Indiana and Miami County, Indiana. The facility was established as Naval Air Station Bunker Hill in 1942 and an active Air Force installation from 1954 to 1994. Since then it is a joint-use civil airport/military base with the Grissom Aeroplex providing general aviation and charter service.

The base is named in memory of astronaut and Indiana native Virgil I. "Gus" Grissom, who, along with fellow astronauts Ed White and Roger Chaffee, perished in the Apollo I fire at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station Launch Complex 34 in 1967.

Grissom Air Reserve Base is located in North Central Indiana and is home to the largest KC-135R Stratotanker wing in the Air Force Reserve Command, units from the U.S. Army Reserve and also the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve. The host unit is the 434th Air Refueling Wing which consists of three major groups and a variety of squadrons and flights. The wing develops and maintains the operational capability of its units and train reservists for worldwide duty. Training consists of flight operations, deployments, and weekday and weekend training. Grissom Air Reserve Base hosts the largest Boeing KC-135R Stratotanker wing in the Air Force Reserve Command (AFRC). As of 7 March 2015^[update] Colonel Mark Sigler commands the 434th Operations Group. Its Command Chief Master Sergeant is Chief Master Sergeant Larry Brady.