BARKSDALE AIR FORCE BASE, La. -- Offutt Air Force Base begins an 18-month, $144 million runway replacement project starting March 2021.
“Planning for our transition to Lincoln has been very smooth and that is because of the support we have received here from the Lincoln Airport Authority, Nebraska National Guard and the city of Lincoln,” said Lt. Col. Derrick Michaud, 55th Wing Runway Program Management Office director, in a 55th Wing Public Affairs press release.
“We’re working closely with our mission partners at the 55th Wing and Lincoln Airport Authority,” said Maj. Jamie Budd, 1st Airborne Command Control Squadron Assistant Director of Operations for the E-4B. “The plan to shift flying operations to Lincoln is in motion and we’re ready to execute.”
This is not the first time the E-4B has operated out of Lincoln, Budd said. Previous repairs made to the 80-year old runway required the fleet to operate at Lincoln, however, those repairs were minor in comparison to the current project, he added.
The move will affect Offutt personnel from the 55th Wing, 595th Command and Control Group, and National Airborne Operations Center, who will make the daily commute to Lincoln in support of the mission.
Lincoln’s Air Park West Industrial Zone was formerly home to Lincoln Air Force Base during the Cold War, and was once one of the most critical Strategic Air Command bases in the United States. Remnants of the old base can still be seen today.