Hunter Army Airfield: A History - Savannah Airport, World War II, Cold War, SAC, Wing Rotation to Reflex, Changing Strategies, Materiel Air

The 1920s marked the true beginning of civilian aviation in the United States. By 1930 nearly 1700 civilian airports had been established in the nation. As part of this national trend, in1927 the city of Savannah bought 900 acres of woods, pasture, and swamp three miles south of the city limits for the first Savannah Airport—later known as Hunter Field.

In 1940 the US began to re-arm in preparation for war. The government increased funding for new equipment and bases and instituted a peace-time draft. A primary beneficiary of this new largesse was the Air Corps, which by 1941 had grown to over 25,000 personnel and 4000 aircraft. The Air Corps needed new airbases to accommodate its growth, and in August 1940 selected Hunter Field as a light bomber training base.

Beginnings * Savannah Airport * World War II * Hunter Field Goes to War! * A Municipal Airport again * The Cold War and Strategic Air Command * Early SAC Operations at Hunter AFB * "The New Look" * From Wing Rotation to Reflex * Changing Strategies * Materiel Air Transport Service * Vietnam and the Army's Arrival * Hunter Army Airfield: 1974 to 2001 * Confronting Global Jihad: 2001 to the Present * Sources