LACKLAND AIR FORCE BASE, Texas –
Lackland has felt its share of losses and gains from the 1995 and 2005 Base Realignment and Closure Acts that transformed Kelly and Brooks air force bases.
Kelly transformed into Port San Antonio and Brooks redeveloped its assets to become a hub for science, research, technology and business as Brooks City-Base. The Air Force continues its presence on Kelly. The last remaining unit on Brooks, the 311th Air Base Group, shuttered its doors Aug. 31, thus ending a century-old Air Force presence.
The 2005 BRAC continues to change the skyline at Lackland as organizations find new homes across Lackland and Joint Base San Antonio.
Transformation highlights include:
Lackland, Randolph and Fort Sam Houston merged resources to create JBSA, the Department of Defense's largest joint base. The 502nd Air Base Wing, headquartered at Fort Sam Houston, stood up in 2010 to oversee support functions at the three installations.
The combination of BRAC-related military construction projects for Lackland totaled $751 million from fiscal year 2006 through fiscal 2011. Another $662 million in Lackland MILCON is projected for fiscal 2012-2015.
Construction or renovation projects, completed or underway, consist of the Basic Expeditionary Airman Skills Training course (BEAST) at the Lackland Training Annex; four Airman Training Complexes and two dining/classrooms; the Wilford Hall Ambulatory Surgical Center; the Inter-American Air Forces Academy maintenance training facility; Bldg. 171 on Port San Antonio; the DOD's Holland Working Dog Veterinary Hospital; the MacKown Dental Clinic; and the Intelligence Operations Center.
Under BRAC, Wilford Hall Medical Center began its transition into Wilford Hall Ambulatory Surgical Center, a large outpatient clinic, as part of the San Antonio Military Health System. When completed in 2015, the former hospital will offer primary care, ambulatory surgery, laboratory and pharmacy services.
Agencies or elements now in Bldg. 171 include the Air Force Center for Environmental Excellence, Air Force Real Property Agency, Air Force Medical Operations Agency, Air Force Medical Support Agency, Air Force Element Medical Defense Agency, Air Force Element Medical-DOD, Air Force Public Affairs Agency, and Air Force-wide Support Element. Other units that moved to Lackland include the 710th Information Operations Flight (Air Force Reserve) and the 68th Information Operations Squadron.
Some Lackland services and organizations relocated to other areas. They include Air Force Services culinary training, and transportation management training. These services are now part of a joint service mission at Fort Lee, Va. Other missions and services are now located at McConnell AFB, Kan.; Capital Air Guard Station, Ill.; and Fort Leavenworth, Kan.