Grissom Air Reserve Base

Grissom Air Reserve Base
Part of Air Force Reserve Command (AFRC)
Bunker Hill, Indiana
Boeing KC-135R Stratotankers (60-0359 and 63-8041) of the 434th Air Refueling Wing.
Insignia 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
Owner	United States Air Force
Operator	434th Air Refueling Wing
Controlled by	United States Air Force
Open to the public	Yes
Website	www.grissom.afrc.af.mil/Home.aspx
Site history
Built	20 April 1942 (1942-04-20)–13 April 1943 (1943-04-13)
Built by	United States Navy
In use	1942–1946 1951–present
Events	World War II Cold War
Garrison information
Current commander	Colonel Larry H. Shaw (as of August 2016[update])
Garrison	434th Air Refueling Wing
Occupants	434th Operations Group 434th Operations Support Squadron 72nd Air Refueling Squadron 74th Air Refueling Squadron 434th Maintenance Group 434th Maintenance Operations Squadron 434th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron 434th Maintenance Squadron 434th Mission Support Group 434th Force Support Squadron 434th Security Forces Squadron 434th Civil Engineer Squadron 434th Communications Squadron 434th Operational Contracting Flight 434th Logistics Readiness Squadron 49th Aerial Port Flight 316th Tactical PSYOP Company Detachment 1, 855th Quartermaster Company 1/330th Infantry Regiment Detachment 1, Communications Company
Airfield information
Identifiers	IATA: GUS, ICAO: KGUS, FAA LID: GUS
Elevation	810.6 feet (247 m) AMSL
Runways Direction Length and surface 5/23 12,501 feet (3,810 m) Asphalt
Source: Federal Aviation Administration

Source: Federal Aviation Administration

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 1 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 US Army Reserve and also the US Marine Corps Reserve. The host unit is the 434th Air Refueling Wing, the "Hoosier 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. Colonel Larry H. Shaw commands the 434th Operations Group. Its Command Chief Master Sergeant is Chief Master Sergeant Wes Marion.